After a year, my music review section has returned. Here are three CDs I finished listening to thoroughly enough on my iPod to give some worthy judgments.
Martha Wainwright – Martha Wainwright: Anyone expecting a female version of her more famous brother Rufus may be disappointed. Martha is more like Nellie McKay with a meaner streak shy of Courtney Love, see the song “Bloody Mother F***ing A***hole.” Her material isn’t so personal like her brother nor as political and silly as her father (Loudon III) so she does stand out in her own right to me, it mainly covers subjects that felt more general or moods. Her voice with helium-induced qualities grows on you and her songs grow on you more and more with each play.
Similarities: Nellie McKay, Rufus Wainwright, Tori Amos.
Recommendation: Definitely for Rufus & Loudon fans but worth buying with strong reservations.
The Woods – Sleater-Kinney: This female trio gets their name from an exit ramp in Washington and if I were giving you directions, I would really suggest you skip this until you reach the next Foo Fighters offramp. The band has potential but they’re still making the same distorted, angry, noisy crap they’ve done since the late 90s. I hate it when someone makes a record that makes me write like my grandparents! Anyway, this one is an acquired taste like sardines or kalamata olives.
Similarities: PJ Harvey (pre-1995), Liz Phair (pre-1994).
Recommendation: So far the worst album of 2005, easily.
Pretty in Black – Raveonettes: The third outing from the Danish duo is more low-key and definitely more in the vein of Phil Specter, heck they even have Ronnie singing with them on “Ode to L.A.” It’s not a bad album, it just feels like more of a continuation of what they did in their two previous CDs and I’m not really in the mood to hear that. There are a couple gems I found to put into my stream like “Somewhere in Texas” and their cover of “My Boyfriend’s Back” yet I think they were chosen more for their familiarity than originality.
Similarities: Ramones, the Specter sound, Jesus and Mary Chain, BRMC.
Recommendation: Only for fans of the Raveonettes.