New album: Ultraista
Artist: Ultraista
Label: Temporary Residence
Rating: 4 stars out of 5
Ultraista is a trio consisting of producer Nigel Godrich, session drummer to the stars Joey Waronker and vocalist Laura Bettinson. With a pedigree as varied as a Whitman’s sampler, Ultraista’s debut album is a triumph of mood and texture.
The Godrich/Radiohead union is the modern equivalent of the George Martin/Beatles partnership, while Waronker has pounded the skins for Beck and Air (both of whom have been produced by Godrich).
Bettinson started her career a few years ago performing as a one-person synth-pop band in London clubs. Looking to start an Afrobeat/electronica project, Godrich huddled everyone together to form Ultraista.
The spaced-out, chill-pop on “Ultraista” hearkens back to the 1990s work of Stereolab: Icy keyboards, hypnotic bass and minimalist drumming, topped off with a lush but stoic female vocal. The “Ultraista” album is not a retreaded Stereolab project, but rather a darker take on the original concept.
Lead single “Gold Dayzz” rests in that sweet spot where the Nyquil has taken your headache away but you’re not sleepy yet. Waronker’s usually expressive drumming is clipped to an economic heartbeat that still manages to convey a bit of funk, while Godrich supplies a sinewy bass part straight out of the Adam Clayton playbook circa “Zooropa.”
The power of “Gold Dayzz” (and other highlights, including “Smalltalk” and “You’re Out”) doesn’t come in the form of a giant vocal hook. These songs pull the listener in with multiple streams of subtlety that slyly build until there are too many beautiful sounds to ignore. Bubbly keyboards abound, while Bettison’s full, rich voice pulls it all together.
The music on the “Ultraista” album is too subtle to ever be embraced on a mass scale in America, but with the proper promotion, these guys could attract a loyal cult following. These “supergroup” scenarios usually produce one good album before the members return to their previous careers, but hopefully Ultraista will not be a one shot deal.
Classic album: Sensational Charley Pride
Artist: Charley Pride
Label: Koch International
Rating: 4 stars out of 5
Charley Pride released his first album in 1966. “The Sensational Charley Pride” — his seventh album — was released in 1969.
After the novelty of a black artist singing country music wore off, people forgot about Pride’s skin color and became hooked on his smooth, inviting voice. Much of the successful rock music of the same decade was based on white British musicians re-interpreting the blues, so the country music community’s embrace of Pride shouldn’t have been that big of a shock.
Pride would be named the CMA Male Vocalist and Entertainer of the Year in 1971 (the year of “Kiss an Angel Good Mornin”), but in 1969 his career was still building. “The Sensational Charlie Pride” was a well produced collection of songs that showcased Pride’s ability to inhabit any song — be it humorous or melancholic.
Pride’s take on Doug Kershaw’s “Louisiana Man” was more straightforward than the original but just as charming. Conversely, Pride’s epic reading of Jack Clement’s “Let the Chips Fall” was a precursor to the big productions that would become a Nashville staple within a few years.
Pride’s earnest reading of the lyric “the life that I’m living is just half a life/the girl that I married is just half a wife” put him in the same league as country balladeers Merle Haggard and George Jones.
Instead of surrounding a few singles with filler, the entire “Sensational Charley Pride” album is a solid listen. “Take Care of the Little Things” is a classic country song of regret, while Pride’s rendition of Roger Miller’s ‘Billy Bayou” has no doubt been the vehicle for many inebriated sing-a-longs.
There are many Charley Pride hits collections on the market — and most of them are great — but “The Sensational Charley Pride” is a work that stands on its own.
Jon Dawson’s album reviews appear every Thursday in The Free Press. Contact Jon at 252-559-1092 or jon.dawson@kinston.com. To purchase books, music or antique rugs, visit jondawson.com.