Red Abbey - Bulldozer

Red Abbey - Bulldozer
2011, Red Abbey

Red Abbey started out as a New York City Duo, but has expanded their influence to Las Vegas in the last couple of years.  Thien-nga Palmer and Trey Ordaz have built a singular blues/rock sound from guitar and violin.  Red Abbey first came to our attention in March of 2010 with their debut EP, On My Way.  The duo returns this year with an updated sound in the form of Bulldozer.  Produced by Ken Hertz (Beyoncé, Michael Jackson, Missy Elliot), Bulldozer takes a band with a viable sound and tries to turn it into a commercial enterprise.

Bulldozer opens with the title track, a muscular alt-rock number that marks a new intensity of sound for Red Abbey.  Thien-nga Palmer flashes her unusual, sultry voice, which comes across as a mix of Joan Jett, Chrissie Hynde and Mick Jagger.  Palmer shines on the verses, but the chorus does her no favors.  Red Abbey gets points for attitude and flash in spite of the sonic uncertainties here.  "Life's Avenues" plays like a cynical attempt to craft airplay out of a mix of alternative rock and 1980's hair metal.  The arrangement is catchy, but Palmer's vocal here is more about effect and sound than melody.  "One Way Ticket" starts out with a time-worn rock riff, turning into a funky rocker with blues in its genes.  Unfortunately the transition to a breakneck chorus is jarring and gives up the ghost on any melodic sensibility.

"Broken Heart" shows distinct improvement.  The first of three holdovers from the band's On My Way EP has great pop sensibility and allows Palmer to use her voice for singing rather than trying to craft sounds. Red Abbey spruced up the arrangement a bit but left the song essentially unchanged.  "Me", also from On My Way, is an energetic rocker that will have you dance and jumping around.  This anthem for self-sufficiency is the catchiest song on the album, and the most likely on the album to challenge for airplay.  "Over And Done" is vibrant, guitar-oriented rock with a driving beat.  The chorus fails to keep up with the energy and sound of the verses, with Palmer slipping into a stylistic sound again that sells her voice short.

The other carry-over from On My Way, "What Can I Say", is funky rocker that doesn't live up to the original.  "Breakout" goes for more of a punk aesthetic.  Palmer handles the sound well enough but is capable of much more vocally.  It's a solid active rock number that's all about attitude and edge.  "Pleasure Pain" is the epitome of the stylistic choices that seem to form the backbone of Bulldozer, and it is the least listenable song on the disc.  Red Abbey closes with the bluesy "Beat", and Thien-nga Palmer brings the sultry back with her best performance on the album.  Unfortunately it took ten songs to get here.

Red Abbey's debut EP set the bar high for the band as a whole, and a vocalist, in Thien-nga Palmer, who can hold her own on most any stage, anywhere.  Bulldozer would be a solid effort for a whole host of Indie rock acts, but falls far short of Red Abbey's capabilities.  The search for a more muscular sound isn't necessarily a bad idea, but Palmer tries to accomplish with affectation that which she can flat out do with her voice.  The former restricts the latter and the end result is a performance that is simply less than.  There are definitely some things to like about Bulldozer underneath the shellac of radio-ready sound.  Hopefully Red Abbey will get back to their base sound and build it up naturally the next time around.

Rating: 2.5 Stars (Out of 5)

Learn more about Red Abbey at www.redabbeyband.com or www.myspace.com/redabbeyband.   Bulldozer is available digitally from Amazon.com and iTunes.  CDs are available through Red Abbey's webstore.

Review: The Coal Porters - Durango

The Coal Porters - Durango (April 17 - April 30)
2010, Prima Records

London's The Coal Porters have an ace up their sleeve in Kentuckian (and former Long Ryder) Sid Griffin, but their brand of alt-Bluegrass and Folk has made them fan favorites both east and West of the Atlantic Ocean. With the release of their fourth album, Durango (April 17 - April 30), The Coal Porters look to build on the critical and commercial success of 2007's Turn The Water On, Boy! The Coal Porters are coming up on their 20th anniversary as a band, and just seem to be getting better with time. Durango was born of pure inspiration following two killer shows near Durango, Colorado. The album was produced by Ed Strasium (Mick Jagger, Phil Spector, Belinda Carlisle, Jeff Healey).

Durango opens with Let's Say Goodbye (Like We Said Hello); a delicious bit of bluegrass picking around a sadly humorous tune about ending a relationship with the same smiles it started with. The lyrics here are particularly sharp: "I feel like a beer and she's craving vermouth" isn't about drink preference. Moonlight Midnight featuring Peter Rowan on guitar, and Carly Frye’s sultry alto on lead vocal. I'm Not Going Away is reminiscent of Blue Rodeo, with Sid Griffin sounding a bit like Jim Cuddy. The banjo work here is dizzying and the vocal harmonies top notch. The Squeaky Wheel Gets The Oil is a funny and funny tune that will make you want to dance.

Like A Hurricane is structured in gorgeous melancholy; a song about not being able to stand your ground in a relationship because the other won't stand still. Permanent Twilight may be the best writing on the song; the valedictory from a veteran who's paid the cost of war and would do so again if he were able. The song serves as a reminder that regardless of politics or belief, there are people in the world who sacrifice themselves every day for our ability to think and speak freely. The Coal Porters show off their immense instrumental skills on Roadkill Breakdown with Tim O'Brien sitting in on guitar. Two violins play off of the banjo here, delivering some killer riffs and delightful interplay. Carly Frye returns for the closing track, Sail Away, Ladies! It's a strong, entertaining tune and the instrumental work is simply over the top.

The Coal Porters offer up a solid brand of Newgrass Americana on Durango. Instrumentally the band has few peers, and both Griffin and Frey have their upside as vocalists. The songwriting on Durango is solid but generally not exciting. Humor and intelligence are woven through the songs on Durango, but the special spark that turns solid material into great material either isn't here or isn't utilized. Almost as if in the process of writing The Coal Porters make a lot of safe choices. It's a solid, enjoyable listen, but you can't but wonder if it couldn't be more.

Rating: 3 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about The Coal Porters at www.myspace.com/thecoalporters. You can purchase Durango (April 17 - April 30) as either a CD or Download from Amazon.com.

Review: Eldorado - Golden

Eldorado - Golden
2009, Dejame Decirte

When we undertook reviewing En Busca De Eldorado last year we'd never heard of Eldorado before. Working primarily in Spain, El Dorado is something of a mystery West of the Atlantic and East of the Pacific, but that's not going to last. El Dorado is firmly rooted in a classic rock sound of the 1970's and 1980's, but with fresh songwriting and an approach welcome in commercial circles in 2009. The band's passion and sound drew in producer Richard Chycki (Aerosmith, Rush, Mick Jagger) for En Busca De Eldorado, and he returns to the production chair for Eldorado's sophomore album, Golden.

Golden opens with La Casa De Las 7 Chimeneas, an upbeat rock tune that reminds me a bit of the 1990's rock band The Men. Eldorado then launches into a bit of insanity in the form of a driven Rock N Roller with a classic bent. The song is a fun listen but you better be holding on. Atlantico is a sneaky song that sounds simple and straightforward the firs time through; but the more you listen the more the song opens up and reveals a deeper complexity that sucks you in. While not the best songwriting on the disc, I Don't Need No Doctor is a good, old-fashioned tail-kicker that's certain to get packed houses to their feet. El Desertor comes in a close second for best writing on the disc with it's laid-back Pop/Rock, but gets knocked out of the box by La Gran Evasion. If there's any one song on the disc that could make a real run at Modern and Classic Rock charts it's this one. Tarot TV is an odd musical diversion featuring the most wicked guitar work on the disc and leads into the closing number, Meteoro. Meteoro is a decent enough tune, but was perhaps not the best choice as a closing number. The song is almost anti-climactic after all that's come before.

Golden opens up a can on listeners and they'll be coming back for more. This is a band ready to break and break big; all it takes is the right marriage of opportunity and luck. Everything else is in place here. Vocalist Jesus Trujillo is an ideal front man, and Eldorado is as tight as a band can be. They'll be touring Spain in support of Eldorado this Fall and Winter, with a sojourn to the United States in the spring. Catch them when they come to town!

Rating: 4 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Eldorado at http://www.eldoradorockband.com/ or www.myspace.com/eldoradorockband. You can purchase Golden through Eldorado’s website.

Review: Adrina Thorpe - Halflight & Shadows

Adrina Thorpe - Halflight & Shadows
2009, Adrina Thorpe

Adrina Thorpe gained a great deal of popular attention from her debut album, Elusive, placing songs in shows from CW and Lifetime networks as well as independent films. Her song Who Will Find Me was proclaimed by DJ Armin Van Buuren to be "his favorite song of the last two years". Thorpe's follow-up CD, Halflight & Shadows, brings no sophomore slump for the performer whose songwriting walks the line between darkness and light. With an all-star band of cohorts including producer Filippo Gaetani; drummer Randy Cooke (Mick Jagger, Ringo Starr, Five For Fighting); cellist David Takahashi (Sting, Sheryl Crow, Kanye West); violinist Chris Woods (Justin Timberlake; Jessica Simpson) and drummer Fernando Sanchez (Luis Fonsi, Charlotte Martin), the classically trained Thorpe has managed to create a true aural experience for the listener. The blending of Classical, Folk and Rock styles dazzles with flashes of brilliance and magical undercurrents of melody and harmony.

Halflight & Shadows opens with Impossible Dream, a mid-tempo ethereal rocker in the style of Sarah McLachlan. Thorpe has a stunning and haunting voice, in turns, occasionally affecting the style of McLachlan or even Tori Amos while carving out a niche that is mostly her own. Impossible Dream carries with it a lost and searching sense that fits the song perfectly. Midnight is a dark and mysterious love song with an interesting mix of instrumentation. You'll hear everything from piano to orchestration to electronic sounds; a gorgeous and haunting mix. Everything Changes is about letting go of a bad relationship and places some of the thought process in song. The song is lyrically dense at times in the verse which is balance by an ethereal yet economic chorus.

Domino highlights the fact that once you know the truth your options are pretty limited. The song is gorgeous and dark and full of a barely contained anger that struggles with the narrator's good nature. This one sounds like it could be a Tori Amos outtake, with a piano style reflective of Amos' work and a vocal style that's almost dead on at times. Driving finds Thorpe in a place that is dark, vulnerable and full of need. The tune is unforgettable, halting and striving in turns with the turn of emotion that drives the narrator. The car ride is simply an encapsulation for a journey the narrator is consumed with. Coming Home is a song about running from what you need; sometimes when the prodigal child returns home facts have changed and people have moved on; A powerful and emotive track with a lush sound.

Walk is very much reflecting of Sarah McLachlan's earlier work. Dark and stormy and full of volatile emotions, Walk reflects a primitive beauty at war with need. Moment To End is probably the most beautiful vocal on the disc; the song gets caught up in the obsessive nature of the moment and repeats the title until it nearly hits a breaking point for the listener. This is either a miscalculation or an attempt to instill the sort of cognitive and emotional dissonance in the listener that the narrator feels. Kiss The Day is a highly melodic and vaguely ethereal Lilith Fair Pop-Rocker. The subject is a bit convoluted but it's sonically pleasing. Give You My Love is a sweet and open love song that holds no hidden traps or equivocations. It's a refreshingly honest and pure love song set to a haltingly beautiful melody line. Thorpe closes out the set with Seed, a six-minute piano and voice odyssey that's part epoch poem and part journal entry. Thorpe keeps listeners on the edge of their seat as she unfolds a story, spoken to another, about the prospects for love, life and happiness. The vocal is drop-dead gorgeous in a song that sounds like it could be the introduction to a stage show. This is the sort of tune that unfolds in concert to utter, unbreakable silence that explodes into a cacophony of applause at the end. It's the perfect close to the album.

Adrina Thorpe is an amazing songwriter. She's obviously been influenced by folks like Sarah McLachlan, Tori Amos and even perhaps Kate Bush. You can hear these influences in her music but at the same time Thorpe has taken those influences and wrapped them up with her own personality and style to create something distinctive. Hers is a voice that would stop people on the streets of a place like New York City, and the arrangements she crafts are perfect frames and backgrounds for the stories she tells in her songs. Halflight & Shadows is brilliant; a Wildy's World Certified Desert Island Disc. Don't miss it.

Rating: 5 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Adrina Thorpe at www.myspace.com/adrinathorpe or http://www.adrinathorpe.com/, where you can order Halflight & Shadows as either a CD or download.

Review: Medicine Hat - Blood And Bone

Medicine Hat - Blood And Bone

2008, Deep Fried Coelacanth

Chicago's Medicine Hat just can't stop writing and recording. Their latest release, 2008's Blood and Bone is their fourth album in under five years, and by far their most refined effort to date. Staying well within the bounds of the Classic and Southern Rock sounds they've always been steeped in, Medicine Hat attempts to provide a true 1970's era album experience. Broken into "sides" like an old school vinyl album, Medicine Hat provides both an electric and an acoustic set full on inspired songwriting and performing.

Blood And Bone opens with Take The Bait, a classic rock gem that is reminiscent of early Rolling Stones material. Take The Bait has a rough, unfinished quality to it that recalls Jagger & Richards at the top of their game. Emmett Till incorporate guitar work that would make Gary Richrath blush with glee, while Mudhen is a classic Rhythm & Blues rocker that you won't be able to get out of your head. South 55 shows off the country side of Medicine Hat, with a classic ballad that would have been entirely at home on 1970's country radio.
Twelve Lights opens the acoustic "side" of Blood And Bone with a sound that's reminiscent of Crazy Horse. Old Country Home is another classic country sounding song that probably deserves some serious commercial attention. Diary Of A Northern Soldier is a tremendous story song that you're not likely to forget any time soon. Cast as a country song, this could easily become a folk standard. Other highlights include Blood And Bone and El Dorado Suite.

Medicine Hat is not your typical, hard-working mid-western band. Lead vocalist and primary songwriter Demi Buckley is a special talent, with an ability to craft images and stories into a three-and-a-half minute country/rock song then many writers could put into a manuscript. His rough and tumble delivery combined with the incredibly tight play of Medicine Hat is just what the doctor ordered. Blood And Bone is a great album, although in some ways it may have been a better bet to split the album into two EPs. Nevertheless, you can't deny the talent here. Blood And Bone is very much a worthwhile listen.

Rating: 3.5 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Medicine Hat at http://www.medicinehatband.net/. You can purchase a copy of Blood And Bone at www.cdbaby.com/cd/medicineh4. Please note to be careful with the web addresses, as there is also a band named Medicine Hat in the UK with a very similar web address.