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?
The past few weeks I’ve been buying new album releases like a madman. Artists (and studios) have dropped records left and right, presumably with the holiday season in mind.
I’ve looked at the scheduled releases for the rest of the year, though, and it appears that I’m done for 2013. So it’s time for me to take stock of the albums I’ve picked up this year.
I recently bought Eminem’s new album and had to decide between the standard version and a “deluxe” version that featured four more songs for about four more dollars.
I thought back to all of the times I’ve purchased an album with bonus tracks, and how little I’ve actually listened to any of those tracks, and went with the standard.
Meet Me In Montauk 