Album Reviews

HARV
Polka Raggioso
(Northside)
Album number three from Swedish folk powerhouse Harv continues in the direction of its last album, swirling guitar, accordion and light percussion around the twin fiddles of Magnus Stinnerbom and Daniel Sandén-Warg. The band's grasp of Nordic folk forms is firmer than ever and its devotion to melody practically to the gushing stage. But what makes Polka Raggioso special is the quartet's obvious love for performing this material. The guys sound like they're having the time of their lives playing "Grythyttehyl," "Tösen" and the title cut, and it's difficult not to get swept up in the sense of fun. Michael Toland [buy it]

TAYLOR HOLLINGSWORTH
Tragic City
(Brash)
Following up his promising EP Shoot Me, Shoot Me Heaven, Alabama's Taylor Hollingsworth kicks out the jams on his first full-length album. Combining the blues/soul/rock & roll sensibilities of the American south with the glam/punk attitude from across the pond, the young singer/guitarist merrily bashes and crashes through rootsy pop ("Duct Taped Heart"), bluesy folk ("Gambling Bar-room Blues"), ragged C&W ("Bonnie and Clyde"), world-weary balladry ("Like a Cave") and, of course, plenty of full-blooded rock & roll ("When Eye Get Around," "Heart Attack," "Little Queenie"). The kid's distinctive voice and melodic sense tie everything together, making Tragic City both a strong statement of purpose and a hell of a listen. Michael Toland [buy it]

ELLIS HOOKS
Godson of Soul
(Evidence)
What to make of Ellis Hooks and his fifth CD, Godson of Soul? His old-school R&B sound, drawn heavily from the likes of Stax and Motown, is an anachronism among today's contemporary black performers. Those of us who long for genuine soul and living, breathing instruments get it here. Hooks has pipes like some long-lost Memphis belter, and he's backed by legendary players like Steve Cropper and Wayne Jackson. He writes a fine lyric too, with soulful fire and wistful introspection, perhaps inspired by his years as a street musician. Everything clicks: "Honeysuckle" ambles funkily," "Litta Bitta Lovin" might just move your rump, and "Was It Something I Said?" could almost be an Otis Redding song. Maybe it's too much of a throwback, too old-school. Is that possible? Either way, Hooks pulls it off better than Robert Cray, and Godson of Soul is consistently entertaining Brian Briscoe [buy it]

JOHN HOWARD
The Dangerous Hours
(Bad Pressings)
John Howard was an obscure 70s singer/songwriter until British label RPM reissued his work, including two unreleased albums and his masterful debut Kid in a Big World. Poised to make a comeback, The Dangerous Hours is his point of re-entry. Though he's using poetry by Robert Cochrane as his libretto, Howard puts this record right in line with his 70s classics. His distinctive tunesmithery—think Elton John holding hands with Burt Bacharach—is perfectly intact, and he wisely focuses on lush melodies, arch wordplay and his appealing voice, still supple after 30 years. Performing everything himself, from lyrical piano to sweet harmonies to subtle synth beds, Howard gives tunes as dark as "Silent Madness," camp as "What a Carry On" and celebratory as "Dear Glitterheart" (a tribute to the late glam icon Jobriath) a winning immediacy. If he's guilty of the occasional lapse in judgement—apparently no one told him that the synthesized marimba sound of "Maintaining the Anger" and "Early Closing Days" was dated a week after it debuted—it's easily forgivable in light of this record's abundant virtues. Fans of grittier music may want to proceed with caution, but lovers of classy, literary pop will find The Dangerous Hours a delightful way to spend the time. Michael Toland [buy it]

THE IMMORTAL LEE COUNTRY KILLERS 3
These Bones Will Rise to Love You Again
(Tee Pee)
From Alabama they come, laying waste to all who stand before them, bluesing up any punk rock joint that will have them. The Immortal Lee County Killers (now expanded to a trio with the addition of organist Jeff Goodwin) are back with album #3 and, as usual, it's unclear if the sentiments of These Bones Will Rise to Love You Again are promises or threats. Toko the Drifter's raucous thumping supports Chetley Weise's wild-eyed yowling and bluespunk guitar splatter, though in truth songs like "Wide As the Sky," "Airliner" and "Revolution Summer" aren't as crazed as previous sermons. That's not to say this is cleaned-up blues rock for the Kenny Wayne Sheperd crowd, mind you. But the Killers display evidence of actual craft on this record; if they can continue balancing that with their typical free range mania, they'll be on the way to backing up to their claim to be the greatest rock & roll band in the world. Michael Toland [buy it]

MIKKI JAMES
Guess What…
(Xemu)
A journeyman with a string of supporting gigs to his credit (including membership in the unjustly obscure Thin Lizard Dawn), Mikki James makes it clear on Guess What… that he deserves the spotlight. He's not doing rocket science here; the songs are basically three- and four-chord power pop tunes. But attitude is everything in rock & roll, and James attacks "Can't Get Loose," "Fire Me" and the cheerfully rude title track with a glam rocker's sneer and a carnivore's gusto. He also waxes (somewhat) sensitive on the ballad "Heaven's a Crush," just so we know he's not completely full of snot. Michael Toland [buy it]

THE KINGSBURY MANX
The Fast Rise and Fall of the South
(Yep Roc)
I've been wondering if there was an American version of Belle & Sebastian; on the strength of The Fast Rise and Fall of the South, I'd say it's the Kingsbury Manx. That's not to say the North Carolina troop is ripping off Scotland's finest wimp rockers. But the two bands definitely share the same folky soft pop aesthetic; you'd find many of the same artists (the Kinks, the Trashcan Sinatras, Simon & Garfunkel) in both bands' collections. But where B&S often goes for clever quips über alles, the Manx speaks more directly from, and too, the heart. "Nova," "Snow Angel Dance" and "Animations" (finally, more people are realizing the pop potential of the banjo) work their poetry to openly emotional ends, and the hooks are nothing to sneeze at. Michael Toland [buy it]

MARAT
Again
(MoRisen)
Remember when bands put out an album a year? Marat does, as Again quickly follows up last year's solid self-titled debut. This particular collection keeps the North Carolina quartet's glam/pop melodies flowing on "Dog Days," "Sticks" and the iconically titled "Sex Boy Sex Girl," but also takes dips into pools of midtempo pop ("Superheroes," "Ritual Girl"), moody alt.rock ("Captives") and even power balladry ("Cheyenne"). Variety suits the band well, making Again a stronger album than the first. Michael Toland [buy it]

JAMES MCMURTRY
Childish Things
(Compadre)
Thanks an eye-opening live record (last year's Live in Aught-Three) and an honest-to-Phil Ochs protest song ("We Can't Make It Here"), folks outside musicians' circles are finally starting to note that James McMurtry has quietly become one of America's very finest singer/songwriters. Childish Things crystallizes what makes him great: sturdy roots rock melodies, tough guitars, compelling characters, a conversational narrative style that draws you right in. Some might argue that his twangy singspeak is an acquired taste, but I can't imagine "Memorial Day," "Bad Enough" and "Holiday" being sung any other way. The record also features a duet with Joe Ely on the traditional standard "Ole Slew Foot" and, of course, "We Can't Make It Here," a tune that indicts our current political situation without ever using terms like "liberal" and "conservative." Childish Things is as good an introduction to McMurtry's talents as any album he's made. Michael Toland [buy it]

LORI MICHAELS
The Lilac Testament
(Mother West/Papercup Music)
The Lilac Testament is another debut. Lori Michaels has a kick-ass voice, and just enough attitude to be sexy. The music is country-flavored, but Michaels' twang doesn't come naturally. The music more than makes up for that, though, especially the steel guitar on "Turn of the Century." Charles Newman has managed to produce a pretty straightforward country record without any of the pat Nashville traps. These songs, all written by Michaels, are soft and thoughtful. And her voice alone is worth taking a chance on a name you might not recognize. Lance Looper [buy it]

NASHVILLE PUSSY
Get Some
(Spitfire)
Let's face it: a Nashville Pussy album pretty much defies review. If you know anything about the band at all, you know exactly what you're going to get on Get Some: sleazy boogie-metal that's been dragged through puddles of beer and piles of soiled G-strings. The Atlanta quartet's obsession with all concepts of the word "fuck" remains as virulent as ever: fucking, getting fucked up, fucking other people up, yelling "Fuck yeah!" and "Fuck you!" Add the band's trailer trash sense of humor and its propensity for riffs that sound like lost classics, and you have tunes like "Meaner Than My Mama," "Hate and Whiskey" and "Good Night For a Heartattack." That's not even mentioning the blazing cover of Ike & Tina Turner's "Nutbush City Limits." More consistent than warm oatmeal and more fun than a barrel of horny, crack-addicted monkeys, Get Some is simply another Nashville Pussy album. Michael Toland [buy it]