Week 44 2023, 10 singles

Within a few weeks and new The Rolling Stones songs and a new The Beatles song? Where is that long lost track by The Kinks? Then the world would be totally balanced, as far as my earliest favourite bands are concerned. I have to correct myself, as the Stones definitely came two years later.

Rest assured, not everything here originated in the 1960s, but there also are no new names in this post on recent singles. All acts have found themselves on these pages before, even if it was only once. Who they are? Dive in and have fun!

 

Now And Then. The Beatles

For me this song came as a total surprise. Anyone with even the slightest of interest in things Beatles will have learned on the now and then of the release. Having heard the song a few times now, I can only say wow! Of the three revived John Lennon demos, this is the one that surpasses a lot, including many real The Beatles songs. I simply love this song. It contains so much kindness, so much class and so much love. Purists will say that it isn't a real Beatles song, as it was not intended to be one and maybe did not even qualify for a release by John, had he lived longer. The three remaining Beatles decided to work on it around 1995 for the 'Anthology' series but couldn't finish it. In 2023 the remaining two have. George's slide guitar solo from 1995 is there and Paul and Ringo did the rest with help from Giles Martin. Add all this up and out comes a result that is the closest to a real new Beatles song it is possible to come. The arrangement is so lush, so melancholy, so good. The rhythm guitar part is very un-Beatles like, modern and totally befitting the song. The solo itself is superb, like George Harrison at his very best. Not the quantity of notes, purely aimed at quality. The backing vocals of two 80 somethings with the late 30s John Lennon works in an endearing way. The Beatles ending of Now And Then is exactly as it should be. Are The Beatles my one and only, true band? In the last six, seven years I've come to that conclusion and with Now And Then the band underscores its position. No matter how could 'Hackney Diamonds' is, even this revived John Lennon toss away is of a level that is unobtainable to the competition. With Now And Then The Beatles have reached the end of their career where new music is concerned, 61 years after 'Love Me Do'. What an ending it is. Hearing it for the first time brought all but tears to my eyes. I love it and would not be surprised if time will show it to be the final masterpiece as well.

The final comment is on the video. Should you not have seen it yet, do so. Peter Jackson has made a great one in which the now and then and even older then blends into a whole, in which the past 61 years come truly alive.

Fantasy Girl. Donna Blue

With the first single of the upcoming album scheduled for next year Donna Blue is back on this blog. Again, the band brings us back to the 1960s, French sigh girls and Sean Connery James Bond chic. The bass is straight out of the Serge Gainsbourg cum Air school. It has that suave plopping sound. Danique van Kesteren moves between French and English the whole  song and in her singing moves even closer to the Gainsbourg-Birkin offspring. Charlotte Gainsbourg and Lou Doillon both could have found their way on Fantasy Girl. The paradox of Donna Blue is that the band is far from original and yet is almost unique in the 20s of this century. There is Austrian Cari Cari but this duo rocks so much harder. The combination of the twangy, extremely slow surf guitar and sigh girl style of singing puts Donna Blue out of competition from others who usually do not combine the two. Th mix remains terribly attractive.

Get Back. Pip Blom

'Bobbie', Pip Blom's third album, is out for two weeks but I haven't had the time to listen yet. Chances are I do not have the time to catch up. So here's Get Back. You may have noticed that the two previous singles did not make it to these pages. Somehow I could not get my head around the new style of the band. With Get Back this isn't hard to do at all. It is an alternative pop song, with dark undertones. The synth, better synths, dominates Get Back. The chorus is not exactly the most fascinating lyric, yet the forever repetition of the two words of the title does work. The synth melody and the loud guitar and rhythm section underneath it, gives the song a huge punch. The song is alternative enough to be credible and has a pop feel that should appeal to those loving less obvious pop music.

Talk. Ciel

Ciel enters this blog for the third time. Talk was released in time for the band's support tour with Blood Red Shoes in September. The link is understandable, as I have the impression to be listening to an incarnation of that band, also from Brighton. Talk has a groove, has power and is very much alive. Led by Dutch singer Michelle Hindriks the band really goes for it and is not afraid of making its point. In essence a guitar-bass-drums band, you will find some synths in Talk, presenting the more melodic side of the band. Five notes is enough to stand out. The less is more principle used to great effect. No, Talk is not an original single in sound, for that too much is familiar in sound and approach. All this is compensated by what I just summed up. Talk is a banger.

Bigger. Fazerdaze

Another extremely intriguing single from Fazerdaze. The New Zealand singer dreams in her singing puts synths right in your face and rocks all at the same time. It's hard to understand that so many, mostly female singers come out of this small country on the edge of the world. Fazerdaze ads herself to this long line of singers making a difference in my life. Bigger is a song that confronts. The contrast between Amelia Murray's singing and the instrumentation is so stark. This sets her apart from Jen Cloher, Ebony Lamb, Vera Ellen, Reb Fountain and other favourites from Down Under. Bigger sort of brings it all together, yet has its own unique sound. It is a song that makes me take of my hat and make a deep bow. Very well done, Fazerdaze.

Cousin. Wilco

In the comments around an interview with Jeff Tweedy in 'Oor' on the release of 'Cousin' it was mentioned that 'Cousin' was an attempt to break out of the Wilco mould used in the past decade. The band hired an external producer, Cate le Bon, to do so. The reporter stated mission accomplished. For now, I have to do with the single. Like with Pip Blom, I haven't had the time to catch up (yet?). Had I heard Cousin blindfolded would I have recognised it as a Wilco song? Chances are no. Cousin definitely sounds different. Perhaps Tweedy's voice would have given it away but even that sounds different, I'd venture. All this is theory. What do I think of Cousin? What I like from the start, is the drive of the song. It gives it an urgency and an amount of energy that is often lacking in a Wilco song. Listen to how the electric guitar is strummed, full of accents and the percussive sound all throughout the song. It propels Cousin forward, almost hurtling, almost losing balance while stumbling forward. The purpose of a single is to make me curious for the album. Mission accomplished also.

Fireball Whiskey. Angie McMahon

How to describe Fireball Whiskey, beyond Angie McMahon drinking too much of it and throwing it back up? A difficult question to answer. Why? An answer starts with the conclusion that Fireball Whiskey is not your everyday song. It tells a story filled with unexpected rhyme. Musically there is a lead piano that seems to have a life of its own playing over an intense atmosphere, part supporting Angie McMahone's singing, part soundscapes. Musically, Porridge Radio is about the only reference I can think of, but Fireball Whiskey musically is far more complex, not necessarily more intense. The U.K. band will win on that score. Fireball Whiskey is a song that demands some serious listening. Anyone willing to provide the time will discover a lot to enjoy.

The Rest EP. boygenius

With a very successful and acclaimed eponymous debut album under its belt, boygenius returns with four songs remaining from the session that did not find their way to the album. A first and easy impression is that they were not on the album for a good reason. Some re-listening makes clear that conclusion is, indeed, too easy. The trio manages to get the best out of each composition. Baker-Bridgers-Dakus blend their voices in that superb way they are able of. The result is vocal magic. In a song like 'Afraid Of Heights', perhaps not more than an enriched demo, the three come together in the chorus and lift the song up beyond recognition. 'Voyager' is even more bare. A voice, an acoustic guitar and only oohs by all. It is enough to come across. My current lifespan makes it possible to oversee circa 80 years of popular music, including the generation before mine's favourites. 'Voyager' is the kind of song that Doris Day could have sung in the early 1950s, with an orchestra behind her filling the song up with violins and horns. It shows how boygenius' music fits into a long tradition. The final song is my favourite. 'Powers' is a dreamy song that has two feet firmly on the ground thanks to the tightly strummed acoustic guitar. A pair of trumpets play the, slow, solo, where the tempo falls away completely. The atmospheric sounds accompanying the whole song are still there. The end comes somewhat unexpected, as I would have wanted to hear a final verse and chorus. That is not to be. boygenius shares the odds and ends of their session(s) on The Rest and is more than justified to do so. The Rest is a nice addition to what we already have and again makes clear to me how the trio's sum is bigger than the parts, even in a more bare musical environment.

Man Of The Hour. Frank Carter & The Rattlesnakes

Okay, this is something completely different from what I had expected. Frank Carter the angry man of modern U.K. punk has changed into a crooner. Sticky in a totally different way. Man Of The Hour is a rock ballad, if anything showing what a good voice Carter has. He gets away totally with this musical change, simply because the man can sing. The Rattlesnakes produce everything between a dirty rock guitar to a smooth synth and a piano ballad. It all moves somewhere between Billy Joel and Suede, an interesting mix, if anything. Where I easily sit through an album like 'Sticky', I have no way of knowing what to expect from 'Dark Rainbow', the upcoming album. I do think 10 or 11 Man Of The Hours will be a bit overdoing it, but I will wait patiently and let the band surprise me.

Love Is A Slowburn Sting. Garlands

Scottish Garlands has released a new single and almost as if it is the most normal thing in the world, makes it to WoNoBlog. Love Is A Slowburn Sting holds element of early Bowie and a lot more things late 60s, early 70s poprock. Gordon Harrow and bandmates do a lot right on the new single. If anything, the fun of playing this song shines through like the sun on the brightest of summer days. The pop element in the song is so joyous. The enthusiasm simply bounces through my speakers. The song is not extremely fast, it's the pace of singing that makes it seem faster than it is. There is a lot of text and yet it all fits. Harrow doesn't have to exert himself to get it in the metrum. Did I mention that Love Is A Slowburn Sting is a great song. No? Let me correct this then here and now.

Wout de Natris