
Pauline Andrès and Five Albums That Helped Shape the Singer-songwriter
Pauline Andrès – “Loneliest Girl in Nashville” avalable on iTunes.
PJ Harvey: To Bring You My Love
This record is really one of the greatest LPs made in the past 25 or 30 years. It’s crafted with such talent and intelligence. PJ was kinda at the peak of her career, she was huge, and she released something that really measured with the reputation she had built for herself. Her writing, her vocals, her world. It’s amazing as this record feels more than just a record. It’s movies and books and paintings. It’s colourful and dark and smooth. It should be celebrated more. Just like her entire work. She is one of the geniuses of our times and yet still often reduced to poor cliches (crazy, feminist) rather than just being celebrated as one of the best vocalists, musicians, and songwriters we’ve ever had.
Eels: Blinking Lights and Other Revelations
I have a really deep tenderness for the work of Mark Everett. His songs are amazingly simple but they are never lazy or boring. They are pure honesty turned to melody and rhymes and that’s probably why they resonate with so many people. Listening to the Eels, especially to this record (it was a close call with Useless Trinkets) brings the same kinda feeling you get after a good talk with a really good friend. Someone gets it. Someone who’s been there too. It’s a nice, rare feeling. It’s just real good, honest music.
Bruce Springsteen: Born in the USA
Alabama 3: La Peste
Dwight Yoakam: Guitars, Cadillacs, etc. etc.
This is without a doubt one of the best country records ever made. And since I couldn’t choose between Patsy Cline, Merle Haggard or Guy Clark, I went for the guy who’s still recording. And even though I’m in Nashville right now, I always related more and preferred the Bakersfield sound anyway.
What to say about this cult album that hasn’t been said? It’s just essential, it’s perfectly executed and Yoakam’s vocals are just to die for. If this record can’t make you like country, then nothing will. You’re just not a country music person. Or a music person for that matter. It’s the record I turn to when I want some big, HiFi, quality twang.
Pauline Andrès
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