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Gillian Welch – “The Harrow and the Harvest”Acony Records-out today4 / 5 Eight long years. Almost a decade, if you’ve been keeping track since her last solo release, “Soul Journey.” The traditional folk duo of Welch and David Rawlings release a spare, bare-bones treasure trove of below-the-dixon-line croons, and if you’re a fan of banjo and whiskey in the moonlight, then it’s safe to say this album should be in your collection. There are several reasons, not the least of which are the haunted “Tennessee” and the sheer drive of “The Way It Goes”; we might site the clarity of the hard-luck images, the easeRead More →

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Cassettes Won’t Listen – “EVINSPACEY”(Not KEVIN SPACEY)Daylight Curfew-out June 213.5 / 5 After all’s said and done, this is what Los Angeles-based Jason Drake has to show for his latest full-length: a handful of catchy, electronica/ pop pieces (“Perfect Day,” “Wave to the Winners”), some hip-hop inspired beats, and a cease-and-desist. So certain famous actors don’t appreciate the shout-out; we do, and here’s why: despite Drake’s demonstrated cheekiness, he’s also got a good ear for pop, simple, enduring melodies, and a sense of joy and playfulness. Drake never bogs himself down with oversampling and overlayering (all the more impressive for the hip-hop producer), and eachRead More →

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Dawes – “Nothing Is Wrong”Ato Records-out today2.5 / 5 We’re still reeling from brilliant folk collaboration Middle Brother which, we admit, led us to Dawes. Taylor Goldsmith’s performance as 1/3 of Brother is certainly one of his finest (“Blood and Guts,” “Wilderness”) and now that we’ve calmed down from getting the Los Angeles band’s second full-length, that opening, “Time Spent in Los Angeles,” is certainly… definitely… something of a letdown. “Nothing Is Wrong” feels too complacent, too placid, especially in light of Goldsmith’s serious vocal chops displayed earlier this year. Lyrically, Dawes is hit-or-miss, but our biggest complaint comes from Goldsmith himself, who doesn’t stretchRead More →

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Chick Corea, Stanley Clarke, Lenny White – “Forever”Concord Records-out tomorrow3.5 / 5 There’s just such a breezy way that Chick Corea dabbles on those ivories that, we’re certain, melts even the un-jazziest of hearts. And on this reunion album-slash-tour of his eternal Return to Forever band, it’s all there: drummer Lenny White, bass virtuoso Stanley Clarke (btw, check out his “School Days”), and some jazz/ RTF standards (plus a handful of new ones). Replete with guests (Jean-Luc Ponty, “Upon the Wings of Music” for one), this album can’t help but to measure itself again the catalog of 70s releases, and in that respect, “Forever” stillRead More →