New album: MBV
Artist: My Bloody Valentine
Label: mbv
Rating: 4.5 stars out of 5
Just before My Bloody Valentine dropped off the face of the earth in the early 1990s, the band released the seminal “Loveless” album in 1991. The reverb-drenched, multi-layered sound transmitted by My Bloody Valentine was eventually given the “shoegaze” tag and roughly 1,000 bands adopted the group’s style.
After the critical and commercial success of “Loveless,” guitarist Kevin Shields led the band through many recording sessions that yielded no finished albums. The inclusion of a MBV track (along with bits of score from Shields) on the “Lost in Translation” soundtrack in 2004 pulled the band back into the spotlight and apparently unclogged the logjam. After a few live shows and the odd internet rumor, the “MBV” album landed on earth in 2013.
“She Found Now” gets things rolling — or would that be gently swaying — with a traditional MBV squall of sound. The trippy lushness one would expect from these guys is here, but the furniture has been rearranged. The subtle guitar parts overpower the squalling guitars, which creates an interesting feeling of disconnect. Instead of taking over the spotlight, the vocals simply blend in with the waves of sound.
Guitarist Bilinda Butcher’s lead vocal on the quirky “Only Tomorrow” is as close to sweet as MBV will probably get. Teetering between vixen and kitten, Butcher’s delivery is a nice counterpoint to Shields’ more plaintive style. Drummer Colm Ó Cíosóig pushes “In Another Way” into various tempos that slam up against one another in an oddly appealing way.
Sounding like a pedestrian who is in a hurry but lost, the drumming on this track would make Keith Moon proud.
“Nothing Is” and “Wonder 2” round out the album in an aggressive, not-shoegaze-at-all manner that makes much of the current macho-infested alternative scene sound anemic. These songs are symphonic but delivered with the perfect combination of professionalism and garage band malice.
Any blog rats who claim the band ended with “Loveless” have been trapped in their parents’ poorly-ventilated basement for too long. “MBV” rates with the band’s best work; hopefully a follow-up will come before we’ve all snuffed it.
Classic album: I’ve Got So Much to Give
Artist: Barry White
Label: Polydor/Hip-O
Rating: 4 stars out of 5
Barry White’s music is as synonymous with romance as roses, chocolate and oysters. Released in 1973, “I’ve Got So Much to Give” was White’s first album, but his signature sound was already in place.
Clocking in at just under 40 minutes, the five tracks on “I’ve Got So Much to Give” are not concise pop ditties. The album’s four original tracks and a reworking of the Four Tops hit “Standing in the Shadows of Love” were built for comfort, not speed. With his patented spoken-word introductions already in the mix, Barry made sure to set the proper mood before getting down to business.
“It makes me want to holler/it makes me want to shout/it makes me want to sing” declares White at the beginning of “I’ve Found Someone.” Whether inspired by a real life romance or a Zen-master-like knowing of what women want to hear, “I’ve Found Someone” has served as the blueprint for Boyz II Men, Keith Sweat and Usher, just to name a few.
White’s decision to tell you about his intentions before singing them hit the right nerves, thus creating a genre.
The shortest track on “I’ve Got So Much to Give” is six minutes long, which goes to show just how important the album format still was in 1973. Eventually, White’s material would become more radio friendly, but his deep voice and relaxed presentation never changed.
The subject matter of his songs would forever be concerned with love and its byproducts, but then again nobody wanted to hear Barry White tackle the turmoil in the Middle East.
Once while counseling a young man who was having trouble with the ladies, southern philosopher Tim Wilson advised the romantically challenged fellow to buy a Barry White album. He told the guy if the Barry White album couldn’t fix it, it couldn’t be fixed — and he was right.
If Barry can’t turn your situation around, just give up and start a fantasy football league.
Jon Dawson’s album reviews appear every Thursday in the Free Press. Contact Jon at 252-559-1092 or jon.dawson@kinston.com. Purchase books, music and fine hosiery at jondawson.com.