Reviews

Weekly Reviews For May 15, 2005

Review Index

I am also Assistant Editor & reviewer at MetalUK.

I also contribute reviews to getreadytorock

Recent reviews include
Rush - Chronicles (The Video Collection)
Deep Purple - The Early Years
Damageplan - New Found Power
Whitesnake - The Early Years

You will also find reviews at spacerock.co.uk

The Rocker
New releases from;
Superczar - Pop Art
Various - Further Adventures of the Telepathic Explorers
When's The Future - Then
And many more....

 

New Reviews

Mary Ann Kennedy - The Trail Less Traveled

An odd one this, with all the songs detailing the bond between Mary Ann and her animals, but once you navigate past the ‘twee’ concept, there are some rather endearing songs on offer.

You may have seen the name tucked away on album credits over the last couple of decades with songs recorded by Emmylou Harris, Reba McEntire, Patty Loveless and Martina McBride amongst others, with Grammy nominations in the bag as well, with the first for "Ring On Her Finger, Time On Her Hands," by Lee Greenwood and Reba and Restless Heart's "I'll Still Be Loving You" chocking up nomination number two.

But this time around the songs were inspired by the deaths of her dog and horse, a 15-year-old pug, Choy, and Tonka, the colt. After they both dies in August, 2000, Mary Ann handles the healing process by writing the songs on “The Trail Less Traveled “.

The highlights include "Paso Fino" and "Goodbye", with the latter a song that any long term pet owner will identify with. An unusual concept, tempered with feeling and humour, but worth listening to.

Jolei – self titled


An absolute treat! Go buy this now, don’t even bother reading the review.

Never mind about the fact that it the CD ‘came about from states of conscious and subconscious love, inspired by working with the late cellist Arthur Russell’. All you need to know is that this is a collection of remarkable songs sung by a remarkable singer.

Jolei has an interesting history having been in a band with Joey Ramone as well as working as a back-up singer and working with the likes of Bernie Worrell, Chris Spedding, David Byrne and Chris and Tina Weymouth of the Tom Tom Club.

There is a sophistication and melancholic shroud having over the music that subtly drags you into the nuances of the sound and the songs. If you only listen to one track to get the feel, make it “Heartbreak Feelin'”, one of the best songs I’ve heard in ages.

Each new listen brings fresh textures to the songs that you missed the previous time, and it is that most unusual of beasts, a record that just keeps on getting better. Jolei doesn’t really sound like anyone else, which is unusual in these days of musical overload.

Lorna Bracewell - God Forbid

And onto another cracker, albeit one from the bawdier side of town. Taking an earthy approach to her vocals and her songwriting, Lorna is fully in touch with herself (down, boys) and knows how to deliver a knowing lyric, with a wink in her eye.

Veering from folk to country to mainstream rock, she has put together some memorable songs, all guided by a fabulous singing voice, artfully adept at handling the variances in style and reminiscent of Melissa Etheridge. Whether it’s country, folk or blues she can turn her hand, with style.

The songs cover a vast range of subject matter, with the best probably being “Independence Day”, closely followed by the sensual “Fall Into Me”. The entire album is drenched with memorable melodies and hooks, topped off by a sympathetic band and production.

The White Liars – Pharmacia

Well I thought grunge was dead and buried, but the White Liars obviously think differently as they take early Nirvana as their template, chuck in some prime Mudhoney, and then stick with it, through thick and thin.

Which would have got them nowhere ten years ago, but there aren’t many bands digging that groove these days, so it may get them somewhere.

Elsewhere, there are some old school metallic shapes getting thrown, with a sense of power coming through the speakers, even when the songs don’t quite match up to their ambitions. The one killer weapon in their armoury, however, are the vocals, which dominate the sound and keep you listening.

The best song by far, and the one they ought to punt to compilation compilers is "Pack Yer Shit". A few more belters like that, and they could become a band to watch. There’s a sense of a band coming to term with their influences to create something bigger and better. A bit like the early lesser releases by Monster Magnet. And look what happened there!

David Smith - Fastest Machine

I’m not entirely sure what was going on here? David Smith seems to have taken his parents record collection, crushed it up, then put in a blender with some modern alternative rock, and then poured out something very strange, and interesting.

One for fans of the seventies, its 35 minute running time is a major attraction for the vinyl lovers of the past. Hippy lyrics, some ethereal moments, some progtastic moments (think Colin Blunstone sung Alan Parsons Project tracks), allied to some melodic hooks, and there you have it – “Fastest Machine”.

Some will you have thinking he’s of the same ilk as the overrated Nick Drake and Elliot Smiths of this world – or, rather, the next, but there is a depth to his writing, missing from such so-called luminaries. Granted, the subject matter covers a lot of the same bases – poor me, nobody understands me, boo hoo – but he somehow manages on songs like “Crush & Flow” and “Construct” to avoid the nerdish trap others fall into.