Nicole Atkins Can Really Sing

Nicole Atkins is a a singer-songwriter from Neptune City, New Jersey with a powerful operatic voice and vivid, confessional lyrics. She has described her music as “pop-noir”.

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A Twist In My Story - Secondhand Serenade

Secondhand Serenade is a one-man emo band consisting of talented singer-songwriter John Vesaly. On his debut album Awake and on this follow up effort, A Twist In My Story, Vesaly is able to produce the fullness of an entire band on his own. He is a master of layering and texturing his instrumentation and vocals by way of multi-track recording to create a rich and vibrant sound. A common technique in his music is the use of acoustic guitar over background chords.

On this album he deviates from his usual method by recording several of the songs with a band. This studio collaboration works well in adding further depth to his finely crafted arrangements. The themes are the typical emo fodder of romantic elation, lovesickness and heartbreak; he plays the lovelorn victim to great affect. Vesaly’s plaintive crooning reaches emotional heights with his introspective lyrics laying bare his vulnerabilities through his poetic verses. The intimacy of the songs is reinforced by the delicate piano and acoustic melodies that pepper the production.

For some listeners Vesaly’s vocals may seem excessively whiney and lugubrious, an exercise in decadent self-pity. The sensitivity may wear on the nerves and the delivery via his boyish voice, stuck in a sort of vocal neoteny, may turn off some listeners. It depends on what you find palatable. If you are receptive to sensitive, vulnerable lyrics and boyish vocals this album will appeal to you. The compelling lyrics show he is a skilled songwriter adroit at vividly evoking those small moments that pack great dramatic weight. But it is up to you if you are going to be receptive to this brand of honesty.

By Shaun Flagg

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Uptown Boys Regular - Tyler Burns

This debut EP by Tyler Burns is a brief, five track introduction to the new wave singer and electronic composer. Burns manages to imitate his influences like Duran Duran and Depeche Mode yet is unable to make an indelible mark for himself. The album is upbeat and dancey and features the usual electronic accoutrement of new wave synth music: electronic beeps, blips and synthesizer melodies.

The failure is in not just in the imitative nature of the sound but that it a cheap imitation. We can all applaud and enjoy bands like The Bravery and the Shout Out Louds because they make layered and complex music even if it is highly derivative. But here the effort lacks the depth of electronic layering and composition that make those bands so compelling. The amateurish production is the main culprit in what should be considered a demo CD more than anything else. Maybe if Burns had a bigger budget he would have been able to achieve a fuller sound, one that could possibly result in a more sophisticated musical arrangement. It also could help mask Burns’ limited vocal range – his inability to reach vocal heights serves to ground any hope of an emotional transcendence.

There are no peaks on this album only bland monotony. He tries to deviate from new wave by infusing a sort of George Michael pop sexiness, most evident on “Stop The World” with its breathy vocals. He veers off track and in his attempt to add some sexiness shows he hasn’t made up his mind if he wants to make pop or new wave. The former embodies vulnerability and this contrived sexiness seems terribly out of place further confounding the already ill-conceived effort.

By Shaun Flagg

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Here Come The 123s - They Might Be Giants

They Might Be Giants turned their musical talents to children’s educational music first with Here Come The ABCs and now with their follow up Here Come The 123s produced by Walt Disney Records. If you don’t have children of pre-school age you can skip this review. If you do have children in that age group you may find this informative.

The album is full of short catchy songs composed of soft progressive rock instrumentation and folksy vocals. The quirky, off-beat nature of the songs and the accompanying DVD with its playful cartoons, computer animation and puppetry make this a fairly successful creation. There is a lot of repetition that will help kids retain the information and it does seem that it would sufficiently engage the young listeners. Fortunately, TMBG is adept at creating songs that are kitsch cool and kid friendly while also retaining their signature rock sound ala intricate chord progression, textured instrumentation and John Flansburgh’s soft, soothing vocals.

You could tolerate your kids listening to this on repeat with out knocking your head against the wall - definitely a step up from traditional child programming. 123s makes learning fun and as parents you might actually be able to participate in your child’s enthusiasm instead of feigning interest and suffering through it. An added benefit is that there is some first rate rock and roll instrumentation on this disc, which will give your child an appreciation for music and maybe, just maybe, they will become a more discriminating consumer of it. For what it is, this effort deserves applause; in that it is educational childhood programming that is palatable to both parent and child.

by Shaun Flagg

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