Woodwork Roadshow — In Bricks, In Bones
With their second album, Wilmington’s Woodwork Roadshow (www. woodworkroadshow.com) stakes its claim to be the summer soundtrack of many a frat house, barbecue and beach trip. With its mix of old country and newgrass arrangements, In Bricks, In Bones is two parts Railroad Earth and one part Of a Revolution with a splash of Under the Table and Dreaming. Its heavy country inflections belie the album’s true nature; it’s more folk-pop than anything. Aside from the visceral opener “Calm Before the Storm,” there’s not a track to be found that isn’t a potpourri of rangy influences under the guise of a string band music. They’re at their best, however, when they break from tradition just a little, as is the case on the incredibly catchy “Say It All.” You can almost picture a crowded bar singing in unison to the line, “With my brothers by my side, tear this place down one song at a time,” among virtually any other from that song. The bar chanteys carry on with “Nothing New,” an ode to drunken nights at Wilmington’s 42nd Street Tavern. For better or for worse, alcohol is the predominant theme across the album and the worse is seen on “No Remorse for Tess,” a touching reflection on a forlorn lover in the throes of her own demise. It’s a rather brief album, clocking it at just over 37 minutes spread across 10 tracks. Still, with solid songwriting, deft musicianship, excellent harmonies and plenty of hooks to go around, In Bricks, In Bones is more than just another new-school old-time clone.
Tori Amos — Abnormally Attracted to Sin
It’s almost impossible to write a worthy review of any of Tori Amos’ albums, as they all inevitably bear more layers than a Jungian archetype. Never one to be instantly gratifying, except maybe to her most entrenched fans, even the always-beguiling Amos would struggle to out-do herself in the complexity of her last, sprawling 23-track release, American Doll Posse. Fortunately, she didn’t try to do so and her devilishly-titled latest, Abnormally Attracted to Sin, is one that even the casual Amos fan can take a certain degree of superficial pleasure. The darkly ambient opener “Give” hints at taboo- breaking behavior true to the album’s title, while Amos takes a step back toward classic Tori on “Welcome to England,” which suggests that she’s discarding highfalutin conceptual themes in favor of a more autonomous direction. Maybe it’s the influence of the new label, but Amos seems to have adopted a more electronically-oriented experimental sound, which fortunately hits more than it misses. It’s never heavier than it is on “Police Me,” a tightly-produced collection of breaks and Medeski-inspired Hammond snippets. There’s not quite as much to absorb as there was on American Doll Posse, but at 18 tracks and just under 76 minutes in length, a second helping is almost required. Much of music on the latter half sounds as though it might be better suited as a B-side or import extra, particularly the rehashed “Mary Jane.” Make it to the end, however, and you’re treated to the swelling tension of Mark Alladin’s guitar on “Lady in Blue.” It might have been better served split into separate releases, but Abnormally Attracted to Sin is anything but typical Tori.For a chance to have your band’s CD reviewed, mail it to: YES! Weekly, 5500 Adams Farm Lane, Suite 204, Greensboro, NC 27407. ATTN: Ryan Snyder.
