Category Archives: Album & EP Reviews

ERIC SCHACKNE – Hammers & Strings EP

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Singer/songwriter/pianist Eric Schackne often showcases a gift for accessible upbeat arrangements topped off with a strong melody and hook.  With that in mind It is interesting, therefore, that on his second EP, ‘Hammers & Strings’, Schackne chooses not to play his strongest card straight out.

‘Well Dressed Future’ begins the release in a surprising fashion, with Schackne singing over some simply played electric piano chords.  As the track progresses, the vocals build, slowly adding harmonies until eventually Schackne’s voice is multi-tracked to offer something rather complex sounding.  Despite the brilliant use of multi-layering and a busy piano break approximately midway, the soft nature of this track makes it sound as if it would better suited to closing the EP as opposed to opening.  It’s with ‘This Classic Romance’ Schackne cuts loose and gives listeners the real deal – a brilliantly arranged piece of rock which shows the true depth of his musical talents.  The guitars crunch in a melodic fashion; the drums lay down a jaunty rhythm while Schackne’s multi-tracked voice has unexpected hints of Shades Apart’s Keith V.  Underneath it all, clanking piano chords hold everything together – not always as audible as they could have been, but they briefly break loose for the occasional flourish midway and again toward the end.

‘Art Can Change The World’ finds Scheckne moving away from the piano (at first), fronting a stomping arrangement which largely centres around acoustic riffs.  By the midpoint, the electric elements kick in and, naturally, underneath everything, Scheckne returns to his comfort zone and adds plenty of bar-room styled piano.  Individually, these elements could have sounded a little messy, but thanks to good songwriting, it’s all quite rousing and fun.   The softer ‘Miss Me Now’ (an uncredited seventh track), is incredibly strong with a mix of ringing guitars and pianos delivered in a way which is wholly reminiscent of John Ondrasik and his Five For Fighting project.  Here, the perfect blend of soft rock guitar chops and a pure pop hook makes for great listening; a great example of a blossoming talent.

The EPs best track ‘Loud and Clear’ is another very well balanced offering, once again allowing the guitar and piano parts almost equal space within the arrangement.  The vocals come fast – wordy, but never ridiculously so – and during the quietest moments, the rumbling pianos tip the hat to other more familiar sounding piano rock practitioners.  Schackne’s song writing may not be as cutting as Ben Folds or as emo-centric as that of Jack’s Mannequin, but he brings more than enough charm to the table here to win you over on his own terms.

After ‘Well Dressed Future’s slow-ish opening, ‘Hammers & Strings’ features material with potential to  grab the listener right from the off…material which, on occasion, makes the creation of radio friendly tunes and hooks sound relatively easy.  If you’ve ever had a soft spot for Five For Fighting, Jack’s Mannequin et al, chances are, you’ll find tunes with appeal here.

April 2012

TRAIN – California 37

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Three years on from their multi-million selling ‘Save Me, San Francisco’ (and the uber-irritating single ‘Hey Soul Sister’), Train’s sixth studio album musically picks up where its predecessor left off, beginning with what is, perhaps, one of the best songs of the band’s career.

That may well be a big statement, but ‘California 37’s opening track ‘This’ll Be My Year’ is stupidly infectious.  In three and a half minutes Pat Monahan reels off various key elements of the past thirty years – mentioning “Back To The Future”, the divorce and death of Lady Di, the death of Freddie and end of Queen, the destruction of the world trade centre and invention of the all-compassing F*cebook and far more besides – over a hugely uplifting tune.  The idea of the “list song” is hardly a new phenomenon, and this addition to the many may never reach the brilliance of Billy Joel’s ‘We Didn’t Start The Fire’, but on its own merit it’s immensely enjoyable and avoids being too clumsy.    Aside from various newsworthy elements, listeners are given a rousing chorus hook – complete with the necessary levels of ‘whoah’ over a hugely accessible tune which means you’ll possibly means the radio will pummel it into the ground.  It’s a great snapshot of the kind of adult pop this Californian band do so, so well when they hit the mark, and with such a strong opening statement, hopes are set high.

Perhaps too high.  Despite such thrilling beginnings – and a handful of great tunes scattered throughout its eleven cuts – much like ‘…San Francisco’, ‘California 37’ really suffers from filler material and an unnecessary love of lightweight calypso tendencies.  In fact, the best cuts from ‘…San Francisco’ and the two or three killer cuts present here could probably be compiled to make one consistently enjoyable pop-rock release.

With a combination of plucked acoustic guitars, mellotron sounds and harmony vocals, ‘Feels Good at First’ is something of a slow burner.  Monahan sounds vocally at ease and the tune itself is quite pleasing and at least to begin with, it’s a number which sounds a little empty.  After a few spins, its gentle nature becomes endearing.  Fans of acoustic pop in the vein of Lowen & Navarro will surely have heard much better in the past, but as part of this Train disc, it’s enjoyable enough.  When it comes to the more pompous side of the Train sound, it’s the piano-based stuff which really works for them…and the soulful ‘When The Fog Rolls In’ is no exception.  Backed by piano and strings, Monahan’s lead voice sounds better on this number than it has in many a year.  With echoes of the band’s 2001 hit ‘Drops of Jupiter’ (largely thanks that increased piano presence), the track rolls along gently eventually reaching a really classy climax led by Jimmy Stafford’s bluesy guitar lines.  Although ostensibly a pop band, it’s when exploring the slightly bluesier/soul-edged elements of their sound Train really excels.  Some older listeners may find themselves hoping that, somewhere down the line, Joe Cocker takes a shine to this song… Despite most of the album’s tendency for descending into fairly disposable pop, the presence of ‘When the Fog Rolls In’ and the aforementioned ‘This’ll Be My Year’ alone make the album worth checking out.

Although it’s always good to hear a band trying to bring new influences into their sound, it’s hard to know what Train were thinking with regard to ’50 Ways To Say Goodbye’.  The song features a reasonably enjoyable – if overly filtered – chorus but the verses are just horrible, filled with South American style mariachi guitars and trumpets. It sounds like music from a cheap package holiday as depicted by a bad 80s sitcom.   Likewise, the empty sentiments of lead single ‘Drive By’ – two chords and synth handclaps – is also destined for the forgettable pile…unless you’re twelve years old and think Olly Murs and Paolo Nutini somehow represent cutting edge listening.  Like ‘Hey Soul Sister’ it’s sunny vibe and overall simplicity is likely to make it a radio hit, but for slightly older Train fans who appreciate the band’s occasionally more sophisticated tracks (like ‘When The Fog Rolls In’), this just represents the band’s more frivolous/annoying [delete as appropriate] side.   Since ‘Hey Soul Sister’ proved to be a worldwide hit, you’ll be unsurprised to hear the ukulele making a return appearance on this album.  The offending track, entitled ‘Sing Together’, is a simple strum-along ditty which, if at all possible, makes ‘Hey Soul Sister’ sound as deep as the works of the young Bob Dylan.  The occasional use of brass and the addition of a choir provide nice flourishes, but ultimately nothing to pull this track from the quagmire of mediocrity.

‘Mermaid’ blends more easy calypso tendencies with a sing-along chorus which screams summer hit, ‘Bruises’ is inoffensive, overtly shiny country pop, while ‘You Can Finally Meet My Mom’ sounds like a reject from the previous album sessions.  On the latter, it’s great to hear the piano and strings creeping in and the ringing guitars have a pleasing quality; it’s just a pity the track is spoiled by the inclusion of a vocal which is the product of studio trickery.  It may be the fashion (circa 2009-12) to filter pop vocals as much as humanly possible, but since Monahan is more than capable of a decent live performance, it would be nice to hear more of his real voice once in a while.

Between the occasionally brilliant and the outright bad, ‘California 37’ is undemanding to say the least.  That’s not especially a bad thing, but based on material like ‘When The Fog Rolls In’ (not to mention some choice nuggets from their back catalogue), Train are capable of tunes with more depth than most of this album would ever suggest.  Many pop fans will likely find ‘California 37’ a more than pleasing follow up to the million selling ‘…San Francisco’, but for the more demanding listener, however, it’s a release which will only provide sporadic enjoyment.

April 2012

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M. WARD – Hold Time

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M Ward began releasing albums in 1999 and slowly gained a devoted core of fans, but he only started to receive regular media attention approximately ten years in to his career.  This was helped no end by his collaboration with Zooey Deschanel, resulting in the gorgeous (and timeless) ‘She & Him, Volume One’. ‘Hold Time’ is Ward’s sixth solo album and its collection of folk-pop nuggets – sometimes a little rough around the edges with their home-recorded feel – gives fans a record which sounds exactly like they’d expect from the outset.

The opening track ‘For Beginners’ offers sparse acoustic work and doesn’t really get things moving too quickly, though it is very traditional Ward with its 60s influenced shuffle.  Vocally, Ward adopts a trusty, softly delivered tone and its arrival sounds like an old friend even from the very first listen. From soft beginnings, ‘Never Had Nobody Like You’ offers something a little more upbeat. With a great deal of homeliness, the tune would be one of the album’s most memorable based on melodies alone, but the addition of Zooey Deschanel on harmony vocals just makes it unmissable.  As you may expect, the combination of retro pop/folk, Zooey and a generally sunny vibe makes this track sound like it belongs with the other She & Him sessions.  Zooey makes a second appearance on a mid-paced cover of Buddy Holly’s ‘Rave On’, which is fun, yet inessential.  While Matt & Zooey’s covers are always meticulously performed, it’s much preferable to hear them tackling their self-written material, whether separately or together.

‘One Hundred Years’ features some pleasant finger-picked guitar and a musical sparseness which almost makes the main tune non-existent; even Ward’s vocal is delivered with a fragility which is more obvious than usual. The end result is an album highlight, a track that’s so twee it’s almost impossible to listen to it without smiling.  ‘Jailbird’ is home to an unassuming, yet somehow truly memorable tune – the acoustic elements topped by layers of mellotron for a slighty dirgy retro-cool.  Long term fans will recognise this pair of numbers as Ward at his finest – and while breaking no obvious new ground, he still manages to provide maximum listening enjoyment.

The title track focuses on droning sounds and a troubled vocal. Whilst the end result sounds very like Mercury Rev on a downer, it also recalls a darkness present in the mid-late 60s work of Brian Wilson.  It’s so musically heavy (in tone as opposed to any actual noisiness) that it’s almost left entirely to Ward to carry the piece vocally.  An oddity among a collection of softer material, it certainly sticks out – but not necessarily always in a good way.  Wilson also provides an influence clearly present in the very upbeat ‘To Save Me’.  Stabbing pianos recall old time rock ‘n’ roll, while mandolins bring in Ward’s strong folk influences.  These musical flourishes wouldn’t normally make anyone thing of The Beach Boys, but a wordless “do do do” backing vocal (delivered by Grandaddy’s Jason Lytle) is a dead ringer for ‘Do It Again’.  Also providing respite from the album’s introspective nature, ‘Stars of Leo’ features a lovely optimistic tone, another charming vocal and an almost timeless pop appeal. Its staccato guitar parts and simple drumming provide a great base for Ward to build upon.  With some great elements including electric piano, tubualar bells and kettle drums, the piece eventually reaches an epic climax.  Near perfection, the only thing which would have improved it would have been a vocal part from Deschanel, but by that climax, there’s barely any room for any more additions…

The chick-a-boom of ‘Fisher of Men’ and a duet with Lucinda Williams on a cover of Don Gibson’s ‘Oh Lonesome Me’ explore a love for old country; while the former is unobtrusive but fairly breezy and the latter full of self-pity (in a way that only old-school country can provide without sounding like parody), both tracks suit the overall mood of the record perfectly.  While it could be said ‘Outro (aka I’m a Fool To Want You)’ attempts to bring the album something markedly different with its instrumental moodiness, it’s best described as filler material.   Yes, Ward’s easily distinguiahable, echoed and retro guitar is impeccably played, but it ambles for almost four minutes before bringing the disc to a downbeat close.  It’s a track which, after one or two spins, you’ll likely skip in favour of hearing the likes of ‘Nobody Like You’, ‘For Beginners’ or ‘Fisher of Men’ an extra couple of times.

‘Hold Time’ may not feel as well-rounded as its immediate predecessor (2006’s ‘Post War’), due to the inclusion of a couple of covers, but that’s not to say it’s inferior.  It just could possibly be more slow-burning and introspective, if that’s possible.   If you’ve followed M Ward’s career from early on, you’ll almost certainly own ‘Hold Time’ by now and have picked out a few cast-iron favourites of your own. As for everyone else, if you like Giant Sand and other alt-country/folk stuff with lo-fi qualities, you may want to give this a listen. It’s hard to imagine Ward is ever going to break through to mainstream superstardom (even with the help of She & Him), but this album makes his place as one of the alt-folk scene’s heroes ever more unshakable.

January 2010/March 2012

DAVID MYHR – Soundshine

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david myhrAs one half of the Swedish pop duo The Merrymakers, David Myhr has already made his mark on the world of power pop, but with his first solo album, 2012’s ‘Soundshine’ he ups the ante to a level that few other musicians working within a similar genre could ever hope to reach.

From the opening bars of ‘Never Mine’, with a barrage of stabbing pianos, this is the work of a man firing on all cylinders, not even allowing the listener the luxury of a warm-up intro.  The rumpty-tumpty pianos suggest Myhr has a strong love for McCartney, while the rest of the arrangement is deceptively complex with a gorgeous wandering bassline and plenty of multi-layered vocals.  You want the almost obligatory Brian Wilson-esque Christmas bells?  You’ve got those too, as well as a very seventies guitar break – all two bars worth! – which brings yet another seventies influence via some old fashioned string bending. A very strong opening, certainly, but ‘Soundshine’ has even better tunes in store.

‘Looking For a Life’ moves things along at a far brisker pace, as Myhr offers a number which packs a hefty (but still mightily tuneful) punch.  The ringing guitars, slightly accented voice, plunky musical hook and mildly distracting keyboards are hugely reminiscent of other Swedes The Wannadies at their most commercial.  If you’ve ever had a soft spot for their ‘Be A Girl’ release from the early 90s, enjoyment here comes firmly guaranteed. ‘Loveblind’ is a ridiculously sunny piece of pop where Myhr’s crisp lead vocal sounds fantastic over even more bouncing and stabbing pianos.  Shameless handclaps and slightly fuzzed up guitars flesh out an already superb arrangement – one which could only be described as a mini masterclass in pop song writing.  With hooks a plenty and an absolutely immaculate performance from all concerned, fans of classic pop are going to love this track from the very first listen.

‘Don’t Say No’ begins well with an optimistic lyrical quality, while musically, occasional bells and a very familiar drum line recall Phil Spector’s wall of sound recordings.  Just as you’re expecting things to pick up, Myhr does not disappoint: a breezy chorus brings a classic sounding key-change and a simplicity which ensures instant enjoyment.  A choir of backing voices and subtle saxes may hint at the classic seventies pop of Three Dog Night, but an increased use of guitar toward the song’s climax has a much more modern edge, more in keeping with Jellyfish and their critically acclaimed 90s revivalism of similar styles of pop/rock.

Other upbeat tracks of note include ‘Got You Where He Wanted’ which makes great use of brass in a very Boo Radleys style while using harmony vocals to drive home some a simple hook (with the subtlety of a sledgehammer) and ‘I Love The Feeling’, a exquisite track pulling together previous McCartney-esque strolling rhythms – this time with heavy usage of electric piano – and even more brass.  While the basic elements of these tracks don’t break any particularly new ground from the previously discussed numbers, as you’d expect, it all comes together in a way which creates absolutely perfect AM radio pop.

Although David Myhr is at his strongest when it comes to upbeat and sunny pop, it seems only fitting to mention ‘Soundshine’s only introspective number. ‘The One’ presents an aching vocal over a string section, which is very Beatles inspired.  In three and a half minutes, Myhr gets to show off more of his vocal range than usual.  The relatively minimalist approach provides a sharp contrast with most of Myhr’s other work. If there’s a minor complaint, it tends to break the album’s overall momentum a little; in isolation, however, it’s another piece of music which sounds very pleasing to the ear.

An album worthy of filing next to the Jellyfish records, The Silver Seas ‘Chateau Revenge!‘ and Farrah’s self-titled release, ‘Soundshine’ does exactly what it claims – twelve pieces of great sounding pop which mostly act as a welcome ray of sunshine.  Quite frankly, if you don’t raise a smile and feel somehow attached to this album by the end of the first track, you just don’t appreciate classic sounding pop music…and probably never have.

March 2012

COKE WEED Nice Dreams

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Sometimes dark and brooding, occasionally sunny and psychedelic, this second album by Coke Weed was recorded live in the studio in just ten days with no overdubs.  Once you’ve heard this US outfit’s blend of roots music, psychedelia and dreamy shoegaze-ish moods, it’s impossible to imagine how these songs may have sounded if they’d gone for a more polished approach.  In fact, it would be fair to say, by bringing in a whole world of overdubs and studio trickery, it probably just wouldn’t be Coke Weed.  The band picked up a cult following with their 2011 debut ‘Volume 1’ (an album recorded on two tape recorders and given away for free), and those guys are likely to be absolutely captivated by 2012’s ‘Nice Dreams’, although it’s hugely unlikely whether this album will break Coke Weed to a much bigger audience.

Across most of this self-released disc the band embraces a twin vocal approach, which, in theory, should have provided them with their greatest strength.  It’s a pity with the lack of overdubs, therefore, this male and female duo both spend most of ‘Nice Dreams’ sounding like they’re stoned out of their little minds.  At first, it’s almost endearing – after all, those who love Neil Young have always embraced his live-in-the-studio one-take vocals.  Before long, though, anything potentially endearing soon becomes hugely irritating.  Of course, one would assume the many out of tune vibes elements were included on purpose: some folks have achieved cool with being off-key – look no further than Chrissie Hynde, Deborah Harry or the god-like Thurston Moore – but with these guys, it’s a different story.  Assuming they are doing this for effect, Coke Weed strives so hard for coolness via their slackness (something evident right down to their choice of name) that it’s often painful and a just a little embarrassing.

On ‘Pure Pattern’ Milan McAlevey’s creaky voice meets echoing guitars and drums, quickly channelling the mood of twangy old country records (albeit played in a garage setting).  Something which, at first, sounds like it’s going to be potentially interesting in a Low Anthem kind of way, swiftly sounds very tired, eventually resulting in the band sounding as if they’re mechanically winding down.  By the three minute mark, the song sounds like it’s gone on forever with its hideous droning.   Much better, however, is ‘No Poem’, a 60s inspired tune weaved around a finger picked guitar.  The occasional electric chords provide a pleasing counterpart of the more complex sounds, while the vocals hint at psychedelia.  The harmonies aren’t especially tight (well, not at all, in fact), but keeping with the mood of the period Coke Weed set out to evoke, it doesn’t matter.  The guitar work alone makes this one of the album’s better numbers.

With a blend of stompy bass drum and loud twang, the intro to ‘Magpie’ promises good things.  The understated vibes combined with Nina D’s breathy vocals provides a good example of what Coke Weed does best, but it can still make pretty difficult listening.  For three minutes, musically, there’s barely any shift from what’s offered during the intro: the guitars and drums amble while Nina channels a shoe-gazish voice.  The closing section turns up the volume, though not the intensity or the enjoyment.  More dream-pop elements sit at the heart of ‘Someone So Young’, which has an opening verse which could almost pass as a Mazzy Star left-over, with Nina’s voice echoing over softly plucked guitar strings.  By the time the whole band come together for the chorus (forcing Nina to increase the volume), the magic is lost, with the piece eventually turning into little more than another tuneless waltz.

The upbeat ‘Golden Apples’ has a jaunty mood which borrows from the late 60s, where Coke Weed shows a slight Velvet Underground influence.  For reverbed guitars it’s a high point for sure, and the verses are musically interesting, with Nina’s vocal channelling Nico and Sonic Youth’s Kim Gordon.  The chorus melody could also be commended, with its optimistic feel.  The vocal delivery may not appeal to all, however, sounding not unlike The Mamas & Papas after a particularly heavy night.  In terms of lasting appeal once the album has finished, it’s one of the band’s most enduring numbers.  If only ‘Nice Dreams’ could have included more tunes of this relatively feel-good nature, it could have been instantly improved.

There are a couple of reasonable moments to be cherry-picked on this release [reasonable, in this case, is about as positive a compliment as this particular reviewer can muster] – it’s just a pity that some of the out-of-tune elements make even those so difficult to listen to. If you loved Coke Weed before, it’s highly likely you’ll continue to be enthralled by their mix of old Americana, psychedelia and dream pop from the world of the garage.

For everyone else, before deciding whether to listen to this album, ask yourselves these questions: Will I like being whisked into a world of songs that sometimes sound like She & Him, only played badly by a band trying far too hard to be retro-cool?  Does my record collection need an album which is potentially moulded from good influences but ultimately has no grasp what made any of those influential artists great?  Do I have a lot of time and patience? If the answer to any of these is “no”, then forget it.

March 2012