Will Stratton: When You Let Your Hair Down to Your Shoulders (MP3)

Great news today! One of my favorite songwriters, Will Stratton, has a new song available for download.

Check out this Brooklyn Based post featuring the lovely new tune, "When You Let Your Hair Down to Your Shoulders," along with a brief interview with the man himself.

If you'd like to read some of my ravings on Stratton's latest full-length, you can find that here.

Review: Will Stratton - New Vanguard Blues (* * * * 1/2)

Patience is a virtue, sure, but one that tends to slow things down and occasionally even seems completely unnecessary. Will Stratton’s third album, New Vanguard Blues, serves as a reminder that impatience can be just as valuable a trait. After offering one of my favorite records of 2009—the consistently stunning No Wonder— Stratton apparently didn’t want to bother taking the traditional route in releasing his third full-length. Recorded and mixed by the songwriter himself over the weekend of July 9th, the album was made available online only a couple weeks later, an unusual but certainly welcome decision as New Vanguard Blues is in many ways Stratton's best effort to date. Shedding the varied sonic decorations that enhanced the tunes on No Wonder, his latest is simple and stripped-down, resulting in a tighter, more focused set of songs that relies almost exclusively on his impressive guitar work for accompaniment. But the album mostly succeeds for the same reason the last one did: Stratton’s singular songwriting, which has only gotten better with time. (Continue reading at In Review Online. . .)

Best of 2009: 20 - 11

More great albums!

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20: Fanfarlo - Reservoir

Newcomers Fanfarlo are off to a very hot start with Reservoir, an epic indie-rock album that I think was criminally overlooked this year by most everyone. Between the strings, the horns, and the anthematic choruses, it's about impossible to find something to dislike in the well-crafted songs on their debut. (More from me)

Mp3s via Obscure Sound

MySpace


19: Sissy Wish - Beauties Never Die

Norwegian singer Siri Ålberg, or Sissy Wish, is another of those artists I feel has been criminally overlooked in 2009. Beauties Never Die showcases her inventive pop style, covering a variety of territory over ten tracks that add up to one of the best pure pop records released this year. (More from me)

MySpace


18: Cymbals Eat Guitars - Why There Are Mountains

Though sometimes reminiscent of groups like Pavement and Built to Spill, Cymbals Eat Guitars have established their own remarkable identity on their debut, Why There Are Mountains. It's an indie rock record like they used to make 'em, but with a decidedly modern twist - and it's great. (More from me)

MySpace


17: Romona Falls - Intuit

I didn't hear this until late in the year, but Intuit, the first effort from Ramona Falls (the side project from Menomena member Brent Knopf) is an absolute stunner. The exquisite arrangements and spectacular melodies show Knopf has plenty to offer both with and without his bandmates.

MySpace


16: Miranda Lambert - Revolution

So I'm not typically much of a country fan, but it's impossible to deny that Miranda Lambert's Revolution is anything but an outstanding record. Her gorgeous voice and strong songwriting makes this 15-track sprawl of her latest work (and work very well) in all its excess and eclecticism.

MySpace


15: fun. - Aim and Ignite

Ex-Format member Nate Ruess' new band is one I suspected I'd like just fine, but I'm now certain that Aim and Ignite is the best work Ruess has yet done. The orchestral indie music comprising this debut more than lives up to the goofy band name, with ten unabashedly sunny pop tunes. (More from me)

MySpace


14: Will Stratton - No Wonder

Singer/songwriter Will Stratton has released his second great album in a row at the age of only 22, establishing himself as a genuine and bright new talent. His writing is superb, his delivery mature and poised, and his musical talent quite apparent on the beautiful No Wonder (More from me)

Who Will (MP3)

MySpace


13: Phoenix - Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix

I still think I prefer Phoenix's previous effort, It's Never Been Like That, but the many strengths of Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix makes that difficult to say definitively. Besides sporting a couple of this year's biggest singles, the entire album fits together smoothly for one great pop-rock record. (More from me)

MySpace


12: Mos Def - The Ecstatic

Mos Def's The Ecstatic is a wealth of ideas and styles, but in many ways it seems to be without many distractions, a pure rap album with a clear sense of purpose. Sure it has 16 tracks, but it's still lean, mean and wholly absorbing - a near masterpiece as far as I'm concerned.

MySpace


11: Neko Case - Middle Cyclone

Neko Case has been so solid this decade, and Middle Cyclone is yet another example of her genuine talent and inimitable style. With an impressive supporting cast, Case offers a varied and consistently enthralling set of folk-r0ck tunes that compare well with her best work. (More from me)

MySpace

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@In Review Online: Unheard Of #3

The third installment of my "Unheard Of" column is up at In Review Online. As usual, it features some artists I've already covered along with some I haven't. I'll post some links below, but for the full article and free songs, check out the full thing HERE.

Will Stratton -
"...over the course of two records - particularly No Wonder - he's demonstrated a steadily increasing level of maturity and brought greater depth to his songwriting"

Lissie -
"Maurus' strong, slightly weathered voice aligns her with the likes of late-period Joan Baez or even Stevie Nicks, as does her emotive lyricism and all-encompassing folk style"

Capybara -
"...it's the songwriting that really shines here; simple yet arresting melodies, constant harmonies and intriguing song structures combine to form many great moments on the record."

Brooke Waggoner -
"She uses her talents to compose intricate, elegant songs that primarily feature sweeping orchestral arrangements underpinning her signature instrument, a lovely, emotive voice."

Ólöf Arnalds -
"Arnalds' sound is like a cross between Sigur Ros and Joanna Newsom, as she makes mostly stark, acoustic music to compliment her high, almost childlike voice."

Full Article

Review: Will Stratton - No Wonder (* * * *)

It was all too easy to miss Will Stratton in 2007, as I found recently. I hadn't heard a thing about the guy before a couple weeks ago when I had the opportunity to listen to his superb sophomore effort - No Wonder. Being impressed, I tracked down his 07 debut - What the Night Said (which was - astonishingly - recorded just after his senior year in high school) - and then wondered why much more hadn't been said about this talented singer/songwriter over the past couple years. It's easy to name-drop just about everyone from Nick Drake to Elliott Smith when talking about Stratton, but while his finger-picked guitar lines are reminiscent at times of Drake's and his smooth voice a bit like a stronger, more confident version of Smith's, the comparisons are less in relation to Stratton's style than a compliment to his songwriting prowess. Despite his youth (barely 22 now), he is an excellent writer and musician that has just dropped his second notable album, one that shows an increase of maturity and depth over the course of 14 stylistically varied and emotionally intimate songs, further establishing his unique musical identity and gorgeous folk style.

In many ways, No Wonder follows the pattern set by Stratton's debut, comprised of mostly slow, thoughtful tunes that feature his guitar, piano, and voice with few distractions - though here, as on What the Night Said Stratton makes use of muted horns, sweeping strings, percussion, and the occasional burst of electric guitar to give additional life to his stories and enhance the emotional impact of his songs. Wistful opener "Who Will," the sparse title track, and the bittersweet "Your California Sky" sound much like the songwriter's early material though usually even stronger as he has definitely been refining his songwriting craft. But elsewhere he branches out into previously unexplored territory, getting into a sort of poppy garage rock on songs like the hopeful "You're a Real Thing," the moody "Nineteen" and the surprisingly (but still relatively) abrasive "If Only." The amount of variation is a little distracting, and there's no denying that the music is best when contemplative and quiet, but Stratton's reach rarely exceeds his grasp and these forays into more pop-oriented territory yield mostly impressive results. And with plenty of music on No Wonder, it's unlikely anyone will feel slighted by his need to push personal musical boundaries.

Lyrically, Stratton shows especial growth and maturation on this sophomore effort. Whether referencing J.D. Salinger character in "Franny Glass" or providing a strange and political spin on Robin Hood in "Robin & Marian," Stratton never settles for the typical or ordinary, and though he sometimes overdoes it a bit (on the religiously backwards "Judas, 1966" especially), the amount of spectacular songwriting on No Wonder is genuinely impressive. The clever and emotional depiction of a friend's funeral on "The Past Always Runs Faster," the love-sick narrative on "The Country Clear," and the sincerely sweet ode to his home state, "New Jersey," are just a few of the captivating moments on No Wonder, revealing a young man who doesn't necessarily sound wise beyond his years in every case, but who is able to so compellingly and honestly relate his ideas, fantasies and experiences that his music achieves a greater amount of personality than many artists ever manage to reach over the course of their musical career.

It'll be a shame if No Wonder flies under the radar to the degree of its predecessor, but I imagine it's only a matter of time until Will Stratton receives the amount of acclaim he's due even if it doesn't happen immediately. Really, he's just too good to be ignored for long and he's already showing the ambition necessary to improve with time. Enjoy a couple songs (highlights, in fact) from the new album below and get introduced to this talented young artist.

Who Will (MP3)

Your California Sky (Mp3)