Week 23 / 10 singles

In this week's overview of recent singles a return of older musicians with new work, some modern pop and a ballad. To be more precise, an environmental love song. You can sit and listen, rock a little and even dance here and there. Here you go.

Love Will Be Reborn. Martha Wainwright

Martha Wainwright is a sibling from an extremely musical family. I remember buying an album somewhere in the early 00s. That fact makes her no longer a young, talented singer but one having experience of two decades. Her new single came by recently and I decided to take a listen. It is nice and for a few reasons. In the single Wainwright combines a few influences. She successfully weaves a pop melody into a more serious singer-songwriter song and by using dynamics she presents the song both as a soft singer-songwriter song and as a soft rocking band one. The firm drums and a supple but solid bass, sounding as if the strings were tuned down as far as is physically possible, give Love Will Be Reborn a solid construction underneath the dreamy melodies that lead the song. It will be a few months before a new album is released but this single certainly made me curious enough to hear more.

Heliumballon. Nancy Kleurenblind & de Zingende Roadie

Nancy Kleurenblind & de Zingende Roadie stonden alweer wat jaren geleden in het voorprogramma van De Kift in Leiden. Dat was het begin van een muzikale relatie. Het is 2021 en het duo brengt een nieuwe single uit. Er is niet heel veel veranderd, maar het poppy Heliumballon is wel een heel prettige nieuwe kennismaking. De combinatie van zang en de vervormde zang met op de achtergrond de elektronische beats en de synthesizertonen geeft het nummer iets van een trip, waarover ook wordt gezongen. De vervorming wekt ook de indruk van iemand die zingt nadat er wat helium is ingeademd, Tegelijkertijd is de zangmelodie misschien wel de meest poppy melodie van het duo tot op heden. Af en toe moet ik zelfs aan 'Watsgebeurd' denken, met als verschil dat hier gezongen wordt en niet gerapt. Als de Smurfen ooit op een konden staan, dan moet Heliumballon toch minstens een paar keer op der radio kunnen zou ik zo zeggen. Het nummer is leuk, muzikaal en ronduit avontuurlijk. Doen dus, dat draaien, radiomakers.

Summertime. The Tea Party

The Tea Party? For the life of me I can't remember an album or song title, but I must have had one on a tape somewhere in the 90s. Nothing I got carried away from overly much. The new single was brought to my attention, so I gave it a listen. And, hey, this is a great rock song. A little Guns 'N' Roses, a little Led Zeppelin, a little Lenny Kravitz and a singer that sounds like an ageing rock singer. In short classic rock with a more modern rock vocal melody. From beginning to end Summertime has an interesting melody. In the music the guitar is leading and presents a few great hooks and melodies. The acoustic guitar makes Summertime sound just a little different. Strong strumming accompanies the whole song, putting this clear and softer layer over the tough rhythm section. Guitar overdubs are all over the place, including a few great solos dubbed over the main riff from under the chorus. It may be over 20 years ago I last heard a The Tea Party song. There are a lot worse ways to get reacquainted I can tell you. A great rocksong Summertime is.

Neon. Bilbosa feat. Lori Sky

A video where a woman is hanging out of a convertible and smoking a cigarette? Are there more reasons necessary to ban one these days? I'm sure that a movie like 'Footloose' could not be even made today. Too dangerous as an inspiration. Neon as a song is far more conservative. The dark toned female vocal sets the mood, underscored by the music. The (soft, slow) dance rhythm sets the pace of Neon, for the most part. There's the synth-layered intro and ending before the rhythm comes in. It gives the song a progrock element for the third decade of this century. At the same time it is the mysterious side of Neon. The Italian band creates this atmosphere over which Irish singer Lori Sky is able to give the song its finishing touches. I was on the brink of not writing on the song, but changed my mind. It was the vibe that got to me. And now, just listen how the cymbals lead in the change in the song, how clear they sound in between the synths. Neon is an intriguing single alright.

Tae The Poets. Chris Connelly and Monica Queen

A pub video, a pub song? Tough question. This is a fun song. The acoustic guitar plays this nice chord progression. The warm electric piano sets the tone together with the guitar. It's more than enough to please me. The singing is something else, Oh, don't worry. To someone who's used to listen to Al Barr of Dropkick Murphys, Connelly's is almost balm to the ears. However, when he sings in his lower register, it somehow does not pleasantly mix with the softer sound of the song itself. When it goes up, that's the moment when the pub element comes in straightaway. It's easy to imagine a whole pub shouting to 'Tae the poets'. After having listen to the song a few times, I have only one question left: Where is Monica Queen? Perhaps she plays the piano?

Riot Radio. The Idolizers

Oh, yeah! A bucket filled with excitement is emptied over the listener. The Idolizers have found another round of riffs and hooks and recorded them under the name Riot Radio. Just listen to the song and you tell me that you don't like it. O.k. if in the 80s you became a Sheena Easton fan, I'll allow you to do so. But anyone loving an uptempo rock song? No, you're not. The Idolizers manage to bring back the excitement of punkrock in a way that it's nice to reminisce about what once was without having to become despondent. Riot Radio is enough of the real thing to pogo some more, the quality of knees and joints permitting of course. Jon Pozutto's guitar playing, rhythms and solos is nothing but close to a riot, the bass runs by MikeDee Thrill Sergeant are a thrill and the rest is cemented tightly close by Tommy Brimstone. Riot Radio is rock and roll like they used to play it a long time ago. We're just lucky that some still like it play it that way. Rock and roll dead? Don't start me laughing!

Like I Used To. Sharon van Etten and Angel Olsen

LIke I Used To is a dream come true for many fans of their music. Something like an imagined dream team out of the blue presenting itself. The two singers have not taken the smallest song to work on together. It is like an anthem from the mid to late 80s. Although there's a hint of Americana underneath it all, the song itself has more to do with the likes of Berlin or Pat Benatar or even older, Ellen Foley and The Walker Brothers come to think of it. The result is a big song that gives the impression of presenting a wall of sound, which it is not. In fact it is the kind of song that shows how important the role of an acoustic guitar is in the background of a song. The clear sound that fills up a large part of the sound mix. The grandstanding of the keyboards, electric guitar solo and the voice are fully backed up. All in all Like I Used To is rather a nostalgic song.

Lazy Days. Freeloader

After releasing three albums in one year, Nat Freedburg is taking his time with the second Freeloader album. A song at a time is shared with us, slowly but surely giving the world a feel of what 'Freeloader II' will come to. Lazy Days is a song that sort of presents what the title promises. The stop start rhythm gives it a more relaxed feel that a regular rock song has over it. Rock though it is. The sharp guitar sound and the firm drumming and present bass guitar leave no doubt. His voice shows the wear and tear of a life in rock and roll. Rough in the middle and on the edges it is. It matches the song perfectly. The guitar solos make the song perfect. They are short and sweet with a huge sound. Every note in its right place, while rhythm halts and progresses underneath. 'Freeloader II' may only be a working title, it works for me though. Slated for the fall, if Lazy Days is anything to go on, things will turn out just nicely.

Maybe Your Heart's Not In It No More. The Wallflowers

Not so long I fished out 'The Wallflowers' out of my collection and greatly enjoyed the album once again, for the first time in many years. Not much later I was alerted to a new single by the band, except that it isn't anymore for decades. It's Jacob Dylan with personnel he hires to make music. In 2021 his first album in nine years is released, 'Exit Wounds'. This is one of the singles. The song has that same sense of a feeling of loss his debut album had in abundance. What is missing is the youthful exuberance of a bunch of young guys ready to take on the world with a bunch of great songs. The music in Maybe Your Heart's Not In It No More is well thought out, resigned even. Just like the title it sounds like the cold, distanced conclusion. "You used to rumble, you used to roar". Is Dylan jr. singing about himself here? What I'm hearing is the shell of what I remember The Wallflowers to have been. It is nice and smooth but not special. And after nine years I simply expected this little more.

Trust Fall. Nina June

A love song between Mother Earth and Mankind at the point that their relationship is on the brink of collapsing as Mankind is going out of bounds the whole of the time. Mother Earth still believes in a happy ending. "It is not too late to change it all". "Where do we go from here?" is an essential question the moment Mother Earth turns against us. A question that remains unanswered as there's still a way out. Amsterdam based Nina June does not touch upon the smallest and lightest of topics to sing about. Although the topic lends itself for a harsh protest song, she presents it as a ballad, a love song even. Those truly listening to the lyrics will perhaps come back from the experience with the notion that there are alternatives to the current road taken. Nina June released an impressive song with Trust Fall. The piano and her clear voice leave out all dramatics and grandstanding. Quiet reasoning is what is taking place here. Listen to me and we will be alright. Perhaps only the electronics hovering around the piano and voice at times, indicate that a change may not be far off. Well done.

Wout de Natris

 

Listen to our Spotify Playlist to find out what we are writing about:

https://open.spotify.com/user/glazu53/playlist/6R9FgPd2btrMuMaIrYeCh6?si=KI6LzLaAS5K-wsez5oSO2g