Music For Horses. The Rupert Selection

Less is more is a saying that totally passed the members of The Rupert Selection by. Once the very quiet intro to Music For Horses of 1 minute, 'Hello Horses' is over, the band kicks in and it only seems to go from big to bigger to biggest and at times even beyond that. Hugest is a word that may come close. The Rupert Selection fabricates a wall of sound that becomes impenetrable. It's so huge that my ears pop like when going to a higher altitude.

It is all interspersed with soundscapes and spoken word parts, like Pink Floyd used to lift texts from movies or tv shows, and interludes. Sometimes it goes through the whole of song, this mechanic muttering in the background. 

To think that The Rupert Selection is a trio. There's no way of telling because there is so much happening on Music For Horses. Guitar layers, a huge Hammond organ, horns. The band combines the sound of some of the bigger bands that emerged in 1969 like Blood, Sweat and Tears and Chicago Transit Authority, mix it with garage rock, psychedelic blues  and some symphonic rock from the 70s and later. It all blends into a huge melting pot but really, really reveals itself in 'Devil's Dance', in part a quieter song at that.

The Rupert Selection is Reilly Somach, Peter Crofton, Zak Brown, respectively singer/guitarist, bassist, drummer, but only as their principle instruments. It only starts there for them. They were assisted by producer Steve Lord and a host of other musicians.

In a way I do get the impression that The Rupert Selection wanted to show off everything it is capable of. And at times it does become too much. But never without taste and conviction. When I then read that singer-guitarist Reilly Somach is diagnosed with that awful disease I hear far too many people having this year, it seems that it had to be this way. Everything The Rupert Selection stands for balled into one album. I hope Reilly Somach makes a full recovery, but should this be a goodbye, he could not have wished for a more impressive one. Music For Horses is for horses and all of us. Strength and courage, Reilly!

Wout de Natris - van der Borght

 

You can listen to and order Music For Horses here:

https://therupertselection.bandcamp.com/album/music-for-horses 

It Goes On. Westside Cowboy

In the past months the name Westside Cowboy came by a few times, but the music did not reach me before the release date. That always puts an album at a disadvantage, as so much new music comes into my mailbox before the release date. I decided to take a listen anyway and fell quite easily for It Goes on.

Westside Cowboy is a band from Manchester. Formed in 2023, Jimmy Bradbury (vocals, guitar), Reuben Haycocks (vocals, guitar), Aoife Anson O'Connell (vocals, bass) and Paddy Murphy (vocals, drums) were able to set some concrete steps in these three years, culminating in It Goes On.

Somewhere in the early 80s I bought the album 'The Velvet Underground'. Together with the ("long lost album") release of 'VU' in 1985, it is my absolute favourite album of the band. When I listened to opening song 'Kick Stones (The Boys)', Westside Cowboy brought me back to a song like 'What Goes On'. Just listen to that guitar sound and the way the six strings are attacked. That dry sound of the rhythm guitar. In other words, I was sucked into It Goes On within a minute or so. From 1969 we are taken from the introspective, questioning of 'What Goes On' to the affirmative confirmation of 'It Goes On' in 2026. The way that Aoife Anson O'Connell's voice mixes into the whole makes the even better. It returns often later on on the album.

Of course, just sounding like The VU is not enough. 'Kick Stones (The Boys)' is such an exciting song. Not so long ago I wrote on an album, Tape Toy's 'Dumb Sites', it has everything except a 'Literary Mind' like on SPRINTS' album 'Letter To Self'. Well, with 'Kick Stones (The Boys)' It Goes On has its 'Literary Mind'! The album continues with the super tight yet playful 'Paperchains' and Westside Cowboy has won me over by then.

In the years that I'm writing this blog, I have repeatedly asked myself, how can a band of youngsters still be influenced by a band that stopped existing in 1970 and never had any form of commercial success? Were their grandparents fans and so hip that the grandchildren listened to them playing their records? Fact is, this band listened closely, but not exclusively to The VU. Dutch indie darlings Personal Trainer can be heard in some of the songs, like e.g. 'Worried Age', while the band also has a more alternative pop oriented side, like you can hear in 'Well Done Kid, You Did It'.

Westside Cowboy calls its music brittanamerica. Nicely found, but americana is not exactly what I'm hearing on It Goes On. Okay, there is the solo performed, folky song 'Take My Leaving As I Love You' but that is not enough for the americana moniker. This album is one I would place more in the U.S. than the U.K., like latter day Buffalo Toms to name an example.

No singer of Westside Cowboy has the voice of Doug Yule, made famous because of singing 'Candy Says', the band does attempt to bring the tempo down and succeeds. Pumping up a song to the point where it almost explodes stands the other end of It Goes On. When O'Connell gets the lead vocal in 'Coyote', the link with The VU is complete. That song explosively goes off anyway later on, is beside the point.

It Goes On is the starting point for Westside Cowboy. The band still has a lot to prove, but having a debut album like It Goes On under its belt, is a starting point many bands never reach.

Wout de Natris - van der Borght

 

Je kunt It Goes On hier luisteren en bestellen:

https://westsidecowboy.bandcamp.com/ 

The Truth Is. Lucca Mae

Het is dringen binnen de Britse popmuziek van het moment, zeker als het gaat om zangeressen met soul, maar Lucca Mae verdient met haar debuutalbum The Truth Is absoluut een plekje tussen de grote sterren van het moment.

The Truth Is van Lucca Mae is al even uit, maar langzaam maar zeker rijst de ster van de Britse muzikante. Dat is volkomen terecht, want ze beschikt over een geweldige stem. Het is een stem die is gemaakt voor de mix van soul, jazz, blues en pop op het album, maar het is ook een opvallende stem met een onweerstaanbaar lekker rauw randje. The Truth Is staat vol met aansprekende songs en het zijn songs die heel mooi en subtiel zijn ingekleurd. De muziek op het debuutalbum van Lucca Mae is heel smaakvol en biedt alle ruimte aan haar stem. Het Verenigd Koninkrijk beschikt momenteel over flink wat geweldige soulzangeressen en Lucca Mae hoort hier zeker bij.

Met name in het Verenigd Koninkrijk timmert Lucca Mae steeds nadrukkelijker aan de weg, maar ze heeft nog zeker niet dezelfde status als bijvoorbeeld Olivia Dean, Raye of Sienna Spiro. Dat kan volgens mij alleen maar een kwestie van tijd zijn, want op haar debuutalbum The Truth Is laat Lucca Mae horen dat ze heel veel te bieden heeft. 

Dat debuutalbum verscheen inmiddels vijf maanden geleden en het verbaast me dat het, zeker in Nederland, behoorlijk stil is gebleven rond het album. Met The Truth Is heeft Lucca Mae immers een album gemaakt dat in de smaak moet kunnen vallen bij de fans van bijvoorbeeld Olivia Dean, Raye en Sienna Spiro, waarvan zeker de eerste twee inmiddels met gemak grote zalen vullen. 

Op haar debuutalbum maakt Lucca Mae muziek met vooral invloeden uit de soul en jazz, maar ook invloeden uit de blues en pop hebben hun weg gevonden naar het geluid van de Britse muzikante. Ik hoor in muzikaal opzicht wel wat overeenkomsten met de muziek van de eerder genoemde supersterren, maar het debuutalbum van Lucca Mae heeft zich wel wat meer laten beïnvloeden door soulmuziek uit de jaren 60 en 70 en laat niet veel raakvlakken met de R&B muziek van het moment horen. 

Ook invloeden uit de jazz zijn wat prominenter aanwezig, wat de wat nostalgische sfeer op het album versterkt en wat zorgt voor raakvlakken met het vorige maand verschenen debuutalbum van Sienna Spiro. Het doet me af en toe ook wel wat denken aan de muziek van Amy Winehouse, al is de muziek van Lucca Mae een stuk minder uitbundig. 

Wat direct opvalt is dat er in de meeste songs op het album redelijk subtiel en laidback wordt gespeeld, waardoor The Truth Is ook in de smaak zal vallen bij liefhebbers van jazz, blues en soul die niet veel hebben met pop. The Truth Is laat een warm geluid horen dat wat voller klinkt wanneer blazers worden ingezet, maar in alle songs laten de muzikanten die zijn te horen op het album veel ruimte open. 

Die open ruimte wordt gevuld met de stem van Lucca Mae en het is een stem om eindeloos van te houden. Lucca Mae moet het gelukkig niet hebben van 1001 stembuigingen en laat zich ook nergens verleiden tot vocale krachtpatserij, wat in dit genre zeker niet ongebruikelijk is. 

Ik vind de zang op The Truth Is echt heel erg goed, want Lucca Mae doet in vocaal opzicht niet onder voor de groten binnen de Britse popmuziek van het moment. De Britse muzikante beschikt over een hele goede stem, maar het is door het rauwe randje op haar stembanden ook een hele aangename en karakteristieke stem. 

Met name door de stem van Lucca Mae was ik direct overtuigd van de kwaliteit van haar debuutalbum, maar ook in muzikaal opzicht tikt het album een hoog niveau aan. Ik heb ook wat met de songs op het album, die stuk voor stuk bijzonder lekker in het gehoor liggen, maar die ook in artistiek opzicht interessant zijn en een mooie mix van invloeden laten horen. 

Het zou me dan ook niet verbazen als ook Lucca Mae over niet al te lange tijd grote zalen gaat vullen, al komt ze in een wat intiemere setting waarschijnlijk nog beter tot haar recht. The Truth Is van Lucca Mae begint in het Verenigd Koninkrijk langzaam maar zeker wat meer aandacht te krijgen en dat is echt volkomen terecht, want wat is dit een sterk album.

Erwin Zijleman

Draw The Outline. Sorcha Richardson

"Draw the outline" are the first three words on Sorcha Richardson's new album, lifted from the opening song 'Sea Pink Moon'. The words that were my introduction to Sorcha Richardson or so I thought, as I found to have reviewed her single 'Grenadine' in June.

Sorcha Richardson is from West Kerry in Ireland these days, after having moved to New York and back to Dublin. Draw The Outline is her third album, after 'Smiling Like An Idiot' brought her success in Ireland in 2022. Her music on Draw The Outline has the slacker rock ingredients that I usually find in music from Australia (Courtney Barnett) and even more from New Zealand (Vera Ellen, e.g. in the song 'Carpenter'). Sorcha Richardson has an identical approach to music. A laidback rhythm and a relaxed, on parts of the album an almost slacker way of singing. There's just no hurry in most songs. Like in 'Grenadine', that progresses slowly but surely.

So my advice is to enjoy Draw The Outline to the fullest, as it allows you to go with its flow. Follow these mysterious sounds that can weave themselves in and out of a song. These wafts of electronic music that are there and then aren't. Not unlike Reb Fountain presented on her eponymous album from 2020. Here it is more direct though as they are allowed into the forefront as well. It gives the album a layer of mystique coming with the west of Ireland where it can be foggy for days, then be sunny, to end the day with a hurricane. Where leprechauns roam and peat smoke can still fill your nose. If this was Sorcha Richardson's intention, she caught it superbly. Further on in the album you will hear folk/singer-songwriter songs as well, sparsely arranged around an acoustic guitar.

That acoustic guitar is the basis of this album. When the weather of West-Kerry allows, she can sit at the beach with friends and sing and play the songs this way. From there the songs are built up. Together with producer Chris W. Ryan she chose for a mostly rustic sound with some mystery added.

With 'Illinois Again' the tempo goes up, slightly, while a more indie rock oriented vibe is shared with the listener. A variation of music that makes Draw The Outline a stronger album because of this change of approach. At heart 'Illinois Again' may be a soft song, in part because of Sorcha Richardson's voice, the more prominent drums and that dark sounding lead guitar, give a different impression.

Draw The Outline is a deceptive album. Anyone playing this album in the background, will no doubt wonder, is it over already? What have I heard? Anyone playing the album somewhat louder or with a headset on, will hear the depth Richardson and Ryan have put in the album and will reach the other side in awe of what they have just heard. Listening has become a rewarding experience. I'm listening through a headset right now, I am on the latter side of the equation. So should you. Draw The Outline is a beautiful album very much worthwhile getting acquainted with.

Wout de Natris - van der Borght

 

You can listen to and order Draw The Outline here:

https://sorcharichardson.bandcamp.com/album/draw-the-outline 

2026, week 37. 10 singles

Officially, it not yet autumn. The weather tells me differently. One day it rains like crazy, the next day it is nice and sunny, the next back to rain. Weathermen and climatologists warn for mighty rainfall this fall, due to the seas and oceans being far warmer. After a far too dry spring and summer, a far too wet autumn? That does give an opportunity to catch the water and store it for dryer times. Bob Dylan sang it in 1964, 'The Times They Are-a-Changing'. Luckily we will still have the music. Enjoy!

There Was You. Teenage Fanclub

I have Teenage Fanclub to thank that I discovered Big Star in 1993. Following the release of 'Thirteen', the references to the legendary Memphis band were all over the place (and with The Posies records), so I caught up and never looked back. Teenage Fanclub went out of sight for a while though, despite the fact you can find two albums on this blog and a single from six years ago. There Was You is a pure pop single with some West Coast overtones from long ago. If the song reminds me of anything, it is America and its songs like 'A Horse With No Name' and 'Sister Golden Hair'. There Was You has that some tone of sweetness written all over it and the acoustic sound. To make it even better it has that bitter edge to it, making the sweet even taste better. The Scottish band's new album, 'Do Not Dare To Dream', is out on 9 October.

Jetpack. Jefferson Starship

I'll be honest, I had expected to switch this song off within a few seconds. Jefferson Starship, with founding member David Freiberg and the drummer from the fourth generation? How can this iteration even carry the name? And then Jetpack hit me. It is a very American powerpop/rock song, with some hints at the style Paul Kantner got stuck in from the 1980s onwards, i.e. everyone singing together. Yet, this song is huge and is good. Everything and everybody is throwing punch after punch, until the listener is floored in the most positive sense of the word. Nothing and one held back and singer Cathy Richardson has a powerhouse of a voice. She doesn't have to overdo anything to lay down this performance. I expected nothing and got the best new Jefferson Starship song since 'Out Of Control'. Now who could have expected that?

Sink Or Swim. Hyper Minds

O.K. How fast can a human being play music? Can a drummer drum this intensely and keep up/time? Maybe faster that Hyper Minds' members do on Sink Or Swim, but much faster? I doubt it. From the get go the band goes at it at full speed. It's like my chief at my first ever job said at 08.30 AM: "We start as fast as we can and from there only go faster". It often felt like it; I have never been fitter since. Back to Sink Or Swim. Hyper Minds is an L.A. punk band that formed in 2024 and recently signed with the DC-Jam label. This is its second single. And it comes with a surprise, because the tempo and intensity is brought down, allowing everyone to wind down a little, including myself. In a moshpit things can get more intense though, as the accents allow a lot of slamming, or so I imagine sitting here writing in my chair at home. When the tempo goes back to the original speed, it is luctor et emergo indeed.

Wild Ones. The Hellflowers

More punk? Yes! The Hellflowers play a more punkrock style in the vein of Joan Jett and the Blackhearts. Expect some garagerock influences and a great pop flow in the vocal melody. All together, I'd opt to mention Social Distortion as a main influence. The Hellflowers can be found on this blog with two singles in 2025, released on Rum Bar. The band appears to have moved on on route to its album 'Haunted', planned for February next year. Wild Ones is a song that rocks from beginning to end. It has a great opening riff, after which singer Christina Eskew, with her great voice for rock songs, makes it very clear that this band is not going to bend, break or change for anyone. "We are the wild ones". Message understood and as far as I'm concerned, as long as The Hellflowers delivers like it does with Wild Ones, I'm going to make the band stick to its promise. What a single!

Infinite. STEAK

Next up, some symphonic rock in a modernised Marillion style. STEAK formed in London in 2012 and released three albums so far. Infinite is the first sign from album number 4, 'STEAK' ( 9 October). The song starts out in a mesmerising, dreamy way. It is clear the band works towards a climax, but it gives you a run for your money before a heavy chord is played on an electric guitar. Even that is more atmosphere than rock. Slowly but surely the listener is led to the moment that everyone is finally allowed to go full out. Only singer Kippa remains his tranquil self. No one else is holding back on Infinite from that moment onwards. It leads to a song of the epic kind that clocks in just under six minutes. It's worth your while to undergo the musical adventure STEAK takes you on.

Watch The World Just Fall Apart. Rocketsuit Rogue

And back to punkrock. I'm sure that regular viewers of this weekly singles post will have gotten the idea that punk is what the clock strikes on a daily basis here. Besides never getting that past the love of my life, it is far from the truth. I seldom enjoy punk by the album, a few exceptions aside, but by the song or in this case singles. Rocketsuit Rogue is the new band of former Zebrahead frontman Matty Lewis. With Watch The World Just Fall Apart he presents the full picture. The energy, the noise, the pace, the Green Day light and shade, it's all there. What I like the most is the great melody and that whoa-oa style singing/shouting in between. I remember hearing that consciously for the first time when an Australian punk band was doing a soundcheck in the Friday dive where I regularly went for an after Friday's work beer. (And bought a ticket fot the show. Don't ask me what the band was called. Great show though.) I'm sure a whole Rocketsuit Rogue album will be a bit too much for me, but Watch The World Just Fall Apart is simply great.

Hello. Heather and the Jerk

In punk/garage rock there are many different styles and approaches. With Heather and The Jerk it is a female voice, sounding rather innocent compared to the noise behind the singer. With 1.39 minutes all is already over and we have heard the world hello more than enough, to understand the singer is calling out for the attention of someone with the line "I'm so dumb and your so bright". Admittedly, one of the more original pick up lines I've ever heard. Singer Heather Sawyer sounds like a fourteen year old in the middle of a teenage drama, not unlike 'Leader Of The Pack'. Reading in how many bands she's already played in either as singer or as a drummer, my guess is she'll be several years older. The music is a mix of rock and roll, garage and punk rock, that will get you excited. Don't expect any high rolling recording technique. Hello is all about bringing across the energy and the fun of this music. Heather and the Jerk has succeeded with flying colours.

The Thousand Yard Stare EP. Sam Powers

This week saw a post about an album that was shelved for 26 years, 'Free Electricity' by The Go and here is The Thousand Yard Stare, a six song mini album by Sam Powers, 22 years old. The recording may sound like a metallic home recording, dusted off a little, it takes nothing away from the power Sam Powers and friends entrusted to the recording device of choice. Sam Powers has before and since toured with Guided by Voices, Superdrag and Who Hit John? After leaving Superdrag in 2004 he recorded The Thousand Yard Stare with Dean Bratcher. Musically, it fits in the time it was recorded. You can pick out your own favourite from the day. The album really adds something to what came before and makes me wonder why Powers never got the chance to record these songs better and lift them up from demo quality. Anyway, we finally have the chance to listen to the six songs. Listen through the mist of time and find the gems in there Sam Powers left for us all to find.

5 Believers EP. The Laissez Fairs

The Laissez Fairs can be found on this blog since 2022. The best title so far is 'Singing Inside Your Head' and with the songs on the 5 Believers EP, they may well stand accused of causing me doing just that with these new songs. The EP kicks of with 'Pacific Coast'. The 1960s psychedelia is there, of course. The band adds a layer of dreaminess that makes it whole different sort of beast. It provides a touch of innocence the members of The Laissez Fairs on the basis of their age can never have any more. Too much has happened in their lives for that. And yet, 'Pacific Coast' sounds convincing enough. 'Treating Me Cold' is like The Troggs on a good day, like 'With A Girl Like You' or 'Marbles And Some Gum'. The song rocks but holds back, as not everything can be as wild as 'Wild Thing'. Enter 'Smashing Windows' and there that wildness is. If you hadn't woken up yet, 'Smashing Windows will do the trick. The guitars are stacked just right, while there is that little organ in the background adding just the right flavour to the song. There are two more songs that make sure that this EP keeps to quality level the first three have set. Joe Lawless: vocals, guitar, piano, organ, sleigh bells, tambourine, Moog, John Fallon: vocals, lead guitar, rhythm guitars, bass, Cromm Fallon: bass guitar, Glockenspiel, Tone DeCorte: drums and Dale Gilbert: backing vocal, tambourine are on a roll on 5 Believers, believe you me.

Fur Elise. Blondshell

Blondshell, a.k.a. Sabrina Teitelbaum, returns to this blog with her new single Fur Elise. It is a song in the style of what made a band like Live big in the 1990s. Showing vulnerability through strength, something like that. Fur Elise is a post-grunge song that kicked out the darkness bands like Creed and Staind always carried with them. Blondshell adds not only her femininity to the song but also plays with the light and shade. Where the song is soft, she sings in a darker register, letting her voice and volume go up when the band is let loose. Making her voice far more prominent by way of this vocal use. Behind her the lead guitar plays a nice melody, while the rest of the band lays a firm foundation to play and sing over. There's an album on the way. 'Violins' will be released on 25 September. As a funny aside, I hear an American singer sing Fur Elise, which is of course Ludwig von Beethoven's famous composition, but it is actually called 'Für Elise', i.e. for Elise. All of a sudden I have a very furry Elise in my mind's eye.

Wout de Natris - van der Borght