Another Summer of Love
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Little Steven . Widespread Panic . T o d d R u n d g r e n . Thundercat . J a s o n I s b e l l ANOTHER SUMMER OF LOVE TH 17 ANNUAL FESTIVAL GUIDE PLUS DISPATCH KING GIZZARD & THE LIZARD WIZARD PRESERVATION HALL JAZZ BAND PHOENIX THE HEAD & THE HEART SHOOK TWINS GRATEFUL DEAD: CORNELL ‘77 FLEET FOXES SONGS OF OUR OWN ISSUE 280 JUNE_JULY 2017 $6.99 WWW.RELIX.COM Reviews self-negation” set in the expanses of samples and beat-making mastery. It El Michels Affair nature. The lack of any edification or happens to be completely captivating lesson or comfort from death is the and retro-psychedelic, even if one root note of many of these songs. is not familiar with the Wu record The slow eradication of a specific that it’s riffing on. The album returns memory of a deceased loved one music based, in part, on mechanical turns into another slow-blooming reproduction to the realm of the emptiness. Conceptually, this album handmade. Listen to the way that is as heavy and dark as the blackest the sampled vocal scraps or accents metal, only it’s so quiet as to almost from the turntable are turned into be silent. John Adamian textural touches from the guitar or the organ. It’s a back-and-forth that Kelley Ryan seems true to the genre, and it’s done Telescope MANATEE with such mastery that it becomes its On her third album, Kelley own thing. John Adamian Ryan finds herself in fine company. Marshall Steve Hackett Crenshaw and Kimm The Night Siren INSIDEOUT Rogers served as As an early member writing partners, while Don Dixon of Genesis, guitarist and Marti Jones settled into the Steve Hackett was studio for backup support. Even so, instrumental in crafting Ryan maintains a decidedly low-key many of the band’s best setting, never allowing her guests to combination of anger and ironic this album, which is whimsical albums—Nursery Cryme, Foxtrot overwhelm her fragile melodies and humor. He also wails out the cryptic and airy, especially on flute-laced and Selling England by the Pound unassuming singing style. Credit Jones message of “What You Did to the Boy opener “Wonder Blind.” There is a among them—long before Phil Collins’ with adding subtle backing harmonies Ain’t Right,” punctuating his angry real emotional heft behind the songs promotion to frontman eradicated that fail to usurp Ryan’s role at center howl with stinging slide-guitar asides, (although occasionally that weight is their progressive posture and made stage, and Dixon for providing string and adds a ragtime lilt to his playing ignored in favor of precious, chirping them more like pop wannabes. It’s arrangements that don’t distract from on “When You Lose Your Money,” a instrumentals), and Elson explores little wonder then that Hackett has the overall ambience. That’s fortunate, variation on “Stack O’Lee,” delivered what feels like years of feelings. spent the latter part of his career given that the songs maintain a dim with a smoldering vocal that intensifies There’s a sincerity to her expression retracing Genesis’ signature songs haze, with “Save Me,” “Flake White the violent lyric. Breezy joins in on “We as she allows us to be privy to her live and on record, recreating former Heart,” “Pulling for Romeo” and “The Deserve a Happy Ending,” providing inner thoughts and reflections. Folksy glories for the adoring masses. Broken News” managing a shimmering harmonies and hand claps to accent crooner “A Million Stars” is, again, Notably then, The Night Siren finds him efect throughout. There’s no denying the song’s stomping, funky energy, about a past relationship (“Now I’m moving forward under his own aegis. that it’s a lovely set of songs, even while Peyton’s throbbing bass notes haunted by a memory/ And between There’s all the sweep, drama and if Ryan’s resonance is somewhat give “Shakey Shirley” a down-home us lays a raging sea”) and acoustic grandeur that one might expect from reserved. Indeed, it’s only when dance pulse as it celebrates the joys closer “Distant Shore” is particularly an artist of his ilk—as evidenced on there’s a counterpoint to the melody of true love and root beer. Over four- soulful and evocative as Elson howls, songs such as “Behind the Smoke,” “In (in the rare case of “Secret Life”) or an million viewers have visited YouTube “I am alone and I am free.” Emily Zemler the Skeleton Gallery,” “Fifty Miles From efective attempt to emulate a catchy to watch Peyton play shotgun the North Pole” and “El Niño”—but, to chorus (as found in “Real Gone Girl”) guitar—a three-string guitar/shotgun El Michels Afair his credit, Hackett integrates other that there’s any proviso for a ready hybrid that fires live ammo between Return to the 37th Chamber intriguing additives as well. Oversized refrain. As a result, Telescope requires arpeggios—but the music here doesn’t BIG CROWN arrangements, raging percussion, the listener to zoom in for full efect, rely on gimmicks to make its impact. There’s some serious uilleann pipes, and all manner of especially when it comes to picking up With minimal production adding a reverse-engineering South American and Middle Eastern on the niceties and nuances. At that natural reverb to the tracks, Peyton’s happening on this instrumentation provide the exotic point, its seductive charms take flight husky howl, stark playing and simple ominous, funky and elements that enhance the album’s as the music flows efortlessly from lyrics give the album a bracing, cinematic record. cinematic sound. Those international track to track. Not surprisingly, Ryan ageless power. J. Poet The tracks are essentially (mostly) additives impart a message about finds common ground with Carole King, instrumental re-creations of global unity and understanding— Carly Simon, Melissa Manchester and Karen Elson songs from the Wu-Tang Clan’s an intent that’s especially obvious other easy listening icons, but she still Double Roses H.O.T RECORDS LTD. catalog, as well as from some of on “West to East” and “Anything manages to make a warm impression It’s hard to listen to the Wu members’ solo projects. El but Love”—but, for the most part, all on her own. Lee Zimmerman Karen Elson’s new solo Michels Afair mastermind Leon the music sacrifices intimacy for album without trying to Michels worked on analog tape with intensity. Hackett’s soaring fretwork Reverend Peyton’s infer something from impeccably recorded beats, guitar takes center stage, with occasional Big Damn Band the lyrics. Elson’s last tones and keyboard flourishes. The harmonies, folk-like flourishes and Front Porch Sessions F A M I LY O W N E D record, 2010’s The Ghost Who Walks, group consists of members of The a sound that recalls Mike Oldfield’s RECORDS/THIRTY TIGERS was produced by her then-husband Dap-Kings, Antibalas and other New symphonic stance enhancing the This blues/rock Jack White and, since then, the two York instrumental/studio wizards. sense of spectacle. The Night Siren combo only has three have had some fairly public discord. They were hired to back Wu-Tang, finds Hackett back making music members—percussionist “Call Your Name,” one of the standout which launched them in this direction. through his own dynamic designs. and vocalist Max tracks on Double Roses, is a breakup This album, a follow-up to EMA’s first Lee Zimmerman Senteney, washboard song, one that describes the lingering fully Wu-centric project in 2009, player and vocalist Breezy Peyton, heartbreak of a relationship that’s opens with a cover of “4th Chamber,” British Sea Power and the Reverend Peyton himself on split apart. It could be about White, a sample-rich song from GZA’s Let the Dancers Inherit the Party guitar and vocals—but they produce which is the first thing that occurs second solo record. “Snakes” is a GOLDEN CHARIOT/CAROLINE a massive sound. The music here is to the listener, and that sense is cover of an Ol’ Dirty Bastard track INTERNATIONAL stripped down to its essence, with compounded by the fact that the that was fueled by a speed-adjusted British Sea Power most tracks centering on the Reverend’s track was co-produced by The Black Joe Tex sample, and which has haven’t unveiled a bristling guitar work and larger-than- Keys’ Patrick Carney, who has his the source material moved to the proper album since life vocals. The bright fingerpicking own beef with Elson’s ex. Celebrity foreground here, courtesy of soul 2013, when they on “One More Thing” contrasts nicely drama aside, though, it’s a lovely singer Lee Fields, while still retaining dropped Machineries with a list of the everyday disasters song and it would likely ease the ache a dub vibe. The whole album is a of Joy. Between then and now, the that threaten a hardworking family. of anyone going through a breakup. fascinating homage piece to the Wu- U.K. group created several film Peyton sings it with a winning It’s one of Elson’s best efforts on Tang Clan and to their deep library of soundtracks but largely stayed 84 | JUNE_JULY 2017 | WWW.RELIX.COM Reviews final revise.indd 84 5/2/17 2:48 AM.