Fiona Apple - The Idler Wheel Is Wiser Than the Driver of the Screw and Whipping Cords Will Serve You More Than Ropes Will Ever Do

Yeah, I put the whole title up there. Beat that, various media outlets. Anyway, from now on, I'll refer to Fiona Apple's new album only at The Idler Wheel... as is the style at the time. Apple's first album since 2005's Extraordinary Machine came highly anticipated. That anticipation was bolstered by her NPR interview in which her eccentric genius finds oratory crescendo in simple answers about her creative process. She says, I'll paraphrase, that she doesn't have a plan; she just writes music when music happens. It's the ideal of a young person wishing for the muse to motivate them. Muses' existence aside, The Idler Wheel... delivers. It's a casual, dark and chaotic collection that pushing the boundaries of experimentation while still maintaining Apple's signature sexual growling vocals and jazz-informed piano.

Apple feels a bit symbiotic with Annie Clark's St. Vincent here. And they've followed a similar career trajectory, though Clark's to less popular renown. Both artists tapped into a new style, a new way of approaching a traditional medium. Apple changed jazz and the Lilith Fair-style lady-rock that was waxing and waning in the last half of the 1990s. Clark took a guitar-centric indie scene and flipped rock over, infusing it with dark tales, divine haunting nightmares of sound, and lyrical directness. Both Apple and Clark managed to keep their pop sensibilities too. The point of this aside though, is that Apple has cultivated a similar dark place to Clark. At times, The Idler Wheel... feels like a dangerous, demonic music box, chiming away pleasantly while planning your demise when you turn your back.

Apple has always been a mature and direct lyricist. And that hasn't changed either. There are no wispy metaphors or dances. Apple belts "I don't wanna talk about anything!" in "Johnathan," a song where Apple wants to dispense with discussion and just be with the titular man. The Idler Wheel... is dangerously exceptional. It is indirect. It is at times, on the first listen, disarming and abusive. But it grows on you like a fine, beautiful ivy or Virginia Creeper. If we have to wait this long for Fiona Apple to hear her muse again, it will be a hard wait, but with these results, it's one of undeniable value.

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Oddisee - Rock Creek Park

Here's another toast to the beauty of the internet! It was by the grace of Amerigo Gazaway's Fela Soul that I came up Oddisee and the grooving, smooth and mellow Rock Creek Park. Having a great network of music, especially artists who aren't immediately recognized by major or even Indie labels, is the soul of the internet music scene. And I have to give a shout out to Mello Music Group's bandcamp set for opening my ears and my proverbial eyes to something truly wonderful. Through 12 tracks, Rock Creek Park provides a seemingly endless store of goodwill, charm and honestly, genuine great feelings. The musical arrangements, complete with horns and strings and some excellent drum beats, are nothing short of perfect. This is an elegant, peaceful album that brings joy every time it plays. And in Oddisee's own words: "This album is my interpretation of [Washington, D.C.'s] Rock Creek Park through break beats, samples & live instrumentation." And the album feels like that. It's a park day album. It is a calming refuge from the hustle of the city and the day's responsibilities. And it's really infectious. Since listening to it the first time, I have chocked at least 5 additional listens (all in a couple of days) and considering how music I find around me all the time, this staying power is a testament to the quality and the beauty of Rock Creek Park.

There isn't a bad track here. And while I could nitpick a phrase or two, I don't have any interest in doing so. Songs like "Skipping Rocks" and "The Carter Barron" create such a chill atmosphere that they're almost impossible not to like. But the kicker, especially with those two tracks, is that they're also incredibly memorable. This isn't just mood music. These aren't just songs that feel good but digest faster than Chinese food. They stick with you. For all of the light pleasure inside, they're still stick-to-your-ribs music. The break-beat, funky, horn-strewn "Scenic Route to You" is brilliant and bass-heavy. The delicate and jazzy "All Along the River" feels like a careful prance along the banks that leads you to the dancier "Uptown Cabaret." And as I said, there's just not a bad piece to this pie. "Clara Barton" and "Beach Dr." are both stellar. But "Mattered Much" may be the best of the final 5. It just seethes with jazzy passion and quiet joy. And there's a little bit of something I've heard before in there. Ultimately, Rock Creek Park is an album that takes the Jazz Fusion of late Miles Davis to another level, but it's never inaccessible or problematic. It's just really, very fucking good.

The final two tracks, one a lyric'd version of "Mattered Much" featuring Olivier Daysoul, and the closer "For Certain" featuring Diamond District are two epic ways to end this already chill and exceptional set. The quality rhymes and pacing guide you to the inevitable silence when the music ends, and leave you feeling empowered, refreshed and positive. It's just good shit. That's it. Just good shit. You should listen to this. And then buy it. Paying a mere $7.99 for this is a steal. And I'm sure you'll find yourself listening to it time and time again. Check it out here. And then go to the bandcamp site.

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Pink Hawks - Shima

One of my fondest college experiences was taking a course covering the history of jazz and its impact on American and World music. Other than my courses in writing and film, that one course, filled with history and music made the greatest impression on my young life. It turned me on to Miles Davis, Coltrane, Thelonious Monk and Charles Mingus and opened up a window to a world of sound that says more without lyrics than many songs with vocals ever could. So, excuse the brief nostalgia as I try to seamlessly segue into noting who may be the best, new, local (for the Denverites) jazz fusion group in years. Pink Hawks, who will release their album Shima officially on May 13th with a release party at The Mercury Cafe, bring charged political awareness and energetic, spirited sounds to an oft forgotten genre. With Shima, the combination of expert musicianship and potent, if occasionally "on the nose" lyrics, Pink Hawks create an undeniable sound. To call this new jazz is a compliment, but also an understatement. Shima, with its four tracks spanning 41+ minutes, lives on a powerful mix of growing horns, wailing vocals, dancing keys and rapturous guitar riffs. And though their site tags them as afrobeat and world music, they are so much more than that.

The opening track on Shima, "Everything Is Poetry," is nothing short of perfection. It opens quietly with tapping percussion that precedes a sturdy bass line. Horns hop in offering bits of the melody that add up with each measure until we finally hear the full picture. And once we do, it's a song loaded with all the energy and spirit of anything written by the greats of the Big Band or Combo eras. If you've ever heard Mingus' "Original Faubus Fables" you will feel the connections here, even as the electric guitar and contemporary production elevates the sound, the overall tone and design is the same. Pink Hawks are blatantly political and philosophical, using elegant jazz to tear down societal notions with incredible momentum. There are points, where the lyrics are too blatant, as I noted earlier, but those moments of aggressive protest are so perfectly matched by the energy and experimentation of the music that any minor trespasses are ignorable, and in many cases welcome. "Separate the Corporation and State" is a perfect example. The vocals are a mantra, chanting that idea. It's heavily political, pounding the message repeatedly, while offering pristine sonic backing. Again, I think of Mingus here, as call-and-response rule the track.

The sultry tango-esque "Misery In Threes" may be the crowning achievement of the album, though. It takes slow steps, horns and woodwinds warbling over marching drums. It's a sad, meandering song as implied by its title but a beautiful key solo at the 3/4 really adds fragility to the track, accentuating the tenuousness of any sexuality that comes from the horns and drums. Life is often beautiful and sad, and that's something this song demonstrates exceptionally. The fourth and final track on the album "Addicted to Pain" starts with tapping drums and a phenomenal bass line, guitar pops in, dancing around in the open spaces perfectly and then comes the sax. This is another politically charged track with a batch of more stream-of-consciousness lyrics, rollicking and passionate. It's a perfect closer to an excellent album.

So, as the question may come up, perhaps, where one might find great new jazz that isn't "smooth" (which is almost always a radio code-word for sleepy and boring) I fully recommend pointing any who ask to Pink Hawks. Shima is brilliantly produced, intricately orchestrated and charming in every way. It will get your feet moving as much as your heart. And it's a great complement to coffee, smoky bar spaces (though they no longer exist) and political-noir mentality. You can find Pink Hawks and download the album on their site here and if nothing else, take the time to stream it. You'll be glad you did.

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