Short Attention Span Record Reviews, Nov 2019 Vol. II - Last One Before The List, Probably

AZIZA BRAHIM – Sahari
Serious candidate for World Music album of the year by a Western Saharan refugee/expat residing in Barcelona, blending her unique voice with Tinariwen-like desert blues and subtle electronica touches. The result is pure magic. (8)

BLACKBERRY SMOKE – Homecoming: Live In Atlanta
Like all the best southern rock bands, Blackberry Smoke kick some serious ass on stage. Here’s the proof, playing on home turf. (8)

CLIPPING. – There Existed An Addiction To Blood
Experimental hip hop trio trying horrorcore. RIYL Dalek, Death Grips, John Carpenter soundtracks. (7)

LEONARD COHEN – Thanks For The Dance
Posthumous release consisting mainly of an 82-year old Cohen reciting poems fleshed out into songs by his son, producer Adam Cohen, with significant contributions from people like Beck, Jennifer Warnes and that guy from The National. Recommended if You Want It Even Darker. (8)

MAMIFFER – The Brilliant Tabernacle
Post-rock royalty husband/wife team of Faith Coloccia and Aaron Turner release fifth album and move further away from the darkness of their early work, towards the light. (7)

MUSTASCH – Killing It For Life
This is killer, the most metal-sounding Mustasch album in ages and totally early 80’s, so RIYL “Blackout”-era Scorpions, “Bark At The Moon”-era Ozzy, that sort of thing. (8)

PAUL KELLY – Songs From The South: Greatest Hits 1985-2019
Exactly zero people outside Australia have ever heard of Kelly which is a crime because the guy writes amazing songs, many of which are collected on this double album. Imagine a (VERY Australian) pub rocker who’s got Elvis Costello’s sense of melody and Phil Lynott’s way with words and you’re halfway there. Me, I’ve got a new favorite artist. (9)

WILLIE NILE – Beautiful Wreck Of The World (Remastered)
Willie is the rock world’s best kept secret, the quintessential NYC troubadour (think a funkier-folk-punk Lou Reed) and a songwriter’s songwriter who releases consistently strong, catchy albums even if in some cases it took him a decade to do so. This is his fourth album from 1999 remastered for its 20th anniversary, and it’s one of his best including his crowning achievement of a song, the Jeff Buckley tribute “On The Road To Calvary”. (8)

VARIOUS ARTISTS – Come On Up To The House: Women Sing Waits
Top-tier female artists (Aimee Mann, Allison Moorer & Shelby Lynne, Rosanne Cash…) pay tribute to Tom Waits, and with his junkyard dog bark of a voice replaced by these heavenly pipes his songs rise above the hobo/boho persona to glow in all their beauty. Patty Griffin’s version of “Ruby’s Arms” brings tears to my eyes. (9)

VARIOUS ARTISTS – If You're Going To The City: A Sweet Relief Tribute To Mose Allison
Tribute to a great jazz/blues outsider and social satirist featuring interpretations of his songs by artists as diverse as Taj Mahal and Iggy Pop. Fiona Apple in particular contributes 101 outstanding seconds of music with “Your Molecular Structure”, Richard Thompson slays “Parchman Farm” and Elvis Costello’s duet with Allison’s daughter on “Monsters Of The Id” is totally bonkers. (8)