The Franc Graham Band
Sugar Tree
Take Easy
3/5
Franc Graham knows what sounds good, but unfortunately, she isn't instantly exciting. While pleasing to the ear, the songs on Sugar Tree tend to blend together on first listen. They start off slowly, with a mellow, simple chords and a straightforward bass line. After about a half-minute introduction, Graham joins in with her bluesy vocals, which very could well be the strongest element of the album.
She uses her voice well, her gravelly alto fitting in well with the harmonica that sometimes plays backup. Her slow, casual sound results in a very pleasant, if rather undifferentiated, listening experience. The music uses an odd blend of musical effects, from the aforementioned harmonica to a brief appearance of turntables. It appears that Franc Graham is trying to follow in the footsteps of other female artists in the likes of Lucinda Williams and Emmylou Harris, who have gained notoriety as of late. She certainly makes an excellent effort, but doesn't quite manage to distance herself from sounding derivative.
- Alex Moerlein
Richard Shindell
Courier
Signature Sounds
4/5
The liner notes of Richard Shindell's Courier show him performing in jeans, sport coat, and a button down. But I bet when he's sitting around at home writing music, he wears corduroys. His tunes - the lyrics, melodies, and soft rhythms that lazily waft through the album from beginning to end - have that feel, that warm, comfortable, style-conscious, rainy-days-inspire-me-to-write kind of feel. And they fit him just right. A Long Island native, Shindell has written for and toured with Joan Baez over the years while working independently on his own folk projects.
This disc rocks with the wilting lyrical bent of Adam Duritz, and the rough-hewn hard knocks growl of Bruce Springsteen. Shindell's guitar work is soft and subtle, while his band, with occasional violin accompaniment, complements his strumming. But this poet's true talent lies in his passion and flair for storytelling. The events and people that crowd his tunes are sometimes pitiful, sometimes inspiring, frequently desperate, and always sweetly human.
- Rob Lott
Suspect Device
Boston Massacre
Pigpile
3/5
Suspect Device's Boston Massacre tosses together a bunch of rebellious punk songs. From the opening "Brass Tacks," which states objection to the typical boring life, to the closing "Over Your Head," which decries standard methods of criminal investigation, Suspect Device does nothing but complain.
"Carry On," the most original song, deviates from the punk standard used by The Ramones, Green Day, and the rest of this album. But Suspect Device still can't evade the whiny subject matter.
It's not all so bad, though. On "Sunday Morning 3AM," the band infuses a ska sound, making for a good start that could have been further developed.
Overall, however, the album is fun to listen to. The lyrics are barely distinguishable, but there's a lot of energy in the performance. Plus, they're so caught up complaining about life in general that they avoid entering the pop domain of songs about women - something this reviewer appreciated.
- Seth Kaufman
