Audioholic Media

»Album Reviews For Release Date: 03.01.11
by Joshua Krage

This week is definitely dominated by some formidable females: the second outing by Swedish raconteur Lykke Li, a third LP from the recently world-wearied DuPree sisters (and brother, and cousin) of Eisley, an absolutely stunning debut from UK chanteuse and guitar warrior Anna Calvi, and much more. Read on to get some knowledge dropped upon yourself:

Alexander

Beady Eye, Different Gear, Still Speeding – basically Oasis sans Noel Gallagher, resulting in a less self-aware and more unrestrained but unstructured rock beast, which is great or “enh” depending on what parts of Oasis you really enjoyed.

Anna Calvi, Anna Calvi – whenever an artist or performer arrives on the scene fully-formed and ready to stun, it always makes me wonder where they’ve been all this time to wind up arriving at such high standard into the music world. This is Anna Calvi’s first album (not counting a grip of hand-circulated 8-track acoustic demos from 2008 which grabbed Brian Eno’s attention), just breaking onto the blogosphere during the waning months of 2010. Drawing many comparisons to Patti Smith and PJ Harvey (even grabbing longtime Polly Jean collaborator Rob Ellis to produce her fully-analog album), Anna Calvi is a formidable beast, emerging from lush shadows with a smoky, confident voice defying expectation. She is a classically-schooled songwriting talent with an eye for the crown and, if that weren’t enough, she can rip a telecaster to shreds with immense flamenco fretwork, which she displays boldly to open the album. This is a wicked radiant first go and absolutely amazing for a debut.

Harry Connick, Jr. – live on Broadway

DeVotchKa, 100 Lovers – steadily growing gypsy-folk-punk outfit showing some serious world influences on their sixth album and running the gamut from quiet symphony to streetcorner serenades to stadium-sized showcases with ease.

Dropkick Murphys

Dum Dum Girls, He Gets Me High – a four-song placeholder (three originals and a Smiths cover) by bandleader Dee Dee in preparation for the gorgeously gritty shoegaze-pop outfit’s second proper album. Excellent improvements include superb playing by Raveonette Sune Rose Wagner (whose J+MC fandom is a Dum Dum touchstone) and Dee Dee’s echo-y vocals actually ending up discernible above the imposing haze of reverb drenching these tracks. Great direction, very promising for the next full LP.

Eisley, The Valley – it’s a sad truth that heartbreak breeds creativity, and with a broken engagement, failed marriage, and split with major-label Warner Bros between them, the DuPree clan may have seen better days in their personal lives, but their musical output is in top gear. Still gone are the innocent, wide-eyed magical romps through the enchanted stories of their debut album, but the full rock band power achieved on their Combinations album suits these new songs much better, with guitarist Chauntelle’s axe channeling much of the angst and sorrow decried by elven-voiced sisters Sherry and Stacy throughout these tracks. These kids always sounded like the musical equivalent of Sixpence None the Richer’s younger siblings, and while their vocals still recall Leigh Nash’s sweet croon, this is an album very much from the valleys of life, wrought through knowing resignation by a band muscular enough to handle the rough roads with their heads held high.

Forever the Sickest Kids

Ari Hest, Sunset Over Hope Street – the warm, gravelly tenor and well-weathered optimism of Ari Hest resides at the brightest corners of any overcast day in any city. This album finds more laid-back folk tones in his songwriting, with some slight flourishes by strings and other orchestral surprises in the folds.

Carole King/James Taylor – live CD/DVD
Aaron Lewis (Staind) – going country for an EP. Hey, it worked for Hootie…

Lykke Li, Wounded Rhymes – the best, grittiest and most experimental indie star to emerge from Sweden’s modern scene, Lykke Li once again pairs with Bjorn Yttling (of Peter, Bjorn & John) to create a ripping second album of vintage pop textures topped with smoldering, agitated songwriting and Li’s unshakably confident assertions. Equal amount of time given to fragile ballads as to balls-out retro-pop snarl over these 10 songs, it’s gratifyingly clear that this is a woman who wants you next to her while sonically rampaging through the city, but will kick your ass if you give her any lip. Great oddball production and off-kilter instrumentation make this a top-notch second album, very worthy follow-up for one of my favorite 2007 artists.

Middle Brother
Buddy Miller

Papercuts, Fading Parade – out on Sub Pop and possessing that modern Shins sound which so dominates the indie world these days, this album is floating on a bed of hazy echoes and reverb’d-out everything, an overcast afternoon of a journey down the Northwestern American coastline. Frontman and main creative force Jason Quever’s voice breaks through the haze with force at some moments and carries the album with memorable melodies, but mostly just lays back and coasts on the ambient feel of these songs’ midtempo wheels cruising down the highway.

John Popper

The Rural Alberta Advantage, Departing – second helping from decent indie/alt trio out of Toronto, out on Saddle Creek Records. Serving up raw and unadorned working-man missives, frontman Nils Edenloff’s nasally rasp comes up a little flat at times, but these songs are deeper and more three-dimensional than their debut, and their overall sound has deepened as well.

Ron Sexsmith
Stateless
Those Dancing Days
Mike Watt
Lucinda Williams

So yeah, fans of women in rock, rejoice. New Eisley is much, much better than their last, and how good is Anna Calvi? I can’t get over it, it’s like she was hiding in a closet and just walked out onto the top shelf of the UK music scene, ready to dominate. The 2011 release roster is finally getting in gear, with even better to come, so stay tuned. Until next week…

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