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Dark Compass

I have a real headache because of this album and it's not because of the music, which is on the whole great. I hope Stavia doesn't take this the wrong way, but her voice reminds me of a woman who used to do a lot of UK TV theme tunes. I say tunes, but I can't remember any of them by name, I just know the voice and it's very similar to Stavia's. I can't even remember any of the shows, which makes it even more annoying. When it comes to more conventional comparisons, I've seen Stavia compared a lot to Dido. Whilst there are similarities, especially in the slow, piano tracks, there is a certain earthiness to Stavia's voice which makes Dido's seem saccharine sweet in comparison. I discovered Stavia through a single song and on the basis of that, requested the album. At first I have to admit, vocally her voice has a certain nervousness about it, but the more you listen to it, the more it seems to fade. Stavia's music is her passion and this indeed is her second released album, put together with a cast of supporting musicians and indeed friends. It may however come as a surprise that she studied medicine and actually trained as a neurologist. This 12 track album opens with one of my favorite songs on the album "Falling" and is the perfect opener. "A Different Song" continues in a similar vein, but the two songs that follow "I Don't Need You" and "Just Can't Help it" up the tempo a bit. I must admit, I much prefer the slower, more thoughtful side of her music. Fortunately the rest of the tracks follow this more laid back and relaxed approach. "Broken Hearted" has a very strong Greek feel to it and nicely breaks the album up. Every silver lining usually has a cloud and for me that cloud is "Vulnerable". Musically this track is great, but lyrically it seems very weak and almost childlike in the lyrical construction and phrasing. Fortunately this is the only low point on the album, but it is just one of those tracks that has my finger reaching for the next button. Picking out my favorite tracks, they would have to be "Falling", "Lucky Day" and "The Tide has Turned". Conclusion : An interesting artist, with a distinctive sound. Certainly Dido lovers will feel right at home, but there's certainly enough on this album to win over all that listen.

Deep Waters

Catching up on backlog is a pretty guilt ridden task, especially when an album is this good. I actually got this CD to review in the summer and played it a few times in the 90f degree heat and the album just didn't click with me. Yes some albums need to be gently cossetted to prepare for the ultimate listening experience. I don't know what went wrong with this album, but uncovering it again a few weeks ago, proved to me, that sometimes your ears can be put off by the surroundings. At least with all the albums I request, they don't get put on the scrap heap. If I've requested the,. I've heard a spark of genius and I don't give up until I've given an album my fullest. The album opens with "Free Love", not my favorite track by far, but it does at least showcase Derek's voice and gives you an inkling of what's to come. "Stray" is probably one of the killer tracks on the album, more for the vocal delivery than the actual lyrics. "One More Day" is one of the more diverse tracks on the album with a decidedly reggae, laidback and relaxed feel to it. "Summer" for me is a classic radio favorite, that the radio is sadly missing out on and I have to admit it's when I hear stuff like this that I start to get very frustrated with the current state of radio play. Mind you I shouldn't get too critical as I've virtually abandoned the radio. Maybe I should become a radio DJ indie music evangelist... Or maybe I should try to get my podcast into triple digits. Listening to Derek, there's an interesting range of influence including Marc Bolan, he of T-Rex fame, which is very apparent on the track "Smoky Light". I can really imagine Marc singing this, if he wasn't tragically taken from us in 1977. "Skye" has that wonderful quality that's hard to pinpoint. It has a wonderfully uplifting quality, with lyrics to match and is a track that showcases all the is good with Derek James. One of my favorite track on the album would have to be "Dust in the Wind", with it's real sense of angst. My favorite track however would have to be "Pretty Lady", absolute sheer class. Conclusion : Yes, yet another 9 album, but deservedly so. Talent deserves to be recognized. Phenomenal talent deserves to be lauded from the highest roof tops and this is phenomenal.

Stray

One of the bands that gained a huge surge of popularity in the early days of podcasting was the Candy Butchers. Several songs including "Let's Have a Baby", "Give Me A Second Chance For Christmas" and the insanely catchy "What to do with Michael", caused a new wave of interest for the Candy Butchers, who hadn't had a new album since 2004's Hang on Mike, from which two of those earlier songs were taken. In November of 2005, Mike Viola one half of the Candy Butchers creative duo, released his Just Before Dark, solo album, which showcased the more raw and acoustic side of Mike's talents. Realizing there was now an audience waiting with baited breath for new material, Mike decided to dust off some recordings made with Todd Foulsham,that had previously laid un-released and turned them into the album you see here, Making Up Time, which comprises of 10 tracks, recorded between 1994 and 1998. For an album who's tracks are between 8 and 12 years old, there's a nice freshness to it. Whether that's the stripped down,live production, or the hunger for new Candy Butchers material, I don't know, but suffice to say this is a cracking album, with some wonderful tracks. Opening up with the title track "Making Up Time", it's by no means the strongest of tracks, but I have to admit it does grow on you. It's the next track "What I Won't Give" that really brings to the fore everything that is great about the Candy Butchers. As I've mentioned before, I'm a big fan of a distinctive voice and Mike Viola certainly has that. When you fuse that with some great pop melodies, you are onto another sure fire hit. "Brother's Back" is another track that follows this winning formula. I won't bore you with a full on dissection of the album, but this is a great album to be sure. My favorite track on the album would have to be "Bruises and Beauty Marks", which digs into your subconscious within minutes of listening. My least favorite track would have to be "Circus" or rather it was upon first listening. Even that track has won me over, which is very unusual when I have such a strong first reaction. It's one of those bizarre tracks, that whilst having it's own merits, sticks out like a sore thumb on this particular album. The album finishes up with a suitably unusual "Jerry Rigged", which has a real early 60's feel to it. Conclusion : It's nice to have a new album from the Candy Butchers. I wonder whether the next batch of new material will be Candy Butchers or Mike Viola solo. Go forth an purchase, forthwith!

Making Up Time

Instantly accessible is probably the best way to describe The Brightwings, a band out of the US, specifically Boston. This 8 track album opens very strongly with the wonderful "All I Need". For the first minute or so, I was almost sent back in a worm hole to the early 90's. There's something very familiar about the sound, in fact the band reminds me a lot of that great Scottish band Del Amitri. A lot of that is down to their very crisp, clean acoustic sound and wonderful harmonies. I often wonder if 8 tracks really make an album. Maybe if they're 6 or 7 minutes each, but here they're around the 3-4 minute mark. Not that that matters, as at just $8.00, it's nicely priced between an EP and an Album. There's a real Eagles kind of feel to the majority of tracks. I must admit to not being a big Eagles fan. Most of their songs are pretty dreary. But hey, that's just my opinion. Fortunately here, the best elements of the Eagles are fused together with a few other influences and not forgetting the Brightwings, own obvious talent. Of all the tracks "Far From Shore" is probably the weakest. I think for me, the lead vocals are a bit off and it sort of falls a bit flat. My favorite is "Mallory", which isn't a name I've ever heard in a song before. It has a great melody, with some great acoustic guitar. Rounding things off is "Please Come to Boston", which has some great harmonies and is a fitting song to sign off with. Conclusion : A great, relaxed and very enjoyable album. I'd be interested to hear the Brightwings cover an Eagles song, "Desperado" comes to mind, but there's no desperation in this group of talented musicians. Top notch.

Stay

One of the things that gives me the biggest thrill with Indie Launchpad, is receiving new material from artists previously reviewed. In fact, not only were Finniston previously reviewed, they were among the first artists on Indie Launchpad. The previous review of Finniston was primarily of them and their sound. I touched on two tracks "Peach of Mind" and "Another Love Song" from their EP at the time, Popular Music That Will Last Forever, which were soft, lilting, mainly acoustic songs that provided a wonderful show case for both Steven Finnie and Jolene Crawford's voices. That soft Scottish lilt, is just a sheer joy to listen to. Their latest EP, Golden Hour of Strict Tempo Dancing, has a bigger sound, but those unmistakable vocals are still present and as wonderful as ever. This was originally funded by Polydor, who decided to pass on the finished product. Surely they never sat down and listened to it, cos if they had, they would've surely put some serious marketing behind it, as this EP deserves to be a winner. Opening with "It Angers Me So", this track has a very Gaelic kind of feel, with some interesting string and accordion accompaniment. "We're Waiting" returns to the Finniston I'm more familiar with. I just love the Finniston sound. It's soft and mellow, but very self assured. "Musings of a Middle-Class Boy" continues this mellowness. "Another Love Song" speeds things up a bit, but retains all of the Finniston sensibilities, being in fact a re-recording of the track that appears on the Popular Music That Will Last Forever EP. This is actually my favorite track and makes the EP worth buying just for this alone. Rounding off with "Bellona Shuffle", this is probably the track that sticks out most, not because it's bad, but just because it has a distinctly different sound. Conclusion : Absolutely wonderful stuff again from Finniston. I'm eager to hear a full album release and I'm hoping it will come sooner, rather than later.

Golden Hour of Strict Tempo Dancing

I don't know why I have a soft spot for female vocalists, but no matter the reason, they still have to have that special something. Well Kelda has that something special in abundance, and what makes this album special is that it's very much her. The production on the album, allows Kelda's voice to soar. There's a lot on this album that reminds me of one of my favorite UK singer, songwriters Sam Brown. A lot of it is the minimal production, but a lot of it is Kelda's voice, which has a wonderful emotion to it. The album opens with "Special" which has some great string accompaniment, but like the vocals, very simple and effective. "Carried Away" has a very Sam Brown feel to it and if Kelda or her producer has never heard Sam Brown, I think they'd find some amazing similarities, especially in Sam's latter works. "Let It Go" also has that emotionally charged style of vocals, which at first can seem strained, but it's soon apparent that Kelda has fantastic control of her own voice. The album rounds things off with "Bring Me To My Knees", that is if you don't include the untitled track that follows. Listening to this album is like be part of an intimate concert, performed just for you. The sound is pure and very minimally produced, which seems to be the trend of late. This however is the perfect vehicle for Kelda's voice and makes for an unbelievable listening experience, especially when listening to the album on headphones. There's no one real stand out track on this album, but in hindsight I wouldn't expect there to be, as all the tracks are of such a high standard. Conclusion : I love the basic, almost raw production on this album. Some artists don't need much to help their voice soar and Kelda's is definitely one of those voices.

Detour

Well before the horse is even out of the gate, I should say that this isn't your usual common or garden band. Born in Omaha and based in Portland, Eux Autres is a brother and sister duo, Heather and Nicholas Larimer, who sing an infectious brand of 60's French pop. This is something a little different, but as they say "Variety is the spice of life", and a little bit of what you fancy, does you good, but enough of my private life. What about the album? For me this has a real 90's/60's vibe happening. Both styles are fused to give a very contemporary feel. Although a simply produced album, it really has an intimate sound. Track one gives you a chance to dust off your high school French, which in my case is quite a few years old, but I could have sworn I heard a grapefruit. The second track "Other Girls" is an absolute doozy. It's very simple, but boy is it catchy. It'll have you humming the tune all day. A relatively short album, with just 9 tracks, it does however still manage to waft in like a breathe of fresh air. At times sounding like a sort of Jan and Dean surf song and then bam, it's the Shangri-Las. For musical influences, it's all over the place, but that's half the charm of this eclectic album, you never know what's going to be served up next. Conclusion : Yes this is something a little different, but give it a chance, it really as that spark of originality and freshness.

Hell is Eux Autres

This is the first solo project from former Soup Dragons member and Glaswegian guitar legend Jim McCulloch. I have to say this wasn't the album I had expected, but sometimes having your preconceptions broken is a good thing. It's no understatement to call this album laid back. If it were any more laid back it would be standing up in my CD player. This CD has 11 tracks of unadulterated mellowness, just the kind of album to put in the stereo when you get home after a hard day at work. As is sometimes the way with albums like this, many of the tracks sort of blend from one to the next. There's nothing wrong with that, but it just means that no tracks really standout and slap you up side the head. Then again, that's not what this album is about. I get the feeling that this was a very personal album to both write and record and indeed it feels very personal when you listen to it. The album finishes off with the very upbeat (well it is compared to the rest of the album) "Time Machine", which might have been better used in the middle, or beginning of the album, but I suppose that would have upset the balance of the first 10 tracks, so yes maybe that's not such a good idea, but it's a great track and one I could imagine being a single release. Conclusion : This is a great mellow album, that's more Suzanne Vega than Leonard Cohen. Actually it's a lot more upbeat than Suzanne Vega, whilst still remaining laid back, if you get my drift. A definite one for the car, when driving home, to ease you of the burdens of the day.

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