Review: The Dimes - The King Can Drink The Harbor Dry

The Dimes - The King Can Drink The Harbor Dry
2009, Pet Marmoset Records

Last year I reviewed a recording from Canadian singer/songwriter Mike Ford, Canada Needs You, Volume 2. The album was essentially a lesson in Canadian history set to music. At the time I remember thinking that it would be great if somebody would do something similar with American History. And along come The Dimes. Their sophomore album, The King Can Drink The Harbor Dry, is due for release on December 1, 2009, and features amazingly polished songwriting, memorable melodies, divine harmonies, top-notch instrumentation and yes, a steady dose of obscure American history with Boston as the center of it all. Engineering for the album was handled by Jeff Stuart Saltzman (Death Cab For Cutie, Decemberists, Sleater-Kinney).

The Dimes open with Damrell's Fire, a tale about The Great Boston Fire of 1872. The Folk/Americana arrangement is perfect accompaniment to the autobiographical account of one fireman who would not survive. The song is artfully written and beautiful in melody and harmony. The Liberator recalls the abolitionist newspaper published by William Lloyd Garrison between 1831 and 1866. The Boston-based paper was very controversial, particularly in the South. The instrumentation provided by The Dimes wraps around the narrative like a comfortable cardigan; these guys can play. The Dimes pay tribute to Clara Barton, founder of The American Red Cross on Save Me, Clara. The missive is from a dying soldier. Make sure you listen to the lyrics on this one in particular. Aside from being a fine vocalist, Johnny Clay is pretty amazing as a word smith as well.

The inspiration for Celia's Garden came from a painting by Impressionist Childe Hassam of Celia Thaxter in her garden. The song is done in a glorious Pop/Americana arrangement with Crosby Stills & Nash-style vocal harmonies and a melody that attaches itself to your brain and won't let go. The Ballad Of Winslow Homer is a gorgeous Folk song where each verse is based on a painting of Homer's. This might be the best all-around songwriting on the album, and the vocal harmonies are exquisite.

Webster Thayer was written about the judge in the infamous Sacco And Vanzetti trials, accused of forcing the trial toward conviction. Critics at the time (and posthumously) decried Thayer's handling of the trial. This tune is a Folk/Rock offering that details one perspective on Thayer's state of mind during the trial. The tune is well-written; the ideas clearly communicated. Perhaps not as dynamic as the rest of the album, but a strong song nonetheless. Charles Street serves as something of an epilogue to Webster Thayer, a paean to the infamous Boston jail that held Sacco & Vanzetti and later, Malcolm X. This song has a straight-forward Folk/Rock feel with an intriguing chorus that's both upbeat and dark.

Lovely Mary Dyer gives a strong picture of one of the "Boston Martyrs. Mary Dyer was a Quaker living in Colonial Massachussets. Massachussets law forbid Quakers from living within its bounds. Dyer continued to do so in spite of a previous arrest and knowledge of what would happen to her if caught again. Dyer was hanged for beliefs, and became a symbol to remind the Puritans of the reason they had come to New World: religious freedom. The song is a loving tribute in a lush arrangement with simple but elegant harmonies. Abigail, Don't Be Long pays homage to Abigail Adams, wife of John Adams and mother of John Quincy Adams. This Beatles-esque ballad has an upbeat pleasant arrangement and is a great fit as the penultimate track. The Dimes close out with Boston (Trimountaine), a musical geography lesson of the city of Boston with attention paid to historical sites.

The Dimes take a risk by steeping their songwriting in so much history, but the risk pays off with a collection of songs that are beautifully written, artfully described lyrically and full of a love of both history and music that's hard not to catch. The King Can Drink The Harbor Dry is brilliant and inspired; a Wildy's World Certified Desert Island Disc. Don't miss it!

Rating: 5 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about The Dimes at www.myspace.com/thedimes or http://www.thedimes.com/. The King Can Drink The Harbor Dry drops on December 1, 2009. Keep an eye on the Store section of The Dimes’ website for purchase information

Review: Patrik Tanner – Quills

Patrik Tanner – Quills
2009, Dark One Entertainment

St. Louis Park, Minnesota's Patrik Tanner is relatively young for a man with eight albums under his belt. The native of Sweden who moved to the US at a young age transcends genre on his latest effort, Quills, released on September 12, 2009. Highly personal and introspective, Quills recalls memories of the music of Tanner's youth as well as drawing a life full of influences and sounds. Written, played and produced by Tanner, Quills will wend its way into your consciousness with songs firmly rooted in memory and reverie but always looking forward.

Quills opens with The Next Available Agent, a sauntering instrumental that sets the tone for the album. There is a theatric feel here, like Tanner envisioned you finding a seat and getting comfortable while he prepares you to listen to all he has to say. Eleven is a powerful piano-based tune about being on the verge of something but taking the time to enjoy where you are, like the conflict between pushing to be an adult yet enjoying being a child. A Moment In Time is a sweet singer/songwriter moment about memory and how it can both overpower and engender regret. Like Platform Shoes is a highly personal song of remembrance looking back on loved ones and times gone by. The song is highly sentimental and full of meaning, although it may evade some listeners. Our Vacation Starts Now serves as a brief and quirky instrumental intermezzo, leading into phase two of Quills.

My Boy is a touching song from a father to his unborn son; it's a beautiful tribute to a love that often gets under-represented in song and art. Beautiful Then looks forward into a future more aesthetic and full of goodness than the perceived moment; Tanner imagines himself dead and creating beauty below in the grass he feeds. It is a stark and depressive outlook set to a bright and sunny piano part that simultaneously makes it easier to hear and yet somehow more disturbing. Staying Up Late underlines the effects of depression and confusion on thoughts and actions; this seems to be the underlying element of the disc: the death of Tanner's mother and the grieving/healing process. Rebuild The Titanic is all about going back in time so you can end the suffering sooner, likely a fitting end to the album, although Tanner gives an instrumental outro called Still Holding that harkens back to the old days of radio dramas.

Sorrow. Anger. Fear. Frustration. These are the emotions wrapped up in Patrik Tanner's Quills. It is a bleak album with occasionally uplifting sounds. I didn't enjoy it. I respect it. It's a serious work with strong songwriting, excellent musicianship and vocals that are more than pleasant to listen to; but the subject matter is too dark and twisted for my tastes. Some of you may like it. Imagine Robert Smith on pep pills.

Rating: 3 Stars (Out of 5)

To learn more about Patrik Tanner and Quills check out http://www.patriktanner.com/ or http://www.ptquills.com/. You can purchase Quills as either a CD or download through CDBaby.com.

Review: Jessie Murphy In The Woods - Eight Belles

Jessie Murphy In The Woods - Eight Belles
2009, Rex Records

Sometimes you get into the middle of the recording process and simply realize the sound isn't working for you. That's what happened to Jessie Murphy, then a Masters in Music candidate at Columbia University in New York City. She approached two classmates, Marcia Wood (Wurlitzer, flute, clarinet, harmonica, pan pipes, vox) and Amy Wood (horn, cajon/percussion, flute, melodica, autoharp, vox) and asked them to come along for the ride, not realizing the instant chemistry they would find playing together. From the ruins of one project a primal force of Chamber Pop was born in Jessie Murphy In The Woods. The band has toured the UK (with a feature spot on Cambridge University Radio) and played dates all across the United States. Their first venture into recording together has resulted in Eight Belles, an EP that began making the rounds in mid-2009. Eight Belles holds the magic of a fairy tale and the promise of a troubadour, all wrapped up in the beautiful, gothic tapestry of music woven by Jessie Murphy In The Woods.

Eight Belles opens with New York City Lights, a love-song from Murphy to her constant companion and best friend, the city in which she lives. Murphy's voice is mesmerizing, and the harmonies coming from the Woods create moments so palpable they are almost frozen in time. In The Woods is a song about discovery that could be a metaphor for musical experience of the band, personal experiences, relationships, etc. The lost feeling perhaps implied by the title quickly slips away in the wake of a sense of wonder and an exquisite arrangement that's more Baroque than Pop. Owen Wilson uses a bit of humor to honor all those whose passion or talent drive them to the edge and beyond of societies expectations. When I Am A Horse Again is one of the more unusual musical allegories I've come across, recalling a perfect childhood moment and yearning for the sort of perfection we only know once. Written in a form of lyrical prose, When I Am A Horse Again is strong on imagery and may lose you if you try to get too analytical with the lyrics. Perhaps the biggest surprise on the disc is Eight Belles, a tribute to the horse who nearly took the Kentucky Derby away from Big Brown in 2008 until her ankles gave out. The horse was euthanized but gains immortality in a touching and beautiful song with a melody that's destined to be considered "traditional".

Jessie Murphy In The Woods is a serendipitous coming together of three musicians with singular voices who work together like The Muse's own instrument, creating magic each time they step on stage or in front of a microphone. If there's any basis for a Pop/Classical musical Renaissance, it will start with a band like Jessie Murphy In The Woods. The music presented on Eight Belles is innovative, beautiful constructed and has a distinct air of virtuosity about it. Welcome to the big dance, Jessie Murphy In The Woods. Before the night is over you might just be the belle of the ball.

Rating: 4.5 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Jessie Murphy In The Woods at www.myspace.com/jessiemurphyinthewoods, www.myspace.com/jessiemurphy or http://www.jessiemurphyinthewoods.com/. Presently there is no online availability of Eight Belles that I could locate, although if you contact Jessie Murphy In The Woods through their MySpace page I’m sure you can work something out.

Review: Ketch Harbour Wolves - Dead Calm Horizon

Ketch Harbour Wolves - Dead Calm Horizon
2008, Ketch Harbour Wolves

Toronto's Ketch Harbour Wolves are the darlings of that city's Indie Rock Scene, showcasing at NXNE for the past 3 years as well as at 2009's Canadian Music Week. Taking their name from Ketch Harbour, Nova Scotia, where the seeds of the band were born, Ketch Harbour Wolves wow crowds with strongly emotional songs set in powerfully layered arrangements. The Tragically Hip meets Interpol might be one sonic image to help you understand their sound, but ultimately Ketch Harbour Wolves manage only a passing resemblance to either band on their way to a sound that's distinctly original. Ketch Harbour Wolves released their sophomore EP, Dead Calm Horizon, in 2008, earning praise as one of the 10 hottest bands in Canada from one reviewer.

Dead Calm Horizon opens with Words, an ambient and richly layered acoustic composition featuring significant vocal harmony work in the song structure. The driving nature of the song manages to not be at odds with its more lyric sound, drawing in listeners into a quiet vortex of sound and emotion you won't want to escape from. Leaves is more straightforward, layering cello, guitar and piano into a traditional yet lush Rock arrangement with a philosophical bent. So Long To The Ground is a bit obscure for meaning, but is an amazing composition that will stick with you in spite of not standing out specifically for melody. This is one of those songs that have a certain je ne sais quoi that taunts the listener without ever truly revealing itself. Midnight Dark Water is an upbeat and poppy exploration of the psyche of a man who guides ships through storms with his hands firmly on the wheel. The subject and arrangement are so completely at odds that the combination works in a burst of sheer and joyful surprise. Dead Calm Horizon closes out with Letters, a request and nearly a secular prayer.

Ketch Harbour Wolves are distinctive and original without completing blowing the mold on their sound. The arrangements here are highly pleasant to listen to, even if the lyrics are occasionally a bit out of left field. A rainy afternoon spent with Ketch Harbour Wolves' Dead Calm Horizon would be well spent.

Rating: 3.5 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Ketch Harbour Wolves at http://www.ketchharbourwolves.com/ or www.myspace.com/ketchharbourwolves. You can purchase a copy of Dead Calm Horizon at www.cdbaby.com/cd/khwolves2, or you can download the album from iTunes.

Review: Kites & Crows - Lifeboat EP

Kites & Crows - Lifeboat EP
2008, Kites & Crows

Ashland, Oregon’s Kites & Crows started out as the musical extension of singer/songwriter Mysha Caruso but has grown into something more. In the process of creating their debut, the Lifeboat EP, something special happened. While Caruso is still the driving force as lead singer/songwriter/guitar player, the rest of Kites & Crows seem always to find their voice instrumentally and enhance Caruso’s creations beyond what they might have been alone. Call it singer/songwriter/ensemble, call it 21st century folk; call it whatever you want. Kites & Crows is creating incredibly wild and original folk sounds less than 100 miles from the left coast.

Lifeboat opens with Way Down The Line, an understated Americana tune that came across as very stoic and dry. Kites & Crows open up a bit on End Of The Road, a great Folk/Americana piece with simple and memorable melody. Mysha Caruso's vocals here are spot on. Weathervane has a Celtic feel to it; a love song based more in reality than in starry-eyed romance. Weathervane is touching in a cynical fashion. More To The Story is a wonderful song about starting over written in subtle and searching tones that ask voiceless questions. More To The Story will stay with you long after The Lifeboat EP is done playing. Don't Hold Me Down explores the need to touch base at home once in a while contrasted with the need to go out and make your place in the world. The two don't need to be mutually exclusive, and the narrator here is asking freedom to do both. Backroad Pioneer closes out the Lifeboat EP with a classic sounding bit of folk songwriting.

Kites & Crows have a very reserved sound, yet tell stories to song set with brilliant nuance and subtle conviction. Lifeboat EP is an experience you will remember. Vocalist Caruso is a pleasure to listen to, and I suspect this is a CD you'll keep coming back to.

Rating: 4 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Kites & Crows at www.myspace.com/kitescrows. You can purchase a copy of The Lifeboat EP at www.cdbaby.com/kitescrows.

Review: Brydan Smith - Blue Skies EP

Brydan Smith - Blue Skies EP
2009, Brydan Smith

Brydan Smith is a Burlington, Ontario, Canada-based singer-songwriter with a penchant for serious, reserved songwriting and a pleasant voice. His debut CD, Blue Skies EP, will spark comparison to Ray LaMontagne, Jack Johnson, Dave Matthews, John Mayer, The Decemberists and perhaps even Nick Drake. Brydan Smith was inspired to pursue a career in music after seeing LaMontagne live a few years back, hoping someday to touch listeners the way LaMontagne’s music touched him.

Blue Skies opens with the title track, a pleasant listen that just didn't leave much of an impression other than the fact that Smith sounds a lot like Jack Johnson. Whiskey Dreams is a low-key folk tune about the urge to drown worries while working to climb out of the bottle and trying to live again. The song is very real to life and doesn't really convey a lot of hope that things will work out. Come Down features a soulful but repressed vocal from Smith. It's a great listen, although I'd like to hear Smith come out of his shell a bit more on the vocal line. Marianne is very similar in presentation; it's almost as if Smith the singer is holding back. The song itself is a beautiful tune, but the presentation here just doesn't quite do it justice; almost like a spoken word tune with accidental fluctuations in pitch. Bring Us Down doesn't change the direction of the album at all as the closer, sticking with a similarly monochromatic scheme.

Brydan Smith has a decent voice and a lot to say, but song construction and melody lines are too similar from song to song, and too compressed in range and dynamics to be very listenable over the course of an album or even an EP. There's almost a sense of monotone (ala Steven Wright) that pervades Blue Skies, a title that one might suggest is meant to portray hope for the future or better days ahead. Smith is a talented lyricist, but the presentation of the songs can be tough to tackle.

Rating: 2.5 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Brydan Smith at www.myspace.com/brydansmith, where you can purchase tracks from the Blue Skies EP. No word yet on CD distribution.

Review: Duane Large - Stories In The Last Year

Duane Large - Stories In The Last Year
2008, Duane Large

Duane Large is one of the more enigmatic performers in popular music: Influenced by everything from Croce to Dylan; The Decemberists to The Beatles; George Gershwin to Franz Schubert. Large has played with many groups over time, including The Philadelphia Orchestra. His debut CD, Stories In The Last Year, runs the gamut from rock to folk to Tin Pan Alley without losing direction. It's one of the most musically involved pop/rock albums of 2008.

Duane Large has a straight forward Folk/Americana delivery that is without pretension. His songs are written in a crisp, clean, economical style that is both refreshing and fun. Stories In The Last Year opens with Jillian. Jillian bears a strong stylistic resemblance to Jim Cuddy (Blue Rodeo). Your House is a classic singer/songwriter folk song. Large's sweet and mellow voice rings clear throughout and his guitar work in exquisite. Abide is my favorite song on Stories In The Last Year, a love song that doesn't stick to the usual formats or cliche, Abide is a powerful and appealing song that probably has major licensing potential.

Ligeia (Poe) has a European sound to it and a gorgeous melody that you won't be able to get out of your head. The Road Less Traveled uses a classic 1960's guitar emulating a doo-wop chorus to back up a classic sound. Large is very convincing here. Other highlights include Tucked In The Seams, the Celtic The Ballad Of Nelly Holland, and All You Are. All You Are is a classic folk song right out of the gate. This is the sort of song that other artists pick up on and record or perform live.

Stories In The Last Year is aptly named. If Duane Large continues on the path he's on he may well end up as one of the more prolific and talented songwriters of the new century. Every song is crisp and clean with well-defined melodies and intelligent, expressive lyrics. Large is likely to find a big audience with the right break.

Rating: 4 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Duane Large at www.myspace.com/duanelarge or http://www.duanelarge.com/. You can pick up a copy of Stories In The Last Year at www.cdbaby.com/cd/duanelarge.