Laws Of Illusion [+Digital Booklet]

Laws Of Illusion [+Digital Booklet]

There are 12 songs (and an additional bonus track) on this latest album, 2 of which previously featured on GREATEST HITS released 2 years ago. Initially I was critical of this, blaming laziness and lack of effort. Then I became appreciative. "U Want Me 2" is one of the best McLachlan songs ever - lush instrumental, poetic lyrics, ethereal vocals all lending to heartbreaking imagery. I'm glad I have it on here as part of the collection rather than having to keep going back to the GH collection to hear it. It fits in perfectly with LAWS OF ILLUSION like the last piece of jigsaw. And 13 songs on a McLachlan studio album is always a bonus, considering SURFACING and AFTERGLOW only had 10!

Laws of Illusion is perhaps  McLachlan's hardest and edgiest sounding collection - swirling electric guitars are present on most songs. But the sound never drifts too far from what all fans will claim is McLachlan's (sort of what you'd expect if Enya did rock). The album also contains some of McLachlan's happiest sounding songs in a sing-songy, chorusy way: "Illusion Of Bliss", "Loving You Is Easy", "Out Of Tune" and "Heartbreak". Even the instrumentation is fuller, more uplifting, a little bit more bouncy as if it were skipping happily along. But make no mistake, those "happy" songs never end up sounding like cotton candy having been through the hands of this queen of melancholy. McLachlan always finds a way to serve them up as mostly minor-chord songs that transition into a major-chord chorus. "Illusion Of Bliss" is a misnomer, there is no illusion about the bliss contained in this song.

Laws Of Illusion
I need to specially mention "Forgiveness", my newest, favourite McLachlan song. The instrumental arrangement is exquisite, the melody is trademark McLachlan. The solitary piano beginnings deceive the listener into thinking this as "Angel" #2, but when the beats drop, background cooing vocals enter and guitar envelope the song, you discover the masterpiece. I think this song inspired the classy and dreamy album cover. I also need to single out "Awakening". It is different, moody, electric-guitar-rock-loud and has a song structure that is not immediately discernible. But it is a stand-out and showcases McLachlan as a rock goddess doing Coldplay. Finally  deserve attention too, as a throwback to the SURFACING era. This is your 2010 "Do What You Have To Do" and "Full Of Grace" respectively. Check out the saw.
I have deliberately left out the most important ingredient on LAWS OF ILLUSION for last. Shimmering, magical, breath-taking, expressive, soothing and flawless: McLachlan's voice. It is what makes a McLachlan CD a McLachlan CD. It has remained the same from the day I first started listening to her. Her phrasing is unique; her slight cracks are emotion-drenched; and the oft-featured yodel-break is skilfully used throughout.
Laws Of Illusion is pretty much perfect. I'll be spinning this one for however long it takes for the next McLachlan CD to drop. If she takes this long to release music as astounding as this, so be it.

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Hold Time M. Ward

Hold Time
M. Ward's sixth album finds him with an increased public profile (having toured with Norah Jones) which of course brings more expectation from fans and critics. But the fact is that Ward hasn't changed his approach a whole lot over the years.

There is a brighter sound on this record that is no doubt a result of his experience and confidence as a producer, both of his own and others' works. The arrangements are more varied and ornate, but he's savvy enough to know that all the sonic bells-and-whistles are no substitute for a good song. The "She & Him" project was obviously a lot of fun, and some of that sense of fun pervades more upbeat songs like "Never Had Nobody Like You." And of course, there's lots of great guitar work, from lovely, intimate solo acoustic moments, to the fretwork fireworks on "To Save Me."
But above all, there are still a handful of truly great songs, which seem to come from the mists of time, bridging Tin Pan Alley, backporch Americana, and shambling indie rock, where the ghosts of Mississippi John Hurt and John Fahey mingle with contemporary influences and collaborators Vic Chesnutt, Lucinda Williams and Howe Gelb. And there are some that are just merely good, that sound similar to too many other past M. Ward songs, but familiarity, in this case, breeds comfort rather than contempt.

And of course, he is still has a brilliant ear for interpreting the work of others; the airy, delicious cover of Buddy Holly's "Rave On" is, for this listener, the absolute highlight of the record, just as his revelatory cover of David Bowie's "Let's Dance" first demonstrated how effortlessly he can take someone else's song and make it his own.
It may not be his best overall recording, but it still stands head and shoulders above most of what's on offer from today's "popular music" artists. And make no mistake, pop music is what M.Ward is about, just as Irving Berlin, Hank Williams, Lee Hazlewood and Brian Wilson were before him. I'm sure he doesn't mind being in that kind of company.

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NOW That's What I Call Music, Vol. 31

NOW That's What I Call Music, Vol. 31

While this album features several familiar names there are a few new artists here as well such as Lady GaGa, Pitbull, 3OH!3, and Charice. Some of the tracks have been around for a few months while others are still relatively new. As with the previous two volumes, there's access to bonus content. A good sample from start to finish. Here are the peak positions on the Billboard Hot 100 for the tracks:

Boom Boom Pow-#1/ Right Round-#1
Poker Face-#1/ I Know You Want Me-#2
Blame It-#2/ Dead And Gone-#2
Day 'N' Nite-#3/ Kiss Me Thru The Phone-#3
Halo-#5/ Mad-#11/ Please Don't Leave Me-#18
Love Sex Magic-#10/ If U See Amy-#19
My Life Would Suck Without You-#1
Don't Trust Me-#7/ That's Not My Name-#52
You Found Me-#7/ If Today Was Your Last Day-#19 (this week)
I Run To You-#35,#5 Country (this week)
Note To God-#44 (this week)
This is the best NOW cd I have ever purchased. To bad I didn't see it here first, I could have saved a lot more getting it here. I actually love every song on this CD and usually with the NOW cd there's about 4 or 5 songs I dont care for! Love it! Get it!
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Hold Time M. Ward

Hold Time


(VINE VOICE) (REAL NAME)
This review is from: Hold Time (Audio CD) Hold Time

In a world of Pro Tools and Logic, any wannabe guitarist can pick up the nearest acoustic and strum out a few half-hearted tunes about the allure of the road and their lost love, but few have been able to do it as consistently and as accurately as Portland, Ore.-based wunderkind M. Ward. With a healthy appreciation for his musical roots and a talent for speedy finger picking that calls to mind the greats of his favorite genre, Ward has proven time and again that folk-pop is in no danger of dying out, no more so than on his seventh effort, the superb Hold Time.
Ward's diverse oeuvre is even more striking when you look at the clearly discernable sense of progress he has made over the years, from the lo-fi acoustic wizardry of his debut to his more recent orchestral tapestries. Fresh off his work with actress Zooey Deschanel in the duo She & Him, Hold Time is the logical progression in his work, sounding like a more male-dominated version of She & Him's ode to the soul of the `60s, Volume One. Opener "For Beginners" is a concise bridge into his new work, a deceptively quick guitar melody underlying Ward's roughened vocals. The mellow production and Ward's campfire playing create a song with a sort of timeless quality to it, one that would sound just as home in an old-time western saloon as it does on an iPod's headphones.
The following trio of songs that open the record play like a best-of collection of some unsung folk hero, with the bluesy thump of "Never Had Nobody Like You" and the hypnotic jangle-pop of "Jailbird" leading into the more reflective, sedate title track. Ward's vocals, always a hate-it-or-love-it bone of contention among listeners, has rarely sounded as accessible as it does here, his eternally-stuffy, cracked delivery guiding the songs like a wizened folk patriarch without sounding off-key.
Ward is someone with an appreciation for his inspirations, and the few choice covers on Hold Time do their originals more than sufficient justice. His soft take on Buddy Holly's "Rave On" is buttressed by the charming back-up work of guest Deschanel, and the wisely understated standard "Oh Lonesome Me" pairs Ward with legend Lucinda Williams in crafting an old-time country ballad that fits in well with its Americana surroundings.

But it's Ward's own considerable skills as a songwriter and producer that turn Hold Time into one of his best yet, with tunes like the remarkably catchy "To Save Me" (yes, even Ward is not averse to throwing a synthesizer or two into an album) to the poppy love-letter of "Epistemology," where Ward declares "finally, I found you without ever learning how to / I put the right foot in front of the left" to a blazing guitar riff. The man is a world-class musician, and while his arrangements are often better served under able singer, such as Deschanel, his Dylan-esque vibe and subtle delivery make for a different, albeit entirely enjoyable, experience.
previewHold Time mp3 download

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Gimme Fiction Spoon

Gimme Fiction
It appears that Spoon has jumped the fence over to mainstream success with this release. The band has borrowed liberally from the classic rock of the 70's and 80's (their formative years, I presume), from the ominous Bowie-esque glam-rock opener, "Beast and Dragon, Adored", to the falsetto Stones-funk of "I Turn My Camera On". The first half of this CD is especially impressive, laden with hooks, the catchiest being in "Sister Jack", an upbeat number that evokes so many "Jack" songs of yore (The Who's "Happy Jack"; the Rolling Stones' "Jumpin' Jack Flash", even Spirit's "Uncle Jack"). Once we pass that song, memorable tunes are harder to come by, though they're consistently competent and entertaining. Their pop-tradition sensibilities remind me of Fountains of Wayne, albeit with a harder edge. And now and then Britt Daniels' guitar cuts loose on a "noisy" solo that reminds us they still consider themselves an alternative band. Overall, it's a worthy effort, as Spoon joins groups like Modest Mouse and the Shins in gaining a well-deserved wider audience.

"Gimme Fiction" pokes into some new territory for Spoon, while keeping on safe ground. Dark and fun, catchy and rough, it's a must-have for fans of good rock.

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Band of Joy Robert Plant

Robert Plant's Band of Joy reflects his unquenchable thirst for new songs and new sounds. Not satisfied with his stature as one of the great innovators and heroes of pop music, he continues to let his curiosity guide him to unexplored territory. Building on the roots-imbued sound he achieved with Alison Krauss on the wildly successful Raising Sand, Plant's song selection and incomparable vocals make Band of Joy a new triumph.

Track Listings
1. Angel Dance

2. House of Cards

3. Central Two O Nine

4. Silver Rider

5. You Can't Buy My Love

6. Falling in Love Again

7. The Only Sound That Matters

8. Monkey

9. Get Along Home Cindy

10. Harms Swift Way

11. Satan Your Kingdom Must Come Down

12. Even This Shall Pass Away
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Hands All Over [Deluxe Edition] Maroon 5

Hands All Over
Adam Levine and Jesse Carmichael from Maroon 5 speak about their upcoming album "Hands All Over", which will be released September 21, 2010.

Maroon 5 have released two multi-platinum studio albums (2002’s Songs About Jane and 2007’s It Won’t Be Soon Before Long), scored a string of hit singles (“This Love,” “She Will Be Loved,” “Harder to Breathe,” “Sunday Morning,” “Makes Me Wonder”), won three Grammy Awards, and sold 15 million albums around the world. Now the Los Angeles quintet is back with its third-studio album, entitled Hands.
DELUXE EDITION - Includes 5 Bonus Tracks

Maroon 5 is back with its third studio album entitled Hands All Over, produced by Robert John "Mutt" Lange (AC/DC, Foreigner, The Cars). The album, a killer hybrid of rock, pop, funk, and R&B, showcases the band's considerable strengths: buoyant, unforgettable melodies, sleek, stylish grooves, charged lyrics about turbulent relationships, and crisp, dynamic performances. Band member Jesse Carmichael comments on the new album, "Mutt really helped us play to the best of our ability. And it drove us to be bigger and better than ever. Everything he does is huge." Huge is a great way to describe Hands All Over, starting with the hard-rocking title track that is heavier than anything Maroon 5 has ever done. Says Valentine, "It doesn't sound like anything we've ever done." Another stylistic departure for the band is "Out of Goodbyes," a stunning country ballad that features musical and vocal contributions from Nashville chart-toppers Lady Antebellum. "We've always loved country music", Levine says, "and they brought that necessary twang to it with the lap steels, ambient guitar, and Hilary Scott's pretty voice. Other highlights include the deeply groovy "Don't Know Much About That," the propulsive "Stutter" ("a great showcase for Adam's voice," notes Valentine), and "Misery," which will thrill long-time Maroon 5 fans with its funky guitars and high-stepping melody. Be sure to get your hands all over this unbelievable album.



Read more: Hands All Over thinking somewhere along the way this must have backfired for the M5 dudes. Click below to see the full album cover.Hands All Over

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