Ventura Whites

Ventura Whites, the Court and Spark's debut, was recorded nearly a full year after the group had formed in the spring of 1998 in their hometown of San Francisco. Overall, the album is a low-key effort, due, in part, to the fact that M.C. Taylor is the kind of vocalist who "speaks" his lyrics nearly as much as he actually sings them. When he does, his strained, plaintive warble recalls similar stylists like Jason Mason of Wiskey Biscuit and Jim Putnam of the Radar Bros.. His voice is also twangier here and nearly an octave higher than on their subsequent recordings, including 2001's Bless You (incidentally, Taylor's side project with producer Scott Solter is called Boxharp). There's nothing dull here -- no distractions -- just hushed, winsome vocals; tremolo-and-twang guitars; finger-plucked acoustics; mournful pedal steel; churchy organ; and lightly brushed drumming. The group obviously owes a debt of gratitude to groups like Red House Painters, Lullaby for the Working Class, Smog, and Palace, to name just a few of their slowcore precursors. "A Joyful Dispel" is probably the best track, highlighted by frequent collaborator Wendy Allen's warm backing harmonies, and there's an unnamed hidden track a few minutes after the end of "Sugar Pie in Bed." Ventura Whites was released on San Francisco's Tumult Records -- a tiny imprint headed up by Andee Connors, drummer in A Minor Forest -- and Germany's Glitterhouse Records in 1999. ~ Bryan Thomas|