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Rotations: Crowded House, Louris, Phair, Garbage drop new CDs

By George Pelletier - Milford Bureau Chief | Jun 5, 2021

It’s been more than a decade since New Zealand’s Crowded House has released an album, their last being 2010’s “Intriguer.” With a fresh line-up, they return with “Dreamers Are Waiting” (EMI). The Australian and NZ favorites hit paydirt in the states with their song, “Don’t Dream It’s Over” back in 1986. Since then, founding members Neil Finn and Nick Seymour are the last of the old brigade; fellow founder Paul Hester took his life in 2005. Of the record, Finn sounds optimistic and has brought his sons, Liam and Elroy onboard to complete the roster. “Dreamers” is pure pop poetry and producer/keyboardist Mitchell Froom is also back to gently tickle Crowded House’s signature sound. The first single, “To The Island,” is a cascade of melodic head-bobbing synths and guitars and finds Finn pleasantly happy to be back behind the mic. “We were fortunate to be recording in the studio right before lockdown and so began this album with band tracks recorded live in a room, all brimming with character and energy,” Finn said. “We then spent our strangest year, 2020, at distance from each other but connecting daily, swapping files and making those tracks complete. We’re so excited and grateful to be back in one room together now, rehearsing, first to play live in front of audiences in NZ and soon we hope for the rest of the world.” The album also features the single, “Whatever You Want,” signaling the band’s rejuvenation, and while not every song will linger on the lips, “Dreamers Are Waiting” is a welcome back story.

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Gary Louris is best known as the longtime leader of the Jayhawks, a Minneapolis-based band that was once one of the shining lights of the Americana movement in music. Over the decades, the band has forayed into pop territory, but nonetheless, they’re still a great sounding outfit. Now Louris releases his second solo album, “Jump for Joy” (Sham/Thirty Tigers) and it’s clear he’s got a lot to say and a lot of ways to say it. On the title track, Louris does a full rumination on Pulitzer-winning author John Updike, on one of his most celebrated characters, Harry “Ravbitt” Angstrom, with a line about the prospect of meeting the literary icon: “Were there secrets that you couldn’t entrust/Your old friend Mr. Smith-Corona/Oh John, it would have been so good to know ya.” Louris is the king of Beatlesque-hooks, and on the first track and single, “Almost Home” – originally pitched to AT&T for a commercial but rejected – he wrote a chorus, a verse and a bridge to complete the song. “Miles of empty skies and ever-winding streets/So incomplete and all along/When I close my eyes, I always see your face/I hear your voice I’m almost home.” With gorgeous melodies and layered vocals, “Jump for Joy” lives up to its name. Here’s hoping for another solo outing where Louris can break past roots sometime sooner than later.

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Alt-rock heroine Liz Phair writes clever songs and catchy choruses. On “Soberish” (Chrysalis), she’s back in familiar territory. Nothing revolutionary but very comfortable. There’s a lot of bright California retro-pop on the albujm, as Phair hints at what she’s been pondering during the past 11 years since last releasing a record. The first single, “Spanish Doors” starts logically at the beginning: someone living a well-lived life suddenly sees things blow up and wonders if and when normalcy will return. The hook is simple but bright and things shift melodically enough to warrant repeated listening. The title track continues the vibe; it’s practically a master class in pop songwriting with Phair sounding so complete and honest, you just wish she was one of your besties. “I meant to be sober, but the bar’s so inviting,” she sings. Yeah, been there, done that. “Soberish” gets a bit more in your face near the end, as she tosses about anthems of sex, drugs and scandal on the track “Dosage,” then doubles down on “Bad Kitty.” Phair was a strong feminist voice decades ago. It’s nice to know that not everything mellows with age.

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For Shirley Manson and the band Garbage, “No Gods No Masters” (Stunvolume), their new record is another testimony about making sense of the world amidst a pandemic. The COVID phenom has stirred some artists, while it’s shaken others. Garbage is somewhere in the middle. The title track is case-positive- a crunching chunk of electronic-drenched guitar music that finds the band challenging themselves once again. Visceral and blood-thirsty, the track allows Garbage to hit peak velocity, seemingly tapping into the energy of the band’s initial writing sessions three years ago. Manson has said that she is trying to make sense of the world. “I was trying to make sense of left and right, literally. Like why do some people vote right? Why do some people vote left? And all of that comes from a concern for ourselves, for our friends, for our families, ultimately, for our babies… this song is about re-imagining our society for the future, for our children and not making the same mistakes over and over again and allowing greed to corrupt our thinking…” It’s nice to bring the Garbage into the house for a nice change of pace; taking it out is so blasé.