Train: ‘Enthralling jazz-inflected performances

Tegan and Sara:

Sainthood (Vapor/Sire)

The twin Quin sisters from Calgary had their most successful album a couple of years ago with The Con as produced by Death Cab for Cutie’s Chris Walla.

In fact, The Con was the duo’s best selling album to date so they have decided to return with Walla at the helm as Tegan and Sara continue to explore their pop-punk, folk rock and indie pop.

The duo played Late Night with Conan on Monday and looked and sounded dynamic so Sainthood could be the disc to finally put the sisters over the top in the USA (whereas they regularly hit the top 10 album sales in Canada).

Anyway, there is plenty to like from Tegan and Sara on Sainthood with the jerky garage rock of North Shore, the indie alt-pop of Don’t Rush and the Gary Numan (his lone hit In Cars)-like techno pop of Night Watch.

If there is a general trend in sound on this fifth CD it is a retro-style back to the ’80s new wave rock with lots of quirky, angular rhythms and herky, jerky dynamics.

There isn’t a dull moment on this generous 13-track album but it will be interesting to note which song(s) become hits.

I sense a big scale breakout for the Quin twins and their fine new album Sainthood.

B

Joss Stone: Colour Me Free (Virgin/EMI)

Joss Stone wants her listeners to “Colour Her Free,” the title of her fourth album, as she has broken away from the clutches of her previous rapacious recording label to sign with the mighty and benevolent EMI.

She complains in this lead off title track that her previous environments were too controlled. But the odd thing, now that Stone is reportedly free, is she doesn’t sound all that different from the retro soul of her days under the heavy servitude of her past masters.

Stone wrote or co-wrote most of the tunes here (maybe that was the freedom she was after) and her material is almost up to snuff with the lone cover here of the lesser known Ray Charles song I Believe To My Soul.

For the most part this new disc isn’t a bad album but no song really jumps out at you and demands repeated listenings.

There are a dozen sturdy songs here but the untitled 13th track (Mr. Working Man?) clocks in at nearly 14 minutes as Stone jams along with her band until she breaks into uncontrollable laughter at the end.

Free at last to indulge herself I guess.

A decent album but unspectacular as Stone seems to be in an artistic holding pattern.

C+

Kristina Train: Spilt Milk (Blue Note/EMI)

There is no shortage of new young female singer/songwriters on the scene right now but I believe this debut album from 26-year-old New Yorker Kristina Train heralds a new star on the horizon.

The auburn-haired beauty wrote or co-wrote every song on this excellent nu-soul album but what sets Train apart from the pack is her enthralling jazz-inflected performances and emotional delivery.

There are fine arrangements on these strong songs that are accentuated with swelling strings and dramatic deliveries (my fave track Don’t Remember sounds something like a 007 cinematic theme song).

You can also hear where fans of established stars would appreciate Spilt Milk. Check out the Norah Jones-like No Man’s Land, the Dionne Warwick-like It’s Over Now or the Dusty Springfield-like Don’t Beg For Love.

Even Amy Winehouse fans would appreciate this CD for Moon River And Such with the lyric “thrown out for smoking at Smoky Joes…another ride in a police car.”

An equally sublime and exciting new talent to watch.

B+

The Twilight Saga:

New Moon, Soundtrack (Atlantic)

Only Michael Buble’s Crazy Love prevented this Soundtrack to the film series The Twilight Saga from making its debut at number one in Canada.

My wife, who follows most things Hollywood and who has read all four books in the Twilight Saga, tells me they have already filmed the third episode of this highly popular teen/vampire/werewolf series but this second movie doesn’t hit the big screen until Nov. 20.

The pre-release of the soundtrack points to just how high the anticipation is for this film and, true to form for the movie, its soundtrack is loaded with moody, atmospheric, mellow music from the alternative spectrum.

The more high-profile songs include Death Cab For Cutie’s guitar-driven Meet Me On The Equinox “everything ends,” Thom Yorke’s (Radiohead) synth-buzzy Hearing Damage, The Killers’ John Lennon-like ballad A White Demon Love Song and U.K. mega stars Muse who offer up their remix of I Belong To You.

There are 15 tracks on this lengthy album with fine submissions from the likes of OK GO, Lykke Li, The Editors, Sea Wolf, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, Bon Ivor and St. Vincent.

If you are a big fan of the movies and books then you will want to scoop up this soundtrack, but then again you probably already know that as this disc is pretty much platinum right out of the chute.

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