Articles in the Album Review category »
Ingrid Michaelson, Jenny Owen Youngs, Bess Rogers, Allie Moss, Dan Romer, Andrew Futral and, now, Maryanna Sokol.
Landfill is the perfect title for Maryanna Sokol’s debut album because one can find a little bit of everything in it. And, although Landfill is the last place anyone would go looking for a Grammy (fit with extensively bland commercial shine), smart music patrons will discover there is much more beauty in introspection and fears than there is in being Fearless.
Debut albums often get overproduced or sound too much like some other album or artist. With Landfill, Maryanna Sokol confidently elbows her influences aside and declares, “This is me.”
It is not that one cannot recognize who inspired and inspires Sokol, quite the contrary. Landfill’s vibrant freshness and uniqueness derives from the impressive number of influences that are taken piece by piece and amalgamated with Sokol’s own style to create what only she can.
The first song on the album,... Read More »
I have to admit, I did not know of Calico until I was given the EP to review. This five piece band from New Jersey channels its inner Radiohead and Coldplay to deliver four stellar tracks. Michael Maffel's voice mixes smoothly with the music that flows from the other bandmates. All four songs have their own unique sound with the standout track being "Moments Notice." The song soars onto another level when Michael sings, "So I crack a smile/And I'll fall to pieces/But I won't hold my breath/I won't be afraid." This song could easily fit into an episode of One Tree Hill. Naturally, it is hard to really see how this band will evolve with only four songs under its belt. With a little fine tuning, I truly feel that Calico has the talent and promise to bring us a full length album worthy of the repeat... Read More »
Imagine Italy. You’ll probably think of good clothes, the Vatican, food and wine, and the Roman ruins.
You probably won’t picture a hard rocking band that, while obviously taking cues from alternative acts past, is more than able to stand on its own.
Italian band Soundmachine may be looking to change that.
Soundmachine’s 2009 demo release includes four tracks that show off capabilities as a solid alternative post-grunge band, and that good music transcends any language barrier.
The song "Want to be Free" starts off the demo. It’s hard yet melodic, the kind of music that your local rock station might welcome. It’s in English, but the lead singer’s accent comes through sometimes; “suffocate” sounds more like “suff-o-keet”, but such nuances don’t take away from the song.
"Happiness for Sorrow" slows things down a bit, another song that might fit in well at your local rock station. To go along with the mellower vibe of the song, the lead singer’s... Read More »
Before this album, I knew nothing of Gil Scott-Heron except that he recited "The Revolution Will Not Be Televised". So, when I noticed a poster advertising the release of his album, I wondered what he had to say. Will this be a rehash of "The Revolution Will Not Be Televised?" I decided to grab myself a copy and listen for myself.
I'm New Here is a mixture of poetry and music. If there is one album that sits firmly in the "alternative" music genre, this is it! Gil doesn't appear to be sure if he wants to sing or recite his lyrics, so like Tom Waits and Bob Dylan, he decides to do both and he does it successfully. His voice has a great resonance and rhythm to it, making even his poetry recitations sound melodic.
The album opens with "On Coming From A Broken Home." Here, Gil talks about his life living with his grandmother and coming from what society would... Read More »
With her sophomore album, My Best Friend Is You, Kate Nash takes a step sideways.
When a 20 year-old Nash debuted with Made of Bricks in 2007, many critics agreed this was a young artist with significantly more potential than was realized on this very decent first LP. That one could correctly say the same thing about My Best Friend Is You is a positive and a negative.
Too much of Nash’s second album is watered-down by strings; she still has not found a sound that comfortably blends with and enhances her already unique and talented singing style and lyrics.
On the other hand, every last bit and then some of the potential Nash flashed on Made of Bricks remains alive and within reach on My Best Friend Is You.
At this point, Kate Nash the artist is most effective when unleashing her youthful emotions. Whether it is her explosion of unfiltered thoughts in the last minute and a... Read More »
He's been in the background of fan favorites Grey's Anatomy, 90210, and One Tree Hill, his silk-and-sandpaper voice flowing between the shows' most memorable scenes. Now, Andrew Belle is turning the switch on his own spotlight. The Ladder, Belle's first full-length album, serves that purpose well with ten tracks that recall Matthews and Mayer, yet let the best of Belle shine through.
The title track introduces this Taylor University, Chicago coffeehouse-bred crooner on a surprisingly conflicted, self-deprecating note. Accompanied by his signature acoustic, Belle laments, "Woe is me," claiming he can't take "all this clatter between my ears." A 2009 MTV "Best Breakout Artist," Belle's words of woe work—but at times, border on formula ("Add It Up" and "Make It Without You").
The rock-and-roots of "Tower," "Don't Blame Yourself," and "Reach" remind listeners and critics alike why Belle deserves his oft-bestowed title of "smart pop." While "Tower" plays like a The Fray b-side (Isaac Slade, is that... Read More »
The latter part of Laura Bell Bundy's debut country album title Achin' and Shakin' (2010) is exactly the image Nashville wants to project...or at least that's the image I get when I see the video for the lead single "Giddy On Up." With so many blondes dominating the female side of country music these days, doing a little bit to follow in their footsteps seems like the fast track to stardom.
Laura's dance moves are more Carrie Underwood than Taylor Swift, but having co-written 11 of 12 of the songs, she comes off as quite the opposite. With a background in Broadway, starring as Reese Witherspoon's lovable Elle Woods in the on stage version of Legally Blonde, Laura certainly has the voice to compete with the biggest stars in country music.
Achin' and Shakin' is album comprised of two different feels. The first six songs are all about the achin' whereas the latter half are all about... Read More »
Chris Hickey is a singer-songwriter from the Los Angeles area. He’s been making music since 1978, and his latest album, Razzmatazz, is a collection of songs consisting of solely of his voice and his guitar. The album is the product of Hickey’s project to write and record songs on a hand-held recorder everyday for three weeks. He describes his journey into making Razzmatazz in an interview from Hickory Wind:
“I went with my daughter one day to her church and the speaker was talking about being nice to yourself, doing favors for yourself. I thought it was kind of a generic message, but I decided to take his advice, make the trip worthwhile. So, I offered myself about an hour each day to write and record a song.So begins this simple production that translates to a simple auditory delight. Razzmatazz is perfect for a chill Sunday afternoon. You play the album and you are instantly... Read More »
We reviewed their EP Sing What You Want in February and wanted to follow up with The Ugly Club. The band hails from Jersey and is comprised of six members. Their influences are... Read More »
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