CD Odyssey Disc 1555: Clem Snide

It is the last day of April and I see I’ve only reviewed six albums this month, which is my lowest output in some time. I work a lot of late hours these days, and it does eat into my review time, but I am determined to sail on to Ithaca, so keep checking back and I’ll ensure I’ve got something up at least once a week, if not more.

Disc 1555 is…. Forever Just Beyond

Artist: Clem Snide

Year of Release: 2020

What’s up with the Cover? Dear God, what is leaning into the right of the frame? All babies are ugly, but this ugly baby is particularly ugly. It is even wearing an ugly sweater.

Not only is this cover terrible, it is printed on a cardboard sleeve so flimsy it might as well be a folded over cereal box. It is also so narrow you can’t print the name of the record on the spine (making it impossible to find on a CD shelf). I give this cover zero stars.

How I Came To Know It: I discovered this album (and the band) after reading a review on Pitchfork. I checked it out and loved what I heard, and so here we are.

How It Stacks Up: I now have two Clem Snide albums and I’m on the lookout for four more. Of the two I have, competition is close, but “Forever Just Beyond” comes in at #2.

Ratings: 4 stars

Over twenty years separates my last Clem Snide album (1999’s “Your Favourite Music”) and “Forever Just Beyond.”  There were times you could feel the distance, mostly in the latter’s smoother production, but the band has mostly preserved their sound: indie pop with a gentle flowing groove and thoughtful, often surprising lyrics.

Those lyrics on “Forever Just Beyond” do a fair of exploration of the nature of consciousness. You get the sense that these guys have a lot of late-night conversations about life, the universe, and everything. I found myself wishing I’d been invited over for some of those. I guess by listening to the record, I kind of was.

In true Clem Snide fashion, they start this conversation from the oddest of tangents on the opening track, “Roger Ebert”. The song opens with a light and lyric piano riff, before lead singer Eef Barzelay (yes, that’s his name) drops this odd gem on you:

“Did you know that these were Roger Ebert’s dying words?
‘It’s all an elaborate hoax. It’s all an elaborate hoax.’”

It seemed an unlikely thing to say, so I broke my common approach of considering a song without any biographical context and looked it up. Turns out, these were Roger Ebert’s dying words. Right at the end he was exploring some heady concepts of what it is to be. This appealed to my existential predilections and it was also a relief that it wasn’t some reference to any one of the many conspiracy theories polluting the Interwebs.

It's a lot to take in on a pop record, but you can expect that and more when you listen to “Forever Just Beyond”. The next track is “Don’t Bring No Ladder” expands on the exploration of consciousness, with the following provocative lyrics:

“We are a wave endlessly breaking
We are the ever-seeing eye
We've never left the place we're searching for
Don't bring no ladder when you die”

It is the kind of stuff that lets your mind wander into a challenging space, wrapped in a pleasant melody that reassures you that ‘hey, we’re just speculating – no need to be concerned.’ “Don’t Bring No Ladder” also features some lovely electric guitar, even with a bit of rock and roll reverb that fits in surprisingly well with the otherwise laid-back groove.

 As the album progresses, you realize that all this philosophizing is also deeply personal for Barzelay. “Easy” explores concepts of how to maintain a personal sense of honour in contexts where your knowledge is inherently limited. Or as he puts it, “We only see through keyholes/But maybe that’s all that our eyes can take.”

And later on he shares thoughts of suicide on the bravely titled “The Ballad of Eef Barzelay.” His journey back from that darkness represents not a reaffirmation in anything specific, but rather a surrender to the uncertainty inherent in the universe. Or as he artfully puts it:

“I took that trust fall backwards
And just ignored those howling sounds
And as I kept on falling I came to realize
I finally realized there was no ground”

“Forever Just Beyond” features some beautiful musical compositions, and the arrangement and production decisions are exactly what is needed: sparse overall, with flourishes of instrumentation to give each song depth and nuance.

However, if you are coming to this record expecting something pleasant hum along to while you make your morning coffee, then be aware you’re going to get more than you bargained for. These guys are here to take you to the wild and seldom explored places in your mind, and make you think.

Best tracks: Roger Ebert, Don’t Bring No Ladder, The Stuff of Us, Easy, The Ballad of Eef Barzelay, Some Ghost

CD Odyssey Disc 1554: Dori Freeman

I had a slow start to finding new music for 2022, but it has picked up of late. Anyone who doesn’t think good music is getting made anymore, needs to get out there and listen to more music.

This next artist still feels new to me, even though she’s been around for six years and released four albums. Time flies when your ears are having fun.

Disc 1554 is…. Ten Thousand Roses

Artist: Dori Freeman

Year of Release: 2021

What’s up with the Cover? The old head & shoulders shot, with Dori showcasing a tattoo of some heart-shaped glasses done in that rustic style the young folks often favour these days.

You can just see the top of Dori’s ear through her hair. Combined with all that lush greenery in the background, I must posit that she may, in fact, be an elf.

How I Came To Know It: I am a Dori Freeman fan dating back to her incredible debut album. I ranked that album #1 for 2016.

How It Stacks Up: “Ten Thousand Roses” is not the quality of Freeman’s debut. Of my four Dori Freeman albums it comes in…fourth.

Ratings: 3 stars

I was at a party last night and I found the subject had turned to music. I was trying (not entirely successfully) to explain how Amon Amarth weren’t just Viking death metal, they were melodic Viking death metal. It’s the melodic part that holds me. After many years of music appreciation, I am not easily fooled by clever production (more often I’m annoyed by it) and while I do love a clever arrangement, it doesn’t matter much if the song lacks strong bones.

Which brings us to Dori Freeman. Freeman is pure folk-country. You will not find a single bar of double-bass, and nary a mention of Vikings, but like most music that draws me in, she is a brilliant songwriter. She knows how to make a melody lilt in your mind, novel enough to catch your attention and timeless enough that you feel like you’ve heard it a thousand times.

Complementing her talent for songwriting, Freeman has one of those voices that instantly connects. She has a rich tone that lends itself to the intimate storytelling that is hallmark of her style, and a power that fills a room while never has her resorting to belting it out to make it happen.

On “Ten Thousand Roses” the production is a bit more involved than previous records. I find that as folk artists establish themselves they often “grow” their sound in new ways. I could have used a bit less of that production in places on this record, but it isn’t so lush as to get in the way.

In fact, despite the “dressier” quality to the sound, “Ten Thousand Roses” still feels intensely personal. A lot of the songs relate to an exploration of the self, and the values that make up our decisions. On “I Am” she serves notice that the image of sweet girl from the Appalachians is only true to a point, starting with:

“I ain’t a good girl, though everybody thinks I am
I got a mind that’s dirty as the bottom of a coffee can”

The song had me thinking of Eminem’s “The Way I Am.” It is a whole lot subtler, but the notion that “I’ll define myself, thank you very much” is equally front and centre.

The record has appeals to Freeman’s folk roots, one of the best being “Appalachian,” which has her reminiscing about growing up in Galax, Virginia, with some critical commentary on how such rural communities often struggle to get ahead.

And while the record holds strong to her folk beginnings, songs like “Walk Away” take a base of Patsy Cline country and layer in sixties pop croon that reminded me favourably of She & Him.

That theme bears out on the record’s final song, which is a cover of Dion’s 1975 song “Only You Know” written by Gerry Goffin and Phil Spector. The song fits perfectly on the record, which hearkens back to a simpler time in music, while still containing the bite of truth that signals there will also be some exploration of the soul mixed in with the sugary composition.

In the end, while “Ten Thousand Roses” isn’t my favourite Dori Freeman album, it is still a worthy entry into her small but impressive catalogue.

Best tracks: The Storm, I Am, Nobody Nothing, Appalachian

CD Odyssey Disc 1553: Alestorm

It was cold out today, but I still managed to get out for a run over my lunch break. I always listen to the album I’ll be reviewing when I go running (it counts under rule #4, since running is basically “walking around” only faster). My device doesn’t play set playlists very well (I refused to download the proprietary software that would have assisted), so when I get to the end of the album, I just press “back” until I’m back to the first song. Sometimes I go one too far back, and get whatever song is on the previous album.

Today that happened but instead of skipping back to the start of this next album, I played that one extra song in its entirety. Granted, the song was Black Sabbath’s “Supernaut” which is nigh irresistible, but it was a sign this next record was failing to hold my attention.

Disc 1553 is…. Black Sails at Midnight

Artist: Alestorm

Year of Release: 2009

What’s up with the Cover? Alestorm loves pirates, and for their cover art they like those pirates to be zombie pirates. It is hard to say if these particular zombie pirates are here to fight or to party. I mean, sure they’re brandishing torches and an assortment of weaponry, but there’s a certain festive quality to their demeanor. Even the pirate rat in the lower left appears equally enthused by his cutlass and his tankard of ale.

How I Came To Know It: I discovered the band while falling into a folk metal exploration on Youtube, but this specific album came relatively late, as I dug through the band’s back catalogue.

How It Stacks Up: I have four Alestorm albums. Of those four, “Black Sails at Midnight” is easily the weakest, coming in at #4.

Ratings: 2 stars but almost 3

I don’t believe in the myth of the ‘sophomore curse” but Alestorm’s second record, “Black Sails at Midnight” did flirt dangerously close to proving the theory.

This record has all the hallmarks that should make an Alestorm album great. It is rousing folk metal, with plenty of sea chanties dressed up with power chords and festooned with songs about the pirate life.

There are some solid entries holding things up. The title track has a guitar riff so furious it would be at home on a more serious record, and while this song is unquestionably about pirates, it is the most serious Alestorm gets on the subject, with a galloping swell, and even a healthy doss of double bass to show just how enthusiastic they are about flying the black (although flying it at night I was left wondering – could anyone see it…?”). The song has a fury that would be enjoyable regardless of the subject matter. It is not all that inventive, but there is something to be said for power metal played well.

There are also solid examples of what Alestorm does best: tunes designed for singing along and a choreographed audience of fans spilling beer all over the dance floor as they pump their drinkin’ arms in unison. “That Famous Ole Spiced” is a solid example of the experience, albeit designed more for rum than beer.

Also on the fun side, is “Wolves of the Sea” which is a cover of a song from 2008’s Eurovision, courtesy of Latvian disco-pop band, “Pirates of the Sea.” If nothing else, I’ll always appreciate Alestorm for driving me to see the hot mess of the original which is everything terrible and wonderful about European competition TV, all wrapped up in one three-minute cheese-fest.

Unfortunately, a few good songs and a metal cover of Eurovision’s 12^th best song are not enough for this record, which failed to consistently impress, and often had me wishing I was listening to any one of the three better Alestorm records in my collection.

Sometimes it is the arrangement, such as the opening violin/accordion hoke-fest that wrecks the otherwise passable “Keelhauled”. Other times it is the slow sway of “To The End Of Our Days” which wants to be a serious dirge, but comes off more as a drunken plod. Or maybe they were going for a drunken plod. With Alestorm, that is always a possibility.

“No Quarter” is an instrumental that doesn’t ever develop melodically, giving it the feel of music you might enjoy in the background of a pirate-themed video game, but of limited interest beyond that.

I love Alestorm, and they are one of the best live shows I’ve seen. If you get a chance to go see them, I suggest you go. They are great, and their fans are equal parts rabid and delightful. I also love most of their studio albums, which mix humour, bombast and a natural talent for anthemic songwriting. However, while “Black Sails at Midnight” has some bright spots, you’ll be much better pleased with other, better records in their discography.

Best tracks: That Famous Ole Spiced, Black Sails at Midnight, Pirate Song

CD Odyssey Disc 1552: Saxon

Welcome to the long weekend! Here’s a review.

Disc 1552 is…. Crusader

Artist: Saxon

Year of Release: 1984

What’s up with the Cover? Knights! When I was a kid I loved both fantasy and history, so this cover was right up my alley. Of course, the crusades have not aged well. Maybe the guy in the front is having an epiphany. As he pauses to look down at all the pointless carnage and ask his buddy, “Why the hell are we doing this again?”

            “Um, well, I’m here because the law says I have ride around with you for 40 days every year. For you, your oldest brother got the land and the next oldest got the bishopric, so it was this or go to Oxford.”

“Really? And I picked this?”

Anyway, these particular crusaders appear to be from an alternate universe where they are part of the Most Holy Order of Heavy Metal (note the shield of the guy on the right). Like Knights Templar, only they protect your right to rock! More on Saxon’s obsession with “rocking” a bit later.

How I Came To Know It: I grew up with this record. My brother used to come in from commercial fishing, buy a ton of heavy metal records, and then let me borrow them when he went out fishing again. This one was one of my favourites and received heavy air play. I was digging through the metal section in my local record store and saw it there and bought it based on those fond memories.

How It Stacks Up: After rekindling my love of Saxon, I went a little crazy over the last six months or so, and now have five Saxon albums. Of those, “Crusader” has held up well since my youth, and lands solidly in second place.

Ratings: 4 stars

“Crusader” is Saxon’s sixth album and sees the band not only fully embracing the mid-eighties metal movement but leading the charge. This record is chock full of what makes that era of metal so great: furious but controlled aggression, soaring melodies and wailing guitar solos.

The record starts with the title track, which is an epic example of all these elements, and also a reminder that metal bands (and their fans) are often big history buffs. I don’t know if they’ve ever done a sociology study on this (someone call Sam Dunn) but it is a fascinating connection. But I digress…

Back to “Crusader” (the song) which isn’t technically the first track. That is a one minute “prelude” which is just a bunch of battle sounds, and some guy galloping across the field yelling “crusader!”. I used to love that bit as a kid because on headphones the horse rode from one ear to the other. OK, I still love that bit.

The song itself opens with a stirring bit of guitar picking, then a crashing of bass drum and power chords, then briefly back to the picking before everything launches like a roll of thunder, or the charge of some heavy horse. In terms of arrangements, it doesn’t get much better than this. Unlike my whimsical approach to the cover, the song is very literal (often painfully so) and told from the perspective of a soldier who has joined one of these armies. Based on the “warrior king” references I’m going to assume this was the Third Crusade, aka the “King’s Crusade” led by King Richard I of England (and a couple other kings who didn’t fare as well). If that seems like a lot of information about a single song, I did warn you metal-heads were also history buffs…

When they’re not singing about historical events, Saxon often defaults to their other favourite topic – rocking out! There is a host of songs on “Crusader” that are variations on “let’s rock” including “Just Let Me Rock”, “Bad Boys (Like to Rock N’ Roll)”, and “Rock City.” This oft-visited topic tends to bring out the best in Saxon, with that energetic delivery screaming party, and willing fist pumps from the audience. Note that “bad boys” here is an honorific, not a judgment.

The record’s guitar solos are inspired. I think it is Graham Oliver on lead, but apologies if I have that wrong. Either way, the two-guitar sound of the band at this time (with crushing riffs AND screaming solos) together make the sound. There are lots of great solos, but “A Little Bit of What You Fancy” is particularly glorious. Each one serves the song’s melody while not just slavishly repeating it, taking you just to the edge of going too far, before reeling it in and returning you to the main tune.

The record also includes a cover of Sweet’s mid-seventies classic “Set Me Free”. I love Sweet’s version, but Saxon’s is every bit as good, replacing the deliciously lascivious feel of the original with (you guessed it) thump and power.

The one song that let me down was “Sailing to America,” again with history (waves of emigration to the United States) but the orchestral, aspirational hope vibe they try to create feels forced and empty. There are some great bass riffs in the song’s undercarriage courtesy of Steve Dawson (who drops similar gems throughout the record) but overall I could’ve lived without this one.

Saxon is well-regarded in the heavy metal community but gets little notice outside of it, and that’s a damned shame. They are one of the key bands of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal (caps deliberate) of the seventies and eighties. “Crusader” is them at the height of their power and influence, and a must-have for metal historians, but also for anyone who just wants to rock.

Best tracks: Crusader, A Little Bit of What You Fancy, Just Let Me Rock, Bad Boys (Like to Rock and Roll)

CD Odyssey Disc 1551: Jurassic 5

It is windy lately, and the result is fir tree needles are constantly covering my convertible. While this is irksome, I’m confident that if this is life’s biggest problem, you are fortunate indeed.

Disc 1551 is…. Self-Titled

Artist: Jurassic 5

Year of Release: 1999

What’s up with the Cover? A lot of logo action. The shape reminds me of those clunky throwing stars people used to make back in metal shop when I was in high school. The kind that never worked very well, but still got you in a lot of trouble.

How I Came To Know It: One day I was sitting having breakfast in one of my favourite local diners (The Ruby) and I exclaimed, “what is this awesome music I’m hearing?” The server must’ve heard me because she came over and told me it was Jurassic 5. It wasn’t this album, though. This album was me digging back through J5’s catalogue having realized how truly dope they were.

How It Stacks Up: I have three Jurassic 5 albums. I love them all, but one must be last and alas, it is this one.

Ratings: 4 stars

I’m a man of simple tastes when it comes to the rap game. I want some funky beats, I want some dope rhymes and I want great flow. I love a sample, particularly when cleverly combined with one or two other samples, and I don’t have much time for a song where the entirety of its appeal is someone pulling the entire hook from some other song. I don’t like it when a rapper tries to make an affected style or attitude make up for an overall lack of intricacy in the rhyme scheme or word play. I guess you could call me old school.

Enter Jurassic 5, a band that time forgot, that still delivers all the old school qualities I love most, and still sound fresh twenty years later. Greatness endures.

That greatness began with their self-titled EP, which is sadly only 22 minutes long, and has a mere five tunes for your listening pleasure. Fortunately, those tunes are crazy good. Moreover, they are primarily about my all-time favourite rap topic: variations on “look how great we rap”. Bundle up that topic with some exceptional rhymes and metaphor and you’ve not only got the makings of greatness, you’ve got your own promotional campaign. Basically, “Listen to this, while I tell you why you should listen to this.”

J5 has four rappers (Chali 2na, Akil, Soup aka Zaakir, and Marc 7); and two DJs (DJ Nu-Mark and Cut Chemist). That seems like a lot of folks to share two turntables and a microphone, but the stage never feels crowded. Each emcee has their own distinct voice, but their flow blends seamlessly. Think Beastie Boys in terms of skill, but with a smoother, more laid-back cadence.

While I love all the emcees equally, there is something special about the deep rumble of Chali 2na’s bass-baritone vocal. As rap names go I find Chali 2na a wee bit “dad humour” but there’s no denying his flow. One of my favourite sequences is on the album’s opening track, “In the Flesh”:

“No interference we persevere
The purpose is clear
We're here to leave your ear hurtin' severe
You're lurking in fear
'Cause we take it back like Robin Locksley
Rockin' from countryside to spots where hard rocks be”

I realize rap lyrics without the audio delivery sit lifeless on a page, but just trust me that these lines are indicative of the rhyme magic that J5 delivers across the record.

My only gripe with the record is that there are too many skits. Skits are a tradition in rap music that sometimes I appreciate, and sometimes I don’t. The ones here don’t add a lot to the listening experience, and if anything they blunt the momentum of some great rap tunes.

The one exception to this is the final track on the record, “Sausage Gut” which is a 20 second “phone message” where someone gets called fat in various ways. I’ve heard it many times and every single time it makes me laugh.

The best thing about this EP is that Jurassic 5 was just getting started. Like so many rap groups of the era they didn’t last long together, releasing a total of four albums. However, those four records are exceptional, and their debut is no exception.

Best tracks: In the Flesh, Jayou. Concrete Schoolyard, Action Satisfaction, Sausage Gut

CD Odyssey Disc 1550: Kelsey Waldon

Life is good of late. I’m working a lot of late hours, but I love my job, and if you’re going to spend a lot of time at the office, it might as well be doing something you love.

It does squeeze music review time, but fear not gentle readers, I have not forsaken my quest. Every CD listened to and reviewed. Here’s the latest.

Disc 1550 is…. The Goldmine

Artist: Kelsey Waldon

Year of Release: 2014

What’s up with the Cover? Kelsey has a drink in a dark bar. She has a look on her face that says while she may or may not find love tonight, but she’s definitely going to find that second drink.

How I Came To Know It: I discovered Waldon through her 2019 release “White Noise/White Lines” and digging backwards. Her earlier two albums were available on Bandcamp, but this one was download-only. I kept checking back and recently it was re-released on CD by Oh Boy records. I ordered both it and 2016’s “I’ve Got a Way” straight away. Bandcamp is a great place to support musicians, although I will say Oh Boy records sends a lot of promotional e-mail.

How It Stacks Up: I have three Kelsey Waldon albums, which you will already know if you’ve been paying attention. I like them all a lot, and while this is the first one to get reviewed, I’m feeling optimistic. I’m going to rank it #1. If I change my mind later, I’ll be sure to come clean.

Ratings: 4 stars

“The Goldmine” is a record steeped in brash and seedy Nashville bars, and the quiet desperation of the people you’ll rub shoulders with on Honky Tonk Row on a crowded Saturday night. It is as country as it comes, and as raw as a sunburn.

A lot of albums this country can end up being caricatures of themselves, with whiskey, women and broken hearts scattered through the lyrics like they were staged there for a photo shoot. Not so with Kelsey Waldon at the helm. Her raspy tone and southern twang rise from a deep core of honesty, peeling out to do what country does best; tell a story.

“Town Clown” starts the album off, and with its pedal steel and laid back mosey, it quickly establishes you are going to get an old seventies style country drawl that would make Loretta Lynn or Tammy Wynette proud. “Town Clown” is so traditional it is no surprise the actions of infidelity are witnessed on Lower Broadway in Nashville. If you’ve ever been there, you’ll know it has probably seen its fair share. Waldon sings it like our narrator isn’t so much sad as a mix of angry and disappointed.

While the lyrics on “Goldmine” are not poetically intricate, they are perfectly placed to cut you to the core. These lines from the title track are a good example of what makes the record so simple and perfect:

“And mama don’t want me to fail
Mama don’t want me to end up in jail
Mama don’t want me to turn out like you
It turns out sometimes I do…”

Nothing fancy, yet confessional and speaking up for all those people who try to cleave to their better natures, but sometimes falling short.

One of my favourite songs of hard living is “High in Heels” a song about poverty that showcases that what may look like bad choices are often forged in a crucible of poverty:

“We waited on the job, but it took too long
Brother got in trouble, now the money’s all gone
Now momma’s sick and I sling bottles at the mule
And people still ask me why I didn’t go to school.”

Bonus points for “twang rhyme” which is when words that don’t usually rhyme do so through the power of accent – in this case “high in heels/high on pills.”

The guitar work (regular and pedal steel) is excellent on this record, but the star is Waldon’s voice. She has a tone that is built to explore life’s harder edges, and that’s exactly what the stories on this record do. But for all that heartache, Waldon’s characters have an endurance to them that gives every song an understated nobility. To get there, she digs deep, and even better, she takes you down with her on the journey.

Best tracks: Town Clown, The Goldmine, Big Black Limousine, High in Heels, Me and You Again, Getting There