CD Reviews


> Nick Lowe. The Old Magic. Proper Records.
4 stars (out of 5)

Through the pub rock, punk and new wave eras, Nick Lowe played his part as an astute writer, honest performer and gifted producer.

His late-in-life resurgence as a much-revered country-rock statesman is reassuring for those who value substance over style, and his latest album does much to reinforce his standing as an artist's artist.

Lowe's wry reflections on ageing and matters of the heart, subjects often combined, are typically economical in their construction but are all the better for it.

Highlights include perfectly formed ballad I Read A Lot and the Bacharach-inspired 'Til The Real Thing Comes Along.

Single download: Stoplight Roses
For those who like: Richard Hawley, John Hiatt, Johnny Cash

- Jeff Harford


> Mel Parsons. Red Grey Blue. Border.
4 stars

Kiwi singer-songwriter Mel Parsons follows her 2009 Tui award-nominated album Over My Shoulder with another collection that highlights her warm, husky voice.

Written over two years while Parsons gigged in support of her debut, Red Grey Blue has a certain road-worn vibe as upfront and honest lyricism is encased in arrangements ranging from alt-country to folkish to sing-along pop and supported by clean electric guitars, chiming acoustics and good backing harmonies courtesy of Anika Moa, Anji Sami and others.

On Bones Parsons sings she's "supposed to be light, bright and superficial". This effort is from a deeper place.

Single download: I'll Go
For those who like: The Waifs, Ane Brun

- Shane Gilchrist


> The Waterboys. An Appointment with Mr Yeats. Proper Records.
5 stars

Bombastic, ambitious and pretentious it may seem, but The Waterboys' reworking of the words of Irish poet W.B. Yeats into a 14-song rock album deserves a standing ovation.

From distorted guitar vamping (The Hosting Of The Shee, A Full Moon in March) to waves of organ (Song of Wandering Aengus) that would make Rick Wakeman weep with joy, Waterboys key man Mike Scott has realised a 20-year vision of turning old words into new art.

Fans of the band's Celtic strains can relax; there is still fiddle, harmony and lamentation amid the power chords.

Single download: Sweet Dancer
For those who like: Nick Cave meets Van Morrison

- Shane Gilchrist


 

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