Danger Mouse & Sparklehorse - Dark Night of the Soul

MINE

Mmph.  I really thought I was going to love this, given my previous delight at anything Dangermousy in the world.  I'll admit the songs are prettily composed and well played and everything, but it just didn't grab me.

I'd recommend it for dinner party music, though - there's lots of inoffensive melodies beautifully done.  I just didn't find it compelling.

VERDICT: TURN IT DOWN and pass the hors d'oeuvres 

YOURZ

It seems as though anything Brian Burton, aka Dangermouse, touches has an undeniable appeal to me.  His work with everyone from Damon Albarn, Beck and The Black Keys have become firm favourites.  Then he teamed up with Sparklehorse's Mark Linkous and an eclectic roster of singers and contributors, including film producer David Lynch.

The opening track Revenge, featuring the beautifully strained vocals of Flaming Lips' Wayne Coyne, sets a great benchmark for the rest of the album but only for the first three tracks.  It leads a trio of gorgeous alt-pop before changing gears with Julian Casablancas taking the lead in Little Girl, a bouncing dubby track complete with bass drops.

The following two tracks, the chugging Angel's Harp featuring Black Francis and Pain with vocals by somewhat subdued Mr Iggy Pop, add the rock quotient to the track listing.  After what could only be described as a Lynchian hommage to the psychedelic pop of everyone from The Beatles and Beach Boys to the Lips in Star Eyes (I Can't Catch It), is my favourite track of the album, Everytime I'm With You, voiced by Jason Lytle, formerly of Grandaddy.

However, I can't help feeling a sense of loss.  The death of Linkous prior to its release was a tragic blow.  If only as a testament to his abilities, Dark Night Of The Soul is as fine a document as any.  Vale Sparklehorse...

VERDICT: TURN IT UP

For more information: http://www.dnots.com/

Grandaddy - Under The Western Freeway

YOURZ

I really like Jason Lytle.  His unassuming delivery and pop sensibilities greatly appeal to me.  I remember the first time I heard this particular album, I was listening to a lot of bands of a similar ilk.  While most of those bands have fallen off the listening queue, Grandaddy have been one of the few bands I still go back and listen to again.  But not so much Under The Western Freeway anymore.  I'm more partial to Sumday, which is a bit later in their career.

Lytle tries to channel the voice of Brian Wilson, then Neil Young then a mix of the two (or maybe it is all Wayne Coyne-inspired).  But there's also something unique about his delivery.  You know he's singing with his eyes closed, experiencing whatever emotion he is trying to convey through his words and projecting it to his audience.  I really like this aspect.

Unfortunately, not everything on this album is worthy.  Some of the tracks, like the title track and Poisoned At Hartsy Thai Food, are indulgent and don't seem to really go anywhere, almost as though they're afterthoughts.  But all can be forgiven when these stand next to such shining tracks as Summer Here Kids and A.M. 180. 

VERDICT: TURN IT UP (mostly)

MINE

YourZ was disappointed when I greeted this with an - ech.  It's not because the music's not good - it is.  But once again the songs are being sung by someone who really doesn't deserve the title of singer.  Whiny and untuneful.  Not as bad as Bob Dylan, but getting there.  In fact there was one song that was so out of tune, I just couldn't listen to it.

I'd call this background music - good for a dinner party but not for intense listening.

VERDICT: TURN IT DOWN

For more information: http://www.myspace.com/grandaddy

M Ward - Hold Time

YOURZ

Matthew Ward, the bugger, gets under your skin and into your head.  Hold Time is a set of songs more like a dose of salts for the senses, a spirit-balming, effortlessly cool set reminiscent of so much while sounding completely original, even when doing covers (Rave On and Oh Lonesome Me), both of which are given startlingly beautiful makeovers, the second also featuring Lucinda Williams on dual vocal duties.

There is no doubt in my mind, M. Ward will be known as one of THE voices of the new century.  His original songs are all keepers, from the stripped down of opener For Beginners and the title track, Hold Time (an instant classic) to the more traditionally arranged Epistemology and To Save Me  (which also features ex-Grandaddy Jason Lytle). 

I was disappointed to read he doesn't like playing live so much (despite putting in performances like this one).  This doesn't bode well to him touring down below, which is a bummer because this is one man I would love to see perform live.  In fact, there's only one other artist I consider to be in the same league as M. Ward and that is Dan Kelly (see our review here).  Thankfully Dan is Australian and loves performing so we will get to see him sooner or later.

Hold Time is so good, I would like to declare it a Forgotten Gem except it hasn't been forgotten and is not likely to be either.  I'm off to see if I can find any of his earlier releases.

VERDICT: TURN IT UP

MINE

It's just... beautiful.  His voice is so gorgeous, and the production and arranging are equally lush.  I haven't listened to this CD much since YourZ bought it in January and I'm sorry about that.  I'll just blame this blog once again, for getting in the way of my normal random listening to music.  It's preventing me enjoying the more recent purchases we've made in favour of some dreck we've had hanging around the collection for ages.

OK, I've calmed down now.  M Ward does that to you - he exudes calm, which was handy on the way home in heavy traffic last night.  I'm going to make sure I have it on hand the next time I have a long-distance fight with my mother. 

VERDICT: TURN IT UP drown out the sounds that annoy you

For more information: http://www.mwardmusic.com/