On the record: FJM, Seasick Steve and Ganser
Father John Misty – Anthem +3 EP (Bella Union)
Father John Misty – real name, Josh Tillman – has released an EP of covers. The release brings together three previously recorded tracks and the newly recorded title song.
The highlight is the EP’s title song Anthem, a cover of a 1992 Leonard Cohen track. Doing away with the backing singers and orchestra of Cohen’s original, Tillman’s sparse arrangement allows his voice to take centre stage. It brings new life to the track, with a hint of sadness and despair that Cohen’s original recording perhaps lacks.
Trouble, a cover of the 1971 Cat Stevens/Yusuf Islam track plods a little. But the final song on the EP, another Cohen cover, One of Us Cannot Be Wrong is exciting and features some excellent saxophone. The recording of Tillman’s voice is imperfect, with slight distortions at points, adding to Cohen’s dramatic lyrics. These two tracks alone are a stirring case for an entire album of Cohen covers.
Seasick Steve – Love & Peace (There’s a Dead Skunk Records)
America divided. Trump vs Biden. Coast vs Rust Belt. Seasick Steve drops his eleventh album trying to reconcile his fellow countrymen. The album opens with a speech about how it is “all got tangled up, we don’t listen to each other no more.” Then, the album opener and title track moves out of neutral into a stable, blues guitar cruise. Seasick implores listeners to “stop the hatred now” and “get back to love and peace”.
The album chugs along at a pace. Most of the time it sounds like it should soundtrack a Peterbilt 379 montage video; the album is Americana and blues, expect nothing else. Seasick has not tried to expand his sound before, and it appears he will not ever. The duststorm of Church of Me is the highlight. The track builds to the sort of riff that is powered by a diet of sour mash and engine oil. The itinerant American continues to deliver.
Ganser – Just Look At That Sky (felte)
Chicago post-punk band Ganser returns with their second full-length album. Piercing guitar lines and pneumatic rhythms are features of the energetic record. Particular highlights on Sky include Emergency Equipment and Exits.
When the singing is more melodic, the band sounds far more interesting, best exhibited on Told You So. In this case, the chorus is juxtaposed with a droned verse. A solid, if an unspectacular record, likely only attractive to post-punk enthusiasts.