Fistful Of Mercy – As I Call You Down If ever there was an album that reinforces the statement that music is a universal language, As I Call You Down is it. The three strong and divergent musical identities, California born roots rocker Ben Harper, American acid folkster Joseph Arthur and Dhani Harrison (son of George) have found common ground in the studio and the results are impressive.
There are also signs of musical DNA
shining through as Harrison’s presence echoes his late father’s way
with harmonies. Fact is there are luxurious vocal harmonies all over
this album and even though all the songs are listed as being written by
all three, they more than show where the seeds of inspiration have come
from.
Arthur’s mutant folk sensibilities shine on tracks like I Don’t Want
To Waste Your Time and Fistful Of Mercy. Elsewhere on songs like
Father’s Son and 30 BonesHarper’s
roots instrumentation and attitude underline the proceedings. Harrison
also helps to bring that fab spirit to life through compositions like In
Vain Or True and Things Go Round.
Even with such identifiable musicians, their submersion into the feel
and the cohesion of the finished work is outstanding. They have tried
and succeeded in creating something universal, great music with an
appeal that transcends the easy categorising of their earlier work.
Rob Hudson
Tenacious D – Rize Of The Fenix Comedy and music have never been the most comfortable of bedfellows.
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Allan Holdsworth – Hard Hat Area When you have a musician with as much facility on their chosen
instrument as Allan Holdsworth has on guitar, there is absolutely no
limitation on what can actually be played.
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Jack White – Blunderbuss With a work ethic and musical output rivalled by few if any, Jack White
sets aside all of those numerous other projects to create a set of songs
under his own name.
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The Decemberists - We All Raise Our Voices
to the Air (Live Songs 04.11-08.11) Facing more obstacles than most in translating their studio
confectionary into a meaty live sound, The Decemberists have attempted
just such a thing with We All Raise Our Voices to the Air. Read more >>
White Rabbits – Milk Famous Using their sophomore album, It's Frightening as a template, White Rabbits take a stab at progression.
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Van Halen – A Different Kind of Truth Do some popular music statements come out of a time warp or do they create their own? Read more >>
Slivovitz – Bani Ahead When you have superlative players’ on board, things can easily digress
into instrumental insurrection, on Bani Ahead, Slivovitz side step this
problem by being almost completely consumed by the groove. Read more >>
Big Deal – Lights Out All band notoriety aside, is there any subject matter that creates more column inches than love?
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My Best Fiend – In Ghostlike Fading Like the Werner Herzog film the band is named after, My Best Fiend delivers an album deep in duality.
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