Review: Iron & Wine - Kiss Each Other Clean

January 25, 2011
Warner Bros/4AD

 Rating:  7.1/10

Let me just start by saying that I am a bit of an Iron & Wine homer and often refer to the Floridian folk act as my favorite artist currently making music.  Agree or disagree with my tastes, that is in the least an impressive mathematical feat for a band mixed into a library with over 10,000 songs.  In fact, the title of this very blog is a nod to a lyric from "Lovesong of the Buzzard" from 2007's masterpiece, The Shepherd's Dog ("...Lucy in the shade of the dogwood blooms).

For me, it's about more than just the music that Sam Beam so brilliantly creates.  It's about a certain edges-blurred aesthetic that reminds me of simple times and simple places.  Vivid images of wind-blown quilts, swaying willow trees, softly trickling waterways and warm light cast through open windows are common in Beam's work.  If what I'm describing sounds overly Americana or rootsy, I guess it could be deceived as such.  But I urge you to take a look at the literary sincerity with which these passages are delivered.

From the brilliant closer to 2004's Our Endless Numbered Days simply titled "Passing Afternoon:"

There are things that drift away like our endless, numbered days
Autumn blew the quilt right off the perfect bed she made
And she's chosen to believe in the hymns her mother sings
Sunday pulls its children from their piles of fallen leaves

It's not exactly "she'll be comin' 'round the mountain when she comes," now is it?

But, as my dozen or so readers are used to, I digress.  Shifting to I&W's most recent output, let's feast our ears on Kiss Each Other Clean.  I suppose one of this gem's most obvious qualities is just how very shimmery it appears on first listen.  The production is much crisper with less room for air and more room for video arcade noises.  Don't get me wrong, there are plenty of quality musical moments to behold here.  But I'd be lying if I said I wasn't a little taken back when I heard the record scratches in "Me & Lazarus" and the Galaga dive bombs in "Monkeys Uptown."

Another production item of note is that Beam's voice is so full and clean sounding compared to the older bedroom folk and tape hiss albums.  Not necessarily a bad thing, but it takes some getting used to for sure.  Why whisper all the time when you have a voice like that anyway?

At no point are the vocal stylings more beautiful than on the album's incredible stand-out track, "Godless Brother In Love."  This is one of the most hauntingly memorable melodies that Sam has ever created.  To be honest, the uptempo horn-laden jam sessions won't stick as long with this die-hard fan.  So, having a ballad of this caliber kind of saves the album from its own leanings towards unbridled mediocrity (at least by I&W standards). 

Other flashes of sparkling grace fly by on "Walking Far From Home" and "Glad Man Singing."  Thus, the score for this review creeps up into the seven range.  The generic phrase that suits this record the best for me is "solid and enjoyable from front to back."  Does that help?  Don't expect Shepherd or Endless (or even parts of Around the Well, for that matter), but the songcraft here is respectable and will merit many return visits from me over the years.  Hopefully it will be just another petal in the flower garden of Beam's long and fruitful career.

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Biggest Disappointment of 2011 (So Far...)

Bright Eyes - The People's Key

I have been a fan of almost everything Conor Oberst has put out over the years.  I enjoyed the self-titled, I really liked Cassadaga, and the crazy drugged out earlier albums like Fevers & Mirrors and Lifted even grew on me eventually.  I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning is one of my favorite albums of the last decade.  So, yes, I consider myself a Bright Eyes fan.

However, if I'm going to continue to give myself that distinction, I'm going to have to ignore the final album to be released under the Bright Eyes moniker.  This album is utter crap, and that's unfortunate.  I've gotten past some of the spoken word stuff that has littered past works, but I just can't tolerate it on this one.  I might be able to ignore it if the music weren't so uninspired and bland.  "Ladder Song" is the only spot on this recording that I somewhat enjoy, and even that might just be relatively pleasant compared to the junk before it.

I usually rant and rave about great music on the Dogwood Bark, so this is new territory for me.  I'll just close by saying if you haven't heard this thing yet, don't bother.  Just spin Morning or Lifted and remember the days when Oberst was relevant.

First Impression: Fleet Foxes - Helplessness Blues

Fleet Foxes - Helplessness Blues

The self-titled from this Pacific Northwest outfit was one of my favorite albums of 2008.  It showcased some of the best songwriting I heard that year and introduced many to some seriously beautiful vocal harmonies.  Reminiscent of the Beach Boys or Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young, it made for great sunny day headphone listening.

On their most recent offering, Fleet Foxes stay fairly close to the formula that endeared them to so many a couple of years ago.  This time, it's a little bit more polished and a little bit less rustic.  The lead vocal is featured higher in the mix, but the harmonies still soar.  Again, it is those very harmonies that carry these songs through most of the album.

There are a couple of moments of experimentation that had me questioning if I was still listening to Fleet Foxes, but they were still interesting and will probably reveal plenty of treasures after subsequent listens.  I can already tell I'll be giving this plenty of time over the summer months.

Morning Drive - March 30, 2011

Nada Surf - Let Go

Inspired by hearing "Inside of Love" on How I Met Your Mother a couple of nights ago, I decided to take in this 2002 album from alleged one hit wonders, Nada Surf.  I've grown to like this band so much that I barely even remember that they were the ones with that lame "Popular" video on MTV back in high school.  Even though some of the lyrics here come off as lame and desperate attempts to get the girl, there is enough substance here to get past that.  For example, ignore "I wanna know what it's like on the inside of love.  Standing at the gates, I see the beauty above" and focus more on "I know I have got a negative edge, that's why I sharpen all the others a lot.  It's like flowers or lady bugs, pretty weeds or red beetles with dots?"

And for those out there that don't sweat the lyrics as much as I do, this album flies by as a really fun listen that is considered by many (myself included) to be the band's best release.  Like I was told by the person who originally recommended them to me, they're like Death Cab...but less whiny.



Morning Drive - March 28, 2011

Bob Dylan - The Times They Are A-Changin' (1964)

I find myself spending a lot of time listening to music that could be over simplified with the word "folk."  Iron & Wine, Josh Ritter, The Mountain Goats, The Avett Brothers, Conor Oberst, Bon Iver, Sufjan Stevens and so on fill my speakers with modern day strumming and crooning on a regular basis.  Clearly, these guys have all listened to, imitated, and possibly worshipped the greatness of Dylan at various points in their lives.

When people ask me which era I prefer, I surprise them (and myself sometimes) by selecting the electric Dylan.  Blood On the Tracks, Highway 61 Revisited, Blonde On Blonde, and Bringing It All Back Home, will always rank over The Freewheelin' and the disc I spun this morning on my way in.  Discounting the early parts of Dylan's catalog, however, would be like ignoring Please Please Me or A Hard Day's Night and the monumental impact they had on popular music.

I have to tell you that the minimalistic sounds of the acoustic, the man's voice and his harmonica hit the spot on this dreary morning.  Traffic was surprisingly light for a Monday, so I was actually able to take in and absorb these stories of injustice, poverty and love.  I'm not always in the mood for it, but tell me you don't hear Dylan rubbing off a little bit on Sam Beam (Iron & Wine) in "Boots of Spanish Leather."  Talk about a timeless bit of musical mastery.  There are plenty more "wow" moments throughout this classic.  Give it a chance. 



Review: The Decemberists - The King Is Dead

January 14, 2011

Capitol

Rating:  7.8/10

When I heard The Decemberists play "Down by the Water" on one of the late night talk shows, I was a little torn.  I liked the song, but I distinctly remember being confused by the straightforward alt-country sound of it.  Wondering if we were going to get an album full of stripped down foot-stompers, my curiosity and subsequent anticipation for the release of The King Is Dead grew.

To be fair (or unfair, depending on how you look at it), I never even bothered listening to 2009's The Hazards of Love.  I had heard/read just too many negative reviews about grandiose, Broadway-style theatrics and overly colorful instrumentation that I just didn't take the time to give it a chance (and still haven't to this day).  So, unlike many articles I've read about the latest offering from The Decemberists, this one won't be clouded with night and day comparisons between the opposite ends of the spectrum from which the two albums were born.

Instead, I will discuss The King Is Dead on its own merits.  Besides, it's not like we've never heard stylistic changes from The Decemberists in the past (as subtle as they may have been in comparison).

First off, Peter Buck from R.E.M. plays on three tracks.  So as you can imagine, there are numerous moments in which the boys from Athens, Georgia come to mind.  While we're name-dropping the obvious influences on this record, how about Neil Young and early Wilco?  Getting the picture yet?  TKID showcases some really pretty melodies as well as some rustic tunes that rattle forward like a countryside train.  For the most part, it all fits into a nice little pleasant package.  The aforementioned "Down by the Water" features an instantly hummable melody with backing vocals from Gillian Welch.  Another highlight, "January Hymn" shows off Meloy's uncanny ability to create a simple and beautiful tune.  It's about the songs this time around, and each one has its own space to breathe. 

I don't foresee this album landing at the top of the rankings in the Decemberists' catalog (probably somewhere in the middle, in fact).  But I'm not looking to listen to a classic every time I plug in the iPod.  Sometimes I just want to hear something enjoyable; something that gets me drumming on the steering wheel.  The King Is Dead does the trick.  Highly recommended.

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Top 10 Albums of 2010 - Better Late Than Never

I was telling a friend the other day that I absolutely suck at blogging.  Work, and life in general, got really busy over the past few months.  Therefore, I completely ignored my Dogwood site.  With all of 5 readers, I doubt it bothered anyone other than myself.

Regardless, I'm back at it again.  My last bit of playing catch-up will involve posting my Top 10 Albums of 2010 list which I formulated back before Christmas.  A great year for music overall, 2010 introduced me to some great new artists (Angus & Julia Stone), gave me solid releases from old favorites (The National, Arcade Fire, Jimmy Eat World, etc.), and even disappointed me at times with somewhat forgettable outings from traditionally amazing bands (The New Pornographers, Belle & Sebastian, etc.).  2010 also saw artists like Jenny Lewis and Scott Lucas venture away from their traditional calling card sounds to different territories on a couple of wonderful new projects.

The list:

10. Jimmy Eat World - Invented

As far as shiny, shimmery pop rock goes, these guys are the kings in my book.  It's not as good as Futures, but it fulfills a lot of the same cravings.  I spun this a ton when it first came out, and I find myself revisiting it pretty frequently.

9. Scott Lucas & The Married Men - George Lassos the Moon

Local H frontman gives us some Dylan and Young inspired tunes that hit home perfectly for me.  I really hope we hear more out of this project.

8. The Gaslight Anthem - American Slang

Gone this time around is the heavy reverb on the vocals and some of the nostalgic mood that dominated The '59 Sound which is one of my favorite albums of the last ten years.  Still present, however, are energetic rock tunes reminiscent of Springsteen and The Clash.  This formula works well for Gaslight, and it has quickly propelled them up the ranks as one of my favorite bands going.

7. Angus & Julia Stone - Down the Way

I had never heard of this Australian duo until 2010, I'll admit.  As I often do, I took a chance on this based on recommendations from certain trustworthy online sources.  I feel lucky to have this album in my possession now, as it's been one of my most frequently played collections of the year.  The vocals may not be everyone's cup of tea, but the songs soar enough that it doesn't even matter.  Indie-folk-pop-acoustic-whatever, it's beautiful.

6. Band of Horses - Infinite Arms

This one is a little "safe" compared to previous records, but it's still Band of Horses.  There are some amazing Beach Boys-style melodies and harmonies here.

5. Jenny and Johnny - I'm Having Fun Now

Jenny can do no wrong in my book; some of the best sunny day driving tunes out there.

4. Josh Ritter - So Runs the World Away

It's funny, had I written this list back at the end of the year this album would have fallen somewhere around number nine or ten.  This thing just keeps getting better and better for me.  I've always loved Ritter, and this is just another example of some of the best songwriting out there currently.  Biggest grower of the year.

3. Arcade Fire - The Suburbs

This album actually won the Grammy for Best Album of 2010, and it was a great moment for everyone who has been following the monumental and epic sounds of Arcade Fire for all of these years.

2. The Tallest Man On Earth - The Wild Hunt

There is nothing groundbreaking or earth-shattering about what this guy does, but I can't get enough of it.  Acoustic folk that is perfect for outdoor listening in the afternoon with a cold one.

1. The National - High Violet

Is there any surprise that this landed at number one for me?  Call it indie if you want, but I just call it rock.  These are some intelligently written tunes, and this one will stay in my rotation for years and years.