Born to Sing: No Plan B
Van Morrison
$9.99
At 65 years old, Van Morrison has released his 35th studio album, Born to Sing: No Plan B, and proves not only through the title of the album, but also through his songs, that he was truly born to sing. The album, which was recorded in Morrison's hometown of Belfast, is comprised of 10 original songs with Blue Notes Records.
Morrison's R&B and jazz roots are apparent throughout the tracks, while themes of greed and materialism within society are woven into the lyrics of certain songs. In the first song, Open the Door (To Your Heart), Morrison sings, "It's need not greed, open the door to your heart," which is an overarching message for this legendary singer. In track eight, If In Money We Trust, Morrison continues to ask, "What do you trust when it's not enough?" While this is his first album in four years, there is great relevancy to the lyrics and themes that Morrison presents to the listener to think about the issues of society's economics and emphasis on materialism.
Another layer is added to Born to Sing: No Plan B when Morrison plays the saxophone along with a six-piece live band in the studio for Born to Sing. His passion for music shines through during the almost five-minute song, which is heard not only in his voice, but also through his saxophone playing.
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Songwriters Hall of Fame inductee has successfully recorded another album that showcases his iconic voice and instrumental abilities alongside his thought-provoking lyrics.
Huj! Huj! Hajrah!
Foxtrot Uniform
$7.99
Dallas/Fort Worth natives Kelly Test and Kenny Uptain of Foxtrot Uniform recorded their most recent album, Huj! Huj! Hajrah!, as a two-piece rock and roll band. Test and Uptain recorded the 15-song compilation in Test's living room.
With a mixture of genres of everything from jazz to blues, to R&B to rock, the two Texas locals combine instruments and vocals, creating a sound unique to Foxtrot Uniform.
Two of the songs, Figured You Out and Taken By the Battle Cry, are solely instrumental, which exhibits Test and Uptain's musical talent and range. Taken By the Battle Cry is the first song on the album, and while it does not have lyrics, it does have light, meditative chanting accompanied with the music.
Unafraid of edgy lyrics, Huj! Huj! Hajrah! speaks to topics of depression and prescription pills in Getting To You. The lyrics address a person who struggles with an addiction problem and are sung from the perspective of someone who knew him or her before it all began.
Questions of faith and religion are also apparent themes that Uptain and Test sing about on certain tracks. Truth looks at people who are "firm believers," but do not follow what they say to be true. The title and the song question what truth is and where truth can be found.
From their ability to draw upon multiple genres of music to their lack of fear of lyrical topics, this duo brings a fresh musical outlook. As they state in their song, Long Fall Down, "if you don't know me/ you're bound to know me soon."
Provincial
John K. Samson
$10.24
John K. Samson stepped out to release his first solo album after writing four acclaimed albums with The Weakerthans. Being with The Weakerthans since 1997, this new venture showcases who Samson is as a solo artist and also has some similarities to the band's previous albums. The singer-songwriter released Provincial in January of 2012 after recording it at Toronto's Six Nassau Street and Prairie Recording Co. in Winnipeg during April of 2011.
The album evolved out of Samson's curiosity of four roads in the Canadian province of Manitoba, where he lives. Rural Canada, specifically Highway 1, City Route 85, Highway 23 and Provincial Road 222, is depicted through the emo-based poetry lyrics. Each of the 12 tracks demonstrates Samson's impeccable ability to poetically tell stories through the songs he sings, encouraging listeners to delve into the various meanings within each lyric.
Track eight, which is written as an online petition, is entitled as a Web address. The song talks about hockey player Reggie Leach and seeks to honor and remember him in a campaign. Through Samson's tone and repetition of "we, the undersigned, put forth his name" during the song, the listener begins to understand who Reggie was to Samson and finds emotional meaning to him as well.
The final song on Provincial, Taps Reversed, finds Samson at home, instead of rural Canada, but proceeds to use his fierce language to convey his feelings and stories of home.
Samson's intricacy in his wording creates an experience of uncovering, making this album one to listen to multiple times in order to grasp the richness of his language.
