Damn it all if I didn’t catch a
cold over the weekend. I never get sick but when I do I ignore the living hell
out of it.
On that note, let’s talk about
music! It’s been exactly 300 albums since I last reviewed this next band.
Disc 899 is….If I Was
Artist: The
Staves
Year of Release: 2015
What’s up with the Cover? The Staves are from England but
this cover looks very much like a Canadian winter. The three sisters that make
up the band look suitably miserable as they trudge along the road (Canadian
winters aren’t for everyone).
How I Came To Know It: I liked the Staves 2012 debut
“Dead & Born & Grown” (reviewed back at Disc 599) so I decided to
take a chance on their new album despite having only heard snippets of two of
the songs..
How It Stacks Up: I have two Staves albums, and I like them both
but this one is the weaker of the two, so…second.
Ratings: 3 stars
It took
the Stavely-Taylor sisters three years to release their sophomore album, and
during that time their sound has evolved, bringing in much stronger
undercurrents of contemporary pop and indie rock. I have no complaint with the
changes, although overall the quality of the songwriting is stronger on their
earlier record.
This
band is all about the complex harmonies, and when there are solo moments they
seem prettier because they jump out at you, sharp and clear like a sunny winter’s
day after a snowstorm. Kind of like the cover but with more natural light.
The
three sisters have an exceptional understanding of each other’s voices and know
just how to come in a little high, or a little low, sometimes tight to one
another, sometimes doing loose harmonies or even rounds of interlaced lyrics.
It could easily become busy or affected but they manage to hold everything
together with some great timing and careful structure.
The
melodies of the songs are also innovative, again not going so far as to jar you
out of the folksy reverie the women create, but far enough to catch your ear.
However, despite the interesting way the songs progress, they aren’t catchy,
and few tracks separate themselves out from the pack.
Similarly,
the lyrics of the album are sweet enough and feel like they have the weight of
real experience behind them. With this much vocal prowess I found myself
wishing from time to time that the record was a bit stronger poetically. Maybe
it suffered from following on the heels of a Leonard Cohen record, but it
didn’t impact me deep in the heart the way music like this should.
Fortunately
while the album doesn’t have a lot of standouts, it doesn’t have any duds either,
and the whole thing is a pleasant and at times even whimsical listen.
“Let Me Down” is a pretty little track,
driven by a lightly picked acoustic guitar and some nice dynamics in and out of
the harmonies (did I mention this was their thing?). “Black & White” mixes that same light touch at the beginning
with a more electric rock feel as it progresses, which works equally well.
I also
liked “Teeth White” which is a song
about getting all dressed up and hitting the town, but not really feeling it
inside. The chorus triumphantly declares:
“I got my teeth white
And my jeans tight
I got my hair long
And it’s still wrong.”
I
totally get it, ladies. Except the white teeth thing, that is. Not that I
haven’t tried but damn it if the rum, coke and coffee always seems to hold the
upper hand. But I digress…
Back to
this record, where I found myself casting about looking for a song to not
enjoy. Was “The Shining” too much
like Suzanne Vega? No…it was just the right amount of Suzanne Vega. What about
“Damn It All”? – at 6:26 it surely
must be overly long. But no, it has a nice slow build that perfectly suits its
odd combination of existential ennui and mild disappointment.
Yet I
can’t give this very fine record four stars. I think it is because these girls
just sing too damned perfectly. The record needs a little more hurt around the
edges of those flawless harmonies to complete it. This is a minor quibble,
though. “If I Was” is a solid folk record and I’ll be excited to see what the
Staves do next as they continue to grow into their own voices.
Best
tracks: Blood I Bleed, Let Me Down, Black & White,
Damn It All, Teeth White
No comments:
Post a Comment