Rod Still Rocks, Dave Gahan Gets Real, Joanna Newsom Reads A Lot & More
Rod Stewart: Another Country (Capitol) While it feels either critically reckless or lazy—I can’t decide which—to single out the latest album by Rod Stewart as the week’s most compelling new album, there is this: In the course of the man’s very lengthy career (most non-Brits first heard him singing with Jeff Beck in 1968), his best work has always been 1) well-sung, 2) emotive and 3) immensely rocking. And the sort of thing that might be sung at a sports stadium, I suppose, if you were so inclined. Well, here we go again. Vocally, Stewart sounds exactly like he always has—in fact he hits a note on “Please” I didn’t know he had in him—and musically, from opening track “Love Is,” there is some sonic mix of banjo/mandolin/guitar strum and riffing that can’t help but drag the listener back to the opening seconds of his classic Every Picture Tells A Story. Still: retro no, contemporary yes. “Walking In Sunshine” has a pounding beat that oddly recalls “Da Ya Think I’m Sexy” and a melody not unlike a lost New Order track (no lie). And in the ultimate contempo mindbend, the bonus version of this set concludes with the 1968 Python Lee Jackson track “In A Broken Dream,” featuring the then little-known Stewart belting out the same track that would be sampled on A$AP Rocky’s “Everyday” all these years later. If one writes off those half-dozen or so Great American Songbook albums the man did at the turn of the century–which my mother still holds very dear—it’s as if the man has never left the building. And, of course, he hasn’t.
Dave Gahan & Soulsavers: Angels & Ghosts (Columbia) I would imagine those who never fell under the spell of Depeche Mode—and though they are huge, there still are many who consider the band a quirky, long-lived, cultural sidenote—would like this very much. Away from the Mode context, Gahan’s got an unexpectedly bluesy, soulful feel to his singing, and on tracks like “You Owe Me” he sounds like an appealing cross between the Doors, Blackeyed Susans and Nick Cave, of all people. And that’s good. With that twangy guitar strumming off in the background, there’s an earthiness on display in Gahan’s approach I haven’t seen or heard elsewhere, and you probably haven’t either. I like this quite a bit. In a world where solo side-projects are often unnecessary ego extensions, Angels & Ghosts is surprisingly the real deal; hear it, and you’ll be convinced, too.
[Related: Dave Gahan at 53: ‘I’m Doing the Best Work I’ve Ever Done’]
Joanna Newsom: Divers (Drag City) This is an ambitious and substantial album, and to Newsom’s devoted fanbase it will be a godsend. To those who are impressed but not quite as wholly enchanted –and maybe a tad older than Newsom’s devoted fanbase—it may take a few listenings to shake off the unmistakable impression that you’re hearing some grand unreleased Incredible String Band album featuring Rose or Licorice on vocals circa 1971, or Tori Amos playing with her dolls before zapping off to kindergarten. Of course, neither of those artists would be inclined to lyrics like “The cause is Ozymandian/ The map of Sapokanikan/ Is sanded and beveled,” which is part of Newsom’s charm. Well, that and her ability to pound out a harp solo when the occasion calls for it. Artists be like, this.
[Related: The 50 Most Anticipated Albums of Fall 2015]
Elvis Costello: Unfaithful Music & Soundtrack Album (UMe) Released in conjunction with a recently published memoir and personally compiled by the man himself—and that’s not a small thing in this case—this career retrospective comes at precisely the right time. Elvis Costello’s very best music has always been absolutely magical, but frankly, for the past decade or so, it’s been too hard to navigate through, to get sense of a career evolution, his progress as a songwriter, etc. There’s too much of it. Happy to report: He knows when he’s good. Between the adept song selection, the song sequencing—from “Man Out Of Time” to “I Want You”? Yes, please—the sheer variety of instrumental arrangements, and guest humans (Brian Eno, George Jones, Burt Bacharach, Rosanne Cash & Kris Kristofferson on the previously unreleased “April 5th”), this is the best re-listening of Elvis Costello you’re going to get this decade. So enjoy it.
Harmonia: Complete Works (Groenland) In a world where you can buy the complete works of Bob Dylan or the Beatles in a box, we should be grateful someone out there gave the nod to Harmonia. An extremely influential German band that emerged in the early ‘70s alongside such groups as Can, Kraftwerk, and Tangerine Dream, Harmonia was a so-called “Krautrock supergroup,” teaming Dieter Moebius and Hans-Joachim Roedelius of Cluster with Michael Rother of NEU! and creating music that didn’t quite sound like either band. This vinyl box gathers all of it up, and it’s superb. Contained within: Music Von Harmonia (1974), Deluxe (1975), Tracks And Traces (with Eno) (1976), Live 1974 and Documents 1975. It’s all available here, with accompanying digital download code, and it really is a one-of-a-kind affair. Soft, sweet, ambient, psychedelic, minimalist—it’s all of those things and more, and much of it was recorded more than 40 years ago. In a world of non-visible FLAC and WAV files, this is the sort of “thing” you may want to own. Highly recommended.
Vanessa Carlton: Liberman (Dine Alone Music) Were you to hear this without knowing who was singing, you’d probably 1) like it lots and 2) be a bit surprised it was Vanessa Carlton, who seemed to have established herself as some sort of artist-type back in 2002 or so, then did a slow fade. But no, she’s back, she’s dreamy, there’s some sort of arty thing going on here, she’s moved to Nashville, had a baby girl with Deer Tick’s John McCauley, and simply sounds better than ever. Why? Understated production, atmospheric vocals and lyrics, one heck of a great album title—I mean, why not?—and actual personality and songs on display, rather than super-polished corporate fodder. It doesn’t usually work this way. There’s a story here, and it’s worth finding out about.
Pixel: Golden Years (Cuneiform) Must admit to being captivated by this, the third album by Norwegian jazz combo Pixel, not only for the near-perfection of their playing, but by their highly skilled approach to making sophisticated jazz arrangements accessible to those with a taste for high-quality pop music and even indie rock. A quartet consisting of a rhythm section fronted by a trumpet and sax, Pixel at times sound like those sort of unique crossover bands of the early ‘70s; when bassist Ellen Andrea Wang sings “People Pleaser,” for a brief second the Peter Ivers Band’s 1969 classic Knights Of The Blue Communion album is evoked—and I assure you, that album isn’t often evoked. A disarmingly strong set, Golden Years is one of the year’s better albums, and you should make a point of hearing it. Available here.
Tommy Castro & The Painkillers: Method To My Madness (Alligator) By no means a fresh new face—guitarist Castro has been around playing and making records for a few decades, and winning awards on the way—this guy, if you’ve never really listened, is jarringly good. “Roadhouse-rockin’ blues” and “blue-eyed R&B and soul” is what some have called this stuff, and while that’s appropriate, it understates its inherent value. Between his singing and his playing, Castro evokes the good-time fusion of those talented, underrated Brit blues belters like the late Frankie Miller but totally modernizes the sound, the approach, and the feel. Listen to the last 30 seconds of “Shine A Light” here, and between the riffing, squealing guitar and Castro’s vocal improvs on the fade, you’re in for something exciting and, all things considered, unexpectedly good. Great stuff, well worth your time.
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