Album Review Roundup

Arrow
Clare and the Reasons

These days find many bands attempting styles of yesteryear but few sound like they actually belong there. With Arrow, their new full length release, Clare and the Reasons have crafted an album which sits naturally between Pet Sounds and the soundtrack for What’s New Pussycat. It’s best described as “lush,” an exercise in early 70’s symphonic pop. The combination of orchestral glides, Beatles-esque arrangements, and Burt Bacharach infused romanticism make the album a wise choice for penthouse apartments, late night drinks, and consenting adults enjoying their personal liberations.

Arrow works well. The songwriting and arrangements are superb. At times vocalist Clare Muldaur is almost too cute for her own good, landing her vocal performances square on the edge of parody (she’s done no favors in this regard by the retro horn lines, an technique already used for laughs in other corners of the music world). Yet the band manages to keep matters on the side of earnestness, moving forward with confidence in their lush (that word again!) song construction. Some cynical listeners might have trouble taking it with a straight face but those who can are rewarded with an intoxicating blend of beautiful sounds and effortless flow.

MP3: Clare and the Reasons – Ooh You Hurt Me So
[Arrow is out now. Stream It. Buy It.]

Bands like The Wooden Sky are the hardest to review because they do everything right. Most album reviews depend on a band missing the mark or doing something provocative that inspires discussion. The Wooden Sky, however, come in with a batch of impeccably written songs, put every note in the exact right place, record it expertly, then go home with minimal fuss. It’s an album that, as a listener, you treasure, but as a reviewer you groan a bit. What’s to say?

So I say this: The Wooden Sky’s If I Don’t Come Home You’ll Know I’m Gone is perfect Americana/indie-folk. The songs are painfully beautiful and infectiously catchy. There’s not a damn thing wrong with it. I suppose there’s not much else that needs to be said, really.

MP3: The Wooden Sky – (Bit Part)

MP3: The Wooden Sky – Something Hiding For Us In The Night
[If I Don't Come Home You'll Know I'm Gone is out now. Stream It. Buy It.]

Truthfully, at this point Mick Jones could be phoning it in and we’d be happy with it. After learning the hard way about creative decline through late career mediocre releases by The Rolling Stones, Aerosmith, Oasis, and other once vital artists, we’ve come to accept that, at a certain point, we have to stop reasonably expecting exciting new things and just be satisfied we get to hear the band play again. So we deliberately adopt low expectations.

I suspect Jones knows this and, being the purebred punk that he is, refuses to passively accept this state of affairs. Instead he’s still recording potent music, giving it away free online, fighting the fight, and being the creative force we secretly wish he would be. And it’s thrilling! Thrilling in the way punk was when it first blew up the scene, when you realized these guys were breaking the rules, when you realized you were on new ground.

Fittingly, Carbon/Silicon have a fresh sound to them. The guitars have a clear tone, the production squeaky clean, no extraneous noise or filler clogging up the tracks. With partner in crime Tony James, Jones isn’t hiding anything behind walls of distortion or slight of hand production tricks. It’s no secret he’s an incredible musician and songwriter, and it’s wonderful to have the production acknowledge that.

Jones may be older but his lyrics clearly possess the same counter-culture stance and intelligence of his youth. At turns snarky, contrarian, and culturally aware, the clear thinking of the words match the clear sounds of the music. There’s a return to vintage rockabilly and punk riffs which will get Clash fans hopping. In short, it’s very Mick.

I thought The Last Post was one of the best records of its year. The Carbon Bubble isn’t quite that height, a combination of the songs being a little less strong and stronger competition from other groups. That said, this is still worth your time.

MP3: Carbon/Silicon – Reach For The Sky

MP3: Carbon/Silicon – That’s As Good As It Gets

MP3: Carbon/Silicon – Make It Alright
[Off The Carbon Bubble, out now. Download it free.]

Tags: Carbon/Silicon, Clare and the Reasons, The Wooden Sky