2007 saw the release of Neil Young’sLive At Massey Hall, which documented Young’s 1971 performance at the legendary Toronto venue. If you have yet to hear that album, what are you waiting for? It is easily one of the most compelling live records I’ve ever heard. On December 2nd, Reprise will release yet another classic Young performance. Sugar Mountain – Live At Canterbury House 1968 finds Young performing in Ann Arbor, Michigan just as he was preparing to release his self titled debut. The set will also contain a DVD with footage of the performance and a supposed trailer promoting Young’s Archives boxed set, which will probably never come out. Then again, Axl Rose proved us all wrong by finally releasing Chinese Democracy, so I guess anything is possible. NPR are currently providing listeners with an early stream of the album and it sounds great. Young begins a brief tour of Canada & the U.S. with Wilco this weekend and will head to Australia in January.
Ryan Adams’ Easy Tiger (2007) wasn’t a memorable record. That explains why I was fairly cautious when I learned that Adams’ recently released Cardinology was also being touted as cohesive and focused. Much to my surprise, Cardinology lives up to that claim. It is what the uneven Easy Tiger could have been. Musically, Adams has been all over the board over the last eight years, but Cardinology sits firmly as a blend of classic rock and alt-country. Like Easy Tiger, Cardinology offers a more contemporary approach in comparison to the honkytonk of 2005’s underrated Jacksonville City Nights. In recent years, albums that carry such a description tend to be pretty bland and to be honest, much of Easy Tiger was just that. However, on Cardinology, it is the accomplished songwriting and unique personality that Adams injects that makes it stand out as significantly less surface-oriented than Easy Tiger.
The album’s first single, “Fix It,” which I immediately enjoyed, is a good indication of what Cardinology has to offer. Unfortunately, there are a couple songs on Cardinology that can be written off. “Magick” has some engaging melodies, but is a throwaway at best. “Natural Ghost” isn’t much better. It is moments like this where Adams comes dangerously close to cruise control. It is fascinating to listen to how much his voice has changed in recent years. It hasn’t necessarily weakened in strength, as he turns in terrific performances on “Cobwebs” “and “Sink Ships.” As good as a rocker like “Fix It” is, ballads like “Crossed Out Name” and closer “Stop” are the true gems of Cardinology. The beautiful “Stop” recalls Adams’ Love Is Hell (2003) sessions. The last two minutes of the song are the best part of the entire record.
It should also be noted that Adams’ lyrics have rebounded on Cardinology. There were some pretty questionable moments on Easy Tiger, but this soon-to-be-published author seems to have regained his eloquence (ignore “Magick”). What I find most pleasing about Cardinology is that it is consistent. Adams’ critics are always stressing that he is wildly inconsistent, but he proves them wrong here. The music is occasionally too comfortable, but I am led to believe that he has re-located his focus with Cardinology. In a career that has had drastic highs and lows, Cardinology falls firmly in the middle. It doesn’t reach the heights of his best work, but is a solid album, nonetheless. Cardinology indicates that Adams can still put together a fine album and for someone who puts out a lot of records, that bodes well for his future.
Catch Ryan Adams on tour opening for Oasis at George Mason University’s Patriot Center in Fairfax, VA on December 20th.
One of the most satisfying concert experiences I had in 2007 was being able to see Portland’s Talkdemonic open for The National at the 9:30 Club. Composed of Kevin O’Connor and Lisa Molinaro, this instrumental duo utilizes a combination of live drums (O’Connor), strings (Molinaro switches between viola and cello), and the wonders of laptop technology. What makes Talkdemonic stand out is the interplay between O’Connor and Molinaro. He’s an excellent drummer and her autumnal strings are the perfect compliment. I really enjoyed their sophomore effort, 2006’s Beat Romantic. Arena Rock released their latest album, Eyes At Half Mast, in September. I’m still letting that one sink in, but feel confident enough to say that it is another superb effort from a group that is equally compelling live as they are on record. Daytrotter recently invited O’Connor and Molinaro to record a session for their site. The session includes two songs from Eyes At Half Mast, one from Beat Romantic, and an unreleased song titled “CSJ9.” Highly recommended, even for those who are convinced that current instrumental music is stale (not all of it!) and incapable of producing emotion.
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