The Album Review Club - Week #191 (page 1286) - Harlequin Dream - Boy & Bear

[Coatigan]

It's meandering vibe has left me too chilled out to type

On the one hand it's a pretty straightforward offering but there is something I can't put my finger on that is ever ever so slightly bent out of shape (in a good way) - there's someone it reminds me of and I can't work out who, it's not as slow or spacey as say Lambchop but its someone who does a kind of so laid back it's a bit hazy version of Americana, bugging me I can't pin them down.

Wintersleep? (Later stuf).

Just kidding. Kind of.

 

[threespires]

Wintersleep? (Later stuf).

Just kidding. Kind of.

Wintersleep sound like they're actually putting some effort into making a recording though; this has got a bit of a Trampled By Turtles vibe.

Currently listening to this years offering from The Taxpayers but not really doing it for me, certainly not at the level of God Forgive These Bastards, which I occasionally think about nominating for a larf.

 

[journolud]

It's meandering vibe has left me too chilled out to type

On the one hand it's a pretty straightforward offering but there is something I can't put my finger on that is ever ever so slightly bent out of shape (in a good way) - there's someone it reminds me of and I can't work out who, it's not as slow or spacey as say Lambchop but its someone who does a kind of so laid back it's a bit hazy version of Americana, bugging me I can't pin them down.

Israel Nash? I've got him, Neil Young and even shades of Dylan

 

[threespires]

Israel Nash? I've got him, Neil Young and even shades of Dylan

Wasn't who I was thinking of but it does have some commonality specially with earlier albums but imo Nash has a cleaner more dynamic sound at least on more recent stuff. I'd not thought of it but you're right there is a sensibility similarity with Dylan; it's that slight off kilter, ramshackle but not really, and not quite literal storytelling thing.

I suspect it's someone a bit obscure who I've heard briefly in the past but not quite stored in my memory. Suppose it's possible I've heard one of their earlier efforts without realising !

Edit: Sussed it. Category error on my part; I was looking in the wrong room of my mind palace municipal dump. It's the piano and it's putting me in mind of Joe Henry.

 

[threespires]

As I get older I find I like to go at my own pace; I like to meander; I like to get there when I get there; but I like to punctuate my somewhat sloth like demeanour with occasional bursts of energy and tempo; I like to be simultaneously miserable and wistful; I like to drift but with some purpose. I like lyricism in the broadest sense of the word. I like counterpoints that run slightly ahead or behind the main thrust of the argument but still weave themselves in very nicely. I like this album. 8/10

 

[GornikDaze]

Surely this is a parody pick? I know country was never going to be my thing, but good grief this was hilarious!!

Country cliches in abundance:
- clothes peg nasal singing… check
- lyrics to die for (dead dog in the yard, saddle up, crying when Johnny Cash died)… check
- copious steel guitar - check
- plinky plonky piano - check
- Meg White on drums - check

The only good to come from this was firming up my selection for this round. You lot do my head in, with a few exceptions ;)

Solid 2/10 there was a guitar ‘solo’ that had me thinking I’m not as bad with my playing as I thought

Edit: @BlueHammer85 deserves the thread equivalent of the balon d’or, Nobel prize, VC or whatever for actually going to see these boys live. Hopefully he will recover soon!

 

[LGWIO]

The old fave......
There's only 3 types of music I don't like, ones country,, the others Western and the last is Sleep Token.
First listen on Thursday and I sort of lost my way/interest half way through the first track and got sidetracked as someone put Bulleseye on in the office. Classic Jim Bowen took precedence and so it came to today and 2 listens in the car up and back to Belfast.
Despite myself I did actually find myself warming to this and even quite liking a couple of the tracks. However, most of it did, as @GornikDaze said seem a little cliched. For me it was only the slightly more up tempo numbers that held my interest "Damned if you do" & "Wolf of St Elmo", the rest of them must have just had me quite chill as my fuel consumption was a decent 65mpg.

 

[RobMCFC]

Surely this is a parody pick? I know country was never going to be my thing, but good grief this was hilarious!!

Country cliches in abundance:
- clothes peg nasal singing… check
- lyrics to die for (dead dog in the yard, saddle up, crying when Johnny Cash died)… check
- copious steel guitar - check
- plinky plonky piano - check
- Meg White on drums - check

The only good to come from this was firming up my selection for this round. You lot do my head in, with a few exceptions ;)

Solid 2/10 there was a guitar ‘solo’ that had me thinking I’m not as bad with my playing as I thought

Edit: @BlueHammer85 deserves the thread equivalent of the balon d’or, Nobel prize, VC or whatever for actually going to see these boys live. Hopefully he will recover soon!

"Clothes peg nasal singing" had me laughing, I like that one, but there is one point here that warrants further discussion.

When you say "copious steel guitar", I need to check exactly what you mean by this.

Lap steel/dobro, for me, is just about the most wonderful sounding instrument you can get - a sound to die for.

On the other hand, pedal steel guitar, a sound that ruins many a country song, is a sound to kill for.

 

[GornikDaze]

"Clothes peg nasal singing" had me laughing, I like that one, but there is one point here that warrants further discussion.

When you say "copious steel guitar", I need to check exactly what you mean by this.

Lap steel/dobro, for me, is just about the most wonderful sounding instrument you can get - a sound to die for.

On the other hand, pedal steel guitar, a sound that ruins many a country song, is a sound to kill for.

If I’m being honest, I’m not sure. But to try and figure it out, I’ve been on their website and watched a couple of videos… I think this one has that sound I’m referring to, but not sure which it is in your comment.



To my delicate ears, the note just wanders around all over ether place and is extremely distracting and annoying. Given the music I like, I’m sure that will make a few chuckle :)

 

[Coatigan]

This is how you do Sprechengesang!

 

[mrbelfry]

This is how you do Sprechengesang!

A fine effort indeed

 

[RobMCFC]

If I’m being honest, I’m not sure. But to try and figure it out, I’ve been on their website and watched a couple of videos… I think this one has that sound I’m referring to, but not sure which it is in your comment.



To my delicate ears, the note just wanders around all over ether place and is extremely distracting and annoying. Given the music I like, I’m sure that will make a few chuckle :)

Confusingly, I reckon that is a lap steel, but the electric version, which is closer to the pedal steel that on most occasions annoysme.

Lap steel = fantastic:-



Pedal Steel = mostly annoying:-

 

[GornikDaze]

Confusingly, I reckon that is a lap steel, but the electric version, which is closer to the pedal steel that on most occasions annoysme.

Lap steel = fantastic:-



Pedal Steel = mostly annoying:-

I think the those videos sum it up well. I can appreciate the first, but the second does my head in. Maybe it’s got something to do with the effects as well, reverb etc.

 

[RobMCFC]

I think the those videos sum it up well. I can appreciate the first, but the second does my head in. Maybe it’s got something to do with the effects as well, reverb etc.

That's exactly where I am with it.


Wolf of St Elmo – Slow Motion Cowboys

All this talk of lap steel vs pedal steel has reminded me that I need to get on and write my review.

One of the reasons that I love Americana/country is the fantastic instruments that are often used: fiddle, banjo, mandolin, accordion and dobro each have an amazing sound, to my ears at least, and when they are combined with good storytelling, it’s a hard combination to beat.

The one country instrument I really don’t like is the pedal steel guitar – it’s different from the rest and whilst I do occasionally like the odd song with this instrument, it generally sinks a song for me. When it’s used track after track, it also sinks an album.

Wolf of St Elmo is not a bad album. There’s plenty going on that I like but it does feel a little second gear for its own good. “Invisible Stars” kicks off the album nicely, laying down a laid-back country groove sprinkled with harmonica and piano and an organ backing underneath.

The second track, “Damned If You Do” is immediately more appealing. That organ backing is stronger, there’s a bit of pace to proceedings and the songs clatters along. At this point, I was thinking “here we go” but the third track, “Drive These Streets Blind” is where the pedal steel overload starts. “Catch and Release” is catchy but then it’s lots of songs with the bloody pedal steel and it doesn’t feel like it’s going anywhere.

There’s some brushed strings (mandolin?) on “New Beginning (Oh, September)” but it’s not until the title track with its strong chords that the album pulls me back in.

In summary this album has two or three very good songs and whilst there’s nothing bad, it could have been better with a better choice of instruments (my opinion, my taste, obviously). It’s gimmick-free and there’s no wailing so a solid 6 is bumped up to 7/10 by the sheer happenstance of @BlueHammer85 attending the gig on the day that this nomination was made – a real win for this thread. I think.

 

[GornikDaze]

That's exactly where I am with it.


Wolf of St Elmo – Slow Motion Cowboys

All this talk of lap steel vs pedal steel has reminded me that I need to get on and write my review.

One of the reasons that I love Americana/country is the fantastic instruments that are often used: fiddle, banjo, mandolin, accordion and dobro each have an amazing sound, to my ears at least, and when they are combined with good storytelling, it’s a hard combination to beat.

The one country instrument I really don’t like is the pedal steel guitar – it’s different from the rest and whilst I do occasionally like the odd song with this instrument, it generally sinks a song for me. When it’s used track after track, it also sinks an album.

Wolf of St Elmo is not a bad album. There’s plenty going on that I like but it does feel a little second gear for its own good. “Invisible Stars” kicks off the album nicely, laying down a laid-back country groove sprinkled with harmonica and piano and an organ backing underneath.

The second track, “Damned If You Do” is immediately more appealing. That organ backing is stronger, there’s a bit of pace to proceedings and the songs clatters along. At this point, I was thinking “here we go” but the third track, “Drive These Streets Blind” is where the pedal steel overload starts. “Catch and Release” is catchy but then it’s lots of songs with the bloody pedal steel and it doesn’t feel like it’s going anywhere.

There’s some brushed strings (mandolin?) on “New Beginning (Oh, September)” but it’s not until the title track with its strong chords that the album pulls me back in.

In summary this album has two or three very good songs and whilst there’s nothing bad, it could have been better with a better choice of instruments (my opinion, my taste, obviously). It’s gimmick-free and there’s no wailing so a solid 6 is bumped up to 7/10 by the sheer happenstance of @BlueHammer85 attending the gig on the day that this nomination was made – a real win for this thread. I think.

Far more eloquent than me :)

 

[threespires]

Just to chip in on the lap/pedal front; I think one of the things that sometimes confuses people visually is that multi-neck lap steels that are on a stand look like a pedal steel unless you look under the console to see the pedals and knee levers. The original purpose of the pedals and levers was to change string pitch to allow a wide variety of tuning with only one or two necks. Seemingly it was hard to be a touring band looking to use a piano as many venues didn't have one so these mechanisms made the pedal steel a very flexible but portable alternative.

Anyway the guy to blame for the sound you hate is, I think, Bud Isaacs. Though not originally intended to be played this way he discovered that if you pressed the pedal while the note was still sounding you got the archetypal bending effect as the string changes to the new note, which is either expressive or despicable depending on your point of view. Once Isaac did it everybody was at it using the pedals for effects and unusual harmonics rather than their original more pragmatic purpose.

Consequently I have heard them described as the synths of the 1950's - which is possibly why Rob hates them ! ;-)

By all accounts learning to play them is an absolute bastard, especially the ones with lots of pedals and knee levers.

Though my personal sound preference is for a simple resonator played with a slide, I think in the right hands, like Travis Toy, the sound and harmonics you can get out of a pedal steel are pretty unique and enjoyable.

 

[threespires]

This is how you do Sprechengesang!

Whilst debating if/which date of their current tour I stand the best chance of getting to, I noticed they are playing next years Bearded Theory Festival and the line up from my perspective looks quite good. Now debating whether I can bring myself to haul my fat arse to a, albeit smaller, festival for the first time in decades.

 

[Coatigan]

Whilst debating if/which date of their current tour I stand the best chance of getting to, I noticed they are playing next years Bearded Theory Festival and the line up from my perspective looks quite good. Now debating whether I can bring myself to haul my fat arse to a, albeit smaller, festival for the first time in decades.

I prefer seeing bands at their own gigs, with their own intended crowds that come specifically to see them. Rather than festivals, as support acts, etc where they are appealing to a broader variety of punter.

That's just a statement of my own stance, for discussion. Nothing more than that.

 

[Mancitydoogle]

Just to chip in on the lap/pedal front; I think one of the things that sometimes confuses people visually is that multi-neck lap steels that are on a stand look like a pedal steel unless you look under the console to see the pedals and knee levers. The original purpose of the pedals and levers was to change string pitch to allow a wide variety of tuning with only one or two necks. Seemingly it was hard to be a touring band looking to use a piano as many venues didn't have one so these mechanisms made the pedal steel a very flexible but portable alternative.

Anyway the guy to blame for the sound you hate is, I think, Bud Isaacs. Though not originally intended to be played this way he discovered that if you pressed the pedal while the note was still sounding you got the archetypal bending effect as the string changes to the new note, which is either expressive or despicable depending on your point of view. Once Isaac did it everybody was at it using the pedals for effects and unusual harmonics rather than their original more pragmatic purpose.

Consequently I have heard them described as the synths of the 1950's - which is possibly why Rob hates them ! ;-)

By all accounts learning to play them is an absolute bastard, especially the ones with lots of pedals and knee levers.

Though my personal sound preference is for a simple resonator played with a slide, I think in the right hands, like Travis Toy, the sound and harmonics you can get out of a pedal steel are pretty unique and enjoyable.

I thought you’d come up with an in depth explanation Spires :-)

I do like a bit of pedal steel as used by some of my favourite bands, Whiskeytown,Ryan Adams and The Cardinals , Son Volt,Steve Earle , DBTs to name but a few ,none mainstream Country which I hate.

 

[bennyboy]

I thought you’d come up with an in depth explanation Spires :-)

I do like a bit of pedal steel as used by some of my favourite bands, Whiskeytown,Ryan Adams and The Cardinals , Son Volt,Steve Earle , DBTs to name but a few ,none mainstream Country which I hate.

I was at a Lucinda Williams concert with Doug Pettibone on guitar and pedal steel on a few songs.
He was brilliant.
The trick is to have only a few tracks with pedal steel.