tThf oailii jar Uppl
Guitarist Succeeds Without Sappy Songs
Jaz
BvJeremyHurtz
Staff Writer
Pat Metieny’s latest album, Trio
99X)0, relies less on the jazz star’s lithe
guitar moves and more on his improvi
sation and innovation. His previous
three outings with trios are among his
most widely praised, and Trio likely will
continue the trend.
During the
past 25 years,
Metheny has
refined his sup
ple guitar style.
He’s capable of
evoking many
moods -most
H CD Review
Pat Metheny
Trio 99>00
iff
of them mellow - aid has garnered crit
ical praise and comjierciai success.
After touring wth his Pat Metheny
Group and recordng a redundant gui
tar-and-symphony soundtrack to “A
Map of the World? (both projects lend
to mood music), Hetheny teamed with
bassist Larry Gnnadier and drummer
Bill Stewart for tvo days to record Trio.
These 11 tracls range from up-tempo
pieces like the ipener “(Go) Get It” to
slower, more reliberate songs such as
“Travels.” Whie the faster pieces prove
consistently lisenable, the slower pieces
run a wider gmut of quality.
British Songstress Won't Take Tunes Past Small Stages
By Matt Mansfield
Staff Writer
Feminii singer Sheila Nicholls will
tour sedate coffee shops all over the
country in upcoming months. And after
listening to Brief Strop, it doesn’t seem
possible for ler to succeed anywhere
other than a
corner sta;e
next to the of
fee-of-the-
month displty.
Her allurng,
British voice is
reminiscen: of
H| CD Review
Sheila Nicholls
Brief Strop
ff
Beth Orton, whose folk-guitar has
graced the Cat’s Cradle stage.
But the similarities end there, with
Nicholls featuring a piano as her main
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In past recordings, Metheny has dis
played an affinity for overly sugary
sounds. Though there’s not much of that
on this record, a couple of songs do
stray into elevator-music territory. The
simple sentimentality which made A
Map of the World so pleasant sticks out, in
the company of more interesting mate
rial, like a sappy thumb. Still, even the
worst tracks on Trio share a palpable
sincerity with the best of his tunes.
This earnestness makes the album’s
high points quite affecting. An eerie,
thrumming piece called “Just Like the
Day” seems simultaneously prayer and
chant, a hymn of restrained beauty.
By far the best offering here, “Just
Like the Day” is a Metheny original. But
Trio also boasts three songs not penned
by the guitarist, including, bizarrely, a
song from the musical “Bye Bye Birdie.”
Though he’s unquestionably the
main attraction, Metheny occasionally
drops out of the songs. Grenadier and
Stewart shine when given the spotlight,
but they know when to relinquish it.
Trio gives ample evidence that
Metheny’s star won’t burn out soon.
Despite its flaws, this is the work of a
craftsman at the top of his form.
The Arts & Entertainment Editor can
be reached at artsdesk@unc.edu.
instrument, plus some backup violins
and guitars.
The music depresses the listener con
sistently throughout the album. Each
song features minimal piano accompa
niment, making each note progressively
poignant throughout the song.
However, it sounds like Nicholls sat
down at the piano and randomly hit
some low, somber keys, the way a
novice pokes at the piano to mock com
position techniques.
Unlike Orton, all of Nicholls’
depressing songs sound like carbon
copies of the others, which motivate the
listener to take some Prozac before play
ing the whole album.
Her melancholy lyrics about feminist
issues complement the maudlin music
perfectly. They don’t entertain, many of
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Jazz guitarist Pat Matheny substitutes innovation for elevator music
on his latest release, the mellow Trio 99>00.
them digressing on trite generalities like
the evils of marketing and the system.
Lyrics about individual female expe
rience pale in comparison to Tori Amos
and even Orton. They are real, but they
just do not move the listener.
Nicholls does, however, add emotion
to the lyrics with her voice effectively.
The listener knows that she sings from
the heart, and her voice builds up to
sonorous high notes with a powerful
British accent.
But she wastes her voice on sad lyrics
and music, giving her singing a whiny
feeling.
Nicholls has potential as a musician,
but she needs to emphasize that some
things in life are positive. Abortion, bro
ken hearts and ennui might exist in life,
but birds and daisies do, too.
One bright spot on the album is
“Question.” She gets as upbeat as she
possibly can, and the piano has a little
positive force, getting listeners to prick
their ears up and take notice.
But the album just reminds the lis
tener of some overly sentimental folk
singer that drones on in coffee shops.
And appropriately, that’s mostly what
her tour consists of.
The Arts & Entertainment Editor can
be reached at artsdesk@unc.edu.
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Drifting Through Drives
Toward Top'4o Success
By Erin Wynia
Senior Writer
With roots as a Phish-influenced jam
band, Raleigh-based Drifting Through
stands poised to take over - GlO5.
Making the switch from 30-minute
plus jam tunes to a commercial radio
format takes talent, and talent shines
through on Spell, Drifting Through’s
debut album.
In the grand
tradition of
N.C. pop-rock
bands like
Hobex, Cravin’
Melon and Far
Too Jones,
Drifting
H| CD Review
Drifting Through
Spell
ffff
Through plays with guts, tenderness,
soul and a sense of fun. This combina
tion will undoubtedly provide fodder for
the eager hands of top-40 hitmaker
GlO5, whose influence and heavy song
rotation has won major-label contracts
for local bands in the past.
Drifting Through, for its part, makes
no bones about courting commercial
success. Spells tracks play like good old
fashioned Southern rock, with a touch of
funk. The music’s easy on the ears, but
definitely not fluff.
And the man responsible for the
band’s familiar-yet-fresh sound is
Randall Kirsch, Drifting Through’s pri
mary songwriter, vocalist and guitarist.
Kirsch’s lyrics tell stories - tragedies of
love and drunkenness -and the instru
ments simmering underneath wisely
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interpret the words.
Therein lies the band’s strength.
Music in such an established genre as
Southern rock tends to sound recycled,
like five guys all trying to relive the
glory days of Lynyrd Skynyrd.
But Drifting Through has discovered
the secret to resisting that temptation.
The band’s snazzy jazz-like chord pro
gressions and inventive keyboard work
go a long way toward creating a sound
that reminds listeners of their roots, yet
lakes the genre in a different direction.
For instance, on “Hatteras” (a great
frat party rock out), an organ blends
with a dizzy bassline, insistent drums
and a guitar solo reminiscent of The
Allman Brothers. The band rocks, cer
tainly, but never sounds out of control.
Still, perhaps the most tantalizing
aspect of Spell comes with each track’s
potential to be transformed into an
extended jam in a live setting. Over the
past four years, ever since its formation
at Wake Forest University, the band has
exhibited an unrelenting dedication to
touring and the skills refined on the road
show in this album.
So for all its commercial trappings,
this music yearns to jump out of its skin,
and on March 3, the Triangle will get a
dose of Drifting Through at The
Brewery in Raleigh. Don’t miss the
opportunity to hear this up and-coming
band, which should do anything but
drift through the airwaves this summer.
The Arts & Entertainment Editor can
be reached at artsdesk@unc.edu.
7