2 posts tagged “british_artists”
James Hunter, People Gonna Talk Rating=$$$$$
[Support the Artist]
How I Got This CD: Bought on the spur of the moment while standing at the counter in the local Starbucks.
Note: To stream the sample tracks, click on the thumbnail image in this post.
I once got into a massive fight with a friend of my brother over the merits of analog vs. digital music recording. I insisted that even through digital may have a cleaner sound, to my ear, analog simply had a better sound. The tones are fuller, the treble end is sharper, and the base end is deeper. The philistine insisted that I knew nothing about "real sound," because, mathematically speaking, digital was superior.
Yes. You heard that right. "Mathematically speaking," as if music could and should be boiled down to an algebraic equation.
Yet, no matter how I pointed out that natural sound is analog (not digital) and that live music is analog (again, not digital) and even though we compared vinyl loveliness with CD thinness, I was declared both "an idiot" and "a Luddite" simply because I would not back down on this point.
Now, I agree that digital has its charms and offers its own set of rewards in exchange for that fat analog sound, but I confess that there are days that I miss the hiss and crack of a needle across vinyl.
Enter James Hunter with People Gonna Talk, which, according to his website was recorded using all analog equipment, from the instruments to the recording equipment. The result is a full, warm, gorgeous sound that I thought was lost somewhere in the mists of my dad's 45s and LP collection. All it's missing is the hiss-and-crack of needle on vinyl, and the experience would be complete.
It brought a tear to my eye. Truly.
James Hunter is part of the blue-eyed soul brigade and, according to his AllMusic biography, British. What I especially like about this CD is that the 1950s R&B whiteboy feel isn't played for laughs or kitsch, but with very serious musicianship and intent. That's not to say that there's no sense of fun — the CD packaging includes a look and feel right out of the '50s, complete with caricatures of the band drawn by Hunter himself. Because Hunter takes the business seriously, it allows the listener to truly enjoy the full 40 minutes on this CD in a completely guilt-free and unselfconscious way.
This CD has it all. Tight musicianship. Clever lyrics. A pop feel enhanced by the short runtime of the individual tunes themselves. A sense of fun. But most important, that analog sound (God, how I missed you!). This one is definitely a keeper. Run, don't walk, to get a copy for yourself.
Ironically, I actually got his 2001 release, Kick It Around, as a demo during my Bordersverse days. I haven't had a chance to listen to it (sadly). It appears I'll have to dig it out and determine if the earlier release is as much of a gem as Hunter's latest.
[Support the Artist]
How I Got This CD: Bought on the spur of the moment while standing at the counter in the local Starbucks.
Note: To stream the sample tracks, click on the thumbnail image in this post.
I once got into a massive fight with a friend of my brother over the merits of analog vs. digital music recording. I insisted that even through digital may have a cleaner sound, to my ear, analog simply had a better sound. The tones are fuller, the treble end is sharper, and the base end is deeper. The philistine insisted that I knew nothing about "real sound," because, mathematically speaking, digital was superior.
Yes. You heard that right. "Mathematically speaking," as if music could and should be boiled down to an algebraic equation.
Yet, no matter how I pointed out that natural sound is analog (not digital) and that live music is analog (again, not digital) and even though we compared vinyl loveliness with CD thinness, I was declared both "an idiot" and "a Luddite" simply because I would not back down on this point.
Now, I agree that digital has its charms and offers its own set of rewards in exchange for that fat analog sound, but I confess that there are days that I miss the hiss and crack of a needle across vinyl.
Enter James Hunter with People Gonna Talk, which, according to his website was recorded using all analog equipment, from the instruments to the recording equipment. The result is a full, warm, gorgeous sound that I thought was lost somewhere in the mists of my dad's 45s and LP collection. All it's missing is the hiss-and-crack of needle on vinyl, and the experience would be complete.
It brought a tear to my eye. Truly.
James Hunter is part of the blue-eyed soul brigade and, according to his AllMusic biography, British. What I especially like about this CD is that the 1950s R&B whiteboy feel isn't played for laughs or kitsch, but with very serious musicianship and intent. That's not to say that there's no sense of fun — the CD packaging includes a look and feel right out of the '50s, complete with caricatures of the band drawn by Hunter himself. Because Hunter takes the business seriously, it allows the listener to truly enjoy the full 40 minutes on this CD in a completely guilt-free and unselfconscious way.
This CD has it all. Tight musicianship. Clever lyrics. A pop feel enhanced by the short runtime of the individual tunes themselves. A sense of fun. But most important, that analog sound (God, how I missed you!). This one is definitely a keeper. Run, don't walk, to get a copy for yourself.
Ironically, I actually got his 2001 release, Kick It Around, as a demo during my Bordersverse days. I haven't had a chance to listen to it (sadly). It appears I'll have to dig it out and determine if the earlier release is as much of a gem as Hunter's latest.
KT Tunstall, Eye to the Telescope Rating=$$$$
[Support the Artist]
How I Got This CD: After staring at this CD for for several months, I gave in to temptation and paid full price at my local Starbuck's.
Note: To stream the sample tracks, click on the thumbnail image in this post.
Tunstall showcases it all on her debut album, Eye to the Telescope. She has a gorgeous alto voice that would be perfectly at home in soft jazz or blues. Her music is a catchy blend of pop-folk. Her lyrics are quicksilver clever supported by hummable, catchy tunes. The singing-songwriting talent is supported by some solid guitar and piano work, along with good backing musicians and singers. This CD is a strong freshman effort that hints at a big career up ahead. The last time I got this excited about a new female solo artist, I was starting at Shawn Colvin's Steady On wondering where the hell she'd been all my life.
Or it could be, like in the case of Colvin, I'm at a point in my life when I'm pretty open to Tunstall's music and themes.
In either case, I would highly recommend tossing some cash Tunstall's way. The whole CD has a nice flow and there really isn't a dud track in the entire bunch. The only thing keeping this from a 5-rating is that the center of the CD sags slightly as the slower, more thoughtful tunes take center stage during the back 6 of this 12-track CD. It's only a minor thing on what is otherwise a fabulous CD. Don't let this deter you at all from adding this CD to your collection.
Of the CD downloads below, "Black Horse and the Cherry Tree" has been played in heavy rotation on adult contemporary and AOR-oriented radio stations in the New England region. "Suddenly I See" has just recently started popping up on the radio play lists of these same stations. These are terrific songs for cheering you up and getting you to butt-dance in the seat. Both of these songs, especially "Suddenly I See," never fail to bring a smile to my face. "Another Place to Fall" and "Miniature Disasters" are solid tracks that better highlight Tunstall's jazzy vocals and bluesy sensibility than the other two pop-infused offerings.
[Support the Artist]
How I Got This CD: After staring at this CD for for several months, I gave in to temptation and paid full price at my local Starbuck's.
Note: To stream the sample tracks, click on the thumbnail image in this post.
Tunstall showcases it all on her debut album, Eye to the Telescope. She has a gorgeous alto voice that would be perfectly at home in soft jazz or blues. Her music is a catchy blend of pop-folk. Her lyrics are quicksilver clever supported by hummable, catchy tunes. The singing-songwriting talent is supported by some solid guitar and piano work, along with good backing musicians and singers. This CD is a strong freshman effort that hints at a big career up ahead. The last time I got this excited about a new female solo artist, I was starting at Shawn Colvin's Steady On wondering where the hell she'd been all my life.
Or it could be, like in the case of Colvin, I'm at a point in my life when I'm pretty open to Tunstall's music and themes.
In either case, I would highly recommend tossing some cash Tunstall's way. The whole CD has a nice flow and there really isn't a dud track in the entire bunch. The only thing keeping this from a 5-rating is that the center of the CD sags slightly as the slower, more thoughtful tunes take center stage during the back 6 of this 12-track CD. It's only a minor thing on what is otherwise a fabulous CD. Don't let this deter you at all from adding this CD to your collection.
Of the CD downloads below, "Black Horse and the Cherry Tree" has been played in heavy rotation on adult contemporary and AOR-oriented radio stations in the New England region. "Suddenly I See" has just recently started popping up on the radio play lists of these same stations. These are terrific songs for cheering you up and getting you to butt-dance in the seat. Both of these songs, especially "Suddenly I See," never fail to bring a smile to my face. "Another Place to Fall" and "Miniature Disasters" are solid tracks that better highlight Tunstall's jazzy vocals and bluesy sensibility than the other two pop-infused offerings.
