Not for the first time music journalist Neil Mccormick helps us all out, the rule of thumb being 'Whatever he raves about, turn on your heels and run in the opposite direction'. Regular signposts are helpfully provided in the Daily Telegraph(see his recent glowing notice for the new Seal album, 'a seamless combination of synths, strings and immaculate musicianship frame the songs, [which] draw on a melting pot of global musical influences'. For Seal also read 'Sting', 'Peter Gabriel', etc, surely?!)
He's not responsible for that same paper's review of the new Emmylou Harris album, Stumble into grace, however, which claims, 'She has only to twitch the reins of a melody to take you miles in any direction'. Mark Edwards was also at it in The Times last weekend: 'There’s barely a second that doesn’t leave you wanting to grab someone and say: “Come and listen to this.”' Oh yeah? Listening to this record, barely a second went by when reallyrather didn't feel like reaching out for something more interesting to play. It may be heretical but Stumble.. is an uninvolving, ever-so-nicely manicured package, fairly pleasant but not really worth your time & money which you should save or maybe give to someone like Ms Haley Bonar...

..who, despite being as unknown as it's possible to be over here, should be coming to the UK in November. She's the cover feature in this week's Pulse of the Twin Cities wherein ..the size of planets is described as 'a subtle stunner of a record...the kind of fully realized artistic triumph that usually takes musicians at least a few records and years to reach.' This blog wouldn't go that far [see review June 20], preferring (and repeat-playing) only seven of the 13 songs. After the first five you're thinking, 'Blimey, surely she can't keep this up,' and sure enough, she can't. The back half of the disc is freighted with a bit too much moody weariness (leavened tho' it is by the fragile perfection of Little bird on my shoulder). But promise abounds: a great voice, an economical sound pared back to the essentials, vivid imagery and good instincts ('I don’t want anyone doing any frickin’ Bonnie Raitt solos or anything'). And, perhaps most tellingly, she certainly seems to spend way less time fixing her hair than Emmylou...

Another value bill is in the offing at the Windmill in Brixton on Oct 26 when it's possible the UK tours of Damien Jurado and Canadian mini-sensation Ox (aka Mark Browning) will overlap (and certainly Virgil Shaw is booked). If you're not put off by something being described as 'sounding like a polite, less adventurous Wilco record' then the latter's latest, Dust bowl revival, could be for you...

Those Jurado dates given as:
Oct 22 Arts Café, London (w/ Julie Doiron)
23 The Borderline, London
24 The Music Café, Leicester
25 tba, London (w/ Ox)
27 Tmesis, Manchester
...while the 23 Ox dates are listed here...

In other news...
...Richard Hawley has left Setanta Records ... the Brian Jonestown Massacre head into London (Garage, Nov 11) ... Jesse Harris will be opening the Pernice Brothers' UK shows in November...