Trevor MacLaren

Lucinda WilliamsWest(Lost Highway)West is unlike any record that Lucinda Williams has ever released. It has a jazzy vibe with a touch of Memphis soul. Taking four years between studio albums, West is all the better for it. Although it’s dark, primarily dealing with the desolation of lost love and heartbreak, it is an inviting record […]

Finn BrothersEveryone is Here (Nettwerk) It has been nine years since Tim and Neil Finn collaborated on a record. Just as their first post-Spit Endz pairing—Crowded House’s Woodface—was a cause to celebrate, so is this. Everyone is Here is a soothing record that contemplates the love and complexity of brotherhood and family. Although the heavy […]

Vienna TengDreaming Through the Noise(Zoë/Rounder)Vienna Teng works in folk-pop, but could fall into the dream-pop category as well. Dreaming Through the Noise is a beautifully constructed work with lush arrangements produced by Larry Klein. An accomplished pianist, there are dabs of Tori Amos, Rufus Wainwright and Ben Folds in her sound. The genius arrangement of […]

GypsophiliaMinor HopeindieGypsophilia creates a cornucopia of jazz blasts, baroque bridges and blues-funk groove that all roam over a foundation in French gypsy jazz. Even without their unique vision, the chops and arrangements are killer. Minor Hope is a stunning debut from one of Halifax’s most eclectic ensembles. Trevor McLarencategories: Best of the year (2007)

Martha WainwrightI Will Internalize EPMapleI Will Internalize is the third release from the other Wainwright child this year. Following on the promise of the Bloody Motherfucking Asshole EP and her full-length eponymous debut, Internalize features more of Wain-wright’s quirky Joni Mitchell-meets- Tom Waits folk. The disc is rounded out by the title track “New York, […]

Tangle EyeAlan Lomax’s Southern Journey Remixed (Zoe/Rounder)The idea of remixing the legendary field recordings of Alan Lomax is scary, but it works. Tangle Eye takes each track and works it over with a flair that doesn’t strip the initial effect of the songs. Though sacrilegious to all things folk, the mixes are handled well and […]

Swearing at MotoristsLast Night Becomes This Morning(Sonic Unyon) They are called “the two-man Who” by some critics, but that description is a grave injustice to Dayton, Ohio’s Swearing at Motorists. This duo incorporates so much into its sound that it moves beyond the obvious early Who influence. There is power-pop all over the record, but […]

Isobel CampbellMilkwhite Sheets (V2)Before venturing out with Mark Lanegan on the great country ballad-infused Ballad of the Broken Seas, Campbell laid down this superior disc. As with all the records she has made since leaving Belle and Sebastian, Campbell employs a new genre that will take everyone by surprise. Milkwhite Sheets is a British folk […]

ClearlakeAmber(Domino)Clearlake is among the brilliant new guitar bands out of the UK, including British Sea Power and Idlewind. They have come to save a world trapped under the bloated corpses of warhorses like Oasis. Hailing from the English sea town of Hove, Clearlake follows in the steps of Blur and Pulp, but is far more […]

Keb’ Mo’Keep it Simple(Epic/Sony)Keb’ Mo’ has been keepin’ it simple for about the last 20 years, fusing old country-blues with touches of folk and soul while moanin’ the blues on contemporary issues. Keb has always had a modern take on delta blues masters Robert Johnson and Son House (Keb plays a National steel as well) […]