July Flame Explained
July Flame is the seventh studio album by American singer-songwriter Laura Veirs, released on January 12, 2010.
The title comes from a type of peach Veirs saw at a farmer's market. Jim James of American rock band My Morning Jacket contributes falsetto harmonies on several tracks, including "Carol Kaye" which is a tribute to the so named bass guitarist.[1]
Reception
Reviews of July Flame were favorable. The Independent called it an "obliquely beautiful record, as they tend to be. Poetic and simple".[2] The New York Times said it is "full of layered folk and indie-rock bucolia and plain-spoken but stretchy-thinking language" and "there are some great, seemingly unforced, séancelike moments here".[3] The Guardian praised the album as "so extravagantly beautiful that it will send you scurrying back to its predecessors".[4] Entertainment Weekly wrote that the album "sends us on hikes through dreamy landscapes evoked by her uniquely tangy voice, casting minimal instrumentation in glistening arrangements to captivate the melancholy imagination."[5] Paste proclaimed that the album is Veirs' "finest work", and said "It's hard to imagine a better soundtrack to the chilly months than this collection of heady, steady, pensive songs".[6]
Track listing
All tracks written by Laura Veirs
- "I Can See Your Tracks" – 2:58
- "July Flame" – 3:45
- "Sun Is King" – 3:20
- "Where Are You Driving?" – 2:53
- "Life Is Good Blues" – 2:35
- "Silo Song" – 2:39
- "Little Deschutes" – 4:06
- "Summer Is the Champion" – 4:25
- "When You Give Your Heart" – 3:05
- "Sleeper in the Valley" – 4:02
- "Wide-Eyed, Legless" – 2:35
- "Carol Kaye" – 3:20
- "Make Something Good" – 4:14
Personnel
- Laura Veirs – lead vocals, guitars, banjo, piano, bass guitar
- Tucker Martine – drums, percussion, piano and backing vocals (tracks 1–3, 5–6, 8, 10)
- Karl Blau – bass guitar, piano, strings, electric guitar, organ, saxophone and backing vocals (tracks 2–8, 12–13)
- Jon Neufeld – guitars and backing vocals (tracks 1–3, 5–6, 9, 10, 12)
Guest musicians
- Chris Funk – pedal steel guitar, twelve-string guitar, autoharp and mandolin (tracks 3, 8 and 9)
- Jim James – vocals (tracks 1, 3, 6 and 12)
- Eyvind Kang – viola (tracks 2, 4, 6, 9 and 11)
- Scott Magee – bass clarinet (track 11)
- Steve Moore – piano and electric piano, lowry organ, synths, loops and bells (tracks 4, 8, 10 and 11)
- Victor Nash – vibraphone, trumpet (tracks 3 and 8)
- Nate Query – upright bass (track 11)
- Annalisa Tornfelt – backing vocals (tracks 2 and 13)
- John McDonald – backing vocals (track 2)
- Mac Martine – backing vocals (track 2)
- Sarah Dougher – backing vocals (track 2)
- Shannon Sneed – backing vocals (track 2)
Notes and References
- News: Real Peach . Caraeff. Ezra Ace. 7 January 2010. The Portland Mercury. 12 January 2010.
- News: Album: Laura Veirs, July Flame (Bella Union). Coleman. Nick. 10 January 2010. The Independent. 12 January 2010. London.
- News: New CDs . Ratliff. Ben. 10 January 2010. The New York Times. 12 January 2010.
- News: Laura Veirs: July Flame. Costa. Maddy. 7 January 2010. The Guardian. 12 January 2010. London.
- News: July Flame (2010). https://archive.today/20130122151838/http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20334776,00.html. dead. January 22, 2013. Pastorek. Whitney. Entertainment Weekly. 12 January 2010. 7 January 2010.
- News: Laura Veirs: July Flame. Maddux. Rachel. 12 January 2010. Paste Magazine. 12 January 2010.
