Solo Exploited Teens
Download File ::: https://urlin.us/2tljjU
Randy Newman: Harps and Angels (Nonesuch)Post-hippie, Newman's cynicism was tonic. Post-post-hippie, itcurdled. Now, freshened by frailty and outrage, it's restorativeagain. Describing a near-death experience in the title song, heinjects a kindness he's rarely risked into absurdist jokes that are asmean as ever, and that moment of compassion adds depth to the threepolitical songs in the middle, two of which target a privileged classthat explicitly includes the artiste. The other rearranges 2007'scaustic YouTube special "A Few Words in Defense of Our Country": "Theend of an empire/Messy at best/This empire's ending/Like all therest." Did he write those lines in five minutes, fussing for a littlelonger over "messy," or wait years for them to come Lyrically, everyone of these 10 songs in 34 minutes raises that question, reinforcedby the quietest and most casual singing of Newman's mush-mouthedcareer. Musically, however, he's a fine jeweler, a busy beaver and anold pro. Never have his arrangements exploited his soundtrack chops sosubtly, changeably or precisely. You say you want the failure of theAmerican Dream Try a marching band put through its paces by adyspeptic Kurt Weill. King Leopold of Belgium How about a little"Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah" Arrhythmia Easy.A
Conor Oberst: Conor Oberst (Merge)It's official. Forget Shins guy James Mercer, Spoon guy Britt Daniel,even Arcade Fire fraterfamilias Win Butler--this vibrato-proneromantic is the greatest melodist in contemporary mega-indie. Whateverhis adult solo debut portends for once and future arranger Mike Mogis,the Saddle Creek cartel and his latest girlfriend(s), its meaning istunes, with beat enough to carry them forward and no other musicaldistractions. Unlike Mercer and Daniel, he's about flow--intricacy isan occasional afterthought. Once in a while a guitar part backs up atasty phrase, and when the time comes, someone in Bright Eyes willgracefully provide it. And oh yeah--the best song here, quite possiblythe best song of his life, is basically a rocking refrain: "I DontWant to Die (In the Hospital)."A 59ce067264