Closer to The Music

Italy's VANESSA VAN BASTEN reside amongst a rare breed of bands (loosely categorized as "post rock") that truly create instead of simply copy. At times lush and layered, at others minimal and haunting, the sheer variety displayed on "Closer to the Small/Dark/Door" is only achieved with an expertise forged through years in the underground. Although quite heavy at times, VANESSA VAN BASTEN employ far more atmosphere and ambiance than most contemporaries. There is a subtle touch here that is rare, even amongst longrunning household names.

After half a century in the music industry, it's amazing that Cher is still making records in 2013. That Closer to the Truth is any good at all is even more shocking. With the help of her longtime producer Mark Taylor, plus Billy Mann and Paul Oakenfold, the album has a fully modern sound, a large portion of the songs (written by the usual cast of many who include P!nk and Cher herself) are hooky and fun, and her voice, aided by technology or not, still carries a lot of weight and power. The album is split down the middle with the first half made up of shimmering, supercharged dance tracks that have disco and house influences and seem destined to fire up clubgoers with their soaring choruses.

Pittsburgh native Barry Levenson's lifelong love affair with the blues began at an early age. At fourteen, an older friend played him some of Buddy Guy's Vanguard records and Levenson immediately fell hopelessly and passionately in love with this great American art form. After playing in numerous blues bands in his home town, Levenson landed a job doing studio work, which he still does to this day. He then moved to Boston to study arranging at the Berklee School of Music. While in Boston, he became the house guitarist at Boston's premier rhythm and blues hot spot, the Sugar Shack, backing up numerous R&B and soul greats…

You'll recognise the wonderful Steamy Windows (covered by good friend Tina Turner with TJW backing her) but the awesome opening track Tunica Motel which tells of Tony Joe's return to his blues roots sets the stage for the whole album. Tunica Motel has it all - strong hooks and TJW's strong songwriting which starts as a song about getting away from it all, and becomes, gradually, a gut-spilling account. "I'm so tired of fighting with myself…" confesses TJW. Later, when he's contemplating his musical direction, he "sees the ghost of Robert Johnson" and for me the line brings an involunatary tingle down my spine every time I hear it, which is often. Tony Joe is Back! In this album he reintroduces us to his warm Stratocaster blues in gorgeous tracks: Ain't Going Down This Time and You're Gonna Look in Blues. In some ways these marked a new sound that he'd develop on subsequent albums - moving us closer to his use of Spanish guitar.

Leni Stern had grown considerably as a soloist by the time she recorded her fourth album, Closer to the Light. The jazz/pop/rock guitarist already had a very recognizable sound – light, lyrical, and definitely Pat Metheny-influenced, yet distinctively her own. But with Light, her improvising sounded more confident and assured. Stern's sympathetic company includes David Sanborn (alto sax), Paul Socolow (bass), Dennis Chambers (drums), and fellow guitarist Wayne Krantz (with whom she has often joined forces). Stern and Krantz seem an unlikely combination – in contrast to her subtlety and softness, Krantz can be very muscular, and has made the mistake of overpowering her at times. But that's never a problem on this generally relaxed date, which offers additional proof of Stern's thoughtfulness as a composer.

Nice and dubby chill form new lable act on Dragonfly. They've had a few releases on previous compilations on the L.S.D side of things. This album is aimed squarely at the summer and will be massive when listened to in a field with some mystic ciggies.