Carl Anderson Wolftown
The first four tracks on Virginia native Carl Anderson’s recent release are almost too good to be true. But the first two tracks are two of the best I’ve heard this year. The ability to write an easy-feeling song about something with real depth is extremely hard to do, but on the opener, “Don’t Stop Trying,” Anderson has done just that, creating an extremely catchy song with heft. “1945,” the most upbeat song on the mostly minimalistic album, takes off from the previous track and reaches an entirely new place. The chorus is put off with “Ooh oohs” and once again, it’s catchier than lighter fluid, but without ever seeming poppy, dull or unimportant. Anderson’s soft but powerful voice and thoughtful lyrics are the focal point for the rest of the album, and while it is often quite sad, every song hits you in some way. There’s a very clear theme of yearning to be better, an earnest desire to grow as a human, which “I Want to be Real,” and “Good, Good Man,” hammer home. Despite the heady subject matter, there is an ease of motion between his writing, voice and playing that makes for an exceptional sound.
-JB
Nucleus Torn Golden Age
Swiss Neo Folk group Nucleus Torn’s latest offering, Golden Age, presents a chilling preliminary to their conceptual trilogy of albums that began in 2006 and ended in 2010. The concept is stark and alludes to a time of change from knowledge to darkness. Lead vocalist Anna Murphy sings on the twelve minute opening title track: “I hate this spring turned winter, the voice of autumn in the westernmost chill/ You make me shiver/ I lost my laughter in a shopping mall.” The music froths with somber, primarily acoustic instrumentation accented by Anna’s beautifully controlled vocal style that shines on the notable track, “Hunger,” which concludes on the climax of a gorgeously rendered flute solo accompanied by a frenetic onslaught of acoustic rhythm guitar and drums. The only tracks that can be rightfully regarded as ‘metal’ are “Ash” and “Death Triumphant;” the latter being a mirror epic of the opener with a polar opposite pace and schizophrenic saxophone that leads us into an age of decadence, concluding, “Fear is the new God.”
-ZS
Big K.R.I.T.
4eva Na Day
Big K.R.I.T., a freshman on the hip hop scene, is changing the game one track at a time. K.R.I.T. (King Remembered in Time) is the perfect alias for this new comer. His new release, 4eva Na Day, is more than just hip hop; it’s riding music, inspiring music, real music. The first track, “Boobie Miles,” has a laid back groove, like riding in your old-school Chevy surveying your kingdom, imagined or not. The second track, “Man of Fire,” tells the pain of being a human being pushed to his limits. “I’m tired of being broke, but how can I do better?” is the line for the here and now. “Sideline,” a song about making it happen in the game no matter what, is the hustler’s anthem. “ Insomnia” and “Red Eye” gives the perspective of love and success and how sometimes they don’t mix. K.R.I.T. takes the time to give the emotional truth to trying to make it while maintaining your sanity. He’s not just ballin’ and shot callin’; he’s kickin’ the truth. Big K.R.I.T. is the truth.
-HB