William Elliott Whitmore

William Elliot Whitmore's music is at times apocalyptically stark and bleak, as he sings of wartorn countries, broken hearts and the restless, often lonely life of a musician on the road. However, it is not so bleak as to leave it without redemption, as Whitmore's rich, throaty, crackling voice portrays and emotes intense passion, soul and despair. His voice almost sounds as though he is gargling with gravel, and strike a beautiful, honest contrast with the horribly over-produced music that currently resides in the charts today.

His songs, mainly just accompanied by guitar and sometimes a banjo, are refreshingly simple. But what he fortunately lacks in this department, he easily makes up for in his lyrics, including politcal and social commentaries in songs such as 'Who Stole the Soul' where he laments the latest war his country has embarked upon;

'And they'll bring devastation

And call it diplomacy

But an occupation won't bring a nation to peace'

and tragic stories of the pain and cruelty we must all ultimately suffer in our human lifetimes. Whitmore is a rare talent, that should be treasured for the originality, intelligence and vitality of his music, not to mention the ancient-sounding, husky beauty of a voice that he possesses and puts to such wondrous use.

Cold and Dead - William Elliott Whitmore

Who Stole the Soul - William Elliott Whitmore

Look what I got!

This is what I got today. Friendly stuff huh?

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Covers

Kids - MGMT
Yesterday I came across a really lovely cover of Kids (originally by MGMT) by Ben Lee, formerly of Noise Addict. I don't normally get covers, on the whole I prefer the original. But this one, although not as catchy, vibrant and spectacular as the MGMT version, is quieter, more melodic and more elegant in every way. Gone are the screaming children, synth and bass. Come is the soft-spoken Ben Lee, acoustic-esque guitar picking and ever-so-subtle vocal layering. I often find myself craving some MGMT, but more often than not don't feel up to the raucous, hyperactivity of the originals and this is a brilliant alternative.

Kids (MGMT Cover) - Ben Lee

Harvest - Blitzen Trapper
The next one is not great quality as it's a live recording, but I love it purely because the band (Blitzen Trapper) just sound so happy and when I listen to it, it always makes me laugh, or at least smile. It seems to be an impromptu cover of Neil Young's Harvest, so impromptu in fact that as the song goes on, the lead singer cannot help but laugh, and it is this unhelpable laughter that makes it such a spontaneously wonderful song.

Hobo's Lullaby - Deer Tick
Hobo's Lullaby is one of those songs that pretty much everyone seems to know. My sister, for one, used to sing it on the school bus with her friends many years ago. It was originally written by Goebel Reeves, and has since been covered by all manner of singers, including Johnny Cash, Woody Guthrie and Emmylou Harris. However, by far my favourite version is by Deer Tick. John Joseph McCauley III's grating, beautiful voice suits the song down to a tee. It is simple in the best of ways - the guitar accompaniment and quiet vocal harmonies in the background bring an almost melancholic, yet somewhat joyful and peaceful tone to the song.

Hobo's Lullaby (Goebel Reeves Cover) - Deer Tick

The Wolves - Ellie Goulding
Last but definitely not least, as the saying goes, is a bewitching and stunning cover of Bon Iver's The Wolves, by Ellie Goulding. Goulding seems to be a rising star at the moment, and whilst her own music is good, I prefer her covers (notably this one and the cover she did of Passion Pit's Sleepy Head). I would say that Bon Iver's original is impossible to better, but this cover comes scarily close. It is a track laid utterly bare, so that it is only Goulding's delicate, haunting vocals that one hears. However, it is this stark and unembellished quality that makes the song so fantastic. The layering and subsequent harmonies of her unadulterated, echoing voice give the song an incredible power and ability to both captivate and move the listener.

The Wolves (Bon Iver Cover) - Ellie Goulding

I know this is only four covers, and I know you'll probably all be ranting and raving about how there are so many other good ones out there, but these are just a few I like. And if you know of some that are worthy, send me them so I can have a listen too.

Best Albums of 2009

I just realised how unbelievably long it is since I last wrote on here and am disgusted by this. New Years resolution is most definitely to be more efficient and put more stuff up here. Anyway, thought I'd do a quick run down of my favourite albums of 2009. There may well be a couple I've missed, such as AA Bondy's 'When The Devil's Loose' and The Low Anthem's 'Oh My God Charlie Darwin' but that's because I only came upon albums such as these two too late on in the year, so I'll write about them some other time in 2010. Soon I promise. In the meantime here are the ten albums that did make the cut.

1. Deer Tick - Born On Flag Day


Deer Tick - Smith Hill


2. Langhorne Slim - Be Set Free


Langhorne Slim - Back to the Wild


3. Chris Garneau - El Radio


Chris Garneau - Fireflies


4. William Elliott Whitmore - Animals in the Dark


William Elliott Whitmore - Hell or High Water


5. Phosphorescent - To Willie


Phosphorescent - Reasons To Quit


6. Mumford and Sons - Sigh No More


There was a link to a Mumford & Sons song here, but the bastards that work in the music industry made me take it down.


7. Roadside Graves - My Son's Home


Roadside Graves - Ruby


8. Bombadil - Tarpits and Canyonlands


Bombadil - Reasons


9. Justin Townes Earle - Midnight at the Movies


Justin Townes Earle - Mama's Eyes


10. Magnolia Electric Co. - Josephine


Magnolia Electric Co. - Josephine/Arrow in the Gale