popwreckoning

The latest effort from Emilíana Torrini distinguishes itself from fellow Icelandic contemporaries by presenting straightforward folk-pop pleasures. With seven albums under her belt, most notably 1999’s Love in the Time of Science, produced by Roland Orzabal from Tears for Fears, a song on The Lord of the Rings soundtrack, collaborations with Kylie Minogue, Thievery Corporation, and Paul Oakenfold, as well as several Icelandic Music Award nominations to her credit, Torrini is no freshman in this business, yet she remains relatively unknown in the U.S.

On her latest release, Me and Armini, Torrini seeks our attention by taking quite a few stylistic risks incorporating everything from electronic cuts, reggae influences, and bluesy guitar hooks, perhaps ending up a little too far from home. The opening track, “Fireheads” is a spare, slow to wake-up track with a plucky guitar riff paired with gentle, honest lyrics. “Me and Armini,” is a catchy tune that fuses head-bopping ska beats and electronica with seductive pop-perfect confessions. Right behind it is “Birds,” which begins as a breathy whisper, until about the half way point where things take a somewhat darker turn evoking trip-hop memories of college, Morcheeba on heavy rotation, and signature dance moves.

Tracks like “Ha-Ha” where Torrini’s voice is a stark silhouette against an acoustic guitar backdrop and “Gun,” a tale of betrayal, vengeance and murder, in which Torrini drops down from the cloud she had up until now been floating on to demand, “look me in the barrel then tell me that you love me…this is a kiss that I swear will blow your mind” are stand out moments. While Me and Armini does a good job of showcasing Torrini’s sonorous voice, there remain a few tunes that are just too cute, like “Big Jumps” and “Jungle Drums” which could easily be headed for the next Old Navy commercial or perhaps a Starbucks playlist near you.

Taken individually, the songs here are good, in fact, there’s nothing really wrong with them, but truth be told, if an album is like a beau or a best friend, who really wants to be with someone that’s just, “good” with “nothing wrong with them?” Don’t we all want to be with someone we’re obsessed with, someone that may have a few battle scars but with whom we can’t live without? Someone that helps us see the world, or even better, ourselves differently?

Unfortunately, Torrini’s collection of well-crafted songs, while good and sweet, comes up short in this respect. In addition, the sheer volume of contrasting sounds, genres, and ultimately identities, lends itself to the feeling of a disjointed album overall.

Tracklisting:
01. Fireheads
02. Me And Armini (download)
03. Birds
04. Heard It All Before
05. Ha Ha
06. Big Jumps
07. Jungle Drums
08. Hold Heart
09. Gun
10. Beggar’s Prayer
11. Dead Duck
12. Bleeder

Emilíana Torrini: website | myspace

Written by: Reni Papananias

Born and raised in New York City’s Lower East Side by beatnik parents, it’s no surprise that Jeffrey Lewis is as punk and anti-folk as they come. Coming of age during New York’s anti-folk movement had a major impact on his later musical endeavors. Lewis’ s latest album , 12 Crass Songs, is collection of reworked songs by the anarchist punk band Crass. Helen Schreiner provides backing vocals and helps Lewis put folk, rock, orchestral and electronica variations on these classic anarchist punk songs without losing their original political power.

The album opens with “End Result,” a melodic tune that provides stinging social commentary on how the general public hardly matters but is seen as mere products and statistics for corporations to profit from, a fact which the general public is oblivious to. “I Ain’t Thick” follows in the same vain, this time directly attacking consumerism, education and religion with cutthroat lyrics like “Books are easy backup for what they want to do to you / They’ll bind you up in slavery for the privileged few / They’ll prove their lies with history, say “That’s the way it always was / Slavery or mastery; be one of us.” Lewis’s anti-folk style loses none of the political zing, though the anger in the song’s chorus hasn’t translated as well from its anarchist punk original.

“Systematic Death” features a bouncy melody backed by a well-crafted bongo beat. Schreiner’s vocals appear more at the forefront here and she and Lewis go back and forth telling the story of a couple kept down by the system at an early age and continuing until the end of their lives. “The Gasman Cometh” also denounces government and the system drawing a parallel between the “ashes at Auschewitz” and the United States looking “for peace in Iraq.” The song also denounces the citizens who stand and turn a blind eye to the atrocities happening around them. In “Banned From The Roxy,” Lewis, like Crass, gives a huge middle finger to the establishment trying to silence his words that go against the system.

On “Demoncrats,” an eerie static plays over a mellow and morose woodwind which is soon followed by Lewis’s voice full with melancholy. Sound clips from various newscasts play in between verses, establishing a tortured and haunted feel as the song’s lyrics paint a picture of death and destruction, supposedly in the name of freedom. “Big A, Little A” features the most deviations from its Crass counterpart, but retains every ounce of its call for people to make the future theirs by tipping the balance of power away from corrupted governments and back into the hands of the people. Lewis includes Crass’ “Punk Is Dead” as a recognition that even the punk movement which denounced corruption of government and capitalism was susceptible to the ideas it was against: “Punk became a movement because they all felt lost / But the leaders sold out and now we all pay the cost / And punk is dead.”

Turning abrasive punk rock in music with more accessibility for a wider audience is no easy task, but Lewis more than succeeds on 12 Crass Songs. With his newest release, Lewis brings out the anarchist in us all, making Crass proud.

Look for 12 Crass Songs official US release on January 29, 2008. Also check out his CD release show on January 30th at New York’s Mercury Lounge, which will be followed by a spot opening for both Super Furry Animals and The Mountain Goats throughout the month of February.

Jeffrey Lewis: website | myspace
Rough Trade Records: website | myspace
Beggars Group: website