CD Odyssey Disc 1549: The Stray Birds

Hello and welcome back! I’ve been getting home so late from work this week it has been hard to squeeze in a review, but today I was determined. Not to get home on time, though. That did not happen. But I will write a review anyway.

Disc 1549 is…. Let it Pass

Artist: Stray Birds

Year of Release: 2018

What’s up with the Cover? Our three band members look out at us. Behind them the wall is that shade of grey acceptable only for photography studios or when you are about to list the house for sale.

How I Came To Know It: I am an avowed Stray Birds fan, so this was just me buying their latest album when it came out. As it happens, this is also their last album, as they announced their breakup shortly before it came out.  

How It Stacks Up: I have four Stray Birds albums and they are all good. This one is also amazing, but the competition is tough, and it lands fourth.

Ratings: 4 stars

Hearing “Let it Pass” always makes me feel a little sad, knowing that this is the band’s last record. They clearly had a lot of good music still in them, but as Kenny Rogers once sang, “you gotta know when to fold ‘em” and fold ‘em they did. As last hands go, this one was still a winner.

If you don’t know the Stray Birds, they are a folk trio of Maya De Vitry, Oliver Craven and Charles Muench. Charles plays bass and Maya and Oliver play everything else. More importantly they play whatever they are playing brilliantly. Rarely will you hear musicians landing everything in such perfect time; never rushed, never lagging, always just right. For a band that was in the throes of breaking up, you sure wouldn’t know it from their musicianship.

This record is a little more contemporary than previous offerings, but still very much folk music. There are hints of bluesy piano throughout as well as songs that are straight up country. I am used to the Stray Birds in a rawer folk state, and I admit when I first heard this record, I didn’t love it. I listened a couple of times and put it on the shelf for a while. This was a mistake. It is a bit different than previous offerings, but just as excellent.

The album begins with a classic Maya de Vitry vocal performance. De Vitry is a national treasure, with a rich and throaty tone to her voice that is inimitable. I tried to sing along to this song on the way home, but quickly realized that low verse and high chorus requires the kind of range I can only dream about. De Vitry not only hits all those notes, she hits them with the kind of power that can blow doors down.

The song’s chorus has a lovely image of reconciliation:

“Meet me on the bridge
We can watch the water
Meet me on the bridge
Water running under.”

Simple, but in de Vitry’s hands, powerfully so. As much as I love the song, there are some metaphors that had me scratching my head, among them, “We blew up so many times/We might as well be a science” and “I built so many walls/I might as well be an army.” Um…does science blow up and do armies build walls? I guess the answer to both is…sometimes? I mean chemistry sometimes has explosions and armies sometimes sit behind fortifications, but it isn’t what you think is going to happen in volume. But I digress…

De Vitry is also exceptional on the slower and more understated tunes, including “Nothing to Say About It Now” where she showcases a sweet and innocent head voice that will make you feel like lying in a field of daisies and staring at blue sky and clouds.  

As a fan, I there can never be enough De Vitry on lead vocals, but this record also has a lot of Oliver Craven. Fortunately, he also sounds great, with a pure tone and a nice country/folk crossover sound. Songs like “Quicksilver Highway” and “Truth in the Night” both would be country radio hits if country radio knew what it was doing. “Truth in the Night” also has some fine harmonies, as the Stray Birds show they’re not just synched up on their instruments, but in their vocals as well.

I was going to give this album three stars, but I realized that the only thing wrong with it was I liked the other three records in my collection more. In the end, that wasn’t enough to hold it down. This is a solid record that most bands would be lucky to have as their best. If the Stray Birds aren’t going to make any more music, then they’ve left fans with one hell of a parting gift.

Best tracks: The Bridge, In My Time, Quicksilver Highway, Miles and Miles, Nothing to Say About It Now, Truth in the Night

CD Odyssey Disc 1548: Liz Phair

After a lovely brunch, we’ve done grocery shopping and I’m now ready to firmly settle into that blissful feeling of knowing I am not going out again today.

Disc 1548 is…. Soberish

Artist: Liz Phair

Year of Release: 2021

What’s up with the Cover? Citizens of New York are on high alert tonight, as a 50’ tall woman stalks Lower Manhattan with an unknown purpose! She was last seen reclining on the Washington Square Arch and may or may not have been singing a pop song!

Will city officials send a delegation to hear her demands, or just urge citizens to lock their doors and hope she is only there to play some chess in the park before heading to the city’s outskirts?

How I Came To Know It: I am a Liz Phair fan from back in the day, so when she released her first album in over ten years I decided to give it a listen.

How It Stacks Up: I have six Liz Phair albums. Of those six, “Soberish” is in the bottom half, but I still liked it. I’ll rank it #4.

Ratings: 3 stars

For the last twenty years, Liz Phair has been exploring how to incorporate her nineties alt-rock sound into something a bit more pop-flavoured and contemporary. It hasn’t always been successful. 2003’s self-titled effort was good in places but was followed by albums I either didn’t like (“Somebody’s Miracle” 2005) or don’t even remember (“Funstyle” 2010). On “Soberish” Phair returns to form, rising above some unfortunate production decisions to deliver her best record in a long time.

The first thing that caught my attention on “Soberish” was the raw honesty in the songs. Phair’s truths are equally at home on songs that narrate the sad and weary ending of a long-term relationship, and the awkwardness of dating and finding love all over again.

“Good Side” is the former, a song that reminds us that wile breaking up is painful, we owe it to ourselves and others to leave with as much grace and forgiveness as we can muster. This song has a great pop hook, and amazing lyrics but it is pulled down by some very bad production choices. Weird synth sounds that would be more at home on a Sugar Ray record, and feel very dated, and just way too many instances of “let’s throw this in there!” happening either in the studio or post-production. Just strip it down and the song unfold. No bells and/or whistles required.

The same goes for the weird excess oughts-dance back beat on “In There” although in this case, the song is just too good to be denied. This song is such a great exploration of a woman acknowledging how some people can work their way into your heart. It also features the best metaphor on the record:

“Like smoke under the door, like cold comes through the floor
You got in there”

Is that electronic Frampton-voice box thing annoying on this song? Your damned right it is, but it is offset by some lovely piano bits.

“Hey Lou” is not confessional, but instead it’s an account of the relationship between Lou Reed and Laurie Anderson, told from Anderson’s perspective. Lou comes off like a bit of an asshole, but an entertaining one at least.

Phair maintains her penchant for writing songs with a focus on minor chords. It has always given her records a forlorn quality, and this record is no exception. However, in recent years she’s taken to a much greater “pop” emphasis, and it hasn’t always worked with that style of tune. On “Soberish” she has finally found a good balance. It isn’t perfect, and the constant attempts to throw in gimmicky sounds, finger snaps and what-not does the work no favours, but most of the time Phair navigates the resulting choppy water and pilots the song successfully through to conclusion.

Vocally, she sounds as good as ever, combining her favoured slightly flat delivery with a high sweet head voice that was a pleasant surprise even after years of hearing it. “Lonely Street” is a particularly fine vocal performance, and further benefits from the stripped-down arrangement.

“Bad Kitty” is the album’s last song, and has that low guitar groove that long-time listeners will remember from early in her career. The song has some tongue-in-cheek references, but she also throws in honest struggles with drugs and depression making the song much more than a novelty foot-tapper.

Overall, you shouldn’t expect “Soberish” to match records like “whitechocolatespaceegg” or “Exile in Guyville” but those are both classic rock records that set a ridiculous standard. However, if you’ve been put off Liz Phair because of her previous two sub-par releases, this record will be a pleasant surprise once you get past some of the production foofaraw.

Best tracks: Hey Lou, In There, Soberish, Lonely Street, Dosage, Bad Kitty

CD Odyssey disc 1547: Lydia Loveless

I’ve been watching a lot of musical documentaries recently. I find music-themed biopics mostly irritating, but I love straight up documentaries. We just finished one on the band Fanny (average documentary, but cool band) and just started one on Tina Turner.

Disc 1547 is…. Indestructible Machine

Artist: Lydia Loveless

Year of Release: 2011

What’s up with the Cover? An artist’s rendition of Lydia Loveless as an Indestructible Machine. You know you’re indestructible when you’re drinking a can of what appears to be electrified gasoline.

If you’re tempted to say, “I’ll have what she’s having” I would suggest you reconsider.

How I Came To Know It: I went to see the Mountain Goats live in Portland back in 2019 (the last year when such things were a thing). The opening act was Lydia Loveless, so before I left for the show I check out her music on Youtube to familiarize myself.

As it happens, a bunch of rude hipsters talked through her opening act, making it impossible to hear, but I did like the albums I checked out, and bought a bunch of them in local Portland record stores when I was there. This was one of them.

How It Stacks Up: I have five Lydia Loveless albums. Of those I have to put “Indestructible Machine” at #1. Best of the bunch.

Ratings: 5 stars

Lydia Loveless isn’t just an old soul, she’s a weathered and road-weary one. Even though she recorded “Indestructible Machine” at the tender age of 21, this record has a patina of hurt it usually takes a good decade of hard living to accumulate.

Loveless’ style is a mix of rockabilly, country, Americana and more than a bit of good old punk rock snarl. In fact, the second track, “Can’t Change Me” has that same anxiety-inducing “Dunt! Dunt! Dunt! Dunt!” from the Clash’s “London Calling”. That punk aesthetic is more than backed up by the lyrics, which are a visceral snarl of someone making bad life choices and refusing to do anything about it.

“Well, I had a lot to say last night, I’m sorry, did I say that to you?
Well, I talk so much shit that I forget who I’m talking to
Cause my mouth is like a sinking boat
I keep throwing words out, hoping I can keep afloat
But the more I try to dry out, the more I get soaked”

This verse also introduces the theme of hard drinking, which features on most if not all of the tracks. “More Like Them” is a wish for moderation and normalcy (whatever that is). “Jesus Was a Wino” brings Jesus into the argument in favour of choosing excess instead. Jesus also features in “Can’t Change Me” as the conversation shifts from between two people to a chat with God as things begin to fully unravel. He’s the second most commonly recurring character, after the bottle.

While the record can have a flailing and desperate quality, Loveless makes all of her artistic choices with care and deliberation. She’s wild and crazy in the moment, but make no mistake – these songs are crafted works of art. She straddles multiple musical styles, bending each to her will. The songs I’ve noted so far are master classes in punk/country mixology, but Loveless is just as adept at playing it straight. On “How Many Women” and “Learn to Say No” she plays it as country as a latter-day Loretta Lynn, full of twang and heartache.

“Learn to Say No” is a masterclass on alcoholism, as Loveless’ character opines, “Why does it take so much out of me to be this weak?” and observes that casual drinkers “don’t know what it’s like to say no” and what that expression means to someone with an actual problem. It is powerful, heartbreaking and illuminating all in one.

For all the hurt and snarl, my favourite song on the record is the funniest. “Steve Earle” is a song that Loveless has noted at length in interviews is not actually about Steve Earle, but rather an amalgamation of a character of an unwanted suitor. Well, it may not be about Steve Earle, but it is easy to imagine otherwise, and a hell of a lot more fun as well.

“He says he isn't hittin' on me, he just wants to write some songs
And I keep askin', "Steve, would you please introduce me to your son?"
Because he read an article that said, oh gee, I guess I drink a lot
And now he's buyin' all my drinks so I can't seem to get off the sauce”

It fits nicely with Earle’s self-confessed fearless heart falling for a young chanteuse and as for that line about preferring the son all I can say is…ouch! Also, note the ever-present drinking theme. I hope Steve Earle has heard this song, not just because of the topic, but because it is such a God damned perfect song, something Steve’s written more than a few himself.

And before I go, I’d be remiss to not note Lydia Loveless’ voice. Smooth and pure of tone it is not. Her voice has a twist of pain throughout, peeling, and powerful and perfectly suited to the unabashed honesty of the type of songs she writes. This record will seduce you, pull your heart out, and then forget your name in the morning while it pulls its combat boots on and leaves without breakfast. Yes, you’ll feel a little bad after listening, but you’ll be glad you did it all the same. Bitter-sweet perfection is still perfection.

Best tracks: All tracks

CD Odyssey Disc 1546: Josie Cotton

What’s that a second review in three days? Amazing what I can accomplish with even a modicum of free time!

Disc 1546 is…. From the Hip

Artist: Josie Cotton

Year of Release: 1984

What’s up with the Cover? Josie flashes a smile that says, “Of course I know this haircut is fantastic.” Yes, it is, Josie, and so is the rest of you.

How I Came To Know It: Earlier this year Sheila introduced me to the 1983 movie “Valley Girl,” which features Josie Cotton both in the film (she performs at the high school prom) and on a couple of songs on the soundtrack. Sheila loved the soundtrack, but it is devilishly hard to find, so I was exploring options to build one myself. In doing so, I landed on Cotton’s Bandcamp site, and realized I liked a lot of her music.

And yes, I eventually found the Valley Girl soundtrack, but we’ll save that story for when I roll the review.

How It Stacks Up: I have three Josie Cotton albums in my collection. They’re all very different, making it hard to compare, but since I’ve created this category, I’ll dive in and say “From the Hip” is…third. It isn’t bad, but one of them had to be last.

Ratings: 3 stars

Josie Cotton’s “From the Hip” is a love letter to a wide gamut of eighties pop sounds, and while it lacks focus, all of those musical side quests still add up to an enjoyable musical ride.

Cotton can’t fully decide what she wants to be, but that’s part of her charm. She’s a little New Wave, a little rockabilly and even a little Madonna. It all works, and while the record lacks emotional gravitas, it makes up for it in good old fashioned energetic fun.

Things start with a cover of seventies band Looking Glass’ “Jimmy Loves Maryann”. The Looking Glass version of this song is all laid back hippy soul and horn flourishes, but Josie Cotton is having exactly none of that. She jumps the song out in front of the beat, infusing the song with frenetic energy. Even the horns get replaced with bright-sounding organ riffs. After listening to the Cotton version a few times, my first encounter with the original was soporific.

Cotton uses the organ to good effect throughout the record, capturing the futurist energy of  her New Wave sensibilities at every turn. Songs like “Licence to Dance” and “No Use Crying” sound like they fell out of a sixties sci fi movie. In fact, Cotton has a penchant for making things sound like a futuristic action adventure. It is no surprise that a couple decades later she would treat us to a bunch of movie theme covers on 2007’s “Invasion of the B-Girls”. Like Valley Girl, this will also be the subject of a future review.

Cotton is a natural with New Wave, but she also embraces rockabilly in a way that shows true and devoted affection. “Straight Talk” is a cross between a turbo-charged square dance and a beat that would be at home in a sixties spy caper. This is one of four songs Cotton writes, and she shows a great talent for a clever and well-timed turn of phrase, coupled with a bouncy beat.

The best song on the record is “Gina” which has that same rockabilly/sixties pop crossover that is Cotton’s sweet spot. It is written by Bobby and Larson Paine, who are also responsible for Cotton’s two hit songs from the Valley Girl soundtrack (“Johnny Are you Queer” and “He Could be the One”. “Gina” is just as solid, a song so timeless I spent half an hour trying to find the sixties original before realizing Cotton’s is the original.

While Cotton can also do the straight eighties pop thing, these are the album’s weaker songs. “Come With Me” in particular sounds like a bad Madonna song and while “Life After Love” has that Cotton swing to it – and even hand snaps – it lacks the element of whimsy that is present on the stronger tunes.

Every now and then the songs don’t feel like full compositions, either. Even “School Is In” which has a great pop hook and a sing-along chorus gets tired quickly, despite being only 2:33 in length.

However, overall the energy of this record alone will hold your attention, and there are plenty of gems. Apart from Valley Girl, Cotton never broke big, and lesser-known records like “From the Hip” underscores for me how wrong that is. I’m glad I found her, and even more glad I was able to purchase her music through Bandcamp, where the artist gets the lion’s share of the revenue. Thank you, Josie!

Best tracks: Jimmy Loves Maryann, Straight Talk, Gina, Way Out West

CD Odyssey Disc 1545: Angel Olsen

I’m back from a lovely holiday in Vancouver celebrating my wedding anniversary! We shopped, ate good food, and had a series of wonderful visits with a selection of dear friends, every one of whom I wish I saw more often.

I would have listened to this album while I was travelling, but somehow forgot to upload it to my portable device, and so was left with [gasp] random music. I decided to make a note of everything I heard on the flight each way.

Fittingly, the first two songs were by bands (Blue Rodeo, Blue Oyster Cult) that Sheila and I introduced to each other when we were first dating. Then I got Elton John’s “Candle in the Wind”, and a song by Tom Petty side project Mudcrutch (“Beautiful World”) before things got decidedly folksy with a run of Patty Griffin, Watkins Family Hour, David Francey and Mandolin Orange.

The flight back was cancelled, so no playlist resulted. Instead, I read a book while taking the slow boat home, via BC Ferries.

Disc 1545 is…. My Woman

Artist: Angel Olsen

Year of Release: 2016

What’s up with the Cover? Angel stares off into the distance, looking mildly perturbed about something.

How I Came To Know It: I had heard about Angel Olsen here and there, but it wasn’t until this record came out and I read a review that I decided to give her a listen. I was instantly smitten and have since bought most of her available records, but “My Woman” was the first.

How It Stacks Up: I now have five Angel Olsen records (two more since I last reviewed one). Of those five, I put “My Woman” in at #2.

Ratings: 4 stars

Angel Olsen’s music has a haunting nostalgic quality to it, like she’s the ghost of some lost soul inhabiting a young artist’s body.  On earlier records she channels early Leonard Cohen, but on “My Woman” her music is more a combination of the jangle folk-pop of the Byrds and the sweet soulful rock of the Shangri-Las.

The production has a high echo to it throughout, which gives the music a patina, like you’re listening to something recorded originally in mono. It could have easily drawn to a tinny sound, but instead it just feels like an old movie, filmed in grainy Technicolor but so awesome you prefer it that way.

Olsen’s vocals are equally adept at telling a story and just painting a soundscape, and on most tracks she does a bit of both. She has a breathy head voice that cuts with a deceptive power, like a fast-moving current close to the surface of the water. This stuff can pull you under if you’re not careful, but even if you succumbed to the tide, it feels like it would be a beautiful ending.

The album opens with the collapsing dream of “Intern”, a song filled with struggle and uncertainty. It feels like a sixties art film theme where some Mia Farrow or Jean Seberg type twirls her way whimsically through the streets of Paris in a white mini-dress and stylish brightly coloured flats. This is followed by “Never Be Mine,” a classic unrequited love song from the same movie. Maybe near the end where our heroine has decided to move to Prague having learned the man she was pursuing was a bit of a cad. But I digress…

The second half of the record has much slower pace, with dreamy mood pieces like “Heart Shaped Face”. That swirling current of pop is still in her voice, but it now comes to you a bit slower and more diffuse. Despite the slow wind-down quality to the record, I never felt like things were dragging, even with two songs (“Sister” and “Woman”) approaching eight minutes each. “Sister” is a mini-epic all to itself, with multiple movements that build, then collapse, then morph into a reverb back-of-the-mix guitar solo.

Despite its pop sensibilities, “My Woman” is not immediately accessible, and it took a few runs for me to feel fully immersed. However, it is well worth the time, mixing basic pop hooks with songs that are artfully constructed and intricately arranged. Despite all these thoughtful decisions, the record never feels pretentious or self-aware.

Best tracks: Intern, Never Be Mine, Shut Up Kiss Me, Heart-Shaped Face, Sister

CD Odyssey Disc 1544: The Mountain Goats

This review was going to be even further delayed but a strange twist of fate freed my day up quite a bit. So much that I took the day off work, even. Sometimes you just need to step away and see the world at a slower pace. Today will involve some CD shopping, lunch with a friend, and watching a few episodes of Vikings.

And apart from that last reference, this is my second straight review that has nothing to do with Vikings – the show or the people.

Disc 1544 is…. Dark in Here

Artist: The Mountain Goats

Year of Release: 2021

What’s up with the Cover? I don’t know for sure because it’s kind of…dark in here. Get it? Get it?

However, based on the shoreline and those fire beacons burning across the bay, I assume this is the same scene from Ty’s “Land” album (reviewed back at Disc 1541) only this time from the perspective of the fear-filled locals.

How I Came To Know It: I am an avowed Mountain Goats fan so I tend to give them a try when they release something new. That’s what happened here.

How It Stacks Up: The Mountain Goats have been pretty prolific of late, and in the two years since I wrote my last review they’ve released two more records. As a result I now have 11. I rank “Dark in Here” #10. It’s good, but the competition is tough.

Ratings: 3 stars

As befits an album recorded and released during the heights of the pandemic, “Dark in Here” has a quiet introspection about it. As a result it takes a little longer to work its way into your heart, but it gets there eventually.

If you already know the Mountain Goats, you’ll be glad to know the usual elements of the band are there. Singer/songwriter John Darnielle has perfected his signature sound over many years, and once again his quavering, slightly anxious vocal style draws you into his world of taught emotion. I don’t know how Darnielle is so capable at making you feel absorbed and connected when singing about a lot of frantic disconnection, but he is. I would just say if you ever want to feel “safely anxious” the Mountain Goats are a band for you.

On this outing, the album lives up to its title, with a much moodier feeling to the production and arrangements. The drums and bass feel a bit heavier in the mix and provide a bit of a groove that I found a welcome focal point.

One of the early standouts is “Mobile” which has a gorgeous bit of country guitar noodling in the background, and while the lyrics are (like a lot of Mountain Goats songs) dense, complex and hard to access, the effort is worth your time. I don’t always know what Darnielle is going on about, but he consistently provides an emotional underpinning through his imagery. You won’t always know what exactly is happening, but you know how it makes you feel.

I also loved “To the Headless Horseman,” maybe in part because the complex emotional relationship between the horseman and the narrator, who is part Ichabod Crane, and part some complex separate character Darnielle has imagined. The lyrics don’t just speak to the threat of the horseman, but that complex and intimate interaction between hunter and prey, even suggesting the horseman may not be entirely a foe:

“Gentle shadows in the mist among the trees
Who awakes prepared to face such sights as these?
God keep the bounty hunter who shows mercy to His prey
I rode past you on the road again today

“And as you approached
I could sense the threat
But a stranger's just a friend
Who hasn't shared their secrets yet”

Cool stuff, and like most Mountain Goats songs, the action of what’s physically going on is only a small part of what’s going on. Internal anguish is his bread and butter, not pumpkin-wielding spirits.

Where the album loses me is with all the jazz that infuses it. These jazz elements are intended to provide a sort of noir quality to the songs, and at times they succeed. However, a little jazz goes a long way. At the start of “Lizard Suit” there is a twinkle of jazz piano and stand-up bass that helps establish mood, but halfway through, Darnielle doubles down and launches a cacophony of sound that free forms its way to nowhere. Yes, I know that’s what he’s intending, but I don’t have to like it.

The song titles range from the reasonable to the ridiculously overwrought. Best examples of the latter include “The Destruction of the Kola Superdeep Borehole Tower” and “Arguing with the Ghost of Peter Laughner About His Coney Island Baby Review.” I’m sure I could dig super deep to see just why these florid song titles matter, but I think it would be a journey of diminishing returns. All those words don’t make them any more enjoyable and also come off as a wee bit pretentious. Sorry, John. You know I love you.

Overall, while this isn’t my favourite Mountain Goats album, it still has enough elements of what makes me love the band to keep me happy. I wouldn’t start here (go with “The Sunset Tree” or “Beat the Champ” for that) but it is a fine waystation later on your journey once you’ve got a taste of Darnielle’s mad genius and want to sample a little more of it.

Best tracks: Mobile, Dark in Here, To the Headless Horseman

CD Odyssey Disc 1543: Belle and Sebastian

My apologies for the scarcity of reviews of late, gentle readers. I have had some commitments that have eaten up almost every moment of leisure time. I can assure you that better times (and more frequent reviews) are coming soon.

This next review is not Viking metal. That isn’t to say I didn’t listen to any Viking metal this week (because I did), I just didn’t randomly roll one to review.

Disc 1543 is…. Girls in Peacetime Want to Dance

Artist: Belle and Sebastian

Year of Release: 2014

What’s up with the Cover? A woman with crutches and what looks like some kind of…circuitry?...on her legs, looks like she’s getting ready to dance with a gentlemen with the same…circuitry?...on the side of his head. Hard to say if the woman in the background is there to guard them or force them to dance at gunpoint.

This cover confused me so much that I went and watched a Belle and Sebastian music video that uses the same actors and set. It did not help.

How I Came To Know It: I had already been a Belle and Sebastian fan for many years when this came out, so it was just me buying it and hoping for the best.

How It Stacks Up: I did a full ranking of my Belle and Sebastian albums way back in March 2014 (at Disc 603), but I only had five total back then. I now have seven, and I’ve also parted with one more. So here’s the updated full ranking:

1. If You’re Feeling Sinister: 5 stars (reviewed at Disc 591)
2. The Boy With the Arab Strap: 4 stars (reviewed at Disc 540)
3. Push Barman to Open Old Wounds: 4 stars (reviewed at Disc 1242)
4. The Life Pursuit: 4 stars (reviewed at Disc 603)
5. Write About Love: 3 stars (reviewed at Disc 301)
6. Fold Your Hands Child, You Walk Like a Peasant: 2 stars (reviewed at Disc 61)
7. Girls in Peacetime Want to Dance: 2 stars (reviewed right here)
8. How To Solve Our Human Problems: 2 stars (reviewed at Disc 1497)

Ratings: 2 stars

Listening to “Girls in Peacetime…” feels like being in some indie romance where the characters spend a lot of their time staring out the window of a tram, idly thinking about their troubles. The energy is there, and the bustle of the city as well, but it is an absent-minded energy, rather than an immediate one.

There is also what feels like a very conscious effort to squeeze dance club beats into the songs. While I admit this gives the album a lot of energy, I mostly found it annoying. “Enter Sylvia Plath” is particularly egregious and sounds like something you’d hear at a runway show on Fashion TV back in the nineties, accompanied by lots of unwearable clothes, art makeup and the thousand-yard stares of long-limbed women. Hmm…now that I think about it, that’s not all bad. “Play for Today” subs in a more eighties feel, but still puts your mind at the side of the same runway.

A bigger problem with both songs is their length (6:48 and 7:33 respectively). The beats are already a bit repetitive and combined with how long you’ve got to listen to them, things become a bit of a slog. That’s generally true of the record, which clocks in at over 60 minutes total, despite only twelve tracks. For a pleasant and upbeat bit of pop it really takes its time getting nowhere terribly interesting.

For all that, there are some serious bright spots on the record, most of all the single, “Nobody’s Empire”. This tune is one of Belle and Sebastian’s all-time best. No weird eighties or nineties dance thump, just their signature ability to deliver an inspiring lilt of a pop hook. At the end of each verse there is the most delightful drop-down that helps frame everything else. The repetition of that drop-down slowly pulls your ear from the melody of the piano down into the gorgeous bassline pinning the song together. This song is inspiring, uplifting and more fun to listen to on every repetition.  

The rest of the record is solid as well, despite some of its shortcomings. It isn’t as good as some of B&S’s classics, but it is an easy breezy listen if that’s what you’re in the mood for. I guess I wanted a bit more than that, but I’ll be keeping it because it’s good for a “during a dinner party” mix, if we ever threw dinner parties. Which we don’t. O, bother.

Best tracks: Nobody’s Empire, Ever Had a Little Faith

CD Odyssey Disc 1542: Amon Amarth

At the risk of losing credibility on the whole Viking obsession thing, this next review represents the fourth album in the last five that is obsessed with Vikings. Once again I must refer you to the full range of music represented on this blog to confirm this is not all I listen to – it just seems to be all I listen to lately. Such are the vicissitudes of random selection.

Disc 1542 is…. Jomsviking

Artist: Amon Amarth

Year of Release: 2016

What’s up with the Cover? A burly looking Viking hefts a bloody axe as he prepares to finish off a not so burly looking Viking. Odin’s ravens Huginn and Muninn soar contentedly over the slaughter, ready to report back on how many more places to set at the feast table in Valhalla. Judging by that melee going on in the background they should alert the kitchen staff to get at least one more pig on the barbecue.

The guy in the water is definitely on the guest list. I’d say that he shoulda kept his helmet on but really, was that going to make a difference?

How I Came To Know It: I just told this story back at Disc 1538 but to recap it was originally through my friend Greg, and this record was me digging through their back catalogue as I became obsessed with them. OK, so there is a bit of obsession here.

How It Stacks Up: I have five Amon Amarth albums but judging from how much I’ve been enjoying them lately I might add to that total. For now, I’ll put “Jomsviking” in at #4, but since I am still exploring, that may change.

Ratings: 3 stars

I just gave an overview of Amon Amarth’s music, but assuming you aren’t diligently reading every entry on this blog (unconscionable, but possible) here’s a recap. They’re a melodic death metal band from Sweden that like to write songs about Vikings. A lot.

In the eight years between “Twilight of the Thunder God” and “Jomsviking” Amon Amarth have lightened up a bit. The songs here are a bit more melodic than death metally, lead singer Johan Hegg’s growls are a fair bit easier to understand, and the double-bass of the drums is marginally less front and centre.

The drummer is also new, with longstanding band member Fredrik Andersson gone from the band and replaced by Tobias Gustafsson. Gustafsson would only stick for the recording of this one record. I think he is solid, although as previously noted the drums are a bit less furious here. I do not put this on Gustafsson though; this is the way the songs are structured. Drum is a big deal in this style of metal, and when called on, he hits hard and fast. No complaints.

I am more into anthemic power metal sound than death metal, so the band’s shift in that direction was a welcome one. The songs still assault the ears but being able to follow along with the storyline was awesome.

It was particularly valuable here, as “Jomsviking” is a concept album, based around a brotherhood of Vikings of the same name who lived as a martial brotherhood with a strict moral code sometime in the 10^th and 11^th centuries. Amon Amarth sets the story of one man going from his first kill, through joining the Jomsvikings as he pursues his one true love. It isn’t a particularly innovative storyline but I’m a sucker for a love story and throwing some swordfights and mayhem in the mix is definitely welcome.

There are standouts throughout the record, starting with “Wanderer” which has a nice power metal crunch just the way I like it, and the much more violent assault of the double-bass in “One Against All” which teeters on the edge of falling over from its own fury, but never quite does. The chorus of one man standing against all is suitably heroic for epic stuff of this nature.

“Raise Your Horns” is the obvious showpiece of the record, with elements of both approaches. Furious double base, soaring guitar riffs and a very sing-along chorus of

“Raise your horns, raise them up to the sky
We will drink to glory tonight
Raise your horns for brave fallen friends
We will meet where the beer never ends.”

Of course, Vikings used hollowed horns for drinking glasses, but modern audiences can raise the metal “devil horns” if you want to participate and don’t have a drink on hand. There’s a great video for the song that shows fans doing a bit of both.

“Raise Your Horns” is clearly the crowd pleaser of the record, but my favourite is the more tragic “One Thousand Burning Ships” that describes the Viking funeral rite of setting a king in his ship and setting it adrift, lit by fire arrows to honour his way into Valhalla. Some of the lyrics on on “Jomsviking” fall short of the emotional resonance they intend, but on “One Thousand Burning Ships” Amon Amarth gets it all right. I was feeling a bit verklempt for the loss, while also musing what an awesome funeral this would be if only I could get the necessary permits…

I was a little surprised at myself that I put the heavier “Twilight of the Thunder God” ahead of this record, but the truth is they are both great, just different. If you are new to this sort of thing and want to dip your toe into melodic Viking metal “Jomsviking” is a more accessible Amon Amarth record than some of their previous, and worth a listen. If you like it and are ready to get even heavier (while still getting 100% as much Viking action) then you can dig into their back catalogue from here.

Best tracks: Wanderer, One Against All, Raise Your Horns, One Thousand Burning Arrows

CD Odyssey Disc 1541: Tyr

If you count Saxon, three out of my last four reviews were metal albums obsessed with Vikings. Saxon had the one song anyway, and Amon Amarth and these next guys are all-in. I can assure you (and the full gamut of reviews on this blog will confirm) that this is a statistical anomaly, and I am obsessed with neither metal nor Vikings.

Is this a bad time to note that I also love the TV series, “Vikings”?

Disc 1541 is…. Land

Artist: Tyr

Year of Release: 2008

What’s up with the Cover? A man stands, arms akimbo, aboard a Viking longship. As the title of the record is Land, I’ll assume they’ve recently discovered the land behind him. That land has a whole series of tall torch beacons burning up both hillsides, which are probably local inhabitants letting everyone know, “holy shit, Vikings have landed. Look your doors and arm yourselves!”

How I Came To Know It: I knew about Tyr off and on over the years, but didn’t decide to check them out until my friend Nick went to the Faroe Islands. Nick was looking for some local music while there, and “landed” upon Tyr, which is one of the Faroe Islands most famous bands. I decided to give them a try based on his recommendation and liked what I heard.

How It Stacks Up: I have two Tyr albums, this one and 2006’s “Ragnarok”. Of the two “Land” is the better record and so, following the inherent logic of numbers, I rank it #1.

Ratings: 4 stars

Due to a hectic life and limited downtime, I have listened to Tyr’s “Land” a lot this week. At first blush I liked it, and on repeat listens I have come to love it. Some might consider this “Torshavn Syndrome” (like Helsinki Syndrome, except for the Faroe Islands) but I ascribe it to something a bit more direct. Tyr kicks ass.

If you don’t know Tyr, they blend traditional Faroese folk music with heavy metal. Viking chants, which are already filled with bombast and dread, are beautifully suited to “metallification” and few do it better than Tyr. These songs thud and pound like the sea carving a fjord out of stone; powerful and inexorable.

They are so much fun that I wanted to sing along, but unfortunately many of the songs are in Faroese or another Nordic language and I can’t understand what they’re saying. Fortunately, the topics are limited, as Tyr love their Norse mythology. You’ll get songs about Loki, the Valkyries, and every Vikings favourite, Thor. This latter song – “Hail to the Hammer” – is both glorious and in English. It opens like some kind of church organ at a hockey game, before descending into the true crunch that is the essence of what makes Tyr so brilliant. These guys dig down so deep, you imagine their guitars are scraping the studio floor as they play.

And as brilliant as that guitar work is, the star of this band is drummer Kári Streymoy. Streymoy is the fuel that ignites the band, with a thump so big and purposeful you’ll look behind you to see if some frost giant is crashing through the trees toward you. And he doesn’t just hit hard. His ability to hold the beat (but never lose it) gives a lot of these songs their anticipatory dread.

The songs don’t have to be in English to be enjoyable, though. Three of my favourites (“Sinklars Visa”, “Gatu Rima” and Lokka Tattur”) are all in various Nordic languages. I’d assume Faoese, but apparently the record also features Norwegian and Danish, and I am too ill-informed to tell them apart. Apologies to Scandinavian readers for my ignorance.

“Lokka Tattur” or “the Ballad of Loki” is the best of the bunch. Once again pushed along by the deliberate onslaught of Streymoy’s drums, this song assaults your ears like a Viking shield wall, only to slide back into an almost proggy laid back verse that would make Opeth proud. Then once, you are swaying slowly to that, the band throws in a bit of tempo and guitar to stir the blood. It is a journey of awesome.

This record also takes its time, clocking in at a languorous 68 minutes despite featuring only ten tracks. Epics abound, often taking you on a brilliant journey. This is the case with “Ocean” a ten-minute tale which feels part Viking saga of seafaring, and part existential crisis. When singer Heri Joensen sings “Days have gone down in the west” I even had chills of Tolkien’s Middle Earth, but that could be just me.

The title track is equally epic, but I enjoyed it less. It is another “sail across the sea” epic and is awesome in many places, but at over sixteen minutes it took just a little too long to…land. I don’t mind a long song about ocean travel either – Iron Maiden’s “Rime of the Ancient Mariner” is as good as metal gets – but the song “Land” didn’t hold my attention the same way.

Not so, “Land” the album, which kept me thoroughly entertained for over a week and multiple listens. Tyr may hail from the very tiny Faroe Islands, but their talent is mighty and massive indeed.

Best tracks: Sinklars Visa, Ocean, Gatu Rima, Lokka Tattur, Hail to the Hammer

CD Odyssey Disc 1540: Saxon

Welcome back to the CD Odyssey, where for the second time in three reviews we visit the world of heavy metal. Climb aboard, and careful of the edges – they’re sharp.

Disc 1540 is…. Power and the Glory

Artist: Saxon

Year of Release: 1983

What’s up with the Cover? Amazing band logo? Check. Wicked colour scheme? Check! Ultra-cool Viking android? Er…no.

This “lasers out of his hands” guy is the cheap Wal-Mart knock-off of that ultra-cool Viking android action figure you wanted. The imposter toy your mom brought home because she couldn’t afford the brand name version. Sure you try to work it in with whatever other action figures you’ve got, but you do not bring that piece of shit to Show and Tell. You definitely do not put it on your heavy metal album cover.

How I Came To Know It: I have been a Saxon fan since my brother introduced me to them when I was a kid. My brother is quite a few years older and had a job on a commercial fishboat. He’d come in after a month away with a swack of cash and would buy twenty or more records at a time. When he went back out on the water, I’d ask to borrow what caught my fancy. This record was one of those.

As for my more recent foray into buying them on CD, ten years ago I thought I was done with Saxon and bought a “Best Of” package. At the time I thought that was all I’d ever need. I even expressed this exact plan when I reviewed it back at Disc 382. Ladies and gentlemen, I was wrong. I apologize to any Gods of Rock that I have offended, and I am glad to be rediscovering my love for this band.

How It Stacks Up: My reinvigorated love for this band has translated into me buying a swack of their original albums over the past few months. I have five so far. Of those five, “Power and the Glory” is solid, but not one of my favourites. I rank it at #4.

Ratings: 3 stars but almost 4

Saxon is a band defined by their furious energy, and while “Power and the Glory” may be uneven in places, from best track to worst that energy never flags.

The album starts with the title track, which is a good indication of what you can expect to hear the rest of the way. The song opens with a killer guitar riff, and quickly moves to singer Biff Byford belting away. From then on, the two are locked in a frantic dance. Riff railing away, and Byford’s vocals responding, just as sharp around the edges and powerful as the guitar. This song also features a bass line that adds a whole separate but complementary element. Steve Dawson’s bass is not content to simply add low end to the guitar, either. If the guitar and vocals are the canvas under full sail, Dawson’s bass is the shark circling the boat just below the surface.

Another standout (and favourite from my youth) is “Warrior” which is a song about Vikings. Saxon, like a lot of metal bands, like history. This song is about Vikings, but unsurprisingly given the band’s name, the tale is told from the perspective of the Saxon farmers fearing their approach. This tune features the furious drumming of Nigel Glockler, recently added to the band and holding his own. His playing is staccato and sharp and keeps everything high energy. In some ways, Saxon remind me of bluegrass, as they consistently lean forward on the beat, without ever falling over the edge. Of course, there’d be no drum in bluegrass – just a mandolin. But I digress…

In addition to songs about soldiers and Vikings, Saxon has songs about UFOs (“Watching the Sky”) the moon landing (“The Eagle Has Landed”) and mythology (“Midas Touch”) as they show their fanciful side. They also handle very traditional rock subjects like driving very fast (“Redline”) and rockin’ out (“This Town Rocks”).

Throughout the songs are on the surface very riff dependent. It is easy to think that, because they tend to announce themselves with churning guitar, but the more you listen the more you pick up the nuance of blues and sixties prog. It is mostly beneath the surface, revealing itself more and more on multiple listens.

My copy of this record is from a remastered set put out in the late oughts. I love the production, and I’d even be OK with the bonus tracks provided, if they had just put them on a separate bonus disc. Instead, in addition to the original eight song record, there are nine more bonus tracks, including a host of demos. They are generally interesting, but sometimes I just want the original record without having to sift through all the other hoopla.

This is a minor quibble though. For the most part this record did for me what it always has; it made me bang my head and like it. I felt invigorated every time it came on. It was great for a run, great in the car and great just sitting her writing this review.

I don’t know what I was thinking expecting a “Best Of” record was going to satisfy my love for this band, but reader it did not. “Power and the Glory” is only a middle-of-the-pack Saxon record, but I still loved every minute of it. I can’t wait to grok the rest of my recently expanded collection.

Best tracks: Power and the Glory, Warrior, This Town Rocks, The Eagle Has Landed