Wednesday, February 12, 2014
Monday, February 3, 2014
Friday, January 24, 2014
Album Review: Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds - Nocturama
Nocturama, released in 2003 sees
Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds slipping gently into their dotage. For the most part, it’s a collection of
pretty, ballady material. Which is not to
say these songs are bad. It opens with
Wonderful Life where Cave hesitantly broods “it’s a wonderful life... if you
can find it”. Always the caveat. He Wants You, Right Out Of Your Hand and
Still In Love are all very pretty but not hugely... exciting. Bring It On is kind of a poppy, ‘rock’ song,
very straightforward for Cave and co.
The harder, heavier side is restricted to two tracks, Dead Man In My Bed
and the endless, almost fifteen minute Babe, I’m On Fire. Neither is particularly interesting in my
opinion.
Later in the album, Still In Love relies heavily on a fine Warren Ellis violin part, while There Is A Town, has a strong melody and a chorus of backing vocals. It doesn’t sound particularly like a Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds song, more like a ‘dark’ song by anyone from Depeche Mode to the National but it IS rather enjoyable. But it’s not an album that leaves a lasting impression.
Thursday, January 23, 2014
Album Review: Pearl Jam - Lost Dogs
Pearl Jam released this double
album of B-sides and unreleased tracks in 2003.
For a band whose recent albums had been delivering diminishing returns,
it came as a breath of fresh air. It’s
split into a faster, heavier disc, and a slower one. Many of the faster tracks have catchier, and
indeed stronger melodies than much of the material on albums like Binaural and
Riot Act. Tracks like Sad, Down and
Undone feature great guitar workouts, strong tunes and performances. It’s a wonder they only surfaced here. Perhaps they were afraid to put them on their
albums? Hold On and Yellow Ledbetter are
slower, anthemic singalong tracks.
If anything, the slower disc has even more gems. Fatal, Other Side and Hard To Imagine would have been standouts on any of their albums. Eddie Vedder is on fine voice on the last of these, and equally manages a subdued, sensitive vocal on the brooding likes of Dead Man and Strangest Tribe. Later, tracks like Sweet Lew and Dirty Frank show what could have happened if they had spent too much time with the Red Hot Chili Peppers.
The album finishes with hidden track 4/20/02, an abrasive strum recorded solo by Vedder, referencing the death of Alice In Chains singer Layne Staley: “so sing just like him, fuckers, it won’t offend him, just me, because he’s dead”. This collection is way more essential than many of their ‘proper’ albums.
Wednesday, January 22, 2014
Album Review: The Lemonheads - Come On Feel The Lemonheads
Evan Dando and co were on a bit of
a high after the success of their It’s A Shame About Ray album. This follow up album, released in 1993, is a
sprawling 15 track affair, far longer than the previous album. At its best it’s full of rollicking,
power-pop guitar tracks. It opens with
one of these, the ebullient The Great Big No, Dando’s perfectly drawled vocals
over slightly rough guitar pop.
Interestingly the poppiest moment on the album, Into Your Arms, was
actually written by The Hummingbirds.
Listening to this album now it
feels very much like an early nineties timepiece. It’s About Time is a glorious, sun-dappled
strum, seemingly about Dando’s unconsummated relationship with Juliana Hatfield
(who chimes in wonderfully on backing vocals).
Down About It has a great melody but it’s played at breakneck speed,
almost too fast. Seek out acoustic
versions of this song which really allow it to breathe.
Speaking of songs breathing, Paid
To Smile is a pretty mid-paced, vaguely country song. They dial the country right up on Big Gay
Heart, where Dando takes a tune and vocal right out of Nashville save for the
gay-referencing lyrics which would never make it to the Grand Ole Opry.
Style, and it’s slowed-down cousin
Rick James Style are two of the few mis-steps on the album, which is full of
rocking melodies delivered in two minutes such as Rest Assured, Dawn Can’t
Decide and You Can Take It With You.
Charming, slower tunes Being Around and Favourite T feature Dando’s
heartfelt vocals with some admittedly cringe-y lyrics “if I was a booger, would
you blow your nose?”. Final track, the
FIFTEEN minute The Jello Fund is a complete mess, with random studio noises
battling with hard-rocking riffs. It’s
not really worth bothering with, the album would have been better without it.
The album deserves a relisten, at
its best it’s as good as anything on its predecessor.
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