Album Review: Tracyanne & Danny

Album: Tracyanne & Danny
Artist: Tracyanne & Danny
Release Date: May 25, 2018
Favorite Tracks:

• It Can’t Be Love Unless It Hurts
• Jacqueline
• O’Keefe

Thoughts:

This duo features Tracyanne Campbell, formerly of the Scottish band Camera Obscura whose album Let’s Get Out of This Country was on my list of favorite albums of all time.  Her partner is Danny Coughlan, an English singer-songwriter from England, of whom I have no prior knowledge.  The sound of the album reminds me of 60s pop, not necessarily what the nostalgia industry categorizes as “60s music,” but the type of pop that was popular with older listeners in the period. Nevertheless, there’s a a lot of variety from folk to lounge music to jazzy to  the lushly orchestrated. The album on the whole is beautiful but melancholy, as to be expected since it is Campbell’s first album since the death of friend and bandmate Carey Lander in 2015.

Rating: ***

Related Post: Concert Review: Camera Obscura

Album Review: Nightstand by Tancred

Album: Nightstand
Artist: Tancred
Release Date: June 1, 2018
Favorite Tracks:

• Queen of New York
• Something Else
• Underwear
• Reviews

Thoughts:

This album from Tancred, the stage name for a project of Maine’s own Jess Abbott, is a collection of 90s style power pop, somewhere in-between Letters to Cleo and The Breeders.  The lyrics are confessional and intimate.  Abbott alternates rockers with quieter, acoustic tunes.  I prefer the former, but really there’s something for everyone here.

Rating: ***

Album Review: Medicaid Fraud Dogg by Parliament

Album: Medicaid Fraud Dogg
Artist: Parliament
Release Date: May 22, 2018
Favorite Tracks:

• 69
• I’m Gon Make U Sick O’me (feat. Scarface)
• Antisocial Media
• No Mos
• Medicaid Fraud Dogg
• Insurance Man

Thoughts:

Yes, Parliament has released their 10th studio album, and first in 38 years. But can you teach an old, uh, dogg new tricks? George Clinton and company (a mix of long-time funk veterans and contemporary r&b and hip-hop artists) have a lot to say in a 23-track album that’s almost 2 hours long and focuses thematically on the corruption of the pharmaceutical industry (in Clinton’s weird way).  Hip-hop artists have been sampling from P-Funk for decades so this album returns the favor by blending hip-hop sounds seamlessly into the Parliament sound. There’s probably too much content to declare this a great album, but beggars can’t be choosers, and after such a long wait, this overdose of funk is much better than could be expected.

Rating:

Related Posts:

• Music Discoveries: P-Funk, part 1 (1970-1975)
• Music Discoveries: P-Funk, part 2 (1975-1978)
• Music Discoveries: P-Funk, part 3 (1978-1982)