CONTENTS

Big Wheel and Others
Cass McCombs
Domino Records
Producer: Cass McCombs
Burn some sage and drink a beer. McCombs
shrugs off unspoken musical fiats as he pairs
blue-collar motifs with Jim Morrison aural
mysticism beginning with the opening track’s
hypnotic riff. Pedal steel bends the mind and
McCombs’ voice haunts with the resonance of
Kurt Vile and slinks with the languid nonchalance
and mild amusement of Lou Reed through gypsy tales, tribal lullabies
and the pleading “Brighter,” a last testament sung in black velvet notes by late
actress/musician Karen Black. Rooted to the earth in some lyrical respects,
Big Wheel leaves the ground in others through shadows of religion and flickerings
of magic as McCombs gropes with the metaphysical. – Jessica Pace
Under the Covers, Vol. 3
Matthew Sweet and Susanna Hoffs
Shout Factory!
Producers: Matthew Sweet & Susanna Hoffs
With previous forays into ‘60s and ‘70s pop,
this is the third installment in the duo’s rock
& roll retrospective series. Here we find them
wearing their interpretative hats as the two
delve into hand-picked tracks from the ‘80s,
like Petty’s “Free Fallin,” the Pretenders’ “Kid”
and the Go Go’s “Our Lips Are Sealed.” The
performances feel genuine because, let’s face it, these two lived it! Sweet
rose to prominence in the late ‘80s/early ‘90s as a solo artist and Hoffs
fronted the Bangles, one of the biggest bands of the decade they are honoring.
As a nostalgia vehicle it is brilliant. But it would be nice to hear Sweet
and Hoffs back on the charts with original material! – Eric A. Harabadian
We Need Medicine
The Fratellis
BMG
Producers: Jon Fratelli, Stuart McCredie
With the awesome song “Chelsea Dagger,”
released way back in the oughts, the
Fratellis set the bar high for a follow-up.
Several years later, the band have blessed
us with a new release. Full of the same
driving, modern-day pub rock, it is a keeper.
Earnest songs include the title track and
“Until She Saves my Soul.” The songs are good, the band sounds tight,
with energized performances in each track, indicating that five years’ rest
served them well. Raise a pint to “She’s Not Gone Yet, But She’s Leaving.”
It’s a raucous release; however, the production is a bit too polished for
this band that, like yellowtail, is best served raw. – Brett Bush
New Weather
New Weather
Butterscotch Records
Producer: Sean Curley
Warning: New Weather’s debut self-entitled
album will blow your mind into an experimental
world of psychedelic oblivion. If the
unsettling landscape of David Lynch’s
Easerhead were transformed into one of
beauty and wonder, songs like “Slip” and
“Everything” would serve as the transformative
soundscape. Listeners will find themselves lost in trance-like tempos
that ultimately leave one feeling mystically serene and rejuvenated. But
not everyone will fully understand the vibrant, multifaceted power behind
synth-heavy songs like “Heat Death.” Give it a chance—you might be
intrigued by what you find. – Danica Bellini
8
8
8
8
Floating Out To See
Gringo Star
My Anxious Mouth, Inc.
Producer: Gringo Star
Gringo Star’s greatest asset is an apparent
mild psychosis, a sort of demented brilliance
inspired by madness. Twisting hard rock blues
with ‘60s pop and indie sensibility, the trio’s
psychotropic ditties feel like the joyous burbling
of a mental patient who’s been freed by
his own mind. Invigorating and disturbing, this
collection won’t appeal to all listeners. Their fractured prism of hallucinatory
wonderment works for and against them, conjuring a flavor that invites attention
but proves difficult to latch onto. This, combined with the album’s brief
35:29 running time, hurts the package’s overall appeal but will still prove a
trippingly good time for explorers of the subconscious. – Andy Kaufmann
Shout
Govt. Mule
Blue Note Records
Producers: Warren Haynes & Gordie Johnson
This is the rock quartet’s first album of original
material in roughly four years and it was
certainly worth the wait. Guitarist Warren
Haynes and band have always delivered a
sound that is gritty, adventurous and technically
precise. And this album is right on par,
but with a twist. It is a two-CD set, with Disc
1 featuring a set of Haynes vocally leading the group. But in unprecedented
fashion, Disc 2 presents the same track list spotlighting Govt. Mule backing
select songs led by Elvis Costello, Ben Harper, Dave Matthews and more.
It’s an interesting concept that, for the most part, works. What an honor and
tribute that such a guest list would jump on board. – Eric A. Harabadian
Matangi
M.I.A.
Interscope Records
Producers: Various
This is a symphony of samples slapped
together and laid under what could be perceived
as lyrics, although the jury is still out.
It is hard to take M.I.A. seriously as a vocalist
since some kind of production element always
seems to be doctoring her up. When it
does appear she is really attempting to sing
it comes off as high pitched, whiny, strained and ultimately hideous. The
album is a full of ridiculous sounds effects and music beds that feel as if
they were lifted from some obscure 8-bit video game. In a day where music
can be seen as both an art and a commodity, this is neither and probably
should have been left in the storage bin, at the studio. – Carl Anthony
Fortress
Alter Bridge
Roadrunner, EMI
Producer: Michael Baskette
Back from solo albums and side projects,
Alter Bridge releases album number four,
Fortress, a heavy and textured melding of
hard rock and metal executed with enough
finesse to pull distinct timbre out of an
onslaught of guitar and bass. Mark Tremonti
on guitar pushes melody through a stone
wall of sound. As instrumentalists, the band—comprised of Myles Kennedy
of the Mayfield Four and three members of Creed—are in top form,
though by midway through, the album becomes too much of a good thing
as tedium settles in. – Jessica Pace
6
8
3
7
To be considered for review in the Album Reviews section, you must have a record deal with a major label
or an independent label with an established distributor. If you do not, please see our New Music Critiques section.
48 November 2013 musicconnection.com