Kim Richey
Mammoth Grinder The Gloaming
Edgeland (Southbound)
★★★★
No matter how familiar you think you are with music, there are always artists who come along who have been around and you hear them for the first time and think, ‘‘how did I miss this’’? Kim Richey is my new, old discovery so far this year. Apparently, she is a bit of a nomad, has recorded nine albums (including Edgeland, her first in five years) and has collaborated with the likes of Ryan Adams, Gretchen Rogers, Rodney Crowell, Trisha Yearwood and Mary Chapin Carpenter. Noted critic Steve Horowitz once wrote of her: ’’Kim Richey would rule the charts in a land where Marshall Crenshaw was king, Aimee Mann queen and The Beatles never put out another record after Revolver.’’ Richey wears her heart on her sleeve. She tastes the world and if it is not to her liking, as on a song such as High Time, she ruthlessly peels away the layers like someone who can’t let a scab heal and admit it is, ‘‘high time I got myself together, stop waiting for the weather to change’’. Now to dive into the treasure trove. – Mike Alexander
Cosmic Crypt (Relapse)
★★★★
The Austin death-metal titans demonstrate a chilling display of heavy metal prowess in a record that’s fast, haunting and heavy. Formed around 2005, Mammoth Grinder are no newbies to the extreme metal realm, yet they comfortably display songwriting that compels and enthrals in much the same way their forefathers did in the early 90s. Frontman and bassist Chris Ulsh delivers a chilling performance, with a vocal mix that resembles a savage and deadly beast making its presence known in a deep and foreboding forest after dark. Mammoth Grinder may not be reinventing the death metal wheel, but they certainly display plenty of the components that made it so phenomenal. – Hugh Collins
Live At The NCH (Southbound)
★★★
Irish singer Iarla O Lionaird first came to light when global crossover band Afro Celt Sound System bought him on board at the behest of Real World owner and musician Peter Gabriel, after he had sought a recording contract. O Lionaird was one of the unique features of the band, with a voice that evoked both heaven and hell. After recording five albums with Afro Celt Sound System, he got his wish and has been a staple of Gabriel’s Real World since. This album isn’t necessarily one of his best, but it does highlight the incredibly affinity O Lionaird and the four musicians that make up The Gloaming have for experimenting with the traditional and turning it into something equally as enriching. – Mike Alexander