Word: riffs
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Gibson plays it safe by dwelling on themes always close to the collective American heart. The heartlees but lethally well organized monarchy against the bank of riff-raff with real heart is a mirror of the American Revolution, while the greedy Scottish nobles who sell out the hard-working commoners reflect the American distrust of aristocracy...
...third track, "The Great Circle Route," featuring Hornsby on piano, is among the best on the album. The song begins with Hornsby passionately stamping out a piano riff reminiscent of a Chopin piano sonata, then smoothly incorporates a complex jazz rhythm, further layering melodic fiddle and dobro movements over Fleck's subtle banjo punctuations. The climax of the song occurs as Hornsby and Fleck swap licks and playfully try to out-do each other...
...album, 1992's Outward Bound, displayed a brilliant command of styles, including Chet Atkins-style flat picking, Delta blues and slide guitar. His most recent album, South of I-10 (referring to the interstate that bisects Louisiana), is even better. Creole Angel, for example, features a Zydeco-like repeated riff that builds to an overpowering climax. Landreth's variety of accents embraces the joyous cultural fusion that is Cajun country. Says he: "Man, this is the place to be." It's hard to disagree. --With reporting by David E. Thigpen/New York
...squealing. The title track has an absorbing groove, but Harvey's self-consciously raw and distorted vocals push listeners away. The throbbing, mysterious Down by the Water is another melodically intriguing tune, though Harvey's mannered vocals nearly drown it. Harvey, 25, does occasionally spin out a gratifying guitar riff; but for the most part, she's unable to style her music with subtlety or grace. Harvey would do well to listen to jazz diva Cassandra Wilson's Blue Light 'til Dawn. Wilson's bluesy, modernist, intelligent vocalizing is less theatrical but infinitely more evocative...
...coarseness, of English life. Similarly, the film-maker captures the indifferent cruelty--tooth and claw--of nature with cold, harsh shots. From the panoramic sweets, the camera always returns to the pockmarked faces of individuals in the crowd. This is a living portrait of England, from the impoverished riff-raff to the royal...