Mount Eerie, Now Only

Mount Eerie, Now Only

This is the second album Phil Elverum has devoted to dealing with the death of his wife Genevieve. As with 2017’s A Crow Looked At Me, every word is clearly, brutally autobiographical. The words, and Elverum’s grief, take center stage and are not particularly lyrical; as before, the plucking and strumming exist in service to them. But Now Only displays more musical dexterity and hints of structure; one song even has a chorus. The tone, too, is more varied; they are all songs of loss, but whereas its predecessor was one dive after another into bleak, haunted desolation, Now Only offers different shades. All of them are difficult, and none are trite — only on the penultimate song does Elverum even begin to contemplate moving forward, and his heartache still reasserts itself plenty even after that. Elverum is still grieving, but he’s working with that grief, and we’re all lucky he’s willing to share that journey. Highlights: “Now Only,” “Earth,” “Two Paintings by Nikolai Astrup”

Comments

Richard Thompson, 13 Rivers

Richard Thompson , 13 Rivers Richard Thompson — 13 Rivers Arguably the most consistently engaging artist of the last 50 years, Richard Thompson continues to write deep, dark folk-rock songs with an acerbic wit married to a soft, calm wisdom. This new album isn’t widely divergent from his established catalogue but miraculously Thompson, who was already a guitar hero in the 1970s, still manages to grow as a guitarist and sound fresh. Working highly intricate riffs into the undergirding of each song’s frame, he also solos on every song and as usual, his virtuosity remains connected to the music, always moving the songs forward rather than grandstanding. Plus, Thompson’s one of a kind voice only deepens in resonance over time. Highlights: “Trying,” “O Cinderella,” “Bones of Gilead”

Courntey Marie Andrews, May Your Kidness Remain

Courntey Marie Andrews, May Your Kidness Remain This young old soul sings simple songs of timeless wisdom that could have been delivered in any genre; Courtney Marie Andrews has chosen folk-country stylings with some indie pop flavorings. The Phoenix-born Andrews has a voice that rings out clear and sonorous and heartfelt, and leaves the twang to the guitars. The first two songs are sheer perfection and at least half the songs approach it; she’s at her strongest when she’s extolling the core virtues of her message — love, kindness and self-awareness. Highlight: “May Your Kindness Remain,” “Lift the Lonely from My Heart,” “This House”

Fantastic Negrito, Please Don’t Be Dead

Fantastic Negrito , Please Don’t Be Dead With the sophomore effort of the third incarnation of Xavier Dphrepaulezz’s musical career, the eccentric bluesman surges ahead on a wave of confidence bestowed by the long-sought success of his 2017 release The Last Days of Oakland. This album is one of a kind; blues is Fantastic Negrito’s homebase, but for the purposes of this album it’s simply springboard to a fantastically diverse array of sounds. From soulful paeans of resistance, to all-out rockers with theatrical guitar wigouts, to off-kilter grunge progressions, to anthemic chanting in exotic scales, Dphrepaulezz is unpredictable and impossible to pin down. Sometimes the only things tying the album together are the progressive message and the personal mojo of its artist, but that’s all it needs. Highlights: “A Letter To Fear,” “A Boy Named Andrew,” “A Cold November Street”

Album Reviews by Stefan Wenger

Search This Blog