Firstly I want to point out that I will not be ranking these albums from best to worst, longest to shortest, heaviest to lightest or tastiest to blandest (they all taste like plastic or cardboard, by the way). That's not really the point of this blog. Music is incredibly subjective. In a world where someone can click something that catches their interest and form their own opinion within a matter of minutes, I find ratings and rankings a little pointless. This is about pointing people in the direction of what might capture their interest in the first place. Enjoy :)
Glen Hansard - 'Didn't He Ramble'
Genre: folk, acoustic, singer-songwriter
Favourite tracks: McCormack's Wall, Lowly Deserter, My Little Ruin
This is Glen Hansard's second full length LP as a solo artist. Fans of his previous album 'Rhythm and Repose' and the follow-up EP 'Drive All Night' will find a lot of familiar territory on 'Didn't He Ramble'. On this album, Hansard puts his vocal chops and mature approach to songwriting on full display accompanied by more lavish instrumentation than his earlier work. At its best, Hansard's songs are equal parts grace and vigour and there's no shortage of either on this album. Most tracks embellish Hansard's usual guitar-driven sound with a more detailed instrumental backdrop, featuring sweeping strings, fiddle and horns. For the most part, these instrumental choices pay off in spades, giving the songs twists and turns that make you sit up and take notice. At their core, the collection of songs on this album are still the quality, story-driven, sincere songs everyone expects from Glen Hansard, with more colourful instrumentation. It's not ground-breaking but it's a winning formula and compulsively easy to listen to. Listen to 'My Little Ruin' below:
Emancipator - 'Seven Seas'
Genre: electronic, downtempo, trip hop
Favourite tracks: Canopy, The Key
Douglas Appling, better known as trip hop producer Emancipator, originally caught my attention in 2013 with his album 'Dusk to Dawn' which I would definitely name among my favourite albums of that year. Unique instrumental choices and a real sense of dynamics were what originally made my ears prick up - it was instrumental trip hop with some fun twists that gave 'Dusk to Dawn' an original atmosphere. 'Seven Seas' features some of those elements that made 'Dusk to Dawn' so appealing - the jazzy phrasing, interesting use of woodwind and other traditional instruments mixed in with electronic sounds - but doesn't reach the same atmospheric or original feeling. The sound here is still signature Emancipator, but the aspects that made his music so intriguing get lost amidst a lot of the other competing ideas on this album. To me, a lot of the looped phrases and beats feel a tad lazy and uninspired. Those more unique instrumental choices don't shine through on most of the tracks here, leaving this album no more exciting than a lot of other downtempo and trip hop music already out there, something more likely to be heard playing on low volume in some sort of hipster cafe. The addition of vocal loops adds to the business of the album, often taking centre stage despite not being particularly interesting. While it's a decent album in its own right, with a few shining tracks, fans of trip hop won't find anything surprising here and newbies to the genre would be better off starting elsewhere. I'll be giving this one a few more listens to see if it grows on me, you can listen to it here:
Chris Cornell - 'Higher Truth'
Genre: folk-rock, acoustic, singer-songwriter
Favourite tracks: Nearly Forgot My Broken Heart, Higher Truth
Chris Cornell needs no introduction. He's one of the most influential vocalists and songwriters in rock history. Fans of Soundgarden and Audioslave will know what Chris is capable of, those familiar with his solo career will note it's a bit of a rocky road. Chris' goal with this latest album was to release a bunch of songs that would translate well to his fully acoustic solo show he is currently touring with (and which I will be seeing in November, you could say I'm a bit excited). 'Higher Truth' gives us some stellar songs and shows that Chris' voice is as strong and evocative as ever. Bar those few select tracks, the rest of the album is pretty run of the mill without many surprises. Each song is competent and enjoyable in its own right, but it quickly becomes obvious which are the real killer tracks here. The songs showcase Chris' voice but aren't the greatest example of his songwriting, never really reaching the raw emotional edge we saw on 'Euphoria Morning' (what I still believe to be Chris Cornell's best solo album) or some of the tracks on 'Carry On'. Granted, I don't think that was the intended purpose of this album. This one is worth a listen for fans of Chris, but those unfamiliar with Chris as a solo artist would be better off starting with 'Euphoria Morning' or his live acoustic 'Songbook' album. You can listen to 'Nearly Forgot My Broken Heart' here:
The Dead Weather - 'Dodge and Burn'
Genre: blues-rock, garage rock, alternative
Favourite tracks: I Feel Love (Every Million Miles), Lose the Right, Impossible Winner
'Dodge and Burn' is the third album from rag-tag rock supergroup The Dead Weather. This whole album is ferocious, hard-hitting bluesy rock that's worth some foot-stamping and head-banging. Running at a break-neck, high adrenaline pace for most of the album, The Dead Weather deliver their unique style of slightly experimental rock with a fire that demands attention. Enjoyable from start to finish, with some out there guitar tones and jammable grooves, this is an album any blues rock fan will already have on their radar. Not every song here is exactly amazing, and some of the riffs and hooks feel a bit too familiar, but The Dead Weather do their thing and they do it damn well. Listen here:
Shinedown - 'Threat to Survival'
Genre: rock, alternative, post-grunge
Favourite tracks: Asking for It, Cut the Cord, Thick as Thieves
I have a soft-spot for Shinedown. I've been a fan for years and while their last album 'Amaryllis' didn't thrill me it had some enjoyable tracks. I was apprehensive about this new release, afraid that Shinedown were continuing down a path of commercialisation and losing what had made their first three albums worthwhile. Unfortunately, my fears were mostly realised. This album is by no means terrible, it's not really even bad. It's just aggressively average. A couple of tracks here can get your head-bopping or have some catchy hooks, but I feel like it's all pretty shallow and the appeal won't last. On the whole this album feels lazy. From the lyrics to the production, it's all too predictable and safe, especially towards the tail end of this LP. Some lyrics are almost cringeworthy, and some production choices (especially concerning the vocals) make no sense at all. The poppy hooks might get this album some air time, but it's not a good example of what this band is capable of. If you're new to Shinedown you're better off travelling back in time to their first two albums, 'Leave a Whisper' and 'Us and Them'. You can listen to their latest here:
That's the roundup for September. Thanks for reading if you did. Let me know what you thought of these albums or what you listened to this month, I'm always open to suggestions. October brings new albums from Coheed and Cambria and Ludovico Einaudi, two releases I've been waiting for all year, so I look forward to sharing my thoughts on those and others.
Have nice day.
Marco.
