Week 24 / 10 singles

Slowly but surely we are approaching the halfway point of 2021, this weird year, like most of 2020. The longest day is staring us in the face, summer following right behind it. Finally The Netherlands is enjoying sunny and warmer days after an unusually cold spring. And right before the summer, we present a host of new singles, coming from all sorts of place around the globe. From Spain to Italy, New Zealand to New Hampshire and finally from The Netherlands itself as well. Enjoy!

 

Many More Drugs. Geoff Palmer

With a new album by his The Connection bandmate Brad Marino out, Geoff Palmer could not stay behind, of course, I might add. Of course, Many More Drugs is another pure pop/rock gem. Palmer (and Marino) are aces at writing pop-rock songs that immediately catch your ear, infiltrate your brain and sort of take over from there. Although illegal substances never really appealed to me, I could be mistaken soon when someone hears me singing the title of this new, oh so fun song. Geoff Palmer in his teenage years was in search of a song by The Dickies, he was not able to find (I imagine) as he mistook the title to be Many More Drugs. It turned out to be 'Manny Moe And Jack'. The only thing I don't know is whether he stopped liking the song after finding out about the true title ... My guess is no. Why write a great song like this so many more years later? Pop rock doesn't come much better, folks.

Rose + Crown. AMMO 

Mystery shrouded in a layer of darkness is what best describes the new single of AMMO. She's a singer and multi-instrumentalist from Los Angeles, best known for the release of the album 'The Cathedral' in 2019 with her band Brass Box. When the pandemic hit, like everybody else she found herself alone and what does a musician do? Make music we have found out in the past year. No one wanted nor wants this pandemic but we are hearing music that we would perhaps never have heard without it. Rose + Crown is a piece of music reflecting the darkness many experienced being locked up in homes, with disease, death and foremost uncertainty all around. What I hear is almost more atmosphere that music. Swaths of music move in and out, Ammo's singing brings Irish singer of 'Orinoco Flow' fame Enya in mind. The b-side, what in a name with downloads?, is a cover of The Sound, from a Adrian Borland tribute album, called 'Total Recall'. In the 1980s I was not a fan, but this cover is quite nice actually. Firmer than Rose + Crown, also because more prominent drumming (Axel Posell) and guitar playing. The dreamy part remains present in the way of (recording the) singing. Together the two tracks work as a single.

Centuries Asleep. Bottomless

Centuries Asleep, that sounds like science fiction movies/tv series or the princess from a fairytale, Sleeping Beauty. I just realised how the name in English is so different from Dutch, 'Doornroosje' (Little Thorny Rose). Whether Bottomless refers to either, I can't tell. What I can tell though, is that if this is doom metal than I can listen to it easily. Bottomless may play tough (and sing tough), Centuries Asleep is a fine song. The melody brings a song like 'Paranoid' to mind, the small changes in the music nearly every band in classic rock I listened to for decades now. Bottomless is an Italian band consisting of Giorgio Trombino on guitar and vocals, Sara Bianchin, bass and David Lucido on drums. Together they know every trick in the classic rock book and share the first single of their self-titled first album with pride. The deep end is taken care of in a wall of sound created by the bass and rhythm guitar. The drums shine through the whole perfectly. And on come the riffs, flying all around your ears. Yes, the real thing.

Different Kind Of Light. Jade Bird

Avid readers of this weekly post on recent singles know by now how diverse they can be. The switch from Bottomless to Jade Bird hardly could be larger. From doom metal to a soft-voiced singer-songwriter is but a small step here on WoNoBlog. Jade Bird made her debut on these pages with her first album in 2019. Her new single and title track of her new album to be released in August makes its way here as well. Jade Bird presents a soft and delicate singer-songwriter song where her voice is right up front. Behind her an acoustic guitar and an electric piano are accompanied by bass and drums. The mix is spacious, creating the aural impression of large spaces in between the different instruments. All together it makes Different Kinds Of Light a delicate, fragile song, sounding as if it could break when touched to insensitively. A listening experience it is.

Do You Remember The Times. Island

All things must pass, to quote George Harrison, and the title of Island's new single are given truths for everyone. Even those desperately hanging on to older times are nudged out by youths one way or another. This goes for bands as well. As Island is only releasing its second album this year, its them doing the nudging, I hope for Island. Going on the single the Brits are familiar with their Canadian colleagues Half Moon Run. Both can be dreamy in their music, but Islands here is more solid. The guitar is louder, the drumming a little firmer, while not forgetting to dream. The quality is in the layers of echo and delay put into the music. The singing is fully self-assured. This band knows where it wants to go. It will not settle for less than arena's is my guess. The music can be blown up to giant proportions, while it's swinging enough to make the audience sway, even dance. Patience is a nice thing. Album Yesterday Park is on its way.

I Don't Wanna Learn Anymore. Los Chicos

From London we move to Spain. All thanks to Boston based label Rum Bar Records I get to know one after the other Spanish punkrocking band. A strange twist of geography perhaps but I and the world get the wiser from it. Los Chicos rock out in the best U.S. tradition. Its music starts and stops with The Ramones. Revved up 60s hits with a lyric suggesting that juvenile thoughts of growing up in denial is de rigeur. Who really wants to learn? Most people I'd say if there truly was an alternative to not learning. So I can relate to the lyrics to some extend. Once upon a time I could relate to them too good, but the wall changed the course of the ship alright. There's one school Los Chicos did not mind going to and that's the rock and roll high school. The band graduate alright. So from that moment onwards it becomes easy to shout "I don't want to learn anymore". The band already has.

Heart. Reb Fountain

A new single from Reb Fountain, short on the heels of that fabulous remix of 'Hawks And Doves'. In a way Heart is a surprising song. There is the relaxed atmosphere her songs excel in but Heart is very different too. A few influences are combined here, setting the song rather apart from her eponymous album. The beginning brought Chris Isaak's first albums to mind. That "cowboy" kind of twang the guitar plays is not as dominant as in e.g. 'Blue Hotel', but unmistakable. The singing is a totally different thing. Here it is Nancy Sinatra, and hits like 'You Only Live Twice' or 'Bang Bang', that come to mind. The third influence is that old synth sound carrying part of the song. The result is a song that is from 2021 but somehow has a feel of being decades old. This change of direction Heart presents to me, is something I have to get used to, I found, but the feel is unmistakably there already. Heart and I will be alright together.

Female Creed. The Hornets

And back to Italy, the nice city of Modena to be exact. The Hornets are a garage rock band about to release its first album in July. Musically the band reaches back to an era from before the band members were born, or so I guess. Tough riffing like Joan Jett and her Blackhearts were good at. Two guitars playing over a bass and drums background. Both able to hold back creating the vibe of stop and start. The dynamics in the song work really well. I won't beat around the bush. Female Creed is not the best song in this genre, but that said the enthusiasm is enticing. I'm sure the band can set a venue on fire playing like they do. A nice introduction to The Hornets this single is.

The Edge Of The World / For Real. The Celtic Social Club

The French - Scottish band has survived the Brexit and releases its first single since. There's always a hint of folk hidden in but more in the sense of The Waterboys and Big Country than Steeleye Span. But even more than I remember from the band's recent album that was reviewed on these pages. In The Edge Of The World, the single's A-side, the Big Country guitars are very prominent. Not as extreme, as in simulating bagpipes, but clearly recognisable as such. The Celtic Social Club adds violins to the line up, adding some more folk into its rock. The A-side is a tough song that grabs my attention immediately. Dan Donnelly's vocals are totally convincing. He is at that edge and live reporting to us. B-side For Real is an up tempo song as well, but in the style of Dexys Midnight Runners' first album, without all the brass. Because of Pierre Stéphan's fiddle, it also has a little of 'Too-Rye-Ay'.

Once upon a time singles were supposed to become hits, preferably huge ones, now they are at best there to attract attention, to a band, an upcoming album and live shows. The hits part I, unfortunately, doubt, that I'm enticed to hear the album, visit a live show, at some point in time, certainly. So, as far as I'm concerned, mission accomplished. This the the kind of mix between pop - folk - rock I like alright.

Phase out. La Belle Époque

The story of La Belle Époque was on the blog a few weeks ago when the debut single 'Sanity' was on, so I won't repeat it. For Phase Out Pablo van der Poel is the lead artist. Together they finished a song that was once meant for the second Mister and Mississippi album. The result is a song where Van de Poel can really, and I mean really, excel as a lead guitarist. Not that he lets go of all brakes, no far from. The brake is on in this one part experimental song, one part jazzy groove, one part psychedelic rocker. Jimi Hendrix as an influence? Sure, I believe you. A mild form of '1983 (A Mermaid I Should Turn To Be)', something like that. Without the LSD, but not totally without a hint at some substance or other. The guitar is exploring the edges of the song, with a weird underwater-like effect on it. Hearing Van der Poel letting it rip is usually nice and Phase Out is not an exception. I have no way of telling how all the different songs will work as an album, but the two singles so far are both worthwhile listening to.

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