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Slowly but surely we are approaching the halfway point of 2021, this weird year, like most of 2020. The longest day is staring us in the face, summer following right behind it. Finally The Netherlands is enjoying sunny and warmer days after an unusually cold spring. And right before the summer, we present a host of new singles, coming from all sorts of place around the globe. From Spain to Italy, New Zealand to New Hampshire and finally from The Netherlands itself as well. Enjoy!
Many More Drugs. Geoff Palmer
With a new album by his
The Connection bandmate Brad Marino out, Geoff Palmer could not stay
behind, of course, I might add. Of course, Many More Drugs is another
pure pop/rock gem. Palmer (and Marino) are aces at writing pop-rock
songs that immediately catch your ear, infiltrate your brain and sort of
take over from there. Although illegal substances never really appealed to me, I
could be mistaken soon when someone hears me singing the title of this
new, oh so fun song. Geoff Palmer in his teenage years was in search of a
song by The Dickies, he was not able to find (I imagine) as he mistook
the title to be Many More Drugs. It turned out to be 'Manny Moe And
Jack'. The only thing I don't know is whether he stopped liking the song
after finding out about the true title ... My guess is no. Why write a great song
like this so many more years later? Pop rock doesn't come much better, folks.
Mystery
shrouded in a layer of darkness is what best describes the new single
of AMMO. She's a singer and multi-instrumentalist from Los Angeles, best
known for the release of the album 'The Cathedral' in 2019 with her
band Brass Box. When the pandemic hit, like everybody else she found
herself alone and what does a musician do? Make music we have found out
in the past year. No one wanted nor wants this pandemic but we are
hearing music that we would perhaps never have heard without it. Rose +
Crown is a piece of music reflecting the darkness many experienced being
locked up in homes, with disease, death and foremost uncertainty all
around. What I hear is almost more atmosphere that music. Swaths of
music move in and out, Ammo's singing brings Irish singer of 'Orinoco
Flow' fame Enya in mind. The b-side, what in a name with downloads?, is a
cover of The Sound, from a Adrian Borland tribute album, called 'Total
Recall'. In the 1980s I was not a fan, but this cover is quite nice
actually. Firmer than Rose + Crown, also because more prominent drumming
(Axel Posell) and guitar playing. The dreamy part remains present in
the way of (recording the) singing. Together the two tracks work as a
single.
Centuries
Asleep, that sounds like science fiction movies/tv series or the
princess from a fairytale, Sleeping Beauty. I just realised how the name
in English is so different from Dutch, 'Doornroosje' (Little Thorny Rose). Whether
Bottomless refers to either, I can't tell. What I can tell though, is
that if this is doom metal than I can listen to it easily.
Bottomless may play tough (and sing tough), Centuries Asleep is a fine
song. The melody brings a song like 'Paranoid' to mind, the small
changes in the music nearly every band in classic rock I listened to for
decades now. Bottomless is an Italian band consisting of Giorgio
Trombino on guitar and vocals, Sara Bianchin, bass and David Lucido on
drums. Together they know every trick in the classic rock book and share
the first single of their self-titled first album with pride. The deep
end is taken care of in a wall of sound created by the bass and rhythm
guitar. The drums shine through the whole perfectly. And on come the
riffs, flying all around your ears. Yes, the real thing.
Avid
readers of this weekly post on recent singles know by now how diverse
they can be. The switch from Bottomless to Jade Bird hardly could be
larger. From doom metal to a soft-voiced singer-songwriter is but a
small step here on WoNoBlog. Jade Bird made her debut on these pages
with her first album in 2019. Her new single and title track of her new
album to be released in August makes its way here as well. Jade Bird
presents a soft and delicate singer-songwriter song where her voice is
right up front. Behind her an acoustic guitar and an electric piano are
accompanied by bass and drums. The mix is spacious, creating the aural
impression of large spaces in between the different instruments. All
together it makes Different Kinds Of Light a delicate, fragile song,
sounding as if it could break when touched to insensitively. A listening
experience it is.
All
things must pass, to quote George Harrison, and the title of Island's new
single are given truths for everyone. Even those desperately hanging on
to older times are nudged out by youths one way or another. This goes
for bands as well. As Island is only releasing its second album this
year, its them doing the nudging, I hope for Island. Going on the single
the Brits are familiar with their Canadian colleagues Half Moon Run. Both
can be dreamy in their music, but Islands here is more solid. The guitar
is louder, the drumming a little firmer, while not forgetting to dream.
The quality is in the layers of echo and delay put into the music. The
singing is fully self-assured. This band knows where it wants to go. It
will not settle for less than arena's is my guess. The music can be
blown up to giant proportions, while it's swinging enough to make the
audience sway, even dance. Patience is a nice thing. Album Yesterday
Park is on its way.
From
London we move to Spain. All thanks to Boston based label Rum Bar
Records I get to know one after the other Spanish punkrocking band. A
strange twist of geography perhaps but I and the world get the wiser
from it. Los Chicos rock out in the best U.S. tradition. Its music
starts and stops with The Ramones. Revved up 60s hits with a lyric
suggesting that juvenile thoughts of growing up in denial is de rigeur.
Who really wants to learn? Most people I'd say if there truly was an
alternative to not learning. So I can relate to the lyrics to some
extend. Once upon a time I could relate to them too good, but the wall
changed the course of the ship alright. There's one school Los Chicos
did not mind going to and that's the rock and roll high school. The band
graduate alright. So from that moment onwards it becomes easy to shout
"I don't want to learn anymore". The band already has.
A
new single from Reb Fountain, short on the heels of that fabulous remix
of 'Hawks And Doves'. In a way Heart is a surprising song. There is the
relaxed atmosphere her songs excel in but Heart is very different too.
A few influences are combined here, setting the song rather apart from
her eponymous album. The beginning brought Chris Isaak's first albums to
mind. That "cowboy" kind of twang the guitar plays is not as dominant
as in e.g. 'Blue Hotel', but unmistakable. The singing is a totally
different thing. Here it is Nancy Sinatra, and hits like 'You Only Live
Twice' or 'Bang Bang', that come to mind. The third influence is that
old synth sound carrying part of the song. The result is a song that is
from 2021 but somehow has a feel of being decades old. This change of
direction Heart presents to me, is something I have to get used to, I
found, but the feel is unmistakably there already. Heart and I will be
alright together.
And
back to Italy, the nice city of Modena to be exact. The Hornets are a
garage rock band about to release its first album in July. Musically the
band reaches back to an era from before the band members were born, or
so I guess. Tough riffing like Joan Jett and her Blackhearts were good
at. Two guitars playing over a bass and drums background. Both able to
hold back creating the vibe of stop and start. The dynamics in the song
work really well. I won't beat around the bush. Female Creed is not the
best song in this genre, but that said the enthusiasm is enticing. I'm
sure the band can set a venue on fire playing like they do. A nice
introduction to The Hornets this single is.
The French - Scottish band has survived the Brexit and releases its first single since. There's always a hint of folk hidden in but more in the sense of The Waterboys and Big Country than Steeleye Span. But even more than I remember from the band's recent album that was reviewed on these pages. In The Edge Of The World, the single's A-side, the Big Country guitars are very prominent. Not as extreme, as in simulating bagpipes, but clearly recognisable as such. The Celtic Social Club adds violins to the line up, adding some more folk into its rock. The A-side is a tough song that grabs my attention immediately. Dan Donnelly's vocals are totally convincing. He is at that edge and live reporting to us. B-side For Real is an up tempo song as well, but in the style of Dexys Midnight Runners' first album, without all the brass. Because of Pierre Stéphan's fiddle, it also has a little of 'Too-Rye-Ay'.
Once upon a time singles were
supposed to become hits, preferably huge ones, now they are at best
there to attract attention, to a band, an upcoming album and live shows.
The hits part I, unfortunately, doubt, that I'm enticed to hear the album, visit a live
show, at some point in time, certainly. So, as far as I'm concerned, mission
accomplished. This the the kind of mix between pop - folk - rock I like
alright.
Phase out. La Belle Époque
The
story of La Belle Époque was on the blog a few weeks ago when the debut
single 'Sanity' was on, so I won't repeat it. For Phase Out Pablo van der Poel is the lead
artist. Together they finished a song that was once meant for the second
Mister and Mississippi album. The result is a song where Van de Poel
can really, and I mean really, excel as a lead guitarist. Not that he
lets go of all brakes, no far from. The brake is on in this one part
experimental song, one part jazzy groove, one part psychedelic rocker.
Jimi Hendrix as an influence? Sure, I believe you. A mild form of '1983
(A Mermaid I Should Turn To Be)', something like that. Without the LSD, but not
totally without a hint at some substance or other. The guitar is
exploring the edges of the song, with a weird underwater-like effect on
it. Hearing Van der Poel letting it rip is usually nice and Phase Out is
not an exception. I have no way of telling how all the different songs
will work as an album, but the two singles so far are both worthwhile
listening to.
Wout de Natris
Listen to our Spotify Playlist to find out what we are writing about:
https://open.spotify.com/user/glazu53/playlist/6R9FgPd2btrMuMaIrYeCh6?si=KI6LzLaAS5K-wsez5oSO2g
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