Neil Young with Crazy Horse – Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere: I’m a sucker for long songs and Everybody has two great ones in “Down by the River” and “Cowgirl in the Sand.” The guitar solos are stellar, and that’s coming from a guy who hates guitar solos.
Gracie Abrams – Good Riddance | The Secret of Us: I can’t remember the last time I was this enraptured by someone’s voice, but it was probably when I first heard A Silver Mt. Zion in 2008. And if that’s not the weirdest comparison either Efrim Menuck or Gracie Abrams will ever get, I can’t imagine what is.
Julia Fordham – Julia Fordham: When I was immersed in Jessie Ware’s Devotion, I ran across a few comparisons to Fordham. I liked her second album, Porcelain, back in the day, so I picked up her debut. Her voice is even richer than I remember but the production is so dated that I feel like I’m in an ‘80s movie about young professionals with shoulder pads and moussed hair struggling to find love. The album has a few “under-produced” moments where the beauty of Fordham’s voice shines, but like any terrifying monster, the dodgy jazz and melodramatic synths always come back.
Jessie Ware – Devotion: Listening to Julia Fordham’s debut inspired me to revisit Devotion. Maybe in 20 years, I’ll hate this production too. Right now, though, this album is an absolute joy.
Grateful Dead – 10/19/72 (St. Louis, MO): For any other band, this would be a career-defining show. For the Dead, it’s a really good concert. The run from “Bird Song” through “The Other One” is the highlight, with a ton of beauty packed into those 50 minutes.
Grateful Dead – 3/23/95 (Charlotte, NC): For the past few months, I’ve focused on shows from the early ‘70s and this is a breath of fresh air. Bruce Hornsby guested on piano for the entire show, and it sounds like he inspired the rest of the band to show up in a big way. It’s not a perfect show by a long shot but the sound is clear, Garcia’s guitar playing is stellar, and the energy is exciting.
Old friends who made it into rotation this week: Ela Minus and DJ Python: Corazón (Ricardo Villalobos Remixes)
Record store finds this week: I found a ton of great stuff this week! Some highlights include the new Pulp record, three classic Stevie Wonder records in great condition, a CD of Joe Claussell (who I used to go hear spin at Body & Soul when I lived in NYC) remixing Nicola Conte, and a 12” single of “Sassy, Frassy, Classy” by Venus Starr which cannot possibly be anything but amazing.