The Positions "Bliss!" (Lazyline Records) Sounds like: Chicago meets 10,000 Maniacs (and a sprinkling of the Rentals for harmony). B
Whatever category is the opposite of emo would be the category The Positions falls into. Not that they don't talk about breaking up, because they do. But they do it in such a way that, instead of making one want to take drastic matters, inspires one to jump on one's bed (specifically their song entitled "Things You Never Said"). But the first listen doesn't really involve paying attention to the words as much as the music. The album feels like a throwback. The Positions could have written a great theme song to a '70s sitcom. One wonder if this is the audio sensation of doing LSD. Horns and strings compliment the strong and upbeat vocals from the likes of Natalie Merchant's prot?g?s. Halfway through, the album seems to take a giant generational leap with different synthesizer sounds and a beat that constantly changes things up in a good, head-bobbing and arm-waving kind of way. If the album has a major drawback, it is that it's a bit redundant in the upbeat songs and the downbeat songs. Specifically, "Forever..." is a bit painful to sit through. Listening to "Bliss!" is like playing seven degrees of separation with what influenced their music. With a little refinement and a maturation of their own sound, The Positions could be a really good band.
-MARJORIE KORN
Vashti Bunyan "Lookaftering" (DiCristina) Sounds like: a miracle B+
There is no getting around contextualizing "Lookaftering" when discussing its recent release. Thirty-five years ago, as a young British hippie with the twee-est of voices, Vashti Bunyan tossed off one of the greatest folk albums of all time. "Just Another Diamond Day" was an almost flawlessly stunning album that essentially fell on deaf ears, thus ending a career before it could blossom. However, with its re-release just a few years ago and a few extremely relevant hipsters slobbering all over the album's legacy, Bunyan resurfaced. She appeared as a guest on Devendra Banhart's newest albums and leant her still-angelic voice to Animal Collective's excellent but brief "Prospect Hummer" EP.
When it was announced that Bunyan would release her first album in 35 years, it was an announcement met with very little skepticism and pure enthusiasm (unlike the re-emergence of Big Star or the Happy Mondays). As expected, "Lookaftering" does not disappoint. It is only 11 songs in 35 minutes (nearly half of the length of her debut), but there is not a wasted moment. Little has changed in the last three decades. The songs are still compact folk nuggets that are flowing melodically and produced intimately. However, though subtle, there is a small difference in Bunyan's voice. It feels more distant and less like she is whispering in your ear. Perhaps, this can be attributed to her age and subsequent hardening. The standouts are title track "Lately," with its lush introduction, and "Against the Sky," to which Joanna Newsom lends some embellishments with her harp.
"Lookaftering" is a triumph, and a truly excellent album, even without the interesting story behind it. Hopefully it will introduce a folk legend to the new generation of indie geeks. Maybe, more importantly, Bunyan will give hope to aging musicians who may still have it and should give it another chance. Maybe the Smiths will take notice.
-JOSH LEVITZ
Diamond Nights "Popsicle " (Kemado) Sounds Like: Billy Idol, Duran Duran, The Darkness and Louis XIV mixed in a blender of sleazy fun. B
Just when you thought the synth rock, new-age revival couldn't get any more crowded, the Long Island foursome Diamond Nights decided to throw their hat in the ring with their debut LP. The difference between Diamond Nights and their contemporaries in the glam rock category is that they don't set out to reinvent the wheel and create that defining sound that might bring them worldwide stardom. Instead, they borrow from a range of '80s influences to create the album you swear that you've heard before but can't stop listening to. On the lead track, "Destinations Diamonds," frontman Morgan Phalen channels his inner Freddy Mercury to produce a falsetto-heavy chorus that would make Justin Hawkins of The Darkness applaud. "Saturday Fantastic" is the cock-rock anthem of the 21st century. The album's best track, "The Girl's Attractive," is the song Billy Idol wished he made, complete with synth-heavy chorus and laugh out loud lyrics from Phalen that will make great Facebook quotes. Diamond Nights may not break any new ground in terms of sound, but good luck getting it off that iTunes most-played list.
-MAX ROLLINGER
Billy Joel "My Lives" (Columbia Records) Sounds Like: Music from an elevator that's having an identity crisis. B+
If you're a diehard Billy Joel fan, feel free to bump this up to an "A+." This will be Babylon for you. Everything you never knew you wanted from Joel is on "My Lives." Bob Dylan covers, demos from treasured top 40 hits with different lyrics and no post-production, live performances and a sizeable chunk of a concert from the "River of Dreams" tour on a separate DVD. Discounting the concert, it's four discs and 54 tracks - enough to fill the emotional void of any afternoon drive through the weary winds of Cold Spring Harbor.
Of particular interest are tracks from The Lost Souls and The Hassles, the bands Joel participated in before becoming a solo artist. Three of his classical compositions from his transitional period in the late '90s, in turn, cap off the fourth disc, making the sets bookends to Joel's career and creative awakenings.
Pretty definitive Billy Joel best-of collections already exist, so it's commendable that "My Lives" goes out of its way to provide a peak into his songwriting process and even the man's insecurities in cobbling together lyrics from early compositions. Many simply don't like Joel for trying to marry '60s songwriting with pounding Sun Records-style delivery. For them it's transparent Baby Boomer fluff for easy listening stations. It's doubtful that these discs intend to change many minds, but at the very least they'll lend more sincerity towards the arguments the Long Island native has been struggling with for four decades.
-NEAL FERSKO
