Better Than God. RHEA

"We won't get fooled again", Roger Daltrey sang in 1971 on what these days is called "the lead single" of The Who's 'Who's Next' album. Well, I was fooled again, when I put on RHEA's album Better Than God recently. It all sounded like a very sludgy grunge sort of music, while the singer sang with a slow voice. Weird, but possible, I thought. It was the background vocal that made me doubt whether 33 RPM was the right speed. It wasn't. After pushing the button to 45 RPM another universe opened and made RHEA truly blossom.

RHEA is a Belgian band that like many other bands was caught by surprise when Covid hit, right at the moment when its EP was doing really well and the world appeared to be laying at its feet. Instead the world stopped and the band went into a struggle for survival. The motto of the Dutch province Zeeland is luctor et emergo and that is what RHEA did. The proof is its mini album Better Than God. Riffs fly around my ears and rock songs in the best Smashing Pumpkins tradition are interspersed with more than enough pop elements to provide more memorable songs than the Americans ever delivered.

RHEA was able to work with producer Dave Bottril (Muse, Smashing Pumpkins, Tool). So how does a Canadian of fame get to work with a relatively unknown Belgian band? Perhaps because he likes the music coming out of the country. Look at his CV and you'll notice dEUS, Wallace Vanborn and others. For RHEA working with Bottril has led to a very mature sound. Better Than God sounds fantastic. The songs are layered in a way that without doubt will make it possible to discover new sounds somewhere in the mix for years to come. A note on a guitar here, an isolated vocal note, etc., etc. That aside, the sound as a whole is huge, just like a record like this should.

Press photo

As RHEA is making its debut on this blog, let me introduce the members. Jorg Van de Sande (vocals), Guillaume Lamont and Hannes Cuyvers (guitars), Matthijs Machtelinckx (bassist) and Dajo Vlaeminckx (drums). These guys know how to rock, The guitarists play some great riffs to rock out on. All without forgetting that songs need a melody as well. RHEA has this combined skill, resulting in an album that never ceases to surprise.

Just listen how the album opens with 'Better Than God'. The song does rocks, can be sung along with and is danceable. It is so much fun. Next up, 'Creeping Through My Head' opens with this great riff and I'm sold. The background vocals, the one give the speed away, are fabulous as well. A rocking track with a pop voice in the background, like the 70s and 80s (Think 'Who's side are you on?'). What more does a person need? The rest of six song all comply from this point of view.

And that title? It does promise the ultimate, doesn't it? Look at from a different perspective nowadays it is a quite easy feat. It was Nietzsche who declared God dead well over a century ago. And if I'm to believe writer A.N. Ryst, God is gaming his days away and left us all to our own devices, with an interesting role for the devil at that. ('De Harpij' is a great novel!) Should they both be wrong, the title track is a great feat indeed. I can imagine that having a song like this wil make the RHEA men feel 'Better Than God'. Just from listening to it, I'm inclined to agree.

Better Than God promises a lot and delivers. Even if you've heard this kind of music all before, and yes, you'll have, another album this good is always welcome. Give a try, folks, you'll not be disappointed.

Wout de Natris - van der Borght

You can order Better Than God in the PIAS store:

https://store.pias.com/release/472155-rhea-better-than-god?lang=en_GB

VanWyck live. Rotown, Rotterdam Friday 1 November 2024

Photo: Wout de Natris

With albums filled with extremely soft and delicate songs made for intense listening experiences and a new album 'Dust Chaiser' with a more Americana / country rockish approach, what could I expected live? I truly wondered but either way I was looking forward to my first VanWyck show.

I was prepared for a lot but not what I mostly got, a great energised show with a lot of rock influences interspersed with soft ballads with just a guitar. VanWyck, singer Christine Oele, four musicians and her daughter on background vocals, played a superb show from beginning to end.

I can imagine the singer in a nine to five job sitting behind a desk with her reading glasses on and typing serious pieces of text into her desktop. With ease even. In the evening she lets down her hair, drops the glasses and turns into a sensual dancer singing her beautiful songs. This is exactly what we got from her in Rotown. Oele knows exactly how to present herself and attract attention without having to overdo anything.

Her band accompanies her expertly. I loved the keyboard parts, listened in awe to the guitar changing from a purring cat to a roaring lion. The way the sound was mixed made sure that everything could be heard as if listening to the record. The sound was so clear and spacious. That is why I love listening to live music in smaller venues. Nothing but respect here for all concerned.

Photo: Wout de Natris

So, the surprise was that VanWyck played so much tougher than on record. I found myself dancing quite a few times. The contrast with the soft(er) songs was huge. They were there though. And things remained quiet, except when a group of people came in late into the show and started talking in the back. Someone must have put them in their place as it stopped very fast. Based on my post-Covid shows experience, I'm getting the impression that "The Dutch disease" has been cured with the vaccinations as well. Now that is a result the "wappies" did not see coming.

In the past I've made a comparison between VanWyck and New Zealand's Reb Fountain. (I know VanWyck longer.) Live, this comparison totally drops away, except for two of the soft ballads. Of which one made me think more of Leonard Cohen than the studio version does. Where Fountain keeps the mysticism in her music alive on stage, VanWyck decides to rock. She has the band to do so. The result? A great evening that really, truly impressed me.

Wout de Natris - van den Borght

You can listen to and order VanWycks' music here:

https://vanwyck.bandcamp.com/music

The Great American Bar Scene. Zach Bryan

De Amerikaanse muzikant Zach Bryan heeft over inspiratie kennelijk niet te klagen en verrast wederom met een ijzersterk album, dat laat horen dat hij mee kan met de allerbesten binnen de Amerikaanse rootsmuziek.

Een paar jaar geleden was Zach Bryan nog marinier, maar met een handvol albums is hij inmiddels uitgegroeid tot een van de grootste talenten binnen de Amerikaanse rootsmuziek. Die status bevestigt hij met The Great American Bar Scene, dat ruim een uur lang overtuigt met mooie verhalen en emotievolle songs. In muzikaal en vocaal opzicht heeft de Amerikaanse muzikant sinds zijn debuutalbum uit 2019 reuzenstappen gezet, maar zijn songs komen nog altijd recht uit het hart. The Great American Bar Scene is 19 songs lang indrukwekkend en wat mij betreft nog wat beter dan het titelloze album waarmee Zach Bryan nog geen jaar geleden terecht doorbrak in Europa. Wat een talent.

Zach Bryan is in slechts een paar jaar tijd uitgegroeid tot een van de allergrootste beloften binnen de Amerikaanse rootsmuziek van het moment. De muzikant uit Oologah, Oklahoma, nam zijn debuutalbum vijf jaar geleden op toen hij nog als marinier werkzaam was en enige tijd verlof had. DeAnn, dat was opgedragen aan de jong overleden moeder van Zach Bryan, sloeg in als de spreekwoordelijke bom en zette de Amerikaanse muzikant op de kaart als groot talent. DeAnn was zowel in muzikaal als in vocaal opzicht misschien nog geen heel opzienbarend album, maar Zach Bryan liet wel horen dat hij aansprekende songs kan schrijven en deze songs bovendien met heel veel gevoel kan vertolken.

Na zijn debuutalbum liet Zach Bryan de marine achter zich en werd hij professioneel muzikant. Dat doet hij vol overgave, want de albums volgen elkaar sindsdien in rap tempo op. DeAnn werd in 2020 gevolgd door het net als het debuutalbum wat rommelige Elisabeth en in 2022 door het uitstekende American Heartbreak, waarop Zach Bryan de belofte eigenlijk al voorbij was. Nadat eind 2022 ook nog een live-album was verschenen, brak Zach Bryan vorig jaar definitief door met het titelloze album dat ook in Nederland de aandacht trok. Dat Zach Bryan in de Verenigde Staten inmiddels een grote muzikant was bleek wel uit de gastbijdragen van The War & Treaty, Sierra Ferrell, The Lumineers en Kacey Musgraves, die het album nog wat verder optilden.

Het vorige album van Zach Bryan is nog geen jaar oud, maar deze week is er alweer een nieuw album van de Amerikaanse muzikant verschenen. Zach Bryan maakt zich er wederom niet makkelijk van af, want The Great American Bar Scene bevat maar liefst 19 songs en meer dan een uur muziek. Het album opent net als zijn voorganger met een gedicht en ook dit keer wist Zach Bryan grote namen te strikken voor gastbijdragen, want naast John Moreland duiken ook grootheden John Mayer en Bruce Springsteen op.

Zach Bryan heeft het niet echt nodig, want ook zonder gastbijdragen van naam en faam trekken de songs van de Amerikaanse muzikant makkelijk de aandacht. Dat Bruce Springsteen opduikt op het album is geen toeval, want in flink wat songs op het album laat Zach Bryan zich stevig beïnvloeden door Springsteen’s Nebraska, wiens State Trooper ook nog wordt genoemd in een track. The Great American Bar Scene kan meerdere kanten op, want het album laat ook horen dat Zach Bryan behoort tot de meest interessante en beste countrymuzikanten van het moment.

In muzikaal opzicht heeft Zach Bryan reuzenstappen gezet sinds zijn debuutalbum van vijf jaar geleden en ook de hier en daar door een vrouwenstem begeleide zang van de muzikant uit Oklahoma is veel beter geworden. The Great American Bar Scene is smaakvol ingekleurd met flink wat snareninstrumenten, maar Zach Bryan kan ook nog altijd goed uit de voeten met sober klinkende songs. Wat is gebleven is het vermogen om aansprekende songs te schrijven en deze vervolgens te voorzien van flink wat emotie.

 De Amerikaanse muzikant vertelt ook op The Great American Bar Scene weer mooie verhalen en vertolkt ze met hart en ziel. Na het album van vorig jaar twijfelde vrijwel niemand meer aan het talent van Zach Bryan en dit talent wordt bevestigd met zijn nieuwe album, dat de Amerikaanse muzikant definitief schaart onder de groten binnen de Amerikaanse rootsmuziek van het moment.

Erwin Zijleman

2024, week 44. 10 singles

Fall is in full swing, the last leaves will be dropping of the branches soon, unless a gale does assist a little before publication. Windy, rainy days alternate with bright sunny ones with agreeable temperatures. The sun is low so hard to shield your eyes from. In the meantime we present another ten singles. Enjoy!

I Can't Pretend To Know. The Murder Capital

With I Can't Pretend To Know The Murder Capital delivers it's most forceful song to date. In the latest single the Dublin based band does not hold back for a single second. From the get go band and listener are in a high energy place, with little space for subtlety or reflection. I Can't Pretend To Know starts with a forceful drums pickup by Diarmuid Brennan, after which he goes sort of ballistic. The guitars are shredded to pieces and singer James McGovern delivers his lyrics with a punk attitude. Only in the outro when the drums and bass drop away there is some respite for the wicked. People like me immediately touch play again, only if we forgot to push the repeat button that is.

Human. Sister Thieves

A new name this week on the blog. The NYC duo lays down a deep rock groove bringing together 70s and 90s rock. Post grunge is certainly present in Human, although singer Steph pronounces it more as humane, which is slightly more subtle in her context. Pre-pandemic it seems Sister Thieves was a band and released a first EP. After the pandemic singer Steph regrouped with Aaron. Together they penned and recorded a new EP called 'Crawl' that on publication of this post has been released. Despite the overall huge rock sound, Sister Thieves is not afraid to play at a very subtle level and somewhere in between as well. It gives Human two different faces that both are extremely attractive. Yes, I'm enjoying myself riding the musical waves Sister Thieves provides with this single.

Milkman. Class

The milkman is something from a very distant past by now. A man who had his own store and drove by the home selling all sorts of milk products on credit that was paid once a week? People go to the supermarket these days (and expensive cheese and wine stores). Class' song called Milkman is just as nostalgic. It sounds like a post punk song from 1980, with one dose of anger, one dose of indignation and one dose of I just don't care, all bundled into one. The start is fantastic. A few great chords and then the tempo changes into a classic The Undertones rhythm. Milkman adds some 1960s psychedelia into the mix as well. The result is a single that works out quite well. Nostalgia works in music too.

The Ballad of the Washed Up (and Seemingly Forgotten). The Brother Stereo

With 'Time Is History' The Brother Stereo debuted on this blog and received a straight A/10, had we given scores to music. With The Ballad of the Washed Up (and Seemingly Forgotten) the band around Michael Kelly returns. The single is a very neat and clean affair. There's nothing dangerous about this song and yet it is so good. The danger is more in the lyrics as it tackles depression "and the demons come ... I'm feeling down", Kelly sings. The electric guitar underscores the first sentence in the way of playing, while the whole song reflects a downcast mood. The playing is in a great style. Lovers of the more serious music from the 1970s, somewhere between rock and what they called Adult Orientated Rock, should start to listen as The Brother Stereo shows great potential, once again.

Flower. Grumpy

By the time of this post's publication EP 'Wolfed' will have been released. At the point of writing there's the single, Flower. As I had never encountered the name Grumpy, as in not a dwarf, before, let me me introduce the band. Grumpy is singer-songwriter Heaven Schmitt, who also plays guitar, Kaden Vanoorsdel guitar, bass and vocals, Austin Arnold drums and bass and Lane Rodges, keys, synth and bass. Flower is an upbeat song that at the same time is a little downcast in the mood. There's a great line on cooking vegetables in the kitchen in the beginning of the song. I love how the song starts so small and the surefire way the song is embellished by all sorts of subtle sounds, before an almost ominous electric guitar joins. To underscore that flowers die, as the singer realises? Grumpy has been releasing songs since 2018. For me it's a new name. Based on Flower I certainly like to learn more.

Sweet Georgia. Tawny Ellis

Leaving a baby alone in a crib under a tree in the back garden for hours on end, to have some rest. That is the starting point of Tawny Ellis' new single Sweet Georgia. This story from her past before having her own active memories resulted in an extremely strong song. Ellis turns her doubts and fears into a statement. Assisted by a host of musicians who work with the likes of Brandi Carlisle and Neil Young, Sweet Georgia is not only a strong song but also musically powerful and soothing. Her Sweet Georgia chorus is like a balm to a rough skin. Although the country feel is undeniable, the song is tough enough to move ever so subtle towards rock. It's four years since her album 'Love Life' featured on this blog. I'm hoping to hear more soon.

Lo And Behold. Delwood

Delwood is a totally unknown name for me. With its dark and brooding single Lo And Behold it has come into my life. The singer sings with a darkish, towards whispering voice over music that is part music and part atmospheric sounds. The result is twofold. The soft voice sucks you into the song while the sounds makes me wonder when they return or what else might be coming next. In other words, I'm captured and curious. Delwood is a band from Liège in Belgium. On Bandcamp the band says it has two bass players, a synth player and a drummer. Quite the unusual line up. The sound of the synth leads here bring me all the way back to the second half of the 70s when Absolute Elsewhere released its 'In Search Of Ancient Gods' album. The latter happens mostly in the long instrumental ending of Lo And Behold. This is very much worthwhile listening to. On 15 November the album Dis-location will be released.

Witches. Falsely Accused

Over a month ago Falsely Accused made its debut on this blog and already returns with its latest single Witches. Expect a grunge song with deep ties to the better hardrock of the 1970s. The guitars are extremely deep in sound, while the single expects to see us in hell. Well, isn't that where all our friends go anyway? The deep growl of a car accompanies the listener on route in the intro. The New England trio with its even deeper bass and drummer that fills all the spaces left open by the two guitars. This is far beyond keeping time and an important part of Witches' alure. The guitar solo is classic classic rock styled. Start deep and end high and wining, with some eastern notes and a great wah wah part to boot. The singer would fit well in most rock or grunge bands from long and longer ago. We need new bands and heroes by now and Falsely Accused could be on route to become just that.

Let It Loose. The Wood

A real debut single signals a new name on the blog. The Wood is a duo from Liverpool, singer Alex Evans and producer / multi-instrumentalist Steve Powell. Someone from Liverpool may not want to hear this but the rhythm is classic The Stone Roses of course or Beck's 'Loser' if you prefer that. Making the rocking track danceable for starters. Over it people having listened to modern music over the past 35 years will recognise more that they like. The Wood brings in all sorts of elements into Let It Loose. From soulful background vocals to funky guitar parts and horns that make the song come doubly alive. Evans' delivery may be a bit deadpan, until he flies his truer colours after the instrumental part in the middle. A lot is happening in Let It Loose, which makes it a tremendously promising single. There's even a trumpet near the end, that is cut off as if the 12" single is about to start.

Spellbound. Weegee

The WeeGee story starts with singer Julie Congo wanting to form a band. We're in 2017. She finds Adam Kastin (guitar) and drummer Michael Rekevics willing to join her. Over the next seven the years the trio wrote songs and recorded them. Fall 2024 is the great date. Spellbound is the band's first single and it is one it can be proud of. On the one hand it is a very tight affair. Drums and bass keep the whole firmly together. It is Kastin who goes off into the stratosphere and beyond. A little like Reeves Gabrels did on some of the Tin Machine tracks. At times he touches base but only in the intro riff for example. Over this sonic storm and tight rhythm Congo sings with her deep, slightly dead sounding voice. Together it gives Spellbound an eery vibe. Something to put underneath a horror movie from the 1930s, just before Dracula appears in black and white, with a lot of light in his face. Weegee makes Spellbound sound totally anachronistic, as this belongs to decades ago and yet it is so much fun today.

Wout de Natris - van den Borght

Whirlwind. Lainey Wilson

In 2024 verscheen inmiddels al minstens een handvol geweldige countrypop albums, die nu stevige concurrentie krijgen van het in alle opzichten uitstekende Whirlwind van de zeer getalenteerde Lainey Wilson.

In de Verenigde Staten werd Lainey Wilson na haar vorige album overladen met prijzen en daar viel niets op af te dingen. Het heeft de lat hoog gelegd voor haar nieuwe album, maar het deze week verschenen Whirlwind gaat er moeiteloos overheen. Het met haar eigen band en wederom met producer Jay Joyce gemaakte album maakt geen geheim van de liefde van Lainey Wilson voor traditionele countrymuziek, maar de muzikante uit Nashville is ook niet vies van een vleugje pop. Op Whirlwind klinkt Lainey Wilson opvallend energiek en gedreven en slaagt ze er in om song na songs anders te klinken, zonder aan kwaliteit in te boeten. Het levert het volgende fantastische countrypop album van 2024 op.

Vorig jaar werd mijn liefde voor countrypop stevig aangewakkerd door een flink aantal geweldige albums, maar ik heb zeker niet altijd een zwak gehad voor het genre. Zo vind ik Bell Bottom Country van Lainey Wilson inmiddels een van de allerbeste countrypop albums van de afgelopen jaren, maar toen het album aan het eind van 2022 verscheen moest ik er niet zo veel van hebben en selecteerde ik het niet eens voor een recensie.

Daar begrijp ik met de kennis van nu echt helemaal niets van, want Lainey Wilson doet op Bell Bottom Country echt alles goed. Het album bevat vooral invloeden uit de countrymuziek en slechts een klein beetje pop, bevat bijdragen van flink wat gerenommeerde muzikanten en songwriters uit Nashville, is prachtig geproduceerd door Jay Joyce en maakt nog eens indruk met de uitstekende stem van de Amerikaanse muzikante, die geweldig uit kan halen, maar ook prachtig gevoelig kan zingen.

Het bleef in de Verenigde Staten niet onopgemerkt want Lainey Wilson kreeg sindsdien zeven Country Music Association Awards, een Grammy Award en zes Academy of Country Music Awards. Haar nieuwe album Whirlwind was deze week voor mij dan ook het album waar ik het meest naar uit heb gekeken en Lainey Wilson heeft me zeker niet teleurgesteld.

Het is een klein wonder dat de muzikante uit Nashville überhaupt toe kwam aan het opnemen van een nieuw album, want ze stond de afgelopen twee jaar overal en nergens in de Verenigde Staten op het podium, maakte als actrice haar opwachting in de populaire tv-serie Yellowstone en opende ook nog eens een restaurant annex muziekpodium in Nashville.

Whirlwind werd net als Bell Bottom Country geproduceerd door Jay Joyce, die dit keer de gelouterde sessiemuzikanten verving door de vaste band van Lainey Wilson. De songs schreef Lainey Wilson dit keer vooral met haar vaste kompanen Trannie Anderson en Dallas Wilson. Dat scheelt in beide opzichten een heleboel ervaring, maar dat is niet te horen op Whirlwind, dat zich makkelijk kan meten met het terecht zo geprezen Bell Bottom Country.

Ook Whirlwind is een album waarop het etiket countrypop niet misstaat, maar vergeleken met de meeste countrypop albums die de laatste tijd zijn verschenen stopt Lainey Wilson heel veel country en relatief weinig pop in haar songs. Dat is ook niet zo gek, want ze groeide op met traditionele countrymuziek en wist al op jonge leeftijd dat ze countryzangeres wilde worden.

Lainey Wilson kreeg het zeker niet voor niets in Nashville, maar na het succesvolle Bell Bottom Country is het succes verzekerd met Whirlwind, dat ik persoonlijk nog wat hoger aan sla. Door het werken met haar eigen band klinkt Whirlwind nog wat energieker en dat komt terug in de zang, die onmiddellijk in de smaak zal vallen bij liefhebbers van country(pop).

Lainey Wilson laat op Whirlwind wat meer haar eigen gezicht zien en overtuigt met een serie uitstekende en verrassend gevarieerd klinkende songs. Ik heb dit jaar al flink wat favoriete countrypop albums opgepikt en ging er van uit dat de kaarten inmiddels voor een belangrijk deel geschud waren. Het nieuwe album van Lainey Wilson gooit de boel echter aardig overhoop en doet niet onder voor mijn andere favorieten in het genre. In de Verenigde Staten is Lainey Wilson inmiddels een grote ster en dat zal door het uitstekende Whirlwind in Europa binnenkort niet anders zijn.

Erwin Zijleman