Brief Reviews Of New Music
Van Ghost, Melodies for Lovers - With a spaced-out intro which leads into the catchy mountain rock of Summer Promise, Van Ghost gets your deserved attention from the beginning. The band moves ever so slightly around the folk-rock/alt-country spectrum but drops in some indie leanings on Through The Years. Van Ghost mixes in some southern aspects, Sixties Rock and doses of that Indie throughout to keep the directed album interesting. A great beginning. 85
Elvis Perkins and Dearland, S/T - More upbeat and accessible then Perkin's Ash Wednesday , melding his strengths as a songster and low-key player. More lively, loose and plain happy, if Perkin's moves forward in this direction, he has potential to be a darling on folk-rock scene. 84
Chris Joss, Sticks- This is our first listen to Joss and we have some catching up to do. In the same cut as Thievery Corporation or Supreme Beings of Leisure, Sticks is a like an opium fueled trip through SE Asia. Hazy but focused, plush yet rootsy and eclectically soulful, Joss creates a sonic tapestry like few others. 92
An Horse, Rearrange Beds - Hyped band that is lost on us. Sort of like an alt Ting Tings that doesn't mesh well. Some of the songs are catchy and well-constructed but often the singing kills the music and leaves the listener reeling. Too jagged, gloomy and scattered for us. 76
