A long awaited return from Iceland's Sigur Rós, a folk music detour from Rufus Wainwright and fantastic reissue featuring Terry Adams & Steve Ferguson are all available now.
Title: ÁTTA (BMG Rights Management)
You might like if you enjoy: Sigur Rós, Moby, Howard Shore's "Lord of the Rings" soundtracks, Cocteau Twins
Tell me more: Iceland's beloved Sigur Rós is back with their first new studio album in a decade (2013's Kveikur) thanks to the surprise release of the 10-track ÁTTA on June 16. The cinematic and sweeping Neo classical approach of Sigur Rós plays out over ÁTTA's more than 55 minutes; the sumptuous selections feature singer-guitarist Jónsi, bassist Georg Hólm and multi-instrumentalist Kjartan Sveinsson (the latter had left Sigur Rós in 2012 but rejoined the group last year). Because Jónsi's astonishing falsetto vocals are sung in Icelandic and non-linguistic vocalizations (the latter dubbed "Vonlenska" by the band), a good approach is to listen to the singular sound of Sigur Rós like a classical symphony with choir. The ambient "Blóðberg," lavish "Skel," ambitious "Klettur," poignant "Mór" and soaring 10-minute closer "8" are among the amazing tracks on the modern-day masterwork. ÁTTA is now available digitally, and will be released via audio CD and vinyl on Sept. 1, 2023. Information: sigurros.com.
Title: Folkocracy (BMG)
You might like if you enjoy: Rufus Wainwright, Brandi Carlile, Susanna Hoffs, Van Dyke Parks
Tell me more: On his latest album (Folkocracy), singer Rufus Wainwright delivers a full disc of shining traditional folk classics worthy of rediscovery. With a distinguished line of guests to bring additional warmth and power to the covers, this is a terrific listen that captivates across its 15-track run. Wainwright's incredible voice dazzles on each and every selection including the gentle opener "Alone" (featuring Madison Cunningham), on a poignant take on Neil Young's "Harvest" (featuring Andrew Bird and Chris Stills), a bewitching recording of "High on a Rocky Ledge (with David Byrne) and beaming version of the Peggy Seeger standard "Heading For Home" where John Legend and Wainwright share lead vocals. Among the other stellar tracks on the collection are a version of The Mama and The Papas song "Twelve-Thirty (Young Girls Are Coming to the Canyon)" which is ornately covered by Wainwright, Susanna Hoffs, Chris Stills and Sheryl Crow; a duet with Brandi Carlile ("Down In The Willow Garden") is an especially poignant musical reading of the murder of a young woman with the two singers voices blending in artful perfection. Other guests featured on the Mitchell Froom-produced album include Chaka Khan, Van Dyke Parks, ANOHNI and Nicole Scherzinger. Information: rufuswainwright.com.
Title: Louisville Sluggers (Omnivore Recordings)
You might like if you enjoy: NRBQ, The Jayhawks, Terry Adams
Tell me more: Digitally remastered and expanded with four previously unissued bonus tracks, the reissue of Terry Adams and Steve Ferguson's 2006 release Louisville Sluggers is a welcome opportunity to rediscover this outstanding collaboration. Long-time friends who had met in 1965, Adams and Ferguson went on to perform together as charter members with NRBQ and record several Columbia Records titles together before Ferguson left the groundbreaking group. Always friends, they reunited to record this eclectic album in 2006. The depth of far-flung material ranges from the jazzy instrumental opener "Peanut Vendor," Ferguson-penned Southern-fried rockers "Outer Space Boogie" and lovely "Same Train" to the genre-defying "Ichabod," New Orleans-flavored R&B sortie "Knucklehead" (the latter really showcasing Adams' incredible piano skills), and fun arrangements of "Turkey In The Straw" and "Blue Monk" showcasing the tandem-aimed virtuoso skills of Adams and Ferguson. Sadly this reissue also serves as a celebration of Ferguson; the acclaimed singer-guitarist died of cancer at the age of 60 on Oct. 7, 2009. Information: OmnivoreRecordings.com.
Robert Kinsler
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