#like as if to say. you took my version and made it funkier. now i shall do the same

[mftm1987]

rapidly approaching my definitive version because the bridge is WAYYYYYYYYYYY too dirty

[howaminotinthestrokesyet]

Behind The Album: Sticky Fingers

In April 1971, the Rolling Stones released their 12th studio album, Sticky Fingers. The recording of this album would mark new territory for the band in a lot of ways. Sticky Fingers would be the first album that had absolutely no participation from the late Brian Jones. This would be the first album released on their new label, Rolling Stones Records. The record would be the first major effort from new guitarist,Mick Taylor. He had participated on the previous album, but on a limited basis. The timing of the album was important as well because it would be the first major work from the band since the disaster at Altamont Speedway. Many things had changed in music since the new decade began.

An important factor that played a large part in the recording of the album was the fact that the band had tremendous tax issues at the time. They had learned that their manager Allen Klein had not been paying their taxes, even though he told them he was doing so. This meant that each member of the band owed quite a bit of money in back taxes to the government. Mick Jagger would later say, “I just didn’t think about taxes and no manager I ever had thought about it, even though they said they were going to make sure my taxes were paid. So after working for seven years I discovered nothing had been paid and I owed a fortune.” One of the first steps came in the band firing Allen Klein. Yet, this did little to minimize their money issues because unbeknownst to the band they had signed over copyrights in America to all their 1960’s material. Klein’s company Abkco Records now held ownership and received all royalties for their music. This financial catastrophe meant that they needed to release new music in order to make any money from the recordings. For this reason, Rolling Stones records was created to begin the process of getting the band out of debt. They needed to retain ownership of their music in order to maximize any kind of profit. After detaching themselves from Allen Klein, Prince Rupert Loewenstein was hired as the group's new financial manager. Looking back now, they finally found someone that would not rob them blind. Atlantic Records was hired to license all of their music, while Marshall Chess of Chess Records would handle the business side of the label. They seemed to trust his background as the president of a hardworking blues label more than anything else. There was a lot riding on this album financially for the band because if it did not sell, then things would go from bad to worse for each member personally.

The recording of Sticky Fingers actually began during their tour of the United States in 1969. They made a visit two muscle Shoals in Alabama because some of their favorite music was recorded there. During this time, the band recorded three songs, “Brown Sugar,” “Wild Horses,” and “You Gotta Move.” Keith Richards with later talk about those sessions in an interview. “The session] one of the easiest and rockingest sessions we’d ever done. I don’t think we’ve been quite so prolific… ever. Those sessions were as vital to me as any I’ve ever done. I mean, all the other stuff we did – ‘Beggars Banquet’, ‘Gimme Shelter’, ‘Street Fighting Man’, ‘Jumpin’ Jack Flash’ – I’ve always wondered that if we had cut them at Muscle Shoals, if they might have been a little bit funkier.” Yet, the recording of the album would take more than a year. The band did not reconvene for more tracks until March 1970 at Mick Jagger‘s estate, Stargroves. He did not have a studio in his house, but instead they used a mobile recording unit. They would use the same thing on the next album, which essentially carried around in a van all the equipment in the sound booth at a recording studio. This unit also allowed the band to record any musicians that just stopped by for a visit. One reason the album took so long was because the material they made during this period was so outstanding. If a song did not end up on Sticky Fingers, then they decided to use it for Exile on Main Street.

Unlike their other releases, this album embodied straight rock and roll. They did not experiment with country, gospel, or anything else for this record. Looking at it in hindsight, this is precisely why people love this album, while critics had mixed reactions about it. The one thing the band did introduce with this album was their new guitarist Mick Taylor. He became a revelation musically because Taylor stood out as the most technically skilled guitarist in the band's history. Keith Richards even said in an interview that the guitar part on “Can’t You Hear Me Knocking” could not be played by him. The guitarist also brought a much more melodic guitar as opposed to Brian Jones previously. This would not be the Rolling Stones, if they did not have any issues at all in the recording of the album. During this time, Keith Richards began to gradually descend into complete and utter heroin addiction. At times, he was so intoxicated during recording they had to abandon completely certain takes. The delay of the album probably had much more to do with his heroin addiction, rather than the amount of material they were producing. Richards would later comment on why he began using the drug. “It was] the periods with nothing to do that got me into heroin. It was more of an adrenaline imbalance. You have to be an athlete out there, but when the tour stops, suddenly your body don’t know there ain’t a show the next night. The body is saying, ‘What am I gonna do, leap out in the street?’ It was a very hard readjustment. And I found smack made it much easier for me to slow down very smoothly and gradually.” At one point during the recording, things got so bad that Mick Jagger filled in for him on the song “Moonlight Mile.” At no point previously would that have even been imagined. This would become quite the conundrum for the band considering the fact that they had just fired Brian Jones for this exact reason. Another interesting aspect of Sticky Fingers was the fact that Gram Parsons did a country version of “Wild Horses” one year before the album was even released for his band. There exist differing accounts on how it all transpired. Jagger and Richards were totally fine with the release of the song. Before his death, Parsons would say in interviews that the song was a gift to him for helping them with country rock songs like “Country Honk” on Sticky Fingers and Let It Bleed. The track is very different from the one the band released, and some critics even argue that the Parsons version is better.

One of the things about Sticky Fingers is that the art associated with the album became just as important as the music. Andy Warhol designed the cover of the album, which was a pair of pants with a working zipper. The first albums had the zipper pull all the way down to reveal white underwear. These albums are collectors items today because they eventually had to switch to a plain photograph. The metal from the zippers was damaging the records when they were stacked in trucks to be delivered. Unfortunately, nobody really knows for sure who the model is on the cover of the album. Some have suspected that it is Joe Johnson, the brother of Warhol's lover at the time. The other iconic piece of art released with this album came in the introduction of the Rolling Stones signature tongue. This has become the most recognizable image for their brand. You probably cannot live in this country without having seen it at least once. The inspiration for it came to Jagger via calendar he owned about Indian culture. “I was looking for a logo when we started Rolling Stones Records. I had this calendar on my wall, it was an Indian calendar, which you’ll see in Indian grocery stores, and it’s the goddess Kali, which is the very serious goddess of carnage and so forth. And she has, apart from her body, this tongue that sticks out. So I took that to John Pasche and he ‘modernized’ it somewhat.”

Upon its release, critics had very mixed reactions towards the album. The main flaw that some found it possessing came in the fact that it underwhelmed. This issue represented what these critics have come to love about the band's more recent efforts. On Beggars Banquet and Let It Bleed, the Stones had experimented quite a bit with their sound venturing off into new areas. Yet, Sticky Fingers did not go in those places, but instead stayed fairly close to basic rock and roll. This emerges as an age old story with a lot of bands. You must do something different in order to impress the critics because they will often say I have already listened to that. The album became the band's most popular one to date as it went number one in both England and America. That fact should actually be the true testament on how good the band's album is overall.

[celebritylive]

One of the most iconic bars in one of the most iconic venues in the country? We can’t think of a better place to sit down and chat with Nashville-based rockers The Cadillac Three. On the tail end of their Country Fuzz tour, PEOPLE caught up with Jaren Johnston, Kelby Ray and Neil Mason before their second night at The Troubadour in Los Angeles to discuss touring, writing their upcoming album – and whether or not Garth Brooks lost their phone number.

RELATED GALLERY: On the Road with The Cadillac Three: The Southern Rock Trio Share Their Top Tour Must-Haves

How’s everything going on tour so far? Still having fun?

JJ: It’s good! We took a little bit of time off in October, so we got a little bit of rejuvenation to get us through the end of the tunnel.

What’s a tour trick or ritual that keeps you guys moving?

JJ: Oh man. Keep the wheels greased and the engine clean, baby. Get up, try and try to train.

KR: Sweat out the booze from the night before and then try a little exercise while we work a lot in there.

JJ: We write songs and record most of them on the road on the way in a studio in the back of our bus. And so we kind of get out. We spent a lot of that time downtime being creative. It’s a good way to pass the time. We’re writing the next record.

So you guys think you get most inspired on the road?

JJ: Yeah. Life moments. Most of the songs, if you think about them, are things are about what’s happening to us on the road or what’s happening with us at home or who got drunk last night. It’s probably why there’s so many drinking songs.

You guys have any favorites off the upcoming record?

JJ: “Whiskey and Smoke” is great.

KR: The jam is kind of new and funky for us. It’s a lot of fun to be able to play.

JJ: Yeah, throwing a little bit of that kind of feel into our music now. It’s a lot of fun to play live the funkier stuff, you know? But yeah man, I like it all. S—.

So now that we’re onto the fourth studio album, what’s changed in your writing process? Do you feel a sense of growth?

JJ: We’re throwing a lot of dark, original references and influences. We’ve known each other since we were kids, you know, grew up together, went to high school. And so we’re pulling from a lot of years of doing this on the road. And then a lot of what we grew up learning how to play. We’re constantly challenging each other to be better players and better writers, too. That’s helping a lot as far as us not getting stagnant and not doing the same record over and over again. And this record, we kind of went back to our roots, of how we started recording our records.

It’s a lot of fun to, you know, it’s like f—ing Legos — you’re making a record like that and then you can see what you got and you can see what you need. And so we went back to that mindset of making records and not bringing in a bunch of extra cooks in the kitchen. I think has helped us get back to what we were. And we’re also better at it now, so the records are sounding better too.

RELATED: The Cadillac Three’s Jaren Johnston on the Trio’s Legacy — and Why Keith Urban’s Friendship Is Slightly Terrifying

So fill me in on “country fuzz,” what does that phrase mean?

JJ: Well, we’re not Southern rock. I think we’re a hybrid of that and country and metal. And so the two things that kind of made sense from the beginning of it were like, people would ask us what we sound like and one guy in Germany or something said it sounds like Sabbath and cornbread. We need to come up with a term or saying like that, and country fuzz just kind of made sense. I mean all my pedal boards — it’s just laced with fuzz post expression pedals and then the studio, there’s all that s—. And the songwriting comes from a genuine love of story song — the lyrics. You know, growing up, listening to Garth Brooks and Hank Williams, Jr and s— like that, but also the talent of Skynyrd, you throw all that in a blender and here we are.

KR: That’s country fuzz.

One of the big things I’m noticing now are all the country-hybrid bands and musicians. You’re seeing a lot of rock and punk guys moving into these genres. Even Chris who’s opening you show. Do you think the country genre is more approachable for storytelling?

JJ: Yeah, it’s interesting. That is an interesting thing that you said that. I love bands like Lucero and f—ing, you know, The Devil Makes Three and all these kinds of bands that are doing more along the punk version of the like, Hank 3 version of country. What’s great about talking music is there’s so many different parts of it, you know what I mean?

KR: Oh, it’s always boiled down to the lyrics too, and the storytelling. So I think it’s a natural way for the bands that have gravitated towards that style of music because it really does — when it comes down to it — come down to the storytelling, and you get more than any other genre. They grow, biggest rock and roll motherf—er out there wants to be Hank Williams, Jr., no matter what. He’s a rockstar. And he’s doing it like he wants to do it. It’s that outlaw mentality. There’s part of country that has this outlaw thing that all the rockers can’t even be as badass as, so they want to go that route. You know what I mean? You got f—ing rappers doing it now.

Who’s a dream tour partner for you guys?

JJ: Well, Tom Petty died so I don’t know. I really don’t. He was always the answer for that one. We want to do another tour with ZZ Top before they hang it up, because we love those guys and that’s how we started too, with those guys. I mean I’d love to do like … Foo Fighters is a great example. Like some of our favorite rock bands. It’d be fun to do that kind of thing. We keep waiting on Garth Brooks to call. His phone must have lost my number or something. Not getting that call soon.

The Cadillac Three’s next album, Country Fuzz, will be released Feb. 7, 2020.

from PEOPLE.com https://ift.tt/2CxZqmR

[anneedmonds]

Ruth Tries (Multiple) Trends

Just a quick one (ooh err!): last week I took a lot of fashion pictures for Instagram Stories, loved them all, realised they were kind of wasted on a platform that makes things disappear forever after a mere twenty-four hours and decided to post them on here so that they have a permanent place for all eternity. Or at least for a couple of hundred years.

God, imagine if someone is reading this in 2119. At school. Imagine if it’s on the curriculum as a historical text! “Crilly was widely regarded as the Shakespeare of her day. If you turn to page 154, you will see a whole feature she wrote on people putting objects into various orifices. At the time, this piece of writing was considered a work of contemporary art. Of course now none of us can write because we spend too much time in our reality TV headsets and we simply Ask Alexa if we need something, but if we continue through pages 155 to 176 we can see more of Crilly’s genius and live life vicariously through her magnificent words.”

Where was I? Fashion. There are some brilliant sales on, but my most-frequented always tends to be the Hush sale. I was sent some outfits to shoot, but I’ve just gone back in and bought a load of stuff that I suddenly realised would be outrageously useful. And some things that were so reduced I couldn’t resist, like this camo skirt* for £25.

Shop the Hush sale…*

Some of the items I shot for my Instagram Stories are in the sale, some are current collection and aren’t reduced – I’ll put the details below each section in case anything catches your eye. I feel as though some of these pictures should have been included in my “Ruth Tries Trends” category; we’ve got shorts worn with a jacket, camo print worn with lace… Next time, perhaps.

I’d like to also draw your attention to my wooden shoes; they sound massively impractical but are actually quite comfy, considering you’re basically walking on blocks of tree stump. They have a distinct “summer of love” vibe about them and make everything you wear with them (pretty much) look like it’s from Chloe. I mean, don’t test that statement to the limits – it’s not a challenge – if you wore the wooden shoes with a day-glo unitard and a top hat it would be distinctly un-Chloe. But floaty dresses and bits of denim and huge sunglasses all work very well.

You can find the shoes at Office here* – they were £65 and I’ve worn them a lot, so already excellent value for money. They also make my feet look slim and tanned. It helps that I’ve had a gel pedicure, but there’s something about tan leather that makes you look – well, tanned.

This was supposed to be a short and sweet post with lots of photos and I’ve wittered on for ages, so let’s look at some clothes and the non-existent trends that I’ve basically made up because I couldn’t think of a better post title.

Lace with Camo

Right, this has been around for ages and never gets old. It’s a version of “parka with posh dress”; something feminine and pretty roughed up with some military green and stiff fabric. I have to say that the dress is incredibly lovely on its own, I felt like an old-fashioned milk maid but one with a sexy secret, and the camo jacket is a handy little thing that would probably see you through to mid-Autumn.

Shop:

Office Wooden Heeled Shoes* £65

Joline Lace Dress, £89*

Camo Military Jacket, £75 down to £50*

Shorts with Jacket

It’s sort of a statement wearing shorts with a jacket isn’t it? It’s especially a statement if you have a vest, jumper and jacket on the top half and then bare legs. What are you saying with this statement? Look at my legs! Sometimes it’s necessary, especially if you’ve just put a load of Vita Liberata Body Blur* on them and they suddenly look like they belong to a person who eats a macrobiotic diet and spends their life on the beach. (Almost.)

Sidenote: I think that if I had to pick one summer beauty staple, it would have to be Body Blur. Every time I use it, without fail, someone comments on my legs. Asks how I get them so glowy and smooth. Wonders whether I’ve been away on holiday. Even if they are stubbly and pale underneath, the surface finish makes people think that I have holiday legs.

No, Patricia, it’s all fake!

You can find Body Blur here* – I use the shade Latte and I must say that it’s pretty shocking when you first apply – it looks very dark. Latte Light is a better match for me but I think it’s in my car glovebox. (Don’t ask.) If you were incredibly fair then I’d go for the one called Cafe Creme, and there’s also Latte Dark and Mocha. You can find them all here* and at FeelUnique*.

The chino shorts I’m wearing are so comfy. I don’t get on well with shorts anymore, they never have the right leg/waist ratio, so if I get them big enough to accommodate my hip girth then the legs and bottom are gapey and loose. If I get a good fit on legs and bottom, I have to virtually shoehorn my stomach into the waistband. These: perfect ratio, and they’re not even elasticated! You can find the chino shorts here*.

Shop:

Vita Liberata Body Blur in Latte Light*

Chino Shorts, £45*

Lucky Sweater, £79 down to £55*

Joyce Jacket, £75*

Too-Short Trousers

OK I know this isn’t a trend, it’s just a type of trouser length – cropped – but I’ve never been that down with it until now. I always thought that cropped trousers looked stupid (and still mostly do when it comes to those wide-legged ones) but in reality they can be quite flattering. Ankles nearly always look good – neat and trim – and so having them a bit revealed, like a naughty Victorian temptress, can only mean great things.

I don’t know why these particular cropped chinos are called girlfriend chinos; are they supposed to be ones you’ve borrowed from a/your girlfriend, or ones that you’d wear if you are a girlfriend? Who knows! Same with “Mom” jeans: are they for moms, or from moms? And what of boyf – you know what, I’m going to stop now.

Love the bright pink Love t-shirt with the plain black chinos. I may have to add the pink chinos* to my basket too, though I should warn you that the same size chino (UK 12) as the cargo shorts has a much smaller waistband. It garrottes me somewhat, in places that shouldn’t be garrotted, but such is the price we pay for eating eight huge meringues in one sitting whilst watching season two of Big Little Lies.

Shop:

Girlfriend Chinos, £75*

Love Tee, £35 down to £30*

Hever Canvas Trainers, £38*

A note on the canvas trainers: I like that the stripes elevate these from simple plimsolls to something a bit funkier. Plimsoll Plus. So far I have managed to keep them pristinely white, even over the course of two days in London, but we all know that it only takes one child/dog/cat to decide to stand on your feet and all will be lost. Why do kids and animals do that? Trample on the tops of your feet? It’s such an odd thing to do…

Right, that’s it for now – let me know if you find any amazing bargains. I’ve just seen that Soho Home has a sale on, so I’m going to go and see if I can find a light for the utility room!

The post Ruth Tries (Multiple) Trends appeared first on A Model Recommends.

Ruth Tries (Multiple) Trends was first posted on June 28, 2019 at 7:28 am. ©2018 "A Model Recommends". Use of this feed is for personal non-commercial use only. If you are not reading this article in your feed reader, then the site is guilty of copyright infringement. Please contact me at contact@amodelrecommends.com Ruth Tries (Multiple) Trends published first on https://medium.com/@SkinAlley

[nitemice]

Hey, here's my latest post over on my main blog:

For her sixth studio album, Nerina Pallot has produced a funkier, jazzy release. And while it’s relatively short, it’s a delight throughout.

Across five (now six) albums and numerous EPs, Nerina Pallot has accrued a back-catalogue of music large enough to rival many bands that have been active much longer than her. Not only that, her track record is better than many long-active artists too. That’s not just an throwaway line; I can genuinely say that the vast majority of her music is stuff I really enjoy. I am an ever-growing fan.

Like her previous album The Sound and The Fury, Stay Lucky was funded and released through PledgeMusic. Unlike that release though, I decided to pledge towards this one. There was never any doubt I would end up buying either album. I own CD copies of all of Nerina Pallot’s albums, and have tried to track down as many of the EPs digitally as I can. It just came down to if the exchange rate made the price unreasonable, like it did last time, which thankfully it did not.

There was also a very tempting extra offered this time round. One of the purchase options was a cassette edition of Stay Lucky. Cassettes were a big part of my childhood, and I’ve been wanting to buy some albums on cassette for a while, so it took a lot of willpower not to buy that edition. In the end, it just wasn’t good value for money.

As with my other album reviews, I’ve listed previous Nerina Pallot songs each track reminds me of (with the album they come from), a rank for each track on this album, as well as a few comments about each track. Plus there’s an overview of the album as a whole at the bottom.

1. Juno

Reminds me of: Rousseau [The Sound and The Fury], Alien [Dear Frustrated Superstar] Rank on this album: 3 Juno beautifully sets the scene for this whole album. Nerina’s bluesy, vulnerable voice pairs perfectly with the light guitar and deep piano, and shines when matched by rising strings. Those rousing vocals strike straight through you. The lyrics make repeated mention of a bird, clearly tying it to the last track on the album. I’m sure there’s some deeper meaning to the rest of the lyrics, but I just couldn’t make it out.

2. Man Didn’t Walk on the Moon

Reminds me of: Seventeen [Year of the Wolf] Rank on this album: 5 Man Didn’t Walk on the Moon has a funky, yet light 70’s feel. Guitar twangs add emphasis to phrases, and backing vocals give the chorus a pseudo-gospel feel. A funk-rock guitar solo feels like it should be out of place, but isn’t. This song is about the power of infatuation, and the things it can do to a person. The title refers to the fact the narrator is so infatuated with the song’s subject, she doesn’t care about his questionable opinion on the moon landing. Believe it or not, this is a specific situation I’ve actually heard people mentioned having experienced before. Further to that, I read this song as the first part in a narrative that continues across a number of this album’s tracks. It tells the tale of a young woman, possibly a teenager, becoming intimate with a hottie on vacation. Various lyrics also point to it being set in the past.

3. Bring Him Fire

Reminds me of: Turn Me On Again [Year of the Wolf], Ain’t Got Anything Left [The Sound and The Fury] Rank on this album: 8 Bring Him Fire is a seductive, yet fiery funk number, and the track that most reminded me of Nerina Pallot’s previous work. That’s not to say it’s without its own surprises, such as a heavily distorted guitar duelling with the vocal twice in the middle of the song. Violins also are used to build up the intensity around the choruses. I read this song as a continuation of the story begun in the previous track, where the narrator is now describing her burning passion to get it on with the previously-mentioned hottie.

4. Come into My Room

Reminds me of: Geek Love [Fires], Sophia [Fires] Rank on this album: 10 Voice takes centre stage in Come into My Room, with complementary piano, and occasional touches of guitar and backing vocals. The lyrics are lustful, yet calm with a hint of innuendo. I read this song as part three of the multi-song story started on track 2. In some ways, the sentiment of this song is similar to the last, but delivered with a wholly different, more subdued tone.

5. Stay Lucky

Reminds me of: Everything’s Illuminated! [The Graduate], Human [The Graduate], Handle [The Sound and The Fury] Rank on this album: 6 Stay Lucky opens with an arpeggio-based riff, which carries throughout the whole song. The bridge/solo sounds like it’s played on a theremin, but I think it’s actually an organ of some type. The lyrics are an ode to someone who has or is pulling through a serious health scare, pledging their importance to the world. A French-language version of this track was also released, which I actually think I enjoyed more, just because I feel some of the phrases sound more rhythmic.

6. The Heart is a Lonely Hunter

Reminds me of: This Will Be Our Year [Year of the Wolf], Happy [My Best Friends are Imaginary] Rank on this album: 1 The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter has the feeling of a classic jazz-blues ballad. However, it’s packed with little musical surprises, subverting your expectations. For example, going into the chorus, you expect the vocal pitch to continue down, but instead Nerina brings it up. The little touches of horns that support the lyrics made me swoon. The piano solo fits perfectly with the style, and comes in at just the perfect moment. The latter half of the solo is accompanied by voice and flute, giving it a further gentle softness. I could easily imagine someone like Shirley Bassey or Hetty Kate singing this track; it is such an instant classic for me.

7. Better

Reminds me of: Rainbow [Dear Frustrated Superstar] Rank on this album: 2 Better has a more electronic sound than the rest of this album. It opens with an ethereal feel, which quickly evolves into a funky plod, more fitting with its neighbours. This track has not one, but two prominent solos: an organ solo, which appears about halfway and maintains the tone and pace up to that point, and a saxophone solo that closes the song. I love the sax solo, with all its twists and turns. It’s a perfect cooldown to the choral chants that serve as the climax of the song, just before it. There’s also a little bit of swearing on this track, just so you know.

8. All Gold

Reminds me of: Damascus [Fires], History Boys [Year of the Wolf] Rank on this album: 7 All Gold is probably the most cryptic track on this album. It is a serene, story-heavy song, that I interpret to have some religious meaning, but I’m not totally sure. The opening riff reminds me of They Might Be Giants’ Mink Car. Violins match the vocals in the chorus, along with a rhythmic piano riff.

9. Come Back to Bed

Reminds me of: It Starts [The Graduate] Rank on this album: 9 Come Back to Bed is a seductive ballad, that would be quite at home in the repertoire of a lounge singer. The piano gives the song an extra dramatic flair, underlying the strained vocals, which give the song a genuine sense of pleading. The presence of an electric guitar solo, with a Western twang, feels like it shouldn’t fit but somehow it does and well. I also read this track as possibly a final piece in the multi-song narrative started in track 2.

10. Bird

Reminds me of: Grace [Year of the Wolf] Rank on this album: 4 Bird sees the return of the oft-mentioned bird from Juno, the opening track. In this song, the narrator looks to a seemingly carefree bird for advice on how to live life, but finds resolve within herself when she realises that even pain has its place and importance. Something about the rhythm of the vocals on this song reminds me of Jamiroquai. I can imagine an amazing disco remix. A whole choir of backing vocals kick in towards the end, giving the song, and album, a final kick of power.

When I first listened to Stay Lucky, two things struck me. The first was the shared narrative, or at the very least, cross-song themes.

As mentioned above, I interpreted five of the songs on Stay Lucky to be part of a continuous story. If this was the intention or not, I can’t be sure. Either way, these tracks clearly share some elements that make them feel connected, along with the overt connection between Juno and Bird.

In fact, I get the sense that every track is packed with literary references and deeper meaning just beyond my understanding.

The second thing that struck me was the style of the tracks. This release is dominated by songs I would classify as jazz, funk or both. This was particularly striking because before I convinced myself to pre-order Stay Lucky, I listened to the pre-release singles: Stay Lucky in English and French, Better, and Man Didn’t Walk on the Moon. Hearing those isolated samples, I didn’t get the sense of just how jazzy this album would be, which turned out to be an awesome surprise.

That said, Nerina Pallot has lost none of her pop sensibilities here, and instead puts them to fantastic use throughout. Stay Lucky is full of continued evidence of what an expert wordsmith and master of evocative imagery Nerina Pallot is, like this beauty from The Heart is a Lonely Hunter: “I will slide slowly, like honey off a knife”.

This release is characterised not just by its jazz/funk style, but also by a particular sound. A sound that is unique and recognisable throughout for its use of piano, organ and harpsichord, midwestern guitar and uplifting strings.

The solos on each track are short by industry standards, but that’s not a problem. It just means they don’t overstay their welcome, or take away from the song they’re in.

Once again, Nerina Pallot has managed to produce an album full of tracks with that characteristic “Nerina Pallot” sound, without leaning on previous work basically at all. Everything here sounds unique and new, yet immediately identifiable as Nerina Pallot. Nothing feels like a repeat or rehash of some past song. And that might be Nerina’s greatest talent: producing new, beautiful music that sounds the same, yet so totally different.

RATING: 8.5/10 – ★★★★★★★★✬☆

But you don’t have to take my word for it… Listen to the album for yourself, and make up your own mind. Then you can let me know what you think of Nerina Pallot’s Stay Lucky.

So, have you ever heard of Nerina Pallot? What’s your favourite of her songs? Did you pre-order Stay Lucky? What do you think? Did it live up to your expectations? Have I said anything you disagree with? Tell me & everyone else who passes through here what you think in the comment below.

To Infinity and Beyond,

Nitemice

Filed under: Leisure & Hobbies, Music, Reviews Tagged: music, music review, Nerina Pallot, review, stay lucky