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Ray Mason Band
When The Clown's Work Is Over

(Captivating Works)

www.raymason.com

Ray Mason Band is a no-bullshit rock and roll group. They don't need no major record label deal, as they explain on "Got It Right", which should be an anthem for similar bands who make music for fun and not as a career move. Well, not exactly an anthem - the song actually is a twangy, mid-tempo number. But who wouldn't agree with Mason telling a label rep that "all the trendy bands are going to wind up as glue?"

These Massachusetts rock vets will not be accused of setting any trends. Instead, they are upholding a tradition, playing catchy tunes laced with good ol' American know how. Mason has a real working class voice that is suited to rock and roll that is laced with blues and country touches. Mason sounds like a cross between NRBQ's Terry Adams and Neil Young. In fact, there is a strong Young vibe on the contemplative title cut.

The band ably crisscrosses the lines between country, blues and rock and roll, often leading to interesting mixes, like on "Harold's Been Feeling Down", which has a hootenanny of a chorus, verses akin to early Tom Petty, and a quick Dave Edmunds-type bridge before a neo-psychedelic fretboard run by Mason, who is an extremely accomplished guitarist. Not every song is so inventive - hey, who could cover all that ground every time?

The band does a nice bluesy breakdown on "Wrong Side Of Real", which offers up a "12 step program for your heart." "Everly" has a light hearted feel - cracker barrel Kinks? - while the singer laments the old flame who is getting by fine, listening to Phil and Don on the Victrola.

Every decent sized town deserves a band like The Ray Mason Band. If your town doesn't have one and you just want to hear some unpretentious rock and roll, you may want to check this out.

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Jonathan Rundman
Sound Theology
(Saltlady)

www.saltlady.com

When discussing why he did not originally want XTC's classic song "Dear God" included on the band's Skylarking album, Andy Partridge explained that he thought he had failed to capture the subject. Partridge mused that you could do a 60-disc box set on the topic of religion and fail to scratch the surface. Hyperbole, perhaps. But religion is a daunting subject to tackle.

Jonathan Rundman may agree with Partridge to an extent, as his new 52 song, two disc set is devoted to the subject of religion. Specifically, Rundman focuses on the role of his Lutheran faith in his life. Yep, a concept album. Personally, as a lapsed Catholic, Rundman's take on the topic is pretty interesting and about as unpretentious as you can get for double album.

The songs look at religion from many different angles. There's some spiritual stuff, some songs that deal with the church and community from a societal perspective and many songs that deal with faith more in terms of application than proclamation, a la T Bone Burnett and Bruce Cockburn. Rundman is a solid lyricist, and while a few songs are a bit clunky, more often than not he manages to navigate a path where he balances specific observations with sentiments that are more universal. The post-modern blues of "Bright Funeral" fits the intelligent ruminations on post-mortem activity. "You Don't Speak For Me" expresses the frustration of a liberal Christian over the conservative voices that represent religion so often in the media. And "We're Creating Monsters", which is sung from the point of view of a older parishioner complaining about the dumbing down of church activities for the young folks, shows off Rundman's ability to make a point in a humorous fashion.

Rundman's basic style is a kind of folk-pop, which he throws into a variety of settings. There's powerpop ("Carol Of The Bells", where Rundman modifies a Silos tune), lounge/disco ("Find Your Way To Prague"), bluesy folk ("Workin' My Committee"), crunching and buzzing rock ("Wide Awake", "The Loneliness Of Happiness"), acoustic tenderness ("Cold, But I Don't Mind"), Beck/trip-hop type stuff ("Easier", "Waiting For The Rain") and a nifty R & B/Todd Rundgren type tune, "My Apology" that is the best tune on the whole durned thing.

Rundman deserves kudos for the mid-fi production. His vocals may be an acquired taste for some - a bit nasal, there a couple songs on which his voice does not fully suffice. Generally, I think that his vocals have a distinct personality that contributes to the overall success of the disc.

Is this a double disc that would make a better single? Well, on one hand yes - as talented as Rundman is, a number of songs just don't stick out. On the other hand, the nature of the album is such, it has to be as long as it is. It is laudable that Rundman used his pop skills to tackle a heady topic with sensitivity and relative depth. It is even better that he has put out two discs that hold up to repeat listens. Intriguing.

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Astrid
Play Dead
(Fantastic Plastic)

www.astridhq.com

Astrid is a Scottish quartet who burst onto the music scene two years ago with the spunky album Strange Weather Lately. The band combined the enthusiasm of The Bluebells with a pop sense as finely honed as The Las. In other words, it was classic pop craft. The difference between album number two and the debut is akin to the development of Supergrass - less cheeky, more mature, all the while retaining maximum hookmaking ability. Astrid's canvas has gotten bigger, and they have more colors on the palette with which to fill it. The band really captures a certain place in time - a young adult, still chock full of teenage exuberance while learning to cope with the increasing complexity of love and other problems.

The band's sound is still in that Bluebells/Las/Housemartins territory - sweet melodies and spry rhythms - and sometimes the songs carry a bit of a 60's Motown feel, as on the horn-driven "Crying Boy". The juxtaposition between the bouncy verses and the melancholy chorus is bittersweetness at its finest. When the guitars get bigger, Astrid verges on the big Brit pop sound of bands like Gene, albeit a sugarcoated version of that vibe. The highlight among the many highlights on this disc is the robust "Just One Name" - the chorus is simply indelible and you will sing along while strumming your air guitar.

There are poignant moments that shine, too. "Paper" combines a distinctive opening guitar part and an initial melody that is somewhat reminiscent of The Who's "Sunrise", which opens up into two quiet but fabulous hooks. And "Alas" is a wispy lament with a delicate piano nestling on top of the softly intoned title phrase as William Campbell sings: "So what do think it promises tomorrow, away/'cause people cry in the sunshine from their sorrow, today." This number is a lump in the throat classic.

Astrid has a soulfulness that eludes many of today's modern pop-rock bands. While a lot of that is due to Campbell's spectacular vocals (Charles Clark takes a few turns at the mike too), the whole band plays even their rockingest material with a unique gentleness that imbues the songs with a great deal of feeling. Not that any band wouldn't sound great playing these tunes, but Astrid makes it even more magical. This is worth the import price.

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