Highlights: Sun Song, America, Shape Shifter, That Alice
There is one particular
moment on Laura Veirs’s new album that makes you realise you’re in the right
place. It comes at the beginning of “That Alice”, after the classy initial
blast of tastefully distorted guitars: Laura sings “Born in Detroit…”, and all the flaws and shortcomings can easily
be forgotten. From start to finish, the song (a tribute to Alice Coltrane, jazz pianist and John Coltrane's second wife) is power-pop heaven at its most memorable
and anthemic.
While Laura Veirs is all
charms (she sounds that and she looks that), there is undeniable gutsiness,
drive to her songs. Laura's songwriting is countrified, has some folk music
influences, as well as a great deal of power pop sweetness. What’s lacking is
some sort of mystery (read 'personality') that Neko Case (a good reference point;
she also guests as a backing vocalist on a few of these songs) has in spades.
And that is the reason why The Worse
Things Get… is a triumph, and Warp
& Weft is merely a very good album.
But very good is nothing
to be ashamed of – especially when you open your album with a beautiful and
wistful track like “Sun Song” and proceed with a lovely, unpretentious anthem
called “America” (no less). There’s not an ounce of originality here, and I’m
sure I’ve heard that particular female voice a million times already, but the
thoughtfully lush production and genuinely good songs (some of which are more
immediate, some are less – but all are winners) is what counts.
Well, if you are going to listen to albums that aren’t and will never be
classics – it’d better be albums like Warp
& Weft.
7/10
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