Alone By The Sea

Two years ago, James Vincent McMorrow decided to take an unorthodox approach to writing his new record. Accompanied only by his thoughts, McMorrow took his instruments, some recording equipment, and only a single microphone with him and moved into a lonely house on the beach. After five months spent in a self-imposed isolation of creativity, he ultimately completed eleven acoustic tracks that would come to be known as "Early in the Morning".

It becomes clear, from the beginning, "Early in the Morning" is a dish best served when your appetite is for relaxing and keeping the volume knob no higher than half way up (i.e. 5.5 for PD). The album opens with "If I Had a Boat", a drifting love song about longing to bridge the gaps of distance, either physical or psychological, narrated by McMorrow's gentle falsetto. This is followed by another delicate ballad, "Hear the Noise that Moves So Soft and Low", a nostalgic, forlorn ode to an extinguished flame. A slight change in tone is found on "Follow You Down to the Red Oak Tree", a quietly haunting tune that hits your ears as smoothly as a misted wind. "Down the Burning Ropes" combines eerily beautiful vocals with ominous lyrics, and is a standout cut as well.

The underlying theme of "Early in the Morning" seems to involve the end of a long relationship, followed by mournful reflection, then ultimately walking away, only to continue to look back and never feel comfortable if the bond is completely out of reach. McMorrow creates vivid mental images with his allegory-laden lyrics, and explores the battle between a man's faith versus his desire for personal satisfaction. Each track is then woven together by sprinkles of piano, airy guitar chords, soft percussion, and McMorrow's distinctly graceful voice. Consequently, "Early in the Morning" is tranquil in its entirety, with only a rare attempt at up-tempo flare. So if you're ever in need of suitable music for a peaceful hour of quiet contemplation, this album would be an excellent fit.

No Ordinary Yo-Yo

Hayes Carll is an artist who physically appears almost exactly the way he sounds: gristly and refreshingly unrefined. Accordingly, his 4th album, "KMAG YOYO", would play as an appropriate soundtrack to an evening of kicking back a few drinks with your buddies in a small town saloon. Carll's storytelling is reminiscent of Todd Snider, and his mix of humorous lyrics with driving country music makes for an entertaining listen

The disc leads off with "Stomp and Holler", a steak and potatoes ditty showcasing Carll's growly voice over meandering electric guitar, with barroom country overtones ever-present. Later on is the title track, "KMAG YOYO", which is a military acronym for "Kiss My Ass, Guys, You're On You're Own". This rambling rocker is full of witty wordplay, bluesy electric guitar, and thinly-veiled objections to war. The following track, "Another Like You", is a duet with folk-singer Cary Ann Hearst that contains a fun, flirty, sarcastic repartee on the way to drunken sex. An additional highlight is "The Lovin' Cup", a tune that finds Carll jestingly detailing the rocky end of a relationship's "honeymoon" period, before thinking better of it and playfully returning to his better half, hat-in-hand. There are also multiple twangy ballads interspersed throughout "KMAG YOYO" that add even more rustic paint to the this country-filled portrait

"KMAG YOYO" is filled with down-on-your luck stories, anecdotes about drowning your sorrows in whiskey and beer, and the perplexing motivation of trying to live right despite continually catching bad breaks. There is a certain irreverent swagger to Hayes Carll's performance, and his music comes off as delightfully unpolished. The listener may find themselves living vicariously through him as he haphazardly experiences life's many conquests and missteps. In the song "The Letter", Carll declares, "This life is like to kill me, but it sure has been fun..."; I don't think I could have said it better myself.

Swing Low Sweet Anthem

Thus far this decade, there seems to be an almost unlimited amount of folk music being released every month. At times, it is difficult to differentiate between artists, as many songs sound increasingly uniform, with the small exception of the lyrics. However, there are a select few bands who have distinguishing characteristics that allow them to stick out from the homogenous background of their peers. The Low Anthem of Providence, RI, is one such example, as frontman Ben Knox Miller's distinct, raspy vocals are beautifully unmistakable.

"Smart Flesh", the 4th album from The Low Anthem, begins with the elegant "Ghost Woman Blues". This track is a delicate weave of piano, harmonizing vocals, clarinet, and Miller's dulcet delivery. My first listen to "Ghost Woman Blues" immediately reminded me of "The Bear" off of My Morning Jacket's "Acoustic Citsuoca", as they are both reserved ballads that just pull you in with their quiet splendor. Next up is "Apothecary Love", a wistful ditty that sways along with pedal steel and harmonica to give it a pleasant country vibe. The tempo picks up, albeit briefly, on "Boeing 737". This fuzzy rocker references "Man on Wire" subject Philippe Petit and the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Center, and is far more forceful and loud than any other track on the album. As soon as the raw punch of "Boeing 737" fades, "Smart Flesh" slows down to a mix of morose lyrics and passive accompaniment for the remainder of the album.

The first half of "Smart Flesh" is filled with seductively gripping ballads and sonorous instrumentals, but the last half seems to bog down a bit much and becomes somewhat depressing. The Low Anthem has a vivid sound that is capable of subtly embracing the listener with their graceful music and Miller's engaging voice. And though exemplified but once on this album, they also have the ability to make a damn good rock song. However, to me, it appears "Smart Flesh" came out swinging with strengths, then turned and slowly walked away from the ring with serene yet non-descript offerings. On "Love and Altar", Ben Knox Miller opines, "To love is to play, lay your wealth upon the altar". I sincerely hope the Low Anthem put those words to practice on their next album, because the results just may be divine.