-
Artist:
-
Album:
-
Track:
Emily Haines & the Soft Skeleton
Knives Don't Have Your Back
Play Knives Don't Have Your Back
-
AMG Review of Knives Don't Have Your Back
Stewart Mason
All Music GuideEmily Haines is so thoroughly the public face of the dance-happy neo-wavers Metric -- quite literally, in that her fetching blonde looks are the basis of both of the band's album covers so far -- that the idea of a solo album seems redundant at first. As it turns out, however, Knives Don't Have Your Back is utterly unique, far removed not only from Metric's often-hyper pulse but also from atmospheric post-rock gems like Broken Social Scene's gorgeous "Anthems for a 17-Year-Old Girl," still likely the song Haines is best known for overall. Members of both bands do appear here, but the focus of Knives Don't Have Your Back is strictly on Haines' vocals and piano. Recorded together live in the studio, with other instruments and vocals layered on afterwards, Haines' impressive keyboard skills (only hinted at in her other work) and alluring, throaty voice mesh perfectly; the combination gives Knives Don't Have Your Back the intimacy of a '70s singer/songwriter album, or perhaps that of a small-combo jazz album. That last comparison isn't at all that far-fetched: Haines is the daughter of the late Montreal jazz poet Paul Haines, and the spare black-on-gold all-text artwork is undoubtedly an homage to the similarly austere covers of her father's best-known albums, the Carla Bley collaborations Escalator Over the Hill and Tropic Appetites. An even closer comparison is Robert Wyatt, who provides a glowing testimonial on the back cover. Like Wyatt's solo work, Haines marries a sharp social conscience ("The Maid Needs a Maid," neatly riffing off an old Neil Young song, calmly eviscerates the frat-boy mentality in a single quiet verse) with a tendency toward elegiac, unhurried melodies. However, the keen pop scene that's Metric's strong suit can still be found on subtly hooky tunes like "Our Hell" and the simply lovely "Reading in Bed." Although far more low-key than Metric's nervy ock or Broken Social Scene's epic sweep, Knives Don't Have Your Back is a mature and engaging work revealing an exciting new side of Emily Haines, who is quietly turning into one of pop's most compelling presences.
All I Can Say Is WoW !
Emily Haines - Interview & Concert
-
Artist:
-
Album:
If you're a fan of Emily Haines (I am), go to http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=6725538and have a look at NPR's article about her. You will also find links to streams of the interview before the concert and the concert itself (in Real Audio or Windows Media), concert that took place on Jan.10 in Washington D.C. at the 9:30 Club. You can also view a slide show and download the c
More >
What flew in from Canada......
-
Artist:
-
Album:
-
Track:
More >
Emily Haines - Interview & Concert
-
Artist:
-
Album:
If you're a fan of Emily Haines (I am), go to http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=6725538and have a look at NPR's article about her. You will also find links to streams of the interview before the concert and the concert itself (in Real Audio or Windows Media), concert that took place on Jan.10 in Washington D.C. at the 9:30 Club. You can also view a slide show and download the c
More >
All I Can Say Is WoW !
-
Artist:
-
Album:
-
Track:
Great podcast to check out on Tripwire
-
Artist:
-
Album:
-
Track:
I've had Tripwire set up as a RSS feed on my Google home page for a while and occasionally glance at the headlines but this week I actually went in and had a look around for the first time in a while which reminded me how great it is. It has music news, reviews, picks, charts etc for mostly indie or under the radar major label artists. It was originally set up by and for "industry" insiders b...
More >
 "Knives Don't Have Your Back")
