CD Reviews: Eilen Jewell, Sarah Borges, Sometymes Why, Kasey Chambers and Shane Nicholson, Ali Marcus, the Bittersweets, Marybeth D'Amico, Red Sammy

EILEN JEWELL - Sea of Tears
Due out April 21
Eilen broke on the scene with her critically acclaimed debut, “Boundary County,” back in 2006. Her low-key, ageless Americana sound was often compared to Gillian Welch. Her second album, “Letters From Sinners & Strangers,” added uptempo grooves to her story songs.
Now, with “Sea of Tears,’’ Eilen and her merry band of men – Jason Beek on drums, Johnny Sciascia on upright bass and Jerry Miller on guitar – pay homage to ’60s and early ’70s rock with a fabulous mix of 12 original and cover tunes.
Miller, an under-celebrated guitarist, may be the true star of this album. His guitar is brought to the forefront of the band’s sound but doesn’t overpower Eilen’s voice or the rest of the band.
On the opener, “Rain Roll In,” he cooks up an old Byrds sound on his electric and on the rocker “Sea of Tears” he offers a blast of ’70s riffs that will make you feel nostalgic. The band’s take on Van Morrison’s “I’m Gonna Dress in Black” feels like the sister track to the Animals’ “House of the Rising Sun” thanks to Miller’s ominous riffs. These songs are a treat.
But don’t for a minute think Eilen takes a back seat to any of this fun. Her voice may not have incredible range, but she makes up for that in feel, delivering the lyrics like she’s lived them. “Shakin’ All Over,” a cover of the Johnny Kidd & the Pirates number, will send “quivers down the backbone,” as the song says, and have you moving to the groove.
Other songs of note are “Fading Memory,” which would have fit nicely on “Boundary County,” a slinky, haunting “Sweet Rose,” Loretta Lynn’s country lament “The Darkest Day,” and “Final Hour,” a song that chugs along on a guitar riffs reminiscent of Stevie Ray Vaughan’s “Cold Shot.”
Eilen and the band -– who also are at the heart of the Sacred Shakers, a larger group of top New England gospel and bluegrass players – has brought old-timey folk music out of the past and into the present. This little sidetrip back 40 years is well-recommended.

SARAH BORGES AND THE BROKEN SINGLES – The Stars Are Out Due out March 24
There’s a time in every young band’s life where a decision must be made: Are you going to forever be a bar band or are you going to reach for something more? The decision could involve a change of musical direction or an altering of the band’s sound toward more general appeal. With “Reach for the Stars,” Sarah Borges’ new album, the name alone may offer a hint to where she and the Broken Singles – bassist Binky, drummer Rob Dulaney and new guitarist Lyle Brewer – are headed.
Yes, Sarah’s charming wit and Boston attitude still shine bright on “Reach for the Stars,’’ but the country twang, including the pedal steel accents, has been replaced by a more rocking pop-punk sound on a number of the tunes.
This is true for the opener and album single “Do It for Free,” which sounds like a rocked-up version of Faith Hill’s Sunday Night Football theme song, including heavy drum beat and driving guitars. A little bland compared to her best work. It is followed by “Yesterday’s Love,” which similarly doesn’t stand out, but could very well draw some radio play.
The third song, “Me and Your Ghost,” finally gets back to the Sarah we love, the ’60s girl group sound she explored on her last CD “Diamonds in the Dust.”
Two covers, the Magnetic Fields’ “No One Will Ever Love You” and the Lemonhead’s “Ride With Me,” fit nicely into her past country-rock style.
I’m a huge fan of Sarah’s and will continue to be. But too many songs like the generic rocker “I’ll Show You How” will make it hard for me to reach for the “Stars” very often.

SOMETYMES WHY – Your Heart Is a Glorious Machine Due out March 10
Sometymes Why’s “Your Heart Is a Glorious Machine” is like listening to a dream.
If you haven’t heard of the group, you know the female singing trio’s separate folk-bluegrass bands : Sometymes Why is the side project of Aoife O’Donovan of Crooked Still, Kristin Andreassen of Uncle Earl, and Ruth Unger Merenda of the Mammals.
This is not a newgrass supergroup album trying to take you by banjo-fiddle storm; instead it the melding of three gorgeous voices in beautiful harmonies in all their stripped-down dreamy glory.
Voice crush? Try voice crushes, because all three of these women can can sing. From the opening notes of “Aphrodisiaholic” to the closing of “The Sound Asleep” nine songs later, these sirens take turns on lead vocals and back-up harmonies. Each song sounds as if they were singing only to you.
Instrumentation takes a backseat, but fits the mood as necessary, a harmonica intro on “Shine It,” some gently picked mandolin on “Diamond,” some nice fiddle on “The Stupid Kiss.”
The standout tracks include a cover of the Concrete Blonde hit “Joey,” where urgency is replaced with an aching awareness, and title track “Glorious Machine,” a lush Aoife-sung tune.

KASEY CHAMBERS & SHANE NICHOLSON – Rattlin' Bones Out now
Husband and wife pairings are generally not held in high regard (think Sonny and Cher, Captain & Tenille), but maybe that image will change with the terrific Kasey Chamber-Shane Nicholson album “Rattlin’ Bones.”
Chambers is an Australian who is well known for her alt-country/folk songs and her critically acclaimed 2002 album “Brickwalls & Barricades.” Nicholson is more of an unknown in these parts, though he has had some success Down Under. The two, have been married for four years and had never written together until this album. I’m guessing we’ll hear more from them because their voices are a great match. In fact, to these ears the two sound better singing together than separately.
Their songs are a mix of country, bluegrass and the blues; the lyrics are filled with sin and salvation; and the tunes are backed by guitar, fiddle and banjo.
From the opening and title track, “Rattlin’ Bones,’’ it is clear these two were made to sing together as they trade leads over a nicely picked guitar.
Chambers unleashes a big country voice on “Sweetest Waste of Time,” and “Once in a While,” a little sticky sweet with its chorus “Only hope that I make you smile maybe more than once in a while,” is saved by some nice banjo/guitar picking.
Highlights include “Monkey on a Wire,” a sinister tune that sounds like it would be right at home on a Gillian Welch album; “The Devil’s Inside My Head,” a romping number with some furious banjo with Chambers and Nicholson trading verses and harmonizing the nightmare chorus; and the electric “Jackson Hole,” which has Nicholson singing through a voice-altering device.

ALI MARCUS – The Great Migration
Out in April
Seattle singer-songwriter Ali Marcus has come a long way, if not literally then figuratively. Her new album, “The Great Migration,’’ is filled with tunes of good and bad relationships, revelations from her cross-country travels, and some fitting songs about tough economic times.
This album stands out as a great step forward – a great migration, if you will – for Ali not only as a songwriter but as an album maker.
Her past works have been filled with similar songs backed only with guitar and harmonica, but here her sweet soprano is complemented on many songs by a full band of Northwest musicians on guitar, drums, bass, and, yes, banjo, which gives them added confidence and vibrancy.
“Virginia Road” jumps right out at you, banjo is replaced by guitar then augmented by Ali’s harmonica. “Wapato,” a foot-stomping , hand-clapping rollick, sounds like it was recorded live at a hoedown in a country dance hall.
Each song has its own unique feel: “Hey John,” about an encounter with a musician and shared bad experiences in Nashville, is played solo, one of the few numbers without any backing; “Recession Blues” is an upbeat number about down times and hitting the road for escape. Other songs like “Poseidon” and “Catastrophe” provide the darker edges of life for those willing to go there.
Finally, “Minnesota.” takes its chorus from a 2008 Barack Obama speech he made in the state: “Read a book to your baby tonight/ Bless her with patience and speed/ Teach her the difference between wrong and right/ Between justice, faith and greed/That's the change we need/Minnesota.” The song movingly captures the hope the now-president has for the country and its people.


THE BITTERSWEETS – Goodnight,
San Francisco Out now
Chris Meyers and Hannah Prater are a good match. He's the primary songwriter, who also plays the guitars and keyboards; she's the lead singer, who makes his lyrics heartfelt and believable. When she sings on the opener, “Wreck,” “Why'd you go and wreck this all?,” you feel her pain and her anger equally. The album's band is rounded out by drummer Steve Bowman of Counting Crows fame. The group got its start in San Francisco, but moved to Nashville to put out this record – hence the title.
Backed by top-notch sidemen, including Patty Griffin guitarist Doug Lancio, Meyers and Prater produce gentle, country-rocking songs that are at once effervescent and, of course, bittersweet. “Is Anyone Safe Inside?’’ delves deeply into questions of relationships both personal and worldly. “When Is the War Over?” asks how we know when we've won or lost. The title track begins with a simple piano and Hannah singing “Goodnight, San Francisco/Goodnight all you lovers, dives, and rags/Get on home, it's getting late.” Goodnight, San Francisco, hello Nashville. Its a nice fit for the Bittersweets.

MARYBETH D'AMICO – Heaven, Hell,
Sin & Redemption Out now
We met Marybeth online when we discovered that we had a mutual admiration for certain female singer-songwriters: Patty Griffin, Lori McKenna, and Kathleen Edwards, and more. As we found out later Marybeth, an American living in Germany, is a singer-songwriter herself and has taken her love for the music and lyrical styles of her musical idols and charged headfirst into writing her own songs.
Her debut album, “Heaven, Hell, Sin & Redemption,” is a wonderful collection of character-driven songs – a restless single mother, a minister involved in a sex scandal, and a true story of a Death Row prisoner in Ohio.
Despite some of the tough subjects explored, this is no downer of an album. The music – mostly guitar, bass, keyboards backed with pedal steel and fiddle flourishes – is catchy and emotion-filled. Like Griffin and Edwards, Marybeth fleshes out her characters, allowing the listener to sympathize, if not empathize, with their fate.
“Every Week,” about a guy who visits a prostitute, is honest and nonjudgmental; the dire song “Ohio,” about a Death Row inmate, is based on a letter an Englishman imprisoned for arson and murder in America sent to the BBC: “There was a fire and a young girl died in Ohio/ I said I wasn’t there, but they don’t care in Ohio/ I’ve been sitting here for 20 years in Ohio.”
Marybeth didn’t start writing and performing her own songs until 2002, after losing her full-time job as a journalist. In fact, maybe it’s the journalist’s eye that catches the essence of her subjects’ struggles so clearly.
Marybeth has proven that her stories deserve to be heard.

RED SAMMY – Dog Hang Low Out now
Adam Trice, leader for Red Sammy, calls his band’s music “graveyard country rock” for its gritty and stark storytelling. And from the first cut, “(Shine) Like an Empty Prison,” well, you get the idea from the song title alone.
Hailing from Baltimore, home of Edward Allan Poe they remind proudly, Red Sammy is Trice on guitars and vocals, Josh Weiss on guitars, Theron Melchior on bass, and Tony Calato on drums.
Trice’s vocals come through in a growly hush, like Tom Waits or Leonard Cohen, in front of a layer of chiming guitars and steady drum beats. A banjo on “Empy Prison” and pedal steel and musical saw on “Cathedral” add texture. The moods are mostly dark and intimate, as the lyrics consistently mine “the daily struggles – work, love and loss – all of us face,” says Trice.
In the end, individually the songs on “Dog Hang Low” are compelling; but as an album, with literally no glimmers of hope or upbeat messages, it’s hard – even for someone who appreciates downbeat tunes – to get too excited about.

CD Reviews: Jenny Lewis, Mark Erelli, the Sacred Shakers, Catie Curtis

JENNY LEWIS – “Acid Tongue’’
For those eagerly awaiting the sequel to “Rabbit Fur Coat,’’ Jenny Lewis’ critically acclaimed 2006 twangy solo album with the Watson Twins, “Acid Tongue’’ might not completely do it for you. Her new release, while having tinges of her country side, is just as much related to her rocking Rilo Kiley side.
No matter what you think of the new album, you have to admit two things: 1) She’s got one of the sweetest voices, country or rock; and 2) She’s not resting on any laurels from her past.
Lewis takes this album many directions: opener “Black Sand” harkens back to the acoustic “Rabbit Fur Coat.’’ But soon she’s blowing you way with the almost 9-minute, multi-part “The Next Messiah,’’ which hits you with electric guitar (even a little Beatles-esque “For You Blue’’ riff) to a country stomp then back again. “Bad Man’s World” is a tasty, slinky ride augmented with cello and violin.
Guests on the album are many: Chris Robinson of the Black Crowes joins Lewis for some sweet harmony on the title cut. Others who appear are longtime friend M. Ward (on “Pretty Bird”) and Zooey Deschanel (on “Trying My Best to Love You” and “Jack Killed Mom”), and the ever-present Elvis Costello, adding some toughness to the sturdy, country rocker “Carpetbaggers.”
Mood swings are frequent on “Acid Tongue,” but the constant is Lewis’ voice, which is equally triumphant cooing in “Godspeed’’ and rocking it hard on “See Fernando.’’
“Jack Killed Mom,’’ about a typical Jenny sinner/outcast, is one of the most fun songs on the album, with a big sing-along chorus that eerily plays against the songs lyrics.

MARK ERELLI – “Delivered”
Mark Erelli has built a steady and sturdy reputation as both a songwriter and guitarist (he backed Lori McKenna on her recent major-label tour). On “Delivered,’’ he continues to grow his own sound. His songs continue to be passionate looks at the world around him. Album opener “Hope Dies Last” sound dire in its lyrics: “Another suicide bomb at a market in the Middle East/the authorities estimate 28 dead at least.’’ But he ends each chorus, “But all that comes to pass/
hope dies last.’’ On “Volunteers,’’ Mark tells the story of a National Guardsman who sees his life and his job change after 9/11, and how he reconciles it. It’s an antiwar song, but not from the typical angle.
Mark has also added more diversity to the sound of his folk songs. “Shadowland” is a flat-out rocker, with heavy electric guitar lines. “Unraveled” brings harmonica and a Dylan-esque vocal. “Abraham’’ has a Josh Ritter-ish sound, with its organ intro and its introspective lyrics. If you hear it as well, it may be because Zack Hickman, bassist for Josh, produced the album and many of the musicians, including drummer Liam Hurley, pianist Sam Kassirer and guitarist Austin Nevins, provide the solid backing to Mark’s tunes.

THE SACRED SHAKERS – “The Sacred Shakers”
For those familiar with Eilen Jewell and her band (and if you’re not, you should be), you will recognize most of this band if not the sound. That’s because Jewell and band plus a few more of Boston’s best ramblers strip down and dress up traditional gospel tunes in the fun and funky country twang of banjo, fiddle, and upright bass. Each song has its own unique sound as lead vocals gets passed around like a good jug of moonshine. Songs such as “Jordan Is a Hard Road to Travel’’ and “Straighten ’Em” make you want to cry out “Halleluyah!”

CATIE CURTIS – “Sweet Life”
Catie Curtis must be in a pretty good place right now. We know Curtis best for her song “Do Unto Others,’’ about a mentally abusive relationship. So this album is quite an uplifting turn. Listening to “Sweet Life,” with such songs titles as “Happy,” “Everything Wanting to Grow,’’ “Lovely” and “Sing,” well, you just somehow get the feeling life is on the upswing for her. The tunes, too, are upbeat – acoustic guitars and soaring organ – even when the lyrics might delve into tougher themes. In a time when many folk singers are mining darker corners of their mind, Catie’s album is a breath of fresh air.

CD Reviews: Crooked Still, Eef Barzelay, and Drew Emmitt

Crooked Still, "Still Crooked"
With their last album, “Shaken by a Low Sound,” Crooked Still put themselves on the map as one of the brightest lights in the newgrass movement – taking traditional bluegrass and melding it with contemporary sounds.
The quartet of singer Aiofe O’Donovan, banjo player extraoridinaire Greg Liszt, double bassist Corey DiMario, and eccentric cellist Rushad Eggleston mixed gorgeous vocals with wild and virtuosic playing to create a unique take on old folk and blues tunes.
But it seems clear that there just wasn’t enough room on the stages they performed for the egos and talent in the group. Eggleston departed and Crooked Still had a decision to make: disband or continue on.
They chose the latter, and we’re glad they did. The band is back with two new members, fiddler Brittany Haas and cellist Tristan Clarridge, and a new album.
On “Still Crooked,” the band continues its quest of taking traditional Celtic and blues songs and turning them on their heads. Songs like “Undone Sorrow,” “Florence” and the haunting “Pharoah” feature O’Donovan’s stunningly beautiful vocals folded gently around fiddle, banjo and cello. On “The Absentee,” the band shows they still can get a little wild.
Do they miss Eggleston’s wild-eyed craziness? Well, yes. The crazy-guy cellist added a sense of danger to the music. A song like the Mississippi John Hurt standard “Did You Sleep Well?” could use a little more of that danger.
But we’re pretty sure that with time this version of the band will find it’s own wild-and-crazy personality.


Eef Barzelay, "Lose Big"
More than once Eef Barzelay has disbanded his group Clem Snide and decided to make a go of it on his own. While his decision this time is shrouded in mystery, some of the song titles on his new solo album, “Lose Big” – “Could Be Worse” and “True Freedom,” to name a few – may give some notion of his liberation, from the band or otherwise.
No matter, the Nashville-by-way-of-Israel songwriter still has his patented dry humor in place. Clem Snide was an alt-country-leaning band that packed a bunch of “snide” commentary into the lyrics.
And on “Lose Big,” Barzelay has not wandered to far from that engaging formula. On “Could Be Worse,” he sings over a Neil Young-ish dirty guitar line “Show me the bright side and I’ll look till my eyes catch fire/Please forgive me if you leave me feeling uninspired/ My only pleasure is to make that bubble burst/I can find comfort in the fact that it could be worse.”


Drew Emmitt, "Long Road"
“Lord you know I’ve been so many places/At least I know I have a longer view,” sings Drew Emmitt on the title track to his new CD, “Long Road.
And that simply sums up where Emmit, the mandolin player extraordinaire from the jam band Leftover Salmon is coming from.
The songs on this, his third solo effort, are filled with rollicking bluegrass and steeped in “on the road” experience. Mingling alongside his orginals “Into the Distance” and “Cloud City” are covers of Supertramp’s “Take the Long Way Home,” Marshall Tucker’s “Take the Highway,” and Van Morrison’s “Gypsy in My Soul,” all given the high energy, finger-picking deliciousness of top bluegrass personnel, including members of the Infamous Stringdusters, String Cheese Incident and banjo wiz Alison Brown.
In all, “Long Road” is a fun ride, full of stories of where Emmitt has been and the friends he’s met along the way.

CD Reviews: Kris Delmhorst, Kathleen Edwards and the Waifs

Kris Delmhorst, "Shotgun Singer"
The soft beat of a drum machine begins followed by some delicate electric guitar lines and suddenly you’re hooked. “Blue Adeline,” the opener of Kris Delmhorst’s “Shotgun Singer,” is that entrancing. The beat, the guitar and some sparse piano mesmerizes as she sings “Blue Adeline, I can see you lying awake in wonder/I can see you running alive with hunger.” It’s an absolutely beautiful song, and a great start to a fine album.
Kris is playing with a lot of new sounds and with more ethereal lyrics on this effort. We hear some electronic sounds throughout “Heaven Holds the Sun,” a darkly sensual number with a great backing beat.
Listening to the album as a whole, the songs seem to blend together with little space in between, but individually each takes you to a new place, even if you don’t exactly know where that is.
Kris’s voice is so versatile that songs like “To the Wire,’’ an upbeat number, and “Midnight Ringer,’’ a beautiful, quiet tune sound equally intriguing.
Love is a constant theme throughout, which could be inspired by Kris’ “new life” as wife and soon-to-be mother. In “If Not for Love” she repeats the lyrics “If not for love, what are you for?” in a voice run through some kind of effect to give the song a slinky, swampy feel.
“1000 Reasons” is as close to a pop song as we get – with handclaps, some fun whistling and electric sounds and a poppy beat that really kicks into a full band sound and even a little calypso-like piano.
The mesmerizing “Freediver” ends the album, and when it’s over, you have to sit in quiet for a moment and reflect on where you’ve been.


Kathleen Edwards, "Asking for Flowers"
You know you’re listening to a Canadian singer when she namechecks former hockey player Marty McSorley in the chorus of one of her songs. Not that there’s anything wrong with that. In fact, Canada has produced a host of fine young singer-songwriting women, including Sarah Harmer, the Wailin’ Jennys, and Dala, among other. And of course Edwards, whose latest release, “Asking for Flowers,” picks up right where her last, the critically acclaimed “Back to Me,” left off. This time, she’s written all the songs herself and it shows in the more personal lyrics. Edwards has made a name writing country-rocking tunes about down-and-outers, and on “Asking for Flowers” you get more of those and more.
The upbeat numbers are the best, including “The Cheapest Key,” which is a sneeringly fun lover’s putdown done. And “I make the Dough, You Get the Glory” the aforementioned song featuring the hockey enforcer, is a great sounding country tune with a chorus that strings together some great lines, including : “You're cool and cred like Fogerty, I'm Elvis Presley in the ’70’s,” and “You’re The Great One, I'm Marty McSorley/ You're the Concord, I'm economy/I make the dough, but you get the glory.”
“Oil Man’s War” tackles her anti-war sentiments; “Oh Canada” offers some not-so-proud feelings about goings-on in her home country; and the title track digs into the emotional disillusionment of a relationship, with the line “Asking for flowers is like asking you to be nice.”
What drives all of Edwards’ tunes is her honest, clear voice and the care she has for her song’s subjects. Her backing band – which includes her husband-guitar player Colin Crips, Tom Petty keyboard extraordinaire Benmont Tench and pedal steel ace Greg Leisz, among others – is stellar too, providing solid and rocking accompaniment.
For more on her recent Boston show: Click here for my review; click here for photos; click here for video clips.

The Waifs, "Sundirtwater"
Australian trio the Waifs – who’s last album, the stellar “Up All Night,” was released in 2003 – have been on hiatus while the sisters Donna Simpson and Vikki Thorn both had babies. They have returned with the 13-song set “Sundirtwater,” which continues their quest to try out varied musical styles while keeping their rootsy base intact.
The album opens with “Pony,” which immediately shows off an electric guitar-and-harmonica blues. It is followed by Vikki’s slinky title track, which has the sound and feel of Peggy Lee’s “Fever.”
Josh’s electric guitar seems to be more prevalent on this album than in the past, but its more tasty than overpowering, which is nice. On Donna’s “Vermillion” he lays down some beautiful licks that nicely punctuate the tune. The album comes alive with the alt-country-sounding rocker “How Many Miles.”
Stylistically, the album is all over the place. An electric organ heats up “Sad Sailor Song,” while “Get Me Some” is a quiet ballad, and “Eternity” sounds like a jumpy James Taylor tune; “Goodbye” has a more commercial pop sound, and on it goes with each song. “Stay” rocks, “Love Let Me Down” slinks.
In all, “Sundirtwater” is a fun listen but isn’t the cohesive, memorable experience that “Up All Night” was.

CD Reviews: Thao Nguyen and Cinnamon Girl: A Neil Young tribute album

Thao Nguyen, "We Brave Bee Stings and All"
From the opening moments of the first song on the album “We Brave Bee Stings and All,” you will be wondering is this something new from Regina Spektor or Cat Power? Has Erin McKeown or Feist gone off-kilter? And the answer will be no.
You are listening to Thao Nguyen.
That first song is called “Beat (Health, Life and Fire)” and begins with an exuberant drumbeat, acoustic guitar, banjo, and more as she sings “Beat my brow/Beat my chest/Beat the one who loved me the best.” OK, the melody sounds happy enough, but those aren’t exactly love-sweet lyrics. And that’s fine with us.
Thao’s take on relationships are not all warm and fuzzy, but her tunes will keep you moving to the beat. “Bag of Hammers” offers a perky guitar strum before it explodes into a full-on danceable tune.
Each song has its own personality and sound. “Swimming Pools” again features the banjo as a driving force, something we find incredibly fresh and appealing. In fact, the banjo seems to be showing up in many in pop songs (see sidebar). “Geography,” about a long distance relationship, offers a slinky, bluesy electric piano lead over her lyrics: “Oh, geography is going to make a mess of me.” And “Violet” is mostly just Thao and her creative guitar playing.
What’s nice is her songs never fall into predictability and surprising intricacies pop up with additional listening.

"Cinnamon Girl: Women Artists Cover Neil Young for Charity"
We’ve talked in the past about our reluctance to tribute albums. But it was hard to ignore a 2-CD set of Neil Young songs sung by women. The set also benefits a good cause – Casting for Recovery, a breast cancer organization.
What’s neat about this project is that, while there are a few recognizable names – Tanya Donnelly, Jill Sobule, Kristin Hersh, Lori McKenna – many of the singers were new names to us – Dala, Josie Cotton, Julie Peel to name a few – which gave us the opportunity to explore new artists.
For the most part, the women, though not breaking any new ground with the songs, provide strong, rocking versions of Neil’s classic stuff.
Among the highlights are the Canadian duo Dala’s harmonizing on “A Man Needs a Maid,’’ the Watson Twins’ slowed-down version of “Powderfinger,” Brooklyn band Luff’s wonderfully ragged “Tell Me Why,” and Sobule’s down-and-out version of the already down-and-out “Down by the River,’’ which is aided by the fabulous guitar work of X’s John Doe.

CD review: Robert Plant-Alison Krauss

Robert Plant-Alison Krauss, "Raising Sand"
We’re sure that anyone who has heard about the new Robert Plant-Alison Krauss album, “Raising Sand,’’ has already been through the “wow, what a strange pairing” phase of the former frontman of legendary ’70s behemoth Led Zeppelin and the darling songbird of bluegrass. We admit we were a little taken aback when we first heard about the pairing but are not surprised at how natural they sound together.
Allow us one more aside before we get to the music on this mesmerizing album.
Isn’t it telling that the musicians of the group that influenced future generations of heavy metal bands are performing in such styles as blues, bluegrass and roots music. Plant’s former bandmate, bassist John Paul Jones, is an accomplished mandolin player and has played with the likes of Gillian Welch and members of Nickel Creek. And guitarist Jimmy Page has also dabbled in a variety styles through the years. It makes one appreciate the musicianship on those great Zeppelin albums even more.
As for “Raising Sand’’ – filled with cover songs by Tom Waits, Gene Clark, Doc Watson and Townes Van Zandt, among others – it takes Plant and Krauss out of their usual roles and challenges them. For Plant, singing harmony is something, he has said, is foreign to him. Krauss actually sings songs from a man’s perspective (on the rocking “Let Your Loss Be YourLesson’’). But the true beauty is how their voices mesh.
In the opener, “Rich Woman,’’ their voices, side by side meld in slinky perfection.
On Sam Phillips’ “Sister Rosetta Goes Before Us,’’ Krauss’ gorgeous voice plays gently against Plant’s harmonies.
What makes this album unique is that it is not an Alison Krauss album with guest appearance by Robert Plant or vice versa. This is a duo album, ably guided by the legendary producer T. Bone Burnett, who pushes all the right buttons to bring out the combined beauty in both voices.
The pace picks up on the Everly Brothers’ “Gone Gone Gone (Done Me Wrong).’’ The ’50s beat fits nicely with Plant’s lead vocal. He even offers a low-wattage bit of his signature Zeppelin yelping.
Love song “Please Read the Letter,” written by Plant, Page and others, is likely the single from the album. The two voices mesh together, with Krauss adding some exquisite harmonies.
Every song on the album sounds different. Guitar picking comes and goes, an organ plays gently in the background as Krauss caresses Tom Waits’ “Trampled Rose.’’
Plant has fun with “Fortune Teller,’’ which includes some effects-heavy guitar and handclaps. There’s some fuzzy guitar on the Bayou-crawling “Nothin’.’’ And there’s jaunty fun to be had on the women-done-me-wrong song “Let Your Loss Be Your Lesson’’ sung by Krauss.
The album ends with Doc Watson’s bluegrass ballad “Your Long Journey.’’ It’s really amazing how well Plant’s harmony fits into this Krauss-territory song. He hits all the right notes.
That’s what makes this album so much fun to listen to. Two artists, from completely different backgrounds, find common ground in each song and make them unique.

CD Reviews: Erin McKeown, Joni Mitchell, Iron and Wine

Erin McKeown, "Lafayette"
We’ve seen Erin live a bunch of times and it’s always fun. But one thing we always wished for was seeing her sporting a full band. Well, if we can’t see it in person, the next best thing is hearing it on an album.
And that’s what “Lafayette” offers. Erin’s live shows are always infused with the wide-eyed energy and the spunk of someone who has fun onstage. But with a full band – including Allison Miller on drums, Todd Sickafoose on bass, and Erik Deutsch on piano and even a three-piece horn section – Erin gets to share that enthusiasm as she highlights 11 tunes that span her five studio albums. The set was recorded live at Joe’s Pub in New York in January 2007.
Among the songs are the jazzy “Thanks for the Boogie Ride”; a heart-breaking “You Were Right About Everything”; one of our faves “James!,” slowed-down and slinky; a horn-filled exclamation “We Are More”; and a rip-roaring, foot-stomping “Blackbirds” closer complete with what we’ve been waiting for – an Erin guitar solo!Now if we could only have been there in person...

Joni Mitchell, "Shine"
When reviewing a Joni Mitchell album, like Bob Dylan, it’s important to try to remove her past accomplishments from your mind. It is a near impossible task to live up to those standards.
That said, on first listen to “Shine,” you can’t help but feeling a little disappointed. Yes, the gorgeous soprano of a voice from years ago has been replaced by a smokier version, and the songs here seemed to have gotten more bitter.
There’s no question she is upset by the war: “Men love war/Is that what God is for?/Just a rabbit's foot/Just a lucky paw/For shock and awe?,” she sings on “Strong and Wrong.” She opens “If I Had a Heart’’ with the words: Holy war/Genocide/Suicide/Hate and cruelty.../How can this be holy?/If I had a heart I'd cry.’’ It is nice to hear that she has something to say, though it wouldn’t hurt to throw in one upbeat song, would it, Joni?
The album’s music is quite beautiful and jazzy as piano mixes with wistful sax. In fact, the album opener, “One Week Last Winter,’’ is a five-minute instrumental with Joni playing most of the instruments.
She even offers up a new, uptempo version of “Big Yellow Taxi,” with accordion and multi-track vocal.

Iron and Wine, "The Shepherd's Dog"
Sam Beam, who is essentially Iron and Wine, first made headlines for his sparse, image-filled albums “Our Endless Numbered Days” and “The Creek That Drank the Cradle.” On those albums, it was mostly him and his guitar with some backing vocals from his sister, Sarah. Since then, he’s expanded his sound, first on “Woman King,” which blew us away (see Issue 6), and then in collaboration with Calexico on “In the Reins.”
On “The Shepherd’s Dog,” one of our favorites of the year, continues on that path with some absolutely beautiful and lush arrangements that fill every song with head-bopping melodies. World music influences mix with jungle beats as well as folk and rock for a mesmerizing sound.
And while it will take many more listens to make complete sense of Beam’s nebulous, mysterious lyrics, he uses his hushed voice as if it’s another instrument. It’s hard to point to a single song as a highlight since the album works best as a whole, but we are especially drawn to “Wolves (Song for the Shepherd’s Dog)” and the uptempo “The Devil Never Sleeps.”