Short Takes v. 3.0

In the past I've done a few "short takes" for this blog, giving readers a chance to read about several key releases in short, easily digestable critiques. This is the third such column I've done. The second, from February 2005, is on this site. The first is available on my computer, and if you're interested in reading it, drop me an email: jonathansanders@justice.com -- and I'll be glad to forward it to you.

Teddy Geiger - "Underage Thinking"
(2006, Columbia)




Teddy Geiger was supposed to be the new Jesse McCartney. McCartney, the star of the WB's teen pop sludgefest "Summerland," found his way onto the pop airwaves in 2005 thanks to songs like "Beautiful Soul." Now Geiger, who was to play a backup role in CBS's highly touted thirtysomethings drama "Love Monkey," hoped he'd find similar success for his solo album Underage Thinking. Unfortunately for him, the critically acclaimed show was dumped by CBS after a handful of episodes when no one watched. But here comes the album anyway, and if Geiger's banking on this making him a big success, he's deluded. This album, while competently produced, is nothing but easy listening pop in the veins of Howie Day, Ryan Cabrera, James Blunt and John Mayer. If you like your cheeseball piano pop regardless of whether the singer has anything to say, Geiger might be up your alley. For the rest of us, avoid this album like the plague.

The Sounds - "Dying To Say This To You"
(2006, New Line Records)




If you're a fan of Sleater-Kinney, or even of the more recent band Tegan and Sara, you'll enjoy what The Sounds have to offer. Indie rock rarely comes with as much hook-filled punch as these 11 tracks, but Dying To Say This To You is made even better by the punk-rock attitude lead singer Maja Ivarsson injects into each song. "Song With A Mission" blends Blondie with The Hives, pulling no punches in its insatiable need to rock you. With that under their belt, the band proceeds to unapologetically take your mind over with songs like "Queen Of Apology" and "Living In America" -- which features the best keyboard-based hook I've heard all year. Don't let this one pass by unheard if you like a little pop in your rock. Everyone deserves a guilty pleasure or two.

Ben Harper - "Both Sides of the Gun"
(2006, Virgin Records America)




Double albums are always risky. But when Ben Harper's making a double album you know no track's going to be the same. And over his previous seven albums, it's been made abundantly clear that he's musically capable of writing the material that could sustain that length. Both Sides of the Gun opens with "Morning Yearning," a piano and strings track that lets Harper's vocals lead us into the material on a somber note, and the standout tracks ("Never Leave Lonely Alone," "Reason To Mourn") keep that mood alive. But the second album's where the best songs come out. "Better Way (War Mix)" is perhaps Harper's most ear-catching piece yet -- as All Music Guide called it, "a musical tribute to Prince's 7. As it turns out, the second album contains all the bluesy funk (you've got to hear the Curtis Mayfield influenced title track!) which makes the album difficult to listen to straight through. It's more like a compilation of tracks, split among moods -- like Ben's personal playlist -- and while the songs I've mentioned are all worth buying by any music fan, the rest of the album is probably for Ben Harper completists only.

Faktion - "Faktion"
(2006, Roadrunner Records)





Talk about a flashback. I heard the opening strains of "Six O'Clock" and recalled the mid-nineties debut of adult rockers Athanaeum, the band which spawned the single "What I Didn't Know" an instant before they disappeared off the face of the earth. That fate is likely to befall this Texas quintet as well, though their angsty alt-rock should find fans among fans of Hoobastank and Nickelback. Whether that's enough to get them radio-play in an already overcrowded market remains to be seen, though it seems unlikely.

Josh Rouse - "Subtitulo"(Nettwerk, 2006)

Josh Rouse has been recording stunningly elemental roots albums since 1998's Dressed Up Like Nebraska, and just when it seems he can't top himself he finds a way. Following up 2004's Nashville would be a tough task for any artist, but having spent the last year in Spain, Rouse has absorbed that nation's culture and music completely. Blending it with his American roots country sound on Subtitulo, Rouse has recorded the best album I've heard this year hands down.

Call him the perfect compliment to artists like Sufjan Stevens. While Rouse's albums are filled with his distinctive arrangements, he prefers to keep things relaxed and intimate, contrary to Stevens' penchant for over-the-top concept arrangements. On Subtitulo, Rouse has crafted the perfect album to listen to straight through. Clocking in at less than forty minutes, it features ten intimate songs that put his newly acquired spanish influences at the forefront. The results are impressive, to say the least.

The album opens with "Quiet Town," an ode to Altea, the Spanish village Rouse first lived in upon arriving in Spain. It is the kind of song Wes Anderson would kill to feature in one of his films, a simple melody that hooks you and won't let go. "It Looks Like Love," the album's third track, gets a bit more funky, setting aside for a moment the sounds of Spain to create a pop number worthy of some serious radio play. Then "La Costa Blanca" provides an instrumental interlude, a laid-back country-rocker that features some well placed steel guitar.

The constant in all of this is Rouse's strong sense of style. He never lets any one part of the music become overpowering. "Jersey Clowns," for example, features a bare-bones acoustic backing, which gives room for Rouse's gentle vocals. Both work together, which gives the song more impact and resonance.

But Rouse keeps one-upping himself. As the album progresses, so does the music. "His Majesty Rides" is a swinging bossa-nova with funk-tinged keyboards providing the backdrop -- until the chorus hits, the drums come in, the bass starts popping and the song kicks into overdrive. The effect is that, by this point, Rouse has taken your mind over completely. The album has done its job. You are his.

He has a few more surprises up his sleeve -- including the disco-pop Sergio Mendes and the Brasil '77-inspired "Givin It Up," and another sultry bossa-nova in "The Man Who" -- then it's time to hit repeat and hear the album again.

In the process of writing this review I heard the album straight through three times, and that doesn't count how many times I heard it this week while thinking about writing. That's the mark of a great album. In the end, Subtitulo stands up as a brilliantly executed album that showcases Rouse's talents fully without ever overpowering the listener. The entire album is worth hearing over and over; each song is multi-layered, deserving more time to fully sink in.

Last year March brought me Regina Spektor's brilliantly conceived Soviet Kitsch, which held my top spot through the rest of 2005. I fully expect Subtitulo to do the same for 2006.

Links
http://www.joshrouse.com/
http://www.myspace.com/joshrouse

Josh will be playing Park West in Chicago on April 13.

Warren Barfield - "Reach"(Essential Records, 2006)

With the confident vocals of Marc Broussard, Warren Barfield's sophomore album Reach is another solid reason why contemporary Christian music continues to provide many of my favorite albums. From the opening funk-soul assault of "I'll Be Alright" to "Reach," the album's acoustic conclusion, Reach is a joy to hear from start to finish. It's a worthy addition to the album collection of any music fan who appreciates a soul-searching album, Christian or not.

The album is full of rousing choruses and in-depth arrangements, perhaps hearkening back to Barfield's pentecostal upbringing. "My dad would sing standing on the pew with the blood-vessels popping out of his neck, preaching the lyric," Barfield says in his online biography. "When people say my music is soulful, I go 'yeah, but to me it's not Marvin Gaye soulful, it's like Pentecostal."

That power comes through quickly on this album, most notably in "I'll Be Alright," the rousing opener for the album. "You have a way of changing everything with just one touch," he sings, "and I'll never understand how an unseen hand can do so much -- but it does." This is uplifting soul with a contemporary touch, and though the undercurrent of religion is there, it's not in a position of controlling the music. Barfield leaves room in his songs for listeners to come to their own conclusions, which is a big reason the album is able to succeed.

There are a number of clear "singles" on the album. "Saved" already is a single, though it has yet to crack the CCM top 40. And songs like "Head Held High" and "Beyond The Walls" are crafted around perfect hooks that are equally radio-worthy. But by blending Marc Broussard's blues sound with the pop-soul sensibility of Gavin DeGraw, Barfield has developed a sound that is full and complex. On Reach, he uses that sound to build an album that is intricate and deep, deserving multiple listens in order to fully take it all in.

This is more than just another album from a contemporary Christian singer wanting to make it big on the radio. It's a beautifully executed album from an artist who's sure to have a long career in this business. Reach is well worth the purchase price.

Upcoming Midwest Tour Dates
April 8: Normal IL (Braden Auditorium)
April 9: Converse IN (Converse Church of Christ)
April 10: Deerfield IL (Trinity International University)
April 15: Indianapolis IN (WIT Youth Ministry)
May 20: Louisville KY (Freedom Hall - Opening for a Louisville Fire game)

To hear music from Barfield, visit his website: www.warrenbarfield.com.
I have been unable to attain permission to post his music here.
If I do in the future, a song will be posted.

Oscar Cheers and Jeers for the yearof the down-on-his-luck pimp.

Hey, loyal readers! I'm sure most of you are celebrating spring break far from a computer, but I felt I'd be remiss if I let this week pass without a comment. So I figured I'd post a few things I felt like cheering and jeering about in regard to the Oscars last Sunday. Here goes ...

Cheers go out to Dolly Parton for her wonderful song Travellin' Thru, which was nominated from the film Transamerica. Parton crafted a thoughtful song in the gospel tradition that dared to say that salvation and redemption can come to everyone, sexual affiliation nonwithstanding. "God made me for a reason and nothing is in vain," she sings. "Redemption comes in many shapes with many kinds of pain." Dolly put it succinctly in an interview she gave to USA Today. "Having a big gay following, I get hate mail and threats," she says. "Some people are blind or ignorant, and you can't be that prejudiced and hateful and go through this world and still be happy. One thing about this movie is that I think art can change minds. It's all right to be who you are."

Jeers to the Oscar orchestra playing through speeches this year. I found it tacky and distasteful that the bandleader and organizers of the Oscars decided that the best way to speed up speeches was to force everyone to attempt to give a :45 speech while attempting to speak over a gigantic orchestra. Particularly for the people who won technical awards, it appeared it was all about speeding them offstage so we could see another Hollywood montage about Hollywood.

Cheers should go out as well though to the members of Three Six Mafia. The surprise winners of song of the year honors for their song from Hustle and Flow titled "It's Hard Out Here For A Pimp." The song might not have seemed worthy of the award, but their performance was pure crunk and their acceptance speech gave Jon Stewart plenty of jokes for the later moments of the night. The song was also everything an Oscar song should be ... integral to the film. Hustle and Flow features the song being written from scratch, from original conception to its final performance. It wasn't just thrown in to the credits, or added as a last ditch effort to get at least one Oscar nomination. And cheers also for the fact that the academy didn't overcensor. The main chorus (including the line "Because a whole lot of bitches talkin' shit") was uncensored, which may net ABC some fines from the FCC, but at least the song wasn't bastardized or bleeped to the point of being unintelligible.

But Jeers should be directed at those who nomiated songs this year. Only three were nominated -- Parton's, "Pimp" and "In The Deep" by Kathleen York from "Crash." Several major songs were overlooked, including "A Love That Will Never Grow Old" by Bernie Taupin (from Brokeback Mountain), which the Oscar nominating team decided wasn't in the film for "long enough" to be considered.

The Oscars have made a lot of mistakes in the past, and I'm glad that this year's performance was better than last year, when Beyonce Knowles performed most of the nominated material (and badly, I might add). They'd also gotten Antonio Banderas and Carlos Santana to play the song from Motorcycle Diaries, despite the fact that songwriter Jorge Drexler (of Uruguay) who sang the song on the soundtrack had a respectable Spanish following -- which reeked of a slam at a true artist in the hopes of gathering ratings (better that the non-Latino community be familiar with the performers, even if Banderas isn't a singer). So at least this year they let the songs be played by the real artists. But perhaps next year they'll allow a few more songs to be showcased, rather than presenting such a limited portfolio.

Arctic Monkeys - "Whatever People Say I Am ..."(Domino, 2006)

The British press loves to set a band up for a fall. They'll latch on to a band, declare their similarity to Oasis (a death knell for most bands right away) and then hype them into the ground as Britain's next big music hope. So when I heard Arctic Monkeys was the latest band to receive this designation, I wasn't much impressed, but figured I'd let the music itself speak instead.

What I got upon listening to Whatever People Say I Am That's What I Am Not was a mildly interesting album full of britpop-edged rock songs that in the end failed to make me care. If you've heard Oasis, Blur, Franz Ferdinand and The Libertines, you've heard what the Arctic Monkeys have to offer. There's little on this album that hasn't been recorded better elsewhere.

That's not to say the band can't craft a decent single. "The View From The Afternoon," which opens the album, has a catchy hook and a memorable melody, but the lyric, about anticipation and being set up for disappointment, is a disturbingly apt one considering the remainder of the album. The band shows on tracks like this one that they can play with a modicum of skill -- they clearly know their influences, but have yet to discover how to pay homage to them without robbing them at gunpoint.

There are other songs on which the band plays confidently but the vocals, by Alex Turner, fail to make a connection. His lyrics are often detailed and literary, which is a considerable gift, but they're tied to a time and place in British culture that doesn't particularly resonate well with this American listener. One has to wonder whether the band, which has achieved unbelievable success in its own country, can ever reach that level in America. I, for one, find it highly unlikely.

In the end, Arctic Monkeys aren't particularly a bad band. Their album, however, is remarkably predictable. Even knowing what I know about the British press, I still expected something far better than this when I set out to hear the band's album. If Alex and his band want to find worldwide success, or even success in Britain beyond a single album, they're going to have to set themselves apart from their contemporaries and their influences. Based on what is evident on Whatever People Say I Am That's What I Am Not, it seems unlikely this band will still be around for a sophomore effort.