Thursday 23 May
 
 

Iron Aidan

Aidan Carroll Quartet
7 p.m. Wednesday, May 29
University of Central Oklahoma Jazz Lab
100 E. Fifth, Edmond
ucojazzlab.com
359-7989
$5-$7
05/22/2013 | Comments 0

Beat street

Lucky Date with Kids at the Bar and Crystal Vision
9 p.m. Wednesday, May 29
Kamps 1310 Lounge
1310 N.W. 25th
kamps1310lounge.com
819-6004
$20
05/22/2013 | Comments 0

Sun rises

Sunny Side Up with The Last Slice and Classy San Diego
8 p.m. Saturday
The Conservatory
8911 N. Western
conservatoryokc.com
607-4805
$8
05/22/2013 | Comments 0

God bless metal

Becoming the Archetype with Bermuda, The Burial, Horror Cosmic and Veil of Suffering
6 p.m. Saturday
The Conservatory
8911 N. Western
conservatoryokc.com
607-4805
$12-$14
05/15/2013 | Comments 0

Here for the party

Gretchen Wilson with Outlaw Son
6 p.m. Thursday
Newcastle Casino
2457 U.S. 62, Newcastle
mynewcastlecasino.com
387-6013
free
05/15/2013 | Comments 0
Home · Articles · CDs · Indie · Laura Stevenson and the Cans —...
Indie

Laura Stevenson and the Cans — Sit Resist


Disparate genres tie into an incredibly coherent sound

Stephen Carradini May 18th, 2011

I lauded Emily Arin’s latest earlier this year because of its ability to seamlessly fuse disparate genres into one thing.

sit_resist_275

Laura Stevenson and the Cans’ “Sit Resist” does that, too, but on steroids. Genres that are beautifully integrated here include (but are not limited to) folk, pop, rock, indie rock, indie pop, ’50s girl pop, Motown, gospel and waltz. And somehow, she ties it all together into an incredibly coherent album. Wow.

The unifying thread here is Stevenson’s passionate voice and the sustained mood. There’s an overarching feel of pleasant nostalgia here, whether created by invoking familiar genres that have faded in the public ear (the Motown of “Barnacles,” the Phil Spector girl-pop of “Master of Art,” the static-laden gospel of “Red Clay Roots”) or sounding wistful (“The Wait,” “The Weight” — yes, different tunes). What’s genius about the tactic is that it leaves pretty much every sound and tempo open to her, whether the elegant pace of “Finish Piece” or hand-clap/foot-stomp barnstormer that is “Montauk Monster.”

 “Master of Art,” “The Healthy One” and “Halloween Pts 1&2” are all standout tracks for completely different reasons. The first shows off her impressive pipes. The second unveils lyrical depth and pop sensibility, while the final is an emotive indie-rock tune enviable by any chanteuse working today. That she can pull off so many things with excellence is just making me jealous.

Stevenson has freed herself from the constraints of genre, but still organized her thoughts into a cohesive unit. The disc never stops moving, and that’s a boon for the listener (“Sit Resist,” indeed). She has unleashed some of my favorite songs of the year, and definitely my favorite pop album of the year thus far. Download it here for free for a limited time. —Stephen Carradini

 
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