In the realm of rock crit evaluation there is the eternal question: "Will the little girls understand?" This has long been the line of demarcation between generations of music lovers, and more importantly, that nexus where one's embrace of music outweighs what anyone else has to say about it. On their third album, “A Brief Inquiry Into Online Relationships,” The 1975, a Manchester band, go completely pop with reckless abandon on this LP/CD from Dirty Hit/Polydor/Interscope.
Matthew Healy's once biting chunks of overheard conversations are now restless self-evaluation. "A Brief Inquiry" marks that point in the 1975's evolution where at times the band as a whole is not necessary. While that is no breakthrough, it allows them to take multiple chances to leap forward. But, you don't need to hear that for me. Just listen to this record and watch their 2016 London show at the O2 to notice the shifting of tectonic plates beneath our feet.
Jeff Tweedy
Warm
[LP/CD]dBPM/ANTI)
The solo work of Jeff Tweedy has always searched for a way to separate Tweedy from sounding similar to Wilco. Expanding on the band idea from 2014's "Sukierae" and the acoustic lean of 2017's "Together At Last," "Warm" sounds familiar but feels edgier and different. Lyrically, Tweedy has not been this on point in years. "Let's Go Rain" boasts several fine Prine-ish lines above its country sway. While "Having Been Is No Way To Be" introduces a new style of elliptical writing and "Some Birds" feels like Dinosaur Jr. However, the best thing "Warm" has in store is that these songs hint at a future direction for Wilco.
Rev. Horton Heat
Whole New Life
[LP/CD](Victory)
Rockabilly has been cool. Then drifted into the other territory, yet the stalwart Rev. Horton Heat keeps bringing it back. Much like classic cars and soda pulled right from the tap, there is no need to change this formula. Heath pounds out the classic Chuck Berry blues with piano, booming stand-up bass and swinging drums once again. What is different about "Whole New Life" is that Heath seems to finally be interested in writing about himself. A novel concept that will likely earn him another go-round.
Bryan Ferry
Bitter-Sweet
[LP/CD](BMG Artist Mgmt)
The erstwhile Ferry has long been an arbiter of taste. Following Roxy Music (which I will continue to highly recommend,of course) and his sleek, soulful solo career, Ferry of late continues to mine The Jazz Age for musical inspiration. "Bitter-Sweet" (straight from "Country Life" to be recovered here with five other Roxy songs) continues his interest in re-arranging (though not singing or playing) his own music.
BE BOP DELUXE
Sunburst Finish
[2CD/3CD+BLU-RAY](Cherry Red)
This is the story of a band that could simply never catch a break. Yorkshire guitarist and singer Bill Nelson broke out of his city's scene and formed BBD in the early 70's. After their first record (1974's "Axe Victim") was criticized for sounding too Bowie-esque, he disbanded the group and reformed it with a completely different cast. The second version takes shape on 1975's Futurama but truly gels on this 1976 album. With bassist/vocalist Charlie Tumahai backing him up, Nelson is free to harmonize and toss out unique solo licks in the middle of his songs. Andrew Clark's sparkling keyboards drive the Prog side out of the band ("Fair Exchange") and free up Nelson to try out different textures. They quickly introduce reggae in their formation ("Ships In The Night"), hearken back to Bowie-esque glam ("Heavenly Homes") and even balladize. "Sunburst Finish" is that victim of poor timing. While England is about break from Pub Rock into Punk Rock, Be Bop Deluxe shuffle between Prog and Pop the two genres most maligned. The 10cc-ish wash of the beautiful "Life In The Air Age" sounds properly dated today, this is that album that criminally overlooked as it blended genres and ideas into a new phase of rock. Be Bop Deluxe sadly disbanded in 1978. The masters for all of their albums were victims of misprinting and lack of paid royalties. Now with Nelson himself controlling the recordings, perhaps their legacy will be appreciated.
BRIAN ENO
Discreet Music/Music For Films/Music For Airports/Ambient 4:On Land
[LP](Astralwerks)
The legend of Brian Eno continues to be drawn together. After a three-album run reinventing rock, Eno began to move away from structured writing into textures and an avant-garde looping of simple phrases. While he regularly added texture to music in Roxy Music (the pulsating tension of "The Bogus Man") and looped ideas with guitarist Robert Fripp (the whole album "(No Pussyfooting)," these quiet pastiches of sound were unheard. Drawing inspiration from Erik Satie and minimalist composition, 1975's 30 minute "Discreet Music" is a humble beginning. However, when given a purpose, Eno beautifully eases the tension of airports by giving in his words "a color to sound" and immediately altering the listener's mood. Its companion piece "Music For Films" is somewhat closer to the breakthrough of the second side of "Another Green World" where his pointillistic pieces gain poignancy ("Sparrowfall 1") and purpose ("Quartz.") By the time, Eno looks to create "environments" for his sounds on 1982's "On Land," the quietude and calmness of his Ambient music need an entirely different sonic medium to really be appreciated.
