I kick off this month’s reviews with a pair of gents named Shawn, a debut EP, a welcome release by a long standing and underappreciated band, a tribute recording, and a just in time for the holidays boxed set that would gladden the heart of any music lover, you included.
Elaine St. George
Don’t You Know Me? A Steve Goodman Songbook
Two E Music
It’s hard to know if the high regard in which singer/songwriter Steve Goodman is held owes to his having died at such a young age or the off kilter nature of his songs. While still in college Goodman was diagnosed with leukemia — the disease which took his life at age 36. He penned songs exploring the American landscape at a time few artists were doing so; in short, he was Americana before Americana was cool.
As a writer, Goodman peaked early, penning his most famous song, the iconic “City of New Orleans” when he was all of 22. While his reputation with general audiences has ebbed and flowed his standing amongst other musicians has not.
Jazz-cabaret singer Elaine St. George becomes the latest to pay tribute to Goodman, doing so with fine intent but mixed results. The problem lies not in her delivery, which is consistently strong and passionate (often too much so, as she tends to over sing the material), but with the simple fact much of Goodman’s music doesn’t translate well to such lounge atmosphere settings.
Over the course of 15-songs either written by or associated with Goodman (and it’s telling that the best track here was written by John Prine) St. George fails to recapture the austere sincerity that made Goodman so genuine. Naturally, some songs work better than others, but the real misses, especially a miscast “Chicken Cordon Blues” fall embarrassingly flat.
To her credit St. George does “City of New Orleans” proud but for the most part Don’t You Know Me isn’t the sort of effort that would make anyone seek out the originals. However, if they really want to know who Steve Goodman was, they should do. ***
Shawn Mullins
My Stupid Heart
Rounder/Sugar Hill Records
While the listener familiar only with his 1998 breakthrough hit “Lullaby” might peg Shawn Mullins as a one hit wonder Mullins has in fact-during the intervening decade and a half-released a substantial amount of music, records that have displayed an increasing level of depth and a strong bent towards melodic pop with a country-folk persuasion.
It’s the sort of music which defiantly fits no specific niche, which makes Sugar Hill, a label renowned as a supportive grass roots home for the wayward, the ideal landing spot for his latest.
Although he usually tours as a solo act (a move dictated by economics) My Stupid Heart is a surprisingly lush effort, in which Mullins and his band glide through shimmering ballads and slow time blues with equal ease. And while the contemporary protest anthem “Ferguson” might get the most attention, Mullins’ is at his best singing about matters of the heart, be they his own “Never Gonna Let Her Go” or others “Gambler’s Heart”.
At its best, My Stupid Heart draws from his vast grasp and appreciation of Americana, and while Mullins may never again experience the vast exposure afforded to him by “Lullaby” he seems perfectly content to continue turning out albums speaking to his heart and ours. ***1/2
The Reverend Shawn Amos
12 Ways the Reverend Loves You
Put Together Music
The good Reverend must love us indeed as this excellent release combines old school rhythm and blues with soul and grit, built around Amos’ powerhouse voice and a band who plays with precise swagger.
The themes of betrayal, late night longing for the one you love and asking for redemption when there might not be any, may be as old as the hills that surround Shreveport (where this was recorded) but this music is built on instinct, passion and groove. There’s the required reference to Joliet prison and the admonishment of an unfaithful woman, both of which, drive home the legitimacy of The Reverend as a genuine blues-man.
With guest appearances by The Blind Boys of Alabama (the stirring “Days of Depression”) and Missy Anderson 12 Ways The Reverend Loves You hits all the right notes in all the right places and gets my pick of the month. God bless the Reverend. ****
Zeke Duhon
Self Titled
Big Deal Music
The rather somber tone of the cover, a head shot of a Duhon set against a monochrome urban backdrop, belies the lively mix of youthful charged power-pop that lies within. Steadily building a career via his You Tube channel Duhon-an Oklahoman — who wrote his first song at age 13 and by age 15 was recording them — has packed more into this six-song effort than you’ll likely find on many overstuffed albums.
Besides gleefully showing off his influences-ranging from 60’s classic rock to The Decemberists and Conor Oberst-Duhon has an uncanny knack for making music that while meticulously constructed never sounds stale. Some of that credit goes to producer Charlie Peacock, best known for his work with The Civil Wars, but it’s Duhon who writes songs that are astounding in their maturity.
From the deeply personal “Faith and Hope” to the more universal “Everything” there’s not a weak tune here and while his lyrics occasionally meander, I suspect that will change with experience.
Feel free to sample this music via YouTube, but be certain to lookout for his physical records. You’ll want to be in on the ground floor of this fine talent. ***1/2
Toadies
Heretics
Kirtland Records
In a fair and just universe The Toadies would be garnering the number of sales or downloads afforded to any number of less talented bands. But I’ve learned long ago the universe — especially the music industry portion — is neither fair nor just. And with a career stretching back to the mid-1990’s the band has likely accepted they’ve reached a certain level of success and are good with that.
Veering in a different direction than their last few releases Heretics finds them reconfiguring some older tracks as acoustic numbers combined with a handful of new songs and a cover of the Blondie classic “Heart of Glass.” All of which gives Heretics a slightly disjointed feel even while it explores the depths of their talent. The album kicks off in strong fashion with “In the Belly of a Whale,” a new song which fits nicely with the older ones, while a pair of acoustic tunes “Tyler” and “Beside You” showcases the band’s knack for harmony and song structure.
Flourishes of subdued bass, tambourine and mandolin, work perfectly in concert with the layered vocals. The stripped to the bone reworking of “Possum Kingdom,” easily the Toadies most beloved song, is startling in its simplicity but affective all the same. “Heart of Glass” is similarly condensed, with droning guitars and organ replacing the 1980’s gloss and glamour of the original.
All-in-all, Heretics may be a bit of a holding pattern but for a band that has slipped a bit under the radar that’s not a bad thing: Reintroducing themselves to their fans while offering a wide range of songs to a potential new audience makes perfect sense. If it gains them some of the larger following they so deserve, than I’m all for it. ***1/2
Brad Mehldau
Ten Years Solo Live
Nonesuch Records
One of the most deservedly praised pianists of his generation, Brad Mehldau, is a supremely talented force, acclaimed for his sparse arrangements and skill to reach and maintain a desired ambiance. As a player he simply never wavers. Every note is precise and perfect.
Recorded between 2004 and 2014 and culled from a series of European (Mehldau is sadly under-recognized in this country) concerts, these handpicked songs represent the breadth and width of his greatness.
While conveniently considered a jazz-artist, Mehldau was classically trained and is equally at home playing music by Brahms (“Intermezzo B flat major, Op. 76 No. 4”) and The Beatles. While his replication of such well cherished standards as “My Favorite Things” might be the most attractive stuff here, there’s an equal fascination listening to him rework contemporary numbers ranging from Stone Temple Pilots’ “Interstate Love Song” to Nirvana’s “Smells Like Teen Spirit.” Mehldau even takes it a step further by mashing up The Verve’s “Bittersweet Symphony” with the Kinks’ “Waterloo Sunset.”
It’s a collision of style and sentiment that beautifully showcases the differences and similarities between them, perfectly capturing the wonder of this collection. Mehldau publicly dismisses the notion that one genre is inherently inferior to another and chooses to instead further the cause of music as a primal aspect of our lives.
Kudos to him with equal credit going to Nonesuch — a label long promoting a wide range of artists — for supporting his efforts. This is glorious stuff, impeccably crafted improvisations that would fit nicely into anyone’s collection. *****
