If the new album
from Azalea has a house concert feel, that’s because it
is. Live at Home is exactly as billed–an album recorded before
a small gathering at the Hamilton, Ontario, home of Benjamin and Mia Hackett.
This husband and wife duo draws comparisons to The Civil Wars, but from my
perspective, the song “Falling Slowly” tells a different story. Some might
recognize that song from the movie/play Once. The Hacketts do an absolutely
gorgeous cover of it and it’s heartfelt; they too fell in love while on the music
circuit. “Butterflies and Alchemists” is another defining song. It opens with
ringing tones from Benjamin’s guitar and his high tenor vocals. Mia joins in
and harmonizes with her angelic soprano. That’s what you get from
Azalea–intimate songs, gorgeous harmonies, and soothing music. Small wonder
that the album also contains a song titled “Your Lullaby.” There is slightly
more grit on “Come with Me,” which is given some grit from Benjamin’s resonator
guitar and Mia’s robust piano chording, but even it wends its way into
something more lovely than aggressive. If there is a flaw in the album/concert,
it is that all of the songs are beautiful. Some may yearn for more contrasts
and colors, I suppose, but it’s hard to knock radiance. ★★★★ 
Let’s stay in Ontario. Paige Cora is a dream-pop singer. That handle generally
means that the vox are breathy and echoey, whilst the instrumentation is heavy
on synthesizers and atmospherics. Actually, Cora is more substantive than is
suggested by the term. Her debut album Instant in Time is polished,
sincere, and varied in its approach. It all starts with the production. Cora
lives in Fort Erie, Ontario, but she crossed the Niagara River to record in
Buffalo, and sent the result to Abbey Road Studio to be mastered. There’s
double irony in the project being finished in London; there are hints of an
English accent in Cora’s voice. Cora backs most of her music with piano, though
it’s not always the prime part of an arrangement. On “The Good Side of Desire,”
Cora uses repeated piano notes to create space for Frank Grizanti’s guitar to
make some serious noise. (Perhaps this is a holdover from the days in which
Cora played in a Toronto grunge band.) Big production and meaningful lyrics are
major components of Cora’s music. “Forest Pine” showcases robust piano, brass,
cello, and some words that are miles beyond usual pop sentiments. She describes
letting go of a lover thusly: Yes I will return you to the lost northern
wind/Hang up your hat where the leaves roam/Stone to sand and to glass/Forces
of light/Gave me a glance. And how many pop stars write tender songs for
strangers? Her “Bicycle Bells” tells of a couple from France who moved to
Toronto only to have the husband die when a tree branch fell on him in a city
park. Cora spins a tale of remembrance from the widow’s point of view that
finds grace amidst tragedy. Another great track is “Long Goodbye.” Like most of
her music, it is dramatic and the band and lyrics dynamic: Funny, how we box
ourselves in to be taken as fools/just to be handed the rules. This one
shows Cora’s range, which goes beyond the breathy stuff. Cora is an artist to
watch. ★★★★
Auckland’s Tiny Ruins has appeared
before on this blog. It’s actually the stage name for vocalist and guitarist
Hollie Fullbrook. Her new album Olympic Girls comes from a
much-needed break from grueling tours–a built-in obstacle for New Zealand
musicians. Fullbrook began as a folk singer/songwriter, but has recently delved
into dream-pop. (See Paige Cora above). The title song, which climbed to #19 on
the New Zealand charts, isn’t what you think. It’s based on a long conversation
with a man on a bus and contains this line: You only had your Olympic
girls/The frosted sheen of leotard twins/Running revolt and winning gold/For
the TV screen/Before being led back to the cells. Her seat partner had been
in prison and spoke of the irony of being incarcerated while watching those
with freedom soar. In “School of Design,” Fullbrook explores the urge to
break through the ceiling in a different context. It has a Leonard Cohen
feel in its oblique musings that are shaped more by atmosphere than melody. Fullbrook’s
voice is lovely, but it’s certainly not Sandy Denny-like in clarity and you may
find it necessary to Google her lyrics. Songs such as “One Million Flowers”
work better because there is less going on and we can concentrate on the
lyrics, and on melody lines that take us from contemplation to something more
playful and back again. I confess to missing the energy of Fullbrook’s earlier
work. Her dream-pop too often becomes languid. ★★ ½ 
Robert Randolph has become a
blues/funk/soul legend. He usually tours with a full group called The Family
Band, but it was just he and Steve Ray Ladson at Paste Studios. They delivered
a blues clinic in four songs. Two of them, “Strange Train” and “Baptize Me” are
from the Grammy-nominated Brighter Days album. Randolph’s
music is informed by tons of past greats, as well as more recent heroes such as
The Allman Brothers, Eric Clapton, and Jimmy Page. Like many African American
blues performers, he got his start in church, but one of the cool things about
black Christianity is that it isn’t afraid of all things sensual. Randolph, who
plays lap and pedal steel guitars, can wail out an electric gospel-influenced
number one moment, but in the next breath cover Blind Lemon Jefferson’s “Black
Snake Moan.” When he sings, Mmmm, black snake crawling in my room/Some
pretty mama better come and get this black snake soon he isn’t singing
about pest control. When this dude plays, the room begins to sweat. ★★★★
Short Cuts
Ben Lee recently showed up at Paste Studios and
performed acoustic versions of three songs: “Divine Hammer,” “Web in Front,”
and “Sugar Kane.” He has both verve and moxie as these are not his songs; the
first comes from The Pixies, the second from Archers of Loaf, and the third
from Sonic Youth. Lee does a credible job, but is there a point to doing other
people’s stuff when you’re allegedly showcasing your own chops? 
Tennessee’s Colony House has made some
waves in the indie rock scene and if you don’t know the band already, another
Paste Studio performance offers three good reasons why you should. “You KnowIt” is the single from the band’s 2017 album. It has a cool retro feel,
especially Scott Mills’ surf guitar licks. You’ll also notice that lead
vocalist Caleb Chapman has both powerful and smooth pipes. On “Original
Material,” he slides into falsetto range, and his phrasing is catchy and tight.
“Looking for Some Light” is an optimistic response to life’s kick-in-the-teeth
moments.” Check out the lyric video on that one.
Rising Appalachia is often a
six-member lineup, but the essential core is the Smith sisters, Leah and Chloe.
As the name suggests, they are a bluegrass lineup, though they often
incorporate world music into their repertoire. Recently they visited Paste
Studios in Atlanta as (mostly) a duo. They dust off their a cappella chops on a
gorgeous rendition of “Bright Morning Star.” Add some banjo and bodhran thumps
to their amazing harmonies and you’ve got “Resilient” and its message I’m
made of thunder, I’m made of lightning. Standing up to life’s slings and
arrows is also the message of “Find Your Way.” Can’t wait to catch these ladies
live.
Rob Weir
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