Album Review: The Worse Things Get, the Harder I Fight. The Harder I Fight, the More I Love You

I've always enjoyed Neko Case. Her beautiful vocals, her colorful lyrics and her effortless grip on any genre she attempts to play in all make her a talented musician. In 2007, she had one grand slam of an album with Fox Confessor Brings the Flood. Ever since, I feel like we've been waiting for her second masterpiece.

It's here now.

The Worse Things Get comes at a difficult time in Case's life. Her familial relationships have, if her music is any indication, been strained for some time, particularly with her parents. In the time since her last record, 2009's Middle Cyclone, her parents both died, along with her grandmother. It was the depression that followed, which Case herself has described with "physically debilitating", from which this album was born. Not since Neutral Milk Hotel's Aeronplane Over the Sea have I seen an artist's emotions so nakedly on display. Like the aforementioned classic, the result is not depressing, but rather beautiful, hopeful and strong in the face of tragedy.

Case's already impressive songwriting prowess is better than ever on this record. At one moment, Case can be emotionally vulnerable, such as the hauntingly beautiful "Local Girl", or "Calling Cards". Then, she'll display defiance. "Man" is a fiery, catchy feminist song in which she asserts her independence by way of defying her gender roles.

"And if I'm dipshit drunk on the pink perfume
I am the man in the fucking moon'
Cause you didn't know what a man was
Until I showed you"

It's a powerful statement, and easily the best song on the album. On tracks "I'm from Nowhere" and "City Swan", she makes similar cries of independence. The themes add up to the core narrative that Case is mourning her losses deeply, but is not broken.

Perhaps the most impressive part of Case's songwriting is her ability to talk about her own personal and societal struggles through the stories of others. Each of the album's 12 tracks is its own look into the life of an individual. In "Calling Cards", Case's character is collecting calling cards for a loved one, identified only as a singer, but can only reach empty dial tones instead of the one she searches for. In "Nearly Midnight, Honolulu" she's a drifter watching a mother abuse her child. "Bracing for Sunday" casts her as a rebellious teenager, stuck in a small town and dreaming of the day when she won't be chastised on Sunday for being who she is. After falling in love with a woman, she murders her brother/rapist. These are intensely emotional stories, each reflecting a microcosm of Case's own internal demons. Her lyrics are laced with colorful phrasing as well, that lends a profound poetry to every tale she tells.

"I dropped my gloves into the stove
Hymns echoed out the grate
I fell in love with those electric lights
That drug me into town so late

To nimble, cunning, clever nights
I railed behind them, deputized
To scrape the lens of Christian eyes
A Friday night girl, Bracing for Sunday to come"  - Bracing For Sunday

"Goodnight, sunshine
The ghetto-bird shines 4 am,
Welcome to the West
A mosquito to kiss your hands and feet
Welcome to this dirty business" - I'm From Nowhere

I could go on and on about the power of the songwriting on this record, but to do so would be a huge disservice to the music. Case has never been one for settling down into a defined genre, and she's as opposed to the idea as ever here. Her vocal style may be decidedly country-western (If only in the Kelly Hogan, Patsy Kline sense), but she applies it to aggressive rock and roll, haunting folk and ethereal experimental tracks. Case also demonstrates her skill as a guitarist on tracks like "Local Girl" and "Calling Cards". One song that immediately jumped out to me was "Nearly Midnight, Honolulu", which features Case signing a Capella with her own recorded voice providing her backup. The effect is a haunting, gospel tune that is simply breathtaking. Each song's music is tailor fit for its lyrical theme, and each has its entirely own mold.

This is a fabulous album from start to finish. I don't say this often, but there isn't a single misstep the whole record over. For its emotional complexity, poetic approach to storytelling and the diverse musical presentation throughout, I can say with confidence that this is not only one of best records of the year so far, but Case's finest effort to date. I cannot recommend this album highly enough.

Album Review: Wise Up Ghosts by Elvis Costello and the Roots

I love screwball collaborations. Not collabs that don't work, like Metallica and Lou Reed's effort that could generously be called a failed experiment and accurate the vicious murder of all things that audiophiles hold dear. What I'm talking about is work produced by artists that you never would have thought to combine in a million years. The 2010 effort Broken Bells fronted by the bizarre-yet-winning combination of hip-hop producer Danger Mouse and Shins rocker James Mercer. Or the unlikely duo of St. Vincent and David Byrne that produced one of last year's best records, Love This Giant.

It was that vein I was hoping for when I first heard that Elvis Costello was teaming up with the Roots. Costello is a living legend, and one of my all time favorite artists besides. And the Roots, while best being known as Jimmy Fallon's house band, are a proven jazz-rap group responsible for over a half dozen terrific records in their own right. I couldn't imagine the two pairing up well, but the talent was there and the first single, "Walk Us Uptown" was good enough to seriously heighten my expectations.

So how did it live up?

At first, phenomenally. Costello's wry humor and distinctive vocal delivery were a perfect match for the odd, funking grooves that the Roots are famous for. The two seem a match made for one another. Costello is as prickly as ever, writing songs about government surveillance, environmental degradation and the world just generally going to hell. This urgency is balanced by the cynical levity with which he treats many of his issues, creating a record that on one track will beg you to care about an issue of relevance, only for Costello to throw up his arms and say , "Fuck it" on the next. It's a wonderful balance.

All of that is typical Costello. Where this record surprises is the way his shrill, uneven crooning matches perfectly the eccentric jives of the band. In being the singer, it may seem that Costello is the star on the record. But the reality is that the Roots rules the stage here as much as he does. This album is packed to the brim with the slickest funk-jazz beats since the 70s heyday of the genre. There's an effortless ebb and flow on the record. Tracks like "Walk Us Uptown", "Sugar Won't Work" and "Wake Me Up" provide a funky, streetwise swagger, while others such as "Refused to be Saved" and "Come the Meantime" teem with an apocalyptic urgency. All of it works beautifully, and the artists maintain a wonderful creative sync while still maintaining a sharp. stylistic contrast.

All of that makes the second half of the record that much more disappointing. The first sign that all of this might go wrong is, perhaps fittingly, "Tripwire". It middles around as an early Costello "Allison"-esque ballad that lacks neither the grooves of the Roots nor the charm of the Attractions. In fact, it just kind of middles about, not going anywhere in particular. The model is unfortunately followed by the tracks "Viceroy's Row", "If I Could Believe" and the album's title track. And while the Latin infused "Cinco Minutos Vos" could have been a good slowdown track in between the catchier, funkier numbers, its existence alongside the others just contributes to the sense that the group ran out of ideas and started winding things down halfway through.

It's extremely disappointing, because if Wise Up Ghosts had maintained its initial momentum, I have every confidence that it would be my record of the year. As it stands, though, all the bad that comes with the good renders it a mediocre album. If you can pick it up, I still recommend it, because there is serious greatness here. I'd love to see another collaboration between these artists where they, y'know...finish the job. But I'm not holding my breath on that one.

Album Review: The Bones of What You Believe by Chvrches

Chvrches is one of those groups that's been floating around the internet for a while now. Scottish in origin, they had crafted a couple of web hits in the form of 2012's singles "Lies" and "The Mother We Share". Arguably, it was record label Neon Gold's blog posts about them that started them breaking big. Last week they released their first full length album, The Bones of What You Believe

It can't be understated that what Chvrches is doing, an electro-synth pop steeped in retro 80s nostalgia, is in with the indie music scene today. On one hand, that represents a great opportunity for an up and coming group like them. On the other, it means they're entering a saturated market. On some level, I have to admit that there's nothing Chvches is doing that feels exceptionally innovative, just because this sort of retro-pop revivalism has been everywhere in recent years (I again cite the 2011 film Drive's soundtrack as the tipping point for this becoming a full blown phenomenon). That is not to say, however, that they haven't come as close to perfecting the art as a group can get without being the Pet Shop Boys or Kavinsky.

The 80s influence on the record is palpable. All over the place, there are shades of PSB, Depeche Mode and Tears for Fears. Whether they intended it to or not, I also feel that many of the higher BPM tracks smack of old video game music as well (We Sink and Recover, seem particularly pointed examples, though the observation really applies to all of their faster track). Lead vocalist Lauren Mayberry's voice has an ethereal quality that jives very well with the group's electronic sound.

There are a number of tracks that stand out here. The two aforementioned songs that put them on the indie radar are great, thumping pop tracks, and the record's first single "We Sink" is an equally catchy endeavor. The album's fourth track, "Tether" introduces itself as a more introspective, subdued song, before a powerful synth line transforms it into an epic masterpiece at the midway point. And despite the fact that Mayberry is mostly absent on it, "Under the Tide" is a probably my favorite on the album. I couldn't tell you which of her band mates takes the mic, but the song reminds me a great deal of the 2012 Tanline's single "All of Me"; one of my favorites that year.

Bones is and excellent record, but it's not without its faults. Specifically, I found the tracks "Recovery", "Night Sky", "Lungs", and "Gun" to be significant disappointments compared to the rest of the album. Bones is a cutting edge work, brimming with passion and creative arrangements. But these four tracks feel like standard dance pop fair. Apart from a few duds, however, Chvrches debut album is one to be extremely proud of, and thus far, an easy contender for pop record of the year.

Quick Review: Pet Shop Boys, Bombino, Trixie Whitley

Greetings, all. To break up my writer's block (both oh here and in terms of my novel writing), I've decided to do a review of 3 albums that have been on my mind. Unlike some of my more in depth (and I suspect tiring for those of you who actually read this stuff), these will be flyovers with my overall thoughts, some tracks that stood out and a tracklist. Enjoy! 

Electric by The Pet Shop Boys

For the Pet Shop Boys, this album represents at once a return to form for a band that's lacked a major hit in the last two decades, and a complete departure from their standard body of work. There are smatterings of of traditional 80s new wave, 90s europop and even dubstep. Electric feels big in all the best senses; ripe with heavy bass, catchy hooks and powerful electronic beats.  There's something about this record that feels at once decidedly modern and very retro. At a short 9 tracks, it's very tight and economical. Each track has its own personality while maintaining the album's slick, club-like atmosphere. Tracks of particular note include the pounding "Axis" that opens the album, "Inside a Dream", which is one of the best tunes for night driving I've ever heard, and the duo's cover of Springsteen's anti-war anthem "Last to Die". It's a brilliant thing that such a great dance tune could be crafted from a song as heavy as Bruce's, but it manages to pull of the feat without losing any emotional resonance.

While each track is an experiment in the versatility of the electronic genre, not all of those experiments succeed. "Love Is a Bourgeois Construct" is every bit as pretentious as it sounds, while PSB's collaboration with rapper Example on "Thursday" loses the momentum carried throughout the rest of the record. The buzzsaw/dubstep track "Shouting at the Evening" isn't exactly a winner either. Ultimately, this album succeeds when it keeps the BPM as high as possible, and falters when it becomes more retro than future. While there are enough missteps here to prevent it from being a must have record, if you have any interest in electonica, at least 6 tracks will be worth an outright purchase. Even for those with only a passing enthusiasm, it's worth a listen.

Tracklist

*1.	"Axis"	5:32
*2.	"Bolshy"	5:44
3.	"Love Is a Bourgeois Construct"	6:41
4.	"Fluorescent"	6:14
*5.	"Inside a Dream"	5:37
*6.	"The Last to Die"	4:12
7.	"Shouting in the Evening"	3:36
8.	"Thursday"	5:02
9.	"Vocal"	6:34

*indicate my favorite tracks

Fourth Corner by Trixie Whitley

R&B, as a genre, has something of a formula problem. Of all the charting, popular music out there, only Nashville country has seen less evolution. And since that principle has essentially held true since the 90s, it makes R&B somewhat boring to listen to regularly.

So when someone tires to breath some fresh air into it, it's always welcome. That is exactly what Trixie Whitley's Fourth Corner seeks to accomplish. And for at least half the album, it succeeds brilliantly. Whitley brings a sultry, smoky voice to her recordings with an edge of passion and anger that hearkens back to Nina Simone. And while that's all well and good, the real magic here is in the instrumentation behind her. Distorted guitar riffs and broken melodies that would be more comfortable on a Tom Waits record than an R&B one fill half of the album. There's a certain stylistic flair that, combined with Whitley's outstanding vocals,  creates a magical, theatrical atmosphere that I've never heard in this genre before.

It's fascinating stuff, which makes the other half of the record all the more disappointing. While tracks like "Irene", "Never Enough" and "Hotel No Name" feel like experimental leaps forward for R&B, others such as "Pieces" and "Breathe You in my Dreams" play it strictly by the book. Not only does that mean that the more conventional tracks steer toward mundane, but it breaks the dusty, frustrated, tense atmosphere that the rest of Fourth Corner builds. It's jarring.

Where this record is hot, I adore it, but where it cools, I could skip it entirely. It's hugely disappointing, given how exciting some of the ensembles were in the first couple of tracks that I heard. I recommend checking it out, simply because Whitley is doing some extraordinary things with her genre here, but I can't help but walk away from Fourth Corner feeling disappointed. I expect great things from Whitley in the future, but this record just feels like a letdown.

Tracklist

*1.	"Irene"	4:03
*2.	"Never Enough"	3:41
3.	"Pieces"	4:39
4.	"Need Your Love"	3:34
5.	"Silent Rebel PT 2"	4:44
6.	"Breathe You In My Dreams"	4:20
*7.	"Gradual Return"	3:42
*8.	"Hotel No Name"	4:13
9.	"Morelia"	4:50

*10.	"Fourth Corner"	4:38
11.	"Bolshy"	4:08

Nomad by Bombino

For those who slogged their way through the last two reviews, I have some good news for you: I've saved the best for last. Omar Moctar, better known by his stage name of Bombino, hails from the Sahara regions of Algeria and Lybia. His last album, 2009's Agadez, caught the attention of major label Nonesuch Records, and Black Keys front man Dan Aurbauch, who released and produced Nomad, respectively. If you haven't heard of him prior to reading this, go to Youtube and fix it immediately. Obviously if you're reading this, you have a working internet connection, so there is no excuse not to. Go. Now.

I love this record. I love every winding, foreign, snaky minute of it. Nomad represents the best of the traditional music of the Western Sahara combined with the best goddamn American blues played on a guitar since the heydays of Zepplin and Hendrix. Throughout the album, Bombino plays an extremely engrossing, proficient blues guitar that positively sings. His shredding riffs are backed by a rich mix of traditional Sahara percussion instruments, creating instrumentally deep songs that beg you to turn the music up and drown in their complexity. Each layer of Bombino's music gets to shine, thanks to Aurbauch's slick production value, and every track feels polished and radio friendly. Tracks like "Niamey Jam" are high speed and entertaining, while others such as "Azamane Tiliade" have a burning intensity to them. Even songs such as "Imidiwan" and "Tamiditine", that put less emphasis on the guitar, work beautifully. Each of Nomad's 11 tracks is stellar.

My only regret about this album is that I can't understand Bombino's lyrics. I'm told, by people who can speak Arabic, that they are informed, intelligent and passionate, which makes it all the more disappointing that I can't follow the lyrics. But the beauty and skill that Bombino's music exudes is powerful enough to stand on its own. This is a fantastic, perfect record that I want everyone to listen to. For your convenience, I've linked every song I could to a Youtube video containing it, so please go check it out. Help give Bombino the success he so rightfully deserves!

As a side note, Aurbauch has put his production seal on artists like Dr. John, Grace Potter and now he's introduced Bombino to me. I'm going to start paying closer attention to the stuff he endorses, because goddamn if he isn't building a good stable of artists.

Tracklist

1. Amidinine                 5:29

2. Ahulakamine Hulan     3:02

3. Azamane Tiliade        4:07

4. Imuhar                    3:49

5. Niamey Jam              2:38

6. Adinat                     2:31

7. Her Tenere               4:18

8. Imidiwan                  2:58

9. Aman                      3:59

10. Zigzan                   3:55

11. Tamiditine              4:41

Final thought: I don't rate albums, and that's a deliberate effort. I feel that putting a hard rating on records that have complex ups and downs diminishes my ability to dissect them. That said, I know people like them, and it might make it easier for readers who may want to browse my blog to get a highlights reel. What do you think? Ratings or no?

Album Review: Same Trailer, Different Park by Kacey Musgraves

Among my family and friends (though my family more than anything) there's this myth that I don't like country music. Part of this is self inflicted, as I spend an awful lot of time complaining about it. The reality, however, is that I actually quite like country. In fact, my favorite album last year was a country record (I Like to Keep Myself in Pain by Kelly Hogan, to be exact). But while I like Country, I hate the generic, recycled pop that passes for it 90% of the time on radio. The music out of Nashville has devolved into a formulaic genre crowded with bland music, mediocre vocals and tropey songwriting that has justifiably become the butt of a very large national joke. The big labels have taken over the vast majority of the genre, and the only the music from it that gets any sort of publicity is exactly what I'm complaining about. Unless it's specifically pointed out to me (or I'm on one of my occasional alternative country benders), I tend to avoid country music altogether.

So all that being said, I'm glad that Kacey Musgrave's March release Same Trailer, Different Park was brought to my attention. Signed by Mercury Nashville (one of the largest country labels in the world) and a frequent opening act to Miranda Lambert, I had no need whatsoever to pay her any mind. Yet for all my grievances with popular country today, Musgraves album is a very different sort of country record than what typically comes out of that scene.

The record opens not with a bang, but a whimper. Silver Linings is a fairly generic darkest-before-the-dawn type songs with blase` music. On My House, the second track, things begin to pick up. This is where Musgraves music really begins to set itself apart from the pop-country herd. My House is driven not by  barley-there acoustic guitar chords, but by a wailing harmonica that would be more comfortable on a Bob Dylan record than a Taylor Swift one. Other tracks, such as Merry Go Round, Dandelion, Step Off and It is What It Is veer closer to bluegrass than traditional country with banjos, steel guitars and gentle to non-existent percussion leading the way. I Miss You smacks of old, Patsy Cline style honky-tonk while tracks Blowin Smoke and Stupid pack enough of a rock and roll wallop that they would comfortably be called alternative country, were they performed by someone who hadn't already established herself as a pop artist. Even though there are a few fairly generic Nashville twangs on this record, Musgraves does a very good job showcasing the diversity that country music has to offer across the record's 12 tracks. Though it doesn't work with every sound she attempts, her airy, pretty voice does a good job carrying most tunes and establishes her as one of the better singers in her genre.

And there's no. Fucking. Auto-tune.

Though her music is solid, Musgrave's real strength is in her songwriting. On this record, the folksy nostalgia for rural America and Disney style love songs that pollute modern country are replaced by more realistic themes. The track Merry Go 'Round might well be the most poignantly accurate song I've ever heard about life in small town America.

"Mama's hooked on Mary Kay.
Brother's hooked on Mary Jane.Daddy's hooked on Mary two doors down.Mary, Mary quite contrary.We get bored, so, we get married
Just like dust we settled in this town"

Though Musgraves is never hostile towards small towns (which I can only assume, though can't confirm that she grew up in), she ditches the notion that rural Americans are always the best of Americans. Instead, she shines light on the darker underbellies of addiction, isolation and intolerance that exist there right alongside the strong attachments to family and community solidarity typically hyped by country songwriters. In Blowin' Smoke, Musgraves sings from the perspective of a diner waitress gossiping about her coworkers' lives. It exposes another the flip side of rural life: everyone might know you, but that also means that they all know and talk about your business. That her and her coworkers all snark about the girl who leaves town while professing their desires to change their own lots implies a sense of jealousy, made all the more artful because it's never explicitly stated. Some of the themes on this record are strongly reminiscent of Bruce Springsteen's more story driven work: loveless marriages made all too young, decaying small towns and the broken dreams that lie therein.

Of course, that isn't to say that all of the songs here are negative. Step Off is a defiant cry of independence directed toward anyone trying to tie down Musgrave's sense of freedom. The aptly named, It is What it Is relates a couple inexplicably drawn to each other in spite of all the reasons they shouldn't be. And one of the album's more impressive lyrical tracks, Follow Your Arrows, encourages listeners to follow their hearts in spite of the judgement of others. "Just 'cause you can't beat em, don't mean you should join em." The album says of drinking, following ones faith, and even generally speaking one's mind. Refreshingly, Musgraves bucks the anti-feminist, machismo thinking that dominates much of the scene when she even encourages her listeners to follow whatever sexual impulses they have: single, married, gay or straight. 

This record is by no means perfect. There are times when it sounds a bit generic, or when Musgraves's exceptional songwriting fails her. But overall, this is a fantastic album that really showcases what the genre can be at its finest. Musgrave demonstrates skill at crafting a variety of musical composition, and a passion for songwriting that makes her one of the best storytellers in music today, country or otherwise. Same Trailer, Different Park is a solid album that I would recommend both for country listeners, and rock fans more skeptical of the genre.

Track List

1	Silver Lining	3:51
2	My House	2:42
3	Merry Go 'Round	3:29
4	Dandelion	3:04
5	Blowin' Smoke	3:09
6	I Miss You	3:50
7	Step Off	3:03
8	Back On the Map	4:06
9	Keep It To Yourself	3:17
10	Stupid	2:39
11	Follow Your Arrow	3:21
12	It Is What It Is	3:46

Golden Records: Murder Ballads by Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds

This will be my first entry of a series. The goal of the Golden Record Collection is to provide my thoughts on some of my all time favorite albums. Think of it as my own personal pantheon. I'll give an overview of the record and talk about a few of my favorite tracks from it.

The first record entering the pantheon is a fairly recent discovery for me (and all my friends know it, because I won't shut up about the thing). 

Album: Murder Ballads

Artist: Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds

Year: 1996

Label: Mute Records

Nick Cave has always had a flair for both the theatrical and the macabre. He's also a fabulous storyteller. So it's no surprise that critics often speak of this album as the one he always wanted to make. Whether or not that's true, I can't say. What I can say is that it is a fantastic record.

As you might be able to guess, this album is a collection of songs detailing one form of murder or another. Some tracks, such as The Curse of Millhaven or O'Malley's Bar detail violent rampages while tracks like Where the Wild Roses Grow are more intimate tales of a single life taken. The total death count on this album is 65, which is impressive, because there are only ten tracks across which that toll is taken. Though all the tracks are macabre, not all of them are morose. Throughout the album's 58 minute run time, there are expressions of mourning, darkness and sexualized violence along with romance, hope and even humor (bloodstained though they are).

 It's obvious that Cave went to great pains to build themes. The beauty of this record is more than just its storytelling. Each song could certainly stand on its own as an interesting poem, but this album's strength is in its use of its own medium. The music backing the lyrics sets the atmosphere just as much (if not more) than the lyrics themselves, and every track has its own, distinctive atmosphere.

It can safely be said that the album's ballads are split into two distinct categories: songs about the killers and songs about the victims. The atmosphere Cave builds for the killers' ballads entirely depends on the gravity with which he chooses to treat their crimes. The opening track, Song of Joy, tells the story of a tortured wanderer, haunted by the murder of his family (that he may or may not have been the perpetrator of). This is driven by a heavy piano lifted straight from a horror film, a pounding drum line and Cave's own deep, sinister voice. They all come together to create a desolate, disquieting ballad that perfectly befits the tale of woe told by the aimless narrator. In a sharp contrast, the next track over is Cave's take on the blues classic Stagger Lee (or Stack O' Lee, if you're really old school). Where Song of Joy in mournful, Stagger Lee features a distorted electric guitar and saloon style piano punctuating Cave's wild, swearing, exaggerated vocals. The song feels almost humorous in its over-the-top delivery and language (I've never heard a song set in 1932 use the word "motherfucker" so liberally). A step further on the path of insanity is The Curse of Millhaven; a ballad about a pretty young girl who just happens to enjoy murdering her fellow townsfolk by the score. The most upbeat track on the album by far, the story of Lottie is seven minutes of swinging, gleeful, distilled madness that is wildly entertaining for all the same reasons that a show like Dexter is.

When Cave turns his focus on the victims of violence, however, he strikes a much more somber and remorseful tone. The Kindness of Strangers, a tragic tale of a young girl's murder at the hands of a travelling companion, employs a classical piano fit for a funeral parlor. With its weeping violin, acoustic guitar and piano, Where the Wild Roses Grow feels like a lift from the death scene of a major movie. Perhaps the most artfully told tale on the album, the song is a duet in which Cave plays an obsessive but charming psycho looking to murder a thing of beauty, and Kylie Minogue sings for the smitten young woman who falls for him, oblivious as to what she's gotten herself into. The switching of perspectives and the contrast between the foreboding and innocence in the singers' respective voices creates a tragedy worthy of a film itself. The fact that it was the most successful single not just from the album, but of the band's entire career speaks volumes about beauty with which it is presented.

The closing track, one of my favorites, is a hopeful medley of the Bob Dylan tune, Death is not the End. Stars are abound as Kylie Minogue, PJ Harvey and Shane MacGowan all join in to add some much needed catharsis to the end of the record. It serves as sort of a gentle reminder of the possibilities that lie beyond death (if you believe in such a thing). It's a comforting notion to throw at the end of an extremely dark record. Nobody even dies in it!

If more people had heard it, I'm sure this would be a highly divisive record. Many who listen to it will find it too disturbing to tolerate. Others might find it hammy and ridiculous. I personally think it's a fascinating use of rock and roll as a literary medium. This albums is a masterpiece in theming, whether you find the package writ large to be revolting or not. That the album feels so cohesive when so many competing emotions and moods are at play is a testament to the care that was put into crafting it. Murder Ballads is not just a collection of songs about death, but a theatrical experience that rivals even the most deliberate rock operas. It's one of the most unique and colorful records I've ever had the pleasure of listening to, and a worthy addition to my collection of must have albums.

Track List

1. "Song of Joy" – 6:47
2. * "Stagger Lee" – 5:15 
3. * "Henry Lee"  – 3:58
4. "Lovely Creature" – 4:13 
5. * "Where the Wild Roses Grow" – 3:57
6. * "The Curse of Millhaven" – 6:55
7. "The Kindness of Strangers" – 4:39
8. "Crow Jane" – 4:14 
9. "O'Malley's Bar" – 14:28
10. * "Death Is Not the End" – 4:26 

* - Track Picks

Album Review: Wheel by Laura Stevenson

I seldom get excited about albums in advance. As much as it pains me to say it, I tend to lag a little behind the times when it comes to new music. This isn't to say that I don't listen to modern music, but I do generally learn about great records after the fact rather than before it.

Now, having said that, I stumbled upon the track above (the third off the album) a while back when catching up on some South by Southwest reviews. From the moment I heard it, I was totally enchanted. After a listen (or dozen) to it and her previous effort, 2011's Sit Resist, she rocketed up my list of anticipated releases. I was very, very enthusiastic about this album. So when it dropped on Spotify, I gave it a listen immediately. Now that I have, I'll share my thoughts.

Where this album is strong, it absolutely shines. Stevenson, above all other things, is an extremely versatile musician capable of spanning several genres and sounds. In songs like Runner, Sink Swim and Elenora, she plays an energetic blend of power-pop and punk. To my thinking, this is her best work on the album. Stevenson has a certain forceful quality in this capacity that is at once relentless and endearing. The power that she injects into these tracks is exhilarating, and lends a gravity to the record's emotional lyrics. Whenever one of these more forceful tracks played, I was struck by the desire I felt to continue the rush.

At the other end of the album's spectrum, Stevenson proved herself more than capable of dialing back the power and noise. In a handful of country and folk inspired tracks, she showcased the softer side of her pallet. The Hole, The Move and the album's opening song, Renee, are all standouts in this vein. There are shades of electric country, bluegrass and coffee shop folk here. Her backup band, the Cans, prove themselves just as capable of these sounds as they do the more rock oriented tracks. But it's Stevenson's voice that really takes center stage here. That's not a bad thing, as her soft voice takes on qualities that bring the words "bubbly" and "ethereal" to mind.

The two sounds stand in stark contrast to one another, and only a few tracks, such as Triangle and Journey to the Center of the Earth seem to bridge the gap. This, in the end, is to Wheel's detriment. Though Stevenson is very capable of filling several roles with her music, her insistence on playing them all on one record leads to disjointed feeling. The louder rock tracks and several of the country inspired ones are noisy, and packed with sound and instrumentation behind Stevenson's vocals. That busy sound is one of the album's strengths, but it also makes songs like Telluride and L-DOPA, which are more or less Stevenson singing over nothing more than an acoustic guitar, seem almost hollow by comparison. Not helping matters is that these weaker tracks are backloaded onto the record, giving it the feel that it's running out of gas as it's going along.

If that sounds like a negative review, I assure that it's not. This is an excellent album from an extremely talented artist. It may be a little jarring at times, but she plays every sound she attempts quite well. Though I feel that its individual parts would have made for better wholes by themselves, Stevenson demonstrates a mastery of both powerful, driving pop rock and subtle, subdued folk and country that many artists of either genre fail to attain. Her lyrical themes of the death and rebirth that comes in the wake of failed romance (Like a Wheel. Get it?) are poignant and well structured.

Her craftsmanship of a full record could use a little work, but Laura Stevenson is definitely an artist I look forward to seeing more of in the future. In four years, she's released three albums and each has demonstrated  a marked improvement over the last. Wheel is no exception. I would not be at all surprised to find Laura Stevenson becoming a veritable queen of the indie music scene over the next five years or so. In spite of its flaws, Wheel is an excellent record from a rising star, and one that I highly recommend.

Track List:
1. Renée
2. Triangle
3. Runner
4. Every Tense
5. Bells & Whistles
6. Sink, Swim
7. The Hole
8. Eleonora
9. The Move
10. Journey to the Center of the Earth
11. Telluride
12. L-DOPA
13. The Wheel