Rachael Yamagata - Elephants...Teeth Sinking Into Heart Review

Rachael Yamagata's wistful voice has made numerous appearances since her solo debut in 2004: on albums by Ray LaMontagne and Rhett Miller, on soundtracks to TV sitcoms, on Ryan Adams & the Cardinals' acclaimed Cold Roses, and on a pair of Yamagata's own EPs. Despite such a flurry of activity, however, the songwriter found herself dropped from the RCA roster after Happenstance's release, a move that prolonged the finishing of her second studio LP. Arriving in 2008 on the Warner Bros. label, Elephants...Teeth Sinking Into Heart literally splits Yamagata's musical personality into two parts -- the first disc, Elephants, pitches its tent closer to the Happenstance camp with lushly textured ballads, while Teeth Sinking Into Heart plays up the singer's debt to rock artists like PJ Harvey. The latter CD is the biggest surprise here, as it displays a swaggering confidence that wasn't as evident on Yamagata's previous releases. She raises her voice in volume and pitch, affecting a measured snarl during songs like "Sidedish Friend" and "Faster." The potent set ends with "Don't," a weary ballad that recalls Neko Case's Fox Confessor Brings the Flood and flaunts an expletive-filled refrain. While the song's lyrics are aligned with the rest of Teeth Sinking Into Heart, its sound still emphasizes Yamagata's strength as a master of slow-moving, wounded love songs. Elephant furthers that bittersweet style with ten songs (one of them hidden), effectively doubling the size of Teeth. The disc features a gorgeous cameo by Ray LaMontagne, whose Southern croon does a slow dance with Yamagata on the aptly named "Duet." Like LaMontagne's most intimate material, Elephant moves in quiet circles, mining Yamagata's heartbroken past for melodic effect while dressing up her songs in subtle layers of strings, woodwinds, and acoustic instruments. This is where her voice truly shines -- even when it seemingly hides from the spotlight, reducing itself to a cracked whisper while delivering Yamagata's lyrics. Fittingly, she matches such strong songcraft with equally strong content. "So for those of you falling in love," she advises during the first disc's title track, "keep it kind, keep it good, keep it right. Throw yourself in the midst of danger, but keep one eye open at night." Spoken like a true veteran of solitude and heartbreak, and performed like one of the strongest songwriters to emerge during the early 21st century....full text Four years after the release of her impressive debut, "Happenstance," singer/ pianist Rachael Yamagata returns with an ambitious two-part album, mostly produced by Bright Eyes multi-instrumentalist Mike Mogis. On the first part ("Elephants"), she sticks to brooding breakup ballads with long, languid piano chords and lush string arrangements, the perfect soundtrack for the lovesick. Her breathy vocals are soft and soothing on slow tracks like "Over and Over" or "What If I Leave," while the sparse, acoustic duet with soulmate Ray LaMontagne ("Duet") sounds raw and intimate. The mood changes radically on the second part, when Yamagata emerges with gritty, garage-rock tunes a la PJ Harvey, delivering defiant hooks with the energy of someone taking revenge ("Faster"). "We can stay together separately/ And we won't be lonely at all," she sings almost cheerfully on "Sidedish Friend." —Sven Philipp...full text Rachael Yamagata's first album was one of 2004's best, but the charms of this follow-up aren't evident on the first listen. Or second. The problem lies in the structure of Elephants...Teeth Sinking Into Heart — it's a ''record in 2 parts,'' consisting of nine ballads followed by five grittier numbers. The result is a slog that'll have you reaching for the happy pills. That said, Yamagata's delivery is gorgeous. And amid all the moroseness are some standouts, including ''Elephants,'' which belongs in the canon of great spurned-lover songs, and ''Sidedish Friend,'' which, contrary to its title, is not about a pal who brings candied yams to dinner. B–
Download This: Listen to ''Elephants'' on the musician's MySpace page...full text