CD Odyssey Disc 1708: EPMD

Before we get to the review, a quick word of remembrance for one of rock and roll’s greatest – Shangri-La’s singer Mary Weiss, who died a week ago at age 75. The Shangri-Las are one of music’s all-time greats (read more about what I think of them at Disc 1024). Weiss will be missed, but she leaves a lasting legacy of amazing music to remember her by.

Disc 1708 is…Strictly Business

Artist: EPMD

Year of Release: 1988

What’s up with the Cover? Erick Sermon and Parrish Smith, aka EPMD, chillin’ in a matching set of outfits which was a thing hip hop bands did in the day.

The background shows a high tech studio, you can tell because they have COMPUTORS with huge monitors. Hey, it was 1988.

How I Came To Know It: Many years ago my friend Spence made a compilation CD of all the original versions of the songs on Rage Against the Machine’s cover album, “Renegades”. One of the songs was EPMD’s “I’m Housin’” I found myself relating to the matter, and so I dropped the bomb. Or in this case, I dropped the $15 to buy the CD.

That reference makes more sense if you know the lyrics.

How It Stacks Up: I have three EPMD albums, and this is the best one. #1!

Rating: 5 stars

There are some records that go beyond just plain excellent. Records that define a genre and a moment in time, against which all others are compared to or descended from. That is EPMD’s 1988 debut “Strictly Business”. This record is a colossus of style, execution and swagger.

The first thing that will catch your attention on this record is just how God damned funky it is. This is from the golden age of rap, when you could sample anything you wanted with impunity, and EPMD use their powers entirely for good. They take large chunks of tunes and completely repurposes the borrowed riff into something new and different that makes you forgive the borrowing.

The record launches with a snippet of “I Shot the Sheriff” so artfully matched with a back beat and a side-sliding rhythm that will defeat any attempt to sit still. You will bob your head, and if there is room, you will drop some dance moves. You will do this.

Things get better from there, starting with the aforementioned “I’m Housin’”. This track has even more funk, as if that were possible. As with all tracks, we are treated to the flow of Erick Sermon (the E in EPMD). Sermon and PMD (Parrish Smith) are two of rap’s all time great emcees. The words just roll like a bobsleigh on an Olympic course: fast, smooth and cold as ice. Like all the greats of the time (Rakim, Big Daddy Kane, Chuck D) no one sounds like EPMD as they artfully navigate a pocket. Now front, now back, now playfully delaying to the next beat just so you know they can.

“Let the Funk Flow” follows and as the title suggests, the funk continues to flow. Does it get even funkier? Funkin’ rights it does. It is hard to be funkier than zero degrees Kelvin of funk on the first two tracks, but somehow “Let the Funk Flow” manages to overflow the funk.

And on and on we go. At one point you will be advised that “You Gots to Chill” but the verbal admonition is unnecessary. That’s Track 4, and you will already be fully and completely chilled. Then later you’ll be invited to learn “The Steve Martin” a song that encourages a dance craze based on Steve Martin’s back porch moves at the beginning of The Jerk.

This being 1988, we are treated to some high quality ‘I rap better than you’ lyrics, best served on “Get Off the Bandwagon”. Tons of great stuff, but I dig this section:

“I'm not bragging, but tagging
And snagging the biter that tries to imitate
Time to go on strike and demonstrate
On the foe, that does not N-O
That if he pulls my card, I'm good to flow
Toe to toe, blow to blow, without H2O
Ayo, you want to battle? I'm good to G-O”

Indeed, they are.

This record’s weakest track is still great. “DJ K LaBoss”  is four minutes or so of scratching and sampling. An average dance tune, but a technical masterpiece that you can admire for the skill alone.

And so, finding no downside, and plenty of up I declare this record as good as it gets, give it the five stars it was going to take anyway, and reluctantly move on to whatever album comes next.

Best tracks: all tracks

CD Odyssey Disc 1707: Haley Blais

This week’s Grammy nominations feature a song by Taylor Swift comparing herself to a monster (“Anti-Hero”) and a song by Olivia Rodrigo about someone behaving like a monster (“Vampire”). They are up against one another in a whole bunch of categories, which thematically seems fitting. Both great songs, but I’ll be pulling for Rodrigo as the underdog. I won’t be watching, though. I hold to the general principal that no matter how solid a pair of rival pop songs are, the Grammys still suck.

Speaking of pop music, the Odyssey seems to be on a roll with bands like Girl in Red and the aforementioned Swift, and now this next artist, from a bit closer to home.

Disc 1707 is…Below the Salt

Artist: Haley Blais

Year of Release: 2020

What’s up with the Cover? Giant Baby Head Cover. Yuck. Focus just three quarters more to the left and we could have Blais’ Giant Head, but instead we get this fucking baby. This is the worst Giant Baby cover since Clem Snide’s album reviewed back at Disc 1555. Also, is that baby smirking at me? You wipe that smirk off your face, baby!

How I Came To Know It: Haley Blais played at an outdoor event in Victoria last summer. I was there to see Whitehorse, but decided to check out Haley Blais who was on before them. I bought her album and tour shirt at the merch table.

How It Stacks Up: Haley Blais has two albums, but I only have one, so it can’t stack up.

Rating: 2 stars

My concert review of last July indicates that I found Haley Blais “solid” and that I really liked her t-shirt. Also that I had “checked out her albums prior and liked what I heard.” I wouldn’t go as far to say I was wrong at the time, but I will say the record has not stood up as well under closer examination. The tour shirt is still dope, though. That’s a keeper.

“Below the Salt” is an atmospheric pop record that feels like it suffered a bit too much care and attention in the studio. Lots of dreamy Cure-style reverb and guitar but lacking the restless energy that makes the Cure so compelling. The production is layered but distant, like someone has fidgeted with the various nobs on the mixing board one too many times.

It doesn’t help that I’ve recently reviewed two seriously good pop records, in Taylor Swift’s “Midnights” and Girl in Red’s “If I Could Make It Go Quiet”. Those records have a crisp talent for production, so carefully constructed that it is almost a fault. “Below the Salt” sounds like the same care and attention went into it but the results are neither offensive nor inspiring. Capable, but ultimately just OK.

Blais’ voice has a good tone to it, sweet and a bit airy. Not powerful, but assured. Unfortunately, she sometimes falls into the bad habit of curling a lisp into her delivery, and not finishing her words. This can work when done well, but more often than not it feels affected. Just sing loud, sing proud and you’re more likely to make an impression. I read on the Interwebs that she is classically trained, so I would not have expected this but maybe it is just a compensation to not sound too formal. This is pop music, after all.

I was also disappointed that the song ‘Firestarter” was not about the Stephen King character with pyrokinesis. A real lost opportunity.

Because of the busy and distant production, I had a hard time following along with the lyrics, although the album was noticeably better on headphones, where you could immerse yourself in the layers. That helped, but ultimately not enough to inspire me to keep it.

There were strong moments on “Below the Salt” but whatever magic I first heard that motivated me to get down to the Whitehorse show early, and to buy the album from the merch table didn’t survive sufficiently from July until now. It is a solid record, but I’ll be moving it along to a home where it’ll get more love than it will in mine.

Best tracks: Someone Called While You Were Out, On a Weekend, Asleep

CD Odyssey Disc 1706: Taylor Swift

It snowed here the last few days, and the city doesn’t handle it very well. My car handles it even worse, so I have been taking the bus and walking most of the week. This has been surprisingly restful, and moreover, it has given me a lot of down time on the commute to listen to this next record and grok it in its fullness.

Disc 1706 is…Midnights

Artist: Taylor Swift

Year of Release: 2022

What’s up with the Cover? Taylor in soft focus, looking very 1970s. Without the big borders on two sides this could be a Giant Head Cover, but there is just too much white space and not enough Giant Head to qualify.

How I Came To Know It: Now that I’ve opened my ears and my heart to Taylor Swift’s music, I tend to buy whatever her latest release is. That’s what happened in 2022 with this album.

How It Stacks Up: I have six Taylor Swift albums. I put “Midnights” in at #4.

Rating: 3 stars but almost 4

After exploring the world of indie folk-pop on her 2020 pandemic records (“Folklore”, “Evermore”) Taylor Swift returns fully and completely to pop bangers on “Midnights”. I’ll miss her folkier side, but “Midnights” is a worthy entry into Swift’s impressive canon of work.

Like a lot of anthemic radio friendly pop these days, on “Midnights” the production and mixing are as much a star as the vocals and instruments. The record is laden with literal bells, whistles, overdubs, electronic drumbeats and pretty much every trick that pop music has in its considerable arsenal to make your ears feel good.

A big part of pop production’s success is the science of having new sounds appear at clever times that your ear is expecting. A twinkle of bell in one bar, then missing in the next one at the same spot, all so you can revel in knowing just when to make a ring the bell gesture as you sing along, and when to share a smile with others similarly informed and not make the gesture. It lends itself to music that is best when played over and over again, welcoming familiarity.

I knew I was being manipulated by Swift and fellow producer and serial hit-maker Jack Antonoff do it so well I didn’t mind. It avoids all the busyness present in lesser efforts and dresses the songs in the best outfits possible. It also helps that Swift is a generational talent when it comes to writing a pop hook, and a catchy melody. Whether you like her or not, there’s a reason she’s sold this many records; under all the marketing, outfits, concerts and media drama, it’s the quality of the songs that brings me to the party.

The album features the usual Swift fare of relationships remembered with fondness (and a little bitterness where appropriate) and a lot of life-journey type stuff where Swift reflects on how she got here, and just what “here” means. She very much wants her audience to know that being the most famous woman on the planet can still make for hard days.

The best of this theme, and the best song on the record by a good margin is “Anti-Hero”. This song has Taylor exploring whether she is, in fact, still a good person. Hard to know when you enter the rarified air of being surrounded by a team of people whose job is literally you. A place where everyone loves you  – which is very much a different thing from being a good person.

In the song, Swift compares herself to various old movie monsters. The song has some grade-A Swift lyrics, none better than:

“It's me, hi, I'm the problem, it's me
At tea time, everybody agrees
I'll stare directly at the sun but never in the mirror
It must be exhausting always rooting for the anti-hero

“Sometimes I feel like everybody is a sexy baby
And I'm a monster on the hill
Too big to hang out, slowly lurching toward your favorite city
Pierced through the heart, but never killed”

Here we have a lot of vampire imagery, which goes well with the song’s opening that suggest insomnia and bad sleeping habits. The hook on “Anti-Hero” is…er…off the hook. It is one of those pop songs you sing along with and after it ends, you want to hear it all over again.

The album has some shortcomings. The production decisions are always brilliant, but that doesn’t mean I love all of them. A thing can work, but still not be how I would do it. I’m sure this criticism does not give Antonoff any sleepless nights.

The low vocals on “Midnight Rain” (either Swift put through a lot of effects, or a dude) made me want to reach into the speaker and throttle said dude. No need, because the singer already sounded like they were being strangled.

Minor quibbles however, on a record that is great stuff. Swift has been doing this for so long now that we expect this level of excellence, and once again she’s delivered.

Best tracks: Anti-Hero, You’re On Your Own Kid, Question…?, Karma

CD Odyssey Disc 1705: The Charlatans

This next album is one of the first in what no doubt will be a series of “albums Sheila found for me while thrifting”. Sheila has been an ace thrifter for years (you can read her awesome fashion blog here). Recently she’s taken up a bit of whimsical thrifting for me in the bargain CD rack. They usually cost only a dollar, so even when it is a miss, the outlay is minimal.

The exploration is good fun and I am loving it, but don’t expect a review of everything that comes home. To make it to the blog, they need to be worth a full three listens minimum. This next band succeeded in clearing the bar, so here you go.

Disc 1705 is…Tellin’ Stories EP

Artist: The Charlatans

Year of Release: 1997

What’s up with the Cover? A pretty woman sitting on a chair which is artfully placed to ensure this blog entry remains safe for decent reg’lar folks. This cover is considerably superior to the full album version, which features the four giant heads of the band.

According to the interwebs, the pretty woman in question is Christine Keeler, who was famous for her involvement in the Profumo Affair scandal of 1960s England. This makes the title of the album that much more appropriate.

How I Came To Know It: Sheila bought me this from a thrift shop in a small BC town called Powell River. Who owned it before me? We shall never know, dear reader.

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

Rating: 2 stars

My biggest challenge with rock music from this era is the overly rich production, and “Tellin’ Stories” has this in spades. There is a lot going on, with guitar and organ both working away diligently on the melody. The arrangement of the instruments is complementary, but they are by no means taking turns – they’re going at the same time, and finding windows between the notes to call and answer.

This is intentional, and very much a feature of the sound. This era of British rock has a fair bit of this sound, which is saturated with a bit of prog-adjacent groove. It’s better for driving than dancing, with a restless “go forth!” quality that propels each track forward.

I don't have a lot of this type of music in my collection, and while I'd like to say it reminds me a bit of Oasis and a bit of Blur, the truth is I don't know very much about either of those bands. There was a stretch where I thought I heard vestiges of the Canadian band Grapes of Wrath but mostly because the vocals of Charlatan’s Tim Burgess has that same high airy quality of the Grapes of Wrath’s harmonies. On the lighter production of “Keep it to Yourself” he even has the same jangle of the Canadian band, but most of the time it is British alt-pop not Canadian folk-rock.

All the tunes on the Tellin’ Stories EP have an urgent, even frantic crosstown traffic quality to them. The music feels very urban, crossing over itself with the same seamless flow of a busy downtown intersection. Nobody trips on anyone else, and everyone in the band knows where they’re going, but I found a bit crowded nonetheless. Maybe it just the country boy in me, but I longed for just a little more elbow room, musically speaking.

There is a part of me that thinks if I had the full album I might better immerse myself in the experience, but with only four songs and 17 minutes of music it was over while I was still trying to wrap my head around it. I can see why this band is well-loved, but it just wasn’t for me, at least in such a limited listening opportunity.

Best tracks: Tellin’Stories

CD Odyssey Disc 1704: Girl In Red

I got home from work, late as usual, to find a delicious stir fry waiting for me (Sheila looks out for me). There was also a CD in the mail. Jeffrey Martin’s “Thank God We Left the Garden”. Martin made honourable mention on my top 10 list for 2023.

This next record was from 2021 and while it didn’t make that year’s top 10, I still liked it a lot. Let’s explore further, shall we?

Disc 1704 is…If I Could Make It Go Quiet

Artist: Girl in Red

Year of Release: 2021

What’s up with the Cover? Just your basic little girl in a field of flowers, if that little girl was powered by NIGHTMARE FUEL. She may be lurching toward you awkwardly through the back garden because she wants to give you a big hug but trust me when I say don’t let it touch you.

How I Came To Know It: I would have discovered this album during the pandemic, which was all a bit of a blur. I am guessing I read a review. Apparently, there is a song from this record that was a radio hit, but that wasn’t how I heard it, since I don’t listen to the radio. You know, because the radio sucks.

How It Stacks Up: This is my only Girl in Red album, so it can’t stack up.

Rating: 3 stars but almost 4

Girl in Red is the stage name for Norwegian singer-songwriter Marie Ulven Ringheim and while she is in no way creepy like the girl in red on the cover, she does have a healthy dose of anxiety. I say “healthy” because Ringheim used the record to explore that anxiety in its pure and uncut form and the result is surprisingly reassuring. By opening up about her own inner turmoil, she gifts listeners with the realization that they, too, are going to be OK.

This message was timely when the record was released in April of 2021. In case you don’t remember, April 2021 was very “make it go quiet” indeed, with deserted streets and COVID lockdowns the world over. At a time when we thought we needed some sugary reassurance, Girl in Red gave us what we actually needed: something you could dance around to, alone in your apartment, all the while providing a companion to our dark thoughts that said, “hey, it’s hard for me too.”

Nothing summarizes the experience more than the album’s first track, and (reportedly) its biggest hit, “Serotonin”. The song speaks to clinical anxiety and in the process, becomes a salve for anyone suffering through isolation and uncertainty. As with many of the songs on the record, “Serotonin” doesn’t provide a solution, but it explores difficult and challenging mental states.

“hornylovesickness” starts off sounding more lighthearted, talking about how sometimes you just want to get laid but trust me, it gets dark fast. The song has a Lily Allen style bounce, but the undercurrent explores the loneliness of the road, the bad choices we sometimes make when we’re lonely, and the people we hurt in the process.

My favourite song on the album is the upbeat. “You Stupid Bitch.” The title sounds like an insult, but it is really a wakeup call to remember to love yourself. This song is danceable fun, of the arm-flailing/jump in place variety. That’s a great kind of dancing, although obviously better if you aren’t on a crowded dance floor where you’re liable to knock the glasses off of someone dancing close by. Once again, perfect for a pandemic lockdown. Situate yourself well clear of any free-standing lamps and vases and let ‘er rip.

Melodically, the album doesn’t create any new genres, but it uses the structures of pop music in innovative ways, and features arrangements and production decisions that are artfully chosen; lush but deliberate.

Lyrically, it is a far cry from complex poetry, but Ringheim makes it work, if for no other reason than her willingness to match the raw simple words with urgent, emotive tunes that want to create a mood rather than tell a story.

I enjoyed having a chance to explore this record again, and I’ll be pulling it off the shelves more often as a result. It is the recurring gift I get from these reviews – a chance to slow my insatiable desire for new music and slow down enough to appreciate the flowers. And in this case, the strange and surprisingly wonderful girl in red standing among them.

Best tracks: Serotonin, hornylovesickness, You Stupid Bitch, Rue

CD Odyssey Disc 1703: Bully

Many a long day has kept me from you my dear readers, but tonight I return to regale you with tales of musical discovery!

Disc 1703 is…Lucky for You

Artist: Bully

Year of Release: 2023

What’s up with the Cover? Our hero poses with her turtleneck pulled up over half her face. Likely causes for this decision include a) she is bashful b) she is cold or c) she is robbing a bank. Maybe d) has seen an ex-lover at the airport and wants to not be noticed.

How I Came To Know It: The boring way. I read a review, and after subsequently listening to the album, I liked what I heard and here we are.

How It Stacks Up: Bully has four albums but this is currently my only one, and so can’t stack up.

Rating: 3 stars

Having “crunch” in your rock and roll is something that needs believability to function. It isn’t enough that you play your notes loud enough, nor that you turn up the reverb. It has to feel authentic or it just feels loud. Which brings us to “Bully” a post-grunge concoction that very much wants to possess crunch. Does it? The answer is…sometimes, but mostly when she’s toning it down.

Bully is the performance name of a woman named Alicia Bognanno who, apart from some guest musicians here and there, makes her own music, playing guitar, bass and performing lead vocals. It’s her vision and that vision is fully realized on her fourth record, “Lucky for You”. The music is nineties inspired rock, heavy on the grunge and don’t spare the production.

It is this lush nineties sound, which ranges from the early nineties fuzz of Nirvana to the early oughts loudness of Evanescence. If you like your sound production clean and full of space for individual instruments to shine, this is not for you. After the first couple of listens I wasn’t sure it was for me for this reason. There is a lot of loud, and not a lot of true ‘crunch’ (that word again) behind it.

The record was saved by my schedule, a busy bunch of commuting and waiting that resulted in three car listens and two more on headphones. So trapped, I was given the chance to appreciate “Lucky for You” on its own terms and lo and behold, it began to win me over.

It was better after I realized she had more in common with the Muffs than Nirvana. This stuff is power pop, with guitar and reverb. The bones of the songs are solid once you hear them this way, and as the melody began to rise above the mud I started to like a number of the songs.

Bognanno’s vocals aren’t of the powerhouse variety, but she’s a pop singer. If you want growl or anxious Curt Cobain wailing, you’ve come to the wrong place. And while the strained effort of the guitar in songs like “A Wonderful Life” are trying a little too hard to be cool, the tune itself is passable. When the blood and thunder eased off and Bognanno lets her voice get a bit sweet, I found myself genuinely having a good time.

The album opens with the frenetic “All I Do” which is good, and very much wants to be a radio hit, but it felt a bit too much like it was produced by the Paul Giamatti character in “Rock of Ages”. I should note at this point that while “Rock of Ages” is an atrocious film, I have a soft spot for just how silly it is. Also, Malin Akerman. But I digress…

Back to the record, that hits its stride a bit late in the listen, with Track 4’s “Hard to Love”. While a lot of this stuff is trying too hard, “Hard to Love” is exactly what Bully does best. A bit of whimsy and jump on the verses, and a good (but not overwrought) thump in the chorus. Crunch? Here, yes, principally because it is employed with restraint.

“Lose You” is similar, which has one of Bognanno’s best vocal performances, despite production that puts the slightest (but still too much) squawk box effect on the vocals. The song is just too solid for that to spoil it. Also great, is “Ms. America”, the poppiest song on the record, and also the best.

Over the course of my multiple listens, “Lucky For You” went from an album I thought would be my first 2023 fail, to a solid rock and roll record with good songwriting that is at its best when employing a “less is more” approach to the production.

Best tracks: Hard to Love, Lose You, Ms. America

CD Odyssey Disc 1702: Handel

Greetings, gentler readers. It is a rare and exciting day here on the CD Odyssey – I’ve randomly rolled classical music! I know very little about classical music, other than as with every other kind of music, I like what I like. So, if you would like a scholarly or high-brow approach to Handel, go buy a book or take a course. If you’d like a more whimsical approach to the music itself and how it affects me (and maybe glean some details on how you might feel about it) then read on.

Disc 1702 is…Handel: Compact Companions

Artist: George Frideric Handel

Year of Release: 1993 but music from 1717 - 1749

What’s up with the Cover? It’s an old-timey painting! A more cultured person could have told you exactly what old-timey painting is, but I am not that person. Therefore, I'm going to make up my own story.

The gentleman depicted appears sweet on the lady, but if he wants to be taken seriously he needs to tone his ‘swoon’ down by several degrees. No one respects that much swooning, as you can see from the slightly amused and haughty look on said lady’s face. She might like the attention, but she’s not remotely close to handing him her calling card.

How I Came To Know It: Sheila bought this album at a book store more than twenty years ago. It is actually a small commemorative book providing historical and musical details of Handel’s life and works. What I’ll be discussing here is only that oval on the cover that reads, “Includes a 60-minute CD”. That’s this. I feel like the advertisement should end with an exclamation point, but given this is a classical work, maybe the cover designers were going for tasteful restraint.

…

Nope. That ship sailed when they slapped an advertisement on a famous painting.

How It Stacks Up: This is our only album by Handel, so it can’t stack up.

Rating: Is this a true album or a “best of” Handel, and thus not eligible for ranking as per house rules? I considered this very solemnly for a good 10 minutes or so (an eternity in cognitive time). I found that with the exception of “Water Music” and “The Messiah”, the majority of the stuff on this record represent the complete work. Also, it wasn’t like Handel was out there pressing vinyl in 1717, so I’m going to rank away - 5 stars!

The winds of time are harsh and unforgiving, which means that you don’t hang around in famous town for long without having some talent. Handel’s “Messiah” is still performed every Christmas, and the other tunes (or ‘works’ for the toffee-nosed amongst you) on this record are also all instantly recognizable. 300 years have passed with his reputation undiminished. This is as it should be, because Handel is a revelation. He was famous in his day, and he’s famous now, and when you’re this good, that’s as it should be.

The record starts off with a goodly chunk of “Water Music”. I don’t know if it is the best parts of the piece, but based on how much I like it, it seems likely. This tune is the first of many that showcases Handel’s mastery of melody. Don’t expect a bunch of double base action here – Handel is going to keep it light and let the top end of the orchestra have its way. Violins to the fore, and don’t spare the bow hair!

The tune seems like something you’d like to hear played by a small orchestra on the shore of some lake while you get rowed about and enjoy a bottle of wine. I’m sure its been done.

After this we get the complete “Concerto Grosso, Op. 6, No.1”. Again, it is sublime. My favourite instrument in classical music is the violin, and while Handel is famed for his organ (hee hee), he is also gifted at featuring the mighty violin, as he does here.

“Coronation Anthem ‘Zadok the Priest’” reads like something out of a Conan novel (where Zadok is worshipping Dagon and eventually gets beheaded by Conan). In fact it has been used in the coronation of British (and Canadian) monarchs for most of the past 300 years. That bit in the middle with the choir dropping “God save the king! Long live the king!” is a triumphant march down the streets of London, with the trill of violin feeling like a choir of songbirds that whorl and spin in the back eddy of all that pomp ceremony. There aren’t actually songbirds (more likely pigeons) but it feels like it.

The other major “full” piece is “Organ Concerto No. 6” which is masterful and along with Op. 6 Concerto above, had me thinking that Handel perfected each of his ideas around the sixth iteration. That’s a wild guess though – I haven’t heard the other five, so it is just as likely they are all awesome. Anyway, I saw a bit of the live action on this Organ Concerto and I was left thinking “that looks hard to play.” The result doesn’t sound hard though, it sounds like a whimsical fairy dance party.

Things end with the last part of the “Messiah” aka “the part everyone knows. This may seem like an overly obvious choice, but I challenge you to listen to the “Hallelujah Chorus” and not want to shout out a few of them. Inspirational to hear irrespective of your religious leanings.

I tend to like my classical music like I like my rap: clean production, and space to appreciate what’s going on. That’s Handel, who lifted my spirits with every one of these selections. This is a record meant to be played at high volume, and with your full attention for maximum enjoyment. You will not be disappointed.

Best tracks: all tracks, which are all the ones noted above, plus the overture for “Music for the Royal Fireworks” which is…exactly that. For best results, pair with a bold valpolicella…and fireworks.

CD Odyssey Disc 1701: Margo Cilker

Happy New Year!

Today is my last day of holidays, but I put my free time to good use. Along the way, I aw friends and family, played games, had a few drinks and generally caught up on a whole lot of sleep debt.

I also explored a whole bunch of fine music along the way, including this next record.

Disc 1701 is…Valley of Heart’s Delight

Artist: Margo Cilker

Year of Release: 2023

What’s up with the Cover? Margo kicks back and enjoys a big sky. I prefer the rugged landscapes of British Columbia, but I can also see a goodly amount of heart’s delight in the gentle slopes of this river valley.

How I Came To Know It: The boring way – read a review and liked what I read, listened to the album on Youtube and liked what I heard. I also knew Margo Cilker from her 2021 release Pohorylle, which I have yet to review.

How It Stacks Up: I have two Margo Cilker albums. While I haven’t officially revealed which two, it is an easy guess based on the information available to you so far. The two records are both excellent, but I must reluctantly place “Valley of Heart’s Delight” in the #2 position.

Rating: 4 stars

2023 was the year of Fluff and Gravy records, a small independent label that consistently releases some of the best indie folk, country and Americana out there. Today’s discovery is Margo Cilker’s second record, “Valley of Heart’s Delight” a wandering minstrel of a record through the many times and forms of folk and country music.

“Valley of Heart’s Delight” covers a lot of ground, from barroom sway to back country trail songs. The journey is held together by Cilker’s voice, which lands somewhere between carefree and weary, with outbursts of yeehaw should the moment require it. Her tone is similar to Lucinda Williams, both in terms of the heavy emotion and also the light nasally warble. The tunes are less blues-driven than Lucinda, landing more solidly in the country lane.

The album is beautifully produced by fellow singer/songwriter Sera Cahoone. Cahoone clearly “gets” Cilker, and understands that even the rowdier songs need space and quiet to let their beauty unfold. For this reason, this record is significantly better on headphones than in a car. I listened to it multiple times in the car, but it wasn’t until today that I got one last “at home” listen in that I was reminded how much I loved it when I first heard it. It needs your attention. If you want to just play it while you’re cooking eggs or having a pint at the pub, you are doing it wrong.

The record opens with the most accessible tune (always a wise choice) with the free and easy “Lowland Trail”. This tune has some classic country guitar twang that won’t ever feature this heavily again on the record. It is wonderful here, but you won’t miss it. If anything, Cilker is signalling to you that the record is going to search high and low for the truth, and in doing so she’s likely to explore a lot of different facets and styles of music. Getting things started with this refrain-heavy ear-pleaser is a wise choice.

Later she’ll get into drunken sway of songs like “Keep in on the Burner” and “Crazy or Died” or the folksy strum of “Beggar for Your Love”. The latter song also shows off Cilker’s talent for weaving emotional honesty with evocative images of rural living. Best lines in the song are in the opener:

“It takes two to tie up a line only sometimes
You can get a good fire to burn through the night if the wind's right
I've been looking at the answers trying to find the in between
I've been watching it all from this porch unraveling”

It isn't always perfect. The second half of “Remember Carolina” descends into a goofy rhyme-time game that feels self-indulgent and out of place on an otherwise fully invested record. It was the only time I felt that way, however. Most of the time, I was just happy to immerse myself in Cilker’s world, as she comingled grief, exploration, and the general acceptance of relaxing and seeing where the lowland trails of life will take you, creatively and otherwise.

It took exactly one record for me to regret leaving something off the “best of 2023” albums, but this is it. Less than a week past posting and I’m already wanting to make edits. Writers, I tell ya…

Best tracks: Lowland Trail, Beggar for Your Love, With the Middle, Santa Rosa, Sound and Fury, All Tied Together