Gary
Glauber
Reviews:
January, 2005
2004: An Embarrassment
of Musical Riches
This past year saw the release of so much
good music that the process of choosing any "best of"
list seems more difficult than usual, and even somewhat beside
the point. While forced to make a choice of my annual baker's
dozen below, please also try to look into the cherished music
of those other artists mentioned at the list's end. For those
unfamiliar with my tastes, I remain partial to hook-laden
melodic rock (guitar or keyboard driven), strong song-craft,
and whenever possible, clever or unexpected lyrics. Here then
are my lucky thirteen selections for 2004:
1.) The Honeydogs,
10,000 Years, (United Musicans)
http://www.fufkin.com/columns/glauber/glauber_rev_02_04.htm
This tour-de-force futuristic rock opera
marries intelligence, melody and vision into what becomes
a quantum leap ahead of anything The Honeydogs have ever done
before. Trading on harrowing visions not terribly removed
from today's headlines, erstwhile social worker Adam Levy
has created a complex musical concept filled with a test-tube
savior, an apocalyptic war of ethnic conflicts, genocide,
crime, blood lust, etc. But even without the narrative, the
songs are beautiful, lush, multi-layered creations that stand
proudly on their own. Each song has its own unique sound,
and a wide array is covered, from piano-driven Nilsson-like
songs to late-era Beatles sounds to the funk of early Traffic
(and more). 10,000 Years is a stellar accomplishment,
a compelling and thought-provoking saga in song that is all
about quality, meaning and important purpose. This passionate
achievement should reverberate for years to come.
2.) The Candybutchers
Hang On Mike, (RPM Records)
http://www.fufkin.com/columns/glauber/glauber_rev_01_04.htm
Mike Viola is to be commended for having
the courage (and talent) to set many of his private emotional
lodestones to music and collect them on a disc. Hang On
Mike becomes audio therapy, giving voice to personal crises
through pop gems of intimacy and sweet aplomb. These dozen
songs wear well, growing on you and bringing good feelings
like a great big musical hug. Mike Viola, one-time child prodigy
and musical perfectionist, uses his melodic skills and dark
wit to discuss himself in the third person, and strangely,
it all works. This deliciously personal disc is the most infectious
therapy session on record, and its honest songs and careful
production will charm and win you over
3.) Farrah, Me Too,
(LoJinx Records)
http://www.fufkin.com/columns/glauber/glauber_rev_11_04.htm
Farrah master and update the "new wave"
era sounds with new music that captures the charm and spirit
of what came before. The diverse sounds on this sophomore
effort are played with poise and panache, featuring clean
power pop of the highest order. Their well-arranged infectious
melodies feature smart (often wry) lyrics that skewer our
world, fine harmonies, and a full tacklebox's supply of hooks.
Jez Ashurst is a master of catchy three-minute guitar pop
songs that always sport a good middle bridge. Surviving their
own real-world adversity (record label bankruptcy, an exploding
van, lawsuits from a chocolate manufacturer, a mistaken association
with a trouser brand, a lead singer with one lung), Farrah
still manage to make things sound effortless and fun. Me
Too is a pleasure from start to end, and in these troubled
times, don't we deserve such melodic escapes?
4.) A.C. Newman, The
Slow Wonder, (Matador Records)
http://www.fufkin.com/columns/glauber/glauber_rev_09_04.htm
A.C. Newman, on his first official "solo"
effort, delivers the goods - an uncanny knack for quirky,
infectious riffs that surprise and delight, expertly arranged
to deliver eclectic lyrics and a variety of moods through
the universal language of melodic pop. Of course, this is
the same Carl Newman from Zumpano and New Pornographers, so
there is a pedigree attached to it. This disc is short and
sweet, a lean 33 and a half minutes of muscular yet intimate
hook-filled tunes that never linger too long. The redhead's
voice is emotive, his phrasings imaginative, and the use of
harmony spare and beautiful. The Slow Wonder is a paradox
- cold and calculating at times, yet warm and emotionally
honest at others. This solid offering holds up well to repeated
listenings, wherein the odd phrasings become more familiar
and the hooks more sublime.
5.) The Davenports,
Hi-Tech Lowlife, (MotherWest)
http://www.fufkin.com/columns/glauber/glauber_rev_05_04.htm
Scott Klass writes melodic confections that
seep into your psyche and stay awhile, and he does it with
intelligence and nuance. Hi-Tech Lowlife is subtle
power pop at its most pleasant, a dozen great songs with lyrics
that tell stories askew and arcane. Each track is painstakingly
constructed for your maximal listening pleasure - from harmonies
to intriguing instrumental choices. This is top-notch college
art rock (think Fountains of Wayne), easy on the ears and
engaging for both heart and mind.
6.) Finn Brothers,
Everyone Is Here, (Nettwerk Records)
http://www.fufkin.com/columns/glauber/glauber_rev_08_04.htm
Since Split Enz and Crowded House became
distant memories, fans have been treated to good multiple
solo releases from Neil and Tim Finn. Arguably, many felt
these solo projects didn't approach the magic of the earlier
bands. Hopes were that a collaborative project between the
two might achieve what the solo ventures hadn't. Everyone
Is Here answers those hopes.
Twelve superb songs with a full-band sound (courtesy of musical
friends like Jon Brion, Mitchell Froom and Tony Visconti)
offer more of the sweet delicate harmonies between brothers,
and a renewed sense of competition that seems to have inspired
better music all around. It's a fairly sedate but even collection,
reflecting the maturity of songwriters who realize there's
more to music than always rocking out. This Finn Brothers
album gains resonance with repeated listens, revealing subtle
charms. This is the CD that fans of Crowded House and Split
Enz have been awaiting.
7. Dogs Die In Hot
Cars, Please Describe Yourself, (V2 International)
http://www.fufkin.com/columns/glauber/glauber_rev_12_04.htm
As part of a mini-musical invasion of "Scotpop,"
Glasgow's Dogs Die In Hot Cars arrive with an album chock-full
of infectious musical fun that recalls a number of other bands
including Talking Heads, XTC, Madness, Blur, Dexy's Midnight
Runners, Haircut 100 and more. Despite the unsavory band name,
the quintet serves up a host of diverse and catchy songs written
largely by lead singer/guitarist Craig Macintosh. Like Farrah,
they've overcome a number of obstacles (Macintosh got electrocuted
onstage and guitarist Gary Smith got run over by a car), but
Please Describe Yourself is a superb collection. Thanks
to the smooth production work of perennial hitmakers Clive
Langer and Alan Winstanley, these quirky tracks are heavily
influenced by others, but still manage to come across as truly
original. Macintosh and his mates in Dogs Die In Hot Cars
are a pleasant musical surprise for 2004, rising above the
tired current musical fray
8. Kevin Tihista's
Red Terror, Wake Up Captain, (Parasol Records)
http://www.fufkin.com/columns/glauber/glauber_rev_10_04.htm
Requiring headphones and patience for the
full effect, Wake Up Captain is a resounding triumph,
a nearly hour-long song cycle that exudes importance beyond
the cynicism and self-effacing humor of the individual songs,
as well as a feeling that great care has been taken to reward
the listener all along the way. Kevin Tihista joins up with
the Clark brothers of Epicycle, and their maturing talents
have produced something that is ambitious and full of life.
Each of these 17 tracks takes Tihista's innocent whimsy and
translates it through the eclectic "Pink Floyd meets
Harry Nilsson" filter that makes Epicycle unique. The
result is a collage of interesting production values that
enhance Tihista's songwriting talents, an impressive and haunting
collection of predominantly quiet chamber pop that heralds
the views of an outsider looking in.
9. Butterfly Boucher,
Flutterby, (A&M Records)
http://www.fufkin.com/columns/glauber/06_04_glauber_rev_06_04.htm
Butterfly Boucher is a multi-talented find,
and her debut CD is more than a cut above the current crop
of commercial teen girl pop divas, featuring complex and intriguing
rhythms and instrumental choices. Boucher plays almost all
the instruments here, save some drums and cello (in fact,
many of these tracks are her original demos). She plays well,
sings superbly, and writes infectious, high-quality songs
(heck, she even directed her own videos and did the art direction
and concept work for the CD). My only quibble is the arrangement
of tracks - the ballads are weighted toward the end of the
album. Boucher is an exceptional young talent, a fresh musical
celebration to confound the naysayers who believe excitement
left music ages ago. Flutterby should alight upon your
player and not just flutter by. This sweet debut deserves
your attention.
10. Fastball, Keep Your Wig On,
(Rykodisc)
http://www.fufkin.com/columns/glauber/glauber_rev_09_04.htm
Proving there's life after a hit single, Fastball continues
to make good music. Four years after their last release, they're
back on a different label with twelve songs that will delight
old fans and win over new ones. With two talented songwriters
in Tony Scalzo and Miles Zuniga, the band's music remains
familiar, yet fresh. Fastball retains a knack for pleasantly
melodic pop/rock mixed with a controlled "garage"
sound. Zuniga's prolific growth as a songwriter is on display
and the band has teamed with some talented producers, including
Mike McCarthy and Adam Schlessinger. Keep Your Wig On
serves up a casual, relaxed sound - yet there's a wonderful
confidence behind every musical moment. This tight band enjoys
playing -- and you hear it in each and every track. Removed
from the pressures of the commercial marketplace, the band
thrives. Keep Your Wig On is an extremely solid collection
from a trio that deserves another ride to the top someday.
11. Bowman, Living To Dream,
(self-released)
http://www.fufkin.com/columns/glauber/glauber_rev_11_04.htm
How appropriate it is that in this year of
celebration for Boston that a Bostonian makes this list. Bowman's
sophomore album is a sensitive and melodic paean to the daily
throes of complex emotions we often find ourselves caught
within. With great style, the singer/songwriter has elevated
his game with a sound clean and controlled, yet hard-edged
enough to convey a sense of live performance. Bill Bowman
writes songs that unravel patiently, while building in structure
and intensity. He keeps the lyrics abstract, capturing the
introspective essence behind the truth in these songs, without
crossing over into maudlin territory. Despite the occasional
rocker, these songs are rooted in a more folk/balladic tradition.
On Living To Dream, Bowman's voice is beautifully expressive,
and there's plenty of mature melodic talent on display. This
confident accomplished album reverses the musical curse of
the sophomore jinx, and assures fans they don't have to wait
86 years for a follow-up.
12. Spymob, Sitting
Around Keeping Score, (Ruthless Records)
http://www.fufkin.com/columns/glauber/glauber_rev_07_04.htm
Spymob is something fun and funky, mixing
a structured Steely Dan sensibility with a melodic power pop
edge (akin to Fastball or Blinker The Star). This Minnesota
quartet is best known as the back-up band for N.E.R.D., but
their debut record is full of noteworthy, tuneful fun. Sitting
Around Keeping Score is a remarkably polished affair from
intelligent musicians who appear comfortable playing across
genres, featuring soul-inflected danceable pop tracks that
are warm and well-produced. These quirky songs will have you
singing along in an instant. This musical mix of piano pop
and unorthodox guitar riffs is an eclectic enjoyable stew
of accomplished and diverse sounds, a blast of good times
translated into soft witty rock for the new millennium.
13. Adam Marsland,
You Don't Know Me, (Karma Frog Records)
http://www.fufkin.com/columns/glauber/glauber_rev_12_04.htm
Adam Marsland, talented front man for Cockeyed
Ghost, gives up the front and finally puts out some studio
music under his own name (though backed by an impressive collective
of musician friends). Additionally, he's given sway to an
eclectic range of personal musical tastes, reflected in a
dozen wonderful songs that largely convey a 1970s feel. More
musically complex than any previous Marsland collection, You
Don't Know Me serves up an intriguing mix of largely piano-driven
compositions with acerbic lyrics that challenge while reflecting
on life in these troubled times. There are hints of things
from Steely Dan to Elton John to Brian Wilson, but Marsland
is an eclectic, intelligent original. With fine backup players
including Evie Sands, Darian Sahanaja, John Perry, Severo,
Kurt Medlin, Probyn Gregory, Robbie Rist and a host of others,
Adam Marsland and co-producer Steve Refling have assembled
another winner. You Don't Know Me probably is an apt
title for now, but if Marsland can sustain this level of confident,
high-quality music, chances are that one eventual day everyone
will know him.
This is by no means a comprehensive list
of all the good music this past year. I didn't have time to
listen to several good releases (Brian Wilson, Tears for Fears,
Green Day) and I didn't have the space to list all the others.
However, very honorable mentions must go out to all of the
following (who had superb musical releases in 2004): Seth
Swirsky, timewellspent, Dada, Doug Powell, Jump, Ben Kweller,
Velvet Crush, Sondre Lerche, David Mead, Edward Rogers, Greg
Johnson, The Contrast, The Lackloves, Chris Stamey, The Streets,
Cliff Hillis, Eugene Edwards, John Hoskinson, Johnny A., The
Argument, Glenn Tilbrook, Digby, Chomsky, The Rosenbergs,
Joe Jackson Band, Old 97s, Jeff Finlin, The Shimshaws, The
Strawmen, Eytan Mirsky, Jason Falkner and They Might Be Giants.
Also, kudos to last year contenders that I got around to far
too late in the game: Easterly, Splitsville, Hindu Rodeo,
Scott Murray and Edmund's Crown. Enjoy this bounty of fine
music - and reflect on the year past as you listen. May 2005
bring you all the music you need and all the music you want.
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