By
Chad Taylor
soundcheck@dmcityview.com
Brent Houzenga
 ‘Quit
the Biz’
Independent
Sound
Clips
The first thing that popped into my head when
listening to Brent Houzenga was, “It’s like
Jonathan Coulton, minus all the stuff that makes
Jonathan Coulton funny.” Now, in fairness, Houzenga
— the Des Moines artist, troubadour and Renaissance
Man-about-town — isn’t trying to be funny, which
leaves you to wonder just what he’s shooting
for. The theory behind Houzenga’s sound — one
person, sitting on stage with an acoustic guitar,
just doin’ his thing — appeals to me. But the
caveat with that style is that if your instrumentation
is going to be sparse, your lyrics had damn
well better cover the spread. Some people do
it well — Ani DiFranco, Suzanne Vega and Coulton
— but Houzenga misses the mark. The songs on
“Quit the Biz” show Houzenga as a mediocre storyteller,
a jack of all trades/master of none whose vocals
aren’t compelling enough to pick up the slack
left by the uninspired lyrics. CV
Paul McCartney
 ‘Kisses
on the Bottom’
Hear Music
Sound
Clips
First things first: OH MY GOD THAT’S A TERRIBLE
ALBUM TITLE. But — unfortunate double-entendres
aside — what to make of the album itself? The
album is a collection of bluesy jazz standards,
all of which find themselves enhanced simply
by having Sir Paul sing them. There’s nothing
new or adventurous here, but you know what?
He was a Beatle. McCartney need never prove
his ability to innovate to anyone, and with
very good cause. So no, there’s nothing on “Kisses
on the Bottom” to blow your hair back. But every
track is beautifully orchestrated and wonderfully
realized with a touch that’s just as light as
gossamer. McCartney has aged very well and doesn’t
try to remain relevant by pandering to a younger
audience or trying to cling to his rocker roots.
As he’s matured, his work has evolved with him,
into something as timeless and classic as the
man himself. CV
Want your new CD reviewed? Email us a link
at soundcheck@dmcityview.com
or mail a physical copy to: Cityview, 414 61st
Street, Des Moines, IA 50312.
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