The Singer/Songwriter Thread
Georges Brassens - "2ème série [Le vent]" (1954)
The highly regarded sophomore album from this widely acclaimed French singer/songwriter. I threw it on while playing with my one year-old daughter yesterday & it certainly has its moments. I do think that you need to speak French to fully grasp the appeal though as it's heavily driven by the story-telling aspect so it ended up falling a bit flat, despite its incredibly short run time of just 23 minutes.
For fans of Renaud, Jacques Brel & Jacques Higelin.
3/5
Elliott Smith - "Either/Or" (1997)
I don't mind this American indie folk singer/songwriter although I do have to admit that I can't see why he's quite as revered as he is. I don't think he has enough depth to his music for that but I can still appreciate the appeal of these short-&-sweet folk songs.
For fans of Bright Eyes, Daniel Johnston & Sufjan Stevens.
3.5/5
Scott Kelly - "The Wake" (2008)
After thoroughly enjoying my revisit to Kelly's 2001 debut solo album "Spirit Bound Flesh" recently, I decided to give his sophomore effort (generally regarded as my favourite of Kelly's three solo works) the same treatment. It's a slightly more consistent record than "Spirit Bound Flesh" with the highlight tracks (i.e. "Figures" & "Catholic Blood") both being utterly devastating. You can expect a ridiculously deep, dark & depressing while decidedly stripped back singer/songwriter style folk sound that won't appeal to everyone but will connect with its target audience on a visceral level. The album does tend to fade a little towards the end but there's enough quality in the opening five tracks to make this a rewarding & deeply introspective listen.
For fans of Steve Von Till, Johnny Cash & Red House Painters.
4/5