Westcoast Rain, Jesper Lindell (from the Rootsy Music release Twilights)
I’ll say it up front – Jesper Lindell’s latest plays like a long lost album by The Band. It’s more – much more – than the fact that he covers that group’s wonderful “Twilight” or that Amy Helm makes a guest appearance on the album. It’s reflective of the album’s musical ethos – relaxed and organic with plenty of rootsy soul.
The instrumentation has an enticing retro 1970’s feel that wraps itself around each song. There’s some gritty guitar accompanied by plenty of piano and organ, not to mention some stellar horns making cameo appearances. The songs flow with an enticing casualness, yet one that doesn’t soften their emotional power.
And then there’s Lindell’s voice, soulful with a grainy edge that recalls Van Morrison or Ray LaMontagne. Add it all up and you’ve got a warm and refreshing release from an exciting new artist.
Lose Yr Love, Jo Schornikow (from the Keeled Scales Records release Alter)
Jo Schornikow keeps her song title short – 2/3rds of them are a single word – and lets the songs speak for themselves. While there is plenty of regret in her lyrics, Schornikow wraps it in irresistible, upbeat packages. Particularly inviting are the subtle funkiness of “Wrong About You” and the airy sweetness of “Lose Yr Love”. She closes out the album with the expansive and percussive title track, an opus unto itself.
Cruel Trick, Grant-Lee Phillips (from the Yep Roc release All That You Can Dream)
All That You Can Dream epitomizes all that we expect from Phillips. His latest album is a collection of songs that are thoughtful and restrained, reflective of an artist trying to put the past few years in perspective – for himself and for all of us.
The title track laments the pressures of modern society while “Cannot Trust the Ground” talks about “comfort in the simple things” as a moment of respite from the dispiriting turmoil that swirls around us.
He gets pointed and political on “Cut to the Ending” and “Peace is a Delicate Thing”. The intensity increases on “Rats in a Barrel”, with a particular moment of frustration. “I read a couple school books once, mama never raised a dunce,” he sings, “but some things still leave me itching my head.”
“Cruel Trick” is a somber pandemic song, describing the sense of isolation:
My guitar, it just sits in the case anymore
Funny time is so easily wasted
Funny I never caught this before
Despite the seriousness of the subject matter, the gentleness of Phillips’ voice and melodies softens the edges, making All That You Can Dream as engaging as it is lyrically somber.
Heaven Knows Those Songs Weren’t Heaven Sent, Fredrik Saroea (from the YAP Records release Rona Diaries: Chamber Versions Live At The Grieg Hall, Bergen)
Datarock’s Fredrik Saroea reimagines his 2021 solo album with assistance from Norway’s Bit20 String Ensemble. Their collaboration, captured here in a live performance, adds a theatrical intensity to Saroea’s songs. The arrangements are subtle yet sophisticated, moving from moments of quiet restraint to fervent emotion.
Pinball Blonde, M. Ross Perkins (from the Colemine Records release E Pluribus M Ross)
There’s a long tradition of really good DIY pop records. These are proof that you don’t necessarily need a great studio to create memorable music, you just need solid songs and a creative approach to producing them. M. Ross Perkins’ latest illustrates the point, a thoughtful and enjoyable listen from start to finish.
Someone Else’s Rising Sun, Juni Ata (from the Flying On Fire Records EP Some Songs)
Although music has always been a part of his life, Jesse Daniel Edwards – aka Juni Ata – has only recently been persuaded to begun formally sharing it. With the release of his sophomore EP, he demonstrates that it is music worthy of attention. Edwards shifts effortlessly from the intoxicating piano instrumental “Interlude” to the haunting melancholy of “This House Comes With a Ghost” to the Van Morrison meets the Beach Boys vibe of “California Girl”. I’m particular taken with “Someone Else’s Rising Sun”, the horn-laced pop gem that opens the EP. “It’s true that someone’s sunset is someone else’s rising sun.”
Ain’t Young Ain’t Pretty, Douglas Wayne (from the self-released Coyote)
East Nashville music journeyman Douglas Wayne hits the spot with his latest album. This is the kind of soundtrack you’d want and expect to hear at your local after a long work week – relaxed but energizing. He sings about heartaches and break-ups with a self-effacing attitude. “Hard as it is, I gotta be strong, I’m lettin’ go of hangin’ on,” he sings on the freewheeling and horn-infused “Lettin’ Go of Hangin’ On” before closing out the album with a little tongue in cheek humor on the honky-tonk “Ain’t Young Ain’t Pretty”.
About the author: Mild-mannered corporate executive by day, excitable Twangville denizen by night.