"Kiwi and the Apricot," for example, tells a beloved, "You are the apple of my eye/ The kiwi and the apricot," and "Kidney in a Cooler" narrates an unfortunate's getting "Towed to this town/ Called Perry/ Where a woman's car took priority/ She had a kidney in a cooler."
Yet Loop begins and ends with instrumental tunes, and it would be heresy to emphasize Williams' lyrics over his musical prowess for which he gets compared to Hedges and Kottke.
Like these critically-acclaimed guitarists, Williams pushes the envelope of the guitar, producing an amazing variety of noises with only it and his mouth.
Always rhythmically complex, the tunes are generally upbeat, especially pieces like "Vacate," under which he lays beatbox-style vocals, and the Latin-influenced "Blatant Ripoff," featuring the "mouth fluegel," (a.k.a his mouth sounding like a muted trombone).
He uses a sampler to record and loop basslines, backup vocals and beats into a multilayered folk/jazz tapestry, all while performing live.
Over these elements Williams plays the spaciest acoustic guitar this side of Sirius. "Landlord," an ode to nature, matches magical lyrical images with smoothly shifting cosmic textures, and the instrumental "Inhale to the Chief" sounds much closer to trance than folk.
Weak spots include "More Than a Little," a Phishy-sounding funk tune that fails in spite of, or perhaps because of, his rhythmic precision, and "Kidney in a Cooler," which just gets downright silly.
But silly or clever, artsy or bouncy, the album's overarching atmosphere is that of fun. Williams is a great guitarist who never shows off on this album, keeping his textural complexity and innovation accessible and enjoyable.
And that brings me back to the Raffi comparison (which could also be extended to drug use or hairstyle); who could be more fun or accessible than Raffi?
Warren Wilson
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Arlo
Up High in the Night
2 1/2 Stars
Boasting their raw sound like a shiny new toy, the indie rockers of Arlo have shafted new-school recording tactics, opting to unleash their songs like a pack of untamed dogs.
The Los Angeles-based Arlo, confident in its songmanship, does just the opposite of overproducing, leaving its songs naked -- for better, or as the case may be, for worse. Arlo's idea of recording is making its CD sound like the band is actually in your garage scaring off neighborhood pets.
On its debut album, Up High in the Night, Arlo (named after the band's favorite soundman) pushes a lot of the right buttons simply by not touching many buttons at all. But with six members (two on drums, two on bass, two on vocals and guitars), it seems like we should expect a lot more from this bunch.
The deep guitar sounds mix with the unique vocal connection between co-frontmen Nate Greely and Sean Spillane to create a unique Superdrag-meets-Evan Dando-at-a Beatles-concert blend.
The opening track and best song on the album, "Forgotten," sets the stage for the consistent vocal hooks showcased on much of the Up High in the Night. The chorus stands out as Greely and Spillane's strained in-unison vocals barely tickle the surface of harmonizing, doing justice to the energetic melody and thick, resonating guitars.
The problem here is that Greely and Spillane failed to learn a lesson most guitar players figure out on day one of recording on their first four tracks: two guitars playing the same power chords does not mean twice as good. Add in two basses and two drummers, and one starts to wonder if Greely and Spillane slept in on the day they were supposed to decide whom to kick out of the band.
The album progresses into what amounts to a string of songs that, although have some high points, fall slightly short. Oddly enough, considering the size of the band, it still feels something is missing.
"Nerf Bear Bonanza" and "Kenji" are some of the album's stronger points, yet tracks like "Lucid" are songs lacking dynamic shifts and penetrating lead guitar riffs. Scattered among the winners, though, are a handful of tracks that miss the boat completely.
The album's lo-fi production, combined with a lack of contrasting guitar tones, makes everything sound the same with the vocals left to carry the torch.
Come on Arlo, we're all adults here, so let's be reasonable; drop down to a three or four piece, turn up the lead axe and make these songs fill their potential.
Jason Arthurs
The Foolish Things
Rushing In
2 1/2 Stars
If local jazz band The Foolish Things was a car, it would be a Ford Taurus. It gets you to where you're going, but it's a pretty unremarkable ride. Of course, evaluation of the Ford Taurus all depends on what you're looking for in a car.
If you're looking for a pleasant car that most people wouldn't even notice, you've found an excellent car. On the other hand, if you're looking for something that makes the pulse race, look somewhere else.
Aside from the first track on Rushing In, The Foolish Things have quite the opposite effect on pulse. Borrowing heavily from artists such as Chet Baker and Birth of the Cool-era Miles Davis, The Foolish Things deliver a very relaxed sound.
All of the members, especially David Abbott, are excellent musicians. Abbott's viola da gamba (which is like a small cello with seven strings) provides a steady bass line as the group travels through the comfortable feel of its second album. Louis Matza, jazz guitarist and a UNC graduate student, provides a number of strong solos and Dottie Bea handles the vocals with a low, sultry voice.
Although the band writes most of its music, some of The Foolish Things' most interesting work comes from transforming rock songs into its own style of jazz. The translation works well with Bonnie Raitt's "The Glow," a song that showcases Bea's vocal ability.
On the other hand, Jimi Hendrix's "Fire" definitely lost something in the translation, namely emotion. Hendrix's original version of this song became a classic because it is such a passionate, exciting song. The Foolish Things' version of the song sucks the emotion out by slowing the tempo to a snail's pace and replacing Hendrix's passion with Bea's cool delivery. It's hard not to grimace as she slowly croons, "Dig this, baby."
However, The Foolish Things' music is not about passion or excitement. The band excels at simple, pleasant songs, which slyly work their way into your head without ever grabbing your attention. The Foolish Things has a tendency to sound like background music upon first listen, but additional listens make it clear that there is much more going on in this Taurus than meets the eye.
Trafton Drew
