Shit CD Of The Month
I have no shame.
I take a perfectly reasonable, or mildly passable album and find fault with it.
Starting a new page on the web site called 'Shit CD of the Month' is bound to attract some criticism. Whether the anticipated criticism is aimed more at the choice of album than the general concept of reviewing an album under this guise, remains to be seen. Regardless of how popular an album (or an artist) is, to some people there is bound to be some aspect of it that just makes it absolutely unbearble.
Just because an album is featured on this page does not mean it is 'shit' and not everyone will agree with the choice of album for this page. Well, I want to have my 2 cents worth.
Gina Villalobos - 'Miles Away'
Gina Villalobos
'Miles Away'
Laughing Outlaw Records (May 8th, 2006)
Despite her prevalence in the alt. country scene in climes as far apart as the UK and Australia, not to mention in her native US (enthusiastic reception at SXSW) and the fact that Villalobos is widely touted as the queen of country rock, with Lucinda Williams comparsions, there is some doubt in my mind about the lengevity of her career based on this follow-up to her debut 'Rock and Roll Pony'.
The afore-mentioned 'Rock and Roll Pony' was a breath of country rock fresh
air when it was released, but listening to 'Miles Away' makes one realise that there is very little mileage (if you'll pardon the pun) in off-the-shelf angst fuelled ballads that give one the impression of a relentless nasal droning and very little tonal variation in the vocals. Like any album I review, I played 'Miles Away' regularly for around a week, in rotation with a handful of other albums, and the initial feeling that I hoped that I was listening to a future country rock classic that I just couldn't get into was soon replaced with the thought "will you stop that droning already!".
I went back to 'Miles Away' a couple of weeks later, hoping to find some redeeming facets to the album, something that I missed the first time round, and all I could come up with was that the instrumentation is first class, and that the album has enviable production. Some albums are just so dreadful that you stop listening after a couple of tracks. Some, you just play over and over again, straining to find some redeeming quality that you just know you must have missed. Well, you must have missed something; everyone else loves the album, right? Of course, behind the scenes, Villalobos still has the song-witing skills that made 'Rock and Roll Pony' such a favourite amongst the more knowledgeable Americana fans in the UK, who both buy her albums and attend her gigs. The talent behind 'Miles Away' hasn't changed and perhaps the only reason this album doesn't even hit my metaphorical dartboard (where the previous album scored bullseye) is that it is a little too similar to the debut to make any difference whether I play it again or not.
No, it's not a shit album, but neither it is a particularly good one. Invariably, there is always a side to the album that takes it part way to redemption. As was the case with 'Miles Away. The absolutely stunning instrumentation goes a long way to masking the irritating and relentless nasal droning. Perhaps little less forced passon and a touch more vocal finesse wouldn't go amiss.
Related links:
Gina Villalobos
Laughing Outlaw Records