20. Mew – No More Stories Are Told Today…
Andy: Unranked :: Dave: 10
I never really understood why there was a sub-genre of music called progressive rock. Taking rock music to artistic credibility by changing song structures, counts and the like just seems like things a band with talent would want to do anyhow. But I suppose everything needs classification so perhaps my qualm is not with the genre, but rather the name.
No More Stories Are Told Today I’m Sorry They Washed Away No More Stories The World Is Grey I’m Tired Let’s Wash Away is quite the lengthy album title. The fifth album from Danish prog-rockers! Mew, it is my first full album experience from the band. I have heard multiple songs from the band in the past, but after hearing ‘Introducing Palace Players’ I had to get the entire album this time. With ‘Palace Players’ still being the highlight for me, upon a full listen there was no lack of contenders attempting to take that mantle away. It should be the same for whomever else listens to this record. Embrace the progressive rock classification and know you are getting work from a supremely talented band at or near their peak on this release.
Mew – Beach (mp3) from No More Stories Are Told Today…
19. Mayer Hawthorne – A Strange Arrangement
Andy: 9 :: Dave: Unranked
Not unlike fashion, nostalgia for musical styles comes in waves. The 3rd wave of ska that had taken hold when I was in high school, the preposterous nu-metal of the early 2000’s, the recent resurgence of synth-rock – all examples of the inevitable renaissance that all genres see every so often.
1960’s-inspired soul has seen a resurgence itself in the past few years – with British birds Amy Winehouse, Adele and Duffy all achieving success. But it’s taken until this year to have a male neo-soul artist achieve what his female counterparts already have. On A Strange Arrangement, Detroit’s (!) Mayer Hawthorne doesn’t have to update the sound that Stax and Motown made famous. Sticking to those proven formulas – falsetto vocals, intermittent horns, thick bass lines – Hawthorne has made an album that would have felt as at home alongside any of the artists that made their names in the 60’s, and one that is equally as viable today.
Mayer Hawthorne – Your Easy Lovin’ Ain’t Pleasin’ Nothin’ (mp3) from A Strange Arrangement
I’m a little late in commenting here, but this Mayer Hawthorne guy ain’t got nothin’ on Raphael Saadiq’s 2008 album, The Way I See It, which along with the Dap King’s collaborations with Amy Winehouse, Sharon Jones, and Mark Ronson is easily the best of the soul-revival stuff I’ve heard.
I’ve only tested the waters with Mayer Hawthorne and while I’ve found he certainly has some songwriting chops, his vocals lack the buoyancy and charisma that the better soul singers possess. By comparison to these other kids, Hawthorne’s seem kind of lifeless.