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Dispatches from the Highlands
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churn out their brand of catchy, witty tunes. It's Sorted ranks as their most polished e ort to date, and while the trio remain, as always, e ortlessly self-e acing, here they seem to fully embrace being in the studio for the rst time, adding layers to their sound without losing their edge. Katz continues to lyrically pull from the well of anxiety and uncertainty through the lens of modern, middle class American society and the absurdity inherently attached to much of it. Cheekface's music has also slowly pro- gressed to the point that one could easily envi- sion them opening for Talking Heads some 40 years ago. Indeed Katz o en channels David Byrne and his air for making the mundane sound mildly profound through lyrics that o en seem like what the elder would be writ- ing about if he were a 20 something today. (And, well, apparently the Angelenos have an anity for those legends anyway.) Four LPs into their career, Cheekface remain a welcome breath of fresh air and a band that just keeps getting better. Wings what is likely my favorite post-Beatles album from any of the Fab Four. Band on the Run could also be called "How Paul Got His Groove Back." Critics were not always so kind on his rst few e orts following the demise of the Beatles. A er lackluster reviews of a hand- ful of deliberately stripped down records, Band on the Run was a statement that he could indeed still rock and put out a great collection of tunes top to bottom. It transformed Wings from playing theaters into an arena and sta- dium act and restored his reputation to those who doubted him. At least half the tracks are still regulars in his live sets today. Band on the Run (1973) and Under- dubbed Mixes (2024) A new "anniversary edition" is the perfect excuse to recognize
Album Notes from Erickson “The Soundtrack to your Chill”
Béla Fleck Rhapsody in Blue To those unfamil- iar with arguably the greatest banjo player of all time, Béla Fleck has likely released something
you would enjoy. Having won Grammys in country, pop, jazz, classical, folk, and world music categories, Fleck has never been one to shy away from something new. Now he's released a record to honor the centennial of its premiere: Rhapsody in Blue. In February, Fleck dropped the ve-song set to pay homage to George Gershwin and his instantly recognizable classic 100 years to the day the composer debuted it to a rapturous re- sponse in New York City. Fleck's takes include three variations with di erent ensembles, all with banjo in place of piano. ( e bassist on the third form, "Rhapsody in Blue(s)," will ring loud and clear for Flecktones fans.) Two additional Gershwin compositions, including one that was unreleased and discovered in the Library of Congress, round out the album. As Fleck said, “My rst thought was, ‘Rhapsody in Blue(grass)’ is the most horrible idea I could ever imagine. But when we started to actually explore it, I realized that it actually sounded quite good." Like everything he touches, Fleck pulls it o impeccably. Cheekface It's Sorted
Man, I love Cheek- face. A year and a half a er Too Much To Ask , Greg Katz and co continue to
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