After we reviewed Oh! My Blackbird’s full length album, Dare Me, earlier this year, I was extremely excited to see that the NYC-based chamber-pop band had a new EP out.
Brooklyn based singer/songwriter Jared Saltiel just released his debut full-length album, The Light Within. The singer/songwriter label, however, doesn’t quite cut it for Saltiel’s music, which is more abstract and impressionistic than it is confessional. His songs tell complex stories filled with word play and fantastical imagery. The sophisticated lyrics are matched with equally sophisticated music. He blends together lush orchestral arrangements and shifting harmonic landscapes with a more traditional blues and folk sensibility, adding up to a kind of rhapsodic blues-pop. (However ridiculous that description may be, it’s what I keep coming back to whenever I think about Saltiel’s music.)
From the opening bars of Say What You Mean, Allison Weiss, a young Brookyln transplant, asserts herself as a powerful force with her sweet voice, energetic guitar riffs, and clever and honest lyrics. Bringing together the edge of The Strokes and uniquely perceptive lyrics about young romance that give Tegan and Sara a run for their money, Weiss’s second full-length album stands out amongst other indie-pop/rock records by eschewing the requisite apathy and bath of reverb in favor for killer pop songs in the truest sense of the phrase. The album perfectly encapsulates the ups and downs of what it’s like to be a twenty-something figuring out your place in life and love.
In today’s musical climate, people would be more inclined to associate ‘Folk’ and ‘Bluegrass’ with the homogenized stomping and strumming of British band Mumford and Sons or Icelandic group Of Monsters and Men than anything that stays truer to the lineage of American Folk music. With that in mind, Cre EP is a breath of much needed fresh-air. Indiana natives Dave Alpert (Guitars/Vocals) and Morris Burns (Mandolin/Vocals) put tradition first in their exquisite four song EP. Together with producer Doucer Donzer, the duo has crafted a soundscape as expansive and wide open as their home state of Indiana, opting for simple arrangements and clean recordings over the reverb drenched style of so many modern ‘folk’ artists. Which is not to call Black Bottoms conservative or out of touch. Their songwriting, while staying true to much of the spirit of real American folk, is harmonically adventurous and daring.
Oh! My Blackbird is a NYC-based chamber folk trio led by singer/songwriter Annie Sullivan. Sullivan’s songs are quirky, personal, and consistently catchy. On Dare Me, the band collects 10 songs that blend lush and sophisticated instrumental and vocal arrangements with decidedly immature lyrical themes. Which is not to say that the lyrics are expertly crafted. Sullivan’s songs about young romance and heartbreak are honest and perceptive.
Bringing together musical precision and an inescapable energy, Australian rock quartet The Monks of Mellonwah craft music that stands apart from the typical indie-rock trend chasers. Their 2012 EP Neurogenesis shows the dynamic range of the band perfectly. Each member brings impressive technical ability to the table, while never letting anything sound show-offy or unnecessary. In fact, their brand of rock music should be noted for its subtlety, choosing to express itself through its expert songwriting rather than instrumental pyrotechnics.
Twin sisters Tegan and Sara Quin have been releasing their own brand of indie-pop since the late 90s. They’ve always received a fair amount of recognition, but it wasn’t until Heartthrob, their 7th studio album, began to garner almost unanimous praise a few weeks ago that I took notice. The 36 minute album is a concise and expertly crafted artistic statement. In the world where indie is moving towards pop and pop is moving towards indie, Heartthrob shines as the perfect model. Hanging on to their indie roots with challenging lyrics and a more reserved production style (read: no dubstep drops), the sisters embrace poppy synths and classic pop songwriting. The effortlessness of this has something to do with producer Greg Kurstin, who is best known for his work with pop superstars like Kelly Clarkson, P!nk, and Ke$ha, but is also loved by the indie world as one half of the group The Bird and the Bee.
One of the most fascinating bands on the scene today, The Bronx is about to release their first proper album in five years. After their 2008 The Bronx (III), the band switched gears, releasing two self-titled albums as Mariachi El Bronx, a surprisingly authentic Mariachi band blending the band’s hard rock songwriting with the traditional Mexican style. For The Bronx (IV), they’ve picked up their amps from the pawnshop and crafted their strongest album to date. Rather than a typical return-to-form, the LA rockers have taken the lessons they’ve learned from their “El” days and applied it to their relentless rock sound. Notably, vocalist Matt Caughthran sounds stronger than ever, finding his confidence as a singer through their mariachi years. Their songs and arrangements are all more tightly crafted, with more interesting rhythms and a stronger focus on melody.