Review: Patrick Watson - Adventures In My Own Back Yard

 Patrick Watson returns with a more mellow sound, the piano ballads taking precedence over the band. Review to follow.

Review: Andrew Bird - Break It Yourself

Review to come soon.

Review: Peter Broderick - http://www.itstartshear.com

Album cover

Peter Broderick is a multi-instrumentalist, original hailing from Oregon but based in Berlin in recent years. This relocation seems to have every connection with fellow new Berliners, The Danish band Efterklang, with whom Peter regularly collaborates.


TBC

Review: Tori Amos - Night of Hunters

As an occasional fan of Ms Tori rather than a devotee, I was very pleased to hear the announcements heralding this album's release. It's basically Tori on piano, plus a string quartet and a few wind instruments, all played and sung to the highest standard, this album is being released by Deutsche Grammophon after all.

There's a lyrical theme/song cycle here - which frankly I can't be bothered to relate - and each tune is based on a piece of classical music (Bach, Chopine, Schumann, Schubert, Debussy, Satie et al). And should anyone  question whether classical composers could write pop tunes - just listen to some of these exquisite melodies.

My only criticism is the lyrics which are decent but not great. However that matters little when encountering such stellar music making. I wasn't expecting a Tori Amos album to feature in my year's top ten, but it's now highly likely. Brava Tori!


My Rating: 10/10, it's a beautiful listen.

Baroque poppy? Essential. This blog exists for albums like this.

Review: Gabriel Kahane - Where Are The Arms

 Gabriel's second singer/songwriter about follows a similar format to the first. Full review to follow.

Sufjan Stevens live in Chicago Oct 15

Set list
Seven Swans
Too Much
Age of Adz
Heirloom
I Walked
Now That I’m Older
Vesuvius
Futile Devices
Get Real, Get Right
The Owl and the Tanger
Impossible Soul
Chicago

Concerning the UFO Sighting Near Highland, Illinois
Decatur, or, Round of Applause for your Stepmother!
Casimir Pulaski Day
John Wayne Gacy, Jr.

Reviews
consequenceofsound.net

Sufjan Stevens live reviews

October 2010 tour

Massey Hall, Toronto Oct 13

“Drama queen that I am, writing about love was like writing about the end of the world,”

"All Delighted People"
"Heirloom"
"Too Much"
"Futile Devices"
"Age Of Adz"
"I Walked"
"Now That I'm Older"
"Vesuvius"
"Get Real Get Right"
"Enchanting Ghost"
"The Owl And The Tanager"
"Impossible Soul"
"Chicago"
"Concerning the UFO Sighting Near Highland, Illinois"
"John Wayne Gacy, Jr."

1. www.chartattack.com
2. www.exclaim.ca
3. www.eyeweekly.com
4. www.theglobeandmail.com

Metropolis Montreal (12 Oct)
http://communities.canada.com/montrealgazette