Carl Sandburg Visits Me In A Dream

“I always thought that the combination of my voice with Jeff Buckley’s could turn any straight man gay,” Rufus Wainwright told a sold-out crowd at northern Virginia’s Wolf Trap last summer. Whether music has such a power, I’m not sure; I am sure, however, that Wainwright’s Release the Stars is a complete representation of his beautifully soothing voice. Complementing Wainwright’s voice are skillfully constructed symphonic-rock arrangements that seek to say, “this is an album you can’t just listen to–you have to listen to it.”

The melancholy opener, “Do I Disappoint You,” is certainly not disappointing, but sets the pensive mood of the record while showing off woodwinds, brass, and string arrangements. The lead single, “Going to a Town,” juxtaposes a simple piano part with a serious proclamation:

Stevie Wonder. Otis Redding. Marvin Gaye. Names revered all over the world, their melodies distinct and their voices sacred. Well, I’m ready to you all about someone who seems to be on the fast track to joining the three greats above. Ryan Shaw has been blessed with a voice sweeter than a fruit smoothie, and he’s ready to share it. So listen up, because you might miss a lot.

Shaw grew up in a religious family, and quickly became a star gospel singer in his church. And now, he has applied his skills to something everyone can enjoy. On his debut album This is Ryan Shaw, the religious overtones are present but still very subtle. While many of his songs concern love and relationships, he certainly breaks out of his shell on tracks that are simply meant to get you up and shaking. As for the music, well it certainly follows in the same vain of Stevie Wonder’s pop-funk amalgamation and reflects Earth, Wind, and Fire’s ability to make you dance.

So join the party. Go out and get This is Ryan Shaw.
Listen to “Nobody” (5/5)
Listen to “We Got Love” (4.7/5)

Sometimes, words just don’t cut it. Sometimes, artists are able to transcend descriptions, make genres useless, and render the listener speechless. Sometimes, it isn’t so much a result of that artist being unbelievably good, but rather of her being so irresistibly real and tangible that affords her such superlative powers.

Such is the case for the lovely Leslie Feist, who has just recently released her tertiary release The Reminder, but I will nonetheless try to comment on it. For those who are familiar with her past records, you won’t find any significant changes in Feist’s musical direction on The Reminder. The album is more accurately an extension, a maturation of her sound that was so widely accepted on Let It Die. Her pop sensibilities are as sharp as ever, accented by her poignant voice that surely the ancient Greeks would have compared to that of the Sirens. Perhaps what makes Feist’s songs so intriguing is her ability to change intensities–one minute you can feel a piercing sharpness in her voice, the next minute a softer, hushed version, only to be followed by an impeccably playful side to her vocals.

For those looking for a lesson in mediocrity, The Reminder is a poor place to look. Feist doesn’t hold anything back, as she effortlessly moves from track to track, combining the grandiose arrangements (see “My Moon My Man” and “One Two Three Four”) with the more subtle gems on the album (see “Brandy Alexander”). While Let It Die hinted at Feist’s ability to write and sing songs that blurred the lines between jazz, blues, and rock, The Reminder is the prophecy fulfilled as she more evenly divvies out her influences. “My Moon My Man”, the lead single for the album, seemed previously uncharacteristic, but Feist is able to make the bouncy, groovy track her own. On the other hand, she handles delicate bluesy-folk ballads like “Limit to Your Love” with the utmost grace and sensitivity. The songs listen as an open diary the whole way through, only revealing small autobiographical details shrouded in mystery.

Maybe it is the mystery of Feist that makes her so accessible, that allows her to transmit an inner beauty through sound. Indeed, fighting against this entrancing chanteuse is simply futile. But don’t worry, because as Feist sings on ‘Brandy Alexander’, “It goes down easy.”

Alright. Go out and get The Reminder ($8 at Amazon–great deal). Seriously click on that link.
Listen to “One Two Three Four” (5/5).
Listen to “Brandy Alexander” (5/5).

Watch the video for One Two Three Four.
Watch the video for My Moon My Man.

Note: This is officially CSV’s 100th post! Woo hoo!