The Phoenix Network:
 
 
 
About  |  Advertise
Adult  |  Moonsigns  |  Band Guide  |  Blogs  |  In Pictures
 
CD Reviews  |  Classical  |  Live Reviews  |  Music Features

The Autumn Defense

The Autumn Defense | Broadmoor
By MIKAEL WOOD  |  March 12, 2007
2.5 2.5 Stars
070316_inside_autumn
An amiable soft-rock duo comprising two members of Wilco, bassist John Stirratt and multi-instrumentalist Pat Sansone, the Autumn Defense provide a refuge for alt-country traditionalists vexed by Wilco’s increasing artiness. On their third full-length, the Chicago-based Stirratt and Sansone never allow their fondness for studio-geek texture to obscure a balmy melodic sense derived from old Carpenters and Steely Dan records; where Jeff Tweedy embroiders tidy Dust Bowl jangle with shards of big-city guitar noise, these two are happy to let mellowness linger. That doesn’t mean they aren’t canny arrangers: opener “Canyon Arrow” rides a tasty yacht-rock groove complete with airy flute trills, and the wistful vocal harmonies in “Winterlight” channel the pensive folk-rock vibe of classic Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young. But as the product of two guys who probably don’t get a lot of songwriting ideas past Boss Tweedy, this disc is a showcase for some undervalued compositional chops.

The Autumn Defense + The Singleman Affair + Jennifer Jackson | Middle East upstairs, 472 Mass Ave, Cambridge | March 20 | 617.864.EAST
Related: Drum talk, Rising sun, Waiting for the Sun, More more >
  Topics: CD Reviews , Entertainment, Music, Pop and Rock Music,  More more >
  • Share:
  • Share this entry with Facebook
  • Share this entry with Digg
  • Share this entry with Delicious
  • RSS feed
  • Email this article to a friend
  • Print this article
Comments

[ 11/11 ]   "Legacy"  @ Model Café
[ 11/11 ]   Don Henley + JD & the Straight Shot  @ Wang Theatre
[ 11/11 ]   "Karaoke"  @ Jin Asian
[ 11/11 ]   Sarah Blacker  @ Toad
[ 11/11 ]   Jimmy Ryan & Hayride + Treated Her Right  @ Lizard Lounge
ARTICLES BY MIKAEL WOOD
Share this entry with Delicious
  •   JACKSON 5 | I WANT YOU BACK! UNRELEASED MASTERS  |  November 10, 2009
    If you’ve ever wondered how great it might be to hear a slowed-down version of “ABC” that lacks all the youthful charm of the original, this set of previously unreleased Jackson 5 recordings is for you.
  •   PINK MARTINI | SPLENDOR IN THE GRASS  |  October 30, 2009
    The members of Portland’s Pink Martini have covered plenty of well-known songs in their decade and a half together, like “Que Sera, Sera” on their 1997 debut, and the theme from I Dream of Jeannie in their early live shows.
  •   ERIN MCKEOWN | HUNDREDS OF LIONS  |  October 21, 2009
    This local folkie has spent the past few years sifting through the ample riches of the Great American Songbook, first on 2006’s excellent Sing You Sinners , then on Lafayette , a spirited follow-up taped live at Joe’s Pub in New York.
  •   BARONESS | BLUE RECORD  |  October 14, 2009
    For a band of ultra-prosaic album titlers, Baroness are big thinkers when it comes to their music.
  •   REVIEW: WHITNEY HOUSTON | I LOOK TO YOU  |  September 09, 2009
    It's tempting to wonder whether super-producer Clive Davis, in another of his music-biz machinations, arranged for Whitney Houston to whiff last week on Good Morning America , which is reported to have altered Houston's vocals for broadcast after she sounded hoarse during her Central Park mini-concert.

 See all articles by: MIKAEL WOOD

MOST POPULAR
RSS Feed of for the most popular articles
 Most Viewed   Most Emailed 



  |  Sign In  |  Register
 
thePhoenix.com:
Phoenix Media/Communications Group:
TODAY'S FEATURED ADVERTISERS
Copyright © 2009 The Phoenix Media/Communications Group