4Play

April 13, 2008

Colin Meloy - Colin Meloy Sings Live! - Kill Rock Stars
Fan of The Decemberists? Then you’ll dig the sound of Meloy’s solo work. Not familiar with The Decemberists? No matter - his songs nicely stand on their own in this 14-song set, collected from Meloy’s solo tour of 2006. For Decemberists fans, this is something of a singalong (as Meloy says himself during one of his many banter-filled between-song breaks), as there are tons of Decemberists tunes here, matched up with some previously unreleased Meloy tunes (“Wonder” being one of the best) and a few covers, too. You’ll even hear bits of R.E.M. and The Smiths, among others, as Meloy really mixes it up within these acoustic-based, more loosely-arranged performances. If this is really how Meloy’s live shows are, you’ll want to run right out and buy a ticket.


Nick Drake - Pink Moon: Remastered and Reissued - Hannibal
Several of Drake’s albums are being polished up and reissued at a great time for his brand of calm, thoughtful music, and this one is certainly the highlight. Originally recorded in a mere two night sessions, it’s limited to Drake’s voice and guitar plus a sprinkling of piano work - and given the remarkable songwriting, that’s all these songs really need. Drake crafts a unique sound in spite of (or perhaps because of) the spare instrumentation, with several of the songs played in alternate tunings and pretty much all of them overcast with the gentle melancholy he evokes with his voice and introspective, pensive lyrics. The only complaint (if one could even call it that) is that it’s quite a short album - just under half an hour - but that’ll just make you want to go find more of Drake’s work.


The Waifs - Sun Dirt Water - Compass
Australian folk-rock band The Waifs are a true band of collaboration, with three singer-songwriters in their ranks and almost a dozen additional performers in all. That broad range of musicians also lends itself to several stylistic experiments within the band’s basic folk-rock sound, which makes this an interesting listen. The most obvious diversions - country-western and folk - surface within the tracks “Eternity,” the ukelele-filled “Sentimental,” and the tales of woe that are “Sad Sailor Song” and “Vermillion,” while other tunes stretch their sound a little farther. Electrified-rock grooves through “No Such Thing As Goodbye,” jazz makes an appearance on the title track, and radio-friendly pop shows up on both a fast number (“Stay”) and a ballad, “Love Let Me Down.”


Chris Walla - Field Manual - Barsuk
Death Cab for Cutie’s Ben Gibbard may get all the attention, but sometimes the behind-the-scenes members of a band deserve a little praise, too - and with this album, singer-songwriter-guitarist Chris Walla proves that his contributions to DCC are likely more than one might expect. A producer in his own right (Nada Surf, Hot Hot Heat, The (aforementioned) Decemberists), Walla’s debut solo album benefits both from his talent and his recording experience. His vocals, while a bit weak and not broad in range (maybe an octave, tops), still work perfectly for his own smart pop songs, delivering his well-crafted wordplay on such diverse topics as love (of course), human issues (New Orleans, for one) and political causes, all encased in mostly uptempo, concise arrangements.