The Land We Knew Best. Chris Eckman

Chris Eckman was the songwriter and male singer of Seattle band The Walkabouts and is active in music since the late 80s. I discovered the band in 1993 with the album 'New West Motel' and followed most of Eckman's career since. With The Walkabouts at some time he reached the point where the next album would contain near to total silence, as each album became quieter and quieter. Since 2005 volume came back but the band broke up after 2012 and a final tour. By then his solo career had already started.

With The Land We Knew Best Eckman releases a new solo album that has songs in a quite mode and in a moderate rock mode. Gone are the tough folk rockers of old, what remained is his songwriting skills and story telling. Love brought Chris Eckman to Ljubljana in Slovenia, where he lives with his family and recorded this album.

The Land We Knew Best tells stories of his adopted country. Where of old he was inspired by stories he heard on the road and the dusty towns along the American high and byways, now it is the Slovenian country side where he walks in the mountains and the countryside. Except for former Londoner Alastair McNeil who produced this album and the previous one 'Where The Spirit Rest' (2021) and who plays a host of instruments, all musicians are from the Ljubljana scene. Not that you notice that. This is a Chris Eckman album alright.

This has to do in part with his voice. That gravelly voice determines a large part of this being his album. Yet it is also in the atmosphere he creates with his songs. There's always a dreamy quality involved where his ballads are concerned. Just listen to 'Haunted Nights' to hear what I mean. It's on the one hand as if he's reaching for a place he just can't reach (yet) but on the other pointing me to that spot beyond the horizon where I can't go to. It creates a dream state where it is pleasant to be despite not being able to get to the destination. Longing to be there is enough listening to 'Haunted Nights'. It is one of the best songs on The Land We Knew Best. And that from the man who loves listening to 'Old Crow Lied' and 'Jack Candy'. To be fully truthful, 'Finlay's Motel' is another of my all time The Walkabouts favourite. That one is more in line with 'Haunted Nights'.

We are both getting on in life. 32 years is a long time since I discovered Chris Eckman's music and I'm still gladly following his career. With The Land We Knew Best he adds another fine album to his oeuvre. Yes, it's introspective for the most part but that makes it the more intriguing. With 'Last Train Home' he ends the album with an ultimate ballad. The song is so slow but sucks you in completely. You;re waiting for that last train home with him. Slow piano notes and slow strums is all this beautiful song need to excel. And that gravelly voice of course. That is Chris Eckman's signature.

I'm glad that it has not taken close to a decade for Chris Eckman to be able to release a new solo album. Yes, there were collaborations in between, but they are different from this. This is just him and after a slight hesitation during the first listening session, I dare to state: great album!

Wout de Natris - van der Borght

You can listen to and order The Land We Knew Best here:

https://chriseckman.bandcamp.com/album/the-land-we-knew-the-best

Sinners, Harlots and Hooligans (reissue). The Legendary Swagger

Only on second inspection did the word reissue get noticed by me. By then I had long decided to do a write up on the album. In fact, a few songs were more than enough for that. The fact that this is re-release is irrelevant. Sinners, Harlots & Hooligans is such an urgent album.

I had never heard of The Legendary Swagger before a single or two on this blog. That is not totally surprising. Sinners, Harlots & Hooligans was released in 2008 and only in 2022 the band's second was released. Later this month there will be a new album, but first Sinners, Harlots & Hooligans.

The Legendary Swagger is a band from Long Beach, California and its choice of music is punkrock. With a singer whose voice is nicely greased and a guitarist who knows how to finetune his guitarsound to rock. My reference here is the L.A. band Social Distortion. In other words punk with great melodies, huge voice and a fine solo here and there.

This band is not afraid to show its pop side by creating great melodies, no matter how tough a song may be/sound. In 'My Evil Ways' there's even a female soul singer, Robin Nivens, who sings like the song is supposed to be sang at a Sunday morning service. That would be a nice shock come to think about it. To me it shows how thin the barriers between popular music are, that a blend like this can be made in such a successful way.

I'm not certain, but this could be the people playing on the record, Richie Mendez, (Drums and Vocals), Jim Perrault (Bass and Vocals), Skot Pollok (Guitars) and Geoff Yeaton (Vocals and Saxophone). Yes, that saxophone sets The Legendary Swagger rather apart from most punkrock bands. It's used sparingly but certainly effectively.

If anything defines Sinners, Harlots and Hooligans, it is the surge of energy coming from my speakers. It's circa 17 years since the release and I certainly did not know the album at the time, but the re-release is totally justified. This is a punkrock, garagerock album that any fan of the music should get to know and Rum Bar is presenting that option to us all. "She is Perfect" Yeaton and background vocalists sing in "Perfect". It sounds like the right description for Sinners, Harlots and Hooligans to me.

Wout de Natris - van der Borght

You can listen to and order Sinners, Harlots and Hooligans  here:

https://rumbarrecords.bandcamp.com/album/sinners-harlots-hooligans-reissue

Looking Back At The World. The Gentle Spring

It almost seems as if there are more bands who try again or pivotal members of former bands returning under a new name, than truly new bands. The Gentle Spring is one of the middle category. Michael Hiscock once played in a band called The Field Mice, one that passed me by at the time. That is my bad, as the band has a Wikipedia page and at the time, circa 1990, scored hits in the U.K.

Today Hiscock lives in France and plays music again together with Emilie Guillaumot and Jérémie Orsel. Together they form The Gentle Spring. The band name is well chosen. The songs on Looking Back At The World are gentle, soft spoken and sensitive. If I have to compare the record to any other band it is Belle and Sebastian in my universe. Hiscock sings not unlike Stuart Murdoch. The background vocals of Guillaumot only add to my impression and then she takes the lead as well, as in 'Severed Hearts'.

And this is not a bad thing, don't get me wrong there. The Gentle Spring's debut album is a very pleasant listening experience. The kind that allows for easy listening, without a load of challenges to conquer while listening. Looking Back At The World is the kind of album to submerge in and surrender yourself to. Simply let it come over you, like a slow wave on the beach. Soon there's nothing but you and the music.

Promo photo: Philippe Dufour

You will discover the subtle details in the different songs. A gentle guitar, the softly sang harmonies, little additions in the form of keyboards, all come to you slowly but surely. If Looking Back At The World does anything it is caress and relax you, song after song.

No, this album will not rock the world, as it is not intended to do so. It will please you no little though. Sometimes things are simply beautiful and that is more than enough.

Wout de Natris - van der Borght

You can listen to and order Looking Back At The World here:

https://thegentlespring.bandcamp.com/album/looking-back-at-the-world

Oh, Smokey. Clem Snide

Het oeuvre van de Amerikaanse band Clem Snide is redelijk onbekend, maar de band heeft een respectabel aantal prachtalbums op haar naam staan, waar deze week het echt wonderschone Oh Smokey aan wordt toegevoegd.

Ruim 25 jaar geleden maakte ik voor het eerst kennis met de muziek van de Amerikaanse band Clem Snide en het was liefde op het eerste gehoor. De band uit Boston leverde in een paar jaar tijd een handvol fantastische albums af, waarna het licht helaas langzaam maar zeker uit ging. De band rond Eef Barzelay begon een paar jaar geleden aan haar tweede jeugd en die krijgt deze week een vervolg. Eef Barzelay maakte Oh Smokey samen met de gerenommeerde muzikant en producer Josh Kaufman, die het nieuwe album van Clem Snide heeft voorzien van een redelijk sober geluid. Het is een setting waarin de melancholische songs van Eef Barzelay uitstekend tot zijn recht komen.

De Amerikaanse band Clem Snide dook aan het eind van de jaren 90 op en maakte met name in de eerste jaren van haar bestaan een aantal geweldige albums. You Were A Diamond uit 1998, Your Favorite Music uit 2000, The Ghost Of Fashion uit 2001, Soft Spot uit 2003 en End Of Love uit 2005 zijn stuk voor stuk geweldige albums, die dan ook volkomen terecht de hemel in werden geprezen. Dat gebeurde helaas slechts in zeer kleine kring, waardoor Clem Snide toch vooral een cultband bleef.

Op haar albums verwerkt de band uit Boston, Massachusetts, vooral invloeden uit de alt-country en een beetje indierock en zeker Your Favourite Music en The Ghost Of Fashion zijn albums die ik schaar onder de allerbeste albums van de jaren 00. Na 2005 werden de albums van Clem Snide langzaam maar zeker wat minder en in 2010 leek het doek definitief te vallen voor de zo onderschatte Amerikaanse band. Voorman Eef Barzelay bracht nog wel wat soloalbums uit, al dan niet onder de naam Clem Snide, maar na 2015 werd een aantal jaren niets meer van de band vernomen.

In 2020 keerde Clem Snide echter terug in de spotlights en leverde het met het samen met Scott Avett gemaakte Forever Just Beyond een album af dat niet onder deed voor de beste albums van de band. Een recente opmerking die bij dit album werd geplaatst op het muziekforum Musicmeter.nl zette me op het spoor van het nieuwe album van de band, dat vorige week is verschenen en dat ik in geen enkele releaselijst ben tegen gekomen.

Dat is best bijzonder, want zo groot is het aanbod op het moment niet. Oh Smokey is ook nog eens een geweldig album, dat zich net als voorganger Forever Just Beyond kan meten met de beste albums van Clem Snide en dat zegt wat. Alles draait nog altijd om singer-songwriter Eef Barzelay, maar op Oh Smokey koos hij voor de samenwerking met muzikant en producer Josh Kaufman, die we kennen van Bonny Light Horseman en van zijn werk voor onder andere Cassandra Jenkins, Taylor Swift, The Hold Steady en This Is The Kit.

Josh Kaufman was verantwoordelijk voor het grootste deel van de muziek op het album en tekende voor de productie. Hij heeft Oh Smokey voorzien van een mooi en vaak wat stemmig klinkend geluid, waarin invloeden uit de Amerikaanse rootsmuziek centraal staan. Het is een sfeervol maar ook wat weemoedig klinkend geluid, dat uitstekend past bij de stem en de songs van Eef Barzelay.

De muzikant uit Boston is nooit vies geweest van flink wat melancholie in zijn songs en heeft een stem die goed past bij wat donkerdere songs. Vergeleken met het vroege werk van Clem Snide klinkt Oh Smokey wat soberder en wat meer ingetogen en dat vergroot wat mij betreft de impact van de songs en de stem van Eef Barzelay. Oh Smokey klinkt misschien vrij sober, maar Josh Kaufman heeft veel mooie details verstopt in de muziek, die vooral aan de oppervlakte komen wanneer je het album met de koptelefoon beluistert.

De naam Clem Snide zal heel veel mensen echt niets zeggen, maar de Amerikaanse band heeft inmiddels een respectabele stapel vijfsterrenalbums op haar naam staan en hoeveel bands kunnen dat zeggen? Ruim 25 jaar na het debuutalbum van de band laat Clem Snide met Oh Smokey horen dat het nog altijd albums kan maken die niet onder doen voor het allerbeste werk van de band en dat is knap. Ik had Oh Smokey zomaar kunnen missen door de beperkte aandacht voor het album, maar dit is er een voor de jaarlijstjes.

Erwin Zijleman

Je kunt Oh, Smokey hier luisteren en bestellen:

https://clem-snide.bandcamp.com/album/oh-smokey

You Are The Morning. jasmine.4.t

With You Are The Morning jasmine.4.t releases an album that is strong, varied and makes a statement on who she is. Let me start there for once and make a statement. Where have tolerance, acceptance, compassion and understanding gone in the last few years? Since Covid it seems like it has left the world. It most likely has not, but it certainly seems that way with right wing politicians creating the enemies they need to thrive on and an easy victim are the LHTBIQA+ people. jasmine.4.t is a transperson, so she must be a monster, if I am to believe too many current administrations and those striving to become one. If this is the silent majority coming back in power, then we better start bracing ourselves. The time to not look away is now. Live and let live, people. We all are the better for it when we do so.

Back to You Are The Morning. Things started with single 'Elephant', reviewed on this blog late in 2024. It made me curious to hear more and that more is here today. For jasmine.4.t things started when she started touring with a band of likeminded people. The songs are a sort of diary of her period before and of transitioning from the, for the outside world, man who grew up in Manchester to the woman she's today. All band members were able to support each other and You Are The Morning is the proof of that period of darkness and light.

Musically, the album reminds me of Canadian musician Patrick Watson, mostly because of the way of singing and in some songs because of the ethereal music as well. jasmine.4.t moves well beyond Watson, when she ventures into folk music and even indie rocks out.

The folk part brings to mind the folk music that was popular for a while about ten plus years ago, the hey-ho or ho-hey without that shout outs, but there are even short Irish references, like in the intro to 'Guy Fawkes Tesco Disociation', before the rock part of the album kicks in. The song certainly is my personal favourite of the album.

jasmine.4.t is the first U.K. signing to Phoebe Bridgers' Saddest Factory Records. The album was produced by the three boygenius members. The good thing is that Baker, Bridgers and Dacus have not tried to copy their music but left the U.K. band in its own, allowing for an album that scales a light form of Antony and Patrick Watson to an indie rock band.

The delicate songs win out though, the ones telling the whole story of transitioning and all that affects the person undergoing it. It makes You Are The Morning a deeply personal album that is shared with the whole world. It may not be easy to keep singing these songs after life moved on and things hopefully keep getting better. That is why my live and let live comment above is so important. That's why I repeat it, live and let live and we'll all be the better for it. You Are The Morning is tangible proof of just that.

Wout de Natris - van der Borght

You can listen to You Are The Morning here:

https://jasmine4t.bandcamp.com/album/you-are-the-morning