STACK #149 Mar 2017

MUSIC REVIEWS

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Conor Oberst Salutations There’s plenty to be said for the solemnity of Ruminations , but Salutations , where Conor Oberst reproduces those 10 tracks and seven new ones with a full band, proves Oberst still has just as keen an ear for chest-thumping rock. Recruiting Jim Keltner – whose resume as drummer includes every band Oberst would claim as an influence – and old friends The Felice Brothers, Oberst’s crushing lyricism is still as foregrounded and personal as ever, but the dynamics lent by backing vocals and overdubs give Salutations a stronger swing. The restraint of tracks like Tachychardia and Barbary Coast are preserved, but Gossamer Thin and Till St Dymphna Kicks Us Out are newly gutsy; new tracks like Anytime Soon catch Oberst rarely radiant with the joy of life. Far from mere retread,

Laura Marling Semper Femina

Alison Krauss Windy City Alison Krauss is an outstanding fiddle player and singer, known for awakening America’s love of bluegrass. With a recording career that started at age 14, she has become the most awarded female artist in Grammys history, across her band Union Station, her collaborations with Robert Plant, and solo. It's been 18 years since her last solo project, and this time she has teamed up with renowned Nashville producer Buddy Cannon (Willie Nelson). Together they handpicked a collection of heartbreaking classic country songs, previously released Jimmie Rodgers amongst others. A voice that is so sweet, delicate and powerful reliving songs from years gone by - a perfect way to make a solo revival. (EMI) Denise Hylands by Brenda Lee, The Osborne Brothers, Willie Nelson and

Marty Stuart And His Fabulous Superlatives Way Out West Marty Stuart’s obsession with country music started at a young age, taking him on to play with legends including Lester Flatt to Johnny Cash, amongst others. His 18th album is a love letter to the west – California, that is. Its psychedelic, Western, jangly pop and country twang elements all evoke the sounds of Marty Robbins, Cash and Dwight Yoakam. From LA to the Mojave desert and way down Mexico way, it’s all here. With his aptly-named band the Fabulous Superlatives – Kenny Vaughan (guitar), Chris Scruggs (bass) and Harry Stinson (drums), some of the best in Nashville – Stuart proves he is a living legend of real country music. (Superlatone/CookingVinyl) Denise Hylands

Semper Femina follows 2015’s Short Movie as the next step in Marling recommitting herself to music. Before the latter, there was a real chance the charts had heard the last of Marling, but Short Movie found her refreshed and exploring new ground. On Semper Femina the singer- songwriter reclaims the Mercury Prize-nominated acoustic folk of the past, emboldened with the perspective and specificity that made Short Movie so gripping. Whether it's driving, straight- down-the-line ballads Wild Fire and Wild Once or dancing, syncopated beats and electric guitar blasts on Soothing and Nothing Not Nearly , Marling has lost none of her edge. (Kobalt) Jake Cleland

Salutations is a blessing. (Warner) Jake Cleland

Valerie June The Order Of Time

Timber Timbre Sincerely, Future Pollution If fiction is the art of telling truth through lies, then Timber Timbre's albums are wikipedia entries on the subject of human nature. For years the Canadian band led by Taylor Kirk have shed light on darker regions of the heart, trading in shadowy tales rich with storytelling detail and atmospheric texture. Sincerely, Future Pollution continues this tradition, but reflects more clearly than ever a world where dread is not so distant and foreboding is foregrounded. The gothic ballads and deep rock dirges play like a smoke-hued mirror for our times. (Inertia) SimonWinkler

Gary Clark Jr. Gary Clark Jr. - Live / North America 2016 One of the hottest blues/rock guitar players on the planet includes new songs and several from his 2015 studio release on his second live album. Clark’s trademark bluesy, distorted guitar sound is offset by soulful vocals, often reminiscent of Curtis Mayfield on some of the slower songs. Highlights include Shake featuring vocalist Leon Bridges, and previously unreleased covers: Elmore James' My Baby's Gone , Jimmy Reed's Honest I Do , Lowell Fulson's Three O'Clock Blues and the Delta standard Catfish Blues . The two-CD set allows for lots of soloing from this virtuoso of modern blues. (Warner) Billy Pinnell

The Doors London Fog 1966 Recently discovered live recordings of The Doors from 1966, the earliest known to exist, have been released for the very first time. They were recorded at The London Fog, a hole-in-the-wall club on West Hollywood's Sunset Strip that provided the newest band on the block with a six-month residency, where they shaped many of the classic songs that would appear on their first two albums. This release includes only two originals; the remainder are covers of blues and R&B songs, with the only hint of what was to come an early version of Strange Days . (Warner) Billy Pinnell

To see the future more clearly it’s necessary to look deeper into the past. Valerie June is an artist with a gift for translating old traditions into fresh forms. Born in Tennessee and now based in NewYork, Valerie’s music reflects a great love and understanding of blues, jazz and soul, and in turn reveals new and previously unexplored sounds within. The Order Of Time contains songs written over years, and beautifully captures the moments that often come to define our lives, whether we realise in the moment or at some point much later. There’s immediacy in the melodic elements and complexity in the vocal performances, and more to appreciate with each repeated listen. (Caroline) SimonWinkler

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MARCH 2017

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