"Old Fashioned Morphine," Jolie Holland, from "Escondida"
I'm actually not much of a fan of Jolie Holland, which is why I didn't cover this record when it was released three weeks ago. She has the Tom Waits seal of approval, so I keep expecting to like her, but I find that her music has the same faux-antique, artificially distressed patina that makes me so lukewarm about Norah Jones (although that's not to suggest that Holland isn't a far more spirited and imaginative vocalist and composer than Jones, because she is). But ever since listening to "Escondida" over a month ago, this song, "Old Fashioned Morphine," has intermittently popped into my head. On replay, this really is a fabulous song, with Holland's pinched, mannered voice and tightly controlled vibrato recalling Billie Holiday, and some tipsy horn playing conjuring a late-night, half-asleep jam session. Free download: "Old Fashioned Morphine"
"Stormy Weather," Nina Nastasia, from "Dogs"
Nina Nastasia is a young songwriter who is frequently compared to Jolie Holland, but gets far less attention (and deserves more). Her voice isn't as immediately striking as Holland's, and her songs don't have as quick a payoff, but I think she's a far more original, less facile writer. "Stormy Weather" is actually from her 1999 debut "Dogs" -- my excuse for featuring it is that Touch and Go is re-releasing it in June -- and is one of the record's standout tracks. The elliptical melody is lovely, but it's the string arrangement and those few breathtaking moments of musical saw (an instrument often tastelessly and ineffectively used to conjure an air of spookiness) that really make the song for me. And there are two more free Nina Nastasia downloads to grab: "This Is What It Is" from 2002's "The Blackened Air," and "Superstar" from 2003's "Run to Ruin." It's worth noting that both these songs feature brilliant drummers (Jay Bellerose and Jim White, respectively), and that all of Nastasia's records have been recorded by the legendary and generally non-demonstrative Steve Albini, who has been uncharacteristically outspoken in his support of her work. Free download: "Stormy Weather"
"Grave's Disease," matt pond PA, from "Emblems"
I had a feeling that I might like matt pond PA as soon as I read Pitchfork's scathing, 1.8 out of 10 review of "The Green Fury," because Pitchfork has such a long history of viciously slamming brilliant albums (Ryan Adams' "Love Is Hell" EPs, Gomez's "In Our Gun," Town and Country's "C'mon"). (I should note that I do read Pitchfork every day, and rely on its coverage of new music -- but I think they're a bunch of pretentious wankers, and their penchant for high-concept, low-content meta-reviews is obnoxious.) In truth, there's nothing really exceptional about the band's middle-of-the-road, wistful, orchestral indie pop. But their music is so sweetly straightforward, and the arrangements and performances so impeccable -- note the way Pond pauses briefly before the last note of the second phrase, making a banal melody into something special -- that I can't help liking them. Free download: "Grave's Disease"
"World's Away," Summer At Shatter Creek, from "Sink or Swim" EP Before this week I'd never heard of the awkwardly titled Summer At Shatter Creek, which is the work of one Craig Michael Gurwich, one-man-band extraordinaire. All four of the mp3's available for free on his Webpage are worth a listen, but "World's Away," from his new "Sink Or Swim" EP, which was released Tuesday, is the one that appeals to me most. As soon as I heard this song, it forcefully reminded me of something else--but for days I couldn't figure out what it was. That's enough to drive a person crazy, and I've been playing it for all my friends, hoping one of them could pinpoint the sound-a-like. Finally today I realized that the song it's reminding me of is Gary Jules' cover of Tears For Fears' "Mad World," which I've already written about in this column. Not that Craig Michael is ripping off "Mad World," but the voice, the melody, and the whole ambience of the song is very similar. "World's Away" isn't quite as slick, though--the piano is pure Cat Power, a few inexpertly played chords with the sustain pedal jammed down from start to finish, Chan Marshall-style, in a surprisingly effective ploy for atmosphere. Free Download: "World's Away"
About the writer
Thomas Bartlett is a writer and musician in New York.
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