Sharon Van Etten
Tramp
The album title Tramp is as much of a statement for Sharon Van Etten as it is a challenge, commanding listeners to free themselves of the uncertainty and loneliness of uncomfortable relationships and embrace the unattached lifestyle. The Brooklyn-based singer/songwriter has grown out of the popular “confessional” style songwriting that engulfed her acclaimed 2010 release Epic. Tramp reveals Van Etten’s aspirations to find more about herself, which comes across as dark, yet refreshing, as multiple listens of the first few tracks reveal layers and not just peaks in her music. Producer Aaron Dessner of the National mixes lush arrangements with a menacing atmosphere, upon which Van Etten’s understated and mournful vocals can build. Her lyrics are very personal, yet accessible. She is able to retain a biting sense of directness and unbridled sincerity throughout. The album shines through as a cohesively mature and thematically focused record, however, the latter half of Tramp is indicative that in the future, some of Van Etten’s uninhibited ambition should be placed under stricter guidelines.
Prinzhorn Dance School
Clay Class
To say that Brighton’s Prinzhorn Dance School reduces post-punk to its essential elements would be an understatement. The duo, consisting of Tobin Prinz and Suzi Horn, most often sticks to a minimalism marked by lyrics half-shouted by both members, thudding bass lines, and stand-up drums with the occasional angular guitar line. The band’s sophomore effort for James Murphy’s DFA imprint is virtually indistinguishable from their first. There are nods to Wire and The Kills, but minus the unpredictability of the former and the immediate, boozy soul of the latter. The production is spot on, unadorned and sharp, but the song writing lacks variety. “Usurper,” “I Want You,” and “Turn Up the Light” are memorable tracks, but the rest tends to sort of bleed together. Prinzhorn Dance School doesn’t suffer from a lack of compelling guitar riffs or cerebrally-stimulating experiments, but without a strong song writing foundation, their strident minimalism only reveals a bankruptcy of substance. The band has potential and perhaps their next release will show some growth, but if Clay Class is any indication, the band may not have the motivation required to produce a truly great album.
The Man Whom
The Greatest Event
Within the first minute of listening to The Greatest Event, the debut album from the Irish band The Man Whom, I was instantly captivated. This is the kind of music I live for. If you are a fan of Mumford and Sons, you are bound to fall in love with The Man Whom. The songs from this album sound a lot like the songs you would hear on a Mumford and Sons album, but with a softer feel to it. The tracks that stuck out were, “Over and Under,” in which holds the capacity to immediately put you in a great mood, and “The Man Who Knew Too Much,” which beautifully deals with the more difficult trials faced by the average man. Something about Irish music gets me every time, and this is no exception. This may be my new favourite band and my favourite album of the New Year. I can personally guarantee that this album will make a lasting impression on you, just as it has on me.
John K. Samson
Provincial
A singer/song writer for indie rock band The Weakerthans, John K. Samson released his first solo album after four albums with the band. Provincial is a plaintive and evocative album entirely devoted to Manitoba. The songs are peaceful and familiar with lyrics dwelling on the intimate small town details of life in Manitoba. From heartbreak, homework and video games in “When I Write my Master‘s Thesis,” to the nagging phrases in “Cruise Night”—“I can’t take another week of feeling lame / with the same old tin can on my ten speed / circling the Dairy Queen while jacked up rides idle at me”—Samson’s lyrics are vivid and sharp in their imagery. The most melancholic is “Letter In Icelandic From The Ninette San,” with beautiful lyrics: “in another year / I’ll be buried or shivering here. Coughing at the grey spittoon / painted orange by the harvest moon.” Samson keeps his full, diverse sound and captures the essence of a place that, though no one would want to go, emanates love songs.
