New Music: Georgia Anne Muldrow, Bob Dylan, Alice Smith

Georgia Anne Muldrow - New Orleans - Olesi:Fragments of an Earth (Stones Throw 2006)


Georgia Anne Muldrow – Olesi: Fragments of an Earth / Stones Throw

Olesi opens with the 22-year-old Georgia Anne Muldrow emphatically and somewhat hysterically accusing “Murderer! Damager! Human Life Left Alone to Die!” at/for New Orleans over free-jazz shuffles of snare and piano with densely multi-layered vocals and uprising skronks… wait… I thought this was supposed to be neo-soul? Since when did Sun Ra inspire neo-soul? Coming off the rising success of her Worthnothings EP, the immensely creative Muldrow combines the vocal charisma of Lauryn Hill, the indefinable quirk of Dudley Perkins, the coffeehouse accessibility of poetic spoken word, the spiritual fluidity of modern creative jazz and the bottom-line boom-bap of Madlib. Written, performed, recorded AND produced on her own, Olesi retains the same ideals as the EP, but in much shorter, fragmented outbursts that form an incredibly intriguing musical diary. Urban, political, urgent, introspective, creative, searching and passionate… Muldrow has a lot express and we are her lucky audience.





Bob Dylan - Spirit on the Water - Modern Times (Columbia 2006)


Bob Dylan – Modern Times / Columbia

Part of Bob Dylan’s attraction as a wily, prophetic youth was his warbling joke of a singing-voice that proudly displayed in bright blaring lights: substance over appearance. 40+ years later and 30 studio albums under his belt, Dylan’s voice should be squeezed dry of the youthful exuberance, but instead it has aged endearingly into your grandparent’s world-wise neighbor who enjoys reminiscing in the past and pointing out what’s wrong with the world, but all while snickering about his immature antics at the bar last night. Modern Times is a collection of re-imagined folk songs brought to your ears care of a precisely loose backing band and Dylan’s wavering blues ramble that continually contradicts the album’s mood and direction thanks to his equal affection of rock, blues, folk, R&B and jazz. The subject matter is primed for the flashing clarity concerning love, mortality and politics that comes about 4 or 5 drinks into the night and the rollicking vibe accentuates this as well. MT is yet another familiar classic from the Dylan camp and personally, ‘Spirit on the Water’ is worth its existence alone.





Alice Smith - Dream - For Lovers, Dreamers & Me (BBE 2006)


Alice Smith – For Lovers, Dreamers and Me / BBE

With a sultry retro-soul voice, a mid-tempo obsessed backing band and a producer who excels at a crisp, conventionally mixed sound, on paper Alice Smith seems to be condemned to neo-soul blandness before she even gets out of the starting blocks. But in fact, Smith’s debut album seems to overreach these expectations and the listener is left with a very enjoyable pop-soul album much like Van Hunt’s eponymous full-length. With pipes reminiscent of Patti Labelle or a less raspy Tina Turner, Smith and her 4-octave vocal range can easily carry the album on her singing talents alone, so it’s up to her collaborators to take it to the next level. Producer Alex Elena and gang do a good job of staying true to the genre and even excel in a few instances, but fall a little flat in the overall creative department and slip in the cheese every now and then. Smith no doubt has the vocal prowess and talents to take it to that next level… but I’m not sure where else she can go with her supporting cast. Honestly, she needs her Ike… hopefully a less destructive one though.