Reviews

FeistLet it Die(Arts and Crafts)On her solo debut, Leslie Feist creates the ultimate indie kid makeout album (Air’s Talkie Walkie well considered). With her vibrant voice ringing out over sparsely arranged tracks, things flow in a simple but accomplished manner. Though most of the album is covers, it is her own “Mushaboom” that’s the real […]

Avril LavigneUnder My Skin (Arista)Raine Maida and Chantal Kreviazuk, who produced and co-wrote half a dozen tracks, respectively, dominate Avril Lavigne’s follow-up to Let Go (you’ll know which songs are theirs by the ah-ah-ah vocal wanks prevalent on their own records), but guitarist Evan Taubenfeld is Lavigne’s guiding force. He wrote the music for the […]

Loretta LynnVan Lear Rose(Interscope)The wonder here is not just that producer/guitarist Jack White resurrects Loretta Lynn with rock, but that the 69-year-old coal miner’s daughter is ready with a dozen sharp new songs. She is back defending hubby from hussies and liquor with “Family Tree” and “Mrs. Leroy Brown.” A brief autobiography and tale about […]

Wax MannequinThe Price (Coqi Records)Hamilton’s self-proclaimed President of Indie Rock is a one-man absurdist rock opera. His passionate, gravelly voice evokes Jesus Christ Superstar at times and allows for abnormal suspension of disbelief as he delivers ridiculous lyrics. Lines like “he cooks Christ’s medicine in his cock” and “shoot some diamonds and sparks from your […]

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 […]

Beth OrtonComfort of Strangers(EMI)Beth Orton’s fourth album, Comfort of Strangers, pairs skip-along acoustic pop with beautiful balladry. She’s got Jim O’Rourke both producing and playing here; he provides layered, multiple-melodic piano and strings but to a degree that they don’t overwhelm the songs. This album keeps it simple. For the pop numbers – “Worms” and […]

The Rude MechanicalsCheckin’ for Squirrels (independent)You can take the band off PEI, but you can’t take the Island out of the band. Though recorded in Toronto, he Rude Mechanicals maintain a rollicking red-dirt road spirit. “Bill Lynch Girl” deserves a spot in any Maritime medley, even if you must explain who the carnival king is […]

Tim O’BrienTraveler(Sugar Hill)Tim O’Brien sings with a richness and honesty that travels from his soul to yours. Talent oozes from this bluegrass crooner, with his mandolin, bou- zouki, guitar and voice. He’s recruited stellar musicians such as Bela Fleck, Dirk Powell and John Doyle to fill out his tunes. The tortured wrenching of “Let Love […]

Sex MobDime Grind Palace (Ropeadope)Sex Mob can be a hard band to wrap your head around. Essentially a jazz combo that pounces over the ideology of Miles’s Bitches Brew and Hancock’s Headhunters, Sex Mob isn’t that easily categorized; they twist and turn free jazz and avant-garde eclipses like a deviant cousin of The Shuffle Demons. […]

VariousA Very Special Acoustic Christmas (Lost Highway)Country is as country does. And when country does Christmas, it does it well. With a mix of Alison Krauss, Norah Jones and Alan Jackson, these seasonal tunes will have you snuggling into a cozy plaid shirt, clutching a spicy eggnog. Sam Bush’s upbeat “Let It Snow!” instrumental reminds […]