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DVDfever.co.uk – Hush Arbors: Yankee Reality CD reviewElly Roberts reviews
Ecstatic Peace! Records
- Released: October 2009
- Rating: 8/10
- Vote and comment on this album:View Comments
Hush Arbors is Keith Wood, sometime member Current 93 (David Tibet)and buddy of Six Organs Of Admittance and Sunburned Hand.
Woods alt-folk credentials sit alongside the likes of Devendra Banhart and Connor Oberst (Bright Eyes), but now with Yankee Reality hes trying (his best) to broaden his appeal, without totally selling out to his folkie sensibilities -hes just about achieved his goal.Its roots are undeniably at the cross-pollination point of the 60s where folk fused with country rock a la The Byrds and CSN&Y, but without any mega-hit potential.
Jam packed with jangly guitar sojourns and warbling vocals, Wood makes a real fist at reaching out, though itll probably take a keen radio playlist compiler to give this a nudge forwards.This album is dedicated to Link Wray, a man best known for overdriven, distorted guitar sounds and for inventing the power chord, but theres only one track that gives him a nod the cacophonous blast of art-punky closer Devil Made You High, though elements seep through on tracks such as Lisbon a bouncy folk-rock ditty.
Subliminal Wray touchstones appear on the rambling Fast Asleep too, but to get the maximum effect theyre kept to a minimum. The languid So They Say is constructed around a slo-mo guitar, deliciously drenched in reverb with Woods warbling at its fragile best.
If Wood needs a single to jettison his second album, then he should look no further than beat-heavy One Way Ticket, a sound synonymous with Neil Young at his pop best, if there is such a thing. The rolling piano is the major hook here apart from some understated but mightily effective guitar chords, though Take It Easy a breezy country shuffle with occasional twang, comes a close second .
Wood has admitted his admiration for hillbilly music, so Coming Home is a ballsy homage with a delightful Creedence Clearwater Revival choogle.Velvet Underground fans will drool at the guitar jangliness and measured vocals of Sun Shall, arguably Woods tribute to Venus In Furs.
Best track by far is For While You Slept, where the band swing into a country-rock juggernaut, one The Byrds would rubber stamp their approval. The wiry guitar solo by J Mascis is sensational.
The verdict Top album.
The full list of tracks included are :
1. Day Before
2. Lisbon
3. Fast Asleep
4. So They Say
5. One way Ticket
6. Coming Home
7. Sun Shall
8. Take It Easy
9. For While You Slept
10. Devil Made You HighView the discussion thread.blog comments powered by Disqus= 0) {query += ‘url’ + i + ‘=’ + encodeURIComponent(links[i].href) + ‘&’;}}document.write(”);})();//]]]]>]]>
Elly Roberts passed away in 2011, but he was a man who was so passionate about all types of music and loved meeting his musical heroes, such as Mick Hucknall at a book signing at the Trafford Centre, Manchester in 2007.
A former teacher and also a music journalist, DJ and radio presenter on local community station Calon FM, plus appearances on BBC Radio Wales, BBC Radio Cymru and BBC Radio 2, Elly started doing reviews for DVDfever.co.uk in 2004 and he did the majority of the CD and concerts reviews on the website.
I know also that he loved getting away for the summer to Spain and I hope that wherever he is now he is enjoying the hot sunshine and, as one of his friends has said on his Facebook page, that he is interviewing his musical heroes.