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Sam Phillips, Don’t Do Anything (Nonesuch)On her first self-produced album, Sam Phillips proves herself an excellent student of her ex-husband, T-Bone Burnett, who was behind the boards for most of her previous records–she gives the music the same kind of unraveling, broken-down sound that he did. Her songwriting betrays her love for the Beatles and, to a lesser extent, Kurt Weill, and her husky, molasses-thick voice manages to make even her darkest lyrics (which are plenty dark) sound somehow soothing.
Fleet Foxes, Fleet Foxes (Sub Pop)Though it’s hard for me to countenance the mellow-70s-beardo look these these Seattle indie rockers favor, once they start singing I don’t so much care. Leader Robin Pecknold has written some very pretty tunes, which the band plays with an appealing looseness, but it’s the exquisite vocal harmonies that make this record great. The Beach Boys and country-music sibling acts are obvious inspirations, and on the opening track they approach the wild, eerie sound of shape-note singing–I still get a chill every time I hear it.
Graham Lambkin & Jason Lescalleet, The Breadwinner (Erstwhile)The first collaboration between former Shadow Ring mastermind Graham Lambkin and New England experimentalist Jason Lescalleet generates strange power and mysterious beauty with tape loops, lo-fi samples, and junk from around the house. If you still think experimental music is self-indulgent, boring, and heartless, here’s a record that could change your mind.
