Album Review: Knock On The Sky

It’s time for Anniversary Week (which is kind of a lie of a name, since it spanned a little more than a week, if you think about it…) to come to a close, with one final commemorative post (one, that if you’re an eagle-eyed reader, you’ll notice I’ve been planning for a while), one connected to my very first Sketches post, a rumination on my country music-listening heritage. This might end up being a bit stylistically different from my previous album reviews (the fact that it came out 9 years ago is a factor there…), but we’ll see how it turns out once, y’know, it’s all written. Also, a reminder that today is the last day to enter the iTunes gift card givewaway. We’re up to 5 entries, so your chances aren’t as good as earlier in the week when there were just 2, but you could still definitely be our potential winner. I’ll be hopefully doing the drawing tomorrow morning, so don’t miss your chance! Now, to a review of an album I’ve known and loved for years…

Album: Knock On The Sky

Artist: SHeDAISY

Released: June 2002

SHeDAISY has long been one of those groups that’s hard to categorize. Their music resides somewhere in the sweet spot between pop, country, rock, and who knows what else…they’ve gotten play on country radio, for sure, but at the same time their songs don’t quite seem to belong there in a few ways. If anything, the music of SHeDAISY is incredibly accessible…but what is it, exactly?

“Knock On The Sky” doesn’t bring the listener any closer to the bottom of that mystery, but it’s a beautifully crafted, undeniably fun ride nonetheless. One of the group’s notoriously weakest-selling albums, it never got much traction in the country market (and the pop market was never really an option for SHeDAISY to gain a foothold in, since their music is still clearly rooted in country tradition), but it stands out as one of the highest points in their long career. (They’re still making music, though unfortunately their latest album has remained unreleased for the past few years.) It’s full of high-quality songcraft, utterly infectious melodies, passionately delivered emotion, and the trademark sisterly harmonies that have made SHeDAISY a group to return to again and again. It’s hopelessly underrated, and intensely rewarding.

I grew up with this album. I (or rather, probably my parents) bought the CD soon after it came out, transferred it to a tape to play on my personal cassette player (yes, I still used one, even in 2002-2003), and listened to the songs over and over and over again. I’ve probably dived into the music on “Knock On The Sky” so many times now over the years that I could sing you any one of the songs in my sleep. Its appeal hasn’t dimmed in the nearly 10 years since…if anything, it’s evolved and perhaps even grown.

“Knock On The Sky” is in some ways like a concept album, tied together by theatrical touches like rain effects on “I Wish I Were The Rain,” switching to an old-time radio sound on “I’m Lit,” taking a kooky detour into a preacher’s sermon in “Repent,” and having a creepy voice-over at the beginning of “Everybody Wants You,” among other things. (Listening to the album straight through, you’ll notice all the songs are tied together with moments at both the beginning and end of each number.) The album would still be great without these bells and whistles, but they bring it to even greater artistic heights…SHeDAISY wasn’t just throwing together a bunch of songs with “Knock On The Sky”…they were making their own unique statement.

The production is impeccable and even a bit glossy, but it never feels distant or overdone. The instrumentation is intriguing and top-notch, and it feels like with this album, SHeDAISY was able to get things exactly how they wanted them. The vibe of this album is a bit daring and cutting-edge (the group pushes the boundaries of the country-pop mold in endlessly intriguing ways), but it still feels warm and inviting. “Knock On The Sky,” for all its risk-taking and innovating, doesn’t keep the listener at arm’s length…it quickly draws them into the music, and keeps them quite happy there.

Starting off with a gorgeous, addicting ballad like “Mine All Mine,” one would think it would be hard for the rest of the record to keep up, but there’s practically no weak spot to be found. “I’m Lit” finds a new spin on the oft-used “rowdy country” formula, “Man Goin’ Down” is benefited by an understated, insistent rhythm, and “Get Over Yourself” is 3 1/2 minutes of pure, infectious musical candy…but never ends up being too lightweight, thanks in large part to its underlying cleverness. “Rush” brings a surprising degree of subtlety to a power-ballad template, while “I Wish I Were The Rain” marries stunningly intimate verses with a catchy, heartbreaking chorus. “Repent” has the Osborn sisters letting their hair down in such a fun way that you hope they’ll keep things that way.

The second half of a country (or country-pop) album is where acts usually place their more forgettable songs, but that’s not quite the case with this album. “Everybody Wants You” is deliciously twisted, but also refreshingly grounded. “Now” is a heartwarming, but never cloying, ode to days gone by. “All Over You” is beautifully sophisticated, and “The First To Let Go” (the only cut on the album penned solely by the group’s own Kristyn Osborn, who co-writes every song on the record) is a powerful statement of heartbreak and acceptance. “Turn Me On” actually used to be one of my least favorite songs on the album, but its relentless pop-infused flavor has since totally grown on me. The album closes on two interesting notes…the lovely ballad “Keep Me,” and a no-holds-barred hidden track, titled after the album. The girls of SHeDAISY are almost rap-singing on the latter, and it’s an enjoyable, wacky way to end a certainly unconventional album.

“Knock On The Sky” may not have experienced great commercial success, but it remains an enduring musical masterpiece nearly a decade after its release. It shows that the marriage of country and pop (and everything in between) can be more than just lightweight and forgettable. It can be beautifully accessible music that’s fun and exciting, but also wonderfully and lovingly crafted as well.

Music Video of the Day: “Life In Letters”

Alas, Anniversary Week hasn’t gone quite as planned (what else is new? ), as it’s Saturday night and there’s only 2 contest entries, and I’m just getting to my third commemorative post. I’m responding to both of these things by: a) Extending the deadline of the giveaway until next Wednesday night at 11:59 MST. I will also be making my final Anniversary Week post next week. (Which kind of makes it an Anniversary Two Weeks, but that’s neither here nor there…ahem.) Now, before the day is over, a quick look at the newest music video from an artist I’ve shared a few times here at Harmony Avenue (the first of which was back in November for one of my first Artist Spotlights), it’s…

“Life In Letters” by Lucy Schwartz!

Lucy filmed this video underwater (it takes place both in that setting and in a desert…you’ll see what I mean once you watch the video), and it’s a gorgeous, unique, even kind of fanciful experience that’s very exciting to watch. The story of the music video is sweet, and the imagery is breathtaking. What better to go with a beautiful song like “Life In Letters” (which, by the way, is the title track to her most recent album)? Also, as a plus, this video was created to promote charity: water, a great nonprofit organization dedicated to providing safe drinking water to those in developing nations who need it. (You can find a link to donate to Lucy’s campaign for charity: water here.) It’s a great video and a great cause, and one of the many reasons why I love Lucy and her music.

Thanks for reading, make sure to comment (your chances of winning are still terrific if you enter soon!), and once again, happy Anniversary Week here on Harmony Avenue.

Song of the Day: “Little Joanna”

I’m back with more Anniversary Week-related goodness! Here’s yet another reminder to not forget about the $15 iTunes gift card giveaway. There’s been only one entry so far, so your chances are still quite impressive. Go forth and comment!

This Song of the Day (true to form, posted either near the end of the day in certain time zones, or past midnight in others) harks back to my very first featured song, a delightful piece of pop goodness by way of Germany, Lena’s Eurovision-winning “Satellite.” This time around, it’s another guilty pleasure-type slice of European pop, but this time it’s from the UK. Say hello to…

“Little Joanna” by McFly!

I came across the sounds of McFly thanks to my current obsession with “Strictly Come Dancing,” the original British version of the popular US series “Dancing With The Stars.” (I may or may find it just the tiniest bit more fun and exciting than the US version. Maybe it’s because of the whole England mystique?) Anyways, one of the contestants this series (their name for TV seasons in the UK) is McFly’s drummer, Harry Judd, who is actually a pretty darn good dancer, and seems to be a fun guy. In honor of him, I decided to check out McFly’s music, and…well…hmmm. A lot of it isn’t quite my thing…it’s just way too poppy and I can’t say I really love it. A few songs, though, really caught my eye, and this was definitely one of them. Upon listening to it more than a few times, I’ve noticed something very unsettling…the band kind of bears a passing sonic resemblance to a US act I’ve hated for quite a while now…the Jo…the Jona…Jonas…K, I can’t bring myself to type their name, but you can probably gather that it’s these guys. They do share the same kind of youthful power-pop energy. This particular song, though, also is very well-written, the piano really drives it in a great way, the chords are effortlessly delicious, and basically, it’s just tons of fun to listen to. The lead vocalist also has a strong voice, and although it’s totally full of pop mannerisms, it’s also very nice to listen to. OK, those last two sentences were basically thinly veiled excuses to try to cover up the fact that I like a song that sounds like the Jonas Brothers. (Dang, I gave in to typing it out!) But oh well. I can live with that.

Thanks for reading, remember to enter the giveaway by commenting on any of this site’s lovely posts (it’s that easy!), and see you later this week with more of the Anniversary Week celebration, along with some good old regular features.

Artist Spotlight: Laura Marling

That’s my extremely low-budget attempt at trying to make these anniversary week posts all shiny. Anyways, here is the first of four (maybe more, but probably four, and what the heck am I rhyming for?) commemorative posts, all with some type of connection to music or artists I shared in my first month of blogging here. Today, celebrating one of my first Songs of the Day, the beautiful “Goodbye England (Covered In Snow)”, we turn the Artist Spotlight onto…

Laura Marling!

Laura is an immensely talented English singer-songwriter who’s only 21 years old. To say the maturity of someone’s music belies their years has become a bit of a cliche when it comes to younger musicians, but with Laura, it’s absolutely the truth. I was literally shocked to find out her age when I was looking her up on Wikipedia a year or so ago, after I had fallen hard for her songs. I could not believe that this kind of beautiful music was coming from someone scarcely a year or so older than I am. Age shouldn’t be a factor when it comes to good music, really, but looking at Laura’s body of work, it’s incredibly impressive that a 21-year-old could have come this far, so early in her life. It never fails to boggle my mind.

“Goodbye England (Covered In Snow)” was one of the Laura Marling songs I found, right after I first started checking out her music, seeing her name around the Internet (due to her Mercury Prize nominations and general positive buzz) and being curious about just how good she was. I have of course already posted about it, but it doesn’t hurt to share it again…

Her second album, “I Speak Because I Can,” which that song came from, is an absolute gem (no wonder it attracted Mercury Prize attention…P.S., the Mercury Prize is one of Britain’s most prestigious music awards, given to the best album of the year from the UK and Ireland. Laura has been shortlisted for her first two albums). It’s strikingly unique, but also warm and familiar. Here’s the firecracker opening track, called “Devil’s Spoke” (sorry the sound isn’t perfect…I would have linked the official video but her label inexplicably removed its US availability on YouTube):

Here’s another beautiful cut from that album, “Rambling Man.” It shows off her knack for starting off songs soft and fragile at times, then bringing in the full band to create an amazing atmosphere:

And one more of my big favorites, the title track, naturally called “I Speak Because I Can.” It’s sweeping, beautifully evocative, and absolutely addicting, all in one. (I love the line: “I speak because I can, to anyone I trust enough to listen/You speak because you can, to anyone who will hear what you say.”)

I actually wasn’t familiar with Laura’s first album until just recently. It was actually the first album I came in contact with…a good friend of mine recommended Laura’s music to me, and I was hooked…but one of the songs had the F-word in it (I’m one of those pesky people that doesn’t listen to those kinds of songs…sorry), and for some reason I was a dork and it took me a while to dive into Laura’s music again, after I checked out “I Speak Because I Can.” Anyways, just recently, I decided to take another look at “Alas, I Cannot Swim,” her debut album (in fact, right now, I’m listening to clips from it for the first time), and it’s just as terrific. Here’s one of my absolute favorites from it, a gorgeous song called “Ghosts.” The lyrics are riveting and poetic, and the instrumentation is just perfect:

Here’s another great song from her debut that I may have just listened to (part of) for the first time, called “My Manic & I.” I’ll be listening to the whole song soon, probably about the same time as you.

Laura’s music is folk with an edge…there’s the traditional guitar/vocal framework that has helped shape the world of folk music for many years now, but she also adds something new, almost intangible to the mix that really makes her music shine. It’s not quite modernized folk…it feels very old-school in many ways…but perhaps it’s reimagined folk in a sense. Here’s a lively number from her new album (“A Creature I Don’t Know”), called “The Muse.” There’s a bit of jazz influence in there, which I love.

And finally, an absolute tour de force also from her latest album. It absolutely blew me away on first listen…and to be honest, my reaction hasn’t really changed after listening to it quite a few times. It starts off in one place…and ends up somewhere entirely new and even more amazing. Here’s “Sophia”:

Laura is an artist full of depth, life, and beauty. I’m happy to finally be able to share much more of her music with you. Thanks for reading, and be sure to comment and enter the giveaway! Happy Anniversary Week.

It’s Anniversary Week!

Today is a special day here on Harmony Avenue. Exactly one year ago today, I made my first post. That’s right…this here blog is now one year old. When I started this off, I had high hopes…but as I’ve mentioned before, my previous blogging endeavors have been hit-or-miss, and I wasn’t sure if I’d be able to keep this up, update it consistently, and make it what I really wanted it to be. My expectations have been exceeded, a year later, and this blog has turned out even better than I thought it would. I’ve gotten to share lots of great music, and it seems like at least a few people are actually reading this from time to time. A big thank you to all those who have visited Harmony Avenue, and an extra big thank you to those who have stayed for a while. Although I have no idea how many regular readers I have, your support means a lot to me.

Now, to celebrate my 1st anniversary, two exciting things coming up this week…

• Four special anniversary week posts, all connecting with stuff I shared my first month on Harmony Avenue. The first of these posts will come in just a little bit.
• A GIVEAWAY! To commemorate my year of posting on this blog, I’m pulling out all the stops. (Well, all the stops that a recreational music blogger can, more or less. ) I’ll be giving away a $15 iTunes gift card to one lucky reader who posts a comment this week on any of my posts. Here’s how it will work: Just post a comment on one of my blog posts. (It is, of course, preferable that the comment responds to said post. ) I’ll respond to your comment with a hearty thank you, and also assign you a number (1, 2, 3, 4, etc.). I’ll keep track of who goes to which number, and at the end of the week, I’ll enter them into a random number generator (as in the range, from 1 to whatever the last number is), and the winner will be the person whose number comes up. It’s as simple as that. The deadline for commenting is Saturday night, October 29, 2011, at 11:59 PM MST. Only one comment per person, and of course, you must be a real person, not a robot or computer or company or something. Good luck!

I’m excited to celebrate this Anniversary Week on Harmony Avenue. I’ll do my best to make it a party! As always, many thanks for reading.