{"id":16294,"date":"2019-03-26T05:30:13","date_gmt":"2019-03-26T09:30:13","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/?p=16294"},"modified":"2019-03-22T16:32:04","modified_gmt":"2019-03-22T20:32:04","slug":"hundred-word-reviews-march-2019-part-two","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/index.php\/2019\/03\/26\/hundred-word-reviews-march-2019-part-two\/","title":{"rendered":"Hundred-word Reviews, March 2019 Part Two"},"content":{"rendered":"

Yesterday I covered ten albums in 1000 words. Today I\u2019ll do the same. All titles are new or recent releases.<\/p>\n

\"\"Shumaun \u2013 One Day Closer to Yesterday
\n<\/i><\/b>I love me some atmospheric, progressive leaning and ambitious music. And that\u2019s what\u2019s on offer within One Day Closer to Yesterday<\/i>. The music has hints of Pink Floyd, while the vocals lean a bit more toward some middle ground between Asia and Sammy Hagar. Yeah, there\u2019s an impassioned, soaring vibe to the vocals that might not win over all listeners, but Farhad Hossain \u2013 the prime mover behind Shumaun \u2013 is undoubtedly talented. In the grand unpredictable what-ever-could-be-next tradition of prog, the music changes texture and direction relentlessly, this album requires (and rewards) attentive listening. Beware of shredding guitars, though.<\/p>\n

\"\"Hoia \u2013 Scavenger
\n<\/i><\/b>I\u2019m not a fan of the term \u201cworld music,\u201d because it unfairly furthers the preconception that the U.S. and (western) Europe are the center of the musical universe, and everything else is secondary. This set \u2013 essentially the product of one man, muti-instrumentalist Prateek Rajagopal \u2013 nonetheless features important contributions from bassist Colin Edwin (him again!) and drummer Wojtek Deroegowski. It\u2019s a moody collection long on atmosphere. It\u2019s nominally prog, but with a welcome focus on melody and accessibility. Thoughtful lyrics are punctuated by long, varied and intriguing instrumental passages. There\u2019s an air of tension throughout all five tracks.<\/p>\n

\"\"Empire of Light \u2013 Let There Be Light
\n<\/i><\/b>The cover art suggests Americana. The logo telegraphs a sense of humor, as it\u2019s a reworking of Electric Light Orchestra\u2019s early logo. The music itself feels like Wilco, John Hiatt and Long Ryders: country-splashed melodies with a rock sensibility that occasionally recalls Old 97s. I\u2019m no fan of Eagles, but the best tracks here recall the qualities that (occasionally, at least) made that band special. Strong ensemble vocals are among the quartet\u2019s assets, nicely balanced by sharp playing that\u2019s full of feeling. And that wry sense of humor does in fact display itself in the songs, mostly by Peter Hutchison.<\/p>\n

\"\"Black Science \u2013 Worlds Within Worlds, Worlds Without End
\n<\/i><\/b>From time immemorial music has been about transcendence. The shamanistic quality of music \u2013 its utility in helping getting out of one\u2019s head and\/or body \u2013 is undeniable. Shadowy Seattle outfit Black Science (really just a guy called Thad Morton) released An Echo Through the Eyes of Forever<\/i> in 2012; this is its followup. Gauzy, static-y soundscapes are layered over with stratospheric, distorted guitars and delightfully plodding beats. It\u2019s more about mood than melody, which is fine. Fans of The Church\u2019s more abstract moments will find this appealing, as will anyone who wants an accompaniment (or substitute) for getting stoned.<\/p>\n

\"\"Bill Pritchard \u2013 Midland Lullabies
\n<\/i><\/b>I first stumbled across Pritchard\u2019s music by way of his 2016 album, Mother Town Hall<\/i><\/a>. Upon hearing his unique voice and songwriting talents, I wondered \u2013 aloud, as it happens; I work at home alone \u2013 why this artist who\u2019s big in France hasn\u2019t made commercial inroads elsewhere. He\u2019s of a piece with Graham Parker, Nick Lowe and similar artists of merit. With a greater emphasis on piano, this album has a slightly different character than its predecessors, but fans of Pritchard\u2019s idiosyncratic, inimitable style \u2013 and his impressive, seemingly effortless wordplay \u2013 will most assuredly luxuriate in this music.<\/p>\n

\"\"Chuck Redd \u2013 Groove City
\n<\/i><\/b>Looking at the cover, you might suspect that Redd is the kind of artist your dad \u2013 or his dad \u2013 might enjoy. Be that as it may, the warm, sonorous tones of Redd\u2019s vibraphone, joined by crystalline piano, drums and tenor sax make for a deliciously enjoyable experience. Irresistibly cool, this music is sleek and smooth, but \u2013 as the title suggests \u2013 it\u2019s groove-based, not at all the dreaded \u201csmooth jazz.\u201d The 11 songs are a mix of originals and standards, but in Redd\u2019s capable and dexterous hands, they\u2019re all of a seamless piece. I recommend it highly.<\/p>\n

\"\"Grayshot \u2013 Surface
\n<\/i><\/b>Minneapolis brother duo Christian and Aaron Ankrum are Grayshot. This is their third album, and the music sounds like a modern dance rock rethink of 80s alternarock like Wire Train. That\u2019s a way of saying that the melodies are catchy, and that there\u2019s a strong pop sensibility to the production. The songs sound a bit like what you might hear at your local Gold\u2019s Gym, but \u2013 this is important \u2013 without the Autotune. I don\u2019t know what sort of a market exists for this kind of music, but I\u2019m happy to go on record expressing my support of it.<\/p>\n

\"\"Lost Leaders \u2013 Promises
\n<\/i><\/b>Tom Petty\u2019s gone, but he didn\u2019t corner the market on the kind of accessible, unpretentious music that was his trademark. Lost Leaders have a sound that displays hints of Petty\u2019s influence, albeit with additional elements \u2013 for example, the synthesizer break that opens \u201cExtra-Ordinary,\u201d the album\u2019s leadoff track \u2013 that demonstrate the artists\u2019 range. Acoustic guitars coexist with appealing pop melodies. The songs and arrangements won\u2019t hit you over the head, but given the chance they way burrow themselves into your consciousness. Just when you think a song is sticking to an Americana vein, doot-doot vocals and handclaps take it elsewhere.<\/p>\n

\"\"Ally Venable \u2013 Texas Honey
\n<\/i><\/b>Ally Venable is neither the first nor the last artist to trade on the hot-chick-with-a-guitar approach to the blues. Ana Popovi\u0107 has been doing it for years. But Venable \u2013 who turns 20 this year \u2013 plays an earthy, riff-tastic blooz-rock that owes more to ZZ Top than, say, Lowell Fulson. Belying her tender years, Venable writes catchy tunes. Fronting a rootsy trio, she delivers actual songs rather than mere vehicles for guitar pyrotechnics. That\u2019s not to say that she isn\u2019t an impressive guitarist; indeed she is. Already a veteran \u2013 performing since age 12 \u2013 Venable\u2019s future looks bright.<\/p>\n

\"\"Bencoolen \u2013 Daydream
\n<\/i><\/b>I remember interviewing Polyphonic Spree\u2019s Tim Delaughter more than a decade ago; he mentioned how his group \u2013 definitely not a jam band \u2013 nonetheless appealed to the noodle dancers. Some groups simply have a kind of crossover appeal, intended or not. I suspect the same is true of Bencoolen; a popular festival act \u2013 also not a jam band \u2013 they play pop that is equal parts slick and soulful. There\u2019s a vaguely \u201880s vibe to the band\u2019s arrangements \u2013 maybe it\u2019s the saxophone breaks \u2013 but it\u2019s equally modern and current. Hall and Oates for the 21st<\/sup> century.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Yesterday I covered ten albums in 1000 words. Today I\u2019ll do the same. All titles are new or recent releases. Shumaun \u2013 One Day Closer to Yesterday I love me […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":16344,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_exactmetrics_skip_tracking":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[4,6,9,42,49,51,56,57,65],"tags":[3767,3768,2660,3765,3769,3770,3766,3771,3772],"class_list":["post-16294","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-alt-country","category-americana","category-blues","category-jazz","category-new-release","category-pop","category-prog","category-psych","category-review","tag-ally-venable","tag-bencoolen","tag-bill-pritchard","tag-black-science","tag-chuck-redd","tag-empire-of-light","tag-grayshot","tag-hoia","tag-shumaun","cat-4-id","cat-6-id","cat-9-id","cat-42-id","cat-49-id","cat-51-id","cat-56-id","cat-57-id","cat-65-id","has_thumb"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16294","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=16294"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"http:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16294\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":16544,"href":"http:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16294\/revisions\/16544"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/16344"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=16294"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=16294"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=16294"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}