Ten Singles

Another week, another bunch of singles on WoNoBlog. Singles that most likely will not find their way into the charts. I almost see no collaborations of x, feat. y, with z. Nowadays that is a dead giveaway for non-charting it seems. That does not imply that some of these songs do not deserve to be hits. In fact there's one song, and this is in no way degrading the nine other singles, that ought to be a worldwide number 1 hit. See if you can spot which one I mean. Click on the link below and follow these roundup of singles one by one. Let us now in the chat what your favourite is!

Action Replay. The Fratellis

The Fratellis will forever be the band of just one song, 'Chelsea Dagger'. A one-hit wonder. I liked the second album so much more as a whole than the first though. After that the band broke up to come back together somewhere in the 10s, without even coming close to coming to the success of that one single. Come the 2020. We are all three decades older. Action Replay is a sensitive ballad and as such not even a bad one. It's just not what I want to hear from The Fratellis, is what my preconceptions are telling me. At the same time a lot of thought and work went into the song. Action Replay is far from a one dimensional ballad. In fact there's more than enough to enjoy in the song. Listening more often to the song I even get the impression that the music underscores the title in a formidable way. The Fratellis in action replay. Add a truckload of Beatlesque elements in the singing and I'm about to conclude that I will give Action Replay the benefit of the doubt.

Kleine Lettertjes. De Breek

Amsterdam-Noord trio De Breek is langzamerhand geen gelegenheidstrio meer te noemen. Met zekere regelmaat komen er nieuwe nummers uit, die stuk voor stuk de moeite van het luisteren waard zijn. Kleine Lettertjes is een ingetogen nummer, waarin de zang als het ware een gevecht aangaat met de achtergrond vokalen. Naar het einde toe wordt steeds minder duidelijk welke lijn de hoofdlijn is. Alleen de stemkleur verraadt het nog. Daarnaast eist de muzikale begeleiding een steeds grotere rol op. De interactie zorgt voor een zeer interessante ontwikkeling. Het liedje begint als een soort Spinvis nummer om langzaam maar zeker iets volkomen eigens te krijgen. Allerlei breaks zetten de luisteraar op een verkeerd been om telkens sterker terug te komen. Met Kleine Lettertjes voegt De Breek een echt prachtig nummer toe aan het al niet misselijke oeuvre. Het wachten is op de eerste volledige plaat.

I Who Have Nothing. Genya Ravan feat. Nile Rodgers

What a powerful single this is! I Who Have Nothing is of course a famous song in itself. Type in the song and you will find versions from Shirley Bassey to Tom Jones and Ben E. King. It is nearly impossible to imagine that this is the same song as the mellow 60s classic. The rough and well-worn voice of Genya Ravan tears the lyrics in two and stomps on the halves for a while coming up with a deep groove. Nile Rodgers is so impressed that he left his trademark funky disco style guitarplaying style at home and plays in the full service of this groove. The result is one of the most swinging songs that I've heard for years. Whatever you may think of the remnants of Ms. Ravan's voice, there's no denying that she masters this song in a superb way. Let me say this once more? What a powerful single this is! A cover that outshines the original in a million ways. Oh, do I love rock and roll (to mention another cover outshining the original.)

Deathwatch Beetle Party. Storm Seeker

Now answer yourself honestly. What do you expect to hear with a song title like Deathwatch Beetle Party? I simply was not certain. Metal? Thrashrock?, but that's only the case because of the band name. I had braced myself for many things but not a mix of metal and Irish folk. Nor German lyrics and a System of a Down delivery. Fact is, this single is all over the place and shows several sides of the band within three minutes. Not as extreme as 'Chop Suey' did, but certainly in this vein. Of course, Dropkick Murphies come to mind, were it not that the guitars are far more prominent and metal sounding. Storm Seeker is a band from Düsseldorf in Germany, explaining the German language a little more. Singer Marius 'Olaf' Bornfleth certainly listened to Dropkick Murphies' singer Al Barr. Hopefully his vocal chords will  serve him a bit better. In short, hearing is believing with Deathwatch Beetle Party, but fun it is.

Aren't You Glad. Found Instruments

In 2021 it is still possible to make a synthpop song like it is 1984. As if Nik Kershaw never went out of fashion within a few years. Found Instruments is a musical project of Jack Joseph. Aren't You Glad is the third single released. What appeals to me is the soft way the song meanders in combination with the dreamy single and synths creating the backbone and lead melody. Joseph's voice is soft tinged and warm. I can become totally melancholy with this music. It brings me down without becoming sad, as the music caresses me as well. As it were I can feel it around me. Anyone who likes this music should check out Antwerp artist Low Hill as well. You'll find something of your liking with him as well. Just like Kershaw's 'Wouldn't It Be Good', Aren't You Glad' agrees with me. If no 'The Riddle' follows we may even get on a permanent footing, who knows? Commercially, a 'The Riddle' may be a wiser decision though.

Déjà Vu. Austin Meade

In November 'Happier Alone' made it to a single roundup, in January Déjà Vu does. Meade plays a U.S. form of rock again. Not my first rock of choice, still I'm writing. Austin Meade manages to stretch a well-worn style of rock a little and makes it more interesting. The verses are very traditional and nice but not interesting enough to return to. In the chorus the tempo is changed, while in the solo all traditions are left behind. The result is a hybrid that goes well beyond the Bryan Adams and other 80s rockers from North-America. Next to that the guitar work on Déjà Vu is clear and interesting, making the songs have many layers to follow. The mix of tradition and more modern sounds make the single interesting enough to play several times in a row, like a decent single has to. It seems Austin Meade has fully succeeded here.

Song Of Co-Aklan. Cathal Coughlan

Song Of Co-Aklan is a strong single. It has a fiery rhythm and aims to ignite venues. There's a bit traditional David Bowie in the song, hidden in more modern sound than Bowie produced around 1980 in a song like 'Scary Monsters'. Cathal Coughlan who until recently was unknown to me, has had a whole career in the 80s and 90s in bands like Microdisney and The Fatima Mansions. He skipped the whole 10s and returns with this fantastic, powerful single, recorded with Luke Haines and members from his past bands. Listening more closely the song gives away a little more of its secrets. The tight rhythm is only half of the story. In the keyboard sounds hides a little mystery that is added, while the lead guitar adds playfulness. It results in a multi-layered song by the Cork based artist, who returns to pop with a very successful song that in a different time and age might have been a hitsingle. Song Of Co-Aklan is a successful return to music alright.

Mechthild. Nero Kane

In October Nero Kane released his second album, 'Tales Of Faith And Lunacy'. It did not come to a review, on this blog I should add. It all was far too dark and gloomy for me to listen to for a long time. Is it so different with the new single of the album, Mechthild? No, it is exactly the same actually. Nero Kane or Marco Mezzadri as his parents know him, together with singer and filmmaker Samantha Stella creates a song so dark that German songstress Nico might have turned away in fright. Yes, you can hear Nick Cave in this song as well. The dark, brooding song is like the cauldron of a witch boiling over. Not knowing what the fumes and liquid can do is too scary to behold. The kind to steer away from, at least the more fainthearted listener. Mechthild is the 13th century mystic Mechtild von Magdeburg, whose writings can be heard on the album. This song is an experience  and not a song in the traditional way. More impressive than good, but memorable none the same.

Francine. People Club

The difference can't be larger when the first sounds of Francine enter my ears. Think a Fleetwood Mac kind of song from the 'Tango In The Night' era. With a singer whose voice is younger that Stevie Nicks' at the time, so doesn't have that edge (yet?). Francine has more than enough of its own. The sounds is more poppy and slightly more electronic. The song is a mix of electronic keyboards and traditional band instruments. People Club is a band from Germany and is praised for its Detroit 70s style. For the life of me, I can't hear anything resembling Marvin Gaye in the song. I'll admit to some faint traces of U.S. soul of the 70s, like Philly Soul or Barry White, but like I said before, this is more 'Little Lies'  and 'Everywhere' than anything else. The song is not as light as I thought in the first seconds. Only in comparison with 'Mechthild'. In fact, Francine is rather dark for a pop song. In short , interesting and the kind of invitation a single ought to present towards an upcoming album. So far on Spotify you can find a string of singles, since 2019. So who knows what 2021 has in store for the world.

A Million Miles Away. Arrows To Fire

Is there a more unlikely story than two bio-medical persons who meet at a conference on biomedical equipment and discover a shared fashion for playing and making rock music? Still, this is the story that Arrows To Fire tells the world. The two, John Joyo and Chris Lavigne, started to create music together and released their first album in 2016. With A Million Miles Away the duo makes a statement straight away. The drums kicks the song alive in no subtle way. All the band has to do is kick the ball in the net. There's little problem in doing so. The result is a fine melodic rocksong that will get people listening, dancing and singing. In between all the deft rocking out there's room for more subtle sounds of keyboards and some atmospheric sounds and even little bells if I'm hearing correctly. The easy to sing along to melody makes it clear that Arrows To Fire has released a nice, melodic rocker that is quite memorable.

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