Oh, hello September, I didn’t see you there. After rocking through (or skipping, as advised) the Lo Down albums from June and July, let’s round out the summer fun with these gems of August, shall we?

Brothers Young
Good People EP
Emeritus Records (Aug 31, 2010)

Just when I find myself in need of that end-of-summer soundtrack, this Portland six-piece hits us with a tasty balance of lazy lo-fi folk-meets-bluegrass pop – perfect for driving through the last heat wave with the windows down. The comparisons to Pinback garnered from 2009’s The Sun Says He’s God still apply, but the pace here is slightly slower, the vocals less deliberate and more layered, with enough snare and bluegrass roots to keep us from drifting entirely into dreamland. Kinda like The Shins after some a lot of bourbon. Stand outs: “Good Deeds” and “Devon’s Song”.

Lissie
Catching A Tiger
Fat Possum Records (Aug 17, 2010)

You may know this Illinois native as the opening act for Lenny Kravitz or more recently, Ray LaMontagne – and this album showcases why the eclectic singer can hold down pop-rock as effortlessly as singer-songwriter folk.  Lissie’s voice hits somewhere between Eva Cassidy, Sia, and a young Stevie Nicks (only less annoying classic), but while I’m generally interested in her vocal stylings, the album feels uneven and the production a bit clunky when I really just want to hear her. “When I’m Alone” and “In Sleep” are interesting dabbles in pop, but her vocals shine most successfully on older ballads – most specifically: “Everywhere I Go” and “Oh Mississippi.”

Eli “Paperboy” Reed
Come and Get It!
Capitol Records (Aug 10, 2010)

The first major label release from this Massachusetts native is certainly one to note for all of my fellow soul fans. Reed, who spent considerable time honing his musical chops in Mississippi (and it shows), is the newest voice on the soul revival scene with the likes of Sharon Jones, Amy Winehouse, and James Hunter (well, new to you, anyway pshh). You should have this album, but mostly as a supplement to the live experience, where Reed lets loose and demonstrates impressive vocal chops reminiscent of early Otis Redding — the album itself doesn’t quite capture the energy as well as it could. In short, he’s just safe of a gimmick, and I’m hoping he stays there. Stand outs: title track “Come and Get It” and “Young Girl.”

Katy Perry
Teenage Dream
Capitol Records (Aug 24, 2010)

Confession: I was so impressed with Perry’s performance during her MTV Unplugged session last year that I have been watching her from the comforts of guilty-pleasure land ever since. Maybe this will be the album when she stops with the over-production, and shows the world that she can actually sing, you know, tastefully (much like the career arc of Pink). But in a word, NOPE. Pop sells – as do boobs, bubble-gum, and booty-shakin’ – and that’s what you’re gonna get with Teenage Dream (as the title aptly promises). I still don’t get her weird vocal pronunciations – she sounds a bit like a Valley girl Speak ‘n Spell, no? – but like everything else she’s done since hitting the scene with “I Kissed a Girl,” this album boasts sickeningly catchy hits that you can’t get away from even if you try (and I think we’re all trying). Stand outs: just turn on the radio. Sigh.

Kathryn Calder
Are You My Mother?
File Under: Music (Aug 10, 2010)

When an album is this highly anticipated, disappointment seems inevitable. Can Calder stand alone, apart from Immaculate Machine, and an ever-growing presence within The New Pornographers? Are You My Mother? answers with a jubilant, BY GOLLY YES! This may be one of my favorite albums of the summer. Calder’s sweet girlish vocals compliment simple melodies – understated, but never boring – and though she delivers that indie-pop we’ve come to love with the Pornographers (“Castor and Pollux” and “Day Past Its Prime”), the strength of this album lies in its gentler tunes, when Calder pulls back, insightful, introspective without becoming self-indulgent. This balance is a gift. The album was recorded at Calder’s family home while she was caring for her ailing mother, who died last year. Naming the album after the famous children’s book feels as delicate and fitting as the album to my ears. Stand outs: “Arrow” and “So Easily” and ALL OF THEM – GO BUY IT.

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