Lee Juck shines on ‘Meaning of Silence’
Lee Juck 
“The Meaning of Silence” 
(LOEN Entertainment)

Lee Juck has once against demonstrated his prowess as a skillful singer-songwriter on “The Meaning of Silence” at a time when the majority of Billboard chart tracks are made by a small handful of composers.

The 10-track album starts out with “Lies Lies Lies,” a simple song about a man in grief over being left by a lover. Lee’s voice is heavy and accompanied with a melancholy piano melody.

“Sarangi Mwogillae” featuring Tiger JK is a experimental number that is different from any other song Lee has ever made. The track begins with a rock vibe but transitions surprisingly into a hip electronic beat and sound.

“After Twenty Years have Passed” is a catchy retro-rock number with simple guitar solos strewn throughout the song.

“Before Sunrise,” featuring Jung In, is a simple song that spotlights both singers’ voices with a piano accompaniment.

“Illness” is a moody rock song complete with heavy guitar riffs and emotional lyrics.

Lee Juck’s use of simple instrumental accompaniments are definitely a breath of fresh air, and gives the ears some much-needed rest from synthetic electronic beats that make up a majority of the songs on the market. His use of old rock sounds wrapped together with a modern vibe make this album transcend generations, appealing to both young and old.

(yorimcha@heraldcorp.com)

The Avett Brothers’ ‘Magpie’ is smooth folk
The Avett Brothers 
“Magpie and the Dandelion” 
(American)

The evolving definition of folk music currently carries a little bit of rock, a little bit of reverb and a few other nontraditional flavors thrown in the stew. It’s all being well received and The Avett Brothers’ new album “Magpie and the Dandelion” should be no exception.

Songs like “Open Ended Life” and “Skin and Bones” present a folk version of rock’s wall-of-sound approach. Instead of a nuanced give and take between banjo and guitar and drums, we get them all at once, side by side, vying for attention. With proper mixing it works on these hardened-heart love songs.

Things work up to a glorious crescendo on several tracks, going from simmer to boil on “Another is Waiting.” Though it’s worth noting that the sizzle on “Magpie” is mostly thanks to strong instrumentals. The group lacks a strong lead vocalist. Both Scott and Seth Avett can sing, but not convincingly enough to mesmerize the listener because of it. (AP)

Thompson’s brand of gloom sounds lovely
Linda Thompson
“Won’t Be Long Now” 
(Pettifer Sounds)

Linda Thompson briefly plays the role of proud parent on her new album, happily slipping into the background while her children sing Anna McGarrigle’s “As Fast As My Feet.’”

It’s a rousing rendition and a rare moment of peppy pop on “Won’t Be Long Now.” With Thompson front and center, doom and gloom dominates the rest of the record ― no surprise to longtime fans of Thompson and her ex-husband, Richard.

She sings of war, fear, domestic abuse, loneliness and death, and like the gray sky on the cover, there’s a bleak beauty to the music. Thompson’s bracing, unvarnished alto remains a wonder despite her history of career-curtailing voice trouble. She chooses her material wisely, mixing traditional British and Irish folk with songs she wrote that have the same timeless feel.

The family provides plenty of help. Daughter Kami takes the lead on “As Fast As My Feet,” and son Teddy contributes as a composer on four songs, including the wry title cut. (AP)