Due to his superb body of work recorded with John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers and the psychedelic power trio Cream, by the beginning of the 70s Eric Clapton was considered one of the world’s best guitarists. Fans had nicknamed him “God”. Huge acclaim indeed. Clapton’s mix of blues and rock also bought him critical praise (although not immediate album sales) with the short-lived Derek & The Dominos, another hugely talented band which came to a somewhat premature end due to various excesses.
Category Archives: Album & EP Reviews
REBEKAH HIGGS – Odd Fellowship
Five years in the making, 2011’s ‘Odd Fellowship’ is second solo release (third overall) from Nova Scotia songstress Rebekah Higgs. Produced by Brian Dreck – best known for production duties with Modest Mouse and Iron & Wine – the record manages to sound full and shiny in places, while remaining relatively clanky and sparse in others. This range of sounds consistently provides Higgs with a good base from which to weave her sometimes odd, but often strangely compelling vocal melodies.
The guitar driven indie pop of ‘Drunk Love’ provides the best entry point into this second album, as Higgs’s slightly lazy voice sounds fabulous against fuzzy guitars and an almost marching beat. Ringing lead guitars provide an excellent counterpoint against the bottom end, resulting in something guaranteed to thrill those who love music of an alternative 90s persuasion – Belly, in particular. Similarly accessible, ‘Youth & Beauty’ is loaded with a pumping bass and almost danceable groove. That provides enough brilliance to ensure it’s a track which works well enough, but once that’s topped by guitar – introcate on the verses, fuzzy on the chorus – the tune elevates to a new level. A great example of alternative pop/rock, this track could best be described as a cast off from Rilo Kiley’s ‘Under The Blacklight’ swansong, and as such, it’s easy to see this appealing to fans of that much missed indie-pop outfit.
Elsewhere, things aren’t always so direct – or indeed hook driven – but the results are mostly interesting. ‘Stick & Poke’ is home to a great example of Higgs’ quirky and occasionally mechanical stylings. Her multi-tracked voice sounds endearing harmonising with itself; simple but effective, that voice is backed by programmed drums marking time and organ sounds for extra colour. To avoid the track descending into absolute coldness, a live bass can be heard adding plenty of flair. By the time the live drums make a belated appearance, the track gathers pace as it motors into the coda. Here, the band adopts an all round fuller sound which quickens in pace, faster and faster, headlong into a chaotic climax. The repetition of vocals may endear or irritate depending on the listener, but for those heavily into alternative female fronted music, this could have plenty of charm. The coda is, perhaps just a little too full on – overdone even – but in terms of something which takes the pop core of Dressy Bessy and then spruces that up with deliberate eccentricity, it’s all extremely well executed.
‘Lazy Morning’ brings a minimalist drone punctuated by piano notes. By the time the chorus rolls around, things flesh out with string sounds and more percussion, pushing Higgs into a similar musical mood to Mirah (only more polished) with a nod to Amanda Palmer (but far less scary). Higgs’s vocal is hushed – an approach which suits the partly orchestrated musical backdrop. At just over two minutes, it’s brief but doesn’t feel as if it needs to be any longer; no does Higgs sound like an artist attempting to be deliberately out-there. For its quirks, the end results sound surprisingly natural, providing another decent example of this particular artist’s more experimental side. The electronic ‘Shoop’, on the other hand, could be accused of pushing experimentation too far. Bleeping keyboards and disjointed rhythms are very much the order of the day. Lacking anything resembling a likable tune, Higgs’s voice is sampled and looped, repeating the word ‘shoop’ as a vocal punctuation for what feels like forever. By the time the main part of the song appears, her vocal is in French and sounds almost unfriendly against the jagged and ugly backdrop. Higgs gets full marks for trying something different but it really, really spoils the flow of the album.
Without question, one of the album’s most endearing tracks is ‘Little Voice’. Featuring a great, waltzing arrangement led by a stabbed piano, the number teases the listener in an almost carny style (reminiscent of bands on the fringes of the “dark cabaret” movement). In an almost perfect accompaniment, Higgs’s lead voice commands a presence while remaining slightly whimsical throughout. Tinking percussion adds plenty of musical accenting throughout, but it’s the wordless backing voices which are sure to leave the strongest lasting impression, heavily filtered to sound like theramins. There’s not much of a chorus, but the lolloping arrangement carries the piece more than well enough, and it’s the music which feels the most important here. Perhaps even better still, the pop-edged ‘Gosh, Darn, Damn’ is a slightly sugary piece rooted by a very strong bassline which hints at old soul tunes. Across nearly four minutes, Higgs’ stylised vocal performance may not appeal to everyone, but she sounds very comfortable. The main hook is one designed to be infectious, and while the chorus is relatively successful in its quest to stick in your head, it’s the wordless refrain combining vocal and brass which follows providing the most instant gratification.
It’s fair to say that as good as it is, parts of ‘Odd Fellows’ aren’t always designed for mass appeal, but it’s the deliberate contrast between the slightly experimental (‘Stick & Poke’) and the instantly likable (‘Gosh, Darn, Damn’) which gives it strength. As such, those who like things with an interesting female voice should find themselves almost instantly attracted to most of Higgs’s work. It’s probably not everyday listening for all, but there are enough interesting ideas lurking within to warrant returning to the album on a regular basis.
Purchasing mp3s of ‘Gosh, Darn, Damn’ and ‘Youth & Beauty’ are strongly advised.
January 2012
ANGRY SALAD – Angry Salad
Angry Salad’s self titled release (and swansong) from 1999 is a re-recorded and re-sequenced version of their ‘Bizarre Gardening Accident’ full length from two years previously. By this point, eight years into a ten year career, the Rhode Island band had finally gained a little recognition from the industry after years of hard work and extensive touring schedules. Re-titled ‘Angry Salad’, the Atlantic Records release is, naturally, somewhat of an improvement over the independent release, but the band’s gift for song-craft – and Bob Whelan’s vocal abilities, especially – were always more than evident.
With a heavy use of drum loops, ‘The Milkshake Song’ does not – at least to begin with – do this album any favours with regard to first impressions. Its mechanical nature adds too much of a throwaway air. Listen beyond that, though, and you’ll find a great pop number bristling with energy. Its ringing guitars have a strong presence, while the lyrics bring a strong sense of reminiscence. Dress that up with a sharp production and sharper chorus and ‘The Milkshake Song’ screams “summer hit”. It was not. Once you can get past those drum machines, ‘The Milkshake Song’ is a more than reasonable opener, but in some respects, it sets the listener up with a misguided idea of what follows…
The poignant ‘Rico’ – a track recorded by the band three times in total – captures the Angry Salad “sound” in a near-perfect four minute nugget, as well as highlighting their knack for a well-phrased lyric. A warm bass and melodic guitar riff that’s tailor made for radio – kind of Matchbox Twenty-esque, but harder – would have been enough to ensure this number stands out, but the lyrical content concerning a man who lost his life in a car accident gives this a real sense of poignancy. Angry Salad’s deep storytelling is in a style which Matchbox Twenty (and so many other similar bands) could only dream of writing. The fact that Bob Whelan is able to deliver sad lines regarding loss (“It’s coming back to me in my dreams; bad news never sleeps, bad news never heals”) alongside more flippant lines like “you don’t make snow angels with your face down” while making everything feel so natural is rare talent indeed. Even sadder than ‘Rico’, ‘Saturday Girl’ recounts the thoughts of a hospitalized teenager after a misadventure with drugs. Once the life and soul, she’s now comatose in a hospital bed watching car lights streaming past her window, dreaming those lights belong to her friends who’ve come back to take her back to her old life. This heartbreaking tale is given a suitable send off, with clear ringing guitars and an emotionally fuelled vocal which, in another world, would have suited Counting Crows man Adam Duritz.
Rather more uplifting – but ultimately throwaway by comparison – is a top-notch cover of Nena’s 80s hit ’99 Red Balloons’. In the second half of the 90s and beyond, a few punk bands gave this well-worn tune the once over, but none of their energy could match the great version featured here. The lead synth translates exceptionally well into a jagged guitar riff, which Angry Salad use to their full advantage. Since they don’t really deviate too far from any other version of ’99 Red Balloons’, there’s little else to add regarding the bulk of their performance. Listen carefully during the fade-out, though, and you’ll catch Bob Whelan amusingly name checking a few other German exports: “autobahn and sauerkraut, Rudolf Schenker and Klaus Meine”…
Bringing the band’s rockier tendencies to the fore, ‘How Does It Feel To Kill?’ opens with an acoustic guitar and piano intro followed by an electric guitar riff shamelessly lifted from the KISS classic ‘Detroit Rock City’ (not just inspired by – it actually is the ‘Detroit Rock City’ intro replayed by Angry Salad!). This then transpires into a no nonsense rocker – all crashy rhythm guitar chords and slightly distorted lead guitar lines. The trebly ringing sounds are put in their place by some well arranged, wordless harmony vocals across the chorus and a somewhat out of place bridge which, surprisingly, reinstates the piano and guitar last heard during the intro. In honesty, it’s more than a bit cut ‘n’ paste (especially once you factor in a few funky hard rock riffs), yet somehow Angry Salad make this hotch-potch of sounds work in their favour. Another upbeat track, ‘Empty Radio’ contains some top lyrics (“I was kneeling before the parts on the floor / Of the radio I took apart to find Elvis”), and a great tune, but it’s real stroke of brilliance comes via a stupidly, stupidly infectious hook, as the band fill musical passages with catchy “woo-woos”. Sure, it doesn’t sound so special on paper, but in reality, they’re possibly the most effective set of “woos” since The Rolling Stones’ ‘Sympathy For The Devil’ thirty years earlier. Those combined with a great jangly guitar riff should be enough to keep you listening. It’s a shame this wasn’t enough for Atlantic Records to keep listening and give the album a decent promotion.
The rock numbers are good, but once you’re acquainted with Angry Salad, it becomes obvious it’s the more reflective moments which show the band in their most positive light. While not as perfect as ‘Rico’ or ‘Saturday Girl’, ‘Red Cloud’ has a great atmosphere. Most of this is down to Alex Grossi’s guitar work which is full of muted chords working in near perfect harmony with Hale Pusifer’s understated drumming, lending the arrangement a strong vibe of mid-80s U2. This is strengthened to the nth degree with a big key-change and chorus which sounds unavoidably like ‘The Unforgettable Fire’. Rather than sounding like total plagiarism, it’s actually really flattering and Whelan’s lead vocal finds a perfect balance between big notes and breathiness – possibly his best ever performance. “And what Red Cloud wants, you can’t give back…”
The only track on ‘Angry Salad’ which could be considered filler is ‘Scared of Highways’, but even then, the track is better than most similar bands could care to write. Granted, a lacking chorus puts this in the weaker category of Angry Salad’s output, but the musical arrangement has some really strong moments – namely the subtle, vibrato edged guitar during the bridge section and Brian Holland’s fantastically busy bassline, which fills as much musical space as possible throughout.
Angry Salad manage to pull off something very difficult with this release: they combine wonderfully heartfelt, emotional songs alongside numbers which feature elements of quirky song writing and humour, without said humorous moments ever cheapening the whole package. The whole album is a joy (even the weaker moments), and it’s an absolute travesty it has often languished in bargain bins across the US, destined for a life of relative obscurity. Do yourselves a big favour and seek it out – and soon.
September/October 2011
THE GREAT VALLEY – Ruthless
The Great Valley was originally formed as an imaginary band by brothers Louis and Nick Matos when they were 11 and 13 years old. They dreamed of playing music in front of real audiences and like other people with drive and self-belief, The Great Valley eventually became a reality. ‘Ruthless’ is their debut full-length, although the idea of full-length is relative, since this releases eight tracks barely scrape twenty-six minutes. Still, if you’re looking for a bunch of chorus driven numbers which provide more quality than quantity, then this does the job.
While the songs are strong, those who dislike the use of auto-tune as a stylistic choice (as per Fall Out Boy, New Found Glory, Relient K and many others) may find themselves struggling to enjoy The Great Valley at first, but if you can make it past that, there are some enjoyable (albeit very similar sounding) songs featured here. By the third track, it becomes possibly to ignore the vocal filters and auto-tune elements – and The Great Valley’s emo-pop-rock starts to get under your skin.
‘Yesterday’s chorus vocals utilise a crowd-pleasing whoah – the kind at the centre of ‘This Is War’ by 30 Seconds To Mars, but unlike those guys, The Great Valley have the good sense not to include them on every song. Combine those with some decent guitar chimes and the album gets off to a good start. The arrangement is as solid as Louis Matos’s drumming style; less auto-tune on his lead voice would have given the track a more organic sound, but such auto-tuning almost seems de rigueur in the world of emo and post-90s pop-punk. ‘Sweeter Side of Life’ is not a great departure from The Great Valley’s previous works, the end result is tight, with another great use of harmony vocals and driving, staccato-ish chords from Nick Matos. Many of these elements are also featured effectively during ‘Like We Do’ – a track which, thanks to a huge hook and elements of angst, create something which stands one of the album’s true gems, despite featuring little in the way of musical variety from anything they’ve offered previously.
The title cut is a great slice of sugar-driven pop-punk with a firm emphasis on the pop elements, delivering a sound heavily influenced by New Found Glory (yes, with a similar use of auto-tune throughout). Musically speaking, though, this hits the spot with its crunchy guitar chords and crashy drums providing the heart. The Matos Brothers’ voices blend well throughout, although that’s hardly surprising with the help of studio tweaking; a couple of moments featuring an almost call-and-response style work well. The track is topped by Nick’s slightly spiky but very short guitar solo. ‘Me, Myself & Time’s verses provide a slightly more off-kilter rhythm than some of TGV’s other numbers and also includes a gratifying lead guitar during its intro, but pretty soon, things settle into an all too familiar groove. In spite of this, vocal harmonies, a tough yet bouncy guitar riff and very strong chorus pull together extremely well, in what’s undoubtedly the album’s strongest offering as far as song writing is concerned. It’s a number which could rival Sum 41 at their peak.
Despite being very formulaic, and completely lacking in variety after the first couple of numbers, somehow, ‘Ruthless’ still manages to be very agreeable. It really helps that it’s an album loaded with fantastic hooks and solid playing. If you’re a fan of this style of rock, this all leads to a very pleasing experience, but for everyone else, The Great Valley are likely to appear to be dismissed yet another identikit emo/pop-punk package.
March 2011
CREEDENCE CLEARWATER REVIVAL – Cosmo’s Factory
Released in the summer of 1968, Creedence Clearwater Revival’s self-titled debut album featured a solid set of blues and R&B styled material which was well received by the record buying public. While the throaty John Fogerty provided the band with an interesting vocalist, much of the material didn’t always hint at the greatness their next few albums would achieve. Following that debut, the band went into recording overdrive. Over the course of their next three releases – the almost faultless ‘Bayou Country’, ‘Green River’ and ‘Willy and the Poor Boys’, all released in 1969 – CCR perfected their blend of blues, country and rock ‘n’ roll, creating a sound which was very distinctly theirs.
The band entered the new decade in a typically prolific fashion, with 1970 yielding another two releases. Both ‘Cosmo’s Factory’ and ‘Pendulum’ are a little more hit and miss than the band’s three releases from ’69, although Fogerty’s gift for writing almost timeless melodies and hooks is still very much in evidence. The first of the year’s releases, ‘Cosmo’s Factory’ dropped in the middle of summer 1970. At the time, it was just another album in the Creedence catalogue, but as the years passed, it would eventually become a cornerstone of the band’s recorded output.
The album opens full throttle with ‘Ramble Tamble’ capturing Creedence showing more aggression in their playing than during a lot of the blues and southern rock grooves which filled some of their earlier discs. The intro takes on a great blues tone, before the band takes blues based material and cranks the speed dial. The guitars have a strong presence and Stu Cook’s (almost) two note bass line remains solid, but it’s Fogerty’s voice which truly shakes the listener. His ‘oooh’s are more raggedy than ever before and to compensate for this, the band clearly pushes themselves to the limit. After a couple of minutes, this subsides. Where Creedence would’ve often decided previously this would be the right time to move on to a new number, ‘Ramble Tamble’ is aptly named. What follows is a lengthy, slow instrumental passage which indeed rambles, highlighting one of the reasons why Creedence stood alongside the likes of The Grateful Dead as one of the great live bands of their time – readily accepted by the psych crowd as well as the bluesy rockers. A simple, ringing riff leads the way over the next four or so minutes, rarely breaking from its original pattern. There’s a sense of tension building within, and by the time things start to obviously shift, Tom Fogerty adds a slide guitar lead which constantly threatens to do more than it ever actually does. Underneath the slide, the band gradually quicken their pace, winding things up in a very clockwork fashion, before returning to the original riff which began the seven minute journey. It’s an interesting opener – the extended jam band feels seemingly more suited to closing one side of the LP – but it certainly shows the band in good form. It may appear to be an epic way to begin a new disc, but in terms of rambling jams, ‘Cosmo’s Factory’ still has a bigger one up its sleeve…
A faithful run-through of the blues standard ‘Before You Accuse Me’ isn’t essential listening by any means, but while it’s musically pedestrian for Creedence, Fogerty’s vocal is still fantastic, as his distinctive style is well suited to this well-worn number. Creedence originally recorded a version of the number as far back as 1968 for inclusion on their debut, but this was shelved. While this second attempt is the first of a few filler tracks on ‘Cosmo’s Factory’, Creedence’s version of this number is, naturally, very professional – and a hundred times better than Clapton’s take on it nearly two decades later. It even manages to outdo Bo Diddley’s rather wobbly original cut (released as a b-side in 1957), so the fact that it could rank as filler is a great testament to the high quality of CCR’s previous output. Run-throughs of rock ‘n’ roll standards ‘Ooby Dooby’ and ‘My Baby Left Me’ are fun, yet just as inessential, with both numbers showcasing plenty of old school guitar twang and some great, naturalistic drumming from Doug Clifford. While these numbers probably geed up the crowds during live shows, as part of this album they just feel a little too lightweight.
The John Fogerty penned ‘Looking Out My Back Door’ is loaded with naive charm. Its pre-rock ‘n’ roll, country-ish sound is a throwback to times already gone by 1970; musical times which were concurrently being explored by The Band on their early albums [albums which, several decades later – just like Creedence’s – sound so much more timeless than those recorded by other late 60s-early 70s acts]. Most of ‘Back Door’s structure comes from Stu Cook’s simple basslines and Clifford’s equally unfussy drumming, laying down the roots of a backporch groove, while the muted guitar strings provide a great choppy rhythm. There’s an unobtrusive twangy guitar solo en route and some incredibly understated bar-room piano, but essentially, those strings and that drum are all that’s really important. Fogerty’s lyrics compliment the upbeat musical nature with bizarre takes of things dancing on his lawn: “a giant wearing cartwheels, a statue wearing high heels”… “tambourines and elephants playing in the band”. Over the years, the idea of seeing such hallucinations while relaxing on a back porch have led to allegations that ‘Back Door’ is a drug song. Film-makers The Coen Brothers’ added more fuel to the argument when their movie ‘The Big Lebowski’ showed Jeff Bridges listening to the song in his car whilst smoking a joint. Fogerty, meanwhile, refutes such theories, instead claiming this was a song he wrote for his young son, “in a Dr. Seuss style”. Since he also asks if you’ll “take a ride on the flying spoon”, it’s all rather questionable. The line between Suess and soft drugs is a fine line indeed.
For maximum uptempo grooves, ‘Travelin’ Band’ really hits the spot. Fogerty’s throaty style is fantastic during this tale of a band on the road. Musically, it doesn’t push any new boundaries, but the band is in good shape and Stu Cook’s fairly eventful bassline really helps carry the number. Fogerty’s first guitar solo is mixed at the back, underneath the horn section, while his second is much more upfront – where it should be. He fills the musical spaces in a succinct and somewhat unfussy manner, capturing the kind of energy this feel-good number deserves. This may be just bread and butter music for Creedence – a band capable of so many more intricate styles – but they’re on fire throughout these two minutes. In terms of pure rock ‘n’ roll, this is a track they would rarely equal.
Recognisable right from the bat with its shrill lead guitar riff, ‘Up Around The Bend’ represents the mix of country, rock and blues which remained CCR’s staple sound. The music works around a mid-paced, driving beat which never fails to push that feel-good button. Stu Cook’s basslines are high in the mix and incredibly solid, providing something more interesting from the rhythm section since Doug Clifford does seldom more than mark time with his drums. Fogerty’s vocal combines just the right levels of rasp, and the hook is instantly memorable. In all, it’s such a good tune, it’s even possible to forgive Forgerty’s fudging of the lyrics to rhyme “wind” with “bend”. Going one step further, Fogerty even throws in some well-placed “doo doo doo’s” during the fade out, just to ensure you’ll be singing this one for days. ‘Up Around The Bend’ has earned a rightful place alongside ‘Bad Moon Rising’ and ‘Proud Mary’ as a piece of Creedence gold. ‘Who’ll Stop The Rain’ is much softer, a semi-acoustic piece with strong sixties folk-rock leanings and fantastic harmony vocal. From the ringing guitar leads which open the piece, through the soft but solid backbeat, right down to the passionate lead voice, it’s a small slice of musical perfection. Whether Creedence’s intentions or not, it looks forward to more the easy-listening hippie sounds from those singer-songwriters who would make their names over the following couple of years.
‘Run Through The Jungle’ is the album’s angry political statement. A rocking blues, this number is often thought to be another rallying cry against the Viet Nam war (to be placed alongside ‘Fortunate Son’), but Fogerty says the song’s anger isn’t quite so specifically directed. He actually wrote it with regard to his dislike of guns in general, and the increasing popularity of firearms (licensed or otherwise) across the US by the end of the sixties. His biting, angry lyric is given a suitable musical backdrop as the pumping bass adds a sense of aggression. The lead guitars take a backseat once more since the solos are provided by a crying harmonica, also played by Fogerty. It doesn’t quite live up to the levels of paranoia Love bought the world on their ‘Forever Changes’ LP a couple of years earlier (tales of blood in the water and more besides), but you can still sense the feeling of America’s unrest within these three minutes. And, as if that anger wasn’t quite obvious enough, CCR dress this tune with an unsettling intro and coda as the sounds of guitar feedback and backwards tape loops provide a screaming effect, once heard never forgotten.
One of the most soulful numbers within the Creedence cannon, ‘Long As I Can See The Light’ captures Fogerty in a more restrained mood, showcasing the whole of his vocal range: beginning with softer soul-edged notes, gradually building, then eventually hitting his trademark rasp on the last verse and fade. The music is even better, however, featuring relatively little guitar. A retro sounding electric piano takes the reins (always welcome) while the solo is provided by a soft sax break. With regard to the more reflective sounds of CCR, this is not just an album highlight, but an absolute career highlight not to be missed.
Although it’s the number which makes ‘Cosmo’s Factory’ a fondly remembered record for some people, an eleven minute take on ‘I Heard It Through The Grapevine’ is overlong – and so obviously the work of a band desperately trying to flesh out the album’s second side. The first five or so minutes are a faithful retread of the soul classic, with the addition of a slightly harder guitar and a featured guitar solo. Fogerty’s vocal is fine, although not a patch on some of his performances elsewhere on the album. The other six and a half minutes present the band in jam mode: Stu Cook appears unwavering from his chosen bassline, Tom Fogerty’s rhythm guitar constantly reminds the listener of the original ‘Grapevine’ riff, while John Fogerty fills the spaces with an extended guitar solo until the fade out. Never as interesting as The Grateful Dead’s meandering jams, or perhaps even Hendrix’s more aggressive moments, even a four minute cut of this track could be considered possible filler; to give over half of the album’s second side to such a bloated jam just further highlights the relative lack of original material Fogerty wrote during the first half of 1970. The only real interest comes nearing the track’s end, once Cook offers more of a lead bass – it’s obvious his playing style is a match for any of the other great rock bassists of the period (except for perhaps Jack Bruce, whose overtly aggressive style is in a league all of it’s own).
‘Cosmo’s Factory’ was extremely well received upon release, reaching number one in the US, UK, Australia, Norway, France and Canada, and remains a strong fan favourite. If any obvious criticism could be levelled at the album, it would be that no matter how good CCR are musically, four cover tunes on an album is at least two too many. However, the good moments of the album rank among Creedence’s best ever recorded works: the presence of Fogerty originals ‘Up Around The Bend’, ‘Who’ll Stop The Rain?’, ‘Looking Out My Back Door’, ‘Run Through The Jungle’ and ‘Long As I Can See The Light’ combine to make ‘Cosmo’s Factory’ an indispensable disc.
May 2010/October 2011