2024, week 37. 10 singles

With a regular 10 singles feature, things are slowly going back to normal. It all starts with a reference to the last single of the previous Wednesday post, which was a debut on this blog and that mostly continues to be the case. No truly old hands in this post. Go out and discover but above all enjoy.

The Shot. The Giraffes

"When he heard the shot, he caressed, you did your best", singer Aaron Lazar of The Giraffes sings in The Shot. Where the conclusion of this line is concerned, I'm convinced the band did just that. Everyone listening to the song will conclude like me that The Giraffes took over where Mark Lanegan left off with The Screaming Trees' last album. They add a little 60s The Kinks vibes in the la, la and aah, aah sequence and some dominant alternative rock in the second half of The Shot. The result is a song loaded with tension, but unlike Lovina Falls' 'Ellery Way', which usually would have been right on top of this review (see previous Wednesday), The Giraffes allows the tension a full release. The Shot is far from an easy song. For that the structure, tempo and notes used are to irregular. All together it is quite an impressive song though. Brooklyn's The Giraffes is around since 1996 and working towards the release of its upcoming album 'Cigarette'. 27 September is the date.

Anesthetic Analgesic. Platonick Dive

Anesthetic Analgesic? Now what can that possibly mean? It is not explained in the song, as it is an instrumental. Yes, it's a rock song, but at the same time it is absolutely relaxed. It comes across to me as a mix of Asaf Avidan with Marillion and little bits and pieces of other famous bands of the past five decades. Platonick Dive is band from Livorno in Italy. It started in 2010 and still consists of Gabriele Centelli, Marco Figliè and Jonathan Nelli. Together they play guitar, bass and drums, with lots of overdubs. It does seem like someone plays some keyboards as well, as all the holes left by the other instruments are filled up here and there with some nice synth sounds. Platonick Dive manages to find the extra melodies in its composition regularly, before taking the song to its grand finale, making it towards the post rock monicker instead of symphonic rock. Take a Deep Breath is the album and will be released on 13 September.

Spinning. Pom Pom Squad

From POM to Pom Pom Squad is a smaller step than one might think. Both bands play alternative rock with a modern pop flavour. One from Amsterdam the latter from Brooklyn, which allows for more attention usually. Pom Pom Squad made its debut on this blog a little over three years ago with its debut album 'Death Of A Cheerleader'. I'll admit to having forgotten all about the band in the meantime. Spinning is a great reminder though. The alternative rock laced with modern synth sounds gives singer Mia Berrin the opportunity to be both sweet, sensitive and tough. And here she matches POM singer Liza van As. Fans of both bands should be listening to each other, the similarity in names may be coincidental, there's always a deeper meaning in the cosmos, isn't there? Spinning's stop start rhythms give the song a different kind of energy than most songs have. The tough drums hold it all together for Pom Pom Squad in the choruses. Mirror Starts Moving Without Me is released on 25 October.

Sick Of The Blues. Porridge Radio

Sick Of The Blues has Dana Margolin shouting to the world that she's "in love with my life again". No matter how small the song starts, just Margolin's voice and electric guitar, the song does follow the structure of the songs created by The Police and Nirvana, to name two bands. Porridge Radio certainly knows its way in the small - huge or light - shade kind of songs. The single announces the release of an album with an impossibly long name, 'Clouds In The Sky They Will Always Be There For Me' (18 October). Having the privilege of being able to listen to it already, I can only share that Sick Of The Blues is the bellwether to a great new album. That Dana Margolin is in love again, does not mean that the all's well in the world. From the outside, I remain deeply concerned for her well-being. On the other hand, if it brings songs this intense and good, something beautiful comes from it all. The trumpet at the end comes as a huge surprise, a very nice and smooth ending to a very intense song.

Passage Way. Nap Eyes

Nap Eyes is a name you have not come across yet on this blog, until today. With Passage Way the band has released a single that has an endless lyric and plays the same chords over and over, but slowly but surely the band raises its commitment to Passage Way, before things are allowed to wind down near the end, when singer-guitarist Nigel Chapman is left to fend for his own in the final line. Nap Eyes is a Canadian band on route to the release of its fifth album, 'The Neon Gate' on 18 October. Together with Brad Loughead (guitars, bass, synths, drum programming), Josh Salter (bass, guitars, synths) and Seamus Dalton (drums, guitars, synth) Chapman manages to make a song that in its essence is very elementary, yet sounds extremely interesting. One name comes to mind, Wilco, without the musical madness as in a Nels Cline solo. Just like that band Nap Eyes is able to tell a long story and make people listen.

Pay Phone. Artificial Go

Enter the debut single of Artificial Go, a band from Cincinnati, Ohio. Fans from anything from The B-52s to Gruppo Sportivo will heave a collective sigh for things that once were and things that are now. Artificial Go manages to grasp both bands' vibe but not their vibrancy. It comes close though. Just like the arty-new wave-punkers Pay Phone contains a few musical curve balls, musical enthusiasm barely matches competence, yet, in the meantime the song is filled with enthusiasm and musicality. Pay Phone is no 'Private Idaho' nor 'Hey Girl', it is Pay Phone and brings this kind of music into the third decade of the 21st century. It needs more bands like Artificial Go as we have enough of the louder post-punk bands already. Album 'Hopscotch Fever' was released last Friday.

Van Goes. Being Dead

Goes is a city in the Dutch province Zeeland. Whether Being Dead names its single after the town, I strongly doubt but then who knows? Referring to the above single 'Pay Phone', I notice that Van Goes also has a neurotic The B-52's rhythm and a man-female vocal. On top of that, it has a feeling of weirdness that brings me back to the first Frank Zappa and The Mothers of Invention albums. In other words, Van Goes may be from 2024, its influences go back close to sixty years. Just as confusing is the bio mentioning a duo and the photo showing a trio. All that aside, Van Goes is an energetic single full of weirdness and surprises, the kind that is unpredictable. There's no way of telling what comes next. Being Dead is not afraid to do anything. What this means for an album? We will have to be patient until 'EELS' is released on 27 September.

Tombstone Junction. JC Miller

JC Miller made his debut on this blog in the early summer. Now it's fall and he returns with another oh so fine country rock or American roots song. There's no need to do something new or revolutionary when you are able to write and record a song like Tombstone Junction. This single is a decent song with the kind of rough edge that makes it shine. Everything about this song is neat and aimed at pleasing fans of songs like it. At the same time it contains it all. A strong drum part, a supporting bass, some modestly dirty sounding guitars, a slide in the background and in the solo, a warm Hammond coming through it all, a piano note here and there, and finally some soft sounding strings (or synths), all in support of that voice that comes with a nice edge to it. JC Miller knows exactly what he's doing and presents it proudly. Tombstone Junction, not a "farewell" as Miller sings, but a see you again soon, is my guess.

Waiting For The Catch. Shed Seven

Shed Seven is around for 30 years according to the bio send with the upcoming album, 'Liquid Gold' (27-09). 30 Years and I can't remember ever having heard of Shed Seven. Based on Waiting For The Catch, that might have been a shame. This single is a great mix between pop and rock. It has a smoothness Tears for Fears once had (perhaps still, I don't know) and brings in a far directer rock sound, while smoothing things over at every chance with large swaths of synths. The singing is another plus. Shed Seven's singer Rick Witter shares duties with Issy Ferris of the UK folk/rock/Americana duo Ferris & Sylvester. They sing a full duet of an undercooled quality where the flames lick at when they sing the title of the single, "waiting for the catch". The sound of the New York band is chockfull. There are instruments to be heard everywhere. The whole span of the mix is filled with one. Until the guitar is allowed to jump in front with a pointed solo. This is the kind of song that deserves to become a hit.

I Don't Care. The Mono Kids

In my mind The Mono Kids can be found on this blog for years already and yet the first time it featured is only 2023. The Eindhoven duo returns with a punkrocker that has little, better, no consideration for the more sensitive ears. The only thing the people attached to these ears can be happy about is that it is all over at 1 minute and 19 seconds. With I Don't Care The Mono Kids honour classic punk bands but also the garage rock bands of the 60s. When they repeat the "I don't care" lyric a host of bands spring up in my mind from a very long time ago, when Dutch "pop groups" scored hits and obscure U.S. bands recorded singles that can be found on 'Nuggets' or the 'Psychedelic States' series. The song is over before you know but by then The Mono Kids have more than made its point. What an energy and what fun!

Wout de Natris - van der Borght

hummingbird. Carly Pearce

Het was een lange weg voor Carly Pearce, maar inmiddels behoort ze tot de smaakmakers van de countrypop, wat ze nog eens bevestigt met het meer tegen authentieke Amerikaanse rootsmuziek aanleunende hummingbird.

Iedereen die op basis van haar eerste twee albums twijfelde over de talenten van Carly Pearce werd over de streep getrokken door het indrukwekkende breakup album 29: Written In Stone, waarmee ze zich schaarde onder de beteren binnen de Nashville countrypop. Met het deze week verschenen hummingbird laat Carly Pearce horen dat ze binnen de countrypop nog altijd met de besten mee kan, maar hummingbird is een album dat ook liefhebbers van wat authentieker klinkende Amerikaanse rootsmuziek aan moet kunnen spreken. Invloeden uit de pop hebben een flinke stap terug gedaan op een album dat zowel in muzikaal als in vocaal opzicht makkelijk overtuigt.

Carly Pearce wist al op hele jonge leeftijd dat haar hart bij de muziek lag. Ze speelde op haar elfde in een bluegrass band in Kentucky en liet op haar zestiende de schoolbanken achter zich om aan de slag te gaan als zangeres in het pretpark Dollywood. Op haar negentiende vertrok ze naar Nashville, waar het leven in eerste instantie zwaar was, maar vanaf 2016 begon het harde werken te lonen.

Haar door Busbee geproduceerde debuutalbum Every Little Thing werd in 2017 goed ontvangen in Nashville en ook het in 2020 verschenen titelloze album, tevens het laatste werk van producer Busbee voor zijn dood, deed het uitstekend in de Amerikaanse country kringen. Ik had destijds nog geen groot zwak voor countrypop, wat anders waren de albums destijds niet aan mijn aandacht ontsnapt. Carly Pearce maakte immers ook op haar eerste twee albums in kwalitatief opzicht uitstekende countrypop en het is countrypop waarin de balans niet doorslaat richting aalgladde Nashville pop.

Carly Pearce trok aan het begin van 2021 voor het eerst mijn aandacht met het door haar echtscheiding geïnspireerde mini-album 29, dat later dat jaar werd uitgebreid tot een volwaardig breakup album, 29: Written In Stone. Op het album was het aandeel van authentiek klinkende Amerikaanse rootsmuziek gegroeid, maar er zat ook nog altijd flink wat pop in de muziek van de singer-songwriter uit Nashville.

Vorig jaar verscheen nog een live-album met de tracks van 29, maar deze week duikt Carly Pearce op met een nieuw album. Het is een album waar ik met hoge verwachtingen aan begon, want vorig jaar ben ik definitief gevallen voor de charmes van de betere countrypop uit Nashville en in dit genre behoort Carly Pearce sinds 29: Written In Stone tot de smaakmakers.

Op hummingbird werkt de muzikante uit Nashville, net als op 29: Written In Stone, samen met producers Shane McAnally and Josh Osborne. Het nieuwe album ligt ook in het verlengde van zijn voorganger, al hebben invloeden uit de traditionele countrymuziek flink aan terrein gewonnen. Carly Pearce maakt nog altijd muziek die past in het hokje countrypop, maar de verhouding tussen country en pop is opgeschoven richting de wat authentieker klinkende Amerikaanse rootsmuziek.

De producers van het album hebben het album voorzien van een lekker vol geluid vol gitaren, mandoline, banjo, dobro, pedal steel, viool, orgels en keyboards en een strak spelende ritmesectie als basis. Met name door de belangrijke rol voor de viool klinkt hummingbird in muzikaal opzicht met grote regelmaat als een wat traditioneler klinkend countryalbum, maar de songs op het album neigen qua structuur misschien net wat meer richting de Nashville countrypop.

Rootspuristen hoeven zich echter zeker niet af te laten schrikken door het dunne laagje pop op het nieuwe album van Carly Pearce. In muzikaal opzicht klinkt het allemaal fantastisch en ook de songs op het album zijn stuk voor stuk zeer aansprekend. Het wordt allemaal nog wat overtuigender door de zang van Carly Pearce, die beschikt over de gedroomde stem van een country(pop)zangeres. Ik heb het afgelopen jaar zoals gezegd een enorm zwak voor countrypop en dan vooral voor countrypop met veel meer country dan pop. Met hummingbird heb ik er een favoriet album in deze categorie bij.

Erwin Zijleman

Luck And Strange. David Gilmour

Does the world need another David Gilmour album? Ever since his first solo album in 1978(?), I tend to say no, it doesn't. In all honesty, I stopped listening to new albums a long time ago. I decided to give Luck And Strange a chance because I liked the single released last spring, 'The Piper's Call'. Not that I became excited, it felt simply good to hear him sing and listen to his characteristic guitar style.

I feel exactly the same listening to Luck And Strange. This is an album by an old man for older men like me. His voice clearly isn't what it was any more and yet fully o.k. Except for the odd moment here and there, Gilmour does what he is still capable of and thus raises the song by his presence which is still undeniably there.

Listening to the album more often I start noticing something which may explain me liking this album. On all his solo records and the two Pink Floyd albums after the split with Roger Waters, the songs always sounded forced to me. As if Gilmour was in a competition that he knew he couldn't win but kept trying anyway. Luck And Strange feels natural and is smooth flowing. Then add the familiar guitar sounds here and there and even that not everywhere, to lift the album. The result is an album that is good to listen to, to have it playing and immediately feel better. Should music be a competition, which is isn't, David Gilmour easily won this time compared to Roger Waters' rehashing of old themes on 'Is This The Life We Really Want?'.

For a Pink Floyd fan who came on board in 1975 with 'Wish You Were Here', Luck And Strange is the kind of album you want to hear 49 years later from your old hero. The record delivers. On the side Gilmour helps his daughter Romany into the saddle by giving her the lead spot in 'Between Two Points', a cover from a band called The Montgolfier Brothers. With a very Pink Floyd style guitar solo it grows into a beautiful song.

The biggest surprise is that Rick Wright plays on the album. The title track features his playing when the two were jamming in 2007 in Gilmour's study, in the year before Wright died. Gilmour developed it into a song recently, honouring the Pink Floyd's keyboardist.

There's nothing more you need to know. If you like Pink Floyd you will enjoy Luck And Strange. It may sound like a contradiction but exactly because, perhaps for the first time, David Gilmour is not trying to be Pink Floyd, he delivers his strongest solo album to date.

Wout de Natris - van der Borght

Gift Horse. Cloud Cafe

Early spring last year Cloud Cafe made its debut on this blog with its eponymous EP. It was received quite well at the time, including being called a promise for the future. That future is now here with debut album Gift Horse. Based on what I've just read in my previous review, the band delivers on that promise.

Gift Horse is an album that can be shelved in the indie rock segment, moving towards the alternative rock one. Cloud Cafe manoeuvres itself somewhere in between the two. The campfire song underneath it all, is a little less present today, as the band clearly chose for rock and not folk. In fact, my guess is that the band members are fans of alternative rockers from New Zealand like The Beths, Vera Ellen, Aldous Harding, etc. I base that on the twists most songs have and the way Tara Wilts sings. A little less Adrianne Lenker is not the only reason Big Thief disappears around the corner. Cloud Cafe rocks harder in 2024.

Cloud Cafe is from Amsterdam and besides Wilts consists of David Coehoorn (guitar), Tom Radsma (bass) eand Dirck Kroes (drums). The band formed in 2020 and recently released its first full length album. Along the way the band started to play louder and even wilder songs. This is very noticeable in the way Gift Horse opens. 'Honey' is an alternative rock song that falls into the New Zealand category I already mentioned. As an opener I just love the song. Cloud Cafe shows what it is capable of, with a good rhythm and some inventive guitar playing (enter The Beths) in the solo. 'Honey' is the kind of song that grabs your attention immediately and tells you to start paying attention. It pays off, I assure you.

Promo photo

Gift Horse is a very varied album. Let me lift out two other songs. 'Completely Here' is a pretty wild song. It opens with a huge intro riff and a rhythm section that really goes for it. For the verse things are toned down on the guitar, giving the song breathing space. This allows Tara Wilts to sing with her soft, breathy voice without having to exert herself. She reminds me here of the singer of Dakota, from before the band became Loupe. 'Completely Here' will most likely be a successful song to grab an audience's attention. On the other hand there is a dark song called 'Trash Blanket'. There's not a lot of daylight allowed in here and shows a totally different side of Cloud Cafe.

The rest of the album hovers between the first song and these two outer edges. Indie rock, at times even a little jangly, where the song is more prominent and alternative rock where the music is more prominent, are the two main flavours with which Cloud Cafe sets a new step in its career. OK, I will allow a little shoegaze as well ('I Don't Mind'). No, heaven and earth are not moved but Gift Horse is truly delivering on the promise made by the EP. An album very much worthwhile checking out.

Wout de Natris - van der Borght

You can order the album here:

https://excelsior-recordings.com/products/cloud-cafe-gift-horse

You can order the EP here:

https://cloud-cafe.bandcamp.com/album/cloud-cafe

Gift Horse is a varied album, as it does not always rock this hard, and is not as dark as the final song

Indiestad, Great Gable, La Luz and CVC. Paradiso, Amsterdam Sunday 8 May 2024

Photo: Wout de Natris

It turned out that La Luz played at a festival, Indiestad, in Paradiso and not its own headlining show. So, instead I got to see three bands. As I came for the Californian band, I will start there.

La Luz

With its latest album 'News Of The Universe' La Luz for the first time really grabbed me. Having entered my life with its previous album, 'La Luz', the band's latest was the real ear opener. I truly liked 'La Luz' at the time and played the album a lot, but as things go, at some point it recedes into my vast collection. Playing it again to prepare for the show, I was "shocked" to find out how regular it sounded compared to 'News Of The Universe'. I will give it another chance, do not worry. As I should the first two albums. I still have to check them out.

La Luz to my surprise did most of the setting up all by itself. They were carrying their instruments and everything on stage, already wearing their stage clothes and everything. There was a provided backline, that may make a difference. We heard a little of the soundcheck and went outside into the sun for a few minutes.

Photo: Wout de Natris

La Luz totally delivered. The band is good, well played in and the three part vocal harmonies really shine. What did surprise me was the surf guitar sound of singer Shuna Cleveland's guitar. Perhaps because live it is more prominent than on record or a special live feature. It sounded great, so I was not complaining.

What also struck me more in the live setting than on record, is the dreampop element in the music. The contributions on keyboard by Maryam Qudus certainly contributed to the dreampop sound. I can imagine the band on a stage with Warpaint, except that on average I appreciate La Luz more musically. The songs are stronger, melodically as well as where variation is concerned. La Luz seems to have more imagination. E.G., i noticed the Frank Zappa influence in the instrumental song. Totally wacky notes and riffs, played unisono on guitar, bass and synth.

The most fun was to hear the great songs live. La Luz totally delivered there. Bassist Lee Johnson may be new to the band, she stood there as if she was present for the past twelve years. With a strong drummer, Audrey Johnson, in support, the songs came alive, as did the band and the audience. The interaction certainly was there. We warmed each other with the glowing songs coming from the stage. (And for Shana, it's Broek op Waterland. Go and see it sone day.)

Photo: Wout de Natris

Great Gable

Great Gable comes all the way from Perth in Australia and was promoted to the big hall, as Dylan LeBlanc wasn't in the Paradiso. To be honest, for several songs I couldn't help thinking, why are these guys (and a gal) playing here and not at the local high school dance? To my ears there was nothing original, no fire, nothing that merits a stage in a venue like the Paradiso. I had heard it all before and at that so, so much better. And then the singer introduced a song called 'Drift'. It was far slower and did have a touch of quality. Yes, it did sound familiar as well, but here it did not matter. Finally, a spark came across. The music had the people swaying and touched them. The two or three songs that followed, were played with more fire in them and made me understand why Great Gable is able to cross an ocean or two and invited to play a festival like Indiestad. It was a tight affair though. Had I left, just like my friend present did, then everything before 'Drift' would have been my final words.

Photo: Wout de Natris

CVC

The surprise of the day played upstairs in the small room of Paradiso. To a packed room CVC from Wales rocked in a way I hadn't heard since the 1970s and at that only on record. With a six men line up, with a lead singer, who was not the lead singer in about half of the songs, the band recreated everything from funk bands like the Average White Band and Atlanta Rhythm Section to large disco bands from the late 70s and all spiked with a dose of rock that made all songs incredibly swinging. The three part vocal harmonies made the songs shine even more. All five musicians are incredibly good on their respective instruments. I heard fantastic drumming, great bass parts, inventive lead lines and incredible rhythmic playing with keyboards to top it all off. There was even a suave David Sanborn style sax solo! The swing was always there, making the audience move the whole time. Equally important, the band showed that it wanted to play these songs for the audience. They wanted us to have a good time, then to go home and tell all our friends about CVC. Here you are. Now for a question, which famous riff was played? 'I Want You (She's So Heavy') of 'In The Flesh'? at first I thought the latter and then started doubting afterwards. The cover of 'Lady (Hear Me Tonight)' came as a surprise, just as surprising to find out that the song is not from the late 70s but from 2000. How do I know it then, as I'd stopped listening to pop radio for years by then. It didn't matter, CVC is one swinging rock machine with more influences worked into its music than I have space here to mention. My friend even heard Pink Floyd the whole time. As a side note, a comment on how good Brexit is working for bands. CVC did not bring any merchandise, as it was too much of a hassle, losing a lot of money on the side.

The nice thing about a festival is that it can surprise and with CVC it did. La Luz delivered and totally lived up to expectations.

Wout de Natris - van der Borght