I am working my way through three albums and some EPs and not ready (nd may never be ready) to write full length reviews. So I stuck em in a playlist and shuffled em.
Give It Time – The Mynabirds – To be blunt: this is good enough, manybe better than good enough, for fake blue eyed soul but as the real thing -it is a touch dilletantish. I don’t wanna put donwn this mid-tempo slow soul burner to the ground… it is just a touch neither nor.
Who Are You New York – Rufus wainwright – Did Rufus write this crap lyric so Jay-Z doesn’t have to take the honors for crappiest Manhattan tribute lyric? The glissandos are tempting but the song doesn’t happen.
Nowhere At All All – Impossible Arms – Ah,, yes: that quirky rock Chael Hill sound we know and love. Sorta stutterry and iffy with blues licks hidden and a pretty good guitar break.
A Last resort – Impossible Arms – I think what differs these guys from therest of Chapel Hill is the guitarist has stronger chops. Oh, and they like the blues.
Right Place – The Mynabirds – If Carole King wrote soul songs it might sound like this: two songs are crystal clear on this well produced (listen to dem horns) piano based mover. 1) Laura Burhenn doesn’t over play the blue eyed soul singer.
Say My Name – Holy Ghost! – These guys have kinda have grown up since the disco of their 2007 EP -here they reply with a soul urgency like Tigercity with worse singing but better production. Though it begs for a remix now.
Unite & Serve – Impossible Arms – Here they come on like fuzzboxed art-punk. And I love art-punk.
Ways of Looking – The Mynabirds – Unspeakably pretty pop song. You want a comparison? I just read the boring bastards at Pitchforks and they came up with Dusty Springfield and Laura Nyro. Laura Nyro?? Maybe Aimee Mann. After all, they’re both blonde.
Zebulon (LIve) – Rufus Wainwright – The new Rufus works when his pain overtakes his pretension -ergo most of the time and especially on this completely real time horror show: “My mother’s in the hospital, my sister’s at the opera. I’m in love with let’s not talk about it…” The recorded version is better but either one is the one of the great songs of the year. here is Rufus performing it and explaining how it came about.