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Last Updated: Nov 15th, 2008 - 06:33:03 |
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(Photo courtesy of Ron Kreisel)
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Ain't No Surprise
This Detroit-born, San Francisco-developed, three-piece combo smacks of dirty, garage-rock blues akin to another of Motown's sensations, immortal indie rockers, The White Stripes. At just 34 minutes long, Ain't No Surprise seems like it may just be a sophomoric, albeit momentarily brilliant, synopsis of things to come from Leo. But the album is much more textured than mere minutes might suggest, highlighted by short bursts of despondency and sad whimsy, blended with ballads full of introspect into frontman Daniel James' (Leopold, if you will) struggles with inner peace. The shining optimism and hopped-up tempo of songs such as the frolicking title track, hindsight anthem "Come Back (Now That I'm Here)" and the wild, porch-stomping "Katie Mae" are quickly dimmed by the darker forlorn folk of following tracks "Mean Ol' Train" and "Pretty Neat." Like fellow Motown ax man Jack White, James wears his blues influences on his sleeve (such as in one-night stand jam "Sun's Only Promise" and aforementioned "Train"), and his bleeding-heart sensitivity can be heard in his choked-up lyrics. Sounding at once tortured and wise, James gives a great deal of insight into his personal demons with the opening stanza of "One for Me to Find:" "I've got these outlaws chasing me/ And these lawmen won't let me be/ It's hard to make amends/ With myself and my dead friends." Leo is a fine protagonist, but nothing without his fiction, bassist Micayla Grace and organist/percussionist Big Jon Sortland, both of whom add perspective to the shell of James' instabilities, all the while providing a deeper texture than most bluesy duos are capable of giving. If Ain't No Surprise were a book, you'd want to keep it on your bedside stand, because you won't be able to put it down. --JJ
Sebastien Granger and the Mountains
Those familiar with the noisy, sexy mayhem of Death From Above 1979 may be a little surprised when listening to the debut from the band's former drummer and vocalist Sebastien Grainger. Sebastien Grainger and the Mountains shows listeners a completely new side of the percussionist. The album showcases a much more mature Grainger than anything he recorded with former bandmate and present MSTRKRFT mastermind Jesse Keeler. He's expanded his use of instruments too, which gives the record a more complete and well-rounded sound. That's not to say that Grainger has completely abandoned his dance-floor sensibilities. About half the album is dedicated to shaking your ass, especially the closer "Renegade Silence," which is almost more danceable than Death From Above 1979. The real treasures on this record though are the ballads. The softer side of Grainger is a really nice change of pace, and it also is a chance for him to show off his songwriting chops. Highlights include "(Are There) Ways to Come Home?" where the frontman channels Bowie with his vocals, but the screaming climax shows that the Grainger of old is still alive and kicking. The song also uses piano and backing vocals with great emotional effect. The strongest track on the album is definitely the anthem "American Names." It is just a well-crafted pop song with emotional lyrics, a nice driving beat and a big rousing chorus. Sebastien Grainger and the Mountains shows that Grainger has grown a lot since the breakup of Death From Above 1979, and that is certainly not a bad thing.
--MP
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