 by Rob van Alstyne
 Shawn Smith
Shield of Thorns
(Self-released)
Seattle rock scenester Shawn Smith is probably best known as the soulful front man in Brad (who are in turn probably best known for having Stone Gossard of Pearl Jam play guitar in their sporadically active side project). Those with an anti-Eddie-Vedder bias shouldn't pass up on Smith's work, however, as his R&B-laced, piano-driven tunes bear virtually no resemblance to PJ's Who-inspired rock anthems.
Smith quietly unleashed Shield of Thorns via his website
this past fall, and, with virtually no press attention or any gigs outside of
Seattle, the album's quickly fallen off the radar—which is a damn shame
given its uniform quality.
Comprised of tracks cut with some crack session men
way back in the summer of 2002 (why anyone would sit on tracks this solid for
two years remains a mystery), Shield of Thorns is a solidly funkdified
set of sassy rock that makes for a sweet, albeit far too short, ride. With its
eight songs clocking in at just over a half hour in running time, calling Shield
a full-fledged album is somewhat dicey. “Golden Age” comes across
like stomping '70s bar-rock as filtered through a serious Prince obsession (Smith's
been known to tackle “Purple Rain” in earnest at most of his live
shows), and “Wrapped In My Memory” ranks up there alongside Westerberg's
“Self-Defense” as one of the most affecting piano ballads I've heard
in recent memory. Smith's primary instrument is his voice and he lets it shine
whether braying with fiery indignation or calmly cooing. Shield of Thorns
is worth tracking down.
Rating: 8 out of 10
For further info: ShawnSmith.co.ok
Bart Davenport
Maroon Cocoon
(Antenna Farm Records)
 Bart
Davenport has already made quite a name for himself in his northern California
home base—managing to ensnare a virtual who's who in the San Francisco
indie-rock scene (members of Call and Response, the Moore Brothers) to help
out on his last solo album, 2003's Game Preserve. This time around he's
opted to handle most of the instrumentation himself—laying down a set
of sweet and breezy light rock guaranteed to ensure shameless toe-tapping in
those who don't mind a little frivolity in their indie-rock diet. There's a
swingin' Bossa Nova bachelor pad vibe at work on Maroon Cocoon, and things
get particularly bumpin' on the cuts when Davenport buddy/roommate Sam Flax
Keener drops in a little bit of saxophone or recorder. On the full-bodied soul-influenced
cuts, fun is clearly the order of the day (“A little bit weird, like a
dog on a roof / Think she may like me but I have no proof”) but Davenport
also acquits himself as a riveting acoustic balladeer on cuts like “Glendale”
where his deft guitar work comfortably supports his clean voice and confessional
lyricism. Fans of Emmit Rhodes, Paul McCartney and the like will be psyched
to discover a modern day acolyte with serious skills in the form of Davenport.
Don't sleep on this guy as I've got a feeling 2005 could be his breakout year.
Rating: 9 out of 10
For further info: BartDavenport.com
The Twilight Singers
She Loves You
(One Little Indian /Birdman Records)
 Dating
back to his days fronting the Afghan Whigs, Greg Dulli’s always been a
master of the cover-song art. The Whigs frequently used their EPs and singles
as a repository for a slew of hot-shit sizzling live renditions on R&B favorites
(both established classics and heretofore hidden gems), so it’s little
surprise that Dulli’s fascination with musical reinterpretation has followed
him to his new outfit, The Twilight Singers. And although it may seem a little
bit premature for a covers album from his new band (they’ve only put out
two proper records thus far), She Loves You features such extreme makeover
takes on the musical source material that the whole experience feels like a
bonafide album rather than the mildly interesting creative exercise I was expecting.
Part of the fun here is that Dulli’s fiery voice and sexy band don’t
just tackle the usual suspects like Marvin Gaye. She Loves You’s
best moments come when they reach further afield for inspiration. The band’s
take on Bjork’s “Hyperballad” is a gorgeous recasting of the
originally uptempo electronic dance anthem. Slowing the pace down to a snail’s
crawl, Dulli inhabits the song and recenters its focus around the lyrics of
emotional dislocation, and when former Screaming Tree Mark Lanegan’s spooked
gravelly baritone kicks in during the chorus, the effect is downright chilling.
Stabs at Fleetwood Mac’s “What Makes You Think You’re The
One” and the Mary J. Blige early ‘90s pop smash “Real Love”
feel equally revelatory and without the smarmy irony one might expect—the
listener can tell that Dulli truly loves these songs regardless of their hipness
quotient. Not every moment feels as inspired, but with a tightly wound band
in tow and some stellar guest spots (Lanegan nearly steals the whole show on
the Dulli duet version of Skip James’ “Hard Time Killing Floor”),
She Loves You stands as easily the best covers album in my collection.
Rating: 7 out of 10
For further info: TheTwilightSingers.com
RVA’s picks for this week’s releases:
Clem Snide - The End of Love
Crooked Fingers - Dignity & Shame
Jeff Hanson - Jeff Hanson
Ida - Heart Like A River
Josh Rouse - Nashville
M. Ward - Transistor Radio
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