Reading Twitter – as I do, too much – it seems as if most people I follow are in some way shocked and amused by the belated discovery that Bob Dylan has got a, yes,
There might, I hope, be better things to say about “Tempest”. Three or four listens in, it occurs that this is the Dylan album I’ve enjoyed most since “Love And Theft”, with some excellent songs, though if I have an initial criticism it’s that the band could maybe cut loose a bit more, sound maybe a bit more unhinged in a way that a lot of these lyrics might tacitly encourage.
Truth is, I haven’t been able to concentrate fully on “Tempest” because of the distraction of another significant album, which I’ve spent most of the week grappling with for a long review in the next Uncut, and which I can’t really talk about at this point. As soon as I get the green light, I’ll report back. Allan, of course, has listened to “Tempest” very closely indeed, and if you haven’t seen his review yet, it’s now online: Bob Dylan, “Tempest” – the Uncut review.
Those reviewing commitments, coupled with looming deadlines, means the playlist is a bit late this week: apologies for that. A few nice things here, anyhow, not least the continually-improving Grizzly Bear album, the Baird Sisters and Amber Olsen records and, this morning, the first evidence of Thom Yorke’s Atoms For Peace project with Flea, Nigel Godrich, Mauro Refosco and Joey Waronker.
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1 The Baird Sisters – Until You Find Your Green (Grapefruit)
2
3 Allah-Las – Daytrotter Session (Daytrotter)
4 Royal Trux – Accelerator (Domino)
5 Melody’s Echo Chamber – Melody’s Echo Chamber (Weird World)
6 Oren Ambarchi & Robin Fox – Connected (Kranky)
7 Red River Dialect – awellupontheway (http://redriverdialect.bandcamp.com/)
8 Birds Of Maya – Ready To Howl (Agitated)
9 The next Uncut free CD
10 Bob Dylan – Tempest (Columbia)
11 ZZ Top – La Futura (American)
12 Ray Stinnett – A Fire Somewhere (Light In The Attic)
13 The People’s Temple – More For The Masses… (Hozac)
14 The Scantharies – The Scantharies (Memphis Industries)
15 King Krule – Rock Bottom/Octopus (Rinse)
16 Angel Olsen – Half Way Home (Bathetic)
17 Grizzly Bear – Shields (Warp)
18 Atoms For Peace – Default (XL)
Grizzly Bear photograph: Barbara Anastacio