Todd Rundgren State
MVD Audio/Cherry Red Records Producer: Todd Rundgren
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Ed Gerhard
There and Gone Virtue Records Producer: Ed Gerhard
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Molly Ringwald Except Sometimes
Concord Records Producer: Molly Ringwald & Peter Smith
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City and Colour
The Hurry and The Harm Dine Alone Records Producer: Alex Newport
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Rundgren has always been the consummate auteur; singer-songwriter/guitarist/ producer and all-around technological innovator. On his latest he employs the “one man band” approach once again with, mostly, favorable results. The sonic atmosphere is impressive, with the densely electronic “Imagination.” His use of clever sequencing matched with dynamic and insightful content sets a riveting tone. “Serious” follows and erupts in a frothy vibe of Funkadelic meets Hendrix. There are a couple misfires, where audio gimmickry and lyrical tedium emerge, on tracks such as “Angry Bird” and “Collide-A-Scope.” But the starkly vivid “Smoke” and “Something from Nothing” rank right up there with the artist’s best. –Eric A. Harabadian Gerhard is a Grammy-winner who has always been respected by musicians as a guitarist’s guitarist. On this, his ninth album in nearly 30 years, he secures that storied reputation with a cache of charming acoustic-based instrumental gems. This is ideally a headphone disc, as his nuanced string bends and tasteful chord passages envelope one’s ears with a velvet touch. The song selection is a hefty mix of originals and nods to influences such as Hank Williams, Leo Kottke and the Beatles. Over his illustrious career the guitar master has run the gamut from trad blues and country to new age, folk, classic pop and jazz. He draws from that bountiful well here and the evidence finds a man at one with his instrument. –Eric A. Harabadian Fans of the ‘80s teen icon, and skeptics alike, may wonder why she is suddenly turning her artistic attention to jazz, but Molly Ringwald has not only got it in her DNA—her dad, Bob Ringwald, is a notable pianist and bandleader—but she was recording with him long before she began acting. Ringwald lends her cool, sultry vocals and strong instinctive phrasing to a colorful mix of standards, sweetly balancing the playful swing and gentle intimacy with the help of her ensemble of top musicians, led by pianist Peter Smith. Jazz radio has rightly jumped first on her graceful twist on “Don’t You (Forget About Me),” which infectiously blends her past and present and resonates emotionally beyond its inclusion as a nostalgic novelty. –Jonathan Widran On this, City and Colour’s fourth installment, Dallas Green and company dip back into folkier songwriting with heavy Americana undertones. This is a collection of singer-songwriter roads paved with heavy-hearted lyrics about various topics—and the first release since Green’s departure from Canadian hardcore outfit, Alexisonfire. The earnest “Of Space And Time” discusses his departure, while “Paradise” draws nostalgia for Bring Me Your Love. Instead of wearing all the hats, Green rounded up an indie super-outfit this time around, including Dead Weather’s Jack Lawrence on bass, My Morning Jacket’s Bo Koster on keys, Spencer Cullum on pedal steel and Matt Chamberlain and James Gadson on drums. Well done. –Andy Mesecher
Joe Satriani
Unstoppable Momentum Epic Records Producer: Joe Satriani & Mike Fraser
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Lauren White Meant To Be
Cherry Pie Productions Producer: Quinn Johnson
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Daft Punk
Random Access Memories Columbia Records Producer: Daft Punk
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Capital Cities
In a Tidal Wave of Mystery Lazy Hooks/Capitol Records Producer: Capital Cities
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Unstoppable Momentum continues Joe Satriani’s galactic reign as supreme commander of instrumental rock guitar. With Vinnie Colaiuta on drums, Chris Chaney on bass, and Mike Keneally on keys, flawless production is offset by musicianship that is as good as it gets. Satriani’s mastery is in evidence throughout. The single “A Door Into Summer” harkens back to the radio friendly “Summer Song,” while the blazing guitar in “Lies And Truth” speaks to hardcore fans. The rest of the album rocks mightily with varying grooves, textures and inspired band interaction. Unstoppable Momentum is top-notch Satch playing at the height of his musical powers. –Oscar Jordan Lauren White launches her indie recording career with a colorful resume behind her, including shows on and off Broadway, acting on soaps and working for years as a popular cabaret performer. With her powerhouse range, it would be easy to approach this eclectic mix of material from the worlds of pop, bossa nova, showtunes, jazz and Great American Songbook with great theatricality, but instead White offers an intimate invitation, letting the beauty of her voice go inside the lyrics to share emotions in a more subtle way. Beyond offering fresh interpretations of colorful tunes from Ivan Lins, Carole King, Susan Werner, et al., she may just inspire listeners to embark on a whimsical musical discovery tour of their own. –Jonathan Widran Fresh off taking over a Coachella festival they didn’t even attend, Daft Punk are back to “Give Life Back To Music.” Possibly the most-anticipated album in electronic music history, Bangalter and Homem-Christo bring in an all-star cast including Pharrell Williams, Nile Rogers, Giorgio Moroder, Julian Casablancas and composer Paul Williams. With very little sampling involved (only in the album-ending “Contact”) Random Access Memories is a different approach for Daft Punk—instead featuring live drums, groovy guitars and funky bass lines. Club numbers like “Lose Yourself To Dance” and “Get Lucky” play their role while more intimate tracks, like the ballad “Beyond,” evoke fresh emotions for longtime fans. –Andy Mesecher Capital Cities’ debut album is as beautifully powerful and majestically captivating as the title suggests. Ryan Merchant and Sebu Simonian keep their retro ‘80s electro-pop sound fresh with spurts of synth-laden beats, upbeat jazz tempos and smooth L.A. style (take the hip-swaying tune “Farrah Fawcett Hair,” featuring Outkast’s Andre 3000). Tracks like “Lazy Lies” and “Center Stage” offer danceable swag with a heavy dose of feel-good nostalgia. With sun-soaked summer days on the horizon, In a Tidal Wave of Mystery is a must for anyone’s “grooving on the rooftop bar, sipping on a drink” playlist (“Love Away” check it out). –Danica Bellini
To be considered for review in the CD Reviews section, you must have a record deal with a major label or an independent label with an established distributor. If you do not, please see our New Music Critiques section.
48 June 2013
www.musicconnection.com