Jonathan Hill

A Soapbox for Uninformed Opinions

Feb
5

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Pokey LaFarge Pokey LaFarge Review

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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.

Jul
21

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Storm Corrosion Storm Corrosion Review

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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.

Mar
10

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Dropkick Murphys Signed and Sealed in Blood Review

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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

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