The Last Drop

Adele, 19 – British soul is on the rise. Again. A late 2000′s rush of rhythm and blues inspired singers are coming out in droves over here. Led by the de facto ring leader (but soon to be hospitalized) Amy Winehouse, well deserved attention is finally being given to the British contribution to modern R&B. Duffy is on the verge with the well crafted “Mercy” single racing up the charts and hitting the dance floors. You know how I feel about Jamie Lidell. Yet, Adele seems to be the strongest candidate for global succession to the house built by Amy Wino.

The Good – once again, we have some strong vocal chops coming from a young woman. And I am enjoying this turn from a country currently known more for their indie rock chops than soul singers (no, Leona Lewis does NOT count). She sounds fully developed for her age and has less of a bend towards satisfying her audience with age appropriate lyrics. Seems like she could last an album or two.
The Not So Good – No definitive bad elements, but some less than stunning qualities lie in her subject matter – love. That’s really all we have here: a 19 year old girl telling her side of romance, heartache, and scorn. Sometimes it’s catchy enough to work. Often, it becomes repetitive. What doesn’t help is her lack of genre depth. I like that she has a great fit for blues and jazz, but too often her songs end up muddled in lite FM territory. Too many strings and not enough spontaneity. And I wouldn’t mind a few more upbeat songs. She can kill a ballad, but ends up beating the dead horse. Digression alert – whoever did the mixing stuck too heavily on the treble end as all I can hear are the strings and her voice above the actual music. Sounds ill blended and a bit gaudy.

Overall, I like Adele. I think she has a lot to offer given her age and experience. This is no Back to Black, which, for all of Amy’s faults, is an amazing offering. I would like to see her strip off a lot of her backing elements and stick to the acoustic/sparer repertoire as it allows her talent (and emotion) to shine best. “Daydreamer” is by far my favorite track as it’s just Adele. And that’s all I’m asking for.

The Maccabees, Coulour It In – I purchased this album based on the free tracks from Daytrotter (see, free music DOES make you want to hear more). And that the album uses the British spelling of color. Any excuse to enjoy the differences in British and American culture is always appreciated. Even without my crude sense of humour, the album stands on its own. Driving indie rock to the fullest. Lots of clear cut guitar riffs, cleanly delineated rhythms and a heartfelt, emotional lead singer. Also, more upbeat than expected. The Daytrotter sessions were more of the brooding variety, yet the album relies heavily on a brisk pace. This can sometimes lead to bleeding of songs into one another. In a bad way. They all become a little non-descript since they are all at the same speed. But the British indie bands usually salvage sonic repetition for lyrical ingenuity. The Maccabees are at the top of the NME indie ladder, but they do make an enjoyable album. It is definitely a first album with limited expansion of different music styles. However, it does hint towards a more interesting follow up. Furthermore, it would be a ton of fun to see them live, get sweaty and two step/hop with the rest in the crowd.

A recent Pitchfork rant/soapbox ministry tried to highlight the centralization of British music journalism. NME has crossed over from a bastion for independent music critique to mainstream press and overall tastemakers for British rock. Similar to a Chicago blog that is often quoted by artists to increase their “indie cred” which may also help them get signed? Maybe. However, British rock still has BBC Radio One that has reversed their fan base – going from a Top 40 mainstream audience to focus specifically on pushing the envelope and developing the overall British tolerance for new music. A strange business proposal (estrange your fan base for a niche audience that is fical) and most likely only possible through the federal sponsorship of the BBC. Although NPR has done well to represent diverse music in their broadcasts.

Even with the suggested influence of NME as the end all for making bands, the UK still seems much more open to fostering a less machine-like progression of new music. The fact of a band like The Gossip that would hardly be marketable in the US – a three person punk band led by a large lesbian that makes many references to her size and sexuality – becoming a huge success in the UK is true testament to the culture of live performance. The clubs still rule the roost and it is virtually impossible to break on a larger scale without having a strong live performance background. Regardless of the British press, you still have the asset of word of mouth to drive your career. In many ways, it simplifies the formula, if only to place a slightly larger reward for bands that can survive live. Something the US can and should learn.

Pitchfork Poptimist – English Settlement