4Play

Nov. 29, 2006

Badly Drawn Boy - Born in the UK - Astralwerks
One of the nicest things about Badly Drawn Boy (besides those personal, quietly emotional songs, of course) is that his performances translate just as well live as they do on CD, as a recent sold-out Troubadour performance in Los Angeles can attest to; and sometimes, the live translations even rock a little. This makes a BDB CD just as much of a beloved concert souvenir as it is a terrific addition to your Brit-pop singer-songwriter CD collection.  On BDB’s latest, the Manchester UK talent (otherwise known as Damon Gough) pushes the pop envelope a bit more than usual, resulting in a set of real ear-catchers like the uber-groovy “Welcome to the Overground,” the gentle “Walk You Home,” the pep-in-your-step feel of “The Long Way Round (Swimming Pool),” the longing of “Without a Kiss,” and, of course, the witty and reminiscent title track.  Badly Drawn Boy has definitely developed a distinctive sound of his own, but he spends enough time experimenting within that sound to keep it surprising, which, in turn, will likely keep you coming back for more.
 

Bright Eyes - Noise Floor (Rarities 1998-2005) - Saddle Creek
Conor Oberst fans run, don’t walk, to your latest CD store or download source to snatch up this sixteen-song set that samples Oberst’s range of singles, unreleased tracks, and his contributions to various compilation albums, ‘cause you’re sure to enjoy this stirred-up mix of tracks old and new-ish.  Bright Eyes may write lots and lots (and lots) of songs, but many of them get left by the wayside as albums are put together, so this is a good opportunity to get a wider view of his writing skills.  With at least three or four of these tunes, it’s a real shame that they didn’t get the album exposure they were due - for instance the countrified “Trees Get Wheeled Away,” the rough but promising “The Vanishing Act,” and accelerated ballad “Weather Reports.”  Recorded over a nearly 8 year span as Oberst confidently crawled from his basement to the charts, the songs, which were put down in various manners from cassette 4-track to ADAT, are an interesting walk to take with the musician, and a rewarding listen as well.

 
Sparklehorse - Dreamt for Light Years in the Belly of a Mountain - Astralwerks
Five years after Sparklehorse’s It’s a Wonderful Life, the crafty and evasive singer-songwriter Mark Linkous - who has been busy producing other bands in the interim - is back full force with his musical crew and a whole slew of peppy, edgy pop songs.  This set is heavy on ballads - and please be advised that this is not a bad thing - with standout slow songs like “Some Sweet Day” and “Getting It Wrong” sharing CD space with folky popster “Shade and Honey,” the agitated “It’s Not So Hard,” the densely appealing “Ghost in the Sky” and the album’s ten-minute mournful but beautiful piano instrumental closer.  There are plenty of layers and different feels here, which makes for even more intriguing repeated listens, especially instrumentally - infused with mysterious murmurs, gritty parking-lot guitars, and prettily-arranged strings, the instrumentations for each composition just graze the underbelly of Linkous’ emotional, often falsetto vocals, and help effectively anchor this captivating collection of Sparklehorse songs.

 
Albert Hammond Jr. - Yours To Keep - Rough Trade
Best known as guitarist for rough-and-ready New York City indie-rock band The Strokes, Albert Hammond Jr. is stepping out with his first solo effort, and has decided to get a little help from his friends to do so.  Supporting Hammond here are the likes of Ben Kweller, fellow New Yorker Sean Lennon, Fountains of Wayne’s Jody Porter, and fellow Stroke Julian Casablancas, among others, who recorded with Hammond at NYC’s famed Electric Lady Land Studios under the watchful ear of producer Greg Lattimer.  And what of the music, you ask?  Well, since Hammond was spawned from a hitmaking ‘70s songwriter father (best known, perhaps, for The Hollies’ wonderful “Air That I Breathe”) and has, himself, co-penned some of The Strokes songs, he’s got what you might call a little experience, which shows nicely here on his melding of these two styles;  Strokes-esque songs like “101” and “Everyone Gets a Star,” and the more retro feels of the pretty, acoustic-based “Blue Skies” and the mellow, harmonies-ridden “Scared.”