Train On The Island. Aldous Harding

Listening to Train On The Island I get the idea that Aldous Harding is slowly but surely retreating from music. As if she makes herself smaller by the album, vocally and musically. The only other band I know who pulled that off successfully for a few years, was The Walkabouts. That did not turn out well for the band in the end, as it got lost in silence and when it tried to find its way back, there was no audience left to sustain it. Don't worry, Aldous Harding is not there yet.

Enter Train On The Island, the fifth album by New Zealand's singer-songwriter Aldous Harding. I was attracted immediately to the released singles and the album goes down really well with me. But, I can imagine an average listener asking me 'is anything going to happen today?' Yes, it is, but you have to be quiet and pay attention.

(Almost) all is subtlety on Train On The Island. In that Ms. Harding moves closer to the magical environment her countrywoman Reb Fountain creates on her records. The music is slow and so subtle. The rewards are in the little details that are interspersed between the at times elementary chord progressions. The second reward is Aldous Harding's voice that slowly but surely (and softly) mesmerised the listener. All hurry and urgency has left her it seems. The title song is the ultimate example I can give you. This could have been a Reb Fountain song, sure. But the little rewards are in the wizardry that moves in and out of the song, as if she asked Gary Lucas to play like he did on a few songs on 'Grace' and in her background vocals.

I could use all the songs as examples as well, because they all have parts that stand out, if you listen closely. Don't and you will only hear a slow moving album that could even become utterly boring. Train On The Island is an ever so soft album, but to make it come alive it should be played louder in the room or with a headset on. This way it opens up and shows its full colours. Just like half way the album opens up more as well for two songs, defying the quieter parts.

My first impression is that Train On The Island is a far more interesting album than Ms. Aldous previous effort, 'Warm Chris' (2023) and can be placed on the same height as 'Designer' (2019). She worked once again with producer John Parish in Wales, just like her previous three albums. Together they have created a sound that can today be called Aldous Harding's sound and it is a sound I have come to like.

Wout de Natris - van der Borght

 

You can listen to and order Train On The Island here:

https://aldousharding.bandcamp.com/album/train-on-the-island 

Gaze At The Raisin. The Slow Clock

Is it three years already since 'Interpretative Dancing'? Time flies when life happens and often is fun. A new The Slow Clock album is always something to look forward to. Harmen Kuiper's home project, a modern form of lo-fi, i.e. the concept of recording DIY at home with a far better sound, has a fifth iteration and once again takes me through a whole range of styles, emotions and voices. Once again he works with singer-songwriter Amarins Romkema who assists on co- and background vocals, making the album even more varied in sound.

With Gaze At The Raisin, a pointer to raisin therapy no less, The Slow Clock presents itself as an alternative pop band. No one loving modern acts like Raye or Olivia Rodrigo will recognise the pop in this music, yet it is there. Built up from the rhythm of a drum computer, different kind of songs are presented. Some can be compared to the likes of, here they are once again, Pickle Darling and Carol Cleveland Sings, others have a more pop feel as soon as more estranging elements are left behind in the recording bedroom.

Things on this album start with 1960s (psychedelic) pop. Kuiper is an obvious fan of psychedelic pop tracks of the age. He plays elements from this music over the electronic rhythms. He may turn them inside out and/or upside down, connaisseurs like me recognise these elements immediately. The next level The Slow Clock adds is a more alternative feel. One that makes a pop tune less recognisable. Treat a voice a little electronically, use notes that will make the listener listen again to truly understand what is happening here (or turn them off immediately), bring in electronics. The result is songs that do not bring instant satisfaction but are far more fun to listen to.

At the same time it is clear that a lot of work went into the arrangements of the songs. They all work, have surprising elements or turns and satisfy in the end. Melodies and counter melodies can be found. Elements that usually are not associated with lo-fi music. A laptop and a recording programme offer infinite options just like the most expensive recording studios do. Harmen Kuiper uses all the options modern technique offers him, successfully.

I will refrain from singling out individual songs. It is not so relevant if one songs has a great guitar riff or has a corny synth sound and another seems inspired by Personal Trainer, etc. What the main message is, that Gaze At The Raisin has this pop feel that makes me feel good, while listening to the album. That message should be enough to make you take a listen right now. Too bad though that The Slow Clock only play live shows in Los Angeles.

Wout de Natris - van der Borght

 

You can listen to and order Gaze At The Raisin here:

https://chinup.bandcamp.com/album/gaze-at-the-raisin 

Misty Mountain. Sophia Yau-Weeks

Sophia Yau-Weeks is een debuterende muzikante uit Oakland, California, maar ze heeft met het echt in alle opzichten wonderschone Misty Mountain een album gemaakt dat geen moment klinkt als een debuutalbum.

Al sinds mijn eerste kennismaking ben ik compleet ondersteboven van Misty Mountain van de Amerikaanse singer-songwriter Sophia Yau-Weeks. Het is nauwelijks te geloven dat ze pas een paar jaar geleden is begonnen met het schrijven van songs, want Misty Mountain is een album van een bijna ongekende schoonheid. De muziek op het album is bijzonder mooi, de productie is prachtig, de songs zijn intiem en stuk voor stuk indringend en dan is er ook nog eens de stem van de Amerikaanse muzikante die je continu in vervoering brengt. Het debuut van Sophia Yau-Weeks was voor mij direct goed voor kippenvel en mijn bewondering voor dit betoverend mooie album is alleen maar groter geworden. Wat een ontdekking!

Mijn rondje langs de nieuwe albums op het Amerikaanse muziekplatform bandcamp zette me bij toeval op het spoor van het debuutalbum van de Amerikaanse singer-songwriter Sophia Yau-Weeks. De teksten waarmee muzikanten zich op bandcamp introduceren zeggen meestal niet al te veel, maar de tekst van Sophia Yau-Weeks is behoorlijk informatief: “Sophia Yau-Weeks is a singer-songwriter based in Oakland, CA. Now back in her hometown after a two-year-stint living in London, Yau-Weeks is releasing her debut record, Misty Mountain. This vulnerable body of work, which was recorded to tape at Tiny Telephone Oakland, is rooted in slowness and introspection. The album was co-produced with Maryam Qudus (SPELLLING, Gracie Abrams, Alanis Morissette)”. 

Wat ik op basis van deze introductie nog niet wist is dat de Amerikaanse muzikante min of meer werd gered door de coronapandemie. Door de coronapandemie ontsnapte ze aan de druk die eerst moest leiden tot een bestaan als een professionele violiste en later moest resulteren in een geslaagde academische carrière. Sophia Yau-Weeks zocht haar geluk in Londen, waar ze haar droom om zich te ontwikkelen tot singer-songwriter najoeg. Het is een droom die is uitgekomen met de release van haar debuutalbum Misty Mountain. 

Door mijn enorme liefde voor vrouwelijke singer-songwriters beluister ik alles wat los en vast zit in het genre. Dat heeft me de afgelopen jaren heel veel albums opgeleverd die me zeer dierbaar zijn, maar ik kom niet vaak albums tegen die me zo betoveren als het debuutalbum van Sophia Yau-Weeks. 

De muzikante uit Oakland schreef de songs voor haar eerste album in een voor haar zware periode, en dat hoor je. De songs op Misty Mountain zijn aan de donkere kant en daar hou ik meestal wel van. De songs van Sophia Yau-Weeks zijn niet alleen donker, maar ook zeer persoonlijk. De Amerikaanse muzikante vertolkt haar songs bovendien met heel veel gevoel, waardoor ze echt keihard binnenkomen. 

De opvallend intieme songs op Misty Mountain worden nog wat mooier door de stem van Sophia Yau-Weeks en voor mij is het een van de mooiste stemmen die ik in tijden heb gehoord. Het is ook een zeer karakteristieke stem, wat de zang op Misty Mountain nog wat mooier maakt, zeker als de stem van Sophia Yau-Weeks in meerdere lagen uit de speakers komt. 

Het is een stem die wordt omgeven door een zeer smaakvolle instrumentatie, die in de basis bestaat uit fraai gitaarspel. De gitaarakkoorden worden gecombineerd met strijkers en met atmosferische klanken van synths, al worden die niet genoemd in de credits van het album. Het is allemaal subliem geproduceerd door Sophia Yau-Weeks en Maryam Qudus, die samen tekenen voor een geluid vol contrasten. 

Misty Mountain schakelt continu tussen breekbare en sobere klanken en beeldende en vollere klanken. het album beweegt zich hiernaast net zo makkelijk tussen echo’s uit het verleden van bijvoorbeeld de Laurel Canyon folk en de psychedelische folk als tussen echo’s uit de indiefolk van het moment. 

Direct bij eerste beluistering werd ik gegrepen en betoverd door het debuutalbum van Sophia Yau-Weeks en iedere keer als ik naar het album luister vind ik het nog wat mooier en indrukwekkender. Het is puur toeval dat ik dit album ben tegengekomen, maar wat is dit mooi. Absoluut een van de mooiste albums van 2026 tot dusver. Ik ben echt diep onder de indruk.

Erwin Zijleman

 

Je kunt Misty Mountain hier luisteren en bestellen:

https://sophiayauweeks.bandcamp.com/album/misty-mountain 

Slow Death Of A Good Girl. Hiqpy

Why this exactly happened is not clear, what happened is. The anecdote is too good to pass up on. A few days ago, I read the review of Slow Death Of A Good Girl in 'Oor'. It was not an undividedly positive review. Hester Aalberts thought many songs on the album to be too long, unnecessarily blown up, etc. It came across a little bit like hype bashing to me, like happened often in the early 1980s in 'Oor', the reason I stopped reading it back then, to return circa ten years later. Up front I have to admit that during the experience below, I was writing a text and not really paying attention to the music most of the time.

Soon after turning on Slow Death Of A Good Girl, I had to agree with Ms. Aalberts for more than 100%. There were these noise eruptions drowning Hiqpy singer Abir Hamam out totally and why every time a song seemed to be over did this male singer come in? For a second I thought: are there two albums playing at the same time? But somehow it seemed to fit and I was intrigued by the way this music unfolded (while not paying true attention). There would definitely not be a review, that much was certain.

When I had finished writing the text, I wanted to go downstairs to have lunch and switched off Spotify. The aggressive music and singer continued and I still have no clue what it was and why it was playing. I must have clicked on a link or something that started playing by itself. Listening to Hiqpy alone later that same day, gave me a totally different experience and left me wondering about Hester Aalberts' review, as under the current circumstances, I'm not hearing what she heard.

But what do I hear? Hiqpy became a hype because the band was gathering positive reviews, interviews in newspapers and magazines before a single song was released, all based on live shows and a few songs played lived on radio shows. That period was expanded way beyond what any other band would consider commercially smart. Well into 2026 that album is finally there, with a fear of having waited too long, expectations rising too high. Not for me, as I managed to forget about the band with ease and then read the album is there, so started listening.

Based on a first impression, it's clear the wait was well worthwhile. Slow Death Of A Good Girl is a solid, at times even huge album. There was time and finances involved that allowed the album to be as big as it is. With a producer, Danton Supple, of name and fame (Coldplay, U2, Elbow) on board, nothing was left to circumstance and luck. The sound is of a stadium performing band. Hiqpy will not have the routine for that yet and will have to build its name further.

Hiqpy is, besides singer Abir Hamam, guitarist/singer Vincent ter Velde, bassist Tom Radsma and drummer Kasper de Boer. The first three started the band during their student days at the Amsterdam conservatorium. Drummer Kasper joined later. From there things went fast and slow.

The band that springs to mind most for me, is Wolf Alice. The music is quite compatible, as is the singing of the two ladies involved. This U.K. band could be a nice example for Hiqpy. Build a fan base and make each next album one step up the ladder and with each tour move into a bigger venue. Hopefully, Abir Hamam is able to grow with the venues, where Ellie Rowsell appears to have a hard time adapting. Based on what I'm hearing now this could be a feasible scenario.

Where I have a harder time, is that after several listening sessions, still not a single song has stuck in my brain. Don't get me wrong, I like what I'm hearing but where is the recognition that usually is there after two, three listening sessions? And I'm far further than that. This makes me wonder if Slow Death Of A Good Girl is a must have album for me. I will give it some more time, but have not bought the album yet.

So, at the end of the day, I am somewhere in between. Hiqpy has produced a huge album, that as far as I'm concerned is not bothered by an unnecessary "peacock tail", to quote Ms. Aalberts. In its genre it is a great sounding album, but are the songs as good as they seem? Time will tell, but there is reason for a slight doubt. On the other side. Despite liking Wolf Alice's first two albums, including a great live show in Melkweg, I only became a real fan with album three and four. I still cannot sing a single song from the first two. In other words, there is more than just hope for Hiqpy.

Wout de Natris - van der Borght 

Mountaineer live with The Amelie Spinks Trio. De Nieuwe Anita, Amsterdam, Friday 8 May 2026

Photo: WdN-vdB

I seldom travel by bus between cities but when a band plays in De Nieuwe Anita in Amsterdam I can travel almost door to door on one bus. Once again Mountaineer held its album release party there and once again I was surprised by how weird the stage set up is and by how friendly the environment of the venue is.

Mountaineer, the band around Amsterdam based singer-songwriter Marcel Hulst, released its third album early April. You can read my review here: https://wonomagazine.blogspot.com/2026/04/country-dragon-mountaineer.html. Again it is a listening experience that is rich, relaxing and soothing. Also, it is far more professional in sound than ever before.

The band on stage was a seven piece with familiar and new faces. The pedal steel guitar and Mellotron synthesizer were additions that enhanced the music and translated the studio sound into a live situation. Having studio owner Diederik van den Brandt (Aidan and the Wild) as lead guitarist, also made quite the difference. A deeper country feel has come into the sound of Mountaineer because of it.

I would not call the songs of Mountaineer country, but the music is steeped in Americana of all sorts. All these elements taken from singer-songwriter, folk, indie, country, etc. translate into Mountaineer songs. Soft-spoken, melodic, modest, honest songs that demand listening. At home and live. The fact that the stage manager and sound man of De Nieuwe Anita took it upon himself to demand quiet before the support act started, said enough (and that he did not trust the audience). "If you want to talk, go into the bar area, set nicely apart", he told the audience. The Dutch disease was mostly absent this night, but in general I've noticed of late that WHO has succeeded in quelling the epidemic over here. It took a long time though.

Mountaineer was totally on top of its game. The songs sounded great, the sound mix was perfect and the  audience close to if not totally devoted. This was all fans, friends and family and it showed. The new songs were very well received and hearing 'Ohio' once again perfect bliss. I will say it again, Mountaineer is a band deserving a far wider audience. The final song brought the release the band obviously had fun with getting to. A true climax to a perfect evening.

Photo: WdN-vdB

Yes, a perfect evening with The Amelie Spinks Trio opening for Mountaineer. A new name to me and I found a very international band. Amelie herself sported a Flying Nun t-shirt. I noticed traces of a Down Under accent in her voice, the two together hinting at New Zealand. With Swedish contrabass player Anja Gottberg and guitarist Adrian Bifano she plays a very, very quiet form of folk, slowcore, singer-songwriter, country, indie kind of music. Music that takes dedication to listen to. Mission accomplished as the audience was won over one song at a time. It was just beautiful what the three shared with us. Some originals and some covers from a recent covers album, called 'a girl of constant sorrow', the trio released. During the show, I was trying to think of comparisons. That brought me to Drugstore, a long since gone trio from the U.S. supporting Jeff Buckley in Nighttown but also Low came to mind as did other artists I simply forgot the names of.

Comparisons galore perhaps, but that took nothing away from the experience in De Nieuwe Anita. The Amelie Spinks Trio has got its act together and quite obviously impressed the audience that had mostly come for another band. That shows that things are moving in the right direction for them.

Finally, once again, we had to leave for the last bus but did not really want to leave. The DJ of De Nieuwe Anita had us moving. I may have been the only one dancing that was around when most of the oldies played were released and was dancing to the other ones from the 1980s at the time of release. DJ Barry Stiletto has all the original singles and obviously loves playing them for a far younger audience. And for my Karen and me. For next time, there are night buses now. We just have to cycle first, so that we don't have to walk the rest of the way home.

Wout de Natris - van der Borght

 

You can listen to and order Mountaineer's albums here:

https://mountaineer-music.bandcamp.com/album/country-dragon 

And The Amelie Spinks trio here:

https://ameliespinks.bandcamp.com/album/a-girl-of-constant-sorrow