Westward | Westward | wavemag.com.np

LIFEHOUSE : NO NAME NO FACE

I've fallen even more in love with you, letting go of all I've held on to, I'm standing here until you make me move, hanging by a moment here with you. The song opens the album, and it'll be the one you'll fall even more in love with, the more you listen to it. It will probably be hanging on your lips when you're done listening to the album No Name Face by Lifehouse. Hanging By A Moment is the first single released from the album.

No Name Face is Lifehouse's first album and is different from the modern rock sound flooding the market, but maybe not as different as you would want it to be. It is different in the sense that it actually sounds like the modern rock sound that prevailed during the early modern rock scene (a bit of grunge/Goo Goo Dolls and so on). It has been quite sometime since we last heard a modern rock album like that. But of course this does not mean that this is a really good rock album, but it is pretty good. There are upbeat rockers like Hanging By A Moment and Unknown, and slower numbers like Trying and Everything.
Some of the songs do ring a grunge sound both lyrically and musically (Pearl Jam?) sometimes, Somebody Else's Song being one example. Breathing is probably the only song with an acoustic sound (acoustic guitar/piano) as most songs use electric guitars. But there are a number of slow rock ballad-like songs as quite a few of them are about love.

The music is nice, the voice has a bit of Eddie in it, but it sounds good, and the lyrics are your average rock lyrics about love and life. All in all, No Name Face is a great album to listen to for modern rockers, specially those who miss the old days, and pop listeners could also like some of the songs in there such as Hanging By A Moment.

ROBERT CRAY:
SHOULDA BEEN HOME

More than 20 years in the music scene, Robert Cray has done it again with his latest studio work Shoulda Been Home, released earlier this year (15th May). A wonderfully crafted blues album, it includes both Cray's originals and covers of some of his heroes.

The album opens bright with the song Baby's Arms, then going mellow with Already Gone, and Anytime before gaining tempo on Love Sickness, the 4th track, on the album, originally performed by Mack Rice. Other covers on the album are Elmore James' Cry For Me Baby (8th track) and The 12 Years Old Boy (12th track). Cray also worked with his wife Sue Turner Cray on the song Far Away and Renew Blues is a minute-long on-the-spot jam session, bringing out the rainy day blues feel.

Cray has worked with some of the finest artists in the business, on this album, including his old band mates Jim Pugh (keyboardist), Karl Sevareid (bassist) and drummer Kevin Hayes. Lyrics, mostly soulful, sing about relationships gone bad, lost love and love found. The music backs it up perfectly and the singer-songwriter/guitarist Robert Cray's guitar works lives up to the reputation of the artist. Shoulda been Home is a work of art to listen to for any blues lover, and good one for listeners of soul/R&B.

Buddy Guy: Sweet Tea

Another great blues album, on the shelves this season, is Buddy Guy's Sweet Tea, and what a sweet album it is. It starts with the song Done Got Old with an acoustic guitar and Buddy singing `can't do the things I used to do cause I'm an old man', but with this album, one thing is for certain: he sure can still sing the blues.

With the 2nd song Baby Please Don't Leave Me, the album moves on to a slow blues/rock like mood with a Guy solo, but quickly progresses to a more upbeat scene Look What All You Got. Most songs follow that groove and not to mention the guitar solos, excellent guitar solos where Buddy Guy just seems to squeeze the lemon till the juice runs dry. I Gotta Try You Girl is more than 12 minutes long and has plenty of Buddy Guy on the guitars. Who's Been Foolin' You finally has a change of pace, a little upbeat before closing the album with It's Jungle Out There, probably the only song that will sound like blues to new listeners of the music.

A very well crafted album with guitar solos being everything from raunchy to melodious, and lyrics, well they're all singing the blues. This album is definitely worth drinking if you like 'em ol' blues.

David Gray: White Ladder

An artist that had been around for a while finally stepped into the limelight earlier this year, and for all the right reasons. David Gray's album White Ladder gained the attention of critics and listeners. They liked what they heard. Why shouldn't they?

The album begins with the single Please Forgive Me followed by the hit single Babylon. By the 3rd song you realize that the music in this album is going to follow the same pattern that you've heard in the first two songs, but you probably won't mind if it does. All the songs are soft in tempo, soothing in sound, honest in voice, rich in melody and simple to the ears. Not quite comparable to Travis or Coldplay (musically), but somewhere in the same area lies David Gray's White Ladder. The way they've played with the drums and the acoustic guitar and the piano is also quite notable. Another English, and another mellow album this season. But hey! They've all been good, haven't they?