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8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Second major label release from Veirs & co..., 9 April 2007
Veirs' major label debut 'Year of Meteors' (2005) was a fine album, though not probably what some were expecting going on the dark folk of 2004's breakthrough 'Carbon Glacier' or the reissue of her earlier alt-country work 'The Triumphs and Travails of Orphan Mae' (2001). Veirs and co made a more full blooded album with 'Year of Meteors', fleshing out the directions suggested by earlier single 'The Cloud Room.' As an album it got fine reviews, though not as ecstatic as 'Carbon Glacier', and there was a feeling that she was a bit ignored with other singers occupying similar climes: Joanna Newsom, Marissa Nadler, Maria Taylor, Beth Orton with Jim O'Rourke, Tanya Donelly etc Though that probably says more how female singers are defined - why was it that everyone raved over Joanna Newsom's album last year, while pretty much ignoring Nina Nastasia's fantastic 'On Leaving'?
Veirs' band 'Tortured Souls' (comprised of Veirs, Steve Moore, Karl Blau & Decemberists-associate Tucker Martine the latter producing again here)have now been renamed 'Saltbreakers', and with Veirs' admission that a long-term relationship has ended, there is a sense that this is something of a Year Zero. The sound of the album advances on 'Year of Meteors', feeling as warm as the production of peers The Decemberists (who Veirs' guested with last year) and The Shins; while the rich, sublime sound feels akin to Wilco's upcoming 'Sky Blue Sky' - the ideal companion.
'Pink Light' opens with an example of Veirs' full band sound, which makes me quite gutted to have somehow overlooked getting tickets for her current sold out performance at the Glee Club in Birmingham! How did that happen? The band come in, the chiming guitars coming to the fore as Veirs' sings in that vocal somewhere between Liz Phair and Suzanne Vega (this is probably the album Phair tried to make with the hit & miss 'Whitechocolatespaceegg'). 'Ocean Night Song' returns to the climes of 'Carbon Glacier', acoustic based and singing of ice and the sea, the Pacific Ocean Blue. 'Don't Lose Yourself' shifts moods, sounding like a sharp song that ought to be a single, a tight acoustic riff against the kind of electronic beat apparent in recent releases by Modest Mouse & The Shins, and a gorgeous piano part as great as those on 'Sky Blue Sky.' There's even a great new wavey keyboard part...
The rest of the album is as great, one of those records that goes down very well at this time of year, and one of those albums that at present I'm happy to play over and over. The gorgeous ballad 'Drink Deep' is another standout, while the title track 'Saltbreakers' feels kind of funky, especially with the great catchy backing vocals from the rest of the band. Even better is 'To the Country', which features Bill Frisell - that central guitar part reminding me of the soundtrack to 'Cold Mountain.' The use of the Cedar Hill Choir on this track is highly effective, reminding me slighly of recent choir use, from that on Smog's 'Knock, Knock' to the last Horses in the Sky album, and most of all to the choir/response backing vocals on Sufjan Stevens' 'Chicago'. Veirs' sound is expanding wonderfully, I must admit I've been a sucker for these kind of backing vocals since hearing the first and last songs on Talk Talk's 1986 joy 'The Colour of Spring.' 'Cast a Hook' could have been on any of The Shins albums, while 'Phantom Mountain' taps into Veirs and co's roots in punk. It has been compared by some to Dinosaur Jr, which I find is wide of the mark - Sebadoh might be more accurate! 'Black Butterfly' is another diversion, a piano-driven piece with a strange atmosphere (kind of despairing) and leading to the album closer 'Wrecking', which is another sublime acoustic work and the perfect adieu.
'Saltbreakers' is a fine album, though I wonder if this will be the major label breakthrough Veirs' needs? - it's perfectly possible when the US billboard chart has Modest Mouse and The Shins in, after all! At present this sounds a fine album and a definite highlight of 2007, which is shaping up to be a great year so far with fine albums from Low, Modest Mouse, The Shins, Bill Callahan, The Waterboys, RTX, Throbbing Gristle, Wilco, Bright Eyes, and so many others...
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Another great record from Laura Veirs, 22 Mar 2007
The big story leading up to the release of this album was that the Tortured Souls were no-more, although in reality seems to be merely cosmetic. The line-up for new backing band The Saltbreakers seems largely the same.
Obstentiously about the break-up of a long-term relationship, Saltbreakers is nonetheless steeped in the kind of dreamy imagery contained within Year Of Meteors and this time, as the title would suggest, there is a distinct focus on the ocean (and the cosmos) which is not entirely unexpected from Veirs.
Of course the danger so far is that it all sounds a little too like her last album for comfort, but that is not a worry. Whilst there are definite stylistic similarities, and indeed the album isn't as entirely successful as it's predecessor, its still a great piece of work in it's own right.
Don't Lose Yourself (with it's "debt" to the written prose of Jose Saramago) could well be a Meteors outtake but actually convinces as more than that. Light synth drums are joined by piano's and strings and the song slowly build into layers upon layers of sublime imagery. Pink Light uses its atmospheric and hypnotic guitars to great effect and turns up the "rock" friendly approach just a notch.
Cast A Hook is another great track, which again slowly builds from a mellow start into something very memorable indeed.
If there is to be one criticism it is that the album as a whole does sound a little similar throughout, both in comparison to Year Of Meteors and within itself as well. And ultimately any comparisons to it's predecessor will only highlight that this doesn't quite match up.
Still it's a very good record in it's own right and goes a good way to cementing Veirs' reputation as one of the brightest and most intriguing songwriters of her day.
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5 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
we can do some wrecking here...., 6 April 2007
i'm so glad i found laura veirs and saltbreakers. i understand the album was recorded in seattle. i have read that western america is/ can be similar in temperament to some of europe. being from england i think this pertains somewhat to weather patterns, which do indeed change moods (as one seattle band once sung).
the reason i found laura was nothing to do with her being from seattle though, which just strenthens my belief this is true. i happened upon an interview with her on simon mayo's radio show on the bbc last week and loved the songs and the way laura spoke in her interview. i just had to get the album.
i love saltbreakers because it takes me on a journey (as cliche as that sounds!). it's both bitter and sweet, happy and sad. there is a fragility in laura's voice which becomes a strength to me by the end of the album. every track is an asset in some way. my favourites are pink light, don't lose yourself, to the country, cast a hook in me and the wonderful final track, wrecking, which has simple and very very affective harmonies.
if you like female singer songwriters who make you feel, in some way, (that occasionally involve violas), especially if you're lonely and don't really want to, but need to, then i recommend this album to you.
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