CD Odyssey Disc 587: Wild Strawberries

For the third straight review, this next album marks the end of the run for a particular artist.  I guess this means I’ve worked my way fairly deeply into the catalogue.

Not to worry, dear reader, with albums always being added at the front end the trip won’t end any time soon.

Disc 587 is….Quiver

Artist: Wild Strawberries

Year of Release: 1998

What’s up with the Cover? At first I thought this was just someone shaking (quivering?) a bit too much while holding the shutter open, but upon further review it is the head of lead singer Roberta Carter-Harrison mounted on a spring.  Surprise!  I sincerely hope this is a visual effect because the idea of her and hubby Ken actually having a jack-in-the-box of her head around the house creeps me out.  Or it makes me want to order one.  One of those.

How I Came To Know It: I really liked the Wild Strawberries first two albums, so I bought this one when it came out hoping for more of the same. Long-time readers of this blog will note that I do this a lot.

How It Stacks Up:  I have three Wild Strawberries albums, and like the last review of Supertramp, this is the worst of them.

And once again we find ourselves at the end of the line in terms of albums I own by this band, so here is my ranking of the discs I have in my collection:

1. Bet You Think I’m Lonely: 4 stars (reviewed at Disc 211)
2. Heroine: 4 stars (reviewed at Disc 311)
3. Quiver: 3 stars (reviewed right here)

Rating:  3 stars

Darker is not always better, particularly with pop music, and so it was that “Quiver” was a bit of a disappointment for me when I first heard it. Then again, sometimes it just takes longer to get to know things in the dark.

The previous two albums by musical (and actual) couple Ken Harrison and Roberta Carter-Harrison were inspiring pop music.  1994s “Bet You Think I’m Lonely” and 1995s “Heroine” were both revelations for me musically, combining synth pop, undercurrents of R&B and haunt-rock reminiscent of bands like Concrete Blonde.  To this day I still pull these albums still get on the regular rotation in our house, while “Quiver” sits forgotten for long stretches.

This is a bit unfair, because having given this album its due for the last couple of days I enjoyed it more than I expected I would.

The strong writing is still present, and songs like “Trampoline,” “Minions” and “Concha Y Toro” all have great melodies and a catchy rhythm section to boot.  In fact, it is a shame that the album doesn’t start off with “Trampoline” which has a clever little ‘oh-wee-oh” vocal transitioning in and out of its blues verses and rock chorus.  I’m not sure what the hell it is about (I think the trampoline is a metaphor) but I enjoy the journey anyway.

“Minions” and “Concha Y Toro” are the two songs that instantly appealed when I got the record back in 1998 and still appeal today.  They are both up tempo and a bit more rock-edged, while remaining firmly fixed in a pop style. 

Sadly, the album didn’t start with any of these songs, but instead with “Gotta Go” a formless mess of a song, obviously foundering in its own desire to layer on as much techno-beat as it can.  I don’t always hate a drum machine (other parts of “Quiver” use one admirably) but I sure hated one here. The fact that the chorus felt tuneless didn’t help any

While no other song on “Quiver” gave me the same negative experience, the fact that it is the first thing you hear on the record sets your ear in a bad place, and you find yourself waiting to hear more overdone club beats in other tracks. Sadly, they do show up in places, with “Speak of the Devil” and “You Could Be So Cold” both feeling overly cold with all the aimless synth.  “Pretty Lip” and “I Guess You’re Amused” are good songs at their core but I didn’t love the overly club-like treatment they get either.

Which is not to say that this stronger techno sound is always bad – and hearing this record on headphones (possibly for the first time) also helped.  “32” and “Blunt” work beautifully with their techno beats, which helps give these songs the sadness and detachment they need.  Both songs would work with nothing but Roberta’s voice and an acoustic guitar (Roberta – I’m available) but the electronic approach definitely works.

While “Quiver” will never be my favourite Wild Strawberries album, I still enjoyed it, and I’ll try to work it into more listens knowing that like a jack-in-the box it is jarring at first, but eventually vibrates its way into your heart.

Best tracks: Trampoline, Minions, Blunt, Concha Y Toro, 32

CD Odyssey Disc 311: Wild Strawberries

Recently while enjoying drinks with friends, I exclaimed (over-loudly) that my most hated band of all time was Duran Duran. This was certainly true in 1985, where everything about Duran Duran (the fakery, the looks-over-substance, the legions of fans walking around with their alligator polo shirts) offended me.

However, reasoned second thought and years of life experience have taught me there are worse musical acts than Duran Duran (albeit, few of them). Black Eyed Peas come to mind as one of the worst, but after giving this a lot of thought, I've come to realize there is only one band that can beat both of them for the title of Most Hated Band: Nickelback. Ah, Nickelback - it has been so long since I called you out on A Creative Maelstrom. You might think that my hatred for Nickelback might burn me, but it actually keeps me warm.

But on to happier thoughts, and actually talented Canadian musicians - lesser known, but so much better.

Disc 311 is...Heroine

Artist: Wild Strawberries

Year of Release: 1995

What’s Up With The Cover?: Lead singer Roberta Carter-Harrison strikes a retro fifties pose with a vaccuum cleaner. In the nineties I had a huge crush on Roberta, and looking at this cover reminds me why. She is so hot she makes the fifties look sexy.

How I Came To Know It: As I noted back when I reviewed "Bet You Think I'm Lonely" at Disc 211, I saw the Wild Strawberries on a late night Much Music show called 'The Wedge'. "Heroine" is their second album, and I bought it when it came out, excited to see what they would offer next.

How It Stacks Up: I have three Wild Strawberries albums. This one is excellent, and comes in 2nd only by the narrowest of margins.

Rating: 4 stars.

Good pop music is hard to find. When you think about some of the worst bands in history (Duran Duran, Justin Bieber, etc.) they generally come from the pop genre. I can understand that the world's most popular music consistently also produces the majority of the worst artists - that's statistically to be expected.

What I can't fathom is why so many of the best selling artists are the worst pop has to offer. Surely people can tell the difference between good pop and bad pop, yet this keeps happening. I can only assume soulless record execs are pulling the strings somewhere - not because I have any proof, but because the alternative is depressing.

This is even more noticeable when you come across a fairly obscure band like the Wild Strawberries, who are talented, accessible, write catchy hooks and are demonstrably photogenic (Oh, Roberta, why did you never return my calls...). They've got everything you need, yet somehow never hit it big. That said, I'm glad to make everything right in my little corner of the blogosphere.

As I noted in my review of their debut, The Wild Strawberries is a husband and wife team where the husband writes the songs and plays keyboards, and the wife sings and generally looks hot (see above). The music on this album is similar to their first, with a moody atmospheric sound that has a bit of an electronica edge (without actually being electronica). On top of this are layers of seventies-derived soul, topped off with the breathy crooning of Carter-Harrison.

Compared to their first release, "Heroine" has a bit more jump overall. You could say the Wild Strawberries 'lightened up' for this record, but the difference is only slight. They would take a different direction for their third record which I never enjoyed as much. "Heroine", however, is a joy - good to play in the car and sing along, and just as good at a party, or just hanging out playing board games with your wife. It is versatile and listenable music, which can fill the role of background music or active listening with equal success.

Lyrically, the record varies considerably. Some of the tracks are whimsical love songs and others are more seriously introspective. The band is very good at matching lyrics to the tone of the song, however, and the transitions from track to track have a good flow.

One song that stands out for me is "On My Own" which is half self-affirmation and half ironic self reflection on the nature of ego. It begins:

"I want to be a leading lady on my own
I want to act sophisticated on my own."

and later switches to:

"Everyone loves a winner when he's wrong
Everyone wants the singer to sing along."

Lyrically, I also like the final track, which is a slow and sombre character study titled, "Everybody Loves You When You're Dead." As with many Wild Strawberries songs, I'm not entirely certain of the narrative, so much as the mood. I think the song depicts the narrator picking up a stray waif on the street and helping her out, loving her, while not entirely trusting her. A couple of my favourite stanzas:

"She told me her name was Cymbeline
I met her at the corner of Church and Queen
She was selling lies and other painted things
I hardly even noticed when she touched my ring."

and

"'I can drive for hours when I'm wrong'
She said it like a preacher before the throng
Careful with your life, cause it's not very long
We struggle for a moment and then we're gone."

With so much bad pop floating around, it is nice to see bands like the Wild Strawberries and Aimee Mann delivering such excellent work. My only wish is that the Wild Strawberries' third album had lived up to the high standard set by "Bet You Think I'm Lonely" and "Heroine" - but that would be a tall order indeed.

In any case, over fifteen years later, this album gets put on by both me and Sheila at every opportunity, and still sounds fresh after hundreds of listens. It is amazing that I keep coming back to this record, but as Roberta sings in one song, "everything that rises must converge." That's certainly true of good music.

Best tracks: I Don't Want To Think About It, Heroine, On My Own, Aisle C, Everything That Rises, Everybody Loves You When You're Dead

CD Odyssey Disc 211: Wild Strawberries

I have not played this next album as much as KISS' "Destroyer" but that's because this album didn't come out until 1994, so "Destroyer" had an eighteen year head start. It has made up for lost time with heavy rotation since.

Disc 211 is...Bet You Think I'm Lonely
Artist: Wild Strawberries

Year of Release: 1994

What’s Up With The Cover?: It isn't the band. Some little girl gets a hug from a Mom or Dad figure (hard to tell). My guess is this is shortly after the girl has calmed down from a tearful tantrum at some family picnic. This is a typical alt-pop cover in the tradition of Belle & Sebastian (although Wild Strawberries are two years earlier). They depict photos of some scene that doesn't directly relate to the band or album title, but are simply 'arty'. I usually don't go for this, but I find "Bet You Think I'm Lonely" passable.

How I Came To Know It: I saw Wild Strawberries one late night watching Muchmusic's "The Wedge", a program that plays alternative music at late hours (prime time on Muchmusic is principally reserved for the worst the pop and hip hop world has to offer). They had a low budget video for "Life Sized Marilyn Monroe" and I loved the song. I wrote the title and band down and carried it around for the better part of a year until I finally found this album.

How It Stacks Up: A quick check of wikipedia (which as we know, is never wrong) reveals seven full length albums for the Wild Strawberries, although most look independent and hard to find. I have three of them, and of the three I think this is narrowly my favourite over number two.

Rating: 4 stars

"Wild Strawberries" are a Canadian alt-pop band comprised of a husband and wife team, Roberta Carter Harrison, and Ken Harrison. Ken writes the songs and plays keyboards, and Roberta sings. I'm not much of a keyboard expert, but Roberta Carter Harrison has a sweet voice, capable of being low and breathy or sweet and full when she's in her upper register.

I liked this band the first time I ever heard them, and when I finally had the whole record, it did not disappoint. Their sound is indie synth pop - bringing together the brooding haunting rock sound of Concrete Blonde, the indie pop of Rilo Kiley and that kind of detached R&B/funk sound that Beck does so well.. They are hard to quantify, but very good and deserving of considerably more commercial success than they enjoy.

The topics are often dark; the record opening with a song about a murder-suicide called, "That's The Way It Goes." At least I think its a murder-suicide. I've listened to it a hundred times, and just spent the last fifteen minutes poring over the lyrics (kudos to bands that print their lyrics). I'm now not sure if it is murder-suicide, or a double murder framed to look like one. The album ends with a song called "Angel Came Tumbling Down", which is about some single mother meeting a sad end in a small town. Both songs are depressing, but very good.

Another stand out is "Crying Shame" a song that opens by personifying what job loss feels like:

"Jenny lost her job on labour day
She looks so disconnected by she's really afraid
'My, my money's gonna fade away'
She says, 'Oh, what a crying shame."

And ends with a more general sense of the varied ways we view the truly down and out as we pass them on the street:

"Sometimes it's a dollar for the man outside the mission
Sometime's it's a fleeting note of social decay
Most of the time it's just peripheral vision
Oh, what a crying shame."

Knowing a few people who've lost their jobs this year through no fault of their own(including my lovely and wonderful wife) this song bit a little deeper this time around. It highlights how emotionally traumatic the experience is, and reminds us that wherever we're at on the wheel of fortune, we've got to hang together.

As for the Wild Strawberries, they voluntarily gave up jobs as a physiotherapist and a doctor to pursue their music careers, which scores pretty high on the bravery scale. Last I checked, Doctors do a lot better than Canadian indie bands.

It speaks to how the Wild Strawberries are willing to take risks to achieve what they want. These risks have never paid off financially, but on "Bet You Think I'm Lonely", they pay off artistically with a solid record I'll be putting on for many years to come.

Best tracks: The Way It Goes, Life Sized Marilyn Monroe, Bet You Think I'm Lonely, Crying Shame, Cinnamon, Angel Came Tumbling Down