STACK Jul #129

103 / 113

STREAMYOUR FAVOURITE ALBUMS AT JBHI-FI NOW... NOW!
103
skwatch
rry I Let It Come Between Us
d then there were six. Saskwatch are changing
ngs up on their third album. A nine-piece band was
ays going to be a little unwieldy. And so it’s played
t, with four original members moving on, and the
nd welcoming a new drummer, Sam Raines. Sorry
I Let It Come Between Us also showcases a new
sound. “There’s just a million contradictions running circles through my brain,”
the impressive Nkechi Anele admits on the seriously funky and defiant opening
cut, I’ll Be Fine. Recorded in Philadelphia with Dr. Dog guitarist Scott McMicken,
the new Saskwatch is more indie pop and less retro soul. If the first two albums
displayed a group that was wide-eyed and dreaming – when even the gloomy
moments sounded grand – this record depicts a band that’s truly discovered
darkness. In the end, you get the sense that Saskwatch are just one hit single
from superstardom. I’m not sure it’s on this record, but props to the band for
not being afraid to experiment, and refusing to make the same record again. It’s
going to be fascinating to see where they go next.
( Northside/Remote Control/Inertia) Jeff Jenkins
Duran Duran
Rio (remaster)
Hey, Boy Band, yes you! Stop and
listen; you don’t know shit. Before
you were born, Simon Le Bon and
co. were touring the globe, bedding
supermodels and doing more drugs
than Hunter S. Thompson; all the
while delivering #1 tunes that didn’t
rely on 'interpretive dance moves'
to fill stadiums. They made video
clips that were banned, made their
own fashion, lived like artists in
exotic locations and led bohemian,
aristocratic, and eccentric lives like
a very select few on the planet.
They still look good, have hair, and
can put on a live show that requires
nothing other than amps. This is
where it all began – Rio. It’s cheesy
and awesome, and still guaranteed
to have someone within your vicinity
immediately dancing with wild
abandon. You need it.
(Warner) Chris Murray
Jaakki Eino Kalevi
Jaakki Eino Kalevi
Finnish producer Jaakko Eino
Kalevi used to be a tram driver
in Helsinki, but now lives
in Berlin, working from his
studio. He’s still transporting
people, metaphorically
through his imaginative pop
creations. Jaako’s self-titled
debut album journeys through
unique musical landscapes,
spacious but richly detailed
songs filled with soft-focus
synths and electronic rhythms.
There’s elements of jazz, new
wave, and experimental pop
throughout, all navigated with
confidence and skill. When the
trip is finished, chances are
you’ll want to stay onboard
and repeat the experience all
over again.
(Domino/EMI/Universal)
SImonWinkler
Jason Isbell
Something More than Free
Storytellers are few and far
between; you could do far worse
than this passionate fella, if you're
looking for one. There’s a driving
arrow into the heart of the matter
when Mr. Isbell grabs your attention.
Granted it doesn’t happen every
track, but Flagship, How to Forget
and Children of Children,as three
tracks one after another, on this one
album, is stand-up-and-clap worthy.
“All the years I took from her, just
by being born…” Folks, that ‘s a
man who can write. Possessing
country honk with a stretched-out
understanding of groove, he’s fast
becoming a ‘name’ – and for a good
goddamn reason.
(Spunk/Caroline/Universal)
SimonWinkler
Dylan, Cash and
The Nashville Cats
A New Music City
This is a companion release for
an exhibition (of the same name)
currently showing at Nashville’s
Country Music Hall of Fame &
Museum. Both explore the many
artists who travelled to Music
City to record in the ’60s & ’70s,
following the lead of Bob Dylan,
the popular lure TV’s The Johnny
Cash Show, and the rich talent
pool of session musicians known
as The Nashville Cats. Artists
like George Harrison, Neil Young,
Leonard Cohen and many others
were unable to resist a taste of
the Nashville Sound – the era
became a time of historic
musical crossover, of pop, rock
and folk, with the country music
of Nashville. (Sony) Denise Hylands
Ratatat
Magnifique
Ratatat are as grabby as ever on
their fifth album, with Mike Stroud
and Evan Mast still mingling
squirrelly synths and guitar solos.
If Magnifique lacks the experimental
bravery of 2010’s LP4, it returns
those standout guitars to the
fore. Nightclub Amnesia adds the
bleacher-stomping muscle of Sleigh
Bells, while romantic pedal-steel
guitar creeps into several tunes.
The album can lose momentum
as it swings between fist-pumping
celebration and soul-searching
meditation, but the duo’s twitchy,
euphoric interplay thrives in both
settings.
(Remote Control/Inertia)
DougWallen
MUSIC REVIEWS
The Getaway Plan
Dark Horses
You have to hand it to The
Getaway Plan: after a break-
up,reformation, a nasty scandal
involving a jailed tour manager
(but not involving them)
and half the original line-up
decamping, they've emerged
with their best record. Fret not
faithful, this is not Getaway
Plan's experimental jazz
record, they're still fond of
making an almighty and epic
racket (just check opener
Landscapes, or Battleships).
But they've found some
serious smarts here as well:
check out the reflective Baby
Bird Effigy or the closer Exodus
– it's a seven-minute epic that
will be worth the price of gig
admission alone. (MGM)
Jonathan Alley