New Reviews: May 2008
Reviews by Matthew Forss
Sierra Hull
Secrets
Rounder Records
The 16-year-old mandolin marvel, Sierra Hull, brings us several selections of innovative bluegrass music. Her clear vocals and magnificent musicianship carry the album’s refreshing musical content. Sierra is joined on mandolin with banjo, bass, fiddle, guitar and dobro. If you are aware of Canada’s fiddling phenoms, April Verch and Natalie MacMaster, then Sierra Hull is the American equivalent on the mandolin. Listen to Sierra’s instrumental prowess on “Smashville” and it’s hard to imagine you are listening to the musical ingenuity of a 16-year-old. The 13 tracks are pure musical gold with songs of a slow and fast nature. Sierra’s musical talent is supported and nurtured by her friends and family, but we soon discover her Christianity is the most pervasive source of inspiration for her music and life. Ordinarily secrets should not be told, yet Sierra’s Secrets should be told to everyone. Perfect for bluegrass, folk, roots and Christian music fans.
Dan Paisley and the Southern Grass
The Room Over Mine
Rounder Records
The energetic music of Dan Paisley pays homage to the classical bluegrass traditions, while making them his own. Dan’s vocals lead his Southern Grass Band’s instrumentation of guitar, bass, banjo, and fiddle. The speedy musical playing and fast vocal work draw upon Appalachian and old-time bluegrass musical traditions. Of course, The Room Over Mine does have its slower moments, but every track is a real gem. Dan’s vocals and strikingly different from American country music and instead closely follow the folk roots tradition. Yet, listeners of bluegrass, folk, roots, old-time and instrumental music will enjoy Dan Paisley and his Southern Grass Band. This bluegrass-picking album is one of my favorite picks of 2008.
The Idan Raichel Project
The Idan Raichel Project
Cumbancha Records
The project’s chief member, Israel’s Idan Raichel, gives us a contemporary album basically influenced by the musical cultures of North Africa and the Middle East. Idan’s programming abilities and compositional greatness is unmatched in today’s world music genre. Every track is catchy, richly-textured and incorporates varied vocals eschewing the traditions of Ethiopian, Arabic and Jewish cultures. Many of the tracks remind me of the group Enigma or even Italy’s Nuklearte in sound and structure. Though, Idan’s songs are sung in Hebrew and he is joined by other singers. The entire package is mature, inspirational, and most of all – enjoyable! This is probably music for the younger generations, but adults everywhere should experience the musical spirit of the Idan Raichel Project.
Various Artists
Cuban Street Party
World Music Network
With the approach of summer, the Rough Guide collections are heating up with the street music of Cuba. The familiar musicians, Sierra Maestra, Celia Cruz, Yumuri Y Sus Hermanos and others, play an exciting set of party music. It will be difficult to stand still when listening to this music. A mix of brassy tunes, timba, guajira, son and salsa rhythms emanate from these tracks. These Latin tunes are energetic and engaging all in the same beat. If you are a fan of Cuban music then don’t miss Cuban Street Party.
Various Artists
Think Global: Fiesta Latina
World Music Network
If catchy beats and Latin musical adventures interest you, then Think Global’s Fiesta Latina album is the one for you. Tracks by the Spanish Harlem Orchestra, Grupo Caribe, Ray Barretto, Orlando Conga and others, bring us music from Colombia, Cuba, and the US. You will hear many styles including, meringue, rumba, jazz, soul, salsa, bachata, cumbia, soukous, bugalu and Caribbean. Lovers of Latin jazz should also pick up Cuban Street Party.
Various Artists
Brazilian Street Party
World Music Network
The ultimate musical street party should not take place without the sounds of Brazil’s vibrant and diverse musical styles. In fact, Brazilian Street Party explores funk, brass, Caribbean, soul, jazz, capoeira, reggae, samba, hip-hop, and carnival music. Brazil’s incorporation of African-derived rhythms is also accompanied by European and Indian musical elements. The music is vocally and instrumentally sound. You will hear Manu Chao, Joao Sabia, MC Marcinho, Chico Salles, Think Of One, Anna Luisa and others. Party in the streets of Rio or your local neighborhood with this one!
Various Artists
Arabic Café
World Music Network
Just as a café can have many types of foods, the Arabic music is equally diverse. On Arabic Café, we sample the songs of North Africa and the Middle East. In fact, musicians from Egypt, Algeria, Palestine, Syria, Lebanon and Saudi Arabia are included in this set. The passionate vocals of Amal Murkus begin the musical experience. She is followed by oud soloist Amer Ammouri, the late-Oum Kalthoum, classic singer Reem Talhami, and exhilarating tunes by Mahmoud Fadl, Maurice El Medioni, and Latif El Idrissi. Everything from sultry vocals to spicy percussion and string arrangements can be heard on Arabic Café. If you are interested in contemporary Arabic music then this is the album for you.
Various Artists
Australian Aboriginal Music
World Music Network
The indigenous sounds of Australia’s cultural music are the backbone of this recording. In a sense, the aboriginal past meets with today’s electronic sounds. Some of the tracks include the familiar didjeridu instrument, but also include trance, trip-hop, ambient and new age elements. In fact, the late didjeridu extraordinaire Alan Dargin, for which this album is dedicated, pioneered aboriginal experimentation with modern musical technologies. His two tracks, “Fantastic Plastic” and a comedic piece called “Hitchhiker’s Nightmare” appropriately showcase his musical talents. A girl group, Tiddas, brings us folk music, Kev Carmody sings a catchy folk song about politics and Kutcha Edwards sings a memorable social rights song. The vocals and musical arrangements are very spacious and unique in sound like the vast environment in which they are composed. Hints of African and South Pacific island influences represent some of the musical tracks on this compilation. Overall, the album spans a plethora of musical tastes including blues, folk, rock, tropical, electronica, hip-hop, and vocal. If you want to explore Australia’s outback, then begin your journey with Australian Aboriginal Music.
Matthew J. Forss graduated from Lakeland College-Sheboygan, Wisconsin in
2005 with a B.A. in Biology. He will graduate with an M.Sc. in Exercise
Science in May 2007 from Northern Michigan University-Marquette, Michigan.
He is pursuing an M.F.A. in Creative Writing at Goddard
College-Plainfield, VT. Since 1998, he has collected numerous
musical instruments and CDs from around the world. In 2000, he wrote a paper
on Mongolian ethnomusicology, entitled: How Does Music Play An Important
Role In The Life And Culture Of Mongolia? Currently, he has collected over
400 CDs that represent over 180 different countries. His general interests
include ethnomusicology journalism and researching the
traditional/contemporary ethnic music of various cultures from around the
world. His specific, geographic areas of study include the traditional and
popular music from Central Eurasia (especially Mongolia, Uzbekistan and
Azerbaijan), North Africa (especially Mali, Mauritania, Western Sahara,
Libya and Morocco), Scandinavia and Pacific Islands (especially New Zealand,
Solomon Islands and New Caledonia). He also enjoys studying Uzbek, Tamasheq,
and German linguistics. In November of 2000, he accepted the position of
writing World Music CD reviews for this site.
