Word: hatfields
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Older songs, like the opening "I Got No Idols" and "Outsider," were revitalized by the new Hatfield sound. The latter, a bit sludgy and tentative on Only Everything, was transformed by an up-tempo delivery and hardcore bass (courtesy of a barefoot and ecstatic Welsh) into a tune which both excited and engaged the audience...
...Other Hatfield standards did not fare so well under the new sonic regime, as evidenced by an uncomfortably crunchy and hurried version of 1993's "For the Birds." A delicate pop confection in its original form, the song ended up sounding like an accidental high-speed dub. Though Hatfield's examination of new sonic landscapes is laudable, it would be in her best interests to selectively, rather than globally, apply them. The same problem cropped up on Only Everything, a virtual concept album which could have easily been entitled "50 Minutes of Mid-Tempo Tube Distortion...
Given the amount of new material Hatfield has generated over the past two years, it was a little disappointing that music-hungry fans were not able to hear more of it. Of the 19 songs (including two encores) played during the course of the night, only three were unreleased. The rest of the set consisted of a mix of the past two albums, the new EP and a couple of B-side releases. It was unclear whether Hatfield was uncomfortable with the new material and unready to share it, or merely looking to give the crowd what it was looking...
Ironically, the most invigorating performance of the evening came with the first encore, for which Hatfield performed two 1989 Blake Babies standards, including a supercharged version of "Take Your Head Off My Shoulder." The song, originally bittersweet pop, was brilliantly re-interpreted as emotive pop-punk. That Hatfield's most bracing offering was culled from her oldest material, was surprising and somewhat discouraging...
...magic of Hatfield's music is far from gone, and at times the new material shone with the promise of her best early work. Stylistic variety, though, is still missing, at least from her live show. Until she is able to throw off some of the excessive restraint exhibited at the Paradise, Hatfield will be unable to communicate fully with her listeners. She gave the impression that she was putting forth only a small portion of what she had to offer, and a little more would go a long...