What great little records! EP's........releases.........
Whatever they are.
Both of these EP's are huge jerks for not being longer, the Laura Marling especially, as it is only 2 songs. But oh, what 2 songs! Marling isn't exactly pushing the envelope or anything, but she is so amazing as she is, I wouldn't want her to push anything lest she damage her guitar playin' hands. The first track 'Blues Run the Game' is a little jaunty, folksy number. The fine young lady from England has a touch of smoke to her voice, but she stays away from anything jazzy or poppy on the road to sweet acoustic wonder. The second track is "The Needle and The Damage Done", a Neil Young cover. Also a Thursday lyric but whatevs. She finger picks her way into a slightly more upbeat version of the song. I think she owns it, she sounds like she had written it, none of that 'sounds like a cover' nonsense. If this wasn't an EP I'd be waaay happy. But as is, I will patiently wait for a full length.
Oh Land is another lady-centric group, which is one of my favorite things. Nanna Oland Fabricius calls herself Oh Land and she is starting to get some big looks, at least that's what the internet indicates. I know I am looking because 'Son of a Gun' is a really amazing single. As far as sound she intersects a few great women; Marina and the Diamonds, Kate Miller-Heidke, and one of my favs, Lykke Li. If Lykke Li had a more full sound it would be Oh Land, which is cool because they are both Scandinavian, classically trained ballet dancers.
It's a six-song EP but the last two tracks are really kind of unfortunate remixes. I am a fan of remixes but these two are a great example of why they get a bad rep. Boring on the best edge, unnecessary on the whole, the song doesn't do any better by being remixed. The first 2 tracks-'Son of a Gun' and 'White Nights'- have a really similar sound. Think really driving, almost tribal drums with long, lean synths, and sexy melodic vocals. Both are just excellent, though I think 'Son of a Gun' is going to be her stand-out. The third track features a plinking marimba and really gets that Lyyke Li feel in. The final track (because I am ignoring the remixes) is 'Wolf & I'-a lot slower with her voice ranging away from the electro sound and into a more organic smoky register. The first time I heard it I thought "Aww, dang. I guess you just can't keep up that much energy over a whole record, eventually you have to fall back on something more conventional." I don't quite feel the same way now, but I think that if 'Wolf & I' is your favorite Oh Land song, you probably don't actually like Oh Land.
Ok! That is the post. Today it was Laura Marling from the UK and Oh Land from Denmark via Brooklyn. I have a ton of stuff building up so hopefully I won't dwell on the next few like I did these EP's But there is a new Figurines record, eeeee. and that Asobi Seksu is still out there.......
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