4Play

May 3, 2006

Stellastarr - Harmonies for the Haunted - RCA
Most obviously influenced by the likes of Echo and the Bunnymen and the Psychedelic Furs, Stellastarr has the shoegazing thing down pat, for sure - but they’ve also infused that approach with slicker production levels and big-sounding song structures that, strangely, would sound equally welcome in a small, darkly lit club setting or on a large festival stage - at night, of course.  There’s a lotta lost love here, and the band gently supports the lovelorn with soft, dense cushions of low backing vocals and we’ve-been-there-too lyrics on such songs as “Love and Longing,” “When I Disappear,” “Damn This Foolish Heart,” and “Lost in Time,” as well as the album’s first single, “Sweet Troubled Soul.”  It’s an appealing mix of soundtrack-friendly indie anthems and radio-prodding ponderings, showcasing the slow but steady songwriting growth of Stellastarr’s Shawn Christensen and Amanda Tannen, who have a way of making broken hearts crawl out of the woodwork just to take a listen. 

Matthew Sweet and Susanna Hoffs - Under the Covers, Vol. 1 - Shout Factory
You would probably recognize Sweet from his ’90s hit single, “Girlfriend,” and Hoffs, of course, from her work with indie-pop band The Bangles - but what you might not know is that both of them have already worked together as members of the tongue-in-cheek band Ming Tea, which appeared in all three Austin Powers movies.  Now, these friends are hitting CD racks with their own set of carefully-rendered and prettily expressive songs, a tribute to some of their favorite ’60s sounds, complete with string arrangements and keyboard work by famed Beach Boys collaborator Van Dyke Parks.  Appearing under the nicknames of “Sid and Susie,” Sweet and Hoffs bring their distinctive and wonderfully melodic voices (and, in Sweet’s case, guitar work) to covers of tunes from The Beatles (“And Your Bird Can Sing”) to Fairport Convention (“Who Knows Where the Time Goes?”), Marmalade (“I See the Rain”) to The Who (“The Kids Are Alright.”)  It’s a fun listen and a great collection performed by a pair of underrated talents.

The Streets - The Hardest Way to Make an Easy Living - WEA
Recorded late last year by UK artist Mike Skinner, who escaped to New York City to track the album, in part to “get away from his mates,” this much-anticipated third album from The Streets is just as observant of detail as previous Streets efforts, and may be even more personal than what’s been heard before, as Skinner wittily rap-storytells his way through how his life has changed - it’s a pocket album’s worth of a pop star’s snapshots of his life, from onstage antics to political views, drug difficulties and pursuits both shallow and ambitious.  Skinner has always been an impressive vocal artist, drawing the listener in with his sincerity and ease of performance, and this set is no exception - highlights include “When You Wasn’t Famous,” “Fake Street Hats,” “Never Went to Church,” and “Hotel Expressionism.”  Fame may have changed Skinner to a degree, but he also seems to have learned a few life lessons, and has deftly brought those experiences along to make for some pretty compelling music.
 


Stereophonics - Live from Dakota - V2/Vox Populi
Hey, hey, Stereophonics fans - it’s the band’s first official live recording, capturing the band at their live best on their recent American tour - and, as well done as this album is, you’ll easily feel like you’re there, even on first listen.  There’s a lot here to like, given as that the disc is well-engineered and spans the majority of Stereophonics’ albums - they pull a smidge from each one to make for a very expressive live setlist, and the result includes new faves (“Superman”), big hits (“Local Boy in the Photograph,” “Dakota”), rarely heard tracks (“Carrot Cake and Wine”), audience singalongs (“Traffic”), and even a previously unreleased song (“Jayne”).  It’s noisy, tuneful, catchy, and definitely rockin’ - all of the things that Stereophonics fans love them for - and it’s a great album to add to your collection while you’re waiting for the next Stereophonics full-length to come along (who knows when that will be) or the greatest hits disc that’s inevitably on the way, as well.