Scroll down for the latest releases by Chris von Sneidern, John Cale, a Nick Lowe Tribute, Nothing Painted Blue, Paul Weller, Rogue Wave, The Blasters, The Capes, The Fall and The Well Wishers

Paul Weller
As Is Now

(Yep Roc)

yeproc.com

Paul Weller's solo career hasn't been so much disappointing as underwhelming. And it's really his own damn fault. He didn't have to lead one of the all-time great British bands in The Jam. Had he not done that, his generally engaging solo records wouldn't seem such a step down from his brilliance from 1977 through 1982. Every Weller solo record has its share of good moments, just not enough for my tastes.

Until now. Weller's never lost his ability to write top notch songs, he just can't seem to write more than a handful at a time. This album has the requisite smattering of Traffic-like blues rock. But Weller really flexes his melodic muscles, as if he took an extra dose of Small Faces Mega-Vitamins. On song after song, Weller highlights many of the best aspects of British pop-rock since the ‘60s. Even better, Weller's voice just gets a bit more weather beaten with each year, and it's more appealing than ever.

For a good example of Weller's vocal talents at their peak, check out the jazzy waltz "Roll Along Summer". He exploits his primary smoky mid-range and his phrasing is impeccable. He's learned a lot since his declamatory Jam days. This song also evokes the sophistication of his Style Council stint, however, instead of a sweet soul dream, this track is more attuned to late nights, smoky clubs and romantic moonlight.

Weller heads to more dramatic territory on "Pan", a piano piece that augments the stark and sharp melody with haunting choral vocal effects and subtle brass accompaniment. This song so easily could have been overblown, but Weller lets his big musical ideas work their magic. It is one of those rare songs that might have better if it were two minutes longer. Thankfully, Weller's other piano ballad is sumptuous and complete. The album closer "The Pebble and the Boy" is somewhere between Pete Townshend during his *Quadrophenia* days and...Elton John? John Cale? On this song, a string section perfectly compliments this aching and direct number. Again, Weller's vocal performance is stellar . Damn, he's really singing better than ever.

These lovely songs are just part of the mix. Weller's pop prowess is still in evidence. For those who forget what a vital link he is in the Britpop chain, "Here's the Good News" is a jaunty memory jogger. The ultracool wrinkle is the little R & B melody snatch in the midst of the percussive piano bop. In more recent years, Weller has, from time-to-time, shown a little Beatles influence, and I hear that on "I Wanna Make it Alright". On "Alright", Weller mixes in a little blues with the mid-tempo McCartneyesque sunshine.

Even better, the piss-and-vinegar that he had as a teen still comes through: "sing you little fuckers/sing like you got no choice" he snarls (well, it's an aged, mellower snarl) on the crisp rocker "Come On/Let's Go". This is how Weller rocks as a middle aged man – the riff is hard, and it's contrasted with a more pensive melody. As good, if not better, is the spunky "From the Floorboards Up" – if you played this with a more Motown-ish rhythm, this might be an old Jam song. Instead, it skips into a compact metronomic beat that gives the song an unusual and appealing contents-about-to-explode feel.

There are also some rock songs in the patented ‘70s blues rock mode that produced fun solo hits like "Uh-huh". Indeed, the first two numbers, "Blink" and "Paper Smile" serve as reminders that once you accept Weller's solo career on its own terms, he's put together an impressive body of work. Add in the mild and infectous groove of "Bring Back the Funk (pts 1 & 2)" and the acoustic guitar driven "All On a Misty Morning", a song that burns intensely and could be slipped into a classic rock playlist and be mistaken for the great lost Free song (or some other Brit cult favorite), and this album not only serves as a highlight of Weller's solo career, it plays like a terrific curriculum vitae. He highlights all of his strengths. I don't know why everything came together on this particular release. Who cares? I just hope that he can keep riding the wave.

Chris von Sneidern
California Redemption Value

(Mastromonia)

cvsmusic.com

Chris von Sneidern is a modern pop rarity -- a man capable of concocting cotton candy sweet pop hooks that recall the solid gold of AM radio in the ‘70s, while imbuing his music with a measure of depth and substance, and sometimes, a great deal of humor. On his latest worthy nominee for the designation of ‘best CvS album yet,' Sneidern not only offers another fistful of wonderful songs, his accompanying liner notes reveal the artistic struggles that would otherwise have been masked by the perfection on display. I realize that great liner notes mean nothing if the end product is inadequate. Here, the songs stand on their own. But reading Sneidern's story, about his move to Seattle, his creative process and some of the personal issues he dealt with, it just makes me appreciate this collection even more. While his story is unique, I'm certain that many of our favorite artists could pen similar tales. Creating great music is something that should be cherished, because our favorite artists still have to cope with the same basic problems we do. But unlike them, many of us have advantages like full-time jobs, health insurance, etc.

Oddly enough, these songs were primarily motivated by a publishing deal, as CvS notes he was going to pen some "catchy-crap" songs to make some bucks that ended up on this disc. Well, Sneidern got the catchy part right. Early on, he strikes gold with "Symphony of Love". This song has a majestic melody, and he could have made this song even more ornate and baroque. Instead, relying on a steady drumbeat and glorious piano accompaniment, he manages to create a joyous love song that manages to be large and panoramic, while still having a very human scale. It's Marshall Crenshaw meets Phil Spector meets an especially clever lyricist, who sings of taking the sound he gets when his love is around and it leads to musical magic: "within me now/I bring to you/the biggest sound/the loudest note/the greatest song you will ever hear." This is a triumphant piece of classic pop.

The light drama of that track is supplanted by something more heartwrenching on "Sorry", which starts out with an early Bee Gees feel and then morphs into something along the lines of Nilsson or Badfinger. A five-star ballad full of anguish and, logically, sorrow. In the chorus, Sneidern again shows why he is simply one of the best singers in rock, not only moving up high in his range, but infusing his voice with pure emotion. And this strong voice is matched with an equally strong hook on "You Walked Away", a song that sounds like some lost ‘70s classic that should have been played alongside Fleetwood Mac on the FM band.

The proceedings take an autobiographical turn on "Tale of Two Cities". Sneidern elaborates in the liner notes what is reference in the lyrics, as he sings about his move to Seattle. The promise of a new city quickly turns sour. It turns out that Seattle just ain't for him: "‘The summer's great and the days are long/the winter's when we get stuff done'/I factor in the depression/I'm not having fun." Eventually, he decides to go back to San Francisco, where he belongs: "so give me back my sweater-clad summers/Yes, open up the Golden Gate." This contemplative story is set to a somewhat jaunty piano part -- kind of like a CvS pop twist on the piano confessional ballads that Ian Hunter used to sing for Mott The Hoople.

Sneidern may have saved his best for last, as "Why Go Alone?" is a stunner. This is self-analysis, set to a wonderful melody. Sneidern takes a look at intimacy, and makes some great observations on the subject, particularly how often folks screw it up: "Selfish boy with my new velvet toy/softer than a smile/naturally, if she's in love with me/I'd leave her in a while." Anyone see themselves in that quatrain? The chorus of this song has a classic sound (I guess I could say that about most of his songs) that could go back to someone like Roy Orbison or Gene Pitney, albeit in a more modern musical context. After going over the mistakes that are made, Chris concludes: "Don't go, don't go alone/a simple belief that we should live our lives in pairs." He sings it like a man who knows.

This may be the best Chris von Sneidern album yet. He represents the best of what pop music can be -- not afraid to be light and catchy, but more than willing to be more than a couple of hooks and a memorable line or two.

________________________________________________________________

John Cale
blackAcetate

(Astralwerks)

astralwerks.com

After making a return to basic rock music on his superb *HoboSapiens* album in 2003, the former Velvet Underground member is really in the zone. On the last album, Cale worked with Nick Franglen of the electronic band Lemon Jelly, and appeared to add certain modern ambient textures to Cale's established song stylings. On this new album, Cale teams with Herb Graham, Jr., who has worked with Macy Gray, among others. Presumably, Graham assisted Cale in adding some R & B and lite funk shadings to some of the tracks.

Indeed, Cale comes out of the gate in a playful mood on "Outta the Bag". This song has a nice mid-tempo dance groove and Cale sings in an uncharacteristic falsetto – think of Mick Jagger on The Rolling Stones' "Emotional Rescue". Graham provides the rhythm section, laying down a nice beat while Cale adds some keyboard burbles he must have stolen from Bernie Worrell. It's a fun start.

Two other songs with this R & B vibe are also quite good. "Hush" reminds me a bit of Talking Heads, with the deep percussion track syncopated with Cale's repetitive lead blues guitar part. The song's rhythmic drive is insinuating. I don't normally think of Cale as a sensual artist, but this song fits the bill, as Cale intones, "put your lips on mine/and don't tell a soul." Even when he's trying to be sexy, he's still foreboding. The song also has a nice contrasting middle eight, driven by John Krovoza's cello. On "Brotherman", Cale reaches into his brainpan and finds his inner Mark E. Smith. Cale's stream of consciousness lyrics ride on top of a rhythm track that is full of samples and bass and keyboard parts that bubble up and down.

While dabbling in the land of funk, Cale hasn't forgotten his guitar. There are a few songs on here that rank with the best from his ‘70s heyday. "Woman" balances the rhythm oriented approach of some of the aforementioned tracks, percolating in the darkness in the verses, only to be obliterated by gleaming sheets of guitars on the monolithic chorus. The big hook is made all the more effective by how it shoots up in the midst of the dense terrain in the verses.

Unlike "Woman", "Perfect" commences to rocking right away. It is just a big happy pop song. The song begins with Cale exclaiming that "you're perfect for me right now." Imagine Sugar at its happiest, and this will give you an idea of where this song is coming from. Even the middle eight is bursting with joy, as Cale just keeps singing, over and over, "it's a different kind of love."

In between those two songs is an intense mid-tempo number, "Sold-Motel", the sole track produced by Mickey Petralia. The song is built upon a sturdy and dirty guitar riff. Cale's doomy baritone reports a story of decadence and dementia: "Mark down the laws/that we broke tonight/the judge wants you/back in court to fight". Dustin Boyer contributes a brutally and damaged, and thus perfect, guitar solo.

As filthy as that song is, "Satisfied" is beautiful. Here, Graham's ability to create a bass filled foundation gives the delicate melody a firm bottom that provides unique support for a song of this type. Cale really throws himself into his vocals, as he speculates on an affair that may be something more. The music drops out as he belts out "it may surprise us in the end." With that much emotion, John, it sounds like it will. As bells chime and the song winds down, a chorus of Cales sings that this love "will stand the test of time."

As will this disc. Cale seems to have really found his muse, with back-to-back outstanding discs and he's at his highest artistic level in 30 years. I still think I prefer *HoboSapiens* to this album, but by the end of the year I might believe they are equal or this is better. If you missed the last one, you made a mistake. Don't make the same mistake twice.

Various Artists
Lowe Profile: A Tribute to Nick Lowe

(Brewery)

breweryrecords.com

Nick Lowe is a great subject for a tribute album for quite a few reasons. For one thing, Lowe has explored a number of different sounds, from pure pop to country rock to old fashioned R & B balladry. Moreover, while Lowe has a great way with his tunes, it's not so unique or amazing that any cover would automatically pale in comparison. And, best of all, Lowe has tons of great songs. So many, that some of the Basher's best known songs didn't make the cut here. This is not a trib where the artists just went for the hits. In some cases, they picked songs that Lowe himself covered. The song selection indicates to me that Lowe's music works at many levels and can hit others in different ways.

The man behind the tribute is roots rocker Walter Clevenger. Ever since his first self-released cassette, Clevenger has garnered comparisons to Lowe. He has accepted them gracefully, which he should, because the comparisons are spot on. Clevenger has assembled a fine group of artists, and added terrific liner notes to boot.

He was faced with one tough decision, and made the right call. Should he include covers? In the liners, Clevenger reasons that Nick usually has at least one on all of his records, and if an artist wanted to pay tribute to Lowe by doing a track he covered, why not? Good call. It yields one of the best performances on the record. Dave Alvin does a moody and stinging rendition of "Failed Christian", a Henry McCullough composition that Lowe performed on his superb Convincer album. I think that one of the reasons that it was attractive to Alvin is that he probably wishes he wrote it, and he was paying tribute to Mr. Lowe for introducing the song to him. Alvin's guitar playing is lacerating and he sings with a controlled mix of anger and contrition.

It's debatable whether Ian Gomm's take on "Cruel to Be Kind" counts as a cover – after all, he co-wrote it with Nick. This version should have been retitled "Cruel to Be Kind (My Sweet Lord mix)" as guitarist Danny Ott throws in some George Harrison-style slide guitar. Gomm does the song in a more reserved mid-tempo, and then sings the hell out of it. Whereas Lowe's version was bemused and perhaps a subtle endorsement of being pussy whipped, Gomm truly sounds mystified. He may submit, but he's going to go down fighting (or at least complaining loudly about it).

Lowe's other best known song is entrusted to the capable hands of Michael Carpenter. He blends the original Brinsley Schwarz pub-rock/folk take on "(What's So Funny ‘Bout) Peace Love and Understanding" with the more familiar Elvis Costello and the Attractions arrangement (while totally ignoring Curtis Stigers...). The one thing he did not take from the original version is the attitude – the song was Lowe's jape at hippies. In fact, he finds a way to build on the sincerity of Costello's version. He doesn't try to precisely imitate Pete Thomas's amazing drumming and adds some nifty backing vocal arrangements. And Carp's lead vocal just kills – he nails it. Great rendition.

Speaking of great vocalists, there aren't too many better than modern day Cali rockabilly cat James Intveld. He puts some pep in the step of the *Dig My Mood* track "Lonesome Reverie", and magic is made. Meanwhile, one of the great power pop singers of recent times, Robbie Rist, turbocharges "Love So Fine" (from *Labour Of Lust*). The song falls somewhere between T. Rex and Wings's "Helen Wheels", as Rist wails (and Nice Guy Eddie's Chris Jackson doubles up quite well in the background) and they take a Basher tune and truly make it bashing.

However, the supreme Nick Lowe pure rock and roll moment has to be "Heart Of The City". The breathless rendition on Jesus Of Cool probably can't be topped. However, The ‘lectric Chairs try their damndest to do so, and come pretty close. A great job. The one attempt to rock up Lowe that doesn't quite work for me is Rex Holmes & We Monster on "Homewrecker". In making the song into a heavy angry rocker, the band had the right idea, as the lyrics are made for it, but it's just a bit overwrought.

There are many other highlights. Foster and Lloyd reunite for a run through the country-rock fun of "Without Love" (didn't Johnny Cash do this one?), Nick's stepdaughter Tiffany Anastasia Lowe does a nice version of the Rockpile track "Heart", The Muffs' Kim Shattuck shows that she can pull off a song without screaming, sounding lovely and demur on "You Make Me", roots rockers Eric Ambel ("12 Step Program (to Quit You Babe)") and Terry Anderson & The Olympic Ass Kickin' Team ("You Got The Look I Like") hit home runs with songs that are tailor made for them and Jamie Hoover shows, yet again, on "American Squirm" that he belongs on any tribute album he feels like.

As for Clevenger, he and his Dairy Kings take on "There's A Cloud In My Heart". He (appropriately) sounds more Nick-ish than ever. As he explains in the liners, picking a track was very tough for him, and in choosing a lesser known Brinsley Schwarz (is that redundant?) song. This turns out to be a good choice, because this song exemplifies the best elements of Lowe's music that are present in Clevenger's own compositions. A certain ebullient post-Everlys/Buddy Holly melodic sense, with direct, concise lyrics. It's a lot harder to pull off than it sounds, and Walter carries the torch well. Not just with his cover, but with this entire two disc set.

_______________________________________________________________

Nothing Painted Blue
Taste The Flavor

(Shrimper)

midheaven.com

"I had an atom smasher/I used it to mow the lawn/I was a party crasher/I used to stay ‘til the rest of the guests were gone." These are the opening lines of the latest (and, from what I've heard, last) Nothing Painted Blue album. Hearing the perpetually sardonic Franklin Bruno sing these words is quite reassuring – witty wordplay and sharp catchy music is in effect.

I've been a fan long enough that it is hard for me to describe Nothing Painted Blue's music. There are no easy direct comparisons. Let's just say that Bruno had to be pretty aware of the new wave scene (i.e., the music that was ‘punk' to the jocks, and really just rock, but had to be labeled at the time) and subsequent developments in the music that blanketed college radio during the ‘80s. Bruno's vocals and lyrics are what stamps the band. He's a limited vocalist for sure. However, he crafts melodies that extract every note he can sing out of his throat, though he spends most of the time in his nerdy mid-range. All things considered, he is quite expressive. And over the years, his guitar playing just keeps getting better and better. Joined by the other NPB constant, Kyle Brodie on drums and Peter Hughes on bass, this album surveys the various sounds of Nothing Painted Blue, adding an extra dose of rock.

Although the band's last two albums had their share of loud guitars, especially 1994's *Placeholders*, I'm not sure if anything can equal "Self-Contained". Starting off in some jazz-from-hell mode, with Hughes playing bottom heavy notes, Brodie's beats skipping along whilst Bruno plays chicken-scratch funk and spits out the lyrics, the trio comes together to pound away in the chorus. I'm not sure if the title indicates that this is a look inward (tres self-loathing) or an acidic rant of hatred towards another, but whoever it's about, Bruno wants to cut him down: "his heart is just/his heart is just a muscle/and his head is just/his head is just a brain/his mouth is just/his mouth is just a tunnel/and his eyes are just some things his face contains." Other effective rockers include "Cornstarch", which is like a runaway train, with Bruno's propulsive guitar and Brodie galloping right along on the snare drum, while, "Emphasis" is aggressive and dissonant and is full of twists and turns, with some nifty melodic ideas.

Bruno is often cutting or sharp, though he doesn't need to rock to do that. "(Jessica's Got a) Ropeburn" is a classic Nothing Painted Blue song. It's jaunty and playful sounding. The song has a simple rise-and-fall melody as Bruno sings about a shut-in girl. Whether here anti-social nature is for a good reason or self-inflicted, I'm not sure. Maybe the clues lie in the middle eight: "she needs a guywire/not another guy who's gonna string her along/ever since that torturer/came on too strong."

Too often, one might mistake Bruno's lyrics as merely an excuse for wordplay or showing off. But he usually has a point to make. For example, "Take Your Own Advice". The song is a mellow mid-tempo song which tells people to look in the mirror. People so often criticize others, but fail to apply the criticisms to themselves. Sometimes luck is involved and sometimes luck finds you. Otherwise, as Bruno notes that it's "America by dartboard/as bitter high school loners/turn into attorneys, professors and homeowners." Although the song is indie-pop with a jazzy gloss, this could easily be rearranged into something in the vein of Cole Porter, or at least that pop era.

The various songs lead to an incredible, and unexpected, ending. "Swan Song" starts out as a typical Nothing Painted Blue bouncy jangle rocker. However, as the lyrics move on, there's an anger that leaks, and then gushes out. Bruno initially alludes to the swan song as "the Elton John song/they play on prom night." But this is a joke in the face of the pending apocalypse. The song takes a more dramatic turn in an extended middle eight, casting Bruno as a survivalist holed up in a cabin surrounded by G-Men, who, after they shoot his son, cries out "I hope you like the rain of blood/‘cause it's coming down in buckets." The intensity of the music picks up even more, Bruno playing some coiled tense guitar, just letting his instrument squeal. The band builds the tension to a boil. This is an impressive extended instrumental section that leads into final chorus – when he sings about the last day, he means the last day ever. This dramatic song is not typical of the band, but what a brilliant piece of music.

Perhaps Bruno couldn't resist the joke, but this isn't actually the last song. This is another disc with a few minutes of silence on the ‘last' track, before one ‘bonus' ditty. Does this mean he doesn't want us to take "Swan Song" too seriously? Or put it on our iPods? Did he just want to throw in the last song as an afterthought? Is the joke that "Swan Song" isn't the actual last song? Regardless, I don't need to hear another song after "Swan Song". It's such a great ending to what is apparently the superb finale for this underrated band.

Rogue Wave
Descended Like Vultures

(Sub Pop)

subpop.com

Rogue Wave makes music using the same materials as many other bands. It's how Zach Rogue does it that makes this band special. Yet, it's hard for me to explain how he does it. On this record, I hear strains of classic ‘60s pop, Fleetwood Mac (specifically Lindsay Buckingham), Guided By Voices and Lilys. This music is performed with a great deal of warmth. On some songs, Rogue manages to be joyful and haunting at the same time, something I only thought Doleful Lions could pull off successfully.

On this LP, Rogue works with a full band, and while some have said this makes things too slick, I find that it just gives the songs the extra color and muscle that they need. Rogue has an innate ability to take a song from a basic structure and then ornament it and throw in chord progressions that take it to a special place. Meanwhile, his lyrics, in a manner somewhat akin to The New Pornographers, may not have surface meaning, but tantalize with wordplay and suggestion.

"Are You On My Side" is a good example of how Rogue builds a song. Start off with a simple repeating acoustic guitar figure. He moves up and down the scale. Throw a little bass and backing vocals in the background. Then the drums kick in, filling in between the guitar notes. Keyboards hum. Rogue sings, somewhat muffled underneath the music. This gets kind of hypnotic. Wait – I hear a reference to Dorian Gray. And then the melody takes an upturn, into a brief chorus. This odd verse, normal chorus trick has worked well for XTC and Crowded House in the past, and will keep working as long as the practitioners are as talented as Rogue. This song is as lovely as it is mysterious.

The words aren't wholly elusive. Granted, "Love's Lost Guarantee" contains "man lost his rhythm machine/herringbone Maybelline." Yet, those words fit the rhythm of the plucked and plinked guitars, as Rogue rides an up-and-down melody. Again, this odd and compelling verse bursts into a big hook chorus: "oh what you need/so guaranteed". And perhaps the best line on the record: "love comes like Kennedy curse/the victim rule is well-rehearsed." Not sure what it means, but it sounds cool.

Things get downright baroque on "Publish My Love", a song that begins with a loud enticing keyboard riff. Then, things drop to just an acoustic guitar, Rogue playing some dramatic notes, before beginning the verse. Then the drums kick the chorus in, and this has a strong Lindsay Buckingham vibe. Three memorable parts that take a less a minute overall to hook me in. In fact, it sounds like these parts were just meant to be played together. Only a brief middle eight interrupts the sequence, and serves to make the perfection all the more obvious.

Alongside these splendid, opulent indie pop creations, Rogue Wave can also play it straight. "Medicine Ball" is an engaging folk rock strum. The song verges on country rock, with Pat Spurgeon slapping his drums (and playing glockenspiel), and Evan Farrell contributing some lap steel guitar. It is still stamped as a Rogue Wave song due to the wistful melody.

Two of the other acoustic songs are also indelible. On "Salesman at the Day of the Parade", Rogue's fingers trace a chord pattern that he counterpoints with a brief acoustic lead line. He is simply a master at stitching together two musical parts together to create something fantastic. He then uses this combination to take the melody into different places. It's not as easy as it sounds. With this ability, he can make something that sounds timeless and familiar, like "California". He picks unusual places to make a chord change or move up in the scale, just a bit more than another writer might. In this respect, I would compare him to Judee Sill – not so much that he sounds like her or has her wide ranging influences that she turned into her own style, but that he can find unconventional ways to reinvent conventional songwriting.

I've spent a lot of time trying to put my finger on what makes this music so special. In so doing, I may be leaving out the most important part – this is fun and life affirming music. Rogue's melodies and their presentation fill me with happiness, the way a great Beach Boys or XTC song can. I really enjoyed Rogue Wave's debut, but it didn't prepare me for this. A masterful second record, and there seems to be plenty more to explore.

The Fall
Fall Heads Roll

(Narnack)

narnackrecords.com

Some might see the album title as a reference to Mark E. Smith's proclivity for dismissing band members. Maybe, maybe not. However, the key to the latest stellar release from these post-punk perennials is that this particular line up of the band is really gelling. This is a sleek 21st Century version of The Fall, who can rock out with the best of them, yet also harken back to the offbeat quasi-rockabilly days of the Fall in the early ‘80s.

Everything the band tries works. On "Blindness", Steve Trafford's thick bass line and Spencer Birtwhistle's steady drumming ground the song. Keyboardist Eleni Poulou and guitarist Ben Pritchard just ornament the rhythm oriented sound. Poulou adds melodic high end, while Pritchard adds dramatic accents. And Smith just rants in his classic clipped diction. Like many great Fall tunes, it's not catchy in a classic sense, but the relentless repetition, with such forceful playing creates an indelible track. Even better, as the song moves on, more sound is put in the mix -- the song just keeps building.

There is some basic rock and roll here, run through The Fall's unique style. "Bo Demmick" is premised, appropriately, on a Bo Diddley beat. Birtwhistle puts his own accent on the track, not just pounding the skins, but splashing the cymbals whenever he gets the chance. The song is a typical disjointed Smith ramble, as if he was drunkenly trying to talk about Bo Diddley, but couldn't get the name right. The phrase "The CD that you hold in your hand/is the construction of a left sided mind" sticks in the brain. This song is a classic in the vein of past Fall tunes like "Hey Student".

The opener also hearkens back to The Fall of old. If it were murkier and more out-of-tune, the country lope of "Ride Away" would have fit in on an old ‘70s Fall record. This is much cleaner, and kinda...mellow. This song gets the disc started and it might not be a killer, knock your head off opener, but it is a rarity -- a happy, fun Fall tune. If they do this more often, they'll become Mancunian hillbillies.

Usually, The Fall's happiest moments are covers, where they can ape some other artist's joy. Their studio take (this was done on a BBC Session already) on The Move's "I Can Hear the Grass Grow" is a spiffy pop holiday. This tune is pretty indestructible, a necessary quality when Smith is asked to actually sing. This is a nice companion to the band's hit remake of The Kinks' "Victoria".

One other aspect of this album that is quintessentially Fall is the dedication to specific riffs and rhythms. Indeed, the morse code-like riff of "Pacifying Joint", which sounds like something they've done before, works so well for the band, they repeat it ON THE NEXT SONG. Yes, "What About Us" is based on the exact same riff. It's just in a slightly lower key. This could be a sign they don't care what people think. Or a sign that they really have balls. Or both. Whatever, the riff is so basic that it hooks you in, and it is perfect for Smith to rant to.

The album finishes on an extremely high note, Smith sharing the vocal chores with Trafford on "Trust in Me". This is a driving, intent song that reminds me of their cover of the old R & B song "Gotta See Jane". The tension builds with spy movie guitar stylings. The song itself is about trusting a doctor. But it sounds like so much more is at stake. This is one of the band's least quirky songs, and one of the joys of The Fall is that no matter how conventional they are, they will always be unconventional.

This album isn't quite in the band's upper echelon. It needs maybe a couple more top flight songs. But it's not far from that. Every track sounds great. The band is hopping and Smith is engaged, and that's always a fine combination.

The Well Wishers
Under The Arrows

(Not Lame)

notlame.com

Jeff Shelton continues to be one of power pop's best kept secrets. First, with the Spinning Jennies and now with The Well Wishers, Shelton bashes out melodic rockers that blend a Posies-like ‘60s pop base with the energy and guitar crunch of greats like Cheap Trick and Redd Kross. This is probably best exemplified on the penultimate track, "Brain Trust Odyssey". Shelton gets things going with a careening guitar riff that bursts out of the speakers with a nice thick yet ringing tone. This song verges on pop-punk (in a classic Buzzcocks/Undertones sense), to give you an idea of its muscularity. The big riff is contrasted by some gentler chording in the verses, which sets up a perfect chorus -- it seems carved from the same melody/riff combo turf as the verse, but it's just a bit different. And the way he comes out of the chorus with a hint of contemplation or melancholy (melancholy, the secret weapon of many great guitar rockers, like the aforementioned Buzzcocks and Supergrass, just to name two examples). This driving song is one of the best power pop songs that I've heard in a long time.

And there's plenty more that precedes it. On "Break it Up", Shelton constructs a bouncy song that sounds a bit like a rougher Cars or Weezer -- if you added a new wave sheen, I think I could hear either band doing this composition, but Shelton (abetted by drummer Nick Laquintano and guest lead guitarist Justin Weis) likes it raw. Moreover, even though the chorus is peppy, and could perhaps be called cute, the middle eight is urgent and Weis then steps in an earns his pay (assuming that he didn't simply do it as a favor to Shelton). Yet again, Shelton shows that he's the master of the catchy riff, as that sustains the track throughout.

While a Well Wishers disc of wall-to-wall rockers would likely be great, Shelton would be doing himself a disservice if he didn't include some mellower material. For one thing, it plays to his vocal strengths. I can't help but note that Shelton sounds a fair amount like Jon Auer as a vocalist, and that's a real good thing, in my book. This makes him so well suited for acoustic ballads like "Before the Race Was Run". In "Run", Shelton accentuates this Posies-esque song with mild Who-like power chords, which adds to the drama. This is lovely downcast song. Another track in this vein is "Lucky You", with Shelton's voice and an acoustic guitar all that is needed for a great recording.

For the second album in a row, Shelton shows great taste in cover material. Last time around it was the tailor made "Jet Fighter" from The Three O'Clock. This time around, he tries a less obvious song, X's "Fourth of July". He performs the tune in a somewhat more relaxed manner than X did. Shelton's vocals are the key to the track, as he really captures the emotions that fuel this outstanding Dave Alvin composition. I'll have to say, at first I wasn't sure if this version fully worked, but after a few plays, I'm hooked.

This album shows that you can make adult power pop. There are a few just plain fun rock and roll tunes (oh, I should mention the opener, "In Search of Alter Egos") mixed in with some mid-tempo and slow tunes with fine melodies and a real resonant emotional pull. With two top-notch efforts in a row, Shelton has established The Well Wishers as a band you can count on to deliver a quality album.

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The Blasters
4-11-44

(Rainman)

rainmanrecords.com

This is not the first time that a Blasters recording has come out without Dave Alvin playing with the band. So maybe it's not a full-bore Blasters record. Indeed, we are now down to two original Blasters -- bass player John Bazz and singer-guitarist Phil Alvin. Dave isn't totally absent from this disc, as he does contribute one composition, albeit an old one. But without his songwriting, this version of The Blasters is missing the incredible lyrical content that made them, in some ways, successors to the path carved out by John Fogerty and Creedence Clearwater Revival.

With that reservation, this record is still true to the musical essence of The Blasters. Which is an indirect way of saying that this is a terrific pure rock and roll album. Moreover, any record which features the train whistle howl of Phil Alvin is automatically worth a listen. Phil sounds fantastic, and newer model Blasters Keith Wyatt (guitar) and Jerry Angel (drums) fit in fine. Most of these songs are covers, and most of the covers are fairly obscure. The Blasters breath life in to each and every song, and ultimately, this album is a very worthy entry in the band's canon.

The band kicks things off with a song that Phil first performed on his debut solo disc, Un-Sung Stories. This version of "Daddy Rolling Stone" is simply more rock and roll (whereas Phil's first take on it was more straight blues), and gets things off to a cracking good start. Not long thereafter, they soup up Charlie Rich's "Rebound", and this song is a good companion for "No Other Girl" on The Blasters eponymous second album. Phil sings with urgency and passion (as always), and when he sings "and I'm lonely/over you" there's a bit of defiance and self-confidence – he's either going to get her back or get her back, if you know what I mean.

One notable difference between this and other Blasters discs is the number of straight blues renditions. "Just To Be With You", recorded by Muddy Waters and many others, features Phil blowing hard on the harp and is the grittiest of the blues songs here. The other two blues rockers edge closer to Stevie Ray Vaughn territory (which may, to some, sound like a putdown, but I don't mean it that way) – on "It's All Your Fault" and "Your Kind of Love", Keith Wyatt gets a nice thick guitar tone, and mixes in some good solos.

Rockabilly and country get nods. On "Love Is My Business" and the slower "Slip of the Tongue", The Blasters get back to the early days of rock and roll. The latter track is a James Intveld/Rick Solem composition, with witty lyrics to go along with the slinky playing. The band does a nice take on George Jones's "Window Up Above", but really shines on the classic "Precious Memories (The Only Hell My Mama Raised)". The band locks into a shuffle tempo, and Phil Alvin proceeds to take control of the song. His phrasing, the slight vibrato in his voice and his engagement with these familiar lyrics – I think I like this even better than Johnny Paycheck's renowned version of this tune.

I'm happy to say that Phil's original tunes are great, though disappointed there aren't more of them. The title cut shows that Phil can compose music on par with that of brother Dave – this is a good mid-tempo rock number. He can't match Dave in the lyrics department, but who can? Still, Phil's ode to buying lotto tickets and playing the titular numbers is a good number: "4-11-44/the poor man's remedy." Rather than directly indicting the lottery system, Phil's fervor for the loser's game makes his point very well.

"Julie" is even better. This song uses a mild Bo Diddley beat, well played by Angel, and some reverb filled guitar as a back drop for Phil's tale of man who steals a diamond for the woman he loves. He's now in the joint, and is pleading with her to stay single until he gets out. This is a quintessential Blasters song.
As is "Dry River", even though Dave Alvin first recorded this for a 1991 solo LP. This is simply one of Dave's best songs, tailor made for Phil: "I was born by a river/and it was paved with cement/still I stand in the river/and dream that I am soaking wet." The song has a bit of an R & B orientation, which fits the lyrics, which then target urban and suburban sprawl, lamenting destroyed orange groves and such. When Phil sings that "someday it's gonna rain" and that someday that "dry river/ain't gonna be dry no more." In the last verse, the theme of the song crystallizes – it's more about faith and believing things will get better – as Phil is confronted with losing a woman. The dry river metaphor takes on a new dimension.

Really, the only thing that's missing on a consistent basis to elevate this album to the lofty levels of all prior Blaster studio sets is (as previously noted) the terrific lyrics. Either Phil should write more songs (and if he can slip in some differential calculus in there, that would be amazing) or they should feel free to dip into Dave's song bag more often. Because Phil Alvin is the best man to sing them. Of course, you could say that about most traditional rock and roll songs.

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The Capes
Hello

(Hard Soul)

hardsoulrecords.com

On the heels of their promising EP, The Capes come back with a CD that is a bit more focused. Whereas the EP showed a band that had some Weezer tendencies, while otherwise standing firmly in the modern Brit pop camp, this disc is centered more on music that makes them a worthy contemporary of bands like Maximo Park and Kaiser Chiefs.

The band has a sound as bright at the screaming yellow CD cover. High end guitars mix with noodling Farfisa-like organ sounds, supple bass-and-drum rhythms, and some nice harmony vocals. Musically, you can hear snatches of XTC, Blur, Joe Jackson and a lot of other new wave bands from bygone days. Heck, throw in The Cars and Fountains Of Wayne.

The sound alone sometimes carries them, but there are a fair amount of top drawer songs on this album. The best is "First Base", which shows off their ability to create a big hook. The song starts with a little synthesizer-drums combo, which then get blown out of the water by a nice bashing guitar riff. Kris Barratt's vocals are confident, though placed in the middle of the mix. He carries the melody in the verses. Then the hook surges in, Barratt singing "and you know that I have found/there were confidence men/all over town", slowly rising up in his vocal range, with a keyboard line complimenting him. Something about his vocals reminds me about Adam Ant. The main guitar riff and the chorus are a deadly dual hook combo, making this one hell of a song.

A jagged guitar part that has a little early XTC feel gets things going on "Super Girls". On this track, Barratt's voice is pushed way up to the front. The song is about a woman getting plastic surgery in hopes becoming a future trophy wife. The band's playing is really impressive, as Rupert Cresswell's pulsing bass line is contrasted by an array of keyboards (Nick Cresswell and Richard Gladman) and great high end guitar. The full use of the sonic spectrum and sympathetic production (kudos to Lenny Franchi) give this dynamic song a constant kinetic energy. The Split Enz on amphetamines new wavey verses move into a terrific sing-a-long chorus. The lyrics are sharply observed: "give me hips/give me eyes/give me hopes/give me love (? – I think)/because I'm down". There's some empathy for this woman. Then there's a brilliant instrumental section in the middle, leading to a tight guitar solo, a couple of rearranged choruses, and then a coda with the band singing the title over and over. Dang, this should be a hit single.

Those two tracks are the best here, but there's more fine stuff. "Comet Tails" is a bit less frenetic, wafting in with some pretty harmony vocals. Yet again, the band shows a keen instinct for how to fit together a guitar part with the rhythm section, so that the song moves. This is another song where Barratt's voice is mixed down, competing with all of the instruments for space. I'm not sure if this is always the best approach, as the lyrics I can make out are pretty decent. The chorus here has a yearning ‘50s ballad feel, which they blend in well with their retro-yet-modern sound.

"Stately Homes" has great two guitar interplay, as ringing chords are answered by lead guitar runs, with the synthesizers coming in to glue them together. Indeed, Richard Gladman's keyboard lines are the thread that is constant throughout the song. The song is an heir to the Ray Davies tradition of waxing nostalgic. Although not as poetic as The Kinks' frontman, the band makes their feelings clear about "middle England cracking through the ceiling." They don't want to see country lanes and other things they associate with Britain falling by the wayside. This is an anthemic bourgeoisie protest song, with a sweeping chorus. Whether we need bourgeoisie protest songs is best left for another discussion – but this is a good song.

I realize that some folks have had their fill of this new wave of New Wave. I understand that. But the sounds of that era can still sound good, and when a band does it well enough, it's always worth hearing. The Capes may be coming in late in the game, but deserve your attention.

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