Staff Picks for May 2021
May 31, 2021
Graduate were a new wave/mod revival band that went fairly unknown outside of a small handful of European countries where they charted. Most notably, the band featured Roland Orzabal and Curt Smith who go on to greater success with Tears for Fears following the release of Graduate’s only album. Their biggest single, "Elvis Should Play Ska," was written in response to Elvis Costello’s criticism of the two-tone revival happening at the time.
May 30, 2021
The late Jim Steinman was no stranger to the dramatic and grandiose, so it makes sense that he'd team up with goth rockers Sisters of Mercy for the bombastic eight and a half minute "More" on the band's third and final album. Synthesized strings scrape away alongside big guitars, shuffling drums, and Maggie Reilly's backing vocals, and the song's lengthy fade-out hints at a crescendo that never comes. The rest of the album is pretty good, too.
May 29, 2021
With their third LP, Montreal band No Joy paired their darkly blissful shoegaze songwriting with inventive and unpredictable production moves for one of the most engaging post-shoegaze albums of its era. Close listening reveals dramatic sound shifts and exploration of pleasantly disorienting textures, all tied together by a greyscale rainbow of fast-changing guitar tones.
May 28, 2021
This odd slice of psychedelic baroque pop from 1968 sounds oddly fresh, like it could be an indie pop side project with Wayne Coyne conducting the members of The Shins to cover Harry Nilsson tunes. Producers Curt Boettcher and Gary Usher create a sprawling and scattered sunshine soundtrack with tons of surprises as one song drifts lazily into another.
May 27, 2021
Albert Collins' studio sessions never quite captured the ferocity that was second nature to him on stage, but 1978's Ice Pickin' came closest to getting his sound and feel on tape. The production is simple and the arrangements basic bar-band stuff, which works in Collins' favor -- nothing here gets in the way of his icy tone and the tight focus of his short, sharp bursts of notes, and the effect is fierce and liberating.
![Joker [2019] [Original Motion Picture Soundtrack]](https://fastly-s3.allmusic.com/release/mr0005127031/front/400/LGu03fQg3w5czkFnE-fKL9_M69_UI9rrJSVvWL2-yAg=.jpg)
May 26, 2021
When it arrived in movie theaters in late 2019, one of things that made this film feel markedly different from the slew of other popular films with comic-book origins was its simmering, relatively minimalist score. Recurring themes include pounding heartbeats and footsteps in arrangements that were performed by a 90-piece orchestra but mixed to push the majority of components into the background, often to the point of being inaudible. This was intended to symbolize the complicated, emergent layers of the psyche of the main character, something the composer referred to as a ghostly presence within the recording.
May 25, 2021
The Irish band's second album for Rough Trade is a vigorously played, smartly arranged long game that manipulates and celebrates its traditional folk roots. It's a challenging set made up of long, droning songs with numerous verses and arcane sounds. It will not be for everyone, but to the discerning listener, its dark majesty is well worth the engagement
May 24, 2021
Delightfully weird, cheerfully giddy comeback album from the failed turn-of-the-century teen pop duo made in collaboration with the eccentric electronic whiz Max Tundra.
May 23, 2021
Colleen's stunning 2017 album explores the ties between fear and hope, joy and loss, and body and soul -- and does it all with a light touch that makes it surprisingly approachable, given its deep subject matter. Putting aside the viola de gamba in favor of synths and delay, she crafts songs that flicker like changing light and evoke the eternal beauty of the stars.
May 22, 2021
Parallel Lines was their commercial breakthrough and 1980's Autoamerican was a major hit, but the album in the middle, 1979's Eat to the Beat, is often overlooked in Blondie's catalog. Too bad -- the LP is full of great moments, "Living In The Real World," "Accidents Never Happen," and the title cut are rock & roll fun of the first order, and "Dreaming" is as close to a perfect pop song as you're likely to find.
May 21, 2021
It would be easy to peg Shelley and crafty six-string co-conspirator Nathan Salsburg as the Bluegrass State's answer to Gillian Welch and David Rawlings, but the duo's particular brand of mountain music feels much more rooted in the immigrant-rich Appalachian traditions, where a misty morning is just as likely to invoke fog rising over the Shannon or the Thames as it is the Mississippi.
May 20, 2021
It's tough being an Interpol fan. The first three albums are so good that everything after pales in comparison. So trudging through their late-era work takes some patience. While the self-titled fourth and most recent Marauder leave much to be desired, this 2014 gem is worth a revisit, recalling the mood and sweeping atmosphere of their 2000s peak. Check out "My Desire," "Anywhere," and "Tidal Wave" and get lost in the early aughts nostalgia.
May 19, 2021
One of Donovan's most fully realized albums, it shifts between spacey folk and tough acid rock with backing on a few tracks by the Jeff Beck Band. Whatever the style, the singer is at the peak of his lyrical and vocal powers throughout.
May 18, 2021
Herbie Mann's body of work has a reputation for being lightweight, and not without reason, but his 1969 set Memphis Underground is a notable exception. Recording with a studio band that mixed East Coast jazz musicians with Southern session players, Mann conjured something joyously funky on these sessions, especially on the title cut and covers of "New Orleans" and "Hold On, I'm Coming," the latter featuring a pleasurably chaotic guitar solo from Sonny Sharrock.
May 17, 2021
On this two-record set, each disc provides a different side of the versatile Smiley Winters. The first three cuts -- the entirety of disc one -- are all free jazz barnburners with explosive playing by all. Fans of jazz releases on the ESP or BYG labels should know what to expect here: lots of free blowing with some very intense moments. Among other things, four extra drummers and Donald Rafael Garrett's yelping vocals on the title track make the first disc an exhausting but highly rewarding experience.
May 16, 2021
PSB knocked it right out of the park with their first album, which remains one of their best. While their music and especially their live shows would only become more elaborate over the years, their songwriting was already rock solid from the beginning, and the sequencing forms a loose conceptual arc about a young couple moving to a new city. The Further Listening edition of the album is just as worthwhile, containing essential B-sides like "A Man Could Get Arrested" and "Paninaro," and an extended re-recording of "Suburbia" which vastly improves on the demo-like album version.
May 15, 2021
This 2003 set melds the artist’s standard, primarily acoustic approach to electronic keyboard wizardry of Bugge Wesseltoft. He and drummer Tutty Moreno construct a series of spacy bossa and jazz soundscapes with gorgeous reed and woodwind work from Nailor Proveta and Teco Cardoso. They float inside Joyce's well-constructed melodies, while her glorious guitar playing and Rodolfo Stroeter’s bass form the backdrop for these 13 breezy bossas and sambas. Her deft vocal delivery effortlessly weds Brazilian pop and jazz improvisation to elevate these wonderful tunes to unprecedented levels of warmth and sophistication.
May 14, 2021
After 1996's excellent Travel On, Rider sank without a trace upon release, Scrawl seemed dispirited even by their gloomy standards, and their second major label album (and final LP overall), 1998's Nature Film, was divided half-and-half between new songs and re-recorded numbers from their back catalog. Surprisingly, it found them playing with fierce passion and taut focus, and the re-records often top the originals. A great final salvo from a wildly underappreciated band.
May 13, 2021
Produced by Deep Purple’s Roger Glover, Calling Card found the Irish rocker exploring other musical paths, and caught him on one of his most consistent songwriting streaks. While the soulful, jazz-tinged title cut remained an audience favorite for the rest of Gallagher’s life, "Moonchild," "Country Mile," and "Secret Agent" displayed punchy riffs and raging guitar work, while the acoustic "Barley & Grape Rag" and the elegant ballad "I'll Admit You're Gone" proved the guitarist’s quieter, melodic talent was equally cutting.
May 12, 2021
Of their hit-or-miss 2000s output, this fifth set nuzzles into a comforting sweet spot between their satisfying classics and their uneven final albums. Though nothing can compare to their '90s heyday, by-the-numbers Oasis anthems like "The Hindu Times," "Hung In A Bad Place," and "(Probably) All In My Mind" deliver great singalong moments, while the sweeping "Stop Crying Your Heart Out" and expansive "Born On A Different Cloud" inject scope and emotion to their catalog.
May 11, 2021
The Scottish folk icons truly came into their own on their eponymous 1979 set with a tightly-arranged and confident set of bagpipe and harmony-driven songs, jigs, and reels, many of which became signatures of their live shows over the coming decades.
May 10, 2021
Due to his association with Wu-Tang, Killah Priest's first album managed to get released by a major label and debut in the top 25 of the Billboard 200, but much of it is far removed from mainstream rap, in 1998 or any other year. Drawing heavily from religious theology and mythology, his lyrics are deep and sometimes revelatory, and his delivery borders on abstract sound poetry at times. Decades later, he's still exploring new territory with the same fervor; last year's ambient rap opus Rocket to Nebula is simply unbelievable.
May 9, 2021
Though widely known for singing the undeniably catchy "One Night in Bangkok" from the Chess musical, British actor Murray Head has enjoyed a concurrent career as a singer/songwriter, turning out a number of high quality releases including this 1981 set backed by members of Fairport Convention.
May 8, 2021
The six Lassie Foundation tracks here are as strong as any from their excellent EPs or their two transcendent albums; the wall of guitars and haze of melody are fully intact and Wayne Everett is his usual angelic self as he floats above the music on a wave of falsetto and harmony. "Good Times Comin' My Way" is the head-and-shoulders standout track with its irresistible melody and huge hook, but "The Golden State" is also a contender. It shows a more restrained side of the Lassie Foundation as they peel back the wall of guitars and get dreamy.
May 7, 2021
On her second album, Lonelady's Julie Campbell proves why she's one of the post-punk revival's best-kept secrets. Inspired by Manchester's decaying outskirts, she makes lost and abandoned spaces -- physical and otherwise -- sound vital with bracing punk-funk and acoustic pop that's remarkably playful and sensual.
May 6, 2021
Blondie turned to pop producer Mike Chapman for their third album, on which they abandoned any pretensions to new wave legitimacy and emerged as a pure pop band. But it wasn't just Chapman that made it the group's best album, it was their own songwriting, including Deborah Harry and Chris Stein's "Heart of Glass" and Harry and then-new bass player Nigel Harrison's "One Way or Another." The result was state-of-the-art pop/rock circa 1978, with Harry's tough-girl glamour setting the pattern that would be exploited over the next decade by a host of successors led by Madonna.
May 5, 2021
For their second album for Reprise, Tom Rapp and Company went to Nashville to record with some Music City session heavyweights, but any fears it would change the nature of his music were groundless. 1970's The Use of Ashes was more polished than their previous work, but the musicians respected the delicacy of Rapp's songs, and the result was one of PBS's finest albums; "The Jeweler" may be the most sublime moment in their catalog.
May 4, 2021
Recorded live in Denmark as the band was on the cusp of releasing Machine Head, this set finds Deep Purple full flight, blazing through massive, often extended versions of classics like "Child in Time," "Space Truckin," and "Black Night." Everyone gets their time to shine, highlighted by Ian Gillan screaming his head off to match Ritchie Blackmore's guitar squeals, Jon Lord giving the songs extra heft with his Hammond, and Ian Paice pounding his kit like it owes him money.
May 3, 2021
Devin Davis seemingly appeared out of nowhere in the mid-2000s, releasing an album of self-recorded chamber pop gems two years in the making. His yearning, edge-of-cracking vocals have an honest insistence and urgency that feels real, and the elaborate structures demonstrate his mature understanding of songcraft. The only problem with this album is that there has not been a follow-up in over a decade. Lonely people of the world demand more Devin Davis!
May 2, 2021
The first album Jessie Mae Hemphill released in the United States captures her at her rawest. Half of the record features her supported only by a rhythm guitar and drums, while the other half has Hemphill wailing away at her guitar and percussion simultaneously. The result is hypnotic, mesmerizing record that successfully updates Delta blues, making the covers sound as fresh as the originals.
May 1, 2021
The debut album by the Crickets and the only one featuring Buddy Holly released during his lifetime, The "Chirping" Crickets contains the group's number one single "That'll Be the Day" and its Top Ten hit "Oh, Boy!." The album's peaks are among the best rock & roll songs of the 1950s or ever, making this one of the most significant album debuts in rock & roll history, ranking with Elvis Presley and Meet the Beatles.