Trax
By Bliss 03/18/2010
ALI FARKA TOURÉ AND TOUMANI DIABATÉ, Ali and Toumani (Nonesuch): (4.5 stars out of 5)
An invaluable, moving document of last recordings made by late Malian guitarist Ali Farka Touré and kora master Toumani Diabaté. Late bassist Orlando “Cachaíto” López is also represented, as is Farka Touré’s guitarist son Vieux. Simultaneously sweet and sad, it’s more subtly resonant than Farka Touré & Diabaté’s Grammy-winning “In the Heart of the Moon”; the soothing cadences of their instrumental duets flow with quiet, conversational familiarity. Standout tracks: the bluesy “Warbé,” “Samba Geladio” and “Machengoidi.” Expect to see this on numerous year’s-best lists. nonesuch.com.
THE IDAHO FALLS, Spark (self-released): (3.5 stars out of 5)
Ex-Mojave 3 sideman Raymond Richards leads his scrappy ensemble deeper into indie-pop turf, away from the alt-country that defined their initial forays onto local stages. Balancing melodic bounce against moody brooding, the easy-on-the-ears set’s lit by Brian Whelan’s piano, Kevin Feyen’s guitars, Angela Correa’s sultry harmonies and intermittent flourishes of Wurlitzer, melodica, mellotron, banjospiel, cello and pedal steel. Highlights: “Cloudy Day,” “My Love is a War You Can’t Lose.” myspace.com/theidahofalls.
RUBY JAMES, Happy Now (self-released): (3.5 stars out of 5)
Former Angeleno James capped a season of depression and dislocation with a move to Austin and the completion of this Charlie Sexton-produced platter. Despite missteps like opening track “The Predictable Kind” (clunky lyrics overload the melody), this represents a creative breakthrough for James. The 11 mostly mid-tempo songs are collectively more uplifting than 2008’s John Avila-produced “Desert Rose,” and the simple instrumentation and dreamy arrangements showcase James’ signature grit-and-silk vocals. They’re at their dusky best with yearning songs like “Between Darkness & Light” and “Angel Eyes.” rubyjames.com.
WILL KIMBROUGH, Wings (Daphne): (4 stars out of 5)
MVP guitarist/producer/tunesmith and Nashville-based Americana honcho Kimbrough turns out another polished set of understated wit, feeling and stylish fretwork. Noteworthy writing collaborators include Jimmy Buffett, Jeff Finlin (whose co-write “You Can’t Go Home” is a dramatic standout) and Todd Snider, who helped pen the sly blues “It Ain’t Cool.” Most affecting of all is Kimbrough’s ode to hard-won domestic joys “Three Angels” (“One’s a woman, one’s a little girl and one’s almost a teen/ And they get smarter than me each and every day”). willkimbrough.com.
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