Ben Harper (5 stars)
w/The Blind Boys of Alabama
There Will Be A Light
A stunning disc of sonorous, gospel-inspired tracks, this collaboration between singer-songwriter Ben Harper and the Five Blind Boys of Alabama deserves a spot in every music-lover's collection.
The disc opens with "Take My Hand," a mix of funky guitar and soulful singing, ending with a rousing refrain. "Wicked Man" has Harper performing some of his Hendrix-like licks overtop honky-tonk piano. The tempo drops with "Where Could I Go," a beautifully gentle meldoy combined with gut-wrenching vocals by Harper. The disc just keeps getting better from there, with the Blind Boys joining Harper in "Church House Steps."
The Blind Boys, winners of three Grammys three years in a row, only contribute to the true gospel songs. When they do, they are like a mighty hand upon the music, delivering rich vocals that transport the listener to another plane, regardless of their personal beliefs.
This disc will likely win them—and Harper—their fourth.
The Thrills (3.5 stars)
Let's Bottle Bohemia
Forget U2. Only occasionally do the Thrills expose the group's Irish roots, and then it is only in passing, as on "Saturday Night," which tells of a dance hall where "broken bottles (are) thrown like American footballs." Otherwise, on the most superficial level, The Thrills sound like a slowed-down Jet with Wayne Coyne on vocals.
But it is the fantastic songwriting throughout Let's Bottle Bohemia that has the Thrills offering listeners far more than a genre exercise of garage rock with arty flourishes. The Thrills manage to write the sort of songs that stick in the ear from the first. If the lyrics never stray too far from love and loss, the melodies certainly give these familiar themes a fresh airing.
Even at its most mournful and sad moments, thanks to the searing melodies, Let's Bottle Bohemia is never insular. Despite its dorky title, "Whatever Happened to Corey Haim" manages to create an atmosphere of genuine melancholy. For such a young band (this is only the Thrills' sophomore effort) there is a surprising amount of world weariness on the album, particularly on tracks like "Faded Beauty Queens" and "Our Wasted Lives." Still, no matter how miserable and wounded Conor Deasy's lyrics can get, never do his songs get lost in self-indulgence or self-pity