Let There Be Light. Jane Willow
Jane Willow played a living room show in late August 2019 and made a mark on all those present. She spellbound all those present with her voice and guitar playing. There's no other word for it. Since then she released a few singles and started a, successful, crowdfunding action to be able to release her debut album, that is upon the world soon. Her latest single is getting some airplay in the country she emigrated to to play music and justifiably so. Let There Be Light is a beautiful song. Sung with conviction and clearly all the emotions that she felt while writing the song. Around her voice and guitar an impressive arrrangement was written to give the song so much extra. All the while it is her voice that shines in the middle of the whole song. Jane Willow is in the middle of her strength, which should and does not go by unnoticed. "I have this music and I want the world to know", indeed. Accompanied by a great video showing the wondrous Irish landscapes ,my gut feeling tells me Let There Be Light is a winner.
"Zeg dat Fons het gezegd heeft", zo beveelt het label Summer's Gone aan. Niet dat de muziek van Beech ook maar iets met 'Meisjes' van doen heeft, de aanbeveling wil ik best onderschrijven. Beech heeft een heerlijke single gemaakt. Het soort dat uitzonderlijk makkelijk mijn oor in kruipt. Het is poppy, makkelijk te onthouden en mee te zingen, met elementen die onmiddellijk herkenbaar zijn. Zo voor de handliggend dat ik automatisch in het Nederlands doorschrijf :-). Tegelijkertijd heeft de muziek speelse elementen, een kinderpiano geluid bijvoorbeeld, terwijl aan de andere kant de gitaarsolo bijna de bocht uitvliegt. Dat bij elkaar opgeteld, leidt tot een single die alleen maar prachtig genoemd kan worden. Er komt een hele LP aan. Ik ben heel benieuwd.
With Sweet Child the duo returns to this blog. "Sweet child" Lynda Mandolyn sings but can I be excused for thinking to hear "Sweet Jane" at first? Sweet Child is much louder and tougher though. With the child-woman voice singing the lyrics, it does become a little confusing in one sense. In the other there's no doubt: this is modern rock and roll. Deep, dark sounding guitars, played at a relentless pace, being supported by drums that are all over the place. Add a little playful background vocals and the fun is complete. Oh, let me not forget the bass runs that take the opportunity to take off at exactly the right moments, bringing the song to a higher level once again. And then I looked at the video. Only then I noticed how rightly placed my The Velvet Underground association was. Black and while, sun glasses, it's all there alright.
The intro to House Of Young Dolls brought me back close to 50 years immediately. The sound, the way of playing, the effects on the guitar, it all is nostalgia. Singer Sal Baglio sings in this early David Bowie style of the 'Hunky Dory', 'Ziggy Stardust' era. Baglio's voice is obviously decades older than Bowie's at the time. Together with the jangly guitars the mood is set. House Of Young Dolls is one of those pop gems that still happen to be released, far from the world's general ear but audible to all who take the trouble of looking beyond the first post. Behind that post a world of pop opens itself, a world where pop, rock and a great feel for a great melody combine into a song like this. Another record that seems to have to be released on Rum Bar Records. Where else?, I hear a gravelly whiskey-tainted voice drool all over House Of Young Dolls.
alt-J came into my life in a rather curious way. In 'Oor' I read an article on vinyl records around Christmas 2014 and that alt-J's 'This Is All Yours' was the best sold vinyl record in The Netherlands that year. I had nothing with alt-J's first album and I hadn't bought a vinyl record since forever. Not even second had, as I never played vinyl anymore. Too lazy. For whatever mysterious reason somewhere around February I decided to buy that record, without listening. I put it on the record player and became totally addicted to it. Just like my son and girlfriend. Later that year we were together in a badly filled Ziggo Dome for a beautiful show.
Come 2021 and alt-J announced a new album for winter 2022. Get Better is one of the songs sent on ahead. Get Better is almost a Joe Newman solo song. He plays an acoustic guitar, with a few bass notes behind it. The lightest of keyboard notes join the singing. After each cycle in the song, there's a downwards guitar progression seemingly ending the song. The first time after 1"30 minutes. Song over already? No, it starts again. Newman has a rather strange voice of course, but is an integral part of alt-J's sound. Without it there is no alt-J.
The smallness of the sound makes me having to get used to Get Better. I definitely recognise the beauty of the song, but find I cannot make a connection with it easily. As I will listen to the album without a doubt, I'm sure that connection will come at the right time.
Wout de Natris
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