Five minutes spent watching any TV ‘talent’ show should be enough to convince you that singing other people’s songs well is a unique art. To truly cover a song you need to own it completely for yourself. You need to sing this is my song and actually mean it. So Brandi Carlile was brave to ask fourteen artists to cover songs from her album The Story. Thankfully the rich and diverse interpretations of her work on this charity album Cover Stories are more than worthy of comparison with the originals. Continue reading “Album Review: Cover Stories”
Album Review: Imelda May – Life. Love. Flesh. Blood
If you’re familiar with Irish singer Imelda May then you might think her new look and sound are a little dramatic. But on Life. Love. Flesh. Blood she strips back the artifice of her rockabilly style and sound to create some brilliantly different disguises. Continue reading “Album Review: Imelda May – Life. Love. Flesh. Blood”
Album Review: Holly Macve – Golden Eagle
Sounding like the love child of Hank Williams and Lana Del Rey, Golden Eagle from Holly Macve is a distinctive debut from a promising young talent. Continue reading “Album Review: Holly Macve – Golden Eagle”
Album Review: Feist – Pleasure
Since PJ Harvey decided to go on a humanitarian mission armed with feathers and an autoharp there’s been a gap in indie rock for a more feral style of female voice. Step forward Leslie Feist who on her new album Pleasure evolves her sound to create something almost primal in its simple power.
Album Review: Juliana Hatfield – Pussycat
Juliana Hatfield once portrayed an angel on the best goddamn teen show of all time and sang sweetly about living on purity of soul. But that was over twenty years ago – now she’s down here with the rest of us, experienced in the bitter realities of life. Her blistering new album Pussycat is full of horror about politics, relationships and the cruel world we find ourselves in. Continue reading “Album Review: Juliana Hatfield – Pussycat”
Album Review – The Wild Reeds – The World We Built
To be in harmony means more than just creating a pleasing sound and on The Wild Reeds’ new album The World We Built three parallel voices combine together to create a distinct instrument all of its own.
Continue reading “Album Review – The Wild Reeds – The World We Built”
Album Review: Lillie Mae – Forever and Then Some
The simple black and white photograph of Lillie Mae on cover of this record is striking for all the right reasons. It commands us to notice the distinctive style of this artist and remember her face. Stepping out from the shadows of both her family band and her employer turned producer Jack White might be daunting but her eyes and the songs on Forever and Then Some tell you she’s more than ready.
Continue reading “Album Review: Lillie Mae – Forever and Then Some”
Album Review: Laura Marling – Semper Femina
Semper Femina by Laura Marling explores female relationships and turns this theme inwards to contemplate her own identity in this sparse and beautiful collection of songs.
Continue reading “Album Review: Laura Marling – Semper Femina”
Album Review: Angaleena Presley – Wrangled
Country music is steeped in stories of poverty and heartbreak. These simple, everyday experiences sung to us by Dolly, Johnny, Loretta et al gave the genre its reputation for three chords and the truth. Of course these artists turned dirt into gold, selling millions and buying themselves mansions, ranches, theme parks even. What happens to the rest of the singers who don’t make it? How do you cope with the realisation that no matter how good a musician or singer you are, no matter how much you bleed into the lyrics you are never going to be a mainstream success? This difficult question is addressed head on in Angaleena Presley’s sophomore album, Wrangled.
Continue reading “Album Review: Angaleena Presley – Wrangled”