Justin Bernasconi - Winter Pick (Mountain King Music)
I’VE mentioned it before but there are few purer things in music than a muso with his — or her — acoustic guitar.
It’s the whole organic experience as weathered fingers slide across frets to create a timeless sound unmolested by studio trickery.
Justin Bernasconi delivers several timeless moments on the Jeff Lang-produced Winter Pick.
Bernasconi, also known as the guitarist and songwriter for The Stillsons, combines warm instrumental numbers with gently-sung efforts to create an album so very apt of its title.
One instrumental highlight is the slow-burning Bernie’s Breakdown which spirals into a gallop of sorts while Gatekeeper is a gritty, authentic blues tune that showcases the talented musicians Bernasconi has surrounded himself with.
Elsewhere, the countrified Ram’s Eye is pacy and a great example of storytelling and Soon is a stylish and aching closer.
Rating: ★★★½
In short: Authentic
Coldplay - Ghost Stories (Warner)
DON’T believe Pharrell for a minute — you need a little heartbreak to write amazing pop.
And so, Coldplay’s sixth album, Ghost Stories, is sad.
We know Chris Martin is intensely private, we know his marriage to Gwyneth is over.
Now we know how he conveys his pain — through song.
It’s been noted in other reviews that this sounds like a Martin solo record. It does.
Musicially, it’s not inherently Coldplay, sans the lead singles Magic and the joyous and almost club-friendly Sky Full Of Stars.
Granted, there are more electronic touches than before, but not of the uplifting variety.
Ink is gentle and a lovely ‘Coldplay’ tune but juxtaposed lyrically. True Love is destined to be over-analysed with lines like: ‘I’ve lost you now, you let me go’ and ‘tell me you love me, if you don’t then lie, oh lie to me.’
Nothing here with stadium impact but the gorgeous Oceans and the title track are notable.
Various - Ministry Of Sound Anthems: Hip Hop III (MOS)
FOR those who think Joel Fletcher’s Swing was a hot new track in 2014, or Lupe Fiasco first hit it big alongside Guy Sebastian or that The Black Eyed Peas are an annoying pop act — apply within.
Ministry of Sound, mostly known for their work in the upper-125 bpm range, has delivered a triple-CD hip-hop treat that is basically a lesson in the genre’s history.
Forefathers like the Sugarhill Gang, Furious Five and Kurtis Blow kick off proceedings before classics drop from golden era acts like Run DMC (Walk This Way), NWA (Express Yourself), LL Cool J (Mama Said Knock...), Ice Cube (It Was A Good Day) and Ice-T (Colors)
The oceanic flavour isn’t ignored either with Savage’s reborn Swing here in original form along with hits from Scribe (Not Many) and the Hilltop Hoods (Nosebleed Section).
J-Kwon, Luda, Das-FX and Onyx also rekindle memories.
Michael Jackson - Xscape (Sony)
SO do we consider this a ‘new’ Michael Jackson CD or a collection of rescued and remixed MJ throwaways?
Thankfully, unlike the King of Pop’s first posthumous release Michael,Xscape has been treated with enough respect.
The beauty of this is that many of the demos come from Jackson’s golden era with producer Timbaland making them a little more musically relevant.
It seems to work, Timbo keeps Xscape’s music to retro neo-soul, pop and R&B, thus delivering tunes that you’d imagine Jackson would approve of.
Opener, Love Never Felt So Good is a feel good urban-pop charmer co-written by Paul Anka back in 1983. You can’t tell, it’s a triumphant comeback.
It’s great to hear those vocal inflections again. Check the The Way You Make Me Feel-esque A Place With No Name, the downtempo, stringladen Chicago and the stylish storyteller Do You Know Where Your Children Are?
Tori Amos - Unrepentant Geraldines (Universal)
DUE to her perceived (and sometimes proven) kookiness, some fans may have bailed on Tori Amos over the past half-a-decade.
Do come back.
Unrepentant Geraldines sees Amos return to the enchanting style of pop she won said fans over with in the first place.
Over 14 tracks, Amos never really gets out of a mild stroll but the depth of these tunes is where the magic is.
Opener America reminds us what we’ve always loved about Tori — the quaintly-crafted acoustic setting with that unique and equally-quaint voice.
Troubles’ Lament is vaguely Americana and features those shrill notes Amos is so well known for while 16 Shades Of Blue is inherently intriguing — piano-led, mildly electronic and uber-warm.
And there’s a touch of Beatles in the lovely yet wacky Giant’sRolling Pin.