Between us girls, this is a hot, cool LES rock band who kinda missed it on their debut album mostly because their romantic scruff scene songs were kinda lifeless on record, but how much can you complain about this masterwork? – A
I decided to get smart and leave “Best Songs Of 2014” as an essentially list of faves by release date and add another list of just clear up the top ten, maybe top 20 by the end of the year songs in order of preference. Welcome to yet another list!
Drowners are the one thing they absolute can not be. They are boring. Not terrible boring, I like the album well enough, maybe four really good songs out of 13, tight as fuck. But I don’t fet all the self effacement and I don’t see why it isn’t louder, harder and faster.
With my friend Jahn Xavier, I went to the Allen Room at Lincoln Center and was floored by Jason Isbel’s “American Songbook” set. You can see it for yourself as part of the PBS “Live From Lincoln Center” program when it airs later this year, till then take my word, it was a career defining masterpiece.
Terrific olde English minstrel song about the cowardly Sir Robin, Knight of the round table. After fighting for seconds and seconds, Eric Idle scarpers, his retreat immortalized in song: “When trouble reared its ugly head, he bravely turned its tale and fled” – B+
On second thoughts, maybe the David Crosby album is really pretty good. It always takes forever for Crosby songs to click into your earwaves but when they do they are sometimes worth the wait. Another album I may very well have underestimated? Drowners. I just wish the rhythm section was better.
