I’ve never been much of an Elvis Presley aficionado. I really enjoy his hits when I hear them, but I don’t play them on my own nor do I know the stories behind them.
The curiosity that has led me to explore the early work of The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Simon & Garfunkel and other acts who got their start before I was born has just never expanded to Elvis. That’s probably because those other artists are songwriters, while Presley made his name as “just” a performer.
Almost all of the albums I’m writing about over the next couple of weeks were purchased during the past month — some as recently as a day or two ago.
The lone exception is today’s features record — Ron Sexsmith’s Forever Endeavour — which I bought all the way back in February.
In fact, this was the first new album I picked up in 2013.
Neko Case epitomizes the need to hear an album multiple times before rendering a verdict. Her records are dense and nuanced… they sneak up on you and sometimes risk passing you by.
Case’s 2006 album Fox Confessor Brings the Flood remains her best work, and the epitome of her earthy alternative style. That album is so good that it’s hard not to compare her subsequent records to it, to their detriment.
That’s not really fair to the new work, but I guess that’s the curse of success.
2013 has been a great year for country women.
Already we’ve had a delightful second album by Pistol Annies, and stellar debuts by Ashley Monroe (one third of the Annies) and Kacey Musgraves (who has ridden her refreshing, gay-friendly millennial outlook to a CMA award for Best New Artist and enough crossover appeal to land a gig on Ellen).
Artists face more pressure these days to be great right out of the gate.
Most acts who’ve been around for awhile got the chance to stumble through an album or two finding their way before delivering their defining work. I don’t think the current landscape affords that space to grow.
I bring that up in reference to Haim, the much-hyped L.A.-based trio — because I find myself disappointed they didn’t crush it on this first album. Shouldn’t I cut them a little slack?
