Mojave 3?

[tentoze]

Just read a review of their new release, Spoon and Rafter, that sounded interesting, but with the recent experience of buying that terd Microphones ceedee, I'm a little gunshy about blind-buying. Anybody listen to this group, or have opinions, or both?

[Davey]

No, I mean that's the one I would rec. The first one after they folded Slowdive. Starts out with one of the prettiest songs you're ever likely to hear called "Love Songs on the Radio" with Rachel on vocals and this lazy slide guitar that just draws you in like a siren. Really nice. Often descibed as a cross between the Cowboy Junkies and Mazzy Star. Anyway, I have the one after that also but think it too often sounds like an atmospheric take on Dylan and Neil Young to me. Haven't heard the last two albums but I would tend to believe that one is probably all a person really needs (unless you're just a silly shoegazer junkie like some of us around here) and hence my rec of the first one. I read something that led me to believe Rachel doesn't sing much on the latest one which would be a loss for me. I know Jar is a big fan of Neil Halstead and has his solo album - a song showed up on one of the CRS comps. He might've heard more Mojave 3 than me. The Slowdive Souvlaki album is an alltime favorite of mine that I've talked about often, and has a similar lazy atmospheric sound, but without the country influence and a more layered guitar sound. It is a little more like Brian Eno (in fact he contributes to a couple songs in both performance and writing) or a more open sounding My Bloody Valentine. Dusty is the big Slowdive expert around here. In addition to Jar. Lots of good music from Neil Halstead.

BTW, have you heard about that soon to be released Will Oldham album where he has gone back and re-recorded a lot of fan favorites from the early Palace albums. Not sure how close to the present it gets. Have to see a tracklist. Should be a winner if a person doesn't have those early albums as there was lots of good songs, especially on Viva Last Blues, and it would be fun even for a person like me to hear them reinterpreted from his Bonnie Prince Billy perspective.

[Dusty Chalk]

Dusty is the big Slowdive fanboy around here.

Just thought I'd make that correction -- I ain't no expert.

[-Jar-]

Just read a review of their new release, Spoon and Rafter, that sounded interesting, but with the recent experience of buying that terd Microphones ceedee, I'm a little gunshy about blind-buying. Anybody listen to this group, or have opinions, or both?

Not much to add over what Davey said.. The first one ASK ME TOMORROW is a great one, esp. because Rachel sings more on it.. but I also think the next to, OUT OF TUNE and EXCUSES FOR TRAVELLERS are both great, if not perfect albums. ASK ME TOMORROW is very sparse and pretty, definatey a Mazzy Star/Cowboy Junkies kind of thing, but way more mellow. OUT OF TUNE adds a lot more brass and organs, the sound gets bigger and a bit more country.. definately a Dylan influence there too. EXCUSES FOR TRAVELLERS scales back the big sound of OUT OF TUNE and adds back some of the atmosphere of the first album.. it's also more folky. Sort of a compromise between the first two albums. I go for ASK ME TOMORROW, then EXCUSES. I haven't heard the new album SPOON AND RAFTER, though I can't imagine it's much different than the ones that came before it. From what I know of your tastes thus far, I think you'd like them.

-jar

[tentoze]

Thanks for the read on this, folks. Think I'll give at least one of them a try.........