Dala Seeks a Pop Path

DALA

Everyone is Someone

Compass 7-4548-2

* * *

Dala is the Canadian folk/pop duo of Sheila Carabine and Amanda Walther. They have been working hard to try to break into the U.S. market, where they’re not a household name though they’ve released five records and have been nominated for several Juno awards, Canada’ s equivalent of the Grammys. Everyone is Someone is actually from 2009 and is their fourth recording, though it’s the first one to get wide U.S. distribution, thanks to a deal with Compass Records.

I can see why this record, not their forthcoming release, was chosen. Dala is often billed as an acoustic folk duo that writes original material and performs covers of icons such as Bob Dylan, Neil Young, Joni Mitchell, and Gordon Lightfoot. Everyone is Someone, though, is a pop recording. It’s shimmery, chirpy, and bright; it’s also processed, slick, and loaded with additives. The good news? Carabine and Walther have lovely voices, harmonize like angels, and are so bubbly that they defy cynicism. The record is infused with youthful energy and confident charm. Those over the age of 30 might surprise themselves by finding one of their tunes rattling around inside their brains in the sector where guilty pleasures are stored. This leads me to the downside. Because this is mostly a pop record, it opts for flash over depth. The songs are catchy, but there’s a lot of yeah, yeah, yeah and la, la, la filler that betrays the fact that there’s more bounce than Baudelaire in the lyrics. In fact, the record often feels like a collection of singles demos aimed more at producers than audiences. The production is laden with overdubs, bathed in sonic mood enhancers, and airbrushed to aural perfection. I’d be surprised, in fact, if offerings such as “Levi” and “Northern Lights” don’t get test-driven as possible singles.

To be clear, I’m not saying the lasses shouldn’t pursue a pop path; if this record is any indication, they’d raise the genre’s quality bar. I too fell sway to their infectious attraction and wish them luck. I would, though, like to hear some of the material that’s less pop and more folk. As enjoyable as I found this record to be, there’s an ephemerality to the material that makes me doubt they’ll be performing much of it in another five years. –Rob Weir

The Movie Drive Never Gets Out of Park

Didn't I see these reflections in Taxi Driver?

DRIVE (2011)

Directed by Nicholas Winding Refn

FilmDistrict, 100 mins. R (language and brief nudity)

*

One of the annual rites of spring is moaning over films and performances that should have been nominated for Oscars but weren’t. Both Drive and its star, Ryan Gosling, show up on a lot of such lists. But this time the Academy got it right; neither deserved a nod. I have no idea what critics gushing over this film saw, as it's a one-trick blood-spurting pony that wastes several good actors.

I like Gosling as an actor and think he deserved Oscar consideration for Blue Valentine last year, but it’s hard to get excited about his acting chops in Drive if, for no other reason, he only has about a dozen words of dialogue. This movie is a lame rip-off of Taxi Driver (1976) in that each film features a silent lead who spends a lot of time cruising the mean urban streets, each wishes to be virtuous, but each is driven to acts of unspeakable violence when they must save an imperiled young woman who deserves better than life has dealt her. Drive spends a lot of time with Gosling behind the wheel and many of the shots look gorgeous, but that’s because the glaring headlights, the reflected neon on wet streets, and bouncing light through the windshield are also lifted from Taxi Driver. Shall we say that when it comes to direction, Nicholas Winding Refn is no Martin Scorsese?

The plot, such as there is one, revolves around Gosling, known simply as “Driver.” He can do anything behind the wheel, but not much else, hence he’s a low-paid Hollywood stuntman who supplements his income by being a mechanic and a wheelman in heists. He’s also a man of few words whose only close associate is Shannon, the guy who runs a garage at which he works, though even Shannon hardly knows Driver. Gosling will, however, do a good deed for Irene (Carey Mulligan), a mom trying to raise her small son Benicio, whose father, Standard (Oscar Isaac), is in jail. Driver begins to fall for Irene and Benicio, the latter presumably because he, like Driver, has only recently graduated from having been pre-verbal. Driver tries to step away when Standard gets out of the joint, but is drawn into a scheme to help him pull off a robbery to get clear of debt he owes to some mob figures. Driver agrees to be the wheelman so that Standard, Irene, and Benicio can have a shot at domestic bliss. It all goes very wrong due to a double-cross involving an attempt by one West Coast crime boss (Ron Perlman) to bilk another (Albert Brooks) and steal a million dollars from an East Coast syndicate. Driver is forced to turn avenger in order to save Irene and Benicio.

There’s not much in Hossein Amini’s script that explains why Driver cares, and Mulligan, another actor whom I normally like, doesn’t do much to spark chemistry except to look doe-eyed and vulnerable. That’s not her fault; she only has marginally more dialogue than Gosling. We’re supposed to find everyone mysterious, but because none of the characters have depth, they exist only as foils for the sort of ultra violence one associates with films such as Straw Dogs, Reservoir Dogs, and A Clockwork Orange. The most creative moments in Drive involve Gosling’s methods of offing bad guys in graphic ways–not much on which to hang a plot unless you enjoy a glorified splatter film. Gosling’s performance in Drive is reminiscent of the sort of schlocky roles that Nicholas Cage takes these days. He’s buff, he’s bad, and he’s covered in blood…. Drive is a gruesome film that never gets out of park.

American League East Preview

The American League East is MLB’s elite division, and not just because of the dominance of East Coast media markets. The top four teams are, simply, stronger than any other division can hope to field. The Blue Jays, for instance, whom many people pick to finish fourth (not me!) would win the NL Central and they’d run away with the NL West. Consider that under MLB’s new Wild Card format, three AL East teams would have been in the postseason, and you get the idea.

In order of last year’s finish:

New York Yankees:

Good: Teixeira, Cano, Jeter, and Alex Rodriquez have been and remain the best infield in baseball. Curtis Granderson has adjusted to the Bronx and is a superb player. Brett Gardner can fly and is probably the best defensive left fielder in the AL. Hideki Kuroda will solidify the pitching staff, Michael Pineda looks to have talent to burn, and even at age 42 Mo Rivera sets the standard for closers. CC Sabathia is one of the best pitchers in baseball. He doesn’t always put up gaudy numbers simply because he doesn’t need to in order to win.

Bad: It’s an old club, which makes durability an issue. A-Rod’s albatross contract makes it hard to add pieces when necessary and he’s simply not worth $32 million, especially given the precariousness of his health. Andruw Jones as a fourth outfielder? Why? I’m not impressed by Raul Ibanez as DH; I’d rather see if Jorge Vazquez can hit major league pitching.

Hot Seat: Young Mr. Pineda needs to justify trading away the club’s top prospect. Rafael Soriano must show he’s recovered from his arm woes or his Yankees’ contract will be the last big one he ever sees. Phil Hughes was supposed to be another Roy Halladay; word is that he either steps it up now or he’s gone. A-Rod was supposed to break Barry Bonds’ homerun record (762). He’s an old 36 and needs 134 more. I doubt he’ll catch Babe Ruth (714), let alone Bonds or Aaron. He must have a healthy and productive year or he’ll hear it.

Prognosis: Barring major injuries, pencil in the Yankees for one of the postseason slots.

Tampa Bay Rays;

Good: As it’s been for the past five years, pitching. Who wouldn’t want a staff of Hellickson, Price, Shields, Matt Moore, Wade Davis, and Jeff Niemann? Wow!

Bad: Anyone in the starting lineup not named Evan Longoria, Matt Joyce, or Ben Zobrist, the latter two of whom are merely good, not spectacular. I’ll be damned if I see the attraction of Carlos Pena. Sure he hit 23 dingers and knocked in 80, but $10 million for .225, 111 hits and 161 strikeouts? Luke Scott might help, but he doesn’t hit for average either on a team that last year was just 23^rd in team batting average.

Hot Seat: This is Reed Brignac’s year to prove he belongs at short and not in AA. Kyle Farnsworth has never been consistent and must prove he can be. And then there’s mystery man B. J. Upton, the guy who has been the cusp of stardom longer than Matthew McConaughey and is every bit as overpaid.

Prognosis: The pitching is good enough to cover many flaws, but if one or two of the staff has an off year, it will be a DNQ year for the Rays, which is what I think will happen. There’s simply no depth to the lineup.

Boston Red Sox:

Good: The lineup is potentially fearsome: Adrian Gonzalez, David Ortiz, Kevin Youkilis, Jacoby Ellsbury, and lightening rod Dustin Pedroia. Jon Lester is among the premier southpaws in the game, Alfredo Aceves is versatile and valuable, Clay Buchholz looks as if he might become what the Yankees’ Phil Hughes hasn’t. Cody Ross was a great addition.

Bad: Chemistry. How will the Sox adjust to their historic collapse? Will Bobby Valentine light a fire under them, or induce a backlash that further entrenches the rotten ‘tude that sank the team? Let’s just say that Josh Beckett’s “apologies” have sounded neither deep nor sincere. The catching is uninspiring and shortstop looks to be a gaping hole unless young Jose Iglesias hits higher than his weight (175 lbs.). The Daniel Bard experiment doesn’t hold much promise. I said the Sox should have traded him two years ago; this year I think he’ll prove me correct.

Hot Seat: Bobby V, whose reputation vastly exceeds his results. If he hasn’t mellowed, it will be a short and tumultuous term in the Olde Towne. Beckett either mans up or is gone. Andrew Bailey must replace Pabelbon as closer; many don’t think he’ll survive the Boston media piranhas. Carl Crawford? If the seat gets any hotter his rump will catch fire. For reasons that escape me entirely, many within the organization are waiting for Youkilis to falter so they can toss him aside for Will Middlebrooks. I’d like to be the GM to catch him; a healthy Youk is Wade Boggs with a better glove and more power.

Prognosis: The Red Sox are the biggest mystery in baseball. They should be hungrier than a boatload of refugees, but they’ve been lackadaisical thus far. This baffles me. These guys have got to know they’re gone if they don’t produce. There are only two outcomes for the Red Sox–win the AL East or wait for the moving van.

Toronto Blue Jays:

Good: I’d hate to be a baseball and have Bautista, Encarnacion, Lind, and Colby Rasmus take hunks out of me. And this doesn’t even include emerging players such as catcher J P Arencibia, Brent Lawrie, Yunel Escobar, and Rajal Davis. Improve the on-base percentage (OBP) and this lineup is terrifying.

Bad: The pitching is maddeningly inconsistent, starting with Ricky Romero and Brett Cecil, guys who are untouchable one night and batting practice hurlers the next. The Jays were in the top ten in nearly every hitting category, except hits and OBP. They were in the bottom five in most pitching categories and the defense was 18^th.

Hot Seat: If the bad numbers were a product of youth, the Jays are going to be a very, very good team this year. If, on the other hand, they are the numbers of prospects who were overhyped, it’s another fourth place finish. All of the pitchers need to improve, but none more so than Brandon Morrow, Dustin McGowan, and Kyle Drabek, especially the latter. Drabek was the linchpin of the Roy Halladay trade and his 2011 ERA was over six; that’s simply unacceptable.

Prognosis: This is my hunch team. I look for the Jays to shock the experts and make the postseason.

Baltimore Orioles:

Good: An outfield of Nick Markakis, Adam Jones, and Endy Chavez isn’t too shabby. Matt Wieters is just getting started. When healthy, Brian Roberts is a terrific bat. J. J. Hardy is also capable.

Bad: The pitching was dead last in ERA and near the bottom in most other categories. It’s simple: if you pitch badly, you lose badly. Count me among the Mark Reynolds detractors. Here’s what you get for 32 homers: an appalling 196 strikeouts, just 118 hits, and 36 errors. Ugh!

Hot Seat: GM Dan Duquette has his work cut out for him. Arrieta, Britton, and Matusz all look as if they need more time at AAA; instead they’re the 1-3 starters. Will they figure it out before their confidence is shattered? The odds are increasingly long.

Prognosis: Finishing fourth would be a huge step forward. But it won’t happen.

Predictions:

1. Yankees (Conditional upon the Red Sox not recovering)

2. Blue Jays (Yep--going out on a limb)

3. Red Sox (Beckett is poison and should have been traded)

4. Rays (Pitching galore but can’t hit John Goodman’s butt with a barn door)

5. Orioles (Can hit but not early and often. Can’t pitch garbage into a bin.)

American League Central Preview

Detroit seems like a lock for this division but that, of course, is what everyone said about the Red Sox in the AL East last year. There are reasons to think the Tigers could be had by the tail. In order of last year’s finish:

Detroit Tigers:

Good: Man, can they hit! Miguel Cabrera was already a wrecking machine and they’ve added Prince Fielder. There’s also Delmon Young, Alex Avila, a suddenly rejuvenated Jhonny Peralta, and emerging talents such as Clete Thomas, Ryan Rayburn, and Don Kelly. Jose Velarde saved all 49 chances last year and seldom had to when Cy Young winner Justin Verlander pitched.

Bad: Knee surgery will sideline Victor Martinez for the season. Rick Porcello doesn’t inspire as a number three (14 wins, but an ERA of almost 5), and there’s not much beyond him. Cabrera moves to third; he’s bad at first and will be worse on the hot corner.

Hot Seat: Doug Fister needs to repeat his Motown Mojo (8-1 after leaving Seattle last season), or the Tigers will need to club their way to victory. Austin Jackson fell to earth last year (.249) and needs to dust himself off. Fielder has to prove the money wouldn’t have been better spent on pitching. (It would have!)

Prognosis: Keep the runs down and the Tigers can be tamed. Even with Verlander Detroit was just 17^th in team ERA last year and there’s no reason to think that will improve dramatically. To me this looks like a team that will get you through September, but not through October.

Cleveland Indians:

Good: Derek Lowe is a good pick up who will help Justin Masterson, another one that Red Sox allowed to get away. Asdrubal Cabrera is an All-Star shortstop. Travis Hafner still has power and Shin-soo Choo is vastly underrated.

Bad: Sad = bad: Grady Sizemore is hurt once again. There are lots of holes in this line up and the staff is thin.

Hot Seat: Carlos Santana has a big bat, when he makes contact, which isn’t frequently enough. Ditto Matt LaPorta. Fausto Carmona isn’t himself; in fact, he’s actually Roberto Heredia and is at least three years older than he claimed. Plus he’s on the restricted list. The Indians may void his contract. The sudden decline in effectiveness has some wondering who Ubaldo Jimenéz really is.

Prognosis: Help awaits on the farm, but the Tribe is likely to take a few steps backward this year.

Chicago White Sox:

Good: Addition by subtraction–no more Ozzie at the helm. Danks and Floyd, if they stay, is a good top of the rotation. Alexis Ramirez is stable at short. Paul Konerko and Hall of Fame should start appearing in the same sentence.

Bad: The staff isn't deep enough. Pierzynski couldn’t throw out David Ortiz. Subtraction by subtraction–losing Buerhle, Carlos Quentin, and Sergio Santos. Matt Thronton is untested as a closer.

Hot Seat: Dylan Axelrod is being asked to become a top starter and Phil Humber simply must live up to his promise, or the ChiSox are going nowhere, especially if Jake Peavy has physical setbacks. There are no less than four players who are in their make-it-or-break-it years: Gordon Beckham (.230), Alex Rios (.227/12/44), Kosuke Fukadome (.262 but no power), and Adam Dunn (who hit a record-setting low of just .159 last year).

Prognosis: This may be the hardest team in baseball to predict. The ChiSox could win 88 games or lose 100; neither would surprise me.

Kansas City Royals:

Good: Picking up both Joanthan Sanchez and Yuniesky Betancourt were good moves. Billy Butler is scrappy and Alex Gordon finally put up great numbers (.303/23/89). Eric Hosmer and Luke Hochavar have big upsides. Few realize this, but the Royals were 4^th in league in average and 6^th in RBIs.

Bad: And they were 27^th in ERA. Therein lies a tale. It didn’t help that the highly touted Joakin Soria blew 8 (of 35) save chances. Then he blew out his shoulder and will miss 2012.

Hot Seat: The entire pitching staff. To a lesser extent, Jeff Francoeur. He had a fine year last year (.285/20.87) but his track record is that a bad year follows a decent one. At some point patience is exhausted.

Prognosis: Every spring we hear that the Royals are “turning it around” and so it appears–until May becomes June. They play in Missouri and I say, “Show me!” They should improve, but they could be the 2011 Orioles of the Midwest.

Minnesota Twins:

Good: What’s good is what’s bad: Joe Mauer and Justin Morneau. If healthy, the Twins do better; if not, way too much rides on guys such as Denard Span and Josh Willingham. (The latter is a nice pick up, though not for $6 million.)

Bad: The health of the M & M boys. Losing Michael Cuddyer and Jason Kubel won’t help this lineup. When Carl Pavano (9-13/4.30) is your “ace,” pitching is a problem. No one on the staff broke double digits in wins last year. The lineup is filled with lots of young guys–read cheap–who probably ought to be in AAA ball.

Hot Seat: General Manager Terry Ryan is listed as “interim;” need to know more? Matt Capps is being asked to take over Joe Nathan’s spot as closer. The B & B boys (Baker and Blackburn) may be more important to the Twins’ fortunes than the M & M boys. Alas, they’ll have to elevate their pitching to reach mediocre. Francisco Liriano is atop the most-likely-to-be-traded list and nobody is going to bid high.

Prognosis: It was shocking how bad the Twins were last year, but nobody should be surprised in 2012. It would take a meltdown for any team to boost them from the basement this year.

Predictions:

1. Tigers (but they don’t make the World Series)

2. White Sox (predicted with little conviction)

3. Royals (a hunch)

4. Indians (too many missing pieces, but could climb if Sox and Royals don't)

5. Twins (too little of too much)

American League West Preview

This one is a two-team race between the Rangers and Angels. With the AL East so loaded with teams likely to beat up on each other, it’s highly likely that whichever team doesn’t win the West will get one of the Wild Card berths.

Texas Rangers:

Good: They are reigning AL Champs and, even after losing C. J. Wilson, still have plenty of arms: Holland, Harrison, Lewis, Feldman…. They also have big hitters: Napoli, Béltre, Cruz, Kinsler, Michael Young, Hamilton, Cruz, and the very underrated David Murphy. I, for one, love Alexi Ogandi’s arm.

Bad: The pitching is solid, but it’s not world beating. It’s typical AL West--lots of number two and threes looking for a one. Joe Nathan as the closer? Yeah, three years ago.

Hot Spot: Yu Darvish will either make people forget about Wilson, or bring out their best Hideki Irabu analogies. Josh Hamilton is running out of second chances. Will he be an MVP or just another drunk? Elvis Andrus is supposed to superhuman, not mortal. He can run, but gets thrown out 1/3 of the time and 25 errors is a lot. I’d personally give up a bit of range and play Michael Young (.338) at short.

Prognosis: If Darvish is the real deal, they repeat; if not, Wild Card.

Los Angeles (which is really Anaheim) Angels:

Good: They got Albert Pujols and there simply isn’t a better player. Nor is there a better manager than Mike Scioscia.There are lots of young players on the cusp: Trumbo, Trout, Bourjos…. Howie Kendrick is a very useful and versatile player. The pitching staff has the potential to be solid: Jered Weaver, Ervin Santana, Dan Haren, and newly acquired C. J. Wilson.

Bad: It also has the potential to disappoint, as it so often has. The catching isn’t great. There are lots of off-the-hill payroll drains, starting with Wells and Hunter. The closer is Jordan Walden, who blew 10 of 42 chances last year.

Hot Spot: Bobby Abreu is already complaining about a diminished role (righly so in my view). Where does Kendry Morales play? Not many guys cross the diamond from first to third. Erick Aybar… There’s something about this guy that bothers me. (Maybe it’s a seeming lack of baseball sense.)

Prognosis: If the chemistry is right, the Angels can supplant the Rangers. A lot must go right, though.

Oakland A’s:

Good: Frankly, not much. If healthy, Dallas Braden. If he plays to potential, Brian Feuntes. if the scouting reports are correct, Yoenis Céspedes.

Bad: When you turn to a rookie and to Manny Ramirez (after his 50-game suspension) for salvation, that speaks volumes. The A’s gave away Gio Gonzaléz, who led the staff in all categories last year. They didn’t resign Josh Willingham, who led in homers and RBIs, or Cliff Pennington, who led in average. The starting outfield might be Crisp, Gomes, and Josh Reddick (whom they acquired for giving up their closer). That can’t be good.

Hot Seat: General Manager Billy Beane. Look, if this team finishes close to .500 I’ll reevaluate my opinion that his Moneyball image is mostly hype. Brandon McCarthy. No one can figure out why this guy isn’t a great pitcher. Céspedes comes with a lot on his plate.

Prognosis: This looks like a last place team to me. Maybe Manny will have a change of heart and help this club, but smart money is that it’s Tampa redux.

Seattle Mariners:

Good: Even an aging Ichiro is a great hitter. Miquel Olivo is a serviceable receiver, which Jesus Montero will not be. What the latter will be is the next coming of Jay Buhner. Brandon League is satisfactory in the pen. Expect Hector Noesi to be decent (but not spectacular). And, of course, there is Félix Hernández, one of the game’s best hurlers.

Bad: This team simply doesn’t hit. Losing Franklin Guiterrez to injuries won’t help. The M’s questions this year will be the same as those of the team that lost 95 games last year: After Ichiro, can anyone hit the broad side of a barn? After King Felix, who can close down the opposition?

Hot Seat: General Manager Jack Zduriencik traded his number two starter (Pineda) to the Yankees. He’d better be right about Montero. Justin Smoak simply must do better than last year’s .234/15/55. It may already be too late for Chone Figgins.

Prognosis: The Mariners will probably avoid the basement for the simply reason that they, unlike the A’s, actually have a few premier players. But it isn’t going to be pretty.

Predictions:

1. Rangers

2. Angels

3. Mariners

4. A’s

Hugo a Visual Treat

Hugo (2011)

Directed by Martin Scorsese

Paramount, 126 mins. PG

* * *

If you missed it in the theater, Oscar Best Picture nominee Hugo is now on video. Although its superb lighting suffers a bit on the small screen, you won’t miss anything by not seeing it in 3D. In fact, it’s probably a better film not seen in 3D as the gimmicks would detract from the film’s surface beauty.

Hugo marries two unlikely genres, adolescent movies and early films. The movie is set in 1931, and centers on 12-year-old Hugo Cabret (Asa Butterfield), who lives high above a Paris railway station and meticulously cares for the elaborate clocks that once dominated the grand edifices from the age of steam. (Think of the clock in D’Oursay, now an art museum, though the station is supposed to be Montparnasse.) Hugo must stay out of sight for several reasons. His widowed master clockmaker father–played in flashback sequences by Jude Law–is tragically killed in a fire and all that stands between Hugo and the orphanage is the guardianship of his drunken uncle Claude (Ray Winstone), who has been AWOL for months. The station is patrolled by a gamey-legged but eagle-eyed inspector (Sacha Baron Cohen), who delights in apprehending miscreants and homeless boys and sending them off to the children’s’ home. Hugo has to be doubly careful, as he’s also been stealing food to survive and nicking machine parts from the station’s toyshop owner (Ben Kingsley) in the hope of restoring an antique automaton that his father was working on when he died.

Scorsese does a lovely job of filming the small prosaic dramas that take place inside the station: the station’s hustle and bustle, the fading elegance of a café where Django Reinhardt plays and Salvador Dali sips coffee, the inspector’s shy courtship of a flower seller, and their autumn-of-life counterpart--the rotund Monsieur Frick (Richard Griffiths) and the snippy-dog-toting Madame Emilie (Francis de la Tour). In the hands of a lesser director, Hugo could have easily degenerated into sentimental mush; especially once Hugo strikes up an unlikely friendship with the toyshop owner’s daughter (Chloë Grace Moretz) and the two embark on a series of misadventures. Luckily, Marty Scorsese is behind the camera, not some paint-by-the-numbers Disney hireling. The film won five Oscars, three of which were for its stunning visual effects (including best cinematography). Whereas Disney might have bathed this film in lurid colors, Scorsese is not afraid to paint from a dark palette. The interplay between shadow and light is very effective, especially when Scorsese contrasts the darkness of the clock gears and loft spaces with the well-lighted and more sumptuous interiors of the station.

And then there’s the film’s other drama. Like The Artist–a far superior film–Scorsese pays tribute to the silent film era, though he reaches even further back in time. The toyshop owner, as is often the case of movie sad sacks, harbors a secret: he’s none other than Georges Méliès, the pioneer magician and filmmaker whose Trip to the Moon (1902) is regarded as one of cinema’s earliest gems. It’s Scorsese’s turn to engage in boy-like wonder once the Méliès back story comes out and we see–also in flashback–early films being made and their dreamlike but cheesy sets being transformed by the camera. There are also numerous references to numerous old films for devoted cinema buffs, including a pretty obvious take on Harold Lloyd in Safety First.

It would be fair criticism to argue that the film’s two halves often feel like a forced fit. There are times in which Scorsese can’t seem to make up his mind if he wants to make a wholesome family picture or a historical detective movie. It’s also abidingly clear that he’s indulging his lifetime passion for the childlike magic of movies. There were times, in fact, in which I wanted to yell, “Marty! Cinema Paradiso has already been made! That said, even with its flaws, Hugo is a charming little film. And because it’s Scorsese, you know it will look good.

Enter the Haggis Continues to Shift Its Roots

ENTER THE HAGGIS

Whitelake

Firebrand Entertainment

* * *

Indie sensation Enter the Haggis reminds me of another Canadian band, Great Big Sea, in that it has slowly shed its Celticesque rock and reel persona to become more of a pop rock ensemble. Those expecting skirling pipes dueling with fiddles will hear only traces of that on Whitelake, as ETH mines other roots sources. “Pseumoustophy,” for example, sounds like a cross between James Montgomery and Neil Young, and “Of a Murder” (a musing on John Kennedy?) moves between café-like somber moods and dramatic rock reminiscent of the Electric Light Orchestra. “Let Me Go” is classic ETH in its rowdy bar-song feel, but the addition of trumpet, cello, and more lush arrangements throughout signal a direction change.

Of particular interest on Whitelake is the manner in which ETH mashes the various roots it plucks from musical soil. “Headlights I & II” opens with an art rock feel, but roughly midpoint it transitions into a rock-tinged-with-bluegrass arrangement. The next song is “The Basket or the Blade,” whose title sounds more ominous than the actual content. It’s actually a delicate and pretty song in which keyboard notes fall like rain drops and recounts the mutual probing of psyches that takes place at the start of a potential new relationship. Other selections mix soft sounds with harder breakouts. “Getaway Car,” for example, could easily be a pop single. It uses to quieter melodies to build to a soaring refrain that you won’t easily dislodge from your brain. In fact, the only song that doesn’t entirely work is the band’s cover of Canadian legend Stan Rogers’ lake tanker tragedy “White Squall.” It’s a narrative tale custom-made for folk singers, but it’s also one that relies on voice for drama. These days, ETH is all about the arrangement.

The new release won’t be on the street until April, but the band is on tour throughout the eastern US. Catch them and pick up a copy.

Rob Weir