innovation and tone

Meeting of Important People
My Ears Are Having a Heart Attack
Authentik Artists
Producer: Brian Deck
Now that Ween have broken up, there’s
a hole where quirky, heartfelt rock once
ruled the underground. Pennsylvania’s
Meeting of Important People goes just
part way toward filling that void. Neither
hitting listeners with awe-inspiring
instrumental bridges nor gut-busting
emotional crescendos, their forte remains
delectable beats paved with wry,
expertly constructed lyrics. This third
effort comes stuffed with savory tunes
and masks a delicate complexity that’s
irresistible. Here’s a trio that can rock
with the best, yet are equally comfortable
putting the wild shtick on ice and focusing,
instead, on well-crafted, mellow
numbers that emphasize their inherent
likability factor. If only more acts could
do the same. —Andy Kaufmann
The Strokes
Comedown Machine
RCA/ Sony Music
Producer: Gus Oberg
The Strokes are like heroin—the first
few times you hear them, it’s the best
thing you have ever experienced, and
then that feeling wears off. You try to get
some more, but it never has the same
effect. The title of this LP may refer to
that, however, they have a new strain.
After doing the requisite solo efforts,
the crew got back together to create a
terrific bunch of songs. There is a bit
more straightforward rhythm on this
effort, in songs including “Tap Out,” but
guitar-driven songs such as “Partners
in Crime” are not only pure Strokes,
they demonstrate a true evolution of the
band. It is a fresh bunch of tunes that
still remain true to the original sound
the Strokes created way back in the
‘00s. This is it! —Fuchsia Black
Harper Simon
Division Street
Tulsi Records / [PIAS] America
Producer: Tom Rothrock
Simon has traded in his country-folk
flavored methodology for a more rough
and tumble approach. Despite claims of
emulating the Rolling Stones and Velvet
Underground, these arrangements only
sporadically serve up that level of soulshattering
impact, which still impresses.
What they consistently deliver, instead, is
a persistent ethereal quality that nestles
underneath a crispy coating of rock &
roll hum. His feel is dazzling, yet Simon’s
sound doesn’t push past expectations.
The disc’s worth inspecting for the sparkling
menagerie of fellow travelers he’s
enlisted, which includes Feist’s musical
director, Elvis Costello’s drummer, the
bassist for the Strokes, Wilco’s keyboardist
and Bright Eyes’ Nate Walcott. Pretty
boss.
—Andy Kaufmann
Bilal
A Love Surreal
eOne Records
Producers: Conley “Tone” Whitfield, Mike
Severson & Corey, Shafiq Husayn, Steve Mckie
Jazzy, sensual and acoustic, featuring
passionate lyrics reminiscent of Raphael
Saadiq, Bilal softly massages the
listener’s cerebral cortex. Piano keys
blend beautifully with guitar riffs to set
a classy, ambient atmosphere. Bilal’s
Philadelphia-bred vocals have a seductive
feel, able to penetrate the hearts of
the opposite sex and lovers of melodramatic
music. His ability to explore the
boy-meets-girl, boy-breaks-up-with-girl,
then-gets-back-together-with girl motif
is demonstrated in “Butterfly,” which
conjures images of love being rekindled
between two people. A Love Surreal is
a spiritual magnum opus made for sluggish
afternoons and moonlit evenings
either by yourself or with your significant
other.
—Adam Seyum
Fallen Riviera
Another World
Self
Producers: Wyn Davis & Ken Scott
If you’ve grown tired of cookie cutter
pop/rock bands where auto-tune and
image take the forefront, here is your
antidote. Modern rock gems such as the
reflective “Those Times are Gone” or
the plaintive “Somebody Take Me” are a
feast for the mind and ears. Keyboardist
Will Parry and guitarist Steve Ornest
bring a Beatle-esque sensibility to
the songwriting in terms of intelligent
wordplay and honest emotions. And
their vocal harmonies are rich and well
defined. Drummer Aviv Cohen and bassist
Matthew Denis provide an extensive
range of rhythms that propel the tunes
above standard radio fare. This is a disc
that works on a “singles” level but is best
enjoyed when appreciated in its entirety
as an “album.” —Eric A. Harabadian
The Band Perry
Pioneer
Big Machine/Universal
Producer: Dann Huff
With their lead-off single “Better Dig Two”
certified platinum, this family trio have a
powerful prelude to Pioneer, the followup
to their massively successful debut.
A consortium of Music Row writers
including Shane McAnally penned the
initial hit, but each member contributes
songwriting credits to the bulk of the set
list. While guitar-savvy producer Dann
Huff highlights the band’s arena aspirations,
he deftly balances these rock
elements with guitars, fiddle and plaintive
harmonies that connect to the band’s
homespun Southern origins in “The End
of Time,” and the poignant title track.
With these riches, flatulent synths (“I’m A
Keeper”) and cloying shout-out choruses
(“Forever Mine Nevermind”) are only occasional
distractions. —Dan Kimpel
David Arkenstone/Charlee Brooks
Loveren
QDV Recordings
Producers: Davis Arkenstone & Charlee Brooks
Neo-classical/new age multi-instrumentalist
David Arkenstone—collaborating
with operatic vocalist and musician-composer
Charlee Brooks—dives (literally!)
into a symphonic adventure rich with
dreamy ambiences, inspiring vocal textures
(by Brooks and the Nashville Soul
Choir) and explosive world grooves.
Brooks’ ethereal power drives the narrative,
which is based on a romantic fantasy
fable about a mermaid on a quest
of the heart and her merman that gets
away—at least until the closing anthem
“Love Always Waits.” Lovers of Enya
and Celtic Woman will be enchanted by
the multi-faceted sonic magic—but the
cinematic dual vision of Arkenstone and
Brooks transcends the typical fare of
genre beautifully. —Jonathan Widran
Senses Fail
Renacer
Staple Records
Producer: Shaun Lopez
Renacer (Spanish for “to be reborn”) is
a fitting title. In 2004 Senses Fail hit the
emo scene so quick, listeners thought
it familiar. As members came and went,
the tunes became poppier with lyrically
melodramatic choruses over shredding
solos. After the departure of longtime
guitarist/key songwriter Garrett Zablocki,
Buddy Nielsen and company have
now replaced usual SF producer Brian
McTernan on this record, and it shows.
Thick chugs paired with uplifting lyrics—ironically
similar to early Christian
hardcore—simply fall flat. However, the
effort is apparent—like in the Spanish
spoken, “Mi Amor.” The vision is there,
but is outweighed by bland guitars, awkward
falsettos and an all-around “side
project” feel. —Andy Mesecher
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52 April 2013 www.musicconnection.com