Album Review: Sleepless by Kate Rusby

     Kate Rusby has a magical talent: she breaths new air into traditional tunes, but endows her own compositions with a timelessness so perfect as to blur the line between old and new.
     Sleepless, the second album from South Yorkshire native Rusby, is a melancholy-sweet collection of folk from the British isles.  Songs range from the sassy, original jig 'The Cobbler's Daughter" to the slightly creepy traditional aire, "The Unquiet Grave."  Rusby's voice is one-of-a-kind, soft, quiet and almost husky.  Her piano and guitar accompaniments complement her arrangements without being simplistic.
     Is there anything bad I can say about this album?  Is it overproduced or overly simplistic?  No.  Too long?  Too short?  No.  Obnoxious guest artists?  Again, no.  This flawless album is a gem in the world of folk.

Pros:
*Beautiful voice
*Beautiful music
*Nice variety of songs

Cons:
*A murder by an over protective mother
*A ghost
*A cow stalker
*A duke with a twisted sense of humor
*A drunk tinker (the butt of the aforementioned duke's prank)
*A maid who learns, too late, that her lover is already married
[Basically, it's English folk: just what you'd expect.]

Album Review: Illuminations by Josh Groban

I will not lie: I am a Josh Groban fan.  I own Awake, Closer, Josh Groban and the "best" songs from Noel, and Josh's live album.  As soon as I discovered a new album in the works early in 2010, I found myself constantly checking Josh's website for details.  Illuminations was released without much to-do on November 15, 2010.  So, naturally, I bought it...November 15. And it has already been well listened to.

Obviously, I'm pleased with the new album.  But, lyrically and musically, how does it stand up to Josh's earlier releases?  Does this album stand alone?  Or am I being seduced by Josh's rich, lyrical voice?

Illuminations will be enjoyed by long time fans of classical/pop crossover, and will hopefully attract some new listeners as well.  Those who complained that Josh only produces "sweet and corny love songs" will find Illuminations a bit more down to earth.  Long time fans will be pleased that Josh's voice still shines in four different languages, and the thirteen songs will leave listeners satisfied but not overwhelmed.  The instrumentation seems simultaneously grander and more raw.  Do I like it?  Yes, I do.  Will you?  I don't know, but this might help:

Song Break Down:

1) The Wandering Kind (Prelude)  An instrumental piece is an interesting way for a vocal artist to start an album.  Even so, it's one of my favorite tracks.  Piano driven in the beginning, it dissolves into a pretty little piece that reeks of romantic melancholy.  Good noveling music.

2) The Bells of New York City  Pretty, romantic, sad...hey, sounds like The Wandering Kind!  Not much to it lyrically, but the music is beautiful.  Every time this song starts, I think it's something by Phillip Glass.  According to my mother (who is also a Groban fan), it's a disguised Christmas song.

3) Galileo (Someone Like You)  Unfortunately, I don't like this song at all.  The lyrics aren't really there and don't seem to match the music.  Sorry, Josh, but this one's a dud.

4) L'Ora Dell'Addio  Slow and a little sad, this song show's Groban's voice nicely.  Some parts feel like lyrically cramming.  

5) Hidden Away  Please don't keep your love hidden away.  A sweet song requesting a girl to show her love, instead of hiding it.  This song reminds me of You Are Loved

6) Au Jardin Des Sans-Puorquoi  It's French.  Nothing else, good or bad, sticks out about this song.

7) Higher Window  One Amazon.com reviewer complained that this song "sounded religious".  It does, but it's subtle and I can't decide what religion it's referring to.

8) If I Walk Away A "poppier" tune than some on this album.

9) Love Only Knows  Another pop influenced song.

10) Voce Existe Em Mim  Possibly the coolest non-English song I've ever heard (it's in Portuguese, if you were curious).  I love it.  Go listen to it.

11) War At Home  Sad but encouraging without sappiness.  This is one of my favorites.  Two ambiguous uses of the word "hell".

12) London Hymn  Composed of a creepy choir.  Moody and pretty, but lacks depth because, well, it lacks lyrics.

13) Straight to You Other than some lyrics-not-matching-the-music problems, this is a wonderful song.  It also has a few phrases that might make Christians uncomfortable (Heaven has denied us it's kingdom/

The saints are drunk and howling at the moon/ And the chariots of angels are colliding).