Dream Or Don't Dream. Kestrels

De zomer van 2020 was zeker niet de zomer van de geweldige gitaarplaten, maar het even melodieuze als gruizige Dream Or Don’t Dream van Kestrels is er absoluut een.

Kestrels is een Canadese band die alweer toe is aan haar vierde album. Voor dit nieuwe album stond de voorman van de band er vrijwel alleen voor, maar dankzij een geweldige drummer, topproducer John Agnello en een bijdrage van Dinosaur Jr. gitarist J. Mascis is het toch een geweldig album geworden. Dream Or Don’t Dream van Kestrels is geworteld in de 90s rock en de shoegaze en vindt de perfecte balans tussen gruizige gitaarmuren, uit de bocht vliegende gitaarsolo’s, geweldig drumwerk, dromerige vocalen en heerlijk melodieuze songs. Direct bij eerste beluistering zwaar verslavend, maar vervolgens wordt het nieuwe album van Kestrels alleen maar beter.

Er is deze zomer zeker geen sprake van komkommertijd wanneer het gaat om nieuwe releases, want iedere week verschenen er veel meer nieuwe releases dan gebruikelijk in deze tijd van het jaar. Het heeft alles te maken met de corona pandemie, die in maart en april nog zorgde voor veel uitgestelde releases. Het zijn releases die de afgelopen twee maanden toch maar zijn verschenen, je kunt immers niet blijven uitstellen en het virus is nog wel even onder ons helaas.

Het grote aanbod gold voor vrijwel alle genres, maar gruizige gitaarplaten waren helaas wat schaars. Het is misschien ook niet het juiste seizoen voor de betere gitaarplaten, maar zo op zijn tijd gaat wat gitaargeweld er bij mij in ieder geval wel in. Ik ben daarom blij dat ik toch nog een geweldige gitaarplaat heb gevonden. Het is een album van de Canadese band Kestrels en het is al het vierde album van de band uit Halifax, Nova Scotia.

Band is overigens een groot woord, want vlak voor de opnames van Dream Or Don’t Dream was voorman Chad Peck het enige overgebleven lid van de band. Samen met Tim Wheeler van de Britse band Ash slaagde deze Chad Peck er gelukkig toch in om een serie nieuwe songs te schrijven, die vervolgens werden opgenomen met een uitstekende sessiedrummer en met producer John Agnello, die we natuurlijk vooral kennen van zijn werk voor Dinosaur Jr., maar die ook flink wat andere fraaie albums op zijn CV heeft staan.

Met Dinosaur Jr. hebben we overigens direct goed vergelijkingsmateriaal te pakken, want net als de Amerikaanse cultband weet ook Kestrels opvallend melodieuze songs te verbinden met gruizig gitaargeweld. Wanneer Dinosaur Jr. gitarist J. Mascis in de tweede track nog eens aanschuift voor een geweldige gitaarsolo, krijg je de vergelijking met Dinosaur Jr. helemaal niet meer uit je systeem.

Toch is Kestrels wel uit wat ander hout gesneden dan het grote voorbeeld. Gruizig gitaargeweld wordt met enige regelmaat afgewisseld met atmosferisch klinkende elektronica en bovendien wisselt Kestrels op Dream Or Don’t Dream de stevige rocksongs af met wat meer ingetogen songs. Hier en daar klinken wat invloeden uit de shoegaze of zelfs dreampop door, zeker als de zang loom en dromerig klinkt, maar als het allemaal net wat te zweverig dreigt te worden duikt er altijd wel een geweldige gitaarsolo of een gruizige gitaarmuur op.

Het is smullen voor de liefhebbers van het genre, die nog eens extra verwend worden door bijzonder aangename songs, die soms voorzichtig ontsporen, maar ook altijd blijven vasthouden aan de popsong met een kop en een staart. Dream Or Don’t Dream van Kestrels heeft absoluut een hoog nineties gehalte, zeker wanneer invloeden van Dinosaur Jr. stevig worden omarmd, maar de Canadese band heeft ook absoluut een eigentijds klinkende gitaarplaat gemaakt.

Het is een gitaarplaat die mij heel makkelijk heeft overtuigd, maar het is ook een gitaarplaat die nog lang beter wordt. Ik heb Dream Or Don’t Dream van Kestrels de afgelopen weken flink laten rijpen en zowel in muzikaal als in vocaal opzicht maakt het album steeds wat meer indruk, net als de zeer aansprekende songs op het album. In het genre gaat het de komende maanden vast weer drukker worden, maar ook met dit album kan ik nog wel even vooruit.

 

Erwin Zijleman

 

Je kunt hier luisteren naar Dream Or Don't Dream en er het album bestellen:

https://kestrelsdream.bandcamp.com/album/dream-or-don-t-dream

 

of luister naar onze Spotify Playlist om uit te vinden waar we over schrijven:

https://open.spotify.com/user/glazu53/playlist/6R9FgPd2btrMuMaIrYeCh6?si=KI6LzLaAS5K-wsez5oSO2g

Zephyrus. The Oh Hellos

With Zephyrus the circle is round. Four mini albums, together a fraction under 80 minutes all in. The Oh Hellos end its windy cycle in style. Zephyrus is a solid rock of neo folk. A kind of album deserving attention in neo-folk circles and beyond. The band manages to go from the small and delicate to the mighty and forceful within a song, without forcing itself. It comes and goes naturally, like the wind can and does.

The opening song, 'Rio Grande', underscores this directly. Opening ever so lightly with Maggie Heath's high and fragile folk voice. Traditional, acoustic folk instruments adorn her voice. As soon as her brother Tyler joins in, force is all around her in sound, instruments and singing, to calm down again later on. Like a mighty river can swell, to use another metaphor for what is going on in 'Rio Grande'. The song is a showcase for what a band can do with folk music in 2020.

As such Zephyrus is a nice cap stone of the four albums. It brings it all together and reiterates all the strengths The Oh Hellos brought to its previous albums. The album shows the progression the band has made as songwriters and in recording them. There is no fear of making a grand statement caught in music nor to make its music as vulnerable as can be. Small and fragile in the face of potential torrents and storms without ever breaking. This is the vision I see in front of me while listening to Zephyrus. Just listen how 'Theseus' unwinds and the different moods it captures so successfully.

This album grandstands where The Oh Hellos are at in 2020. The duo has become a band of great proportions that in my opinion leaves the hey-ho or ho-hey scene far behind them. Neo-folk is a starting point not a dogma. The instruments are still laying about and inspire the Heaths obviously. A drum kit is there as well and can be pounded on like in the single 'Soap'. Electric guitars are a part of the gear and are used just like the amps and they go together well. Rock songs with mandolin? You don't have to be called Dropkicks Murphys to pull of that feat. 'Soap' ends like a monolith (except for those final two lines).

The best was saved for last though. 'Rounds' is a magical song where stardust is sprinkled in my ears during the intro of the song. Slowly building bigger and larger. For the first verse it is taken down completely. Just an acoustic guitar and a duet between brother and sister Heath. An ever so delicate ending to a beautiful cd.

Wo.

You can listen to and order Zephyrus here:

https://music.theohhellos.com/

or listen to our Spotify Playlist to find out what we are writing about:

https://open.spotify.com/user/glazu53/playlist/6R9FgPd2btrMuMaIrYeCh6?si=KI6LzLaAS5K-wsez5oSO2g

The Great Dismal. Nothing

The Great Dismal is a kind of beast that I don't put on the blog regularly. The music is, on average, heavy, sludgy as if wading knee deep through the mud and I like it. So let's delve in a little.

First, who is Nothing?, as I had never heard of the band before. The U.S. band was formed in 2010, previously released three album since 2014 and consists of four members and knows a host of ex-members. Central in the band is Dominic Palermo. The Great Dismal is the band's fourth album and is a monument bringing Nothing into the third decade of the 21st century on a wall of guitars and heavy drumming.

This is not all. The first song on The Great Dismal, 'A Fabricated Life', is fully atypical. The kind of song I could find on Soup's, the Norwegian progrock band, albums. The kind of song or part of a song equalling the calm before the storm. 'A Fabricated Life' isn't a part of one song, yet what happens in 'Say Less' is in no way announced in the opening song. It is one side of Nothing, making the band varied and more interesting.

On the whole the band is not just a bunch of noisemakers. All the songs are highly melodic, Palermo's singing is always soft(ish) giving the songs light and life and keeps them away from just anger or frustration. This makes them all quite listenable and convincing where The Great Dismal is concerned. In fact, I love listening to the album as it simply contains a fully varied musical menu.

The album holds elements of (post)grunge, prog, hardrock and a dash of pop, loud pop, certainly, but pop none the same. The kind of songs I like to sing along to while bobbing my head up and down and shake my corona grown long hair. Yes, folks, seven months of not seeing my hairdresser does something to my looks and it goes quite well with The Great Dismal.

A song called Bernie Sanders? Why not. But allow me to focus on the music and not the potential politics. The guitars dive off the deep end with ease. Again it's only half of the story. Nothing, as nihilistic as it may sound, always leaves the curtain at least partly open. A lighter guitar provides the necessary lightness in all the dark sludge of the rhythm guitars. Palermo's voice simply can't go deep, so always allows light in, even when his tone hits the no feeling button. He may like to call his band Nothing, there simply is a lot on offer, despite the name, despite "paradise is somewhere else", like he sings in 'In Blueberry Memories'. And in the softer 'Blue Mecca' my thoughts return to Soup's album 'Remedies' immediately. especially with that synth filling the space in the music just fine, but also, believe it or not, The Beatles.

The Great Dismal aims for a great sound and a great impact. As such it reminds me of Para Lia's new album, 'Gone With The Flow'. Both deserve a lot of attention. Rock on, I'd say, I'm here to listen.

Wo.

You can listen to and order The Great Dismal here:

https://nothing.bandcamp.com/album/the-great-dismal

or listen to our Spotify Playlist to find out what we are writing about:

https://open.spotify.com/user/glazu53/playlist/6R9FgPd2btrMuMaIrYeCh6?si=KI6LzLaAS5K-wsez5oSO2g

XI Singles

And off we go folks! Another round of recently released singles from several countries and continents, the old and the new. Let yourself be surprised, just like I was, as a lot of these artist are completely new to me, just like their new music is. The link to follow it all is below.

The Minit. Fred Abong

Fred Abong has a long history in Throwing Muses and other bands that started in the 80s. He's no spring chicken anymore and you can here it in his voice. I even dare to ask the question: Can Fred Abong sing? That answer is yes. He holds his melody well. But is he a good singer? That answer is no. Abong sing-tells his way through The Minit with a hoarse voice. The accompaniment is minimal. I hear a few guitars, perhaps a bass, but my guess is the E snare on his electric guitar. Despite not a lot happens on The Minit, I find myself liking the song. The melody is elementary but instantly likeable, the guitar work is intriguing. That voice like a thirsty cowboy walking out of a desert tops the song of nicely.

To Perth, Before The Border Closes. Julia Jacklin

Another lockdown/Covid era song. Julia Jacklin was on tour along Australia's east coast when the lockdown was announced. So she had to decide where to go in the country. Her town of choice is in the title of the song. A good choice, I read recently, as Western Australia seems to have dealt well with the crisis so far. Being extremely isolated from the rest of the country and the world helps I'm sure. Julia Jacklin made the best of it by writing this alternative rocker with some country in it. As singer-songwriter she obviously can be placed in the Courtney Barnett part of the musical spectrum. Her voice is much higher and more fragile. A girl in a rock setting. The guitar work listened to Lou Reed's style of playing a little. From what I'm hearing here, I wouldn't mind to hear more in the future.

B-side 'Cry' is a lighter pop affair, despite the title and the opening lyric "Hiding my depression from the housemaid". Hard times do make for beautiful music in the hands of some artists.

Hesitating Nation / Thousand Oakes. Clap Your Hands Say Yeah

Clap Your Hands Say Yeah's new single is a nervous affair. The music in Hesitation Nation seems to build slowly towards some sort of climax. The promise is there constantly, like in a neo-folk song waiting for the orgiastic "hey-ho!". And slowly but surely the noise goes up, the tempo gives the impression it goes up. It is not a big bang, but comes at the right moment. At the same time it is not 100% satisfying. The promise seemed larger than was possible to deliver.

Thousand Oakes has the same nervousness around it. The music seems to be in a hurry to get somewhere. Despite that I like Thousand Oakes immediately. Also because the, positive, likeness to Arcade Fire. When was it I was first introduced to the band? I honestly can't remember. I do remember not getting through the album. It was too erratic for me in combination with that voice. Listening to the two new songs, makes me curious to hear more in the winter of 2021. An interesting re-acquaintance.

Explain It To Me / Chicago. Squirrel Flower

And here's Squirrel Flower again. Like several other artists she's making the best of the Covid thing. In this single she's all alone with her voice(s) and guitar. And the resonance of the room she's in. It all sounds so spacious as if the whole room is singing and playing with her. Almost like a presence. Of course this is a feature of her debut album as well, but in Explain It To Me she's all alone (I think).

On Chicago there are more instruments. A prominent drum and traces of keyboards. Both songs are slow with Chicago almost bereft of a pace. It only underscores how fine a singer Ella O'Connor Williams is. She manages to bring the whole atmosphere created around her towards her and sits on it like the queen of the realm. Just like she should be when it is her song. Ask me to chose between the two songs and I think you already know which way my vote would go.

Baby Sleep. Maxïmo Park

In my opinion Maxïmo Park approximated a club like Leeds United. Once a cup winner but through the years slowly but surely disappearing from consciousness. The music simply wasn't as good anymore or better urgent enough. With the first single from the upcoming album, 'Child From The Flatlands', I noticed a change, so it made me curious for more. With Baby Sleep that more is there. The single flies out of the intro like 100 meter sprinters. The urgency is there alright. In part the hooray flag is hoisted too early, as Baby Sleep does not keep up that urgency. Still, I'm inclined to give the new single more than just the benefit of the doubt. This is how I want Maxïmo Park to sound. The single is loud, all over the place and holds back in the right places. There's one song the band by now most likely does not want to be remembered of. Simply because they will never make another with the same impact. I can't pretend not to know it. That said Baby Sleep is a fine song by a fine band that truly seems on the way back to the higher leagues. I'm still curious to hear more.

I Wanna Destroy You / Near The Soft Boys. The Soft Boys

Yes, this is an ages old single, re-released for Record Store Day. The Soft Boys was a band around 1980, so (post)punk. At the time The Soft Boys totally passed me by. I wasn't into punk, really. Nowadays I like it so much more. So, I decided to listen and hear a song that leans heavily on circa 1966/67 The Rolling Stones like 'We Love You', without the obligatory psychedelia. It is fantastically melodic in the way only U.K. punkbands dared to be, and Blondie of course. I Wanna Destroy You the title may be, the joy the song has within it suggest the total opposite.

The second re-release, is the maxi single Near The Soft Boys. The four songs come as two 7"singles in one package. Listening to the, once, maxi single's songs I'm moving deeper and deeper into the 60s. From The Kinks to the psychedelic outings of The Who, even The Outsiders come by, as if punk hadn't happened at all in 1980. Each song more psychedelic. Interesting and good.

Mighty Soul. Langhorne Slim

Langhorne Slim returns to WoNoBlog with his new single. Pay attention because it has a 1950s rock and roll length. Musically it has nothing to do with rock and roll. I can't even really think of a niche to put Mighty Soul into. It is a song. The fairly rough sounding guitar in the intro seems a bit like an odd one out, but fits better when the rest of the song progresses. Mighty Soul is an elementary recording but listen more closely and there's more going on then I first suspected. All instruments are more or less mixed together. The surprise comes in a short "aahh aahh" interlude, where the 60s invade Mighty Soul for a few seconds. Mixed a little into that same middle, so it does not stand out fully. Nonetheless it is a beautifully found interlude. The same goes for the keyboards that move in and out again. Langhorne Slim has found a new voice it seems. No matter how short, the message is clear. This is a song.

Dominique. Ela Minus

Dominique is an electronic affair. Ela Minus is a singer with Columbian roots. Come to think of it, the last time I serious listened to a song like Dominique may be when I bought The Human League's 'The Lebanon' on single, well, come to think of it, I may have something by Yazoo. When was that again? Dominique is darker though. The lyrics reflect a tough night, despite the isolation that is mentioned as well. "I need to eat something that is not liquid"? It sounds like a party like it is 2020. 1999 is pure nostalgia these days. No, this is not my music, really, but somehow I like this song. This isn't exciting music but everything falls together. The talk-singing of Ela Minus dropped against the dark synths just work. In April another single 'they told us it was hard, but they were wrong' was reviewed positively too, so it's 2-0 for Eli Minus on this blog.

Blindspot. Kinlaw

Kinlaw is a U.S. artist, composer and choreographer who in January will release her first album, 'The Tipping Point'. With Blindspot she presents herself on single. Musically Blindspot falls nicely after listening to 'Dominque' as Blindspot is an electronic song as well. The song is somewhat lighter that the 7AM hung over outing by Ela Minus. Kinlaw sings more over electronic rhythms and hints at melodies. Modern music for the 20s without going for the obvious. This is serious music not aimed at the number 1 spot but could get there nonetheless with a little luck and the right sponsors. I do not know a lot about what is extremely popular these days, except that in my slowly ageing ears it all sounds sort of the same. Blindspot is more Lorde and Billie Eilish than Ariana Grande. That allows for being listened to me (a little). As she sings: "He's gotta go" at the end of the single, I have to move on to the next one.

Green Eyes. Arlo Parks

Oh, yes, a funky rhythm presents itself. Arlo Parks is from London and young. Like many young artists or better almost all adolescents, she encountered some troubles while growing up, having to find out who she is. This led to making some choses but also to a nice track like Green Eyes. Just listen how smooth the song flows. It digs deep into music of old while using modern rhythms. It instantly reminds me of a song like 'Why Can't We Live Together', in both famous versions. Arlo Parks uses the influence to create a beautiful mood around the rhythm. One dark note on a guitar is enough to set the song on fire, while one after another melody is found to expand it a little more, from the fairly bare start. Her jazzy voice meanders over the music like a slow moving river, slowly but surely moving towards the sea. Green Eyes has made me very curious to learn more in January when 'Collapsed In Sunbeams' is to be released. Three months does seem like a long time right now. Nice ambulance noise at the very end, as if it entered through the window when the recording was ready, the recording device still on.

Loophole. The Covenant

Can a band exist for 33 years and that I've never heard of it before? Yes, it can. The Covenant is a Dutch rock band that formed in the late 80s and releases a new single in 2020. The video starts with a 45 from the Vertigo label being played on a record player. My 'Paranoid' single e.g. has this design of the label that when played plays tricks on my mind constantly and could induce a vertigo or worse for some people. By then a tight piece of  rock is unleashed on me and I'm all ears. This music has nothing to do with 2020. Loophole contains the kind of rock music that went out of style decades ago but sounds just the nicer because of it. Loud guitars, a singer who, in this case attempts to, scream(s), stark drumming and bouncing strokes on the strings of the guitar. This music may have gone out of style a while back, it doesn't make Loophole a less nice song. Just like I like to listen to Deep Purple every once in while, I don't mind putting Loophole on in the future. Rock on, brothers!

Wo.

or listen to our Spotify Playlist to find out what we are writing about:

https://open.spotify.com/user/glazu53/playlist/6R9FgPd2btrMuMaIrYeCh6?si=KI6LzLaAS5K-wsez5oSO2g

 

I'm Not The One! The Lemon Drop Gang

"Guwey, guwey, guwey"? I don't even know how to write it, but not since "Chewy, Chewy, Chewy', a late 1960s hit of the The Ohio Express, have I heard three words having to do with chewing so pronounced in a song as in 'Bubblegum', the most exiting song on The Lemon Drop Gang's album. The kind of song that captures the energy from long ago, played and recorded with all that modern life allows for. There's more. The "yummy yummy yummy" phrase of course is the title of an earlier hit of The Ohio Express. To underline it all: a "bubblegum band". Where things do not align is in the music itself. 'Bubblegum' is so much better than the two hits of the band of old. (That was still active in the 2010s to my surprise.)

The Lemon Drop Gang debuted with the single 'Georgie' on this blog and returns here with its first album. It is an album full of nostalgia for 60s pop hits played in a late 70s punky way. The way The Ramones sped up The Beach Boys and surf hits and Blondie played Buddy Holly's hits from the 50s and other songs then circa 15 years old. Anyone who was attracted to those songs will find their way with I'm Not The One!. 'Georgie' made some sort of a promise to me and I can share with you already that the promise has been fulfilled.

The nostalgia sounding through the songs on this album are in part etched with a sense of innocence that belies the age of The Lemon Drop Gang's members. Like most Rum Bar Records' acts they are second or even more chancers. Musical enthusiasts that make music because they have to, as an extremely serious hobby. That is in part how I'm Not The One! sounds. The Lemon Drop Gang isn't the best band in the world. After I recognised this fact though, it is time to judge what is on offer. From this moment on things become very easy for me. This music is the kind that I could listen to all day, because it makes me feel good and puts a smile on my face.

From the very start in 'Hit The Wall', the speed is up and a fiery guitar solo stokes up the excitement. If the band is able to keep this up I'm Not The One! is going to be great fun. The nice thing is that the album allows for more variation than I would have expected. There's even a sort of 'Sunday Girl' ballad to be found in the form of 'You'll Come Running'.

The only comment I can make is that the band makes singer Steph O'Halloran work hard at times because in some songs she has to sing in a slightly too low register. I have heard the complaint from personal experience from the singer in my band that sometimes it is hard for a woman to sing songs written by a man. In the songs that are better aligned to her vocal range, it is clear she can put a lot more into the song, making a difference instantly. For the rest Steph O'Halloran is able to rock and take care of the early 60s innocent pop feel all in one. A great combination it is.

I'm Not The One! is an album that has a few faces and I notice that each turn the band takes is welcome. Right up to the very end when the band really rocks out once again with the great 'Time To Myself'. Two great pillars of rock prop up the album as a whole at the beginning and end. With two songs like that an album just can't go wrong and it doesn't. I'm Not The One! is great fun.

Wo.

You can order and listen to I'm Not The One! here:

https://rumbarrecords.bandcamp.com/album/im-not-the-one-the-nice-price

or listen to our Spotify Playlist to find out what we are writing about:

https://open.spotify.com/user/glazu53/playlist/6R9FgPd2btrMuMaIrYeCh6?si=KI6LzLaAS5K-wsez5oSO2g

 

Your Face Is Weird. Geoff Palmer & Lucy Ellis

Would Your Face Is Weird ever had happened without the Covid pandemic? As Geoff Palmer writes "2020 is cancelled", so my guess is, probably not. There are good things coming out of 2020 anyway. It is possible to make records while never meeting, sending recordings via the Internet for the other to add to and finish up. That is what happened between Boston and London, between Geoff Palmer and Lucy Ellis.

The collaboration was inspired by the song 'In Spite Of Ourselves' by the late John Prine, a Covid victim by the way. Geoff Palmer always wanted to sing it but needed a female partner and found it in Lucy Ellis, formerly of Australian band The Spazzys and The Rats in the U.K. The one song led to two, that makes a 45 RPM and that to eight songs in all. Four originals and four covers. Listen to 'In Spite Of Ourselves' before any other song on this album and you know what good idea this combination is from the very start. It sounds so extremely positive. A new duo is born, as this ought never be the last we hear of them together.

On Your Face Is Weird the duo, assisted by drummer Zach Sprague, aims for the pearley gates of pure pop. There's an element of country in there, of course when John Prine is covered, but for the rest it is as if The Bangles are joined by a male singer and have lost its sugar coating, that usually irked me, in the process. Just listen to Kirsty MacColl's 'They Don't Know'. This combination works really well. Bye, bye Tracy Ullman. Who needs her when you have Palmer and Ellis? Pure pop heaven 'They Don't Know' is.

The suave singing of 'I'll Never Fall In Love Again' by Tom Jones may be a bit hard for Geoff Palmer to achieve. This is not the case when Lucy Ellis takes over. Her girl like vocals totally changes the song, just like the addition of the organ does. Again a very well done cover version. And a surprising one at that, because what rocker burns his finger on a Tom Jones song?

In as far as compensation is needed 'Crash Of The Music' delivers just that. This staunch, tight rock song rips itself through the two previous, softer songs' impressions. Rocking like there's no tomorrow is a good thing in times when all doses of rock has to be taken in the home. 'Crash Of The Music' provides alright. What a joyous song it is.

Your Face Is Weird is only eight songs long/short. It is a fantastically optimistic record in a time when there are not so much places to find it. Especially for those having a hard time finding it at home. Geoff Palmer & Lucy Ellis share the joy they had in making the record with the world, thanks to the "yes" of their record labels to release the album. Great decision Rum Bar and Stardumb!

Wo.

You can order the cd and listen to Your Face Is Weird here:

https://rumbarrecords.bandcamp.com/album/your-face-is-weird

or as 10" LP here:

https://www.stardumbrecords.com/products/geoff-palmer-lucy-ellis-your-face-is-weird-10

or listen to our Spotify Playlist to find out what we are writing about:

https://open.spotify.com/user/glazu53/playlist/6R9FgPd2btrMuMaIrYeCh6?si=KI6LzLaAS5K-wsez5oSO2g

Dawn Of The Deaf. The Short Fuses

First single 'The Pink' was reviewed recently on this blog as one balled drop of energy being unleashed on me as unsuspecting listener (during that first session). What could a whole album bring? Believe it or not: one charged ball of energy. Is there too much of a good thing? Certainly, but not Dawn Of The Deaf. This album just rocks on and on with not a single dip to be found. If there is, it's me not being able to take more. Dawn Of The Deaf takes a lot out of a listener alright. This album is major party time and nothing else.

The Short Fuses is a trio, although I'd easily have believed it, should it say they have three guitarists all playing at full blast, releasing its first record in 15 years. For this comeback nothing has been left to chance and certainly not the song quality. The playing is absolutely super tight, while allowing for a truckload of melodic joy and mastery of each instrument. Jimmy Page on steroids guitar playing, solos like a whipping, fully energetic bass playing and drumming as if a forest needs felling, by way of drumsticks!

Over this all lays a voice like a fog horn. Miss Georgia Peach has the exact right voice for this music. Tough, loud, rough, a Debby Harry who can actually sing, a dark tone for a woman, but all melodic, despite the speed of the songs. Because songs they are. Highly charged punkrock songs with garage rock elements. Although there are hints to other bands, certainly of old, there seems nothing like The Short Fuses thanks to Miss Georgia Peach. And how she manages to keep that bass going while singing, is close to a mystery to me. It is a combination that works and seldom heard by me in this way.

Now Travis Ramin has an interesting role in the band. He's both the lead guitarist and the drummer. That poses a challenge on stage. Having seen the drummers of Half Moon Run and De Kift live, I'm about to believe a lot but not that this combination is feasible on stage. Fact is that at both instruments he is tremendously good, impressive even. Justin Staggs keeps the rhythm going on guitar in a super tight fashion.

The Short Fuses is nothing but a musical storm able to destroy anything in its path. Dawn Of The Deaf is a joy to listen to. (At the right moment. At 08.30 AM this morning it was not such a success, I'll admit.) Later in the day it works really, really well. The kind of album any lover of fast rock songs should get acquainted to, fast. As comebacks go, this is one dream of a comeback.

Wo.

You can listen to and order Dawn Of The Deaf here:

https://rumbarrecords.bandcamp.com/album/dawn-of-the-deaf

or listen to our Spotify Playlist to find out what we are writing about:

https://open.spotify.com/user/glazu53/playlist/6R9FgPd2btrMuMaIrYeCh6?si=KI6LzLaAS5K-wsez5oSO2g

X singles

It is time for another round of singles, recently released, on WoNoBlog. From folk, to gospel, from relentless rock to 90s inspired rock music and from well-established names from the 60s and 80s to debut singles. It all comes by. So here you go and don't forget to listen via the link below.

Soap. The Oh Hellos

With the release 'Zephyrus' The Oh Hellos have rounded the four winds. The album will be reviewed later on this blog. First it's time to highlight the first single 'Soap'. It is an amalgamated song. At first it sounds like a traditional neo folk song from the 10s, banjo and all. Soap also has a darker side where an electric guitar totally lets it rip, but not without some neo folk community singing before it really goes all out. Soap is not an easy song to digest, more one to undergo. Do just that and you will see that you're listening to one of the better neo folk songs you've ever heard. Of Monsters And Men or Mumford & Sons but then with a truckload of pepper in a proverbial place. I've heard The Oh Hellos pull of this feat before but seldom so forceful.

Trouble Of The World. Sinéad O'Connor

There are moments that it's best to just shut up and listen in wonder. Trouble Of The World, Sinéad O'Connor's new single, is such a song. Not that much happens, no, it is the fact that so little happens that makes the song so impressive. A modernised gospel song was my guess listening to it for the first time. It turns out to be a traditional made famous by Mahalia Jackson. O'Connor's version is an undercooled affair, more atmosphere than music, a low humming choir instead of the exuberant church choirs of the U.S. baptists churches. Although it starts with a piano in the intro, the instrument is traded in for atmospherics soon. Sinéad O'Connor no longer is a young woman but manages to impress me almost as much as with her introduction in my life with 'Troy'. In the video clip she makes a clear statement concerning the trouble of the world she sees right now. Black Lives Matter.

Buy Another Gun. Thelonius Monster

Thelonius Monster, wasn't that the guy who, totally drunk, climbed the stage of Pinkpop and subsequently did not fall, but managed to kill his career instead? Yes, Bob Forrest is the name and come 2020 he is back with a single that holds a nice pop melody but also some prickly guitar playing that is quite infectuous. I remember listening to the album with the minor 90s hit single on it, but can't remember much, except that it didn't impress me. With Buy Another Gun, Thelonius Monster taps into a few wells, including the end of 'I'm The Walrus', 90s alternative rock, 80s punk funk guitar playing and pop music in general. The combination may sound rather weird but this song works. The verses remind me of another song that I can't get my finger around but also leaves me soon enough. Overall a good score for a come back.

In and Out. The Vices

The second band the new Rotterdam based label Mattan Records signed is the band The Vices, a Groningen based band. In And Out is a song that is infectuous, the kind I will play a few times in a row, to enjoy it, to get to know it better and better, to start singing along, to dance to. In And Out starts in a nice bare way. Just drums and bass. Slowly the song is fleshed out, building towards the climax that dutifully ends the song. The tightness of the playing is just right, while allowing for the melodic vocal melody. The result is a nice alternative pop song of which there are many but a song like In And Out is always welcome. It certainly makes me curious what a whole album will sound like. We have to be patient until March.

Can't Talk, Won't. Coach Party

A band from the Isle of Wight? Level 42, an early 00s band with an extremely long name I can't remember and now Coach Party. According to the bio this is one of the upcoming bands in the U.K. and I can imagine why. This song holds the sort of energy that will jump over to everyone enjoying a good pop rock song. Yes, don't be surprised when a name like Wolf Alice comes by but have I ever heard that band rock this hard? U.S. label Rum Bar Records could have released this song, were it not that the average age of the band members of Coach Party is 30 years off for that label. The element of garage rock, 60s pop and powerpop is all contained in Can't Talk, Won't. The lyric "wanna die, wanna die, wanna die" is a bit disconcerting usually, but not when there's s much joy flying around as this single is sharing with the world. I just love it, can't help it, won't.

Falling. Lucas Hamming

It has been quiet around Lucas Hamming for a while. Being no stranger to this blog, I am happy to have the Dutch artist back on these pages. With Falling he returns with an extremely poppy melody that holds elements of neo-folk in the way of singing and parts of the chorus. The verses are more alternative with hints to the 80s. More funky also. The result is a song that is hard to forget. Hear it once and I assure you to be singing "stopping us from running / falling" all day. Falling is a nice ear worm that can't but help to settle in your brain. An ideal single, clocking just under three minutes, with enough pop elements, without sounding forced for one second. Something the song he is know best for, until recently, 'Never Let You Down', was. Falling ought to take that place fast. It simply is too good not to. Progression that's called.

Coup de Grâce. PXPRS

There are some similarities with 'Can't Talk, Won't', reviewed above. PXPRS also has a female singer and a truckload of guitars and energy. More punky and electronic because of the voice's treatment. The Bristol band around singer Nikki Thomas is without mercy alright. Despite the fact the song has an intermezzo, a lull, the impression I end up with is 3 minutes and some of onslaught on my eardrums, unrelenting energy and noise entering my brain. Even up to a point that I wonder if there's a song below all the energy poured out over me. There is, an elementary one that is repeated over and over. "Can you take it"?, is the question being asked over and over. Yes, easily but not every day of week please, let alone once an hour. This is the kind of song that allows for blowing off steam. Use it with care as there's so much energy involved.

Everything Everyone / The Next Day. Field Day

Can you believe it? There's a band from Boston that is not on Rum Bar Records. Listening to Field Day it is easy to hear why the band is not on that label. The music relates to 90s bands like Buffalo Tom and The Lemonheads and not 60s garage rock. The singing between Joan Anderman and Dan Zedek, also the guitarists of the band, is one of the charms on Everything Everyone, showing light and dark between them when they observe, slightly regretting it, that everyone changes. At least that is what the mood of the song seems to suggest.

The Next Day is a darker song, tighter and having a mild The Velvet Underground undertone in the chugging rhythm. Anderman is the principal singer here. She sings with a darker tone to her voice, making The Next Day more urgent than the other side of the single. If I had to make a choice I know where my bet would lay. The Next Day is an excellent song, that I can listen to for a long time should I have to. It comes with a nice elementary guitar solo, reminding me of 'What Goes On'. I had never heard of Field Day before. The introduction is certainly agreeable and making me look forward to hear more in the future.

Lazy Day. John Cale

Interesting that, totally coincidental, John Cale was next on my list to listen to. Of course Cale once was a The Velvet Underground member, thrown out by Lou Reed, to cooperate again for a short while after the death of Andy Warhol, in the early and mid-90s. The only thing missing was enough time to produce a new album together as The Velvet Underground. Now at 77 Cale comes up with a new single. Lazy Day is a sort of forced affair. An attempt to sound modern, to honour David Bowie perhaps, the song drags itself forward, like an old man. I have a hard time finding something positive to write on Lazy Day, I'm afraid. Except for one thing. I think it's great that Cale is still active and shares his work with the world and that I hope he will be for as long as he can. So I do not really care for Lazy Day. That can change with the next song easily. Lazy Day however has been taken to literally in my ears.

I Don't Read Your Papers Anymore. People In Houses

I Don't Read Your Papers Anymore starts with a light sound of acoustic instruments, introducing a singer-songwriter / folk song. The dark voice that sets in surprised me, as it was far darker than I expected based on the intro. It is the only factor taking away from the neo-folk that People In Houses presents in this song (and a little CSN&Y in the harmonies). The trumpet solo almost makes the song exuberant, but that it is not. The song is subdued and modest. This does not prevent the musicians to show what they can do and that is a lot. People In Houses is a band from Belgium, Ghent to be precise. The members play many different instruments but all acoustic and that shows on I Don't Read Your Papers Anymore. The kind of song that allows the listener to truly listen and hear all the great details People In Houses have added to the song. A nice introduction to the band, this single was.

Wo.

Listen to our Spotify Playlist to find out what we are writing about:

https://open.spotify.com/user/glazu53/playlist/6R9FgPd2btrMuMaIrYeCh6?si=KI6LzLaAS5K-wsez5oSO2g

Bogland. Nouveau Vélo

And another alternative rock band from Amsterdam, in The Netherlands. What is it they have in the water over there? Perceivably it is dance, beats, EDM, rap and trance that is going on in this country (not on this blog, obviously), in the underground young people are playing guitars, bass, drums and sometimes a keyboard to boot. Nouveau Vélo is a nice addition to the row of bands that have reached me in the past few years.

This band can be labelled in the category alternative rock with a clear sound and a knack for pop melodies. Often a nice place to be in my book. Whether the tempo is higher or slower the clearness of the sound is always the basis. The influences can go back all the way to Dion & the Belmonts or Del Shannon and everything in between 1962 and 2020 where a good pop song based on guitar playing is concerned. On the one hand The Cure is always close by but Nouveau Vélo doesn't let itself fall into that early 80s doom trap that easily. For that there's too much light let into Bogland. No risk of being sucked into the bog here.

A crisp snare drum accompanies the opening and title song Bogland. Start listening more closely and several components reveal themselves. A bass that supports the song by playing little melodies over and over. The clear guitar is the most ear-catching instrument for most of the song(s). Not so much playing rhythm as a repetitive melodic lines. Yes, The Byrds and R.E.M. style. In between there is a very elementary piano, more single note than a chord. Over this all a second guitar vacuums the space and fills all the holes in the sound. All the singer has to do is sing, but I'm almost of mind to state that the voice is just an addition, not the main feature of the song.

This doesn't change in song number two. 'Matryoska' speeds up the tempo, female harmony vocals are added. The clear, open sound remains. It is easy to state that Nouveau Vélo is a typical Excelsior band and yes, I can along with this statement up to some extend. Because of that high, crisp sound Nouveau Vélo does create its own sound. And of course it is possible to point to a host of bands having (had) this sound. I like it here on Bogland, where the band's previous records could not impress me. Something has changed since 2017.

Without sounding retro for a moment, the band weaves the past into its songs. So just as easily I hear faint traces of The Passions' 'I'm In Love With A German Film Star' as R.E.M. in 'Shackles'. The 10s enter in 'Statue', that would have been one of the best songs of The Maccabees. The spaciousness in the mix gives both songs a modernness that fits a band playing in the 20s. In doing so Bogland adds to past experiences not only by tickling an old fancy but by providing new songs that are nice to know and have. Rolf Hupkes, Bart Haverkort and Niek Leenders clearly are on to something. Incorporate close to 60 years of popular music and you have Bogland.

Wo.

You can buy Bogland here:

https://shop.excelsior-recordings.com/products/nouveau-velo-bogland

or listen to our Spotify Playlist to find out what we are writing about:

https://open.spotify.com/user/glazu53/playlist/6R9FgPd2btrMuMaIrYeCh6?si=KI6LzLaAS5K-wsez5oSO2g

Northern Songs. The Asteroid No.4

With a band name like The Asteroid No.4 I expect to hear psychedelia and that is what I get on Northern Songs. Now Northern Songs is not just any name. Look underneath the title of most songs released by The Beatles and you will read Northern Songs, the name of the band's music publishing company. As The Beatles is a universe of its own, there's no sense to compare here. The Asteroid No.4 stands its own ground though.

The Asteroid No.4 has featured in two of the single round ups I did this summer. My conclusion following 'Swiss Mountain Myth', "anyone looking for a good dose of psych does not have to look any further", can easily be repeated. On its tenth album the San Francisco based band takes its listeners through a magical mystery tour, bringing all sorts of psych history into the present. What is missing is San Francisco's greatest, Jefferson Airplane and Grateful Dead.

The band obviously loves the sound of The Byrds. In the title song a Rickenbacker and Jim (Roger) McGuinn's singing is all over the song. The 60s pop element is so high here. If released then, comments at the time may well have been that the song is a too obvious copy, 54 years down the line 'Northern Song' is very welcome. It is not just nostalgic pleasure, it is good, including the wavy harmonies. The mix between solid pop and ethereal psychedelia just exactly right.

Promo photo: Kari Deveraux

What is kind of brave, is that the track selection on Northern Songs is the other way around as I would have made it. The more heavy tracks, in the sense of less easily accessible, come first and the more 60s pop laden songs with psychedelic under and over tones come in from the middle part of the album.

Yes, there are lines with modern psych bands, of course, The Black Angels, Dutch band PAUW (where did they go?) and many others. For some more recent bands I started noticing a little psych fatigue. Not so for The Asteroid No.4. So does it have to do with the quality of the songs on offer? It seems so because I'm totally happy listening to Northern Songs. The album is varied, has some great tracks on it and yes, if I wanted to I could go totally out of my mind. Why should I when the music is this good? No need to run from anything here. Northern Songs is a great psych album. So let me repeat once more: If you're looking for a psych album, you can stop looking. I've found it for you.

Wo.

You can Listen to and order Northern Songs here:

https://theasteroidno4.bandcamp.com/album/northern-songs-2

or listen to our Spotify Playlist to find out what we are writing about:

https://open.spotify.com/user/glazu53/playlist/6R9FgPd2btrMuMaIrYeCh6?si=KI6LzLaAS5K-wsez5oSO2g

EDO/EKEI. Logout

Logout first found its way to these pages with a record called N91°. Logout's new album's title is less mysterious. At least for those able to read and understand Greek. Reading capital letters I come a long way in reading, which helps when driving e.g., not where it comes to understanding. EDO/EKEI translates into Here/There, a title that could perhaps be understood in the context of the immigrant, as Logout is a Greek living in Amsterdam. An immigrant is always someone who lives in between the here and there, sometimes caught in the middle of those two worlds.

With EDO/EKEI Logout again makes a subdued album. Don't expect any great exuberant statements from this artist. His lyrics, all in his mother tongue, are long drawn out, accompanied by slow playing on keyboards and some vague percussion that at times almost seems more intent on derailing the meandering synths than really add to the whole. Something that gets noticed, despite being soft and, in essence, non-obtrusive. A paradoxic as it may sound, this is the effect it has on me.

EDO/EKEI overall has a soothing effect on me. Stripping it all down, my take is that Logout has written traditional Greek songs, that I could have heard over there with all the traditional Greek instruments in place. From that moment on he has stripped everything, maybe only mentally, traditional and started to craft his own take on traditional Greek sounds with the aid of his keyboards and synthesizers. The result is a totally new kind of traditional Greek songs, the kind that makes the country ready for a new musical era.

Despite the fact that I can only pick out a word here or there, it is not hard to connect to the songs. For that to happen EDO/EKEI presents the right moods. The melancholy mood and the slow moving music creating that mood suck me into the album and invite me to listen to all the small changes taking place. No, I will not play this album on a daily basis, but certainly on a regular basis.

After reviewing Greek artists and bands by way of the Athens based Inner Ear Records label in the past two years, now I'm listening to Greek songs through the Dutch Tiny Room Records label. And why not? In the E.U. borders do not really exist any more. Simply a good thing and not just in music. EDO/EKEI and Logout underscore that quite nicely.

Wo.

You can listen to and order EDO/EKEI here:

https://tinyroomrecords.bandcamp.com/album/-

or listen to our Spotify Playlist to find out what we are writing about:

https://open.spotify.com/user/glazu53/playlist/6R9FgPd2btrMuMaIrYeCh6?si=KI6LzLaAS5K-wsez5oSO2g

Fake It Flowers. beabadoobee

Moving from a serious alternative rocker to a dreamy adolescent is a piece of cake for beabadoobee or singer-singwriter Beatrice Laus from London, with roots in the Philippines. It has already been mentioned often how the only 20 years old singer moves into 90s alternative music. For me that is only half of the story.

Yes, I can point to how the influence of the ballad side of Smashing Pumpkins can be heard in a song like 'Horen Sarrison'. '1979' isn't far away here and give me beabadoobee's voice in a song like this any time. That isn't explanation enough in my ears. 'Horen Sarrison' shows a totally different side to this artist, where even Massive Attack can be pointed to in the singing. It shows the musical richness of Fake It Flowers.

I have come to understand that beabadoobee is presented as one of the saviours of alternative rock or at least one of the major talents in that segment of (rock) music. That is a step too far. Perhaps some of the bands dwelling in this country have not been noticed yet, Global Charming, to mention just one. Again, Fake It Flowers is too varied to be pushed into alternative rock. The record holds ballads, singer-songwriter songs as well. In other words this is a singer presenting herself to the world in a few guises, showing that in the future she can tread into many directions. Even a 90s lo-fi singer-songwriter ('How Was Your Day?'), something that ironically is a niche in music that has become redundant. Everyone who saves a few hundred dollars can buy professional digital equipment and record hi-fi.

Press Shot: Callum Harrison

The album opens in the way I had expected reading on beabadoobee before having heard a note. 'Care' and 'Worth It' sucked me into the album straight away. Yes, part sentiment for the music that were part of my personal third musical wave, one that sort of continues to this day with an album like Fake It Flowers. The charm of 'Care' is that it contains the art of not overdoing things. There's not a grungy Seattle guitar within earshot. Above the solid drumming are instruments with light touches and a girl singing like a girl over it all and not like a angry, drunken fish wife (Courtney had her charms for sure). When the pedal is pushed towards or even into the red, yes, it happens as well on this album, then it is still the girl singing. The result are songs that have lightness within them, coming close to Veruca Salt's 'Eight Arms To Hold You'. Songs that hold a nice element of pop within them, without shielding it, like Nirvana was a master at.

It is when beabadoobee takes a turn towards other kind of songs Fake It Flowers starts to give away some of its surprises, as I did not see that turn coming when starting to the album for the first time and to be honest, they still surprise me every once in a while. Often an artist gets slammed for having two such different faces, here it adds to the charm of Fake It Flowers.

So, Fake It Flowers may not be the saviour of alternative rock, for more than one reason, it is an album by a young artist that shows a lot of potential. beabadoobee may be able to surprise the world some more in the years to come, as she doesn't let herself be caught in one corner.

Wo.

Listen to our Spotify Playlist to find out what we are writing about:

https://open.spotify.com/user/glazu53/playlist/6R9FgPd2btrMuMaIrYeCh6?si=KI6LzLaAS5K-wsez5oSO2g

In This Moment. Polly Scattergood

Polly Scattergood is toe aan haar derde album en het is een bijzonder indrukwekkend album met een opvallend vol en veelkleurig geluid en zang die overloopt van emotie en urgentie. 

 

De naam Polly Scattergood vergeet je niet snel, maar haar muziek was ik eerlijk gezegd alweer uit het oog verloren. Het zal niet snel gebeuren met haar nieuwe album, want In This Moment is een indrukwekkend album met een groots aangezette instrumentatie vol dynamiek, met indringende zang en met songs die zowel ruimte bieden aan donkere wolken als aan zonnestralen. Het is een album dat in eerste instantie overweldigend over zal komen, maar dat ook vol subtiele wendingen zit. Polly Scattergood associeerde ik altijd al met talent en belofte en met In This Moment maakt ze dit meer dan waar.

In This Moment is het derde album van de Britse singer-songwriter Polly Scattergood. Haar vorige twee albums, het in 2009 verschenen titelloze debuut en de in 2013 verschenen opvolger Arrows, heb ik destijds absoluut beluisterd, maar de albums zijn me eerlijk gezegd niet bijgebleven. Aan de andere kant is de naam Polly Scattergood voor mij verbonden met talent en belofte, waardoor ik direct nieuwsgierig was naar haar nieuwe album, dat deze week is verschenen.

Ik heb niet meer de moeite genomen om de eerste twee albums van de Britse muzikante nog eens te beluisteren, maar was eigenlijk onmiddellijk onder de indruk van In This Moment. Het album opent direct zeer ambitieus met het ruim zeven minuten durende Red, dat opent met piano en zang, maar vervolgens steeds verder wordt opgetuigd met percussie, strijkers en elektronica. Het heeft direct wat beklemmends en bezwerends, wat nog eens wordt versterkt door de indringende zang van Polly Scattergood, die qua voordracht wel wat heeft van Tori Amos en Kate Bush, maar is voorzien van een toegankelijker en donkerder stemgeluid.

De openingstrack van het derde album van de Britse muzikante is prachtig opgebouwd. Polly Scattergood creëert onmiddellijk een donkere sfeer, die prachtig wordt uitgebouwd met de aanzwellende instrumentatie. Het is een track die zeker niet alleen vertrouwt op de kracht van donkere wolken, want de door piano en strijkers gedomineerde intermezzo’s zorgen voor veel dynamiek.

De ruim zeven minuten durende openingstrack geeft een goed beeld van het nieuwe geluid van Polly Scattergood. Het is een geluid dat keer op keer prachtig is ingekleurd, waarbij dramatiek en bombast geen moment uit de weg worden gegaan. Het vraagt wat van de zang van Polly Scattergood, maar de Britse singer-songwriter houdt zich verrassend makkelijk staande en voegt nog wat extra drama en bezwering toe aan het bij vlagen zeer rijk georkestreerde en overweldigende geluid.

Red is de langste en meest ambitieuze track op het album, maar het recept van de track komt telkens terug en wordt steeds weer verfijnd. In de tweede track speelt percussie een wat belangrijkere rol en worden de bijdragen van strijkers en elektronica in de vorm van soundscapes gegoten, waarna Polly Scattergood als een duistere middeleeuwse priesteres haar teksten prevelt. Andere tracks worden gedomineerd door donkere elektronische klanken en een wat beklemmende sfeer, maar Polly Scattergood vertrouwt ook regelmatig op haar piano voor fraaie ballads met subtiele elektronische versiersels.

Het is ver verwijderd van de veel lichtvoetigere muziek die Polly Scattergood in mijn herinnering in het verleden maakte, maar het is keer op keer prachtig en indrukwekkend. Steeds weer staan zwaar aangezette en meer subtiele klanken tegenover elkaar en steeds weten ze elkaar te versterken.

In This Moment zou zomaar de soundtrack kunnen zijn van een film of serie kunnen zijn, want de nieuwe muziek van Polly Scattergood beschikt absoluut over beeldende kracht, waarbij zowel donkere als kleurigere tinten aan bod komen. Het is het resultaat van pieken en dalen in het leven van Polly Scattergood, die de hectiek van de Britse samenleving verruilde voor de rust van de woestijn van Fuerteventura, maar die ook voor het eerst moeder werd. Het komt allemaal samen op een album dat bijna 50 minuten indruk maakt met songs die je heen en weer sleuren tussen diverse emoties en bijbehorende klanken. Al met al een zeer indrukwekkend album van Polly Scattergood.

 

Erwin Zijleman

 

Je kunt In This Moment hier bestellen:

https://polly-scattergood.tmstor.es/

of luister naar onze Spotify Playlist om uit te vinden waar we over schrijven:

https://open.spotify.com/user/glazu53/playlist/6R9FgPd2btrMuMaIrYeCh6?si=KI6LzLaAS5K-wsez5oSO2g

 

New Truth. Jenny O.

De vijver met jonge vrouwelijke singer-songwriters is momenteel overvol, maar het fraaie nieuwe album van de uit Los Angeles afkomstige Jenny O. zou ik er zeker uit vissen.

New Truth van de Amerikaanse singer-songwriter Jenny O. is een album dat, zeker met de zomerse temperaturen van de afgelopen zomer, makkelijk verleidt. De arrangementen zijn fraai, de instrumentatie is verzorgd en veelkleurig en Jenny O. beschikt over een stem waarvoor ik alleen maar kan smelten. New Truth staat ook nog eens vol met heerlijk lome en zonnige popliedjes, die makkelijk verleiden, maar die je ook nieuwsgierig maken naar alle verrassingen die de Amerikaanse singer-songwriter in haar muziek heeft verstopt. Ik had het bijna over het hoofd gezien (net als haar vorige albums), maar dit is voor mij een album om te koesteren.

Jenny O. is het alter ego van de vanuit Los Angeles opererende singer-songwriter Jennifer Anne Ognibene (ik begrijp de keuze voor een alter ego wel). Het deze week verschenen New Truth is al het vierde album van de Californische muzikante en het is een album dat me uitstekend bevalt. De muziek van Jenny O. is immers heerlijk loom en zit vol met de zonnestralen die in Californische popmuziek nooit ver weg zijn, waardoor het album het uitstekend doet in zomerse tijden.

Als jonge vrouwelijke singer-songwriter in het indie-segment heeft Jenny O. momenteel talloze concurrenten, maar New Truth viel me, ondanks het enorme aanbod in het segment, onmiddellijk op. Jenny O. is een geschoold jazzmuzikante, die op haar nieuwe album een zeer goed gevoel voor memorabele popliedjes etaleert. New Truth staat vol met zeer aantrekkelijke popliedjes, die zich aangenaam tegen je aan vleien en direct een goed gevoel geven. Het zijn warm klinkende popliedjes die zich over het algemeen langzaam voortslepen, maar Jenny O. brengt absoluut voldoende variatie aan in haar muziek en niet alleen door te variëren met het tempo.

De songs op New Truth vallen stuk voor stuk op door zeer smaakvolle arrangementen en een hele mooie instrumentatie, waarin met name het gitaarwerk van een bijzondere schoonheid is, maar waarin ook op fraaie wijze organische en elektronische klanken worden gecombineerd. Het gitaarwerk varieert van zonnig en uitbundig tot licht melancholisch en subtiel en kan zowel prachtig uitwaaien als licht gruizig klinken. Het kleurt keer op keer prachtig bij de wat meisjesachtige zang van Jenny O., die af en toe wel wat aan Juliana Hatfield doet denken, maar wel wat warmer klinkt, het zal de Californische touch zijn.

Het is een stem waarvan je moet houden, maar ik hou er absoluut van. Persoonlijk vind ik de stem van Jenny O. zelfs het sterkste wapen op New Truth, al word ik ook steeds weer verrast door de bijzonder smaakvolle instrumentatie en de sterke songs. Ook qua invloeden is New Truth van Jenny O. een verrassend veelzijdig album. De singer-songwriter uit Los Angeles vindt aansluiting bij de jonge vrouwelijke indie-rock helden van het moment, maar kan ook uit de voeten met indie-folk. Hier blijft het niet bij, want New Truth schuift ook af en toe op richting psychedelische popmuziek, flirt hier en daar voorzichtig met new age of klinkt juist jazzy.

Alle onderdelen van de muziek van Jenny O. krijgen een uitstekend rapportcijfer, maar de som der delen scoort nog beter. Jenny O. sluit met haar muziek aan op vele soortgenoten, maar ze slaagt er wat mij betreft glansrijk in om een eigen geluid neer te zetten. Het is een geluid dat nagenoeg perfect aansluit op mijn muzieksmaak, waardoor New Truth maar voorbij blijft komen deze dagen.

Dat is ook wel wat confronterend, want hoewel ik het idee heb dat ik de ontwikkelingen binnen de muziek uitstekend bij houdt, zeker wanneer het gaat om vrouwelijke singer-songwriters, heb ik de vorige drie albums van Jenny O. compleet gemist en is het wel oppikken van New Truth een toevalstreffer. Het is een toevalstreffer die ik niet graag had gemist, want Jenny O. zou met dit album zomaar hoge ogen kunnen gooien in mijn jaarlijstje.

 

Erwin Zijleman

Je kunt hier luisteren naar New Truth en het album bestellen:

https://jennyo.bandcamp.com/album/new-truth

 

of luister naar onze Spotify Playlist om uit te vinden waar we over schrijven:

https://open.spotify.com/user/glazu53/playlist/6R9FgPd2btrMuMaIrYeCh6?si=KI6LzLaAS5K-wsez5oSO2g

 

Boots No. 2, The Lost Songs, Vol. 1. / All The Good Times. Gillian Welch & Dave Rawlings

Gillian Welch neemt een duik in haar archieven en levert met Dave Rawlings ook nog eens een intiem lockdown album af, wat in één klap twee geweldige Gillian Welch albums oplevert. 

Ik volg het nieuws rond Gillian Welch kennelijk niet zo goed, want het samen met Dave Rawlings gemaakte All The Good Times is me twee weken geleden ontgaan. Ik kwam het album op het spoor door de release van de verzameling restmateriaal op Boots No. 2, dat weer onderdeel blijkt van een nog dit jaar te completeren trilogie. Het zijn in kwantitatief opzicht goede tijden voor de liefhebbers van de muziek van Gillian Welch en Dave Rawlings en ook in kwalitatief opzicht valt er niets te klagen. Beide albums bevatten vooral sober ingekleurde songs met de zo herkenbare stemmen van het tweetal uit Nashville. Bij elkaar anderhalf uur smullen van de unieke muziek van Gillian Welch en Dave Rawlings en er is nog veel meer op komst. 

Er is de afgelopen 15 jaar veel gesproken over de vermeende writer’s block van Gillian Welch, maar deze zou inmiddels wel erg lang duren en bovendien is er nooit bewijs voor aangedragen. Het lijkt er op dat de Amerikaanse singer-songwriter en haar partner Dave Rawlings vooral erg kritisch zijn op hun werk. 

We moeten daarom blij zijn met alles dat wel komt en dus werd ik een week of twee geleden aangenaam verrast door de aankondiging van de release van Boots No. 2, The Lost Songs, Vol. 1. Het is de opvolger van Boots No. 1, The Official Revival Bootleg uit 2016 dat restmateriaal bevatte van de sessies die uiteindelijk haar debuut Revival uit 1996 opleverden.

Het voegde vijf kwartier interessante muziek toe aan het oeuvre van Gillian Welch en daar komt met Boots No. 2 nog eens drie kwartier bij. En er zit nog veel meer in het vat, want Boots No. 2 is pas het eerste deel met “lost songs”. De overige twee delen verschijnen als het goed is de komende maanden, zodat 2020 zomaar een prachtig jaar voor de liefhebbers van Gillian Welch lijkt te worden.

Het wordt nog mooier, want toen ik het album opzocht op de bandcamp pagina van de singer-songwriter uit Nashville, Tennessee, zag ik daar ook All The Good Times staan. Het is een album van Gillian Welch en Dave Rawlings dat een paar weken geleden uit het niets werd uitgebracht en waar ik nog niets over ben tegengekomen. Het maakte de aangename verrassing nog wat groter.

Goed, eerst Boots No. 2, The Lost Songs, Vol. 1. Het is net als Boots No. 1 een album dat gevuld is met restmateriaal en dit keer gaat het om restmateriaal dat stamt uit de eerste jaren van het huidige millennium, waarin Gillian Welch twee prachtige albums uitbracht, Time (The Revelator) uit 2001 en Soul Journey uit 2003. Boots No. 2, The Lost Songs. Vol. 1 bevat restmateriaal uit deze periode en het is restmateriaal dat varieert van demo’s tot opgenomen songs die uiteindelijk net de albums niet haalden.

De meeste songs op het album zijn sober. Akoestische gitaar en zang vormen de belangrijkste bestanddelen van de meeste songs op het album, hier en daar aangevuld met prachtig ander snarenwerk van Dave Rawlings. Het is sober, maar het is ook vanaf de eerste noten het uit duizenden herkenbare Gillian Welch geluid, die uitstekend uit de voeten kan met sobere klanken.

Time (The Revelator) is mijn favoriete Gillian Welch album en ook het restmateriaal uit de vroege jaren 00 bevalt me uitstekend. Het snarenwerk is sober maar ook warm en de stem van Gillian Welch is er een waarvoor ik nog altijd makkelijk smelt. Boots No. 2 bevalt me nog wat beter dan zijn voorganger en dan is er ook nog het vooruitzicht dat we nog twee delen tegoed hebben. Het is een prachtig vooruitzicht.

 

En dan is er dus ook nog All The Good Times, dat volgens de cover All The Good Times Are Past And Gone heet. Het is een album dat Gillian Welch en Dave Rawlings opnamen tijdens de corona lockdown. Het met eenvoudige middelen opgenomen album bevat 10 songs en het zijn allemaal covers of bewerkingen van traditionals.

 

Ook dit keer moeten we het doen met fraai snarenwerk en de stemmen van Gillian Welch en Dave Rawlings, die elkaar afwisselen en bovendien tekenen voor geweldige harmonieën.

De songs van onder andere Bob Dylan en John Prine en de door Dave Rawlings en Gillian Welch bewerkte traditionals worden stuk voor stuk voorzien van het unieke stempel van het tweetal uit Nashville en vormen een wat weemoedige maar bijzonder fraaie soundtrack van het leven in corona tijd.

All The Good Times klinkt meestal nog wat ruwer dan het restmateriaal van Boots No. 2, maar het pakt geweldig uit, al is het maar omdat de stemmen van Gillian Welch en Dave Rawlings in een sobere muzikale setting alleen maar krachtiger worden.

We kunnen het nog lang hebben over de writer’s block van Gillian Welch, maar met vier albums in een jaar tijd hebben we natuurlijk niets te klagen. Ik teer al vele jaren op al het moois dat Gillian Welch in het verleden maakte, maar ben heel blij met al dit nieuwe werk, dat nog maar eens de unieke talenten van Gillian Welch en Dave Rawlings onderstreept.

 

Erwin Zijleman

Je kunt beide albums hier beluisteren en bestellen:

https://gillianwelch.bandcamp.com

 

 

of luister naar onze Spotify Playlist om uit te vinden waar we over schrijven:

https://open.spotify.com/user/glazu53/playlist/6R9FgPd2btrMuMaIrYeCh6?si=KI6LzLaAS5K-wsez5oSO2g