Patti Smith, “Twelve”
ROCK|Columbia, released today
When news came that Patti Smith was recording a covers album, everybody familiar with the punk chanteuse composed two lists in their head – the list of covers they’d love to hear Smith interpret, and the self-indulgent one Smith would likely compile herself.
Surprisingly, with today’s arrival of “Twelve,” Smith’s list is as accessible and pleasant as the ones her fans would have requested. She visits Bob Dylan, Neil Simon and Jimi Hendrix – with shortcuts to the Rolling Stones and the Beatles – but she also takes on songs by Nirvana, Tears for Fears, Stevie Wonder and even Jefferson Airplane.
In the liner notes, Smith admits that this list isn’t at all similar to the countless what-if lists she’s previously composed. “Many of the songs I thought to record somehow slipped away, and unexpected ones filled their slots. ‘Twelve’ truly had a mind of its own, as if formed by an unanticipated inner narrative.”
While Smith never, ever needed to cover “White Rabbit,” some of her presentations are uniquely beautiful. Bob Dylan’s “Changing of the Guards,” which she calls “the most challenging of the 12,” is stunning here in its stark simplicity. She nailed the emotions spanned in the immense song.
Her take on the Doors’ “Soul Kitchen” is inspired and even pretty. When she heard Nirvana’s “Smells Like Teen Spirit” on the radio one day, she heard a banjo in Kurt Cobain’s voice, and so she records the song here “porch-style” with banjos and acoustic guitars. And while her affected drawl is sometimes cloying, the interpretation overall is chilling in a way T. Bone Burnett would appreciate.
We could have done without her soulless “Everybody Wants to Rule the World,” a radio hit for Tears for Fears, but her takes on Neil Young’s “Helpless” and the Allman Brothers’ “Midnight Rider” are proof of this project’s worth. It wasn’t necessary, but it’s shot through with beauty.|Ricardo Baca
Cornelius, “Sensuous”
ELECTRONIC|Everloving Records, released today
In Japan, Cornelius (a.k.a. Keigo Oyamada) is something of a pop star. A former member of the Shibuya-kei bubblegum scene, his electronic confections invoke the Beach Boys and the Beatles – at least in his home country.
They invoke entirely different things in America – more akin to challenging, knob-twiddling experiments than straight pop. Cultural particulars are hard to generalize, but it’s unlikely anyone would take “Sensuous” as pop. If anything, the mischievous compositions redefine music’s possibilities, dicing organic and digital elements into satisfyingly thin wafers.
Melody and structure are abundant, even among the sonic tricks (call-and-response instruments, hard-panned acoustic chords). Think of it as late ’70s synth-pop sliced and redressed with a bit of wasabi and ginger.|John Wenzel
Bill Callahan, “Woke on a Whaleheart”
INDIE|Drag City, released April 10
Bill Callahan’s wry, poetic songs have always shown a fondness for genre-sampling, whether it’s in best-known project, Smog, or as a solo artist. Ineffably indie in his loose playing and abstract allusions, Callahan has also paid remarkable attention to gospel, folk, country and even Caribbean music.
“Woke on a Whaleheart” retains all those qualities, dishing up heartbreaking lyrical imagery, patient melodies and unpretentious production. It comes off as slight in initial listens, especially since the instruments seem slightly removed from one another. But the emotional weight in his songs comes through, proving Callahan’s versatility and, most of all, traditional songwriting talent. |John Wenzel
Other releases today:
Arctic Monkeys, “Favourite Worst Nightmare” (Domino) The first time these U.K. lads released a record, there was a worldwide riot celebrating their arrival. And so the expectations are high for this second release.
Donny Osmond, “Love Songs of the ’70s” (Decca) Osmond takes on Joe Cocker, Bread, Al Green, Neil Sedaka, Barry Manilow and the Bee Gees for this record. Ouch.
