Sotto Voci

I Kind of Like Lucy

                  

I Like Adrienne a Lot

       

I've covered a lot of female artists lately, and while I like most and love some, Mrs. Jaybee is lukewarm overall. She doesn't like the ones who sing with a "girly" voice, and wishes they would "sing like grown women."

I could probably put all of these artists on a spectrum - starting with Phoebe Bridgers and ending with Bessie Smith, with Chappell Roan, Carly Rae Jepsen, Olivia Rodrigo, Angel Olsen, Sandy Denny, Kasey Musgraves, the Beths, Alvvays, the Illuminati Hotties, Billie Holiday and Ella Fitzgerald, to name just a few, order them by girly-voice-ness, and find the dividing line between acceptable and not.

But it's not that simple. What about all the other pertinent qualities? Songwriting obviously matters.  (Mrs. Jaybee has grudgingly come around on Joni Mitchell.) As do many other factors, each of which should be weighed based on its importance and pertinence. (At this point, friends from work would recognize a certain look in my eyes and say, There goes Jaybee starting another spreadsheet...) But really, how dare I think I can reduce my wife's taste, nuanced and thoughtful as it is, into a two-dimensional grid?

I'd sooner do that for my taste, which, come to think of it, would save us all a lot of time in the long run. Instead of writing rambling, nonsensical blog posts, I would simply publish my grid once, and upon hearing new music, indicate its coordinates on said grid and give a score. And when I don't like said score, muck with the numbers until I do. Easy and logical, right? 

The thing about spreadsheets is that they encourage my tendency to postpone actual thinking. Now I hate to think as much as the next guy, but sometimes it just can't be avoided. I could lie, I guess, but I'm bad at it. It's one thing to write something that makes no sense, which can be construed as being unintentional. But it would be worse to write what I don't mean, especially when you, dear reader, can tell.

So perhaps it's better to focus on outcomes. 

To a point.

Anyway, both Dacus and Lenker have distinctive voices. Not strong, mind you, but you sure do know who is singing right away.

Lucy Dacus: Home Video (2021)

Recently, while listening to Boygenius, Mrs Jaybee and I agreed that Lucy Dacus (below) had a lovely, deep voice. One would only naturally want to hear more of it. 

Alas, like Emmylou Harris before her, Dacus is a much better backup singer than lead.

Her lyrics, though - and there are lots of them - are quite good, and worth delving into. It's just her voice doesn't break through quite enough to make them front and center. 

I don't hear anything wrong with this record, but after having spent a couple of weeks just trying to hear it, I'm not sure I've heard anything exactly right, either. And it's that very voice that's keeping me from hearing the melodies, if there are any.

Mrs. Jaybee originally liked what she heard, but after about a half dozen listens, agrees with me - a rarity - that it all sounds the same. But thank you, Ms. Dacus, for contributing to our marital accord.

I hope I'll get to revisit this again, at which time I'll note an excellence that slipped past me this time around.

B

PS: Okay, okay, I figured it out. The first problem is that many of Dacus's songs are melodically similar. The second is that you have to play this loud to make out the differences. It is thus, Pretty Good.

B+

Adrienne Lenker: Bright Future (2024)

On another co-listening occasion, this time a Big Thief CD, Mrs. Jaybee may have told me to never play it again. I don't quite (want to) remember. 

Adrienne Lenker is Big Thief's lead singer and songwriter.  Together, they've made several records, one of which I love and another I wish I liked more. The former provides a perfect musical accompaniment to her voice, while the latter lays bare when things don't match as well.

One can't accuse Lenker of a gloss, though. Her voice is so fragile, you're afraid she's going to emotionally collapse mid-song. Further, she typically chooses minimal accompaniment for her songs, which could just a consequence of doing a solo album to begin with. The first song almost doesn't qualify as one, but she persists, and by the end, you believe it actually does. 

And all the ones that follow more than qualify.

A-

It's Young to Feel Great Again

Around this time of year, I get a little tired of reaching into the past and decide to dip into current music. It's my version of actually going out and interacting with other humans.

Plus, we live in such a positive time, why not immerse myself in it?

But it's really due to my vanity. I would like to feel young at least for a few minutes, and there's nothing like turning on the radio and hearing a great new song to do that. Clearly, that has not happened in some time. The closest I can come to it is putting on a new album that sounds great.

I would thus play it safe and get some pop music. So why I chose this moment to get a punk album I'll never know. Perhaps I thought "punk" no longer meant what it used to? 

Amyl and the Sniffers: Comfort to Me (2022)

Wrong.

In terms of sheer energy, this beats out Dry Cleaning. Amy Taylor's high-pitched-but-not-quite-a-shriek vocals are a perfect complement to the low roar of the guitar. And her Australian accent just adds to the fun. 

Rage is the default emotion in punk, so what's odd here is the repeated use of the word "love". A welcome development! Of course, Amy is demanding that you love her. Still, it proves you can be angry and in love at the same time.

And I found out later Jaybee Son Mike loves it!

As with some other genres (reggae, blues, country, etc.) I only play it when I'm in the mood, like when I'm alone or when we've somehow invited someone over who I hate.

So in the long run I'll probably play Dry Cleaning a little more often.

But then again, I could go through my old address book and look up some old frienemies...

A-

"Hertz"

Wet Leg: Wet Leg (2022)

"Dad, I think you would like this band," sez Jaybee Son Mike, making his second appearance here. 

Whenever I hear this phrase - and I hear it a lot - I think of it as a statement about me rather than the music.  I chafe at the suggestion I'm "predictable". Am I not the "independent spirit marching to the beat of my own drum"? Not with those cargo shorts ads popping up on my Facebook timeline, I'm not.  

So I look them up and the buzz is quite strong. So I gave them a try.

Turns out, Mike was right! It's EXACTLY what I would like. Even Mrs. Jaybee likes it, and she's pretty tough on the young ladies (Editor's note: Don't tell her I said that.)

(Editor's Note: Mrs. Jaybee would like to address the whole "girly voice" question. It is not that they sing that way per se. It is that they don't project. If they've got a good voice, they should use it.)

However, we both agree that the vocals here are less "girly" than quirky, and - critically - the band rocks, adding just the right touch a given song needs, moving several from good to memorable. So it's fun from beginning to end.

Warning: Slight Digression Ahead:

And it edges out Haim, simply because I don't feel obligated to put it on. The Haim record is "excellent" overall, and it deserves its due, but that adjective has never been a good compliment for a rock record. "Excellent" is not "great!", (and, of course, "great!" is not "Great!" which is not "GREAT". You get the idea.)

But in case you don't:

• Not Bad: (B to B+) Weyes Blood or the first Grateful Dead album
• Pretty Good: (B+ to A-) Sharon Van Etten or Her Satanic Majesties Request
• Excellent (A-): Haim or the first Allmans album 
• great! (A- to A) A real pleasure at the moment, but who knows if it will last? Wet Leg or the second live Grateful Dead record. 
• Great! (A) Joy from beginning to end. Township Jazz and Jive, Marshall Crenshaw's first album, and most Beatles, Stones, and Neil Young albums.
• GREAT (A+) The Pantheon, still bringing joy decades later: Abbey Road, Tonight's the Night, Another Green Word, The Who Sell Out, Katy Lied.

End of Digression:

And with (Spoiler Alert!) the final line: I just need a bubble bath to set me on a higher path, this record's "great!". Now let's see if it makes its way to "Great!"

A

"Too Late Now"

Summer?

Fathers Day:

For me, it's the beginning of the musical summer. It's when I force Mrs. Jaybee and the kids to get me music that is freakishly odd and completely inappropriate to the season. This is not a bad thing, but it is, well, bad timing.

Leonard Cohen: You Want It Darker (2016)

Is there a better way to kick off the summer than to listen to a sick old man embrace death? Of course not!

And Lenny faces death quite courageously. 

This is right up there with his best latter-day stuff. In fact, the second half of Essential comes off rather bloated (am I ungrateful for that embarrassment of riches, or what???) compared to this. The pairing of the words (as good as any he’s ever put down) and music is perfect. Not. Beach. Music.

A-

“You Want It Darker”

Lykke Li: Youth Novels (2008)

And of course when you're packing your beach bag and putting on your bathing suit, what country immediately comes to mind? That’s right, Sweden.

And it you can find a strange young woman singing lonely songs, all the better.

Mrs. Jaybee hates this one, though.  “It’s the girly voice,” she says.  

I kind of like it, though. I kept telling myself I was going to hear dance music but instead it’s got a pretty bare-bones sound, with nary a synthesizer. Sort of the Anti-Robyn. 

Luckily, the songwriting holds up almost all the way through.

B+

"Dance, Dance, Dance"

Lykke Li: Wounded Rhymes (2011)

This one explores rougher territory, sometimes going back as far as the 50s for style and execution. It’s startlingly different from Youth Novels but the songwriting is better and it has more variety. 

It earns its drama and pain and doesn’t overplay its hand. When she sings “my love is unrequited” It’s just thrilling.

And with, after only three short years, the girly voice gone, Mrs. Jaybee hums along to almost every one of them.

A-

"Sadness is a Blessing"

Academy Records:

I also try to fit in a trip to the used record store. Now I should already have learned my lesson about matching the music to the time of year (The "No Christmas Music in June" rule.), but Academy Records, like Other Music before that doesn't work that way. They have what they have. Or to put it another way, they have what someone else hated.)

So you take what you can get. And, this time, let's just say they hadn't exactly stocked up for the Fourth of July rush.

The Mothers of Invention: Freak Out! (1966)

Ah, what great summer memories of the Watts riots!

It’s always risky going back to those legendary records from the 60s and 70s. The 60s because the albums are just not as consistent as they should be, and the 70s because of an odd stench I pick up, either originating from a paucity of production or songwriting that prevents the record from withstanding the test of time.

This is Frank’s first record. Although I’m familiar with a few others they’re all very different from one another, so it’s hard to know what to expect.  

Not Surprising:

The contempt. Frank is right, of course, but it prevents him from displaying any warmth. So you end up with music to admire instead of enjoy. And Frank’s also as sexist as any of the “daddy”s he complains about.

His parodies of 50s rock n roll make me wonder if we’re meant to enjoy it or not. That’s okay, I do. 

Surprising

It’s more song-oriented than I expected. Frank can sure write a pop tune when he wants to! Which is almost never unless he’s smirking.

Frank’s guitar playing is bitchin’ from the git-go.

So for a Zappa skeptic like me, somewhat of a pleasant surprise.

B+

“Trouble Every Day”

Tom Waits: Bad as Me (2011)

I guess we should all be grateful that we haven't seen old Tom in a bathing suit.

Crazy as ever but rocking harder. Every song has either great instrumentation, vocals or lyrics. This may be my favorite by him.

A-

“Last Leaf on the Tree”

Summer!:

But I eventually (in this case, late July) learn.

Best Coast: Crazy for You (2010)

Finally! An actual summer record.

I can easily imagine hearing this at a barbecue in the 1960s or on a passing transistor radio as I play on the sidewalk. This is as much due to the lo-fi sound as to the perfect pairing of female vocals and loud guitars.

For that alone, it’s the record of the summer, such as it is.

I could see getting tired of it due to the similarity of attack throughout - all the songs sounding the same and all - but Bethany Consentino keeps coming up with the tunes, so I’m okay with it. And Mrs. Burns hums to it, even the songs on the second half. Now THAT’s a recommendation!

A-

Older Men and Younger Women, or, Sometimes the Present is Actually Bearable

Despite my recent disappointments, some current music does occasionally work for me.



Grimes: Art Angels (2015)

“I’m surprised you like this” is something Mrs. Jaybee says whenever I get something on the poppy side.

And it probably looks a little ridiculous that a man like me - dangerously close to 60 years old - is listening to this very girlish sounding woman with tunes on the beat-y/dance-y - but pretty - side.

I usually do find this sort of thing annoying, but that’s not the case here.

I did get this too soon. This is Spring/Summer music if ever I heard it.  Meanwhile, I got it oh, back in January?  No problem, I now know to put some things away until the time is right.  And with Spring now here, this sounds just lovely. It makes you want to go out and enjoy the global warming.

And although she sounds very young, and is, what she says is a bit more grown up.

What I love about this:

• She finds strong melodies and arrangements to best complement that voice.  
• Although the music is on the dance-oriented side, she usually starts off with an electric guitar, and preserves its tone, texture and rhythm throughout the track. She likes to keep one foot firmly in the rock n’ roll camp.
• All of the above elements are used to their best effect, and work together, so although there’s a lot going on, it never seems overly busy.

And the above is pretty much the definition - for me - of great pop music.

There are flaws, of course. She goes girly a lot, and the songs that are more purely dance-oriented aren't as original as the rest of the record.

But, to answer your question, Sweetheart, yes, I do like it.

I don’t know if I’ll play it loud in the car like that elderly fella on the motorcycle did the other day. I tend to attribute such things to mid-life crises. But it would appear he’s a little more secure in his manhood than I am.

A-

“Artangels”

Spring

Yeah, I know. Spring isn’t officially over yet, but on the Jaybee Calendar, Summer starts on the Memorial Day weekend.

Plus this Spring hasn’t been very, well, spring-y. So, like the Winter before it, so long, and don’t let the Summer door hit you on the ass on your way out.


Sweden:

And, again I find myself traveling, thanks to what amazon.com throws my way. This time, north to Sweden!

Fox News keeps telling me how it’s a Socialist nightmare. And since they’re so fact-based, out of concern, I decided to go beyond the meatballs and check out their music.


Robyn: Body Talk (2010)

“I’m surprised you got this”.

This is Mrs. Jaybee code for this sucks. And what sucks exactly, Mrs. Jaybee?

Maybe the sight of a 60-year-old enjoying girly-voiced dance pop.

I'll admit, it’s not my go-to genre by any means, but unlike so much other stuff in this category, it’s not vacuous, superficially sexual and all production. I hear some great melodies, sung with real passion and with words to back it up (usually). So, along with thoughts and emotions, there’s even some - god forbid - empathy here.

It may be that Robyn was 31 when she released this. So she’s been around for a while and while she can be impetuous like your average young person, she’s also capable of a little wisdom. Which appeals to my 60-year-old ears.

In other words, she's someone I wouldn’t mind talking to.

She's not perfect. After a great start, there are a couple of silly ones, but then she's back with her heart on her sleeve.

So there's about a fifty-fifty split between the standard but well-done dance tracks and the really melodic emotional - but not slow - ones. If it tilted to the latter a little more it would be great.

So Sweden seems to be doing okay. Whatever problems they have, they seem to deal with them by dancing. Recent developments have shown that this is not at all the worst course of action.

B+

"In My Eyes"


Jamaica:

But it is cold up there! So I head southwest. And back in time about 45 years. (Did I not mention time travel?)


Bob Marley:Catch a Fire (1973)

I love how this begins. You get to hear the band (guitars, bass, drums, etc. - a very rock n' roll sounding band) slowly kick in before Bob starts singing. And not too fast. Just a nice, rocking rhythm. They're not taking on the world just yet. Just doing what they do best. Kind of a relief from the hits, actually.

So I'm far more likely to do a deep dive with this than the to put on the no doubt excellent Legend. 

And the deluxe version contains both the original Jamaican versions of the songs and the ones on the American release. Peter Tosh sings on a couple on the former while it’s all Bob on the latter. Which is just as well. Peter’s great but a little scary. When he sings “400 Hundred Years”, he sounds it.

Definitely worthwhile.

A-

"Concrete Jungle"


And since we didn't get much heat this Spring I decided to stay in a tropical climate, and go even further back in time.

Brazil:


Os Mutantes (1968)

What was it like to be in Brazil in 1967?  Did rock and rock and psychedelia penetrate beyond America and Europe? The answer is an emphatic Yes!!!

Like thousands of others all over the world, this trio was inspired by everything going on up north. This is less their version of Sgt Pepper (which is more “concept” to me than psychedelic) than say Forever Changes. Okay, that's a stretch, but it's the sound of yet another group of young people with limited means trying to find the aural equivalent of bliss.

And not understanding what they're saying is almost a relief. If they were from California, you’d understand the words, but have no idea what they meant.

They have a kitchen sink approach to their music, adding background noise and sudden cuts to something completely different. The guitar playing is pretty standard for the time. The riffs are fast but not very original. The singing is more engaging and melodic, since there's both a male and female vocalist. She usually does the slow ones, which, after the abovementioned sink, come at the right time. So do the changes in tempo (nice drumming by the way!).

This one reminds me how pretty psychedelia could be.

And it all comes together on "Trem Fatansma".

B+




So now let's all break out our parkas for summer!

Meh-ry Christmas

Okay, so the title is opportunistic and misleading since the actual meh-ness occurred in the fall. And it's possible I've used it before but it's our duty to recycle, so...

I've been listening to so much great jazz this year it muscled out pop music, which has been merely good. And just as the perfect is the enemy of the good, the good can also the enemy of the bad, which is at least good for a laugh.

But no one's laughing now.

Primal Scream: Screamadelica (1991)

This UK psychedelic/dance/dub and sometimes rock record starts off well enough but drags from there on, so nothing here really sticks to your ribs.

Loud and proud like Spiritualized, with (slightly) shorter (but still too long) songs. I want to say they're more focused, but when they repeat the title phrase of "Come Together" (Yeah, they're not great at coming up with original titles) for eight minutes, I realize there's such a thing as being too focused. 

Excellent production by Jimmy Miller of Stones fame, and great backup singing, but I only put it on out of curiosity.

B+

"Movin' On Up" (see what I mean?)

Laura Marling: Song for Our Daughter (2020)

Another UK artist. And like Primal Scream, it starts off great and then drifts a bit.

She's a little bit Joni, a little bit Judee Sill, a little bit Weather Station. I’m embarrassed to admit it but I prefer the recent girly (and thus potentially sarcastic) voices to the serious ones, which can be mocked.

I do not not like this record - I'm not suffering when it's on (that William Faulkner quote may be applicable) but it's not one I get excited about. Expert singing and songwriting. Down-to-earth folkish music. And I want to listen to the lyrics. Perhaps a little more change of pace and dynamics would have made it better? 

Given the choice, though, I'll put it on before I put on Primal Scream.

B+

"Alexandra"

Tame Impala: Currents (2015)

This time out Kevin Parker's melodies ride a wash of dance beats and synths.  I miss the sloppy psychedelia of Lonerism, though. I guess I would prefer to hang out with a stoner for an hour than a car salesman.

Perfectly listenable, though.

B+

"The Moment"

Wednesday: Rat Saw God (2023)

This record is so f*cking intense, it can be too hard to take. There's an eight-minute cut where the female singer sounds like she's being murdered, for instance. (I am not exagerrating.)

 After that, things calm down a bit and the melodies and guitars really ring out. Then I hear a pedal steel guitar and I realize they're playing country rock and roll, like early seventies Neil Young.

Sort of the opposite of Laura Marling.

When they're good they're fantastic, which may entice me to give the murder songs another try. 

B+

"Chosen to Deserve"

Genesis: Selling England By the Pound (1973)

One of the better prog-rock albums I've heard. The last time I tried PR was King Crimson, which was pretty good but oh so serious. Luckily Peter Gabriel is more modest than pretentious and is thus easier to take than Robert Fripp.

Here, they make sure there are melodies to accompany the keyboard histrionics. (As much piano as organ thank god.) Some actual guitar, too!  

Of course, I have no idea what the story is about. Figuring that out might ruin the fun.

B+

"I Know What I Like (In Your Wardrobe)"

Galaxie 500: On Fire (1989)

Kinda slow, but if you're tired it comes as a relief. Three then-young people are playing simple, familiar chord progressions and melodies (because that's all they know?) and slow them down so you get their full majesty. 

But just to make it strange, the band - which does have a female member - uses one of the guys to sing the higher parts. It's like listening to "Cortez the Killer" with Neil singing it in his "Only Love Can Break Your Heart" voice.

The guitar solos are pretty rudimentary but get the job done. And on their cover of New Order's "Ceremony", they damn near improve it.

A-

"Tell Me"

Coasters: 50 Coastin' Classics (1992)

I used to hate '50s music. I was born in 1957, so, to me, the Beatles were the real Big Bang, not Elvis, and all good music started in 1963, etc.

And I was at the height of my anti-anti-rock snobbery - where I equated seriousness with quality - when people started listening to oldies stations. I was outraged! There was nothing wrong with current music! As Carly Simon said, these are the good old days! You don't need to feel nostalgic for another time. 

Plus, '50s music was silly. The sound quality sucked, guitars were not prominent, and guys sang like girls.

Okay this seems a bit overboard, but then again 50s music made me feel a bit over-bored (see what I did there?)?(??)

I've come around a bit since then. Reluctantly exploring Chuck Berry, Elvis, Buddy Holly, and the Everly Brothers. The turning point came with History of New Orleans R&B, Vol. 1, which is such a terrific record I began to see the whole era in a different light.

So from that point, I was willing to explore other lesser-known (to me) artists of the era. I'm up to C.

From the get-go, the songs are tuneful and funny - and silly!!! - the band is committed and the singing is right on the mark every time. Plus Leiber and Stoller wrote almost all of these songs and produced most of them, too.

Any record that packs in "Riot in Cell Block", "Smokey Joe's Cafe", "Youngblood", "Yakety Yak", "Along Came Jones" and "Poison Ivy" (I could go on...) all in one place is really special.

A delight.

A