Daily Listen by Brian Brock

Emmylou Harris - Wrecking Ball

I saw Daniel Lanois play a show once.  He does this thing where it looks like he’s trying to frantically pull a burning cactus needle out of his guitar.  I can’t say it makes a particular sound - maybe an indistinct crunch - but it’s an effective performance move.  His classic American songs seemed to be an afterthought to rocking out on a gold-top Gibson Les Paul.

On record, Lanois’s music esthetic is very different, a kind of electric americana, loose new-age western classicism.  I’m thinking specifically of Willie Nelson’s Teatro, Bob Dylan’s Time Out of Mind, Lanois’ own Belladonna and Shine, and this Emmylous Harris record, though the U2 and Peter Gabriel things still have a kind of new-ageyness about them.  I guess people describe it as “atmospheric”, but it strikes me very differently than Calexico, for example, which is electric americana, loose, western classicist and atmospheric music, but not new-age.

Emmylou Harris has a voice that can stop a human heart.  It’s what my dog feels as he’s walking by, and I lay a hand on his ear or hip.

Iron & Wine - The Shepherd's Dog

I would imagine that I&W’s Sam Beam and Alison Krauss will be making an album together some day soon.  They have essentially the same esthetic - I wonder if their audiences overlap much.  They could have Calexico, Jerry Douglas playing slide, and after hearing Bill Callahan’s new album I’m going to call in Brian Beattie for some keyboards and other such things.  Those guys could make a killer album in their own right, for that matter.

There’s something almost oppressive about this album.  I can’t put my finger on it.  Perhaps the arrangements are too dense for the songs?  I want to guess that it is overcompressed?  Maybe run through some kind of squishy vacuum tube thing?