Mini-Reviews: Eilen Jewell & Rock Central Plaza

Mini-Reviews concentrate on the initial impression you get from an album -- what it sounds like, who does it remind you of, how does it make you feel?

This week I'm catching up on a couple of great albums that have been lying on my desk for a few weeks and catching good airplay on my iPod.

Eilen Jewell - Letters From Sinners & Strangers - Four Stars
Eilen Jewell has a great twangy/folky/jazzy sound, reminiscent sometimes of Gillian Welch, RobinElla, the Be Good Tanyas, and just a tad of Kasey Chambers (not in her voice, but in instrumentation). Her songs range from toe-tapping Country ramblers ("Rich Man's World") to Jazzy twang numbers ("High Shelf Booze"). Throw in a couple of steamy Blues numbers (best song on the album - "Dusty Boxcar Wall") for good measure, and you're good to go. Great album, one of my favorites of the year, highly recommended.

Rock Central Plaza - Are We Not Horses? - Three Stars
Strange, different, full of twang and yet lots of horns... a very odd album that will not be for everyone. I dig this album though, especially after a couple of listens. It fits into a unique niche -- that of a concept album written from the point of view of mechanical horses. (I'm serious.) However, if you like your twang a bit Indie, but in more of an experimental sound, you'll really dig this album. Best song on the album, and I highly recommend you listen to it first before buying the whole album, is "My Children, Be Joyful." I love driving to that song! Recommended.