New Album: The 16th most popular album on the Billboard Charts right now, Amos Lee’s Mountains of Sorrow, Rivers of Song, is Lee’s newest effort and shows him bringing a lot of what he does best to the table, with melodic folk-rock that recapitulates what he was able to do on his last few albums, with radio hits such as “Windows are Rolled Down” – but on this one at times, especially on the single “The Man Who Wants You” comes a sound that could have very well been a soul record in the 1960s. He shows his facility as a great vocalist for these rock, folk, and soul-influenced tunes, and his backing band doesn’t slack off either, with fat drums, sparkling acoustic, and keening pedal steel peeking through on most of these tracks. If you enjoy the recent John Mayer albums, Fleet Foxes, the Avett Brothers, or Mayer Hawthorne, this is an album you should definitely check out.
What I’ve been listening to:
This week, I’ve been checking out a few albums from fairly disparate genres. The first is Death Cab For Cutie’s 2005 album Plans, which has a few of their bigger radio hits on here, such as the ever-popular “I Will Follow You into the Dark” and “Soul Meets Body.” However, the other tunes on here are good as well. They’re also rather varied too, ranging from the power-pop of “Crooked Teeth” to the lullaby-esque “Brothers on a Hotel Bed” (which Nerdfighters among us may remember as the theme to Brotherhood 2.0) with singer Ben Gibbard’s poignant lyrics throughout. Choice tracks include “Brothers on a Hotel Bed” and “Summer Skin.”
The next is Earl Sweatshirt’s album Doris. Earl, a West Coast rapper and a member of the collective Odd Future, has shown with his contributions on other records that he is one of the foremost lyricists in rap today, all before his 20th birthday. This new album shows all of the lyrical dexterity that his EPs and guest appearances have, chock full of wordplay and internal rhymes, but the beats have gotten tad more atypical, with piano flourishes and realistic-sounding drums. Choice tracks include “Whoa” and “Hive.”
Finally, there’s Myracle Brah’s album Life on Planet Eartsnop. This may be a silly name, but these guys are serious about providing straight rock and roll in the vein of early Beatles, the Who, and Tom Petty. With concise songs (most are around 2 ½ minutes), ecstatic melodies, and jangly guitar, it’s a record you can’t help but smile while listening to it. Choice tracks include “She’s Everything” and “Whisper Softly.”
Local Music Happenings:
1. On Friday, November 1, Dr. Westchesterson will be hosting The Primate Fiasco’s Zombie Halloween Party at the Iron Horse.
2. On Saturday, October 25, UMass-based band the Vibecasters will be playing at The Elevens in Northampton, along with a bunch of other groups. If you’re into classic rock and want to support local music, definitely check them out.
3. On October 26, the Arts Block Café in Greenfield is hosting a show called Ladies in Jazz with Samirah Evans and Evelyn Harris, which is a retrospective of how women have shaped jazz told throughout the ages in song.