Past music reviews - vibes, vocals, artists

PAST MUSIC REVIEWS Cool Vibes, World Beats & Haunting Vocalists
			Do Pretty! by Lulacruza Argentina/Colombia Seldom does a sound emerge so ripe and innovative. Lulacruza's Do Pretty! is the divine culmination of the talents of Argentinean/Colombian duo, Luis Maurette and Alejandra Ortiz, weaving haunting female vocals with South American instruments and electronically manipulated field recordings. The album is a dreamy pilgrimage that takes you through sound-scapes that range from up-tempo, South American rhythms to more fluid, contemplative compositions. Ortiz's lush vocals are a soulful salve and, combined with Maurette's brilliant electronic layering, capable of producing a physical reaction akin to goose bumps. "Pensar Bonito" and "Utría" will make you want to move while more primordial pieces like "Children" will leave you feeling like the inside of your head has been wiped clean with a cool silk rag. Do Pretty! is brave in its adherence to what is the essential, spiritual essence of music. It's sophisticated but unpretentious, playful and refreshingly devoid of any cynicism. Bjork lovers will definitely dig this one! Click on the image to buy now!
			A Strangely Isolated Place by Ulrich Schnauss Germany Reminiscent of the misty rovings of U.K. bands like Slowdive and Chapterhouse, German-born Ulrich Schnauss' A Strangely Isolated Place will not disappoint. In this listener-friendly electronic exploration, Schnauss manages to experiment with sophisticated beat programming and effects, while remaining loyal to that certain dreamlike density commonly found in forerunners of the genre like My Bloody Valentine. The subtle vocals and flanged, breathy guitar melodies make a moving back drop for some refreshing electronic sampling. It will remind you of Postal Service and Imogen Heap. "On My Own" and "Clear Day" are joyful and energizing. "In All the Wrong Places" is the perfect blend of mint and smoke, light and dark. Listen. Click on the image to buy now!
			Tromp l'Oeil by Malajube Canada Calling all Flaming Lip fans! It's time to make room on your iPod for this Montreal pop-synth band. They're cute, they're fun and their joyful melodies will get under your skin for days. Malajube rocks with their debut album, Tromp l'Oeil, unleashing an irrepressible charm with their beguiling French vocals and exuberant beats. Their exceedingly catchy guitar rifts, matched with a playful experimental flare call to mind the feverish humor of bands like he Super Furry Animals. Click on the image to buy now!
			In the Heart of the Moon by Ali Farka Touré and Toumani Diabaté Africa This album fuses the creative genius of two unlikely West African musical traditions with Ali Farka Touré's "African blues" influence and Toumani Diabaté's ancient Malian leanings. Touré provides a rich and clean guitar base for Diabaté's nimble improvisations on the kora, an ancient West African harp that's been around since the 13th century. The results are calming and sometimes even hypnotic. The album has a definite bluesy flare without the usual angst. Songs like "Gomni" and "Kaira" inspire a gentle momentum to lend a peaceful grace to a lazy morning. Touré even speak/sings in "Iga Bani," his voice is as wistful and penetrating as his guitar. Click on the image to buy now!
			Bloom by Sara McLachlan Remixed (various) U.S., Canada and U.K. Sarah McLachlan's haunting voice and penetrating lyrics find a new pungency in this second of two remix albums. Some of the collaborations are more successful than others, but the general results are refreshing, with electronic beats and samples creating a unique backdrop for McLachlan's silvery incantations, revitalizing old hits like "Ice" and "Fumbling Towards Ecstasy" and showcasing newer songs from her Grammy-award nominated album Afterglow. My favorites were "Dirty Little Secret" remixed by Thievery Corporation, and the Hyper & Ronnie remixed "Stupid." Other star remixers and engineers featured on the album include DMC and will.i.am from Black Eyed Peas, Rollo, Mark Bates, Gabriel & Dresden and many more. Go ahead and indulge in this one. It's familiar and original all at once, so you'll be comfortable and stimulated. Click on the image to buy now!
			Takk by Sigur Rós Iceland Sigur Rós, or "Victory Rose," originally came together as a band of teenagers in 1994 and has since exploded into the world scene, beginning in the U.K. and moving to the States where their first tour was attended emphatically and surprisingly by a plethora of celebrities. Considering the instruments that are employed - guitar, keyboard and drums - Rós manages to put out a sound as vast and chimerical as the Icelandic dreamscapes they endeavor to emulate. Innovative and charged with effects, this album is an excellent addition to your library if you enjoy the abstract, introversive musings of such bands like Slow Dive and Low. It's also quite an eclectic collection of sounds. "Sé Lest" layers marimba-like melodic trains with swelling orchestrations while "Gong" takes the more conventional route, building upon rock sensibilities visited by U2 and Coldplay. Click on the image to buy now!
			Push Barman to Open Old Wounds by Bell & Sebastian U.K. I've yet to meet a soul who hasn't dug at least one Belle & Sebastian song. Whether you've been an emphatic devotee, or are just jumping on the wagon, this compilation of EPs that span the indie-pop group's entire repertoire dating back to their conception in a Glasgow café in 1996 is a must. If anything, the album presents you with a listening chart of B&S's development and revisits some of their best tracks. If you've never heard of B&S (shame on you!), you'll be delighted in their indie-rock flavored piano and guitar ballads. From "Judy is a Dk Slap" and "I Love My Car" to "This is Just a Modern Rock Song," I can't think of a single track on this disk you won't enjoy. It's an appropriate accompaniment for sulking or smiling. Click on the image to buy now!**
			Julie Delpy by Julie Delpy France This album, made popular by the recent release of Before Sunset and Before Sunrise, in which Delpy stars with Ethan Hawk, holds its own in every sense. At times sexy, sweet and hauntingly sad, this talented French actress croons her way through an excessively listenable album. Delpy, who wrote and produced all the tracks, manages to make you forget her notable film career and envelops the listener in an ethereal world nostalgic of first love and painful breakups. Acoustic guitar tempered lightly with mandolins, banjo and moody synth tones, this folk-rock album repeatedly drifts into an alternative realm occupied by artists such as Stephin Merritt and The Magnetic Fields. Delpy recorded the album entirely in English, with the exception of two songs ("Je' T'aime Tant" and "Time to Wake Up"). Delpy's lack of calculated artifice with the language lends a captivating meaning to the music. "Je' T'Aime" will have you rocking your seat and feeling like a femme fatal, "An Ocean Apart" will conjure the long-forgotten loss of a lover and "A Waltz for a Night" will make a one-night stand seem like the most romantic thing that could ever happen to you! I guarantee the disc will get cozy in your player for a while. Click on the image to buy now!