CD Odyssey Disc 1528: Lake Street Dive

I’ve been off work for a bit, and that usually means a slowdown in review output (resulting from no commute time for listening). However, the weather this week has meant I’ve been outside shoveling snow and as a result this is my second consecutive day with a new review. Don’t thank me though, thank winter and a long sidewalk.

Disc 1528 is….  Obviously

Artist: Lake Street Dive

Year of Release: 2021

What’s up with the Cover? This picture looks like it was taken not on a beach, but on a soundstage designed to look like a beach. Or maybe some digital background to make it COVID-friendly.

Regardless, the women have dressed for a photo shoot while the men apparently did not get the memo, and just showed up in their t-shirts. Seriously, gentlemen, this cover will be looked at for decades to come. The occasion called for something better than “ill-fitting nineties leisure-wear”.

How I Came To Know It: I’ve been a fan of the band for a while, so this was just me buying their new record when it came out earlier this year.

How It Stacks Up: I have three Lake Street Dive albums. I like them all, but one of them has to land in last place and this is it.

Ratings: 3 stars

Lake Street Dive is one of those bands that just has groove. And not that new-fangled ‘groove’ where indie music meets jazz and gets all meandering and maudlin. I mean that old school groove, the kind you might encounter in a forties swing tune, a finger-snapping sixties doo-wop number or a seventies R&B song that melts your backbone.

A feature common to all Lake Street Dive records is the quality of the musicianship. These guys are all conservatory-trained, which typically means they can play the hell out of their instruments. Sometimes it can also mean the music is so precise that it lacks emotion, but that is not the case here. Lake Street Dive understand that to play this style of pop/R&B requires a natural groove that cannot be taught.

The star of the show is vocalist Rachael Price. Price doesn’t do much of the songwriting (on “Obviously” she has co-credits for two tracks) but she takes these songs into herself and makes them her own. She has the conviction of a Baptist preacher, the soul of Marvin Gaye and the vocal chops of Annie Lennox. Her vocals are big, brassy with a phrasing that naturally sits down in the pocket and matches the groove of the band. 

A standout is “Know That I Know” a love song that will have you dancing while you shovel snow (yes I did), and showcasing Price’s range from bold bell-ringing chest voice all the way into her pure and sweet upper register. As infectious as her singing is, however, I don’t recommend you try to sing along. These songs are not for amateurs.

All of the band has some share of the writing responsibilities, with bassist Bridget Kearney and Keyboardist Akie Bermiss doing the majority of the work. Most of the songs feature one of these two collaborating with another band member.

The songs are a mix of smooth grooves and funky rhythms, and despite the many cooks in the writing kitchen (or maybe because of them) the songs all feel cohesive. “Obviously” has more of a focus on social issues than previous records and includes songs about women’s equality (“Being a Woman”) and climate change (“Making Do”) alongside their more traditional fare of songs about love gone right and love gone wrong.

Regardless of subject, the songs hit the right note between having something important to say and making it personal and emotionally evocative. On “Making Do” they do a fine job of relating climate change back to something small and tangible that most of us experience every day:

“To the next generation: Merry Christmas
You’re working harder than ever now and the coffee sucks
You know, Colombia and Kenya got too damn hot
And now you’re making do with what you got.”

Messing with someone’s morning cup-o-Joe is a clever way to bring the issue home.

I continue to struggle with determining my Top 10 of 2021, “Obviously” will probably not make the list. However, it is still a good record, and the band is still pumping out quality music and continuing to grow artistically. I look forward to what they get up to next.

Best tracks: Being a Woman, Making Do, Nobody’s Stopping You Now, Know That I Know

CD Odyssey Disc 1527: The Scorpions

Despite COVID managing to partially derail my holiday plans (I had to self-isolate due to a close contact) I remain healthy and happy and have even settled into a restful routine.

Learning a new song on guitar has proven harder than I expected, as has establishing my top 10 albums list for 2021, but both remain works in progress. I’m even feeling the writing bug again (that is creative writing outside this blog). So all in all, starting to feel a lot better about this “take a holiday” thing, which I’m told is how holidays are supposed to feel.

Disc 1527 is….  Lovedrive

Artist: The Scorpions

Year of Release: 1979

What’s up with the Cover? The Scorpions have a history of album covers that disturb or offend, and this is one of those. The cover you are currently looking at (a metallic looking scorpion crouching on a generic band logo) is the one that they used after the original cover was banned.

The original album art featured what is at worst a sexual assault in the backseat of a car, and at best a wealthy couple with a gum fetish. It was their fourth album in a row to have its album art censored, an achievement I suspect the band rather enjoyed.

My copy of the CD is set up so you can fold the booklet to display either cover, depending on your preference. Now that you are forewarned what the original looks like, you can decide for yourself if you want to take a look. If so, you’ll find it at the album’s Wikipedia site here.

How I Came To Know It: My friend Spence encouraged me to explore early Scorpions albums and I liked a lot of what I heard. This is one of them.

How It Stacks Up: I now have six Scorpions albums. Of the six, “Lovedrive” comes in at #4. Those who have been tracking Scorpions may think this means that “Love at First Sting” (Disc 309) and “Crazy World” (Disc 702) are both ahead of this record, but that is incorrect. They have both been bumped further down the list (to #5 and #6) after a bunch of new Scorpions albums entered the collection. A full accounting of this will have to wait until I complete the final band review.

Ratings: 3 stars

Do you love power chords and the anthemic crunch of that rock and roll music? Maybe an occasional power ballad with some sappy lyrics? Well, so do the Scorpions, and on “Lovedrive” they have found their lane and for the most part, stay within it.

“Lovedrive” is an earlier record, and while the Scorpions have not fully transitioned from hard rock into heavy metal, the influence is very strong, and a sign of what would come to be defined as their sound as they gained international acclaim.

The stuff you would expect on any Scorpions record happens early, with the two opening tracks (“Loving You Sunday Morning”, “Another Piece of Meat”) firing furious power chords in your face. Like ACDC, the star of the Scorpions in many ways is the rhythm guitar, played by band leader and principal songwriter Rudolf Schenker. The driving power of his playing style makes both songs soar, with “Loving You Sunday Morning” easily the star of the record..

“Another Piece of Meat” is another classic Scorpions theme, as they recant a meaningless sexual encounter on the road. As the title of the song suggests, no one can strip the romance out of a ‘romantic’ encounter quite like the Scorpions.

Both these songs also benefit from the work of Rudolf’s brother, Michael Schenker on lead guitar. “Lovedrive” would be Michael’s final appearance with the Scorpions, and he plays lead on five of the eight songs, with newcomer Matthias Jabs coming in for the other three. Jabs is also a gifted guitar player, so the quality is present throughout.

Jabs handles duties on the Scorpions’ obligatory (for them) power ballad, which on this record is “Always Somewhere”. The Scorpions may or may not have invented the power ballad, but if they didn’t, they certainly perfected it. They once again make romance feel strong and full of machismo while still expressing all the tenderness of love that is wholly absent on “Another Piece of Meat”.

It also helps to have a great vocalist, and Klaus Meine is one of rock and roll’s greatest. I find “Always Somewhere” schmaltzy, but I forgive it mainly because Klaus has such a talent for making his version of “the feels” contagious.

The record has a couple of missteps, notably “Is There Anybody There?” which features a weird reggae beat that mixes awkwardly with the ever-present power chords. Imagine crossing the Scorpions with the Police and you’ll have an approximation. I also didn’t love “Holiday” which takes a long time trying to meld a slow section with a fast section, but never quite succeeds.

These are minor quibbles however, and for the most part “Lovedrive” is exactly what casual fans will expect from the Scorpions, with enough nuance to keep things equally interesting for deep-diving devotees.

Best tracks: Loving You Sunday Morning, Another Piece of Meat, Lovedrive

CD Odyssey Disc 1526: Snotty Nose Rez Kids

I’m on holidays until the New Year, but if I’m being honest, I’m not feeling it. Bad weather and Omicron are rolling in, and I feel them both like a wave of low pressure and dread.

To combat this, I’ve given myself some fun activities to focus on. First, I’ve picked up my guitar for the first time in a long while. I’m going to try to learn at least one (and maybe) two songs over my time off, and in the process hopefully knock the rust off my playing. I was never very good, but I’m not going to get better by letting more dust build up on the guitar.

Second, I’ll be doing my usual “Top 10” list for this year’s albums. Stay tuned for that as a future entry here. In the meantime, here is a review.

Disc 1526 is….  Life After

Artist: Snotty Nose Rez Kids

Year of Release: 2021

What’s up with the Cover? The band “explodes” off the stage and down to their adoring fans. I know this cover is supposed to convey excitement and energy, but I’ve been reading a memoir of a soldier from World War One, and it was hard to separate the ‘happy’ pyrotechnics in this picture from the deadly explosions in my book. Thankfully, the worst thing awaiting the Snotty Nose Rez Kids is the potential of some awkwardly placed hands while they crowd surf.

How I Came To Know It: I liked their last record, so I took a chance and bought this one before I heard it, which is pretty rare for me these days.

How It Stacks Up: I have two Snotty Nose Rez Kids albums. They are both good, but I’ll put “Life After” in at #2.

Ratings: 3 stars

On “Life After” the Snotty Nose Rez Kids’ unique approach to rap and hip hop continues to evolve, bringing in even more influences to a band that already has an impressive musical vocabulary.

On this record I caught pieces of some of my favourite artists. Techno-inspired reverberating bass beats reminded me favourably of Run the Jewels, and their willingness to experiment with the structure of a song had me thinking of Minnesota rappers Dessa and P.O.S. These techno elements can sometimes put off an old timer like me, but here they are handled well and used in a way that serves the song.

Quinton 'Yung Trybez' Nyce and Darren 'Young D' Metz (Yung and Young) have a furious flow, with the effect that you feel they are constantly stepping up to the front edge of the beat, leaning over, but never losing their balance. The effect is energizing.

In terms of subject matter, the Rez Kids follow the age-old adage of “write what you know.” The album is steeped in the experiences and cultural imagery of their Haisla background. Sometimes these experiences are the centerpiece of a song, and other times they are there to saturate the tunes with imagery and metaphor. Either way, it works.

There are some elements of modern hip hop that I don’t love, but “Life After” does a good job of making them work. For example, they use voice modulation a fair bit, but for the most part they make tasteful and deliberate choices, rather than using it to hide mistakes and shortcomings, as is so often the case.

“Uncle Rico” is a good example of everything coming together. The verses fall forward onto each other, with exceptional internal rhyme and a ‘trip forward’ style. Mixed into this, we get a bit of falsetto singing, and a funk beat that combined makes the song feel a bit R&B-inspired.

“Sink or Swim” has a Run the Jewels vibe, and a crunch that crosses over into hardcore territory. It feels a bit like what it would sound like if Killer Mike was being backed by the Rollins Band. It is another example of how the Rez Kids are willing to mix styles not only across the record, but often within individual tracks.

The album ends on a hopeful note with “After Dark” which, despite covering a lot of hard topics, is focused on positive thoughts leading to positive outcomes. On days when I’m feeling a bit weighted down a line from “After Dark” like “every blessing ignored becomes a curse” is a reminder to be thankful that on balance, life is pretty good.

Listening to “Life After” I got to wondering about Notorious B.I.G.’s album, “Life After Death.” On that record, Biggie has come into his fame, and he both acknowledges that he is now a lot more financially secure, he’s still got plenty to sing about, and plenty of hard experiences to share. While the Snotty Nose Rez Kids haven’t hit the big time yet, they are starting to explore what that might look like through their music.

If you like your hip hop to be filled with mind-numbing thumps, with songs about meeting girls and drinking Cristal, then this album is not for you. But if you like your beats thoughtfully constructed, and your lyrics self-examined, then “Life After” is a record you will likely enjoy.

Best tracks: Red Sky at Night, No Jesus Piece, Uncle Rico, Wild Boy, Sink or Swim, After Dark

CD Odyssey Disc 1525: Taylor Swift

Like a lot of people, I’m feeling down at the prospect of yet another variant-fuelled COVID surge. There is little I can do about this, but at least there is still good music to be had. This next record figures to be a strong contender for my “Best of 2021” list, although that is still being finalized, so for now just consider it nominated.

Disc 1525 is….  Evermore

Artist: Taylor Swift

Year of Release: 2021

What’s up with the Cover? The photographer for this cover was sacked, but as he was led outside the studio by security was heard to declaim loudly, “you said you wanted an outdoor head and shoulders shot. You didn’t say anything about her face!”

How I Came To Know It: I liked Swift’s previous record, “Folklore” quite a bit, and so gave this one a listen when it came out.

How It Stacks Up: I only have two Taylor Swift records (although I’m probably going to buy the re-release of “Red” soon). Of the two I have, “Evermore” comes in a close second to “Folklore”.

Ratings: 4 stars

For years two friends have been telling me about Taylor Swift’s talent. One is a trained pianist, and the other is my old guitar teacher. Despite this expert testimony, I resisted. Swift’s music was just a bit too pop-heavy. However, on her last two records she’s met me halfway. “Evermore” is the second of these, a record that is still very much Taylor Swift pop, but with enough flavour from indie and folk music to meet me halfway. The result is exquisite.

As a songwriter, Swift is a once-in-a-generation talent. She reminds of Tom Petty, who like Swift has a seemingly endless reservoir of melodies that are catchy and feel like they’ve existed forever.

This has been true for some time, but “Evermore” scales back all those pop music tricks of the trade. The electronic beats, voice modulations and sugary joy still make occasional appearances (“Gold Rush” comes to mind) but most songs are heavily toned down in favour of arrangements that are more indie-flavoured. This makes everything feel a bit more emotionally grounded and lets the bones of the songs shine through.

Within this newfound space, another long-standing Swift talent is revealed. She is a singular storyteller, who for years has been able to mesh the power of a pop song’s turn of phrase within a broader narrative that makes characters come to life. With all the sparseness in the sound, you can settle in and let her tell story after story.

Swift’s previous record, “Folklore,” has some 5-star examples of storytelling (“Betty” comes to mind, but I’ll talk about that when I roll it). However, “Evermore” shows Swift’s well of creativity is still deep and full of great songs.

One of the best examples is “No Body, No Crime.” It is a classic murder ballad, or rather two murder ballads in one: man kills girlfriend, and then girlfriend’s best friend kills man in return. Nothing can be proved, but justice is done. A song best paired with the Dixie Chicks’ “Goodbye Earle,” while enjoying a glass of wine and a satisfied smile.

On “Happiness” Swift shifts the storytelling to internal angst, as a woman wrestles with the conflict of how to react “when a good man hurts you/and you know you hurt him too.” From an artist who made an early reputation with cutting songs about her exes, here we see a more nuanced Taylor Swift, recognizing grief can be a positive and transformative power if you give it time (or as she sings it “I haven’t met the new me yet”).

Later, on “Right Where You Left Me” you see the results of a character who cannot move on from loss, forever caught in a rut of grief, reliving the last moments of a relationship. The two songs are bookends to the same story, and together show Swift’s talent for seeing all facets of a theme, and then converting them into works of art.

On “Marjorie” Swift pays tribute to her dead grandmother, and is another of the album’s best songs, both lyrically and musically. The percussion gives the song an inspirational driving energy, over top of which Swift layers vignettes of the wisdom and inspiration she received from the titular character. It is not a song of grieving so much as a celebration and it had me thinking of all the people that are gone now but gave me a bit of their wisdom before they departed.

Despite all this high praise, I have two minor complaints about “Evermore”. The first is a long-standing bête noire of mine; the record has too many songs. Swift is so prolific that she routinely exceeds my recommended 14 song maximum. It wouldn’t be easy to cull this 17 song collection by three tunes, but I think I could do it, and wish Swift had done so as well. Also labelling the last two songs “bonus tracks” does not address this. Pick three and save ‘em for the next record.

The other is that the album title and tracks are both not capitalized. I realize this is deliberate and has been going on since E.E. Cummings decided to make this a thing. I like E.E. Cummings’ poetry quite a bit, but I’ve never felt his refusal to capitalize words added anything to his work. The same goes for Swift - great songs, but please use capitalization correctly.

Like I said, minor issues. Overall, this record and its predecessor “Folklore” are brilliant albums that you should pay a listen to. As for me, I’m going to buy “Red” as soon as I get the chance. Sure it is a bit too sugary for my tastes, but I have a feeling the bones of those songs are going to shine through as well, now that I know what to look for.

Best tracks: Champagne Problems, ‘Tis the Damned Season, No Body No Crime, Happiness, Dorothea, Coney Island, Marjorie, Right Where You Left Me

CD Odyssey Disc 1524: Brand Nubian

I’ve just completed my Christmas shopping and I’m feeling relieved and ready to settle down and enjoy the holidays. First, let’s bring on some early nineties rap.

Disc 1524 is….  The Very Best of Brand Nubian

Artist: Brand Nubian

Year of Release: 2001 but featuring music from 1990-1998

What’s up with the Cover? The band poses under a…pergola? I’ve never fully understood the pergola. I mean, I get that it keeps the sun off, but wouldn’t it be better with a roof?

How I Came To Know It: My former coworker Adrienne and her partner introduced me to Brand Nubian (and a bunch of other nineties rap acts besides). We used to trade musical recommendations at work. We still trade them every now and then. Just because we don’t work together doesn’t mean we don’t both still enjoy music!

How It Stacks Up: This is a compilation album, so by the rules of the CD Odyssey it doesn’t get stacked or rated. I do have one other Brand Nubian album but I accidentally got the “clean” version (no swears). I’ll be looking to replace that ASAP with the real record. It is a travesty that the “clean” version was ever a thing.

Ratings: “Best of” albums don’t get rated. They are not true albums.

Brand Nubian is another great artist from the golden age of rap music, which for me runs from around the mid-eighties to the mid-nineties. Most of the songs on this compilation land within that range and are some of the finest examples of the sound.

The first thing you notice about Brand Nubian is how funky they are. This era has a lot of talented emcees, but Brand Nubian has a notable talent for great samples that make these songs not just great raps, but great dance tunes as well. The breadth of sampled artists (they cross through funk, R&B, mainstream pop and many others) is considerable, and you can tell that these guys are true lovers of music. Those little clips don’t magically reveal themselves to you, they’re found through countless hours of listening to other kinds of music.

For many of these songs Brand Nubian features three emcees (Grand Puba, Sadat X and Lord Jamar) each with their own style and sound. They trade off within each song but remain aligned to the same beat, and never feel disconnected. In this way, they reminded me favourably of the Beastie Boys, although their style is overall a lot more smooth groove than the more aggressive spitting of the Beasties.

Some compilations albums make the mistake of trying to weight a band’s career evenly, which can result in lesser tunes getting included just to provide balance. As a listener, I just want to the best songs, and don’t care if they are new, old, or somewhere in between. Brand Nubian wisely weights the record heavily toward their best work.

That means that seven of the sixteen songs are off their debut record, 1990’s “All for One”. This is their best record by far and drawing from it heavily is the right decision. Later albums also feature lineup changes, which doesn’t wreck them, but doesn’t help either. Despite some changes, their second record, “In God We Trust” is also solid and accounts for three more tunes here. After that we geta a smattering of content from everything else.

The tunes range on topic, including time honoured rap subjects of race relations, city life and the ever-present “I can rap better than you” which never gets old.

There are a couple of missteps. “Feels So Good” would easily be one of the best songs on the record, but the weird tuneless singing of a large piece of Billy Joel’s “Just the Way You Are” is a poor decision. To be clear, this is not a sample of Joel, this is a re-singing of a stanza from the song. Not only is it awkward (and flat) you can tell from the way it is delivered that even that band thinks it is silly. Next time, leave that shit on the studio outtakes.

Another thing I could live without are the addition of multiple remixes of the same song. It helps that both songs that appear twice (“Slow Down” and “Punk’s Jump Up to Get Beat Down”) are awesome, but I think one version would have been sufficient, and would have also kept the record to a more tasteful 14 tracks overall.

These are minor quibbles, though. Brand Nubian is one of rap’s great artists and this record was not only a thoroughly good time, it filled me with fervour to find more of their studio albums. They are too good for me to sustain myself on the hits alone.

Best tracks: All for One, Concerto in X Minor, Slow Down, Brand Nubian, Punks Jump Up to Get Beat Down, Hold On

CD Odyssey Disc 1523: Sophie B Hawkins

Under threat of snow, I took the bus to work today (my car is not a mudder). While the bus was a bit busy for my pandemic sensibilities, I was rewarded with something fun – a nice long walk home. Pre-car, I used to do this all the time and not only did it give me a time to decompress from the days’ events, I had 45 minutes for music listening as well. In this case it also meant I could be rid of this terrible record after a single day. Thank you, snow warning.

Disc 1523 is….  Tongues and Tails

Artist: Sophie B. Hawkins

Year of Release: 1992

What’s up with the Cover? Sophie does her best impression of forties movie star.

How I Came To Know It: I’ve owned this CD a long time, although I rarely put it on. I don’t remember buying it, but that’s probably cognitive dissonance on my part, as I subconsciously protect my ego from such a monumentally bad decision.

How It Stacks Up: This is my only Sophie B. Hawkins album, so it can’t stack up.

Ratings: 1 star

“Tongues and Tails” opening track begins with the faint sound of train cars clicking along railroad tracks. This has nothing to do with the song, adds nothing musically, and is the harbinger of what you can expect the rest of the way on an unfocused and overwrought album that has aged badly.

That opening song is “Damn I Wish I Was Your Lover” which is Hawkins most famous and successful song, and probably the reason I bought the record in the first place. “Damn I Wish I Was Your Lover” is overproduced, as is everything that will follow it. However, it has good bones and an above average hook that rises above. The song will go on to lean heavily on that hook for success, but it withstands the strain.

The next song, “California Here I Come,” starts well, and had me thinking that I might enjoy all the songs as much as the first one. This optimism was not to last. Before too long, Hawkins has decided to throw in her breathy whisper-talk. She uses this throughout the record, and while it is her signature thing, it doesn’t work for me. It might have been better here if she didn’t decide to use it to recite the Lord’s Prayer in the middle of the song, but alas, that’s what she does.

It gets much worse on the whisper-talk front as we progress, culminating on the album’s final tune, “Don’t Stop Swaying.” Here we have an interlude where Hawkins retells the story of Hansel and Gretel, except in her version after they’re lost, they decide they should make out. Apparently, the fact that they are siblings is not an issue the listener should concern themselves with. I’ll be charitable and assume there is some strained symbolism at work here, although if there is it was lost on me. Maybe it is a commentary on how leaving your kids in the woods to starve or be eaten by witches is liable to, you know, emotionally mess them up? Anyway, if there was some emotional gravitas hidden in this song, I was unable to discover it.

The record is replete with bad production decisions, and at least twice there is the faint sound of sirens (police or ambulance, I’m not sure which). This was occasionally disconcerting and consistently annoying. One of these “siren” songs, “Mysteries We Understand,” reminded me a lot like Madonna’s 1989 hit “Respect Yourself” in many ways except the one that matters: “Respect Yourself” is a good song. I suggest you skip this record and listen to Madonna instead.

It doesn’t help that Hawkins is drowning all these tunes with a bunch of “serious art” decisions that never satisfactorily resolve, nor make the songs any better. On the sultry cover of Bob Dylan’s “I Want You” she almost gets there, only to have a phone ringing in the back of the mix. Maybe this is supposed to evoke a booty call, but the effect on me was much more akin to having your mom calling and leave a message on your answering machine while you’re having sex.

I don’t know how I have not consigned this album to the pyre long ago, but it has lurked like a bad penny on my CD shelves for almost thirty years. That ends today.

Best tracks: Damn I Wish I Was Your Lover

CD Odyssey Disc 1522: London Grammar

Last week I had a quiet week and got in three reviews. This week was the opposite, as multiple evening engagements kept me away from the keyboard. My sincere apologies, Dear Reader, for the resulting lack of reading material for you. I hope the rest of the Internet was able to fill in the gap or, better still, maybe you picked up a book.

Disc 1522 is….  Californian Soil

Artist: London Grammar

Year of Release: 2021

What’s up with the Cover? Lead singer Hannah Reid crouches elfin-like on some mysterious island. There is a serious fantasy vibe here in a “the Lady Galadriel will inspire you with her powerful magicks” kind of way. As opposed to the Gollum, “here’s where I discard the bones of my victims” kind of way. Both possess rings of power, but we all know which one we want to run into when lost in a series of orc caves.

But I digress…

How I Came To Know It: I read a review of this record and then listened to a couple songs. Despite initially thinking that this was “not my usual thing” I was intrigued and gave the whole record a go. And here we are. It’s an old story, but it’s a new record.

How It Stacks Up: This is my only London Grammar record. They’ve put out three, but I’m new to the game, so for now, there is nothing to stack up.

Ratings: 4 stars

With its anthemic orchestral pop with a touch of dance beat, I had originally intended to start this review off with the observation that London Grammar is not the kind of band that would typically fall within my wheelhouse. However, the more I listened the more I realized they were just at a new juncture well within a well-established Venn diagram of “stuff Logan likes”. Their sound is a mix of the Eurythmics, Florence + the Machine and a liberal helping of Loreena McKennitt; all bands that you will find well regarded on the CD Odyssey.

Any successful pop act needs a great singer and Hannah Reid is a revelation. She has that mysterious airy power of Loreena McKennitt, the natural groove of Annie Lennox and the ethereal flutter of Florence Welch. It is a joy to listen to her, although I do not recommend you try to sing along. These are complicated songs full of range and not to be undertaken by amateurs. Also, how the hell will you hear all that beauty if you don’t still yourself and let it flow over you?

“Californian Soil” the most ‘synthy’ of London Grammar albums, and it has that fullness of sound that can sometimes puts me off. Not in this case, though, where the hum of organ in the background just gives the song its orchestral quality, leaving you the impression that Something Important is happening. Even the use of drum machine didn’t bother me, being so well woven into the overall effect. It is like you are lost in the woods and stumble upon some elves who have decided to go electric.

This kind of music can also suffer from a loss of honest emotion, but that does not happen here. Reid’s vocal power won’t allow it, and while the lyrics aren’t the height of poetry, they are exactly the level of poetic necessary to ride the waves of soaring melody. Even the presence of dance beats in many of the tunes doesn’t make them feel empty, it just means you can enjoy the record equally well dancing along under a glitter ball or sitting on a living room couch and having a good sigh.

Within this unified sound London Grammar finds plenty of dynamic range. There is the R&B groove of “Missing”, synth-diva pop of “Lord It’s a Feeling”, the sexy late-night yearning of “Call Your Friends” and something that is mid-way between a thoughtful song on the subject of betrayal and an energized dance tune (“How Does it Feel”).  On “I Need the Night” they seem to cross the Gothic horror of Ghost with the production and delivery of later Echo and the Bunnymen. In short, be prepared to enjoy the record in multiple ways.

“Californian Soil” ends with the stripped-down “America”, which is just a couple of guitars and Reid doing her magic on the mic. It is as though London Grammar wanted to prove the point that they can set aside all the synthesizers, drum samples and production tricks, and still kick ass. Every time Reid sings the chorus of “But all of our time chasing America/But she never had a home for me” it raises the hairs on the back of my neck. Tone, power and pure honesty in one package. Point proven.

After multiple listens I liked the record so much, I delved into their back catalogue. I liked both their previous albums enough to put them on my “to get” list. I have a feeling when the collection is complete, “Californian Soil” will still come out on top. It is an amazing collection of music that is good for all occasions.

Best tracks: Californian Soil, Missing, Lord It’s a Feeling, Call Your Friends, I Need the Night, America