Sofia Talvik - The Owls Are Not What They Seem

After a moving to an increasingly larger production scope on her last two projects, Swedish songwriter Sofia Talvik says she went "back to basics" on her overtly pretty but modest and unpretentious fifth album The Owls Are Not What They Seem, self-released digitally in the U.S. this week. Recorded mostly at her home, Talvik's gentle acoustic songs make up for any loss of sonic power and rhythmic force with a focus on the sweetly nuanced basics: endearing melodies, tasteful arrangements around what Talvik describes as a "live, organic feel" and her own lovely, untrained voice. While songs like "Glow" and "If I Had A Man" flutter by on gauzy gossamer wings, Talvik explores a darker emotional underside on "The Garden", a song imbued with minor chord tension and lyrical edge of "good and evil". "I had no interest in changing the world or inventing something new," reflects Talvik. "I just wanted to make a beautiful acoustic album." Done.

Sofia Talvik - "Nothing Quite So Gentle" (from The Owls Are Not What They Seem)

Sofia Talvik - "The Garden" (from The Owls Are Not Quite What They Seem)

Stream The Owls... at Sofia Talvik's website

Click to read more ...

Rachel Sermanni - Black Currents EP

Rachel Sermanni - Like Laura Marling, nineteen-year-old Scottish neo-folk songwriter Sermanni has won praise for her exceptionally mature and artful music, taking acoustic melodies and expanding them into cinematic pieces of uncommon depth...new four-track EP was produced by Ian Grimble (Travis, Daughter) and is being promoted via the excellent Communion family of artists co-managed by Mumford and Sons Ben Lovett // Release: Black Currents EP (January 31, U.K.) // Sounds like: Sermanni finds that sweet spot between refreshingly unadorned directness and artful ornamentation, quiet laments and soaring orchestration all centered around a darting sand-textured voice that moves from tumbling lyricism to moments of serene, sweeping grandeur...

Quote: "Dreams are a good reflection of what songs are. It’s quite a nice way to think about it. When I have a good dream, things are sorted out in my head and when I have a good song things are sorted out in my head. And everyone has their different interpretations of dreams and it’s the same with songs.” // What we like: songs like the marvelous "Breathe Easy" deceptively drift from languid chamber-folk to something grander -- by the time the final notes fade it suddenly dawns that despite the understated simplicity this is something special indeed..."Song For A Fox", our first introduction to Sermanni last year, ingratiates with a vocal so soft and rich you can practically feel her breath on your ear...The minor chord minimalism and haunting strings of "The Fog" bring the song's dark underpinnings slowly to the surface...

Rachel Sermanni - "The Fog" (from the Black Currents EP)

Rachel Sermanni - "Breathe Easy" (from the Black Currents EP)

Click to read more ...

Gotye - Making Mirrors

Gotye - Aussie art-popping studio wiz (pronounced Gauthier -- real name Wouter "Wally" De Backer) has become something of an international cult favorite blending meticulous and extensive sampling -- often of real instruments and ambient noise -- with 80's styled progressive pop songwriting and production..."Somebody That I Used to Know", with Kiwi songstress Kimbra, was one of 2011's biggest singles Down Under, reaping multiple ARIA awards and topping airplay charts // Release: Making Mirrors (January 31) // Sounds like: Gotye's reedy tenor and sophisticated rhythm charts have drawn comparisons to Sting and Peter Gabriel (how about Howard Jones?)...the synth-heavy keyboard programming that drives the sound add a frosty sheen to the proceedings while the undeniably catchy melodies keep things grounded in more traditional pop territory...(watch the fine EPK below)

Quote: "You can buy so many virtual instruments online these days, but it’s not nearly as personal as making them yourself. I found a beautiful old chromaharp at an antique shop, and ‘virtualised’ it in this way. It ended up sounding more like an unusual hammer dulcimer when played on a midi keyboard or programmed with software” // What we like: For the upbeat, prog-pop rhythms and Sting-like melody -- there's nothing light lyrically about "Somebody That I Used to Know", a devastatingly pointed and acerbic look back on a relationship gone bad...Gotye was originally a drummer, something that comes to the forefront throughout the album, particularly on the staggered beats of "Save Me" or the creepily atmospheres of "Don't Worry We'll Be Watching You"...

Gotye - "Somebody That I Used to Know" (featuring Kimbra) (from Making Mirrors)

Gotye - "Save Me" (from Making Mirrors)

Click to read more ...

Kami Thompson - Love Lies

Kami Thompson - Long-awaited, oft-delayed full length debut from the London-based singer/songwriter boasts some studio assistance from father Richard Thompson, brother Teddy, half-sisters Martha and Lucy Wainwright and Sean Lennon...culled from half-written songs over the years and then polished before recording in New York with producer/bassist Brad Albetta and Ed Haber, the LP arrives stateside after a U.K. release last fall // Release: Love Lies (January 31 // Sounds like: intelligent alt-pop with a folk heart, Thompson's songs tap into her famous family's love of classic roots-centric songwriting and dramatic edge... traipsing easily from honkytonk to sleek melodic pop to distinctly British acousticism, Thompson's voice has a weary non-commital aura while emitting flashes of sultry heat...a nice antidote to the sing-songy, cutesy, Target-commercial pop fluff that many American female songwriters have been peddling lately...

Quote: “If we’d done it in Britain with British musicians,” she says, “it would have had a totally different sound. It wasn’t intentional; everyone just played what they wanted to, and it turned out beautifully.” // What we like: "Little Boy Blue" kicks the album off in style, Richard Thompson delivering a Dire Straits-sounding wirey twang over an insistent shuffling rhythm...the aptly titled "Stormy" begins with some minor chord darkness, opening up to an anthemic chorus hook and Thompson vocals evoking the aural equivalent of dark, bittersweet chocolate (and more killer guitar work from dad)...the bold reworking of George Harrrison's "Don't Bother Me" works by reinventing the song as a foreboding mood piece of rejection...

Kami Thompson - "Little Boy Blue" (from Love Lies)

Kami Thompson - "Don't Bother Me" (from Love Lies)

Click to read more ...

Gretchen Peters - Hello Cruel World

Gretchen Peters - Starting out as a folk/pop performer in Boulder, Colorado, the Nashville-based singer/songwriter has turned out big hits for others (including the Grammy-winning "Independence Day") as well as a series of exquisite solo albums including her last, the 2007 masterpiece Burnt Toast and Offerings...new project arrives after a period of emotional highs and lows, making Peters "rethink what is real" and inspiring an album she describes as "dark...close to the bone...fearless...brutally honest" // Release: Hello Cruel World  (January 31) // Sounds like: Co-produced by husband/musical partner Barry Walsh and guitarist Doug Lancio (John Hiatt), World also features the rhythm sections for Robert Plant's Band of Joy and the vocals of Rodney Crowell and Kim Richey...spare and sleek instrumentation and Peters' smoke-and-honey voice add warmth to songs of desperation, pain and, ultimately, hope...(watch the EPK and videos after the jump)

Quote: "Telling these stories was part of the process of stripping myself bare of all the lies, half-truths, false selves and misguided intentions we take on in the course of living. "After the trials of the past year I felt raw, open. I wanted to write songs that hurt." // What we like: "Dark Angel", a gorgeous lament with a Roy Orbison feel, epitomizes the Cruel core: rich melodic sweep drenched in sadness and emotional turmoil..."St. Francis" is classic Peters, musical phrases that take instinctively take all the right turns -- the chord progressions alone offer a primer on songwriting excellence...the title track delivers a fresh approach to Peters impressive arsenal, a staggered and soulful backbeat driving a killer guitar line and some ominous strings arrangements..."I’m a ticking clock, a losing bet, a girl without a safety net", Peters sings sweetly...and you believe each and every word...

Gretchen Peters - "St. Francis" (from Hello Cruel World)

Gretchen Peters - "Dark Angel" (w/ Rodney Crowell) (from Hello Cruel World)

Buy a signed copy of Hello Cruel World directly from the artist here...

Click to read more ...

Alyssa Graham - Lock, Stock and Soul

Noted producer Craig Street (k.d. lang, Norah Jones) is one of the guiding forces behind Lock Stock and Soul (January 31), a remarkable, gear-changing project from New Yorker Alyssa Graham. Her jazz training (and 2008 album Echo) are now in the rear view mirror as she explores musical paths originally defined in her teens: classic pop songcraft influenced by the likes of Neil Young, Paul Simon, Bob Dylan and Nick Drake. New full-length, the successor to August's LS&S teaser EP, includes originals written with longtime musical partner Doug Graham along with a stark, intimate cover of The Dead's "High Time." Acclaimed songwriters Jesse Harris, best known for his work with Norah Jones, and David Garza are also on board.

The album sessions were mostly tracked live with the musicians -- including bassist MeShell Ndegeocello and two members of her band -- facing each other live in the studio. But it wasn't until the basic recordings were done that Street told Graham that the vocals, thought by her to be simply "scratch vocals" sung to accompany the band, were what he actually wanted for the finished versions. That relaxed, understated quality of Graham's singing is a big part of what makes these songs special. "Exploded View" becomes a delicate, gently swaying confection of nuanced melody. "Til My Heart Quakes" is a shimmering, whisper-soft dream so close and personal you can practically feel Graham's breath on your ear. But as sweetly inviting as these tracks are you're never left with a sugary aftertaste proving once again the dusty maxim about less being usually more in the end, allowing the elegant but simply prepared fare of Lock Stock and Soul to be savored in its natural and organic form.

Alyssa Graham - "The Last Leaf" (from Lock Stock and Soul)

Alyssa Graham - "Exploded View" (from Lock Stock and Soul)

Click to read more ...

Leonard Cohen - Old Ideas

Leonard Cohen - Revered songwriting icon returns with his first studio album in eight years and what some are calling his "most overtly spiritual" album in a musical career spanning more than four decades...two songs -- "Amen" and "Lullaby" were originally recorded in 2007 -- and Cohen performed "Lullaby" and new song "Darkness" during his most recent worldwide tour // Release: Old Ideas (January 31, Columbia) // Sounds like: Cohen's voice -- "a force of supernature" says the BBC -- is in fine form, strengthened in recent years from his extensive concert performances...backing vocals are provided by Dana Glover, long time musical partner Sharon Robinson, The Webb Sisters (Hattie and Charley Webb) and Jennifer Warnes...in sum: a remarkable achievement and essential listen...

Quote: “As I grew older, I understood that instructions came with this voice. And the instructions were these...Never to lament casually. And if one is to express the great inevitable defeat that awaits us all, it must be done within the strict confines of dignity & beauty." // What we like: "Show Me The Place" is one of those songs where you'll want to make sure you're subwoofer is nice and loud. With a voice that sounds like it's deep in the aural subterranean abyss, the haggard growl has now entered surreal territory. And, of course, it's great to hear, a wonder to behold...the bluesy "Darkness" has a richly textured and soulful feel and a surprisingly nimble rhythmic step...

 

Leonard Cohen - "Darkness" (from Old Ideas)

Leonard Cohen - "Show Me The Place" (from Old Ideas)

Click to read more ...

Fionn Regan - 100 Acres of Sycamore

Fionn Regan - "I'm a man...with a child's heart" sings the Mercury Award-nominated Irish songwriter on this third album of sophisticated, unpretentious neo-folk -- released this past summer in Europe, finally hitting the U.S....Regan's 2006 one-man show U.K. debut found its way to American shores via a deal with Lost Highway a year later, but he still remains pretty much an unknown on this side of the pond -- not helped by the fact that his fine second album Shadow of An Empire (2010) was never even released in the U.S. // Release: 100 Acres of Sycamore (January 31, Heavenly) // Sounds like: mellow and unpretentious, intelligent and never cloying, Regan channels Brit folk icons like Nick Drake but finds his own particular niche, thanks to literate, poetic and heartfelt lyricism -- with the occasional sharp bite -- and an artisan's skill with a melody...

Quote: "When it came to the record and to translating my ideas and how I want the record to sound, my idea was to record it in a chronological fashion from top to end. I felt like the record feels like it’s a little film or a play or something like that. Although, I don’t know what the narrative is, that’s the way it feels to me, more in an abstract way." // What we like: 100 Acres steps away from the larger sound of Empire and back to the debut's understated acoustic sound but the new songs seem more fully realized, thanks in great part to the lushly rendered orchestration and Regan's maturity as a songwriter..."For A Nightingale" shimmers in Drake-ian glory while "List of Distractions" soars with strings attached and Regan's voice wrapped warmly around a classic melody...

Fionn Regan - "List of Distractions" (from 100 Acres of Sycamore)

Fionn Regan - "100 Acres of Sycamore" (from 100 Acres of Sycamore)

Click to read more ...

Buxton - Nothing Here Seems Strange

Houston's acclaimed indie folk/rockers Buxton sound at times like a mix of The Avett Brothes and Wilco with a healthy dose of Spoon and Modest Mouse thrown in for good measure, particularly on their forthcoming -- and long-awaited -- new album Nothing Here Seems Strange. For their first album in three years, Buxton has shifted to a fuller, edgier production sound -- thanks in part to the addition of Austin Sepulvado (from Houston's late News of the Word) -- and the songwriting, from Sergio Trevino, is brighter, sharper and less personal. Completed earlier this year and mixed by Jim Scott (Lucinda Williams, Jayhawks), Nothing will drop this January via a signing with New West. "I would rather someone just listen, hope they like it, and define it for themselves," says Buxton's Chris Wise. "The records that have had the biggest impact on me are the ones that I can’t define or pigeonhole into a single aesthetic."

Buxton - "Boy of Nine" (from Nothing Here Seems Strange)

Buxton - "Riverbed" (from Nothing Here Seems Strange)

Click to read more ...

more January 31 New Releases

January 31

Adam Arcuragi - Like A Fire That Consumes All...
Alyssa Graham - Lock, Stock and Soul DC
Buxton - Nothing Here Seems Strange DC
Darrell Scott - Long Ride Home
Errors - Have Some Faith In Magic  
Gotye - Making Mirrors DC
Gretchen Peters - Hello Cruel World DC
Grimes - Visions
Hospitality - S/T
Imperial Teen - Feel the Sound
Jamie Woon - Mirrorwriting
Kami Thompson - Love Lies DC
Lana Del Ray - Born to Die
Leonard Cohen - Old Ideas DC
Mike Doughty - The Question Jar Show
Night Genes - Like the Blood
Radiohead - The King of Limbs: Live From the Basement (DVD)
RM Hubbert - Thirteen Lost and Found
Rachel Sermanni - Black Current EP (UK) DC
Ringo Starr - Ringo 2012
Ruthie Foster - Let It Burn  
Sami the Great - S/T
Sara Isaksson/Rebecka Tornqvist - Sing Steely Dan/Fire
Seal - Soul 2
Sofia Talvik - The Owls Are Not What They Seem DC
SOJA - Strength to Survive
Susan Greenbaum - This Life
The Big Sleep - Nature Experiments
The Jealous Sound - A Gentle Reminder
The Phemonenal Handclap Band - Form and Control
The Pines - Dark So Gold DC
The Soul Rebels - Unlock Your Mind
Virgin Forest - Easy Way Out