Setting the Record Straight about Baroque Pop

In preparing for this post on baroque pop, I looked the term up (on Wikipedia, that bastion of truth and cold, hard facts) to see which bands and musicians would fall into the genre. For as much as I claim to love the genre, I must admit to myself that I didn't actually know what constituted such a title. Neither, as it turns out, does Wiki. I found listed such bands as Goldfrapp, Andrew Bird, even Vampire Weekend-- all great, but certainly not baroque. So I delved into my own collection for what I considered to epitomize Baroque Pop.
But first of all, what is it? To answer that, we must break the term down to its two parts:

Baroque- characterized by drama and grandeur; in music the size, range and complexity of instrumental performance was expanded.
Pop- has a deliberate intent to appeal to the majority

So, basically, a baroque pop musician depends on elaborate orchestral harmonies-- instead of guitar, drums, and synth-- behind a good, hummable tune to get one's feet a-tappin'. A baroque pop musician is not afraid of a harpsichord or an oboe solo. Which is why they are a rare breed! And they are often confused with those of the French chanson school, such as Jaques Brel, Edith Piaf, Serge Gainsbourg, and, more recently, Rufus Wainwright. To be fair, the line between the two genres is quite thin, and all I can say is that the chanson style is just more...French, and in a more cabaret style, not always poppy.

The baroque pop movement started in the sixties with bands such as the Beatles, the Left Banke, the Zombies, and the Beach Boys branching out musically and utilizing harpsichords, strings, organs, and woodwinds (Remember the harpsichord and the french horn solo in the Beatles' song "For Noone" from Revolver?). John Cale did the same with his own sound on Paris 1919, which is not only one of his best solo albums, but one of the most defining albums of the genre. As part of the Walker Brothers and as a solo artist, Scott Walker took the notion of orchestration and ran away with it, creating some of the most intensely gorgeous and lush instrumentation you could ever hear on a pop album--that is, until he stopped making pop albums and started doing impenetrable avant-garde...

Then in the mid-nineties, mainly in the UK, there was something of a Baroque Renaissance (yes, I am aware that those two terms clash horribly!), and bands started to up the orch again. None more so than the Divine Comedy. I'm not saying that Neil Hannon started the renaissance, but he was certainly one of the very first artists to opt for the strings and oboes, while everyone else was still thrashing around, smashing their guitars, and wearing plaid. And he utilized the orchestra more than anyone at the time, in a way that hadn't been heard since Scott Walker released his 1-4 albums. He did at least influence one artist of that era: Eric Matthews, the ridiculously talented Oregonian multi-instrumentalist (he plays all the instruments on his albums, including horns) who enjoyed a brief moment of fame in 1995 before sinking into near-obscurity. Other British acts, The Tindersticks, My Life Story, and, to a more minimal extent, Belle and Sebastian also employed similarly intricate instrumentation.

Now, I am pleased to note that after the wave of jangly garage rock bands at the turn of the 21st century has passed (not that I minded all of them- in fact, I was a Strokes fanatic), the orchestra seems to be coming back en vogue. As evidence, look no further than The Arcade Fire. Neon Bible, number 2 on the American charts, was just dripping with orchestral pomp and circumstance. On the less mainstream end of the spectrum, I find that many contemporary bands from the UK, such as Guillemots and Their Hearts Were Full of Spring, even the Arctic Monkeys' side project, The Last Shadow Puppets , are going the Baroque route. I'm very happy about all this!

So without further ado, my humble selections of perfect baroque pop:

Desiree- Montage (originally The Left Banke)


God Only Knows- The Beach Boys


Rosemary- Scott Walker


Boy Child- Scott Walker


Paris 1919- John Cale


Going Downhill Fast- The Divine Comedy


Death of A Supernaturalist- The Divine Comedy


Fanfare- Eric Matthews


Little Bear- Guillemots


A Gap Has Appeared- Field Music

Jae Sinnett: It's Telling

Tuesday night, I and the rest of my jazz ensemble had the great pleasure of having jazz drummer and band leader Jae Sinnett not only sit in on our rehearsal and give us useful tips, but thereafter treat us and other students to an intimate (free!) concert with his trio, appropriately titled the Jae Sinnett Trio. The audience consisted of approximately 20 people, so I do mean intimate. Jae on the drums, piano, upright and electric bass. It was an incredibly loose atmosphere, and it was apparent that the band took musical liberties that they may not have in a larger venue. It was clear they were having a blast. I only wish the audience was more enthusiastic- I think I was the liveliest one not on stage.
After the show, I thanked Jae for the fantastic music and for his advice during class. I then told him that I wish I had money so that I could purchase his new album, It's Telling...a Drummer's Perspective, and he gave me a free copy. Class act, that man!
As I found out upon taking it home and playing it, the entirety of the album is wonderful. All the songs were composed by Sinnett, and his subtle, solid drumming perfectly shapes each piece. He'll often begin a song with an understated drum intro, to have the piano and bass come in soon afterward. It is a very cool album. Extraordinarily, unlike so many drummer-come-band leaders, Sinnett does not like to draw attention to himself, but on this venture, he has brought his drumming more to the fore--not to say that he has given himself the spotlight in any way, but he has allowed himself to showcase his masterful technique. Explaining this stylistic shift, Sinnett has said:

“A while back I had a conversation with drummer Steve Smith…He said I should
bring the drums more out front because the drummers want to hear me play.
Open
up more. I thought about that for a long time...On 'It’s Telling…' the
drums are
shaping the direction of each composition and certainly more out
front.”

All songs on the album are written by Sinnett, and apart from being personal ("Crescent City Undercurrents" tracks New Orlean's musical history, its destruction, and hope for renewal), they are also quite varied in their time and rhythm; the title track is in 6/8 time, "Cliffhanger" manages a serious groove in 7/8 time, and "Truth be Told" switches between 9/8 and 5/8. In my opinion, anyone who can be that funky in 5/4 or 7/8 is OK.
Fantastic man, fantastic drummer, and a fantastic album.

Listen to a couple songs from It's Telling:

Truth Be Told

It's Telling