Jolie Holland

Jolie's record is really honest and direct and sweet. I don't if it changed at all (or was remastered), but I reviewed it when it was just a self-released thingy.

Escondida has leaked (and should be in stores April 27). Opinions? I might actually like it better than Catalpa, maybe I think.

Why is the sky blue? Why is the grass green?

I liked the first record better. It was just a demo, I think, and I liked it for that.

I also prefer the droney debut to the jazz on this, but I'll give it more listens.

what's arrogant about her, anthony?

i like the new album

new record out october.
a song from it here. she was doing a bunch of radio stuff a while ago, with new songs, a really nice one called 'the future' that someone or other interesting was playing on (maybe the other guy on the sleeve?).

the guitars on the new song sound all sixties liverpudlian rock and roll.

Like the new one quite a bit. Loses the painted-on speakeasy atmosphere of Springtime for more rock guitars, which suits her very well.

i saw her at a show about 2 years ago, and she had a meltdown on stage, but i thought she was great. never bought the cd though.

hm, bought... what a strange concept.

i liked the sound of springtime. it was a pretty interesting counterpart to something like the greatest, both embracing old arrangements but this one a little more successfully; the whole drawn out pedal steel vibe was nice. the title track (& the drums on it) is great, nothing to do but dream, and, man, mexican blue! the words are like wildwood flower or something.

i'm a little hesitant about the rock and roll thing, having read that that's what the whole lp's like.

Mexican Blue is grand. I'd be tempted to call it Starbucks music if she were't worth a deeper listen, but I like her stuff. As far as guitary troubadors go, I like her a lot. I find her as interesting as Regina Spektor, who is also very talented, but without the "quirks" that I've never grown fond of. I don't want to lump them together because they're female solo artists, but when I listen to Holland I just just can't help thinking, hey, I like this much better than that other girl...

i do not know why she made her album sound like this. i know it's maybe a left turn for her, but it just sounds so standard.

songs are nice though.

I've been listening to Escondida a lot lately, and it's fucking great.

New one, Pint of Blood is great. But I'm a fan (though didn't enjoy Springtime).

hmm, will have to check it out. i wasn't nuts about her last one, was a bit too straightforward or something. but the first two are pretty classic imo.

i want to like her, but something about her accent/phrasing really (irrationally) bugs me

I don't think it's irrational - it's clearly pretty conspicuous and mannered, and seems to be a dealbreaker with a lot of people. But even if it's sort of put-on, I like her style. But yeah, if any actual person irl spoke the way she sings on "All The Girls" - "Aw-ul those swee-it gulls," "fawlen snewww," etc, you'd be forgiven for assuming they'd had some sort of stroke or something.

Man, I'm loving this album more and more every time I hear it. Maybe her best?

lol!!!

sorry that was an asshole move

but ugh i've been so disappointed by Jolie's career trajectory. her first record is the only great one. finding the new one just total snooze.

Huh. I don't know, I was with you up till Springtime as far as diminishing returns go, thought that one was sort of a stinker, but I'm really into this new one.

huh, i thought springtime was pretty great (though I haven't listened to it in a while). first two are inspired, i love the looseness, the kinda jazzy drumming. one show i saw of hers after escondida came out was just a trio show and the interplay between her and the guitarist/drummer was wonderful.

yeah i love the syrup of springtime. it has a few of her best songs on there, alternately perfected up or slightly smothered by the whole apparatus.

she is maddeningly inconsistent, which sucks because her great moments are transcendent. i think every album is worse than the previous, except maybe "Escondida" is better than "Catalpa." (both are pretty great though!). Her last albums just seem so generic. :(

Have you heard the latest one? It's polarizing, maybe, but by no means generic.

Wine Dark Sea? I listened to it once or twice; but it seemed not too far off from the blah of "Pint of Blood." She seemed much better without a band.

the chord structures just seem dull and predicable. the melodies aren't as memorable or as timeless as they were earlier in her catalog. my 2 cents. any suggestions for a starting point on that album?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xcjwIexKsCQ

I just liked the risks she took arrangement-wise; clearly some free improv influence, which you don't really hear in most capital 'A' Americana. Not saying it always works, and I do find parts of the album too dense, but overall I thought it was a big step up from both Springtime and Pint of Blood (the former of which I did not care for at all).

highest highs on springtime though

Escondida is the only one that is great cover to cover, IMHO. I'll give Wine Dark Sea another shot.

Goodbye California is the only song of hers I truly love. However I like and can listen w/o skipping tracks to either of her first two records. And yes, her vocals can be very mannered but I've gotten over it with time

At a show of hers around 2006, I bought this live CD:

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jolie_Holland_and_The_Quiet_Orkestra

It’s my favorite of hers.

And related to all the Be Good Tanyas talk above, Frazey Ford made a really good album (Indian Ocean) at Hi Hat Studios in Memphis with pretty much the band that backed prime Al Green.

Saw her tonight in a small room, just her and Max Knouse both on electric guitars, really brought her voice and lyrics to the forefront, and it was a fantastic show.