Dan Dyer - "... Of What Lies Beneath" (Reprise: Roxie Records, 2004) - * * *
Dan Dyer doesn't seem to want to talk much about his history as a musician. On his Web site, he sums it up something like this: He played in a band in Austin for four years, toured constantly and became bored with it. By luck, he met Lenny Kravitz. He got lucky again when Kravitz created Roxie Records, as part of Warner's Reprise label. Having heard material Dyer recorded in the past, Kravitz signed Dyer to Roxie and produced this new album. Talk about a ton of luck -- almost too much to believe.
It's also hard to believe how good "... Of What Lies Beneath" is. That's what I thought, anyway, until I read the liner notes and found that Lenny Kravitz wrote or co-wrote 90 percent of the album. He also played 90 percent of the music on the album. So what could I make of an artist like Dyer, who claimed to have built his reputation on years of playing and touring, when his "big break" album is essentially Kravitz's tenth solo record?
The thing is, the album stands up well. And while Kravitz did have his hand in much of it, Dyer's got his stamp on the album as well. The tunes are all catchy, and Dyer has a smooth voice that really gels with the psychedelic guitar sounds on the album. Songs like "Space Alien" are absolutely surreal, while others like "Great Ocean" and the title track are catchy enough to be overplayed by radio stations across the country.
After several repeat listens, I started wondering how much of an impact working with Dyer had on Kravitz's album "Baptism," because the parallels are evident -- particularly in the risks taken in putting hooks over substance, which works for the most part. None of these songs have lyrics that caught my ear on their own accord, but I keep finding myself humming "And If I" and "Stereosonic," songs that are almost as mind-bendingly catchy as Kravitz's "Why Are We Running?"
I urge you to logon to Napster and download a couple tracks to hear for yourself. I'm not sure what to make of Dyer. He's clearly talented, and the album's a solid effort, but I think if he wants to avoid the sophomore slump, he'll need to break away from Kravitz and show that he's more than lucky. I'm afraid we might only remember him five years from now as Kravitz's attempt at developing a groove rock prot+â-¬g+â-¬.
Missy Higgins - "The Sound of White" (Reprise Records) - * * * *
This album might be the best thing to come out of Australia's music scene in this decade.
I don't want to sound like I'm overstating things. Australia's been making a big move in building a musical reputation. The country has been breaking solidly backed indie folk artists into the mainstream for years; long gone are the days when the island nation was known musically just for AC/DC and INXS. A year ago, I reviewed Kasey Chambers, who had made a name for herself as Australia's first true "country" artist. Her music had blown me away. I called her a must-hear artist who was going to turn the American idea of country music on its ear.
Missy Higgins isn't happy fitting the mold of what Australian folk country artists are producing, however. While still in high school, she won the Triple J "Unearthed" demo competition, and her song "All For Believing" became that station's most requested song. A little more than three years later, she's released an album in the United States that puts the alternative back in pop.
Her voice stands out, one of those rare voices you'd know anywhere from the first time you hear it. On songs like "Scar" and "Ten Days," she blends piano pop with acoustic folk with a subtlety that belies her age, all with that heavy Australian accent rolling over the notes like caramel. It's a sound I could get used to very quickly, and by the speed at which she's been accepted into the Australian consciousness, it's only a matter of time before she takes America by storm.
As a whole, "The Sound of White" stands out as an accomplished debut by a young woman who will be making a major name for herself. It is a complete album, a work that blends genres to create a sound worthy of attention. Any self-respecting fans of alt-country, alt-pop or jazzy country should add this album to their collections.
For More Information: Visit http://inmyheadphones.blogspot.com, where you can find MP3 samples of music reviewed, links to artists' pages, and occasional critiques that don't make it onto the pages of 72HOURS!
Local Artists: Want to have your album featured in "In My Headphones?" Email jonathansanders@justice.com!
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