Rapid Fire Reviews: Notice Me Noticing You
These 13 - Andrew Bird/Jimbo Mathus
This collaboration between indie folk veteran Andrew Bird and Squirrel Nut Zippers alum Jimbo Mathus had the potential to be fascinatingly unique. With Bird's unique lyricism and sweet vocals alongside Jimbo's versatile back catalog including swing revival I wasn't really sure what to expect from These 13. As it turns out the record is a mostly folk affair with occasional splashes of country. This works more than it doesn't with Bird in particular feeling quite at home and pinning some provoking lyrics throughout. There are definitely a few points on the record where it gets flat out hokey and some of the more country inspired cuts don't tend to hold up from a songwriting standpoint. Ultimately there is enough here to keep fans of either artist interested, but I don't see the pair as adding up to greater than the sum of their parts here. 6/10
The Art Of Losing - The Anchoress
The Anchoress is the project of Catherine Anne Davies that first grabbed my attention with her 2014 single What Goes Around and subsequent debut album Confessions Of A Romance Novelist. She has been busy in the years since that release but this is her anticipated formal return to The Anchoress moniker and I was excited to see what she would do with her progressive pop sound that is so often compared to Kate Bush. On Losing those comparisons are stronger than ever bringing a rich array of instrumentation and compositional variety that is well beyond the pop standard. James Dean Bradfield of Manic Street Preachers even shows up on a track to do a flawless Steven Wilson impression cementing the records progressive chops. There is quite a bit to like about the record from lush arrangements to Catherine's grandiose vocal performances. Ultimately however may of the songs come down to whether or not the refrains are catchy or dramatic in a way that is impactful and in that regard the record can be hit or miss. Some of its most expansive tracks fail to stick the landing with uninspired crescendos or forgettable hooks. But occasionally the record does nail it and the highlights on this record are far reaching and emotionally versatile. I hope we hear more from The Anchoress soon because she has clearly made an improvement to her songwriting and could absolutely be on the verge of something great. 6.5/10
Great Spans Of Muddy Time - William Doyle
William Doyle is the musician formerly behind one of the more underrated indietronica projects of the 2010's East India Youth. I enjoyed both EIY projects particularly the second one but I've done a bad job of keeping up with Doyle's solo career since his dream derealized solo debut. This new album has received quite a bit of attention and is coming from a new label which peaked my attention enough to get me to check it out and I'm glad I did. While the record is no doubt a singer-songwriter like experience there are flashes of beautiful fluttering electronics to be found all over its tunes. There's plenty of songs with hints of eeriness and very subtle electronic dissonance and the record does a good job at balancing these tracks with blissful genuinely beautiful moments elsewhere. Not all of the sequenced beats and instrumental tracks resonate with me but enough do to give the record a pretty definitive sound and keep me returning to its charms. I think the first half is better than the second half and generally speaking I enjoyed the more fleshed out vocal led songs than the instrumentals but I was still surprised by how much of this thing I enjoyed and I think I'll be revisiting it a lot. 7/10
