Tony Bennett & Diana Krall
Love Is Here To Stay
Verve
Since his son helped reinvent his career some 25 years ago Tony Bennett has played a simple, familiar card: Warm, weathered versions of the standards with which he made his name (the first time around). The Unplugged album was the thing that relaunched him big time – next thing he was touring with the hip young things as a gentle, elder statesman. Read More
Aphex Twin
Collpase EP
Warp Records
I’ve said this before but I think it bears repeating: you could imagine that all of the Aphex Twin material – and we’re now talking about a nearly 30-year span of music-making – was created in a single weekend; Richard D. James high on herbal drinks and pills and locked in a basement, sensory-deprived, urgent. Well, it’s always suited the narrative, I like to imagine that whenever I’m listening to his work. Read More
Once a month or so I have a chat on RNZ on their Afternoons show with Jesse Mulligan. These things start – randomly and stop in much the same way. I hope to keep doing this. For a while at least. I think I started in December of 2015, so a couple of years into it. Last year I collected up all the RNZ reviews at the end of the year and shared them all as links in one post. This year I thought I’d do them month-by-month for anyone that missed them at the time and wants to hear them while still current.
In August I talked about Sunny War’s album With The Sun and Mali Mali’s new record Azimuth – my focus was on great new songwriter. I feel these two are intriguing, fascinating artists – and really terrific songwriters. Read More
Money In The Bank 2018
WWE
Madman
I am so far out of the loop with the current product – this is the first PPV event I’ve watched in well over a year. And it’s the first WWE DVD I’ve reviewed in even longer…
But that worked out pretty well for me. I’ve always enjoyed the Money In The Bank-match concept and its full-branded PPV learned, early on, not to stretch that concept to breaking point. Read More
Hildur Guðnadóttir & Jóhann Jóhannsson
Mary Magdalene [Original Motion Picture Soundtrack]
WEA International
I wanted to like the film but I’m not sure it’s really up to much – despite stunning cinematography, this mesmerising score and the strong performances of its leads. That’s not quite enough to get it over the line, alas. It drags. It doesn’t have the kick nor the (same level of) grit that Garth Davis’ LION possesses. Read More
Paul McCartney
Egypt Station
Capitol
Much as I liked NEW the, er, new Paul McCartney album of five years ago, his last studio solo album for a time, it hasn’t aged particularly well. Too many cooks spoiled that broth. But at least it showed the restless creative spirit that is Sir Paul McCartney, former Beatle, chief commander of Wings; man with absolutely nothing left to prove in popular music, endless accolades and resources behind him too. Read More
Blicher Hemmer Gadd
Omara
C-Nut Records
Blicher Hemmer Gadd – or “BMG” – is saxophonist Michael Blicher, Hammond organ player Dan Hemmer and master jazz and pop-rock session drummer Steve Gadd. They released a self-titled group album back in 2014 and then took the songs from it – and a few others – out on the road across 2016/17.
Recorded in 2016 but released this year Omara is the live album in support of that tour. It’s a laidback, funky café-jazz thing; Gaddisms abound, triplet hi-hat/bass/snare fills, samba-with-brushes, groove-based solos but it’s not at all just Gadd’s show. He’s often just cruising behind the other two (If I Were A Cow) as Blicher’s sax takes the lead with Hemmer’s creamy keys filling out both rhythmic and melodic duties. Read More
Paul Simon
In The Blue Light
SMG
One of many reasons I’ve enjoyed almost all of Paul Simon’s solo catalogue is the quality-control. Just a dozen albums or so over nearly 50 years. He doesn’t rush. There’s so much in each album – pop songs that extend out into mini symphonies or fizz with their world-music buoyancy in the hypnotic rhythms, the memorable melodies. Read More
Swing Out Sister
Almost Persuaded
Miso
Here’s the tenth studio album by British pop duo Swing Out Sister – and their first in a decade. You remember them best from their breakout hit of 1986, er, “Breakout”. And since then it’s been a refinement of that approach really, they call the new music – and most that’s followed their 80s heyday, “Cinematic Soul Jazz” and that’s almost true, except jazz connotates coolness and soul suggests funk; this is more the Norah Jones school of “jazz” – and that’s not a criticism, just an observation.
A lot of the music on Almost Persuaded might, er, almost persuade you that you’re listening to a new Everything But The Girl album. So think that as you are thinking Cinematic Soul Jazz and it’ll make more sense. There are gorgeous strings (CINEMATIC!) on the title track as Corinne Drewery’s perfect voice soars and Andy Connell’s piano tinkles away in a nearly Mike Garson-way. Read More
Nerve Endings: Selected Lyrics
Kristin Hersh
Unbound
Though I’m a sucker for a book of lyrics I usually read and discard – realising as I’m reading it that most lyrics deserve to hang in the air, are made for the stage more so than the page; it’s nice to check in with them, really ever is it the intention of the writer that the words be collected, or the determination that they should mean something – but when it does all line up, when it works, there’s a joy to rediscovering your favourite lines, to hearing them and reading them and feeling them outside and away from the music. Read More
M. Ward
What A Wonderful Industry
M. Ward Records
Matthew “M”. Ward has never (really) let me down. In fact he’s delivered two amazing solo shows, the times I’ve seen him, and his discography is filled with highlights. Amazing covers (Bowie’s Let’s Dance, Daniel Johnston’s The Story of An Artist) and very strong original material. I like his voice, his guitar playing – his stance. Read More
Lo Carmen
Lovers Dreamers Fighters
Chiquita Records
The breathy, smoky voice of Australian country-rock songstress Lo Carmen should set your world alight – or at the very least let you know whether you’re in or not – almost instantly with the opening, title track of this, her seventh album. But if you want the safest way in check out the second track, Sometimes Its Hard – our old chum Bonnie “Prince” Billy guests as her duet partner. The pair of them do the hard-sell in the easiest way, effortless, mellifluous – if this is not for you then the album in full won’t be either. Fair enough. Shake hands. Walk away. Read More