Thoughts on this one in the form of (a) some miscellaneous thoughts and (b) editorialising about the words on the sticker on the front of the cd (italicised) that made me pick it up while browsing the other day.
For me, there's something romantic about listening to cds in a record store. Some of it's probably inherent, and bound up with the nostalgia of discovering music through such an old-fashioned means; there's a more specific dimension to that, too - memories of younger days at listening stations in the Bourke Street HMV. And then there was that scene in Before Sunrise, and also the recollection of one particular occasion, summer, involving a girl - blurry now but there's obviously a reason why I still remember it. Anyway, the setting for that last was Basement Discs - and likewise, much more recently, for last weekend's listening to Little Spark, all of which all told very likely contributed to my deciding to buy the record.
Blue-eyed soul, dusty folk and blues-pop for fans of SHE & HIM, CAT POWER and NEKO CASE.
An appealing description, it goes without saying, and as it turns out, not completely off the mark. For the most part, though, Baylin tends (and errs) towards the more languid end of the spectrum, lacking in the drama and/or intensity that makes the three acts to which she's being compared, all in their different ways, so interesting to listen to; of the three, she's most similar to Zooey's 60s inspired pop confections, but less exuberant.
ROLLING STONE "like Portishead with a girlish Dusty Springfield at the mic"
This line made me think that the Rolling Stone reviewer hadn't listened beyond the swirlingly urgent - and, not coincidentally, album highlight - first track, "Hurry Hurry", on which Baylin does indeed sound like a girlish Dusty Springfield (a good thing, and a good description), though even then about the only thing it has in common with Portishead is some strings and a dash of moodiness. The rest of the album = somewhat like a girlish Dusty Springfield + nothing like Portishead at all.
FILTER "a curious, soulful Winehouse-ian vibe"
Actually, the somewhat lighter fare of Norah Jones' or Bic Runga's latest (Little Broken Hearts and Belle respectively) would be a better comparison - both rather nice records which reach heights that Baylin's doesn't.
Anyway, I've maybe ended up sounding more down on this album than I actually am. It's nice enough, but just a bit middling, is all.
For me, there's something romantic about listening to cds in a record store. Some of it's probably inherent, and bound up with the nostalgia of discovering music through such an old-fashioned means; there's a more specific dimension to that, too - memories of younger days at listening stations in the Bourke Street HMV. And then there was that scene in Before Sunrise, and also the recollection of one particular occasion, summer, involving a girl - blurry now but there's obviously a reason why I still remember it. Anyway, the setting for that last was Basement Discs - and likewise, much more recently, for last weekend's listening to Little Spark, all of which all told very likely contributed to my deciding to buy the record.
Blue-eyed soul, dusty folk and blues-pop for fans of SHE & HIM, CAT POWER and NEKO CASE.
An appealing description, it goes without saying, and as it turns out, not completely off the mark. For the most part, though, Baylin tends (and errs) towards the more languid end of the spectrum, lacking in the drama and/or intensity that makes the three acts to which she's being compared, all in their different ways, so interesting to listen to; of the three, she's most similar to Zooey's 60s inspired pop confections, but less exuberant.
ROLLING STONE "like Portishead with a girlish Dusty Springfield at the mic"
This line made me think that the Rolling Stone reviewer hadn't listened beyond the swirlingly urgent - and, not coincidentally, album highlight - first track, "Hurry Hurry", on which Baylin does indeed sound like a girlish Dusty Springfield (a good thing, and a good description), though even then about the only thing it has in common with Portishead is some strings and a dash of moodiness. The rest of the album = somewhat like a girlish Dusty Springfield + nothing like Portishead at all.
FILTER "a curious, soulful Winehouse-ian vibe"
Actually, the somewhat lighter fare of Norah Jones' or Bic Runga's latest (Little Broken Hearts and Belle respectively) would be a better comparison - both rather nice records which reach heights that Baylin's doesn't.
Anyway, I've maybe ended up sounding more down on this album than I actually am. It's nice enough, but just a bit middling, is all.
