Customer Reviews

Sing You Sinners

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

...it's hard to believe that this is Ms. McKeown's fifth record (including a collection of odds and ends) -- it seems like she only just yesterday burst onto the scene with her fine first platter Distillation and proceeded to top it with the devestatingly sharp Grand. Then came the more pensive but no less insightful We Will Become Like Birds.

I've been listening to her music for a while now, and seen her live under several circumstances, and it's clear she's a multi-faceted artist, with a wandering muse and a wide array of influences -- boundlessly careening from pluckish punk to sassy swing in the course of a set. I have to admit that some of her gifts as a composer and performer are often undercut by a mix of Ivy League preciousness and a sort of impudence that will likely (hopefully) wear off in time.

A project like this is almost designed to bring out what appeals to me least about McKeown -- her pandering, faux-naif cutesy coquette schtick. To her credit, she doesn't ham it up all that much, and chrages through these twelve standards (and one original) with a nice sense of rough-and-tumble energy. The band is tight and swinging, and Ms. McKeown's guitar playing continues to grow and impress. And she plays a little banjo on this album, instead of just posing with one, which is a nice touch. Her idolization of Blossom Deary (both in terms of phrasing and repertoire) gets to be a little heavy in spots, but I bet most folks won't notice.

All in all, no substitute for an album of new originals, but a pleasant diversion...

I love Ms. Mckeown's music. I do have to say that I like the songs she writes better than the songs she covers. Although this album is fabulous, (if you like a more retro selection of songs) I prefer her original songs. In my opinion her best album is "we will become like birds" followed closely by "Grand". As my tastes generally lean toward the more upbeat songs, I have to recommend "Paper Moon" and "Melody" on this album, though the acoustic work in "If You a Viper" makes me smile contentedly and forget what I was doing.

i already posted this review for the imported version, but it bears repeating here:

Erin McKeown does it again, this time wow'ing us with a collection of old old old covers, from Paper Moon to Get Happy, to Rhode Island Is Famous For You, and every single one has this fantastic bounce and shuffle, you just cannot help but smile and bounce and shuffle along with it!! Erin's trademark voice just shines on these old tunes. BUY THIS ALBUM. you won't regret it. the arrangements are great, too, with some smoking brass solos and chilly wurlitzer and organ sounds drifting throughout.

Erin McKeown just seems to get better and better each time.

A modern gal, rock-folk naif Erin McKeown is both canny and coy in her appropriation of the jazz-standards canon. While her kooky arrangements and half-giddy, half-deadpan vocal performances call a great deal of attention to themselves, McKeown's obvious love for the material and playful verve will probably win most folks over. To her credit, McKeown hasn't just trotted out an overly-reverential pop-vocals showcase, but rather has crafted a distinctive album that illuminates these old songs in a way that her contemporary audience can really glom onto. The arrangements have an off-center quirkiness that recalls the Tom Waits/Marc Ribot school of postmodern cabaret jazz, while her vocals owe a powerful debt to Blossom Dearie. Hard to say whether it's a testament to the craftsmanship of the songs, or to McKeown's aren't-I-clever originality, but the lyrics really come to life on several tracks, notably "They Say It's Spring," "I Was A Little Too Lonely" and "Rhode Island Is Famous For You," which are the big successes on this album. Jazz purists are less than likely to love this album, but coffeehouse folksters will go koo-koo over it... Hopefully they will also be inspired to check out the source material, particularly from singers such as Blossom Dearie, Anita O'Day and songwriters like Harold Arlen, Johnny Mercer, et al. Either way, this album has a lot to offer to attentive listeners. (DJ Joe Sixpack)

Erin McKeown was previously unknown to me, but a glowing magazine review helped tip me off. (Now I wish I'd seen her in Portland a few months ago.) Her voice is a tad reminiscent of Ricky Lee Jones by way of Suzanne Vega--what she lacks in vocal oomph and richness, she often makes up for in insinuation and an appealingly wry tone. A listener might miss a full-on big band on some of the zingier numbers ("Sing You Sinners" "Get Happy" "Rhode Island Is Famous For You"), but McKeown sounds so light and infectious they're still completely winning. And in some cases the stripped-down sound really pays off--"Melody" sounds so loose and casual, you might swear for a moment it was tossed off in one take. Only a few weak spots here and there undercut things: McKeown's voice sounds unusually harsh on "I Was A Little Too Lonely, You Were A Little Too Late," and an overly moody "It Was Just One Of Those Things" is too rainy-noir-on-a-Sunday for the rest of the disc. And "Is You A Viper" coils and winds like a big, overfed snake itself, stopping the CD's flow cold until the zippy final track. So many artists have done the jazz standards thing, it's a treat to encounter one who puts a uniquely personal stamp on it; if you're not persnickety about McKeown's warmly engaging personality papering over her occasional tiny vocal limitations, this is an ideal country-drive-on-a-warm-Indian-summer-day CD.

This was my first exposure to Erin Mckeown. She's great fun on these standards. I especially am taken with the prominence of the percussion in new and playful ways that help me to hear these songs in a really fresh way.

This is my first introduction to Erin McKeown, so I am catching her in the "standards" side of things, rather than her original material. But I think she does a more-than-credible job of conveying the life of these half-century-old (and more!) classics. I especially like her take on "Rhode Island Is Famous for You" and "Something's Got to Give." And I think that her read of "They Say It's Spring" rivals Blossom Dearie's, which ain't easy. The instrumentation throughout is fresh and it really does feel like a jam session you were fortunate enough to be invited to sit in on.

McKeown takes a number of pages from the classic American songbook, and re-does them in her own unique fashion, from the jazzy "Something's Gotta Give," to the brassy big-band sound of "Rhode Island is Famous For You." It's hard to stop yourself from singing along, hearing all these familiar classics.

Highly recommended.

This is a great album - heard a profile about it on NPR.

Nice remakes of some old classics.

Amazon was great with ordering and delivery.

1. Get Happy - Erin McKeown, Arlen, H.

2. Paper Moon - Erin McKeown, Arlen, H.

3. Coucou - Erin McKeown, Feline, J.

4. Melody - Erin McKeown, Mckeown, Erin

5. They Say It's Spring - Erin McKeown, Clarke, M.

6. I Was a Little Too Lonely (You Were a Little Too Late) - Erin McKeown, Evans, Ray

7. Sing You Sinners - Erin McKeown, Coslow, S.

8. Rhode Island Is Famous for You - Erin McKeown, Dietz, H.

9. Something's Gotta Give - Erin McKeown, Mercer, Johnny

10. Just One of Those Things - Erin McKeown, Porter, Cole

11. If You a Viper - Erin McKeown, Waller, T.

12. Thanks for the Boogie Ride - Erin McKeown, Buck, R.

13. Don't Worry 'Bout Me - Erin McKeown, Bloom, R.