10 Singles, 2021/11

With another week gone, it's time to do another roundup. You will notice that there's a lot of Dutch artists in there, as I started to realise while writing. The order in which I take on singles is random in so far that I follow what comes in and what I hear on the radio that I like. On average, where new singles are concerned, that last one does not happen too much. There are three in here though, and all Dutch. Do I review all singles? No, if during the first listen a song does not have any kind of appeal, I stop listening and scratch it from the list. When I do hear something, I take it on a second time and by the third, I've formed an opinion and move on to the next. With some New Zealand, U.S. and Italy in there, it's not all about The Netherlands. Should you feel like forming your own opinion, click on the link below and listen along. There's a question somewhere below as well. I'm looking forward to an answer, so feel free to share your view.

Better Way. The Wild West

Six ladies from Los Angeles, all singer-songwriters in their own right, got stuck in their homes just like everyone else in the world. They started to meet online and from just talking to each other on the state of affairs in life, they turned to making music together. With Better Way they present themselves under the moniker The Wild West. Don't bother taking out your torches and blow waves, Better Way is everything but wild. (They do all live out west.) Better Way is a beautiful country-tinged ballad, where acoustic guitars and harmony singing take the lead. Together they sing in oh so nice ways providing the song with different colours. They all alternately take a lead line while they do duties on the harmonies as well. Whether we can expect more, I can't tell, but I would not be surprised when there's more to come. With Better way The Wild West has dropped a quite nice calling card to the world.

Middle Finger. The Dropkick Murphys

It's 20 years ago this year that I got introduced to the Boston lads of Irish decent. Some great concerts I've seen since, but to be honest, I kind of lost interest in the previous decade. Although it was nice, it also became a little more of the same per record. Now a new single was announced, I did not mind taking a peak. The sound is more traditional than in the past. The punk - Irish folk mix has not left of course. Far from, no, it is the traditional instruments that are brought forward a bit more. The accordion and the tin whistle are very prominent. The lyrics about not being able to keep that middle finger down, are less traditional Irish lyrics but then, have the defining moments of Ireland's history not been about that middle finger that couldn't be kept down whenever an Englishman walked by? Because of the tempo and the lyrics, Middle Finger guarantees The Dropkick Murphys a live and pub hit for certain. This is too great fun to pass by.

Like An Enemy. Nina June

Nina June is a Dutch singer from Amsterdam. She sought a famous producer to work with her on the music for her upcoming album and found Duncan Mills (Florence + Machine, Jake Bugg, The Vaccines). Speaking of catching a big fish. The result is an extremely pleasant pop song where Nina June's voice glides over a fairly slick, alternative pop track. This description does not bode well, but your wrong in this account. Like An Enemy has this dark side that shows through. The darkness shields a little mystery that is certainly there and shines though in the layered sounds of the single. It all allows Nina June to sing her song with a few layers as well. At some points she seems to come from all sides, omnipresent are the oohs and aahs. The result is an addictive song that so easily can be played several times in a row, while I still discover new sounds and layers.Without going for the bombastic sound of Florence c.s., Nina June does present layered music, but so much more subtle. I know what I prefer alright. She's totally cool on this single.

Don't Cry Me A River. Nona

Another, young Dutch singer on the blog. Nona van der Wansem presents her new single just as confidently as Nina June. Don't Cry Me A River is a song that could be called modern soul. It has a more modern beat behind it and everything suggesting horns is scrapped. The groove is there though. Although the song at first reminds me of songs that are already out there, it slowly but surely gets into its own stride and impresses. It has little details that make me love it as well. "Now I leave your jealous ass behind", is followed by suppressed sniggering, making her point and scoring. Joe Cocker's 'Cry Me A River' remains my personal favourite with this title but Don't Cry Me A River certainly is a nice addition to my song collection.

To Be Fine. Louisa Nicklin

Let's move down under to our antipodes in New Zealand. Louisa Nicklin has announced her debut album. If we in NL are to believe the good folks at Flying Nun in Auckland, and by now I have no reason not to, she has made quite an impression on the live circuit already in the past few years. To Be Fine is a dark song, with besides the drums and voice instruments that all hold back. This creates a mood that conjures up a certain tension in the music. In her singing Louisa Nicklin lays some vibrato, moving in the direction of Antony. For me that is dangerous territory but I notice that in To Be Fine she stay at my good side. I am fine,where Louisa Nicklin "tried to be fine", as she sings, but apparently failed. Behind her a sparse bass and elementary guitar part accompany her singing. Half way another instrument moves in, but I have a hard time determining what it is. A cello or some kind of horn? The dark notes confuse me, I notice. A bass clarinet? I decide to settle for that. Anyone who knows please respond. To Be Fine is not as surprising as Reb Fountain's music last year, but certainly a nice introduction.

Mirror. Eelke

After releasing three singles singer Eelke releases his first EP titled 'Mirror', of which the title song is the "focustrack", a word I hear more and more these days. Management speak aside. I'm listening to Mirror right now and hear music I certainly like. The song contains a lot and is not a song that fits easily into a single niche. Eelke is rocking out alright in the focustrack. Mirror rocks but also has a warm side to it, that comes forward in the organ, the song contains a ripping organ solo as well. Eelke's voice has the right pop feel to get noticed. People listening to pop music over the past decades will recognise more than enough to easily feel at home. If I have to name one name, it's Danish rockstar Tim Christensen (where did he go?). Eelke's voice has similarities but Mirror also contains the same pop feel Christensen's uptempo rock songs have within them. Now Tim Christensen is silent for ten years, I welcome Eelke in his stead and will rock out with him. The EP is out and I'm sure to check it out soon.

Face Yourself. Death Star Discoteque

A second single of Death Star Discoteque on WoNoBlog. On the one hand Face Yourself is a hard rocking song but it also has an early 80s postpunk vibe. The staccato, rigid kind of music that as far as I was concerned forgot the most important element in music, the music, the melody, that what makes music so much fun to listen to and sing along to. Face Yourself, in other words, finds itself on dangerous territory , musically. Although the singer sings with the staccato phrases topical of the early 80s, the music has two faces. The postpunk and the frivolous sounds that can make a song fun. Face Yourself has exactly that within it. The guitar riff which contains melody and the little riff that dances through the whole song, that is as short as 50s/60s hits were. Everything has been said and done within 2.30 minutes. Powerfully short.

Move Like This. Lucas Hamming

And another Dutch singer this week. It is becoming a little onesided alright. Coincidental it is, but clearly noticeable. Hamming can be found on this blog for some years. A singer that develops his career between alternative rock and pop. Move Like This is an upbeat track that could even work on the dancefloor. No, there's no beats or some such, it is an up tempo song with a funky sound, where Hamming sings in a higher register some of the time. The result is the kind of track that can put a smile on someone's face just from listening. Move Like This contains positive energy and is catchy. A conclusion about a song in a review can be this simple.

Wastin' Time. Quiet Confusion

We move to Italy for a nice dirty rock track. This is true sleaze that lead guitar and fuzz on the bass. It's like wading through a molten tar road. Quiet Confusion is not wasting any time on Wastin' Time. The band comes to its point within seconds. In the first notes the band had me guessing what to expect. When the sleaze kicked in there was no doubt left. The bass goes full out. We are in The White Stripes territory, with a bass player, where a point gets made without fooling around. No, Wastin' Time is not a pretty song, far from, but anyone who wants to rock out for a while in a little joint with about 100 fans submerging under the dirty rock songs will have found what they are looking for with Quiet Confusion.

Shine On. Orange Skyline

Anyone who listen to Radio 2 in The Netherlands in the early morning can't escape the new single of Dutch band Orange Skyline, Shine On. The two djs decided to play the song every morning. The question is whether that is justified. Of course this is a choice of the djs or their station manager, not mine. Shine On certainly is a nice song, but... Orange Skyline lends a lot from several other songs. I hear 'Rocks Off' Primal Scream's hit, the singing is too familiar, Oasis lies just around the corner. This is just the beginning. In short Britpop it is. Should you wish to search for it, you will find the band once before on the blog. My post on a graduation night of the Amsterdam conservatory, with great bands like Elenne May and Dakota. Orange Skyline closed the evening. The singer was a Liam Gallagher clone is noticed. Almost three years later things have not really changed. Orange Skyline is able to write a more than decent Britpop rock song and shines alright.

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