4Play

Jan. 25, 2009

Whitley - The Submarine - Dew Process
Australian singer-songwriter Lawrence Greenwood, aka Whitley, brings two genres together in an intriguing fashion, namely alt-folk and electronica. With Jonathan Burnside at the mixing deck, these songs have a solid polish that bring even more appeal to the varied elements that Whitley uses in combining his thoughtful, country-inflected folk songs with electronic beats. Interesting choices of instrumentation weave in and out of the mixes; one minute, you’re listening to electronic burbles, the next, the twang of a banjo. Over all of it, Whitley’s soft-spoken vocals and easy-to-remember melodies tie everything together on standouts like “I Remember,” “Lost in Time,” and the title track.

James Yorkston - When the Haar Rolls In - Domino
Yorkston embarks on his fourth album by choosing a bit of a theme in ...Haar..., which is the local name for the thick, dense fog that often blankets the coastline of his home country, Scotland. Much like that fog, these are dense, heavy songs that sometimes take a few listens to see fully through. Yorkston’s vocals are not quite hushed, but personal in nature, half-sung and half spoken, and meld well with the sea-chanty feel of his compositions and the excellent performances of his bandmates, who run the gamut of instruments from violins to clarinets, pianos to bouzouki, and who, along with Yorkston, both suit the compositions and the mood of the album itself very well.

Ryan Adams - Cardinology - Lost Highway
Now working with a full band as opposed to his previous, more solo-leaning incarnation, Adams’ typical influences - Neil Young, Elton John, the Eagles - can still all be heard here, but are a little more diverse probably due to the additional influences of his skilled bandmates. It’s still alt-country indie rock, but it’s nice to see that Adams continues to improve as a songwriter, even though he obviously had quite a bit of talent in the first place. Songs like “Go Easy” showcase his more rockin’ side, while tunes like “Fix It,” “Cobwebs,” and “Crossed Out Name” showcase Adams’ diversity, and when the album closes with “Stop,” you’ll find yourself still listening for more.

Peter Broderick - Home - Hush Records
While touring with Efterklang as a violinist, deft tunesmith Broderick also opened many of Efterklang’s shows as a solo act, and has now recorded his own latest set in Copenhagen, a bit of a stretch from his homeland of Portland, Oregon. Inspired by his live performances, Broderick’s melodies will sound similar to those who have seen him perform, although he’s using different instruments to get his classically-influenced tunes across; he purposefully avoided strings on this set to reach his own goal of crafting an album without them. Instead, he works with guitars, vocals, drums, and a few more unusual sounds such as bells to expand upon poetic tracks like “Games” “Maps” and “There and Here.”