BOBBY BARE JR.’s YOUNG CRIMINALS STARVATION LEAGUE, “THE LONGEST MEOW” (Bloodshot Records, $14.99) www.bobbybarejr.com
Spirited and soulful best describes this CD of 11 songs that took 11 people all of 11 hours to record! Nashville native Bobby Bare Jr. and his “Young Criminals Starvation League”, i.e. his many friends that include folks from My Morning Jacket and Lambchop, showcase vividly how exceptionally talented buddies can gather for the briefest of moments to produce a real barn burner. “The Longest Meow” is distinct yet rich with Bare Jr.’s influences. Echoes of Lynyrd Skynyrd, The Pixies and the aforementioned My Morning Jacket can be heard alongside Bare Jr.’s cry-in-your-beer vocals. His agility to not stay musically pigeon-holed is what makes him so charming. The disc kicks off with the rollicking “Bionic Beginnings”, dabbles in punk on “Uh Wuh Oh” and turns to AM country radio on “Back To Blue”. Bare Jr.’s humor is evident on the Roger Miller-like “Demon Valley” where he name checks Sonny and Cher. He’s a natural born talent and the offspring of country singing legend Bobby Bare, who had a string of hits in the 60s and 70s including the chart topping “500 Miles Away From Home”.
MARY CHAPIN CARPENTER, “THE CALLING” (Zoe Records, $17.98) www.marychapincarpenter.com
Mary Chapin Carpenter’s latest effort is a gentle, thoughtful respite as the singer/songwriter takes stock of her life and muses on the paths we all stroll down. This personal approach is underscored even more, thanks to the inclusion on every song of Carpenter’s prized 31-year old Martin HD-28 guitar, the first guitar she ever owned. She plays it lovingly on the lullaby “Twilight” and wistfully on the closing track, “Bright Morning Star”. Without ever veering from the unhurried tempo established throughout “The Calling”, Carpenter oh so politely, gets political on “Houston”, a song about a family’s relocation post Hurricane Katrina. “Never seen the President/Maybe he will meet us there/Never knew a promise/That didn’t break right in two”. She ramps up her anger and arrangement, going for the jugular of “un-American” activities with “On With The Song”. Dedicated to The Dixie Chicks, she tells listeners and country radio stations that “This isn’t for the ones with their radio signals/Calling for bonfires and boycotts they rave/Exhorting their listeners to spit on the sinners/While counting the bucks of advertising they’ll save.” Considering she barely registers on country radio, it’s a safe attack yet an honest stand for her friends and her own heartfelt beliefs.
AVRIL LAVIGNE, “THE BEST DAMN THING” (RCA Records, $18.98) www.avrillavigne.com
The Canadian pop punkster returns! Another year older, married and as forceful and defiant as ever. Her new CD “The Best Damn Thing” shows she’s still as tough as nails when it comes to boys, getting her way and never taking crap from anyone. No more is that evident as when Lavigne denounces a crush’s current steady on the rah-rah track “Girlfriend”. With all the energy of an irate cheerleader, she shouts “Hey! Hey! You! You! I don’t like your girlfriend!” She takes it even further on “Everything Back But You” by referring to her rival as, “That bitch slut psycho”. Ouch! While Lavigne leaves no prisoners with her verbal assault, she’s quite clever with the rest of her lyrics. This song weaves a tale about a boyfriend who has the aforementioned “bitch slut psycho” on his mind and accidentally reveals it on a postcard, “I wish you were her”, so Lavigne reminds him that he “left of the ‘e’.” When Lavigne reigns in the hostility, she’s got some pretty pipes, evident on the ballad “When You’re Gone”. It’s been revealed that she co-wrote the Kelly Clarkson song “Break Away”, so if ever her anger subsides, Lavigne has quite a torch song career ahead of her.
SON VOLT, “THE SEARCH” (Transmit Sound/Legacy, $15.98) www.sonvolt.net
If ever an album read like this morning’s newspaper, it would be “The Search” from Son Volt. The war in Iraq, border patrols guarding the southwestern U.S. and suburbia’s current drug of choice meth are timely subjects Jay Farrar editorializes in song. Conflict of all kinds is what Farrar observes of America…political, social and inner. The first track “Slow Hearse” is a piano-led dirge reminiscent of The Rolling Stones’ “She’s A Rainbow” where Farrar’s only verse, “feels like driving around in a slow hearse”, is sung over and over. Far from funereal, this CD is just more thoughtful for these tense and problematic times. Plus there’s much more variety. Venturing from Son Volt’s perennial alt-country sound, Farrar employs a full horn section to lead “The Picture”, down and dirty guitars buzz on “Automatic Society” and stand-alone piano acts as witness to the relationship ending “Adrenaline and Heresy”. A gentle duet with singer/songwriter Shannon McNally, “Highways and Cigarettes”, is a highlight and something he should do more of. A bonus CD includes an acoustic version of this song as well as a live performance of “Circadian Rhythm” from last year’s Austin City Limits Festival.
RECOMMENDED LISTENING:
DEAN & BRITTA, “BACK NUMBERS” (Zoe Records, $17.98) www.deanandbritta.com
Making like a modern day Nancy Sinatra and Lee Hazlewood, former members of the band Luna, Dean Wareham and Britta Phillips pair up for their first full-length album of sparkling, post-pop tunes. Britta’s soft, loving vocals are perfect for the airy torch song “Wait For Me” and Dean’s warm, laid back singing on the Donovan b-side “Teen Angel” give this entire album a 60’s, late afternoon glow. The pair, who are husband and wife, test drive Hazlewood’s “You Turned My Head Around” and score marital perfection on the duet “Our Love Will Still Be There”. Dean & Britta’s collective resume is quite fascinating. Dean was a founding member of Galaxie 500, Britta starred in the Julia Roberts/Justine Bateman chick rock flick “Satisfaction” and the two composed the music for the 2005 film “The Squid and The Whale”.
GENE CLARK WITH THE GOSDIN BROTHERS (Sundazed, $17.98) www.geneclark.com
In 1966, Gene Clark walked away from The Byrds at the height of their success and popularity. The singer/songwriter, and arguably the best looking one in the band, couldn’t take the teen pin-up hysteria and retreated to a personal breakdown. Ten months later, he emerged with his first solo album, a critically acclaimed collection of Beatlesque pop (“I Found You”) and country-rock (“Tried So Hard”) resplendent with the bright harmonies and jangling guitars he made famous in The Byrds. The songs on this CD come from the original Columbia Records stereo album and features 6 previously unreleased songs, many of them acoustic demos. The album title is misleading and is purely a marketing ploy to promote the little known Vern and Rex Gosdin, a country duo who provided backing harmonies for Clark. Outrageous when you consider the rest of the studio band included stellar musicians like Glen Campbell, Chris Hillman and Leon Russell. Clark’s record label failed one step further when they released his debut the same week as The Byrd’s “Younger Than Yesterday”. But thanks to this royal screw up, “Gene Clark With The Gosdin Brothers” has become an instant collector’s item.
ALBERT HAMMOND, JR., “YOURS TO KEEP” (Scratchy/New Line Records, $13.98) www.myspace.com/alberthammondjr
The first member of The Strokes to fly solo is lead guitarist Albert Hammond, Jr. whose debut is a delightful, pop experience. As a key songwriting member of the first “It” Band of the 21st century, Hammond makes good use of his newfound freedom by expanding The Strokes garage rock sound, with less hipster attitude and accessible to all. A toy piano-driven lullaby on “Cartoon Music For Superheroes” sets the stage for an assortment of infectious, fun melodies. Hammond gets experimental with off-the-beat percussion on “Holiday” and gets his punk on with loud, staccato guitars on “Postal Blowfish”, all with that familiar Strokes sound. He even reaches deep in the rock and roll vault for a simple, striking cover of the Buddy Holly tune, “Well…All Right”. Hammond gathered an all-star line-up to contribute to “Yours To Keep” including Sean Lennon and The Strokes’ lead singer Julian Casablancas. His insider connections also extend to the label he’s signed to. Scratchy Records is the imprint created by Smashing Pumpkins bassist James Iha.
SLOAN, “NEVER HEAR THE END OF IT” (Yep Roc Records, $16.98) www.sloanmusic.com
Thirty tracks appear on the latest CD from the Canadian band Sloan. Either this is the result of a) ego, b) prolific songwriting or c) the larger than conventional tape capacity of digital recording. Whatever the reason, Sloan delivers the smart, sharp pop the band first introduced to the world 15 years ago. Strictly guitar and drums (with a piano and trumpet tossed in here and there), “Never Hear the End of It” harkens back to the simpler rock days of 1970’s Big Star and to a decade earlier. Mamas and Papas harmonies soar on “Flying High Again”, seamlessly transitioning to “Who Taught You To Live Like That?”, a song reminiscent of John Lennon at the end of his tenure in The Beatles. This tune in fact registered the highest number of first week downloads in iTunes history. With such massive popularity, Sloan proves the point that while music trends come and go, a good ol’ pop rock song has staying power. Granted, a few tracks clock in at just around one minute, in particular the song “I Can’t Sleep”. This kernel of an idea, if fully formed, would make for an awesome rock stadium anthem.