Ed Harcourt “Here Be Monsters” Capitol
Records
Originally released in England last year, Ed Harcourt’s
debut album, “Here Be Monsters,” was released March 26
in the United States. It, like so much music coming from England to
the United States, is a folky collection of alternative indie rock.
Eleven songs, 52 minutes and nine seconds long, the collection of
fundamentally diverse tunes features the 23-year-old Harcourt at a
songwriting smorgasbord. The tunes cover most ranges of emotion,
from talented melancholy piano-oriented songs to most everything
else, whether it be an upbeat bluesy jam or an angst-ridden
yelling/singing-fest. Harcourt puts out a solid album with
“Here Be Monsters,” as it was nominated for the
Technics Mercury Music Prize, which aims to celebrate the best in
British music. Though not innovative and revolutionary, “Here
Be Monsters” provides a good listen, and is definitely an
album that would be played out quickly.
Kenny Chang
Aja Daashuur “Before The Beginning” Extasy
Records
What’s wrong with popular radio stations lately?
There’s a female artist roaming through Los Angeles, sought
after by most major record labels, and not a speck of airplay.
She’s melodic, honest, beautiful, and even has a great name.
Aja Daashuur (pronounced: Asia. Duh! Sure.) could possibly topple
the world’s Britneys, but nobody’s letting her out of
their private collection. Where’s the love? Is Aja
everyone’s best kept secret? Fizzing with folk qualities, she
holds a guitar about as naturally as Ani DiFranco. Her songs are
reaching for the radio rotation of Alicia Keys but for some reason,
it’s not happening. Maybe the industry is waiting for Linkin
Park (and all like bands) to pass. When that happens, Aja can ride
on the success of recent singer/songwriters of the male persuasion.
For now, she remains buzz-less with a solid, engaging album.
“Before the Beginning,” is a pop composition of the
“Jagged Little Pill “variety but without all the anger.
She criticizes Maybelline, talks about God, and sings about life
after love. Cher could really benefit from these lyrics, but
she’d of course ruin them with a house beat. Hopefully, Aja
Daashuur’s not swayed by the lack of attention, though.
She’s probably working on new material and writing the
antithesis to every angst ridden suicidal drone on KROQ. Hopefully,
when that masterpiece comes out, the world’s apathy will be
transferred away from life and toward more important enemies such
as Cosmopolitan Magazine.Â
Ruvin Spivak
Bonnie Raitt “Silver Lining” Capitol
Records
Which musical genre Bonnie Raitt officially belongs to is
difficult to pinpoint. Particularly with her latest release,
“Silver Lining,” where Raitt’s music delves into
classic rock, country pop, and contemporary ballads. While said to
be a two-year project, it’s a wonder why the album
isn’t more provocative. With nine different sets of writers
on this 12-track album, the music still exudes simplicity.
Raitt’s own contributions (“Gnawin’ On It,”
“No Gettin’ Over You,” and “Back
Around”) are far from being extraordinary. One oddly mixed
song is “Hear Me Lord.” From the title to the lyrics,
one expects a deep hymnal sound. Instead, it gets a reggae-ish
beat, sounding as if it belongs on the sands of a Club Med resort
rather than in a confessional booth. While the guitar riffs are
great, they are seemingly out of place. Still, two songs that
deserve a closer listen to are the title song penned, by David
Gray, and Jude Johnstone’s closing ballad, “Wounded
Heart.” “Wounded Heart” is probably the simplest
musical production of the entire album. With only a piano to
accompany her, the song exhibits the depth available in
Raitt’s controlled voice. Raitt refers to the album as a
“band record,” which it undoubtedly is. The band
players get nearly as much individual playing time as Raitt gets
singing time. Musicians will appreciate the variety of instruments
used. Listeners will appreciate the variety of ways to snap their
fingers. The lyrics of “Silver Lining” are not very
life changing ““ or affirming ““ but the instrumentation
is worthy of commendation. And while as a whole the album presents
nothing exceptionally new to the music world, it does provide some
kick-off-your-shoes kind of fun. Having the album on repeat
won’t make a person awe-inspired, but it won’t kill
them either.
Beverly Braga