Wire Waltz

The Last Town Chorus

Product Details

• Audio CD (March 6, 2007)
• Original Release Date: October 3, 2006
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: HACKTONE RECORDS
• ASIN: B000MTDRBI
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #105,779 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Track Listings

1. Wire Waltz

2. You

3. Modern Love

4. Caroline

5. It's Not Over

6. Understanding

7. Boat

8. Huntsville, 1989

9. Wintering in Brooklyn

10. Foreign Land

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

On this second album by Megan Hickey's band, her nine originals are joined by a spare and emotive reworking of David Bowie's "Modern Love." It is built around her breathy but resonant vocals and her lap steel guitar, the minimal accompaniment (drums, bass, violin, guitar) judiciously utilized for an overall sound that feels old but sounds new. Her lap steel playing truly lends this release its most identifiable and idiosyncratic element. Hickey is capable of slashing density (as on "Caroline"), high and lonesome melodicism ("Boat"), and atmospheric sweeps ("Foreign Land"), but often moving from one approach to another within a given song, seamlessly altering or embellishing moods. She has also come up with songs that have a life of their own. One can imagine songs like "Wintering in Brooklyn" and "It's Not Over" being played by others. Self-produced and recorded, Megan Hickey has a fully formed sense of purpose and a willingness to push herself, not only making this album a powerful work, but raising expectations for anything she decides to do next. --David Greenberger

Product Description

The distorted cry of a lap-steel guitar slices through the Brooklyn night. A voice sings with aching sweetness and strength. Caressing melodies are barbed with stinging solors. This is the sound of The Last Town Chorus--the revolving ensemble led by singer/writer/lap-steel-guitarist Megan Hickey. The album includes 'Modern Love,' a devastating reinvention of David Bowie's hit, which was featured in its entirety on an episode of 'Grey's Anatomy' and was named one of the best songs of 2006 by 'The Sunday Times.'

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Now I want a lap-steel guitar too!, March 27, 2007

By	BrooklynDwella (Brooklyn, NY) - See all my reviews

This album was not what I expected at all when I first listened, but I really wasn't sure what a lap-steel guitar sounded like, and I certainly didn't know what it could do! Wire Waltz is an album of contrasts and juxtapositions. Hickey sounds like she's having lots of fun, but in a fierce, controlled way. The voice tracks are often slow, minimal, and full of sad, ponderous echos, which are then delicately laid over rebellious, twanging, unpretentious guitar that at any moment can run off into a lively rock-ballad style riff. All of the songs are deliberate, and the band has a clear, defined sound that's like some combination of Patti Griffen and Mazzy Star.

It's an album for listening to (a bunch of times) when you want to feel nostalgic and older, and better for it. Favorite tracks are her David Bowie cover, 'Wire Waltz,' 'I Want You,' and 'Huntsville.'

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I Love this record!, April 10, 2007

By	Jeffrey S. Abelson - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Megan Hickey will woo you with her voice and rock you with her guitar! While I love the cover of Modern Love - in which Hickey makes the song her own, It's Not Over, Caroline, Wintering In Brooklyn - are haunting and lovely and sad. This record is like fine Scotch - take your time with it - don't gulp, sip!

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Must Have, May 11, 2007

By	Eric O. Clarke (Pittsburgh, PA USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Megan Hickey is one of the most talented musician/poets to come along in a generation. She combines the soul of Nina Simone, the cool of June Christy, the feel for quotidian beauty of Laurie Anderson, with a skill for the lap steel guitar to rival Roy Clark. The lyrical, soothing moments leave you wonderfully unprepared for suprising innovations of tone and technique. This is an album that anyone who appreciates what music and words can do together should own and cherish.