Steve Winston, Unresolved
I wondered what happened to
Steve Winston. I really liked his 2014 album Grayling, but then he dropped out of sight. Unresolved is a perfect title for his comeback project. It turns
out he had some serious family issues to deal with and some–like the loss of
one’s parents–are not the kind that are easily fixed. He almost lost his
grandson as well, so when he sings of him, the
sun lights up like the Fourth of July, it’s easy to embrace his relief and
joy. Flutes and strings that supplement his sensitive piano adorn this song,
and it’s ultimately a very emotional song that’s honest and moving. There are
lighthearted moments as well, such as his purposeful take on Neil Young on
“Maidens.” It's at once a tribute–it seriously could have come from Young’s Everybody Knows This is Nowhere–but it’s
also tongue in cheek. On the country rock “Talk of the Town,” Winston uses a
catchy little melody, but the song is really about rumors and how it leads to
sniping at each other. It too is very Neil Young-like. Welcome back, Steve. ★★★★
Steven Kellogg, Objects
on the Mirror
Another Steve I wondered
about is Steven Kellogg, who got his musical start in a rock band–Steven
Kellogg and the Sixers–right here in Northampton, MA where I live. Kellogg is
mainly a solo folk artist on the country end of the scale these days. (He has
also done a TED talk!) On “High Highs, Low Lows,” we hear some spit and husk in
his throat in a song that takes down fairy tales. In its place we explore
life’s peaks and pits. I can easily imagine this one being picked up by a CMT
star with a whiskey-soaked voice. But Kellogg is actually a pretty happy guy
these days. “Love of My Life” is about his wife, his high school squeeze. “Symphony
of Joy” celebrates her and their four daughters. Here’s another thing about
Kellogg. He enjoys performing before military troops. He’s a poster child for
progressives who don’t concede family values and Americanism to the right. ★★★★
RAM7, August
1791
If August 1791 rings no
bells, you’re not Haitian. That was the year thathe George Washington of Haiti,
Toussaint L’Overture, launched a rebellion against France that was ultimately
the world’s first successful nationalist slave rebellion. RAM7 is a band that
honors the multiple threads that are woven into modern-day Haiti: West African,
French, Creole, Christian, and vodou. It’s a post-punk-meets-funk outfit in
part, but also one that combines history, ceremonies, and the creative energies
of an eight-member ensemble. Richard and Chenel Morse are the paternal and
maternal center of RAM7. Drums and clicking percussion frame big band style
brass on “Dawomen Dakò," which is a ceremonial song but one with the pulse
of rock n’ roll and the vocal treatments of African music. “St Jak” is also
ceremonial, but its slow build makes it feel like a gentle pop-rock ballad. Toussaint is honored on “Badji Feray O,”
which is something between funk, reggae, and folk. Not much of this album would
qualify as traditional music, but it’s a really fine introduction to Haiti’s
multi-hued creative talents. You’ll even hear a few blasts from the rara, a strident one-note horn often
used to announce street parades. ★★★★
Timo Brandt, Grounded
Let’s stay abroad for a
moment. Timo Brandt is a German folk singer who sings in English. In his case,
“grounded” means the music of the 1990s that shaped him: David Gray, Nirvana,
Smashing Pumpkins, and a hot of other Anglophones. Like most folk singers, he
tries to strike universal chords whenever he can. On “Solid Ground” he asks a poignant
question: They say you as young as you
feel/And they say you have to find yourself/But what if are getting older/And
still not the one you try to be? I always like people willing to be self-deprecating.
Brandt puts a sunny indie pop slant to “Thanks, I’m Fine” and sings of how
people tell him his songs are too slow and melancholy. I suppose one could say
that, but I really like the way he compliments his light tenor with bright
acoustic tuning that manages to communicate emotion without banging us over the
head with them. Besides, I’m not sure what’s melancholic about a sweet song
like the title track, which says that love is the thing that truly grounds us.
Beats the hell out of angst and anger, yeah? If you’re wondering, I doubt you’d
ever know this guy was German if I hadn’t told you. ★★★★
Jesse Terry, Lizanne Knott, and Michael Logen, Sunset Avenue Sessions
Jesse Terry is a fine songwriter in his own right,
but he’s also a chameleon who covers songs written by friends and strangers he
admires. You’ll find treatments of
Johnny Cash (“Ring of Fire”) and Buffalo Springfield (“For What It’s Worth”) on
Sunset Avenue Sessions,
plus some Terry originals that will immediately put you in mind of others.
“Dance in Our Old Shoes” has Paul Simon’s pawmarks all over it, and John
Lennon’s ghost haunts “Kaleidoscope” (The latter is on a promo sampler, but
not the CD.) Lizanne Knott was once a rocker, but she’s now Nashville. “Why You Wanna Break My Heart” is smoky and evocative of something a small jazz combo might bust out around midnight. She goes mountain chanteuse on “Wildflowers.”
Michael Logen is also a Nashville staple from the Americana stable. His
“Already Home” unfolds to a steady foot tap that’s the pad from which he launches
the falsetto built into the swelling refrain. “Ocean Floor” is quiet and
introspective. These three artists harmonize with each other nicely (as does
Dar Williams on Terry’s “Stargazer”). When you add up the covers and the
previously recorded material, this album won’t win originality awards, but its
gentle spirit might help you get through the winter more easily. ★★★
Rob Weir
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