Oh, Mr. Swift, how you do go on. The excellent singer/songwriter follows up his fascinating but divergent Instruments of Science & Technology album by releasing a two-EP set...of rough, raw, primarily instrumental garage rock and blues???

Yep.

I won't say I don't like Richard Swift as Onasis, but I do want to ask, "Richard, where are you going with this?" Challenging and confounding your audience is one thing, but underachieving is another. Twenty songs in thirty-eight minutes, most of which are fungible, almost all of which feel incomplete, with some of them simply ending. The record feels like someone broke into a studio, stole rehearsal tapes, and bootlegged 'em. It doesn't sound a bit like the Richard Swift you might expect, so be forewarned.

I'm willing to accept records like this because I know that Richard is an artist and that he's following his muse, and it's only a matter of time before he releases another mindblower. Of course it all could be a joke on his audience; it's hard to not see the song title "Ha Ha Suckers" without thinking it reveals a primary motivation. Musical japes like this, though, not everyone will like. Caveat emptor.

Listen To: Even More Sign Language
Listen To: Phone Coffins

Richard Swift as Onasis is released April 8, 2008, on Secretly Canadian

Labels: record reviews s, Richard Swift, Secretly Canadian

posted by joseph kyle @ 10:18 AM 0 comments

Josh Small Tall

Thursday, October 11, 2007

Who is Josh Small? I have no idea, but I do know that his album, Tall, has really impressed me. Josh sings folk songs. He sings folk songs and he sounds like he's invested five years into creating a gravelly voices that can only come from thirty-five years of drinking whiskey and smoking a pack a day. It's rough, but captivating; the roughness works well, especially with his primary instrument being the banjo. To make things even slightly more complex, his voice is quite angelic, recalling Jim James' sweet syrupy Southern croon. Fortunately, Josh Small never apes James' style; his sound is uniquely his own. Nor does he ever fall victim to an overbearing hick accent--there's nothing more unattractive is a singer who forces a fake accent. While one might say he sings folk songs or country songs, listening to "Say Hello" and "Move Your Hips," it becomes rather apparent that he's singing pop songs. My personal favorite is "Arc de Triumph," a slight ballad that has a wonderful tempo change, as you'll hear below. Tall is a quiet, unassuming record that's worth seeking out.

Listen To: "Say Hello"
Listen To: "Arc de Triumph"

Tall is available now on Suburban Home Records

Labels: josh small, record reviews s, suburban home

posted by joseph kyle @ 5:13 PM 0 comments

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