Jonathan Hill

Tag: Folk

  • Zaz Zaz Review

    General Information:

    Artist: Zaz
    Album: Zaz
    Genre(s): Folk, Jazz
    Subgenres(s): Chanson, Gypsy Jazz
    Released: 2010
    Length: 39 minutes
    Language(s): French
    Label(s): Play On, Sony

    Track List:

    01. Les Passants
    02. Je Veux
    03. Le Long de la Route
    04. La Fée
    05. Trop Sensible
    06. Prends Garde à ta Langue
    07. Ni Oui Ni Non
    08. Port Coton
    09. J’aime à Nouveau
    10. Dans Ma Rue
    11. Éblouie Par la Nuit

    Zaz Zaz Cover
    Zaz Zaz Cover

    Zaz Zaz Review

    Zaz is the debut album and stage name of French singer Isabelle Geffroy. The first thing that the listener will pick up on over the course of this album is the many different directions that are taken. Starting with a series of four acoustic-driven songs, including the jaunty single Je Veux, the sound is then stripped back to a quiet acoustic guitar and even subtler harmonium to fill in the silence on Trop Sensible, the only song written solely by Zaz.

    This song does have the advantage of letting her voice stand out although it is somewhat awkwardly followed by Prends Garde à Ta Langue and then Ni Oui Ni Non. The latter retains the jaunty attitude of Je Veux and the former is much the same after being moulded into a jazzy temperament that is accompanied by a brass section consisting of a trumpet, trombone and saxophone.

    Aside from writing Trop Sensible herself, Zaz shares credit for five other song (Les Passants, Le Long de a Loute, Prends Garde à Ta Langue, Ni Out Ni Non and J’aime à Nouveau) while the other six were written by other composers. None of the songs on Zaz are inherently weak but it is apparent that some of the other composers have a different flair to that of Zaz.

    For example, fellow French musician Raphaël Haroche is the sole composer of the piano-focused La Fée as well as the earnest Port Coton and Éblouie Par la Nuit. The latter two are more downbeat and are in the second half of the album, where this mood is more dominant, whereas the first half is livelier so when looking at the album as a whole it can come across as a bit of a “too many cooks in the kitchen” scenario. The theme is broken up by the cheerful J’aime à Nouveau but Zaz ultimately finishes in a very different place to where it starts.

    In spite of having some uneven moment in terms of the overall mood of the album, it is highly enjoyable and the optimistic parts of it will certainly keep your attention irrespective of being able to understand the lyrics or not, some of which are positive when translated (Je Veux) whereas others tell more sombre tales (Dans Ma Rue).

    Performers:

    Zaz (Isabelle Geffroy): Lead Vocals (1-11)
    Bruce Cherbit: Drums (1, 2, 3, 6, 7, 9), Tambourine (2)
    Toby Dammit: Drums (4, 8)
    Manuel Marches: Double Bass (1, 3, 9)
    Antoine Reininger: Double Bass (2, 6, 7)
    Mathieu Verlot: Double Bass (4, 8, 11)
    Germain Guyot: Piano (1, 3, 10)
    Fred Lafarge: Acoustic Guitar (1, 2, 3, 7, 9), Piano (4, 8, 11), Harmonium (5, 8)
    Alban Sautour: Electric Guitar (1, 3), Programming (1)
    Raphaël Haroche: Acoustic Guitar (8)

    External Links:

    Zaz Homepage
    Zaz on Wikipedia
    Zaz on Wikipedia

  • Frank Turner Campfire Punkrock Review

    General Information:

    Artist: Frank Turner
    Album: Campfire Punkrock
    Genre(s): Folk, Folk Rock
    Subgenres(s): N/A
    Released: 2006
    Length: 18 minutes
    Language(s): English
    Label(s): Xtra Mile Recordings, Good Friends Records

    Track List:

    01. Nashville Tennessee
    02. Thatcher Fucked The Kids
    03. This Town Ain’t Big Enough For The One Of Me
    04. Casanova Lament
    05. I Really Don’t Care What You Did On Your Gap Year

    Frank Turner Campfire Punkrock Cover
    Frank Turner Campfire Punkrock Cover

    Frank Turner Campfire Punkrock Review

    Campfire Punkrock is the first solo release of British folk musician Frank Turner. Taking the form of an acoustic folk EP, he departs from the punk rock sound of his previous band, Million Dead, entirely and it’s evident from the get-go that his voice is much more suited to the stripped down folk sound he has opted for.

    His earnest lyricism always takes centre stage with the first song, a folk rock number titled Nashville Tennessee, acts as a sort of introduction to himself and his self-awareness when he sings “from the start, the land scaped my sound, before I’d ever been to America” as well as other references to his transatlantic influences while lacking knowledge of American geography from which they come. There’s also a sarcastic undertone to be found when he claims “and if I knew anybody who played pedal steel guitar/I’d get them in my band and then my band would get real far” as he points out the conventions, or formula, of country music that influenced him while defending himself by saying “and yes I’m in four-four time, and yes I use cheap, cheap rhymes/but I try to make a sound my own” and concludes his observations with a simple and honest mission statement of “the only thing I’m offering is me”.

    This Town Ain’t Big Enough For The One Of Me continues the upbeat folk rock sound to sing about escaping from his current town of residence and cites “…talking to girls hazardous to my health. They’ve been in this gene pool so long they’ve got wrinkled toes” and “I still want to be buried here, just like I said but I’d prefer it if you’d wait until I’m actually dead” as his concerns whereas Thatcher Fucked The Kids shows a completely different side of Frank Turner.

    He drops his backing band for a solo song using only his voice and acoustic guitar to dive into the world of protest songs. As the title implies, it focuses on former British Conservative Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher and how she affected the youth of society in his eyes. The punk rock passion flairs up in his scathing analysis which ranges from calling children “a violent bunch of bastard little shits” to addressing the upper class reducing social mobility by saying that “as they were settled as the richest of the rich/they kicked away the ladder, told the rest of us that life’s a bitch”.

    Casanova Lament and I Really Don’t Care What You Did On Your Gap Year shake things up further in terms of song-writing as they are low-key compared to the first three songs. The former being from the school of sad sounding singer-songwriters sitting on a stool sullenly and the latter brings the backing band into the mix again but without the energy that grips the listener at the beginning of Campfire Punkrock. This leaves the EP flagging a bit towards the end but Frank Turner’s ability to tell stories and convey his thoughts through matter-of-fact lyrics are the biggest strength and draw of Campfire Punkrock that will keep listeners attentive.

    Performers:

    Frank Turner: Acoustic Guitar, Vocals
    Ben Lloyd: Electric Guitar
    Nigel Powell: Drums
    Tarrant Anderson: Bass

    External Links:

    Frank Turner Homepage
    Frank Turner on Wikipedia
    Campfire Punkrock on Wikipedia

  • Fleet Foxes Helplessness Blues Review

    Fleet Foxes Helplessness Blues Review

    Artist: Fleet Foxes
    Album: Helplessness Blues
    Genre(s): Folk, Folk Rock
    Subgenres(s): Progressive Folk
    Released: 2011
    Length: 50 minutes
    Language(s): English
    Label(s): Bella Union, Sub Pop

    Track List:

    01. Montezuma
    02. Bedouin Dress
    03. Sim Sala Bim
    04. Battery Kinzie
    05. The Plains/Bitter Dancer
    06. Helplessness Blues
    07. The Cascades
    08. Lorelei
    09. Someone You’d Admire
    10. The Shrine/An Argument
    11. Blue Spotted Tail
    12. Grown Ocean

    Fleet Foxes Helplessness Blues Cover

    Helplessness Blues is the second album by American folk band Fleet Foxes. While having many of the hallmarks of their self-titled debut, Helplessness Blues show some growth in the Fleet Foxes repertoire that proves they aren’t afraid to branch out. The song-writing has gotten more adventurous with half of them averaging 4.5 minutes compared to their debut which only has 3 songs over the 4 minute mark. Elements of progressive music have also trickled in with the influence being most noticeable on The Plains/Bitter Dancer, Helplessness Blues and The Shrine/An Argument.

    While the title Helplessness Blues could allure to an influence from blues music this isn’t the case. It would be more accurate to say Fleet Foxes are singing the blues as many of their lyrical themes deal with reflection, finding your place in life, sadness and nostalgia. Nature is still a recurring theme though it is less central than it was on their debut.

    In all of the diverse instrumentation found on Helplessness Blues, the only low point to mention is the trumpet on The Shrine/An Argument. It sounds like it is being sexually assaulted by a feral badger when Fleet Foxes summons the worst of Neutral Milk Hotel on an otherwise standout song.

    Fleet Foxes push themselves creatively and come out on top so if you can overlook the trumpet incident there’s no reason not to pick up Helplessness Blues.

  • Various Artists Flowers Made of Snow Review

    Various Artists Flowers Made of Snow Review

    Artist: Various Artists
    Album: Flowers Made of Snow
    Genre(s): Ambient, Folk, Industrial, Neoclassical, Noise
    Subgenres(s): Dark Ambient, Martial Industrial, Neoclassical, Neofolk, Power Electronics
    Released: 2004
    Length: 55 minutes (CD 1), 63 minutes (CD 2)
    Language(s): English
    Label(s): Cold Meat Industries

    Track List (CD 1):

    01. Coph Nia – The Oath
    02. The Protagonist – The Sick Rose
    03. In Slaughter Natives – The Vulture
    04. Olen’k – Season of Tears
    05. All My Faith Lost – Sleep Now
    06. The Last Hour – Into Empty Depth
    07. Apatheia – Safehouse
    08. Ataraxia – Incabala
    09. Ordo Rosarius Equilibrio – Yesterday Brings But a Serpent of Ash
    10. Hexperos – The Warm Whisper of the Wind
    11. Sibelian – The Sin Eater
    12. Sanctum – Lie Low

    Various Artists Flowers Made of Snow Cover

    Flowers Made of Snow is a Various Artists compilation by the Cold Meat Industry label. Presented as a sampler of the labels current artists, the compilation covers ambient, folk, industrial and noise music across 2 CDs and 23 different artists. The first CD focuses largely on the more accessible side of Cold Meat Industry with a diverse set of neofolk, martial industrial and neoclassical songs.

    The Oath by Coph Nia sets the tone with a dramatic spoken word performance. The lyrics act as a proclamation for Cold Meat Industries, which are seemingly the rejection of mainstream culture and more specifically the music associated with it. Ordo Rosarius Equilibrio is the only other martial industrial band featured on Flowers Made of Snow and while the subgenre is sadly underrepresented, together they show what can be offered in their brief but powerful presence.

    There are 3 neoclassical nightmares courtesy of The Protagonist, In Slaughter Natives and The Last Hour. The only thing to be said for certain of the neoclassical songs is that the performers are not happy people. Between the hushed murmurs, haunting soprano wails, tense violins and bleak ambiance, you’ll feel as though you’ve found yourself in the middle of someone else’s misery in these emotive pieces.

    Making up about half of the first CD is a set of groups playing neofolk music that at times sounds worlds apart from each other despite being under the same umbrella. All My Faith Lost and O’lenk play low key songs with female lead singers that don’t pull any punches. In contrast Hexperos follow suit until their song (The Warm Whisper of the Wind) is warped into another neoclassical nightmare akin to The Vulture by In Slaughter Natives.

    Apatheia and Ataraxia both perform uncharacteristically lively songs that are like reimagining’s of medieval folk music. They both have catchy acoustic guitars and more upbeat singing styles (the latter of which sounds like a cross between chanting, yodelling and opera singing) that evens out some of the tension present in many of the other songs.

    Sibelian takes influence from both the neoclassical and martial industrial camps for the 9 minute mini-epic The Sin Eater. Some elements of electronic music can be heard through the sound effects and (what sounds like programmed) drumming. This conceptually links to Lie Low by Sanctum, the final song on the first CD. It is a dissonant song belonging to the power electronics subgenre of noise music. It doesn’t fit in with the rest of the music found here and acts as a disturbingly unwelcome prelude to the second CD.

    The first CD in the Flowers Made of Snow compilation does an excellent job of showcasing what Cold Meat Industries and the fringe genres of martial industrial, neoclassical and neofolk have to offer if you can stomach melancholic music in this diverse and ever twisting compilation.

    Track List (CD 2):

    01. Desiderii Marginis – Where I End and You Begin
    02. Raison D’etre – Mouldering the Forlorn II
    03. Atrium Carceri – Impaled Butterfly
    04. Mz.412 – In Hoc Signe Vinces
    05. Brighter Death Now – While You Sleep
    06. IRM – My Mother
    07. Deutsch Nepal – Of Parasites and Disguises
    08. Nacht – Death Posture
    09. Beyond Sensory Experience – The Trade
    10. Sephiroth – Therasia
    11. Skin Area – Choose Art… Not Life

    The second CD of the Flowers Made of Snow compilation is in stark contrast to the first. It focuses exclusively on the subtle and the abrasive (and arguably hostile) side of Cold Meat Industries in the form of dark ambient and power electronics music.

    It starts out harmless enough with Where I End and You Begin by Desiderii Marginis, a dark ambient song fused with soft guitar distortion and what sounds like the slow, distant groans of a didgeridoo. Raison D’etre and Atrium Carceri carry on the dark ambient themes and almost link together to create an interesting 3 part song.

    Mz.412, Brighter Death Now and IRM are three noise groups that work together in the same way as the dark ambient trilogy do. Unfortunately these songs are on the opposite side of the musical spectrum and are grating enough to make blood ooze profusely from every orifice on your body. Thankfully Nacht and Skin Area are the only other 2 noise groups on the CD with Deutsch Nepal, Beyond Sensory Experience and Sephiroth stepping in between these seemingly unending harsh songs to offer some relief from the discomfort they cause.

    You could just as easily sit in a cement mixer and get someone to bash it with crowbar to achieve the same headache inducing effect that you get from the noise songs. The only difference is that you wouldn’t need to put up with the artistic pretence to get one.

    The coupling of these genres provides an excellent contrast in sound if nothing else. The dark ambient songs on the second CD of the Flowers Made of Snow compilation are certainly worth a listen if you have the patience for eerie soundscapes but the noise songs should be left well alone unless you are a masochist or hate yourself.

  • Pokey LaFarge Pokey LaFarge Review

    Pokey LaFarge Pokey LaFarge Review

    Artist: Pokey LaFarge
    Album: Pokey LaFarge
    Genre(s): Folk
    Subgenres(s): Americana
    Released: 2013
    Length: 40 minutes
    Language(s): English
    Label(s): Third Man Records

    Track List:

    01. Central Time
    02. The Devil Ain’t Lazy
    03. What the Rain Will Bring
    04. Wontcha Please Don’t Do It
    05. One Town at a Time
    06. Kentucky Mae
    07. Bowlegged Woman
    08. City Summer Blues
    09. Day After Day
    10. Let’s Get Lost
    11. Close the Door
    12. Home Away from Home

    Pokey LaFarge Pokey LaFarge Cover

    Folk musician Pokey LaFarge harkens back to the Americana sound of the early 20th century for his self-titled album. He wistfully mimics the sound of yesteryear with a cheery disposition that is packaged perfectly for a 21st century audience. The only tell-tale sign of Pokey LaFarge being a modern recording is the sound quality but aside from that you wouldn’t be any the wiser.

    The man himself takes on the role of lead singer, songwriter, lyricist and acoustic guitarist to bring his nostalgic old time sound into fruition. He has also enlisted a number of multi-instrumentalists to bring a wealth of variety and colour to his jaunty compositions. Some of the other instruments used include the harmonica, upright bass, violin, viola, cello, piano, clarinet, cornet and both male and female backing vocals.

    Influence from early jazz music can be heard on What the Rain Will Bring, Kentucky Mae, Day After Day and Home Away from Home. While they tend to be low key when compared to many of the other songs, they do feel like a natural extension of his Americana sound.

    The lyrics are written in a way that wouldn’t put them out of place in music from the 1950’s or before and this as this plays right into his musical narrative and brings his nostalgic sound full circle.

    Pokey LaFarge has been quoted saying that “American music is the tops” and if his own music is a good reflection of his influences then it is hard to disagree with this sentiment and you’ll find it impossible not to crack a smile while listening to him.

  • Storm Corrosion Storm Corrosion Review

    Storm Corrosion Storm Corrosion Review

    Artist: Storm Corrosion
    Album: Storm Corrosion
    Genre(s): Ambient, Folk, Rock
    Subgenres(s): Dark Ambient, Progressive Rock, Psychedelic Folk
    Released: 2012
    Length: 48 minutes
    Language(s): English
    Label(s): Roadrunner

    Track List:

    01. Drag Ropes
    02. Storm Corrosion
    03. Hag
    04. Happy
    05. Lock Howl
    06. Ljudet Innan

    Storm Corrosion Storm Corrosion Cover

    Storm Corrosion is the long awaited collaborative project between progressive rock/metal stars Steven Wilson (Porcupine Tree, solo) and Michael Akerfeldt (Opeth). Given the background of these 2 prolific musicians you would think that you would have some inkling as to what Storm Corrosion would turn out like but the results are much more unexpected than you’d think. As with a lot of Steven Wilson’s output in the last few years, the music is brooding and dark sounding without strictly sounding like anything either musician has put forward before.

    There are only 6 songs on Storm Corrosion and together they manage to make up a little bit more than the average length of an album. Drag Ropes, Storm Corrosion and Ljudet Innan all clock in at around 10 minutes each and like most of the album, they work around the same tired format; soft guitar lines that keep the rhythm, dark keyboard atmospheres, sparse and infrequent percussion and unstrained singing from both halves of Storm Corrosion.

    Half way through Hag you’ll be treated to a short burst of distorted guitar noise and frenzied drum rolls with plenty of sharp clashes on the cymbals thrown in in an effort to keep your attention and break up the monotony. Lock Howl is the only song with steady use of percussion and while remaining well within the duos ominous criteria, it manages to wake the listener from their slumber before abruptly stopping once they realise that they are in danger of playing something that might be memorable.

    Unlimited artistic freedom isn’t a bad thing in and of itself but when 2 of the current progressive rock/metal scene figureheads get together and produce an album with maybe 20 minutes of material worth hearing you know that something hasn’t hit the marker.

  • Dropkick Murphys Signed and Sealed in Blood Review

    Artist: Dropkick Murphys
    Album: Signed and Sealed in Blood
    Genre(s): Folk, Rock
    Subgenres(s): Folk Rock, Hardcore Punk, Punk Rock
    Released: 2013
    Length: 41 minutes
    Language(s): English
    Label(s): Born & Bred Records

    Track List:

    01. The Boys Are Back
    02. Prisoner’s Song
    03. Rose Tattoo
    04. Burn
    05. Jimmy Collins Wake
    06. The Seasons Upon Us
    07. The Battle Rages On
    08. Don’t Tear Us Apart
    09. My Hero
    10. Out on the Town
    11. Out of Our Heads
    12. End of the Night

    Dropkick Murphys Signed and Sealed in Blood Cover

    Dropkick Murphys Signed and Sealed in Blood Review

    Signed and Sealed in Blood is the Dropkick Murphys 8th album overall and if you’re familiar with their previous output then you’ll already have a rough idea of what you’re in for. But for those not in the know, the septet mixes bagpipes, acoustic guitars, whistles and accordions among other instruments with the standard punk rock format of guitar, bass and drums to forge an unforgettable and explosive listening experience.

    Sonically, the majority of the songs are still firmly rooted in the folk punk style that they have become known for, but this time around there seems to be a stronger emphasis on creating the most glorious gang shouts and infectious hooks possible. The album features a few folk-centric songs that bring the folk instrumentation to the centre of the stage and Out on the Town even allows for a chirpy whistling break mid-song. All of this makes for a subtle, yet noticeable change in composition that allows the band to retain their trademark attitude and personality, all while branching out enough to keep their well-defined style fresh and interesting.

    The vocals are clearly sung, spluttered, shouted, bellowed and chanted by 6 of the 7 band members over the course of the album. Lyrics tend to revolve around drinking, celebrating, unity and situations in life as told through fictional characters. The best example of this is in The Seasons Upon Us, a sarcastic caricature of a dysfunctional family that recounts their miserable annual Christmas gathering and is guaranteed to leave you grinning. It’s worth noting that while being a Christmas song, albeit unconventional, the way in which the lyrics are written make it timeless so that it can enjoy at any time of the year and not just when the Christmas season comes around.

    The band tones back the cacophony on occasion but they rarely slow down the tempo significantly. The exception to this trend is End of the Night, a somewhat sombre sounding song that lets the listener know that the album is coming to its end. It features a rare appearance of the piano, not the most commonly used instrument in their arsenal, which is also used on Don’t Tear Us Apart to create a memorable opening and makes another small appearance later during the bridge.

    Signed and Sealed in Blood is packed full of memorable choruses, catchy hooks and a passionate, energetic performance that blends 2 distinct genres, several singing styles and a variety of instruments into just over 40 minutes, which prevents it from overstaying its welcome. It will keep you coming back for more listen after listen and because of this, it could already be on its way to becoming one of the best albums of 2013.

    External Links:

    Dropkick Murphys Homepage
    Dropkick Murphys on Wikipedia | Signed and Sealed in Blood on Wikipedia
    Dropkick Murphys on Discogs | Signed and Sealed in Blood on Discogs