Full disclosure: I love Grizzly Bear. I think that “Two Weeks” is the greatest song I’ve ever heard, I love Daniel Rossen’s voice, and Ed Droste’s Twitter is one of the best. I’m not obsessed with them, but there will be no disrespecting the Bear while I’m around. Enter Ghost Cousin, a band that could be easily labelled poor man’s Grizzly Bear, rich man’s Poor Moon; however they have truly a unique sound that will one day be only theirs.
Scotland is an album that too few people have heard. After listening to it only once, I found myself humming the tune of “Healed Eyes” while darkly brooding. The deliberate rhythm of the album is mesmerizing and gives way to delicate guitar riffs, as in “Run Home.” The songwriting is poetic, creating stories with characters that you grow attached to: a mother, a son, a lover, an enemy. Each track is very endearing, each character a part of your life whether you knew them before or not.
Ghost Cousin is a fairly new band, only having released an EP, “Landscape of Animals,” before this. They are still underwhelmed by the industry it seems, after recording most of this album in a church in their hometown of Edmonton, Canada. They will know the headache of record companies and labels once they come into fame, which I predict will be fairly soon. At least, I hope so; I don’t want to see Ghost Cousin leave the spotlight for a long while.
Scotland is out now, and you can hear it below. For more information on Ghost Cousin, visit their Facebook.
They say that imitation is the highest form of flattery, but what about when you are creating something completely unique? Sometimes comparison devalues a band or song, making it seem like anyone could achieve that sound, because it’s been done before. Other times it highlights how well an artist was able to break through generic barriers. Most of the time though, it completely depends on context. Empires newest LP, Orphan, manages to impress with a well-developed sound that I could compare to countless bands, without losing a sense of originality.
The first thing that grabs my attention upon hearing the first track, “Silverfire,” is that gravelly voice which reminded me of The National’s Matt Berninger. Sean van Vleet, lead singer of Empires and also the owner of said gravelly voice, tends to keep it steady throughout the record, neither straining to hit a falsetto nor attempting to go to the depth of Matthew Dear. That said, the album has many emotional high and low points. Some songs are short and upbeat, like the title track “Orphan,” whereas others are long and melancholy, such as in “Lifers,” one of my favorites. It’s got a soft melody and cooing guitars, evocative of The Shins- even van Vleet’s voice begins to sound like James Mercer.
The most fun on the record is toward the end with “Please Don’t Tell My Lover.” The lyrics are sly and entertaining and the guitar riff is too catchy to not hum along with. Another great track is “Shadowfaux,” which has a very easily digested structure, false ending and all, making it very natural to move your feet. The only complaint that I have overall is its length, clocking in at just under forty minutes. A solid album with the driving drums and guitars that Empires offers should be longer; expand on those guitar solos, give me two final choruses, something. I suppose the worst that can happen with a short album is that you feel the need to listen to it immediately again because you didn’t get your fill the first time around. And such is my experience with Orphan.
Orphan will be out on 9/23 via Chop Shop/Island Records. Visit their website for more information.
Check out their single, “Please Don’t Tell My Lover”:
The first song I ever heard from Mason Jennings was “Ballad of Paul and Sheila” off of Jennings’ fourth album Use Your Voice released in 2004. The incipient picked chord progression piqued my interest and Jennings’ commanding and delicate croon hooked me. It was only a bit later that I learned that the song was dedicated to Minnesota senator Paul Wellstone and his wife Sheila who died in a plane crash in 2002 (Wellstone was a strong advocate for peace and social advocacy and was the only senator facing reelection to vote against the Iraq war) – I was 14 and not that up on politics at the time! The simplicity of the memorial lyric stuck me to the music of Mason Jennings for good, and 10 years later Jennings is still creating exceptional acoustic music and flying under the radar when he should most definitely be soaring among the most renowned folk artists today.
Aside from “Ballad of Paul and Sheila” my favorite Jennings song is “Jackson Square,” which is perhaps Jennings finest moment as a sad raconteur. The song is one of the finest examples of a lyrical story. You can check out the lyrics by following that link, and I also urge you to listen to the song.
I tell you all of this because Ritter released Always Been back in November of 2013, and for me it was his best release since In The Ever, which he released back in 2008. Always Been put him in double digits for albums with original content (not including The Flood), and is demonstrative of an artist who just continues to create multifarious content that still harbors the impressive emotional appeal, as if each song is a track created just for the listener. Good artists are able to create this feeling for a few songs, but great artists like Mason Jennings do this consistently, and Jennings has done it since the late 90s. Hence why I am always shocked that more listeners are not aware of his aptitude.
Jennings was born in the Aloha state but moved with his family to Pittsburgh at an early age (quite the unfortunate move if you ask me). He learned to play the guitar, dropped out of High School, and toured the U.S. gathering stories and experiences that he would use to script his first foray into music. After settling in Minnesota to produce music, Jennings started to churn out album after album of songs rife with political activism, first-person narratives, and emotional tributes. While narrowing in on his identity, his music became tighter. Now, nearing 20 years as an artist, Jennings is masterful. His effervescent songs can liven up any room and his minimalistic singer/songwriter pieces carry an innocence and ardor that affects listeners.
Always Been is most similar to Bone Clouds, Jennings most potent release. The song are riveting and each one has a distinct Jennings flavor that captures the attention of the listener. Jennings has been working on an expanded, fuller sound that is recognizable with this release. While he still is able to garner the solo drawn, his other tracks maintain a jauntiness that complements his storyteller vocal. A great example of this is “Wilderness.”
“Dreaming” is a more traditional Ritter track, although it is almost like a folk lullaby. Plus, tell me the falsetto “dreaming” in the second chorus isn’t just sweet. It’s impressive. The short piece is stripped down in this live recording (a little different than the studio version). Ultimately, although I hate the word, it is a nice song.
Check out the full album on Mason Jennings’ website and check him out on tour.
After finishing 2013 with a list of top sings from the past year, The Music Court is ringing in 2014 with a few album previews for exciting new albums to be released in the coming months. Will these albums feature songs that appear on the top 10 songs of 2014 list? I can’t think that far in advance! Before we swing back into new band profiles and other new, rich content, let’s check out three albums on the platter of melodies for the new year. We start with a duo of accomplished musicians who will look to pin their respective ability against the dreaded sophomore album slump.
Broken Bells, the Indie rock side-project of Shins leadman James Mercer and multifarious producer/musician Danger Mouse (Brian Burton), is coming off an uber-successful eponymous release back in 2010. After the Disco, the much-awaited second release from the duo, has already received some serious buzz from music lovers (The Music Court wrote about the first single from the album – “Holding on For Life” – back in November). The album is a bit spacier and implements elements of disco (Mercer’s airy vocal helps for this). Will it be a second revelation for the band or spell an end to the project? Check out for yourself on February 4th
This is Bruce Springsteen’s 18th studio album. Yes, 18. The Boss will never stop working, and he clearly has high hopes for this unprecedented release. Unprecedented, you say? This is the heartland rocker from Jersey’s first studio album composed entirely of covers, unreleased material, or reimagined versions of past songs. For other musicians this may be considered the beginning of the end, but for Springsteen it is a celebration. Tom Morello joins Springsteen on eight out of the 12 tracks, and late saxophonist Clarence Clemons (the big man) and organist Danny Federici (Phantom Dan) appear on two tracks. If you haven’t already gotten a copy of the leaked album it comes out for real on January 14.
Fanfarlo has had a dear spot in my musical heart since the release of its debut album in 2009. The London-based band that defies all genre defining (the band describes its sound as Space Opera meets Spaghetti Western, so do with that what you will) features a plethora of rich instrumentation and potent vocals. Not band for a quartet of multi-instrumentalists. The band’s last release was a concept EP that explored the past, present, and future of humanity. Let’s Go Extinct comes out on February 10.
Critically acclaimed debuts can often be a curse for a band. Plenty of bands have combusted under the pressure to repeat it – see the Stone Roses, the Klaxons, the Las and dozens others. However if there was ever a band that argued early success needn’t be a burden, it was the Arctic Monkeys, and AM is the conclusive proof.
As the title suggests, AM is stripped-down, back to basics, but the band have come so far in the last eight years it still sounds like nothing they’ve done before. It’s traditional rock but with a glossy veneer of hubris. Don’t mistake the anachronistic titles for dumbing down – this is just the band feeling comfortable in their own skin.
Gone is almost everything you might associate with their award-winning debut. The jangly indie guitar riffs have been replaced by muscular, R’n’B tinged tunes. The Sheffield quartets have truly embraced American sounds. This is mostly thanks to ‘R U Mine?’, a one-off song they released last year that the band liked so much they continued to mine the sonic space it had unearthed, and it now feels like an integral part of the album.
The social commentary that defined their first album has also mutated into richer lovelorn poetry. One of the highlights comes early in ‘Do I Wanna Know?’ as Alex wonders ‘if your heart’s still open and if so what time it shuts?’ It’s not tied to a specific place or time, but instead evokes many different shades of love, whether it’s drunk, desperate or just dumb.
In ‘I Wanna Be Yours’ Alex even adapts words from poet John Cooper Clarke. The fact they sound like his own shows off his strength not just as a lyricist but as a song writer.
Thereare almost too many highlights too mention.Album opener ‘Do I Wanna Know?’ sounds like ‘R U Mine’s’ evil twin, filled with alcohol-induced swagger, while ‘Why Do You Only Call Me When I’m High?’, is one of the funniest songs they’ve ever produced. ‘Number One Party Anthem’ is a huge misnomer; you could more imagine Alex crooning it in a smoky jazz bar. I’ve managed to get the end without mentioning the best song, ‘Abarbella’ with its flickering riffs and vivid desert poetry.
It’s impossible to retrap lightening in a bottle but Arctic Monkeys have managed to make something different and just as good. Purists who are still waiting for more stories about taxi ranks need not listen but everyone else is going to love AM. If Alex Turner has only recently grown into his role as a rockstar, this is the soundtrack to his new life.
The Music Court 