2003-09 Vital Source Mag – September 2003
Annie Lennox
By Brian Barney Annie Lennox Bare J Records www.alennox.net Just when it would seem that Her Grace Annie Lennox had pretty much done it all as a ground breaking artist and diva, she opens yet another door to a room of musical treasure. Introspective and engaging lyrical content cuts straight to the heart early on in “Pavement Cracks,” where the loveliness of her voice is used as an instrument with tones as full and rich as any string or woodwind can boast. Things pick up in tracks like “Bitter Pill,” where her reverence for Motown shines through with glorious background vocals (all performed by Lennox) and foot stomping rhythm. Stand out tracks like “Honestly” and “Loveliness” are Annie at her best, showing the fullness and power that has grown as the years have passed. As always, Lennox writes from the heart and soul, displaying in tunes like “Twisted” and “A Thousand Beautiful Things,” the sort of depth and emotion few artists can grasp as wholly as she. Closing track, “Oh God,” serves as the perfect point of decrescendo with haunting melody and breathy lilt. It’s been twelve releases since Annie’s gone solo, and she shows no sign of slowing. This CD is a MUST have.
Sep 1st, 2003 by Vital Archives
Inn
By Brian Barney Inn Inn Io Records With a sound the band itself describes as “tronic groove”, Milwaukee’s Inn has used calculative strategy and loose jam to create a truly unique sound. Their self titled debut release waffles between coffee house techno and an almost 80s club style, where Depeche Mode-like beats and a Pearl Jam approach toward electric guitar are held together with spatial keyboard. Track after track, the hypnotic mood continues, mimicking a movie soundtrack that features serious scenes taking place in seedy bars. Opening track “Nirvana” sets the tone, melodic and weaving to a perfect fade. The music seems to hold its’ own at a predictable clip up to track 7, entitled “Low Resolution.” Here the feel seems to modulate towards ambient, and structure is abandoned in track 8, “Gibbous (Beta),” a thirty second musical interlude that could easily be mistaken for the theme from Shaft. The “stand out” track (last on the record), “Trek,” features trippy guitar and bass lines winding around grinding saturated vocals for the heaviest, yet most accessible offering overall. The strength of the disc most definitely lies in its’ diversity. Middle Eastern influenced lead lines, off kilter melody with catchy, often spooky counter melodies blend with what can be described as fantastic rhythm trackings in a creditable attempt in originality. Step into Inn’s Inn for a freshman effort well worth sampling.
Sep 1st, 2003 by Vital Archives
Fountains of Wayne
By Brian Barney Fountains of Wayne Welcome Interstate Managers S-Curve Records www.fountainsofwayne.com With their third release to date, Welcome Interstate Managers, New York’s Fountains of Wayne has cemented their standing as one of the great all-time pop acts of recent years. Song writing duo Adam Schlesinger and Chris Collingwood, along with former Posie Judy Porter and drummer Brian Young, have crafted yet another collection of songs that take the best of the timeless catchiness reminiscent of groups ranging from The Monkees to The Knack. Polished with style is the flavor of the day in hit-worthy tracks like “Stacey’s Mom” and “Little Red Light” where hard-edged guitars meet melody lines that remain stuck in the brain from the first listen. The jangly, slightly overdriven layering of vintage guitars through vox amplification resounds throughout in tunes such as “No Better Place.” Although the subject matter of cell phones and late appointments may wax redundant, the volley between electric and down right pretty acoustic in tracks like “Valley Winter Song” keeps things fresh and interesting. A precious gem lies hidden under this vast mountain of pop in the country snippet “Hung Up On You,” which features a guest appearance by steel pedal master Robert Randolph. With equal doses of pop, twang, rock and 60s psychedelica, FOW’s latest has covered all the bases with something for everyone.
Sep 1st, 2003 by Vital Archives
Eliet Brookes
By Brian Barney Eliet BrookesThe Miles Left Over Recorded poetry and spoken word do not get commercially released as often as they should. Look for it in a store and you’ll be sauntering through the same ghetto aisle that has been set aside for “comedy.” Luckily for those of us who wade through Adam Sandler, Weird Al and the Jerky Boys, there exists poetry CDs like Eliet Brookes’ The Miles Left Over — eleven tracks of sheer pleasure. Settle into a pleasant moment, fire-up the CD player, cuddle up with Brookes’ beautiful voice and don’t forget the cocktail party at the bar on the fifth track. Exquisitely produced by Brew City musician Paul Setser, each track features musical accompaniment ranging from the talents of acoustic guitarist Richard Pinney to Paul Lawson to the Aimless Blades to Setser himself. Never obtrusive, the music adds to the substance of Brookes’ voice at every turn. Brookes works from a variety of moods quite successfully. Overall, there is a sense of incredibly tranquil peace, even in the bittersweet moments of the second track, “annie from broken street.” Somewhere halfway through that fifth track, Brookes says, “of course, none of this is true.” Somehow she manages to make even something this haunting sound very reassuring. Remarkably dark moments are traveled through with great grace. Brookes’ voice is not the only one on the CD. The fifth track features cameos by poet Lisa Mahan, musicians/poets Tank Staggers, Voot Warnings Rustle of Luv and several more. And then there’s the seventh track. Eamonn O’Neill manages to make Brookes’ contemporary poetics sound vaguely like Middle English. The journey ends on an intriguingly Asian-sounding “usyoumewei, (eliet’s mantra),” as performed by singer/songwriter Mariah Myerson. Can’t find the CD? Eliet Brookes can be reached at: herontree@ecoisp.com. It is also available at Woodland Pattern. See Eliet: Sept 8: Thai Joes Sept 18: Zodiac Luxury Lounge Sept. 24: Y-Not II Sept 26: Bremen Café
Sep 1st, 2003 by Vital Archives
