LIVE ALBUM IS BOTTOMS UP EFFORT FROM DUO
Stuart Derdeyn offers five reasons to brave Fear of Drinking’s release:
Fear of Drinking: Live in Zurich (Big City)
Vancouver’s Fear of Drinking combines the talent of singer/ songwriter Tim Readman, originally from County Durham, England, and songwriter/guitarist Gerard Kerr, from Southland, New Zealand.
Since coming together in the 1990s, the group has recorded three albums and built a solid following in folk and, well, boozing circuits as a band to enjoy. Personal experience of this crew leads me to believe that its fans, at least, have no fear of drinking and its brand of traditional and original tunes go down very well indeed with a pint or three.
But how will that translate to Switzerland, where this live album was recorded? The mountainous country isn’t renowned for its party atmosphere now, is it?
Here are five things to know about Live in Zurich:
1. Party like its 1999
Fear of Drinking still come together to play when the mood strikes them and both musicians do other projects, but the band has technically been retired since 2000. This recording was done in 1999.
2 Great recording
It’s pretty obvious from the opening stomp of Blackleg Miner why the band chose to release this performance. It’s an immaculate recording, with all the instruments coming through super clear and the harmony vocals right in your ears. This band is incredibly tight.
3 Botany Bay
Of the traditional arrangements on the album, this one is just so rowdy and full of cheek as it recounts a tale of the good ship Ragamuffin and taking old Pat to Down Under. It has Pogues-like oomph.
4 I’ll Tell Me Ma/New York Girls
The final two tunes are both sad-sack romance stories with some quick wit and fast fiddle work. New York Girls takes on the women who can’t dance the polka. I wonder if the crowd was up and dancing.
5 A smattering of polite applause
For all the rip-roaring fun clearly taking place in the venue, the final claps and cheering are pretty staid. Happens. Great performance nonetheless from a band whose brand of fun and music is missed.
ALSO IN HEAVY ROTATION:
Andrew Rathburn Large Ensemble: Atwood Suites (Origin Records)
I’ll leave it to bandleader/saxophonist/composer Rathburn to describe his concept with this recording: “A setting of Margaret Atwood’s poetry for jazz orchestra, sung by Luciana Souza, with special guests Bill Stewart (drummer) and Tim Hagans (trumpet).”
The 10 tracks over two albums are broken into the two threepart suites (Two Islands I, II, III and Power Politics I, II, III) and four other pieces and the playing is gorgeously understated, particularly Hagan’s fluid work in Two Island I and pianist Gary Versace (I think) in Power Politics II.
The whole session stresses the orchestral over the swinging aspects of larger jazz ensemble configurations.
As to the words, it has a really easy poetic flow that conjures up strong images that Souza interprets gorgeously.
I admit I would have loved to hear Atwood herself try to fit her words to this great music just because. Fave piece is actually the second disc’s opener, Fractured.
Eric Ethridge: Eric Ethridge (Eric Ethridge)
The next big thing in Canadian country music, Ethridge won the 2016 CCMA Discovery Award and has been getting the right kind of opening dates to promote his particularly anthemic new country sound.
While the single Liquor’s Callin’ the Shots has a solid hook and a great chorus chant of “shots, shots, shots” that must kill live, the song that could be a big crossover win is the opener Girl on Fire.
He’s got rock delivery rather than much of a twang and some clear ringing high register range that gives him scope to nail a ballad like If You Met Me First, as well the handclap-and-finger snap stomp of Making Me Crazy.
It’s amazing that this is an indie release as the songs are the kind that buckle-and-boot acts climb over one another to record. ShadowParty: ShadowParty (Mute)
The idea of a band featuring New Order bassist Tom Chapman and guitarist Phil Cunningham with Devo guitarist Josh Hager and drummer Jeff Friedl is pretty exciting on paper.
On its 10-track debut, ShadowParty sounds very much like a mix of both those bands — strong direct rhythms, driving guitar and melodic keyboards — and should appeal to fans of that sound.
They are at their best when they move into the dance rock that New Order is so well known for, such as on Reverse the Curse and Vowel Movement. Hope they tour.