WoNoLonGreaD: Jaco Benckhuijsen

 

 

 

 

 

 

Onlangs heb ik Jaco Benckhuijsen geïnterviewd. Musicus, componist, docent aan het Conservatorium van Amsterdam, avonturier, schrijver, fotograaf en naar nu blijkt ook filosoof en duurzaamheidsdenker (en -doener ook, trouwens).

 Ik dacht aan een kort interview van één à twee A4-tjes. gewoon over zijn schitterende album 'Man in het Wild. Maar het werd een prachtig verhaal. Een verhaal dat de tijd nodig heeft.

In de tijd dat ik met Jaco heen en weer aan het mailen was over dit interview (we zijn allebei nogal druk, geloof ik) stuitte ik op een mooie spreuk:

    Als je omgaat met kippen ga je kakelen.
    Als je omgaat met arenden ga je vliegen.
    (Bron onbekend)

Daar moet ik nu steeds aan denken. Ik ben een beetje gaan leren vliegen van mijn gesprek met Jaco.

Neem even de tijd voor dit verhaal en laat je ook inspireren.

Je vindt het interview hier: https://winopenris.nl/wono/interview-jaco-benckhuijsen.pdf.

Wino Penris

 

 

 

HX. Moss

The feedback starting HX makes me think of another song. I can't get my head around which one. It is inconsequential as Moss returns to this blog with a glorious album. The band is in great form and not afraid to share it with the world.

Somehow I am having two thoughts. The first one is that Moss it not fully itself. The music gets close to what Blaudzun has presented in the past 10 years. Which is fine by me, as I've become a true Blaudzun fan in the past decade. The result is that Moss sounds a bit more slick than in the past. Remaining rough edges are all polished away.

My second thought is that Marien Dorleijn c.s. have reached a great creative peak. Just listen to the second song, 'Before It's Gone'. The way the bass carries the song is a great find, the pop melody does it all, with the nice guitar riff as an extra. There's something Belgian about the song. I have the same feeling when listening to 'Everything You Do Is Right'. A Brand was able to sound this suave and get away with it. So does Moss. 'Before It's Gone' is one of its finest songs ever. This should be a banger in a live setting.

Rhythmically HX is very strong. It's so tight at times, that I can not help thinking this is inhuman. Take a listen to 'Around' or 'Supercali' to find where my perception stems from. 'Around' however is another very strong song that Moss shares with the world. The little organ melody is a feature making the song stand out.

Photo: Nick Helderman

Moss is on the verge or celebrating its 20th anniversary. I still don't know whether I saw Moss or Do the Do supporting Johan a long time ago. Of the latter I've never heard again. Moss I've seen several times and always it was an intense affair. The live show of the band is about making serious music and all about serious listening in return. Already I'm looking forward to the next one. In those 19 years the band has released six albums. Not a huge number, but there's not a miss among the six, to which HX is not an exception.

The album contains serious music for serious listeners. With that Moss sticks to its guns and adds another bunch of great songs to its oeuvre. From alternative rockers, some with a great pop feel like 'Supercali', to atmospheric ballads, it's all there. Although HX leads to having two trains of thought, both lead to the same conclusion: great album!

There's only one thing that spooks me a little where HX is concerned. To call the final song on the album 'Goodbye', sounds like a premonition to me. Doesn't it? For now, let's concentrate on the good things, HX's 12 songs.

Wout de Natris

You can order HX on Excelsior's homepage:

https://excelsior-recordings.com/products/moss-hx

Three albums

This week we put a small spotlight on a few albums, as they all deserve attention but there's not enough time and space on the blog to write separate posts.

Hertaalt Eurovisie. The Kik

The Kik heeft inmiddles een prima carrière, maar toch een beetje tragisch. Hun eigen platen zijn qua populariteit altijd van het net niet, hoe onterecht ook. Terwijl hun Boudewijn de Groot tribute plaat zelfs leidt tot een vol Ahoy. Hun tweede hertaalt plaat, focust op liedjes uit de rijke geschiedenis van het Eurovisie Songfestival, ook het thema van hun nieuwe theatershow.

Bijna alle liedjes komen dan ook direct bekend voor en The Kik zal The Kik niet zijn als er niet een aantal zeer originele invalshoeken te vinden zijn. Een surfgitaar versie van France Gall's winnende song van 1965, steekt er dan wel het verst bovenuit. Andere liedjes, zoals de hertaling van 'All Kinds Of Everything', Dana de winnaar van 1970, krijgt een mooie spin van 180 graden. Dotan en Dire Straits komen op dezelfde hoogte als de mondkapjesplicht te staan. Dave von Raven speelt met zijn woorden op zeer treffende wijze.

Hertaalt Eurovisie is een feest van herkenning en toch niet. Dat maakt het juist zo leuk. The Kik heeft zichzelf een bijzondere plaats weten te geven in de Nederpop. Nu nog de erkenning die hun eigen liedjes zeker ook verdienen.

Wreckage From The Fire. Aaron Skiles

With Wreckage From The Fire Aaron Skiles of the California band Bourbon Therapy releases his second solo album. Assisted by Matt Patton, bass player of Drive by Truckers, he is rocking out like there's no tomorrow. Skiles wants to rock and that is what we get. The huge riff of 'Come With Me' makes my room explode. His singing is not the best in the world, but is all 'Come With Me' needs. It's as tough as the lead guitars are. They come from all sides. There seems to be no end to the overdubs in this song. It results in a huge rock song that succeeds for 110%. So well done, Mr. Skiles.

At the same time in his second song, after an instrumental start, Aaron Skiles sets himself a standard he can not get over. But then, what comes beyond rock heaven? Mankind does not have the imagination to guess at that. Wreckage From The Fire holds nice rocking songs that are all worthwhile to get to know, so don't give up just yet, as the third song, 'A Triumphed Of Three Chords', will show you. From there on, just keep on rocking, baby.

Dog Days. Lucky Blue

Lucky Blue has already won a few prizes in the recent past and now comes with its first album. Expect alternative rock, that has a pop feel but also clearly has a Lou Reed/Velvet Underground chord sequence, like e.g. 'Sweet Jane' or 'Rock And Roll'. This makes the band more conventional than its contemporary Amsterdam alternative rock brothers and sisters. It does not equal less quality. Dog Days knows how to write an alternative rock song with an attractive pop feel. The song structure simply goes more with the flow and not against the grain. This makes Lucky Blue's music easier to digest, while at the same time there's more than enough to enjoy.

The variation in the songs brings The Vices to mind, another band from NL that does not shy away from different styles in music. Lucky Blue is able to bring different influences to its songs making Dog Days not only interesting to listen to, but a musical adventure as well.

Wout de Natris

The Kik bestel je bij Excelsior:

https://excelsior-recordings.com/products/the-kik-hertaalt-eurovisie

Aaron Skiles here:

https://bourbontherapy.bandcamp.com/

Singles, week 17

With Easter behind us and the two weeks with a few national holidays ahead, first we present 10 recently released singles of a very diverse nature. An old favourite returns as well. Enjoy.

What Goes, Let Go. De Staat

De Staat was on this blog and the magazine before that since its first album and yet, it seems like I missed a whole host of releases. Songs that are related to colours. This is the most recent one, in the colour blue. It is miles removed from what I'm used to and it is so exciting. What Goes, Let Go is, in my ears, the perfect mix between David Bowie and Elbow that I've ever heard. It is a slow song, a modern kind of ballad, electronic, effect laden but above all impressive. De Staat is doing a total reinvention here it seems. As I wrote, I've missed all the releases so far, but if this single is the standard, I have a set of wonders to catch up on. Yes, De Staat reaches back in time, more than ever before perhaps, but without a doubt this song is extremely modern as well, due to the sounds, the electronics. Deep and dark, yet with subtle frivolous parts that create a nice balance. In mood and in music as the old and new meet successfully as well. I'm thrilled and surprised all in one.

Saddies. Judy Blank

Judy Blank's mini album starts with 'I'm A Mess'. She sings "Lately I've not been myself". A Covid pandemic song if I've heard one. "Crashing into walls", a feeling many may recognise. Her new album can be called a lockdown album. It was not only made during the pandemic, its mood is fully like it as well. Introspective songs that get the treatment they deserve. A full sound but fairly modest accompaniment. Keyboards, some strings or a guitar is enough to make an impression. "Dreaming of danger" and "Wouldn't it be nice to do some living before I die", she sings in "Karaoke". Dreaming of everything we could not do. Judy Blank does a full Chris Bell/Big Star here and that is meant as a big compliment. She catches that mood Bell was able to create on the first Big Star album perfectly. It seems like due to the pandemic and lockdown Judy Blank found a new voice and was able to reach deeper and come up with a bunch of beautiful songs. If so, I can only assume from the outside, the situation nobody wished for and will never want to see again, has led to another beautiful record the world perhaps would never have heard. Like Johan Cruyff once said: "Ieder nadeel heb zijn voordeel", and is that the right sort of truth in the case of Saddies. With a jazzy cover of The Cure's 'Boys Don't Cry' as a little extra.

Please Don't Be. Hazlett

The world already has a Patrick Watson, his latest album was on this blog a few days ago. With Hazlett it can easily adopt one more singer-songwriter who sings a dreamy song. A guitar and voice at its heart, the soft electronics and atmospherics making up the breadth and depth of the song. Please Don't Be is Hazlett's debut single on the V2 Records label. Having moved from Brisbane to Stockholm, in a few ways the two cities can hardly be more contrasting, Hazlett started writing new songs and worked on them with producer Freddy Alexander in his new home city. The result is a song that is in the face of the listener because of the way Hazlett's voice is mixed up front, drenched in echoes. The ballad changes to a modern folk tempo, i.e. of the "Hey-Ho" kind, except that the mystery remains very present. Here's the Patrick Watson connection, where Hazlett remains far more down to earth. His voice does not seem to disappear into thin air together with his music. Please Don't Go is very present and very worthwhile listening to. An artist to watch.

Wait And See. L'Asset

With Wait And See L'Asset releases her third single through Rotterdam label Gentlemen Records. When the single started playing I knew for certain this was not for me. A little patience goes a long way, as before too long I started to notice the strong drive L'Asset was putting into her new single. There's also a strong kinship to the music of Elenne May. Do away with the strong beats and you have that fairytale atmosphere and singing about empowerment. L'Asset sings a life's lesson to herself, something to strive for. Literally to wait and see. Not everything in life has to go as fast as possible, with the biggest steps possible, to not reach for the stars but to be "okay with where I am now". And just listen where that attitude brought her. A tough beat propels her forward, leading her to that strong 80s chorus, as an aside making alright everything that musically, mostly miserable decade brought. L'Asset took out the best and made it better. It slowly dawns on me that by standing in place, she reached for the stars and perhaps even beyond. A perfect pop single Wait And See is.

No Follow Through. Wiri Donna

More singer-songwriter pop from New Zealand. Is there a young woman there who doesn't make music and releases songs? Wiri Donna is working towards her debut EP, 'Being There'. Listening to this single for the first time and I guarantee you will, you go from one surprise into another. If anything Bianca Bailey, as Wiri Donna is known to her parents and friends, has two faces. On the one side she's a slightly alternative pop singer-songwriter. There are two electric guitars involved with a bass and drums, playing sparse chords on one side and notes and melodies on the other. On the other side there's this loud rocking, grungy rock chick that does not hold back for a second. Towards the end a blistering guitar solo is shredding No Follow Through in two. The band pushes Wiri Donna's voice back into a corner, struggling to get heard. Rock and roll in 2022 alright. Both sides of Wiri Donna work by the way. It's just that the surprise nearly rocked me off of my chair. An almost impossible divide. I can only muse about the quality of the EP. How does a singer-songwriter/rock chick top this? Follow this blog, is the answer in between.

Mary Shelley. The Hackensaw Boys

Two years ago, my birthday present gift by my son was cancelled, like everything else was cancelled. A year later the tour was cancelled again and now there's a new The Hackensaw Boys single with an album announced for June. Mary Shelley is of course the 19th century novelist who wrote 'Frankenstein'. She is damned "because now we are living it". The song is a strong one. In part because it is far more traditional than the average The Hackensaw Boys song of the past. All the instruments are instantly recognisable. The strong fiddle, banjo and mandoline, acoustic guitar. It may be a regular drum kit involved, I'm not certain here. I even hear some handclaps and tambourine, it seems. The result is a beautiful subdued song of the kind David Sickmen is know for decades to be able to write. 'Charismo' lies half a decade behind us, it's time for more new songs. 'Mary Shelley' is an oh so nice start towards them.

A Lover In Disguise. Donna Blue

With album 'Dark Roses' only three weeks away, it's time for another single by Donna Blue. If anything, A Lover In Disguise shows the suaver sound of the upcoming album. The 1960s are still over the place. It is easy to compare Donna Blue to the way The Kik started its successful career ten years ago. More pop oriented than Donna Blue but totally 60s in sound and mood. Donna Blue combines obscure film soundtracks, with a surf guitar and French sigh girls of the yé yé era. A combination that is hard to beat; if the songs match the level of ambition. The result is a far more jet set kind of sound. Gone is the almost sole surf guitar. It has become a part of a whole. Behind Danique van Kesteren's voice a band sound crops up as if John Barry has composed a new 'The Persuaders' theme and Tony Curtis and Roger Moore will ride Monte Carlo's or Nice's streets once more in their Ferraris. A world of mystery, barely veiled sexuality and longing. It is all captured in the wah wah rhythm guitar, the thin little organ and of course that surf guitar in front of the band. A Lover In Disguise is a beautiful song deserving to be noticed around the world. Anachronistic? Yes, very much so. Beautiful? Undeniably so as well.

Tomorrow I'll Be. The Vices

And now for something completely different. The Vices return with a ballad of the quietest kind. The band's debut album, 'Looking For faces', was one of the kind containing great songs but also making me wonder what the band really wants to be. Musical styles were all over the place. A ballad like this does not necessarily totally surprise me because of it. The Vices present a piano playing elementary chords, a synth joins in later. Singer Floris van Luijtelaar reaches for the highest notes easily. He sails over Tomorrow I'll Be with the greatest of ease, showing the good singer he is. When Van Luijtelaar starts playing his guitar, it is hesitatingly, almost as an afterthought. As if the band remembers all of a sudden its description is "a garage rock band", to realise that the guitar can never be played that way in Tomorrow I'll Be. The Groningen band shows yet another side to itself. Closer to an artist like Duncan Lawrence than The Thermals, to name one example. It works though.

Death. The Riven

The Riven finds itself for the second time on this blog. It's new single with the extremely uplifting title, is as dark as death suggests. There's enough for rockfans to enjoy though. The Swedish The Riven brings back memories of bands from long ago. With the previous single, 'On Time', my thoughts went back to classic rock giants Jefferson Starship of the early 80s. Death brings together darker rock of the 1970s, a time when guitar solos were allowed to be huge and all consuming. A sound like hellfires burning. Singer Tote Ekebergh appears to be singing slightly outside of her comfort zone in a mix of 70s hardrock and early 00s goth rock singers. The band behind her combines elements form hardrock to symphonic rock. Mastering dynamics to great effect, as the middle part of Death really builds up the tension. Slowly but surely towards a grand finale.

Diamonds (Are Made Under Pressure). Liar Thief Bandit

With Liar Thief Bandit we have two Swedish rock bands in a row. That is one coincidence. The second, the short, sharp chords played by Liar Thief Bandit is classic Jefferson Starship. I had never expected to ever be referring to this almost forgotten band twice in one blog post. This band truly lives in another age where its music is concerned. Everything about this single is from an era long gone. In other words Diamonds (Are Made Under Pressure) prickles almost gone memories and brings long time favourites to mind. The guitar playing, the sound of the solo guitar, the drums, the pumping bass, the melodies it all fits songs like 'Jane', 'Out Of Control' and others. It's been a while since I last played an album by Jefferson Starship, although I did see a dvd recently. If Diamonds (Are Made Under Pressure) does anything, beside enjoying this song for what it is, is making me reach for one of those 40 year old LPs. "Stranger", I can already hear Grace Slick sing.

Wout de Natris

 

I Will Be Found. BBF

Not so long ago Bongley Dead, what has become of them since 2017?, was the only Italian rock band found on this blog. Over the past year or so several have found their way and now BBF is added to this roster.

With I Will Be Found the trio shows a few side to its rocking self. In the first song, 'Freedom', BBF allows itself just that: freedom. The CSNY sound of the acoustic guitar in combination with a bluesy solo on another acoustic, makes the album have a start where The Rolling Stones meet CSNY. Before the song turns electric and gets a totally different feel, that is. The band kicks in full force. The song at heart may be the same, as in having the same vocal melody, the two parts could not be further apart. A blistering guitar solo pokes up the fire some more. Freedom indeed.

BBF released two albums before Covid upset all touring plans and the concept of making it big in Europe. Instead the band returns with a six song mini album. The time the band was given to create new music. it used to fully explore several musical directions and forms. To search for and find attractive intro's. Like in the single 'Cosmic Surgery' that found its way to the single section a few weeks back. The bass plays a great part in the song. Its part allows the guitarist to go all over the place with sounds and soundscapes. The drummer keeps all around together with ease. His firm hits on the skins, lay down the pattern all others only need to follow in order to be wild at heart.

Promo photo

BBF is Pietro Brunetti (electric bass, synth, vocals), Claudio Banelli (electric and acoustic guitar, vocals) and Carlo Forgiarini (drums and percussions), BBF. They formed the band in 2016. Together they have a clear love for the psychedelic side of rock. The trippy 'Rise', the third song, is of the kind that hovers through my room. It sounds like the music is leaving my speakers only hesitatingly. Constant stops make the song sound as if the musicians changed their minds half way and want to reel the notes and rhythms back in. Only until the end of the song. All of a sudden 'Rise' explodes and one overdub after the other is released, filling my room, ears and head completely. As if only then the band had found the form it wanted 'Rise' to have.

To compensate 'T-rex' burst loose as if Jimi Hendrix came back to release a final killer riff to the earth. While 'Wake Up' shows to the world what sounds can be conjured up when a musician starts to fiddle with the knobs on his effect pedals. (From experience I can tell that at some point there's no need for the musician, as soon as the loop starts working. Pure magic remains.) Things remain under control though. 'Wake Up' is the song with the closest The Beatles connection on I Will Be Found. Again BBF plays with dynamics to make 'Wake Up' more exciting. This band is able to find a balance between psychedelia and rock that works and with ease it seems.

The sixth and final song is another one that starts with an acoustic guitar. A dark vibe with a high, sleepy vocal giving 'Supernova' a mysterious start. Also the sixth song stands out from the very beginning, with leaving me wondering when the change is going to come or is the surprise it doesn't? I will leave you, to find out for yourself.

Wout de Natris

You can order I Will Be Found on the website of Argonauta Records:

https://www.argonautarecords.com/shop/cd/596-bbf-i-will-be-found-cd.html

Henny Vrienten (1948 - 2022)

Het was in de zomer van 1981. Met twee vrienden reed ik in mijn auto naar Brouwershaven, het eindpunt van het VARA's Lijn 3 programma. Een radioprogramma waarbij de VARA door het land reed en live rapportages maakte. Die eindigden altijd met twee live shows. Wij gingen voor Dexys Midnight Runners, de Engelse soul en post punk band die in transitie was tussen de soul toeters en de Celtic soul van één jaar later.

In het voorprogramma stond Doe Maar. De band had net een radiohitje met 'Sinds Een Dag Of Twee (32 Jaar)'. Of misschien wel nog net niet. Ik weet het niet zeker. Wel kon ik me vaag een ander nummer herinneren, maar nu niet meer. Die eerste plaat heb ik nooit gekocht.

Er kwam een totale ska show over ons heen, die stampte en dampte. Eigenlijk was ik best wel onder de indruk van de vier heren, plus toeteraar Joost Belinfante. Deze mannen wisten duidelijk hoe een show op te bouwen en te swingen. Eigenlijk was ik helemaal niet verbaasd, toen een jaar later de hits kwamen in de vorm van 'Doris Day' en 'Is Dit Alles'. Die LP kocht ik direct en daarna brak de gekte al snel uit. Daar paste een jonge man van 20 en een beetje niet tussen. Ik heb Doe Maar nooit meer live gezien en daar heb ik eigenlijk wel spijt van. Ik had ook in Ahoy moeten zitten in 2000, de eerste van die waanzinnige comebacks, die lieten zien hoe ongelofelijk populair Doe Maar was en is.

Niet lang geleden zat Henny Vrienten bij Matthijs van Nieuwkerk in de 'Forever Young' rubriek. Of hij toen al wist dat hij ziek was, vertelt het verhaal niet, maar in mijn herinnering werd de laatste Doe Maar toer maar een paar dagen later gecanceld, met de mededeling dat hij ook nooit meer gespeeld zou worden. Henny Vrienten was ziek en zo'n mededeling doet het ergste vermoeden. Dat blijkt dus ook het geval.

Wat blijft, is een verzameling prachtige nummers die hij met Doe Maar maakte. Ja, ik geef toe dat ik verder niets heb. Ik mag de meeste van de nummers die hij en Ernst Jansz maakten nog steeds graag horen. Zijn typische, hese stem met Tilburgse tongval, de ska bass, het doet het nog steeds heel goed. Iedereen die Doe Maar anno 2022 nog steeds wegzet als meisjesband heeft of poep in de oren of is nog steeds niet over zijn jaloezie heen.

Dat brengt mij terug naar begin maart 2020, de Haarlemse Philharmonie, het optreden op een donderdagavond van Vreemde Kostgangers. Boudewijn de Groot, George Kooijmans en Hennie Vrienten. Alle drie staan ze nooit meer op een podium, De Groot zelfverkozen, de anderen noodgedwongen. Over een legendarische avond gesproken. Door Covid, dat dan wel.

Is dit alles? Nee, want deze muziek leeft voor altijd voort. Doe Maar was niet alleen een stijlicoon, maar is de vaandeldrager van een generatie, die de tijd heeft overleeft.

Een paar dagen terug Jan Rot en Arno Hintjes. Daar ben ik nooit fan van geweest, maar zoals iemand op Tritter opmerkte: mag het nu weer even stoppen? Heel graag, dank u.

Wout de Natris

Jane Willow Live. Huiskamerconcert Haarlem, vrijdag 22 april 2022

Foto: Wout de Natris

Twee en een half jaar geleden speelde Jane Willow hier in huis een huiskamercomcert voor een publiek van familie, vrienden, buren, bekenden en collega's. Daarna hebben we nog vaak een afspraak gemaakt met een artiest, maar die optredens gingen allemaal niet door. Tot dat Jane Willow weer overkwam uit Dublin en zij voor een volle huiskamer stond. Een ding was zeker niet veranderd: de diepe indruk die zij maakte op alle aanwezigen.

Haar prachtige stem, waarin zij alle emoties kan leggen die haar muziek met zich meebrengt, naast prachtig en loepzuiver de hoogte in kan schieten. Met haar expressie die zich zo van haar gezicht laat aflezen. Met haar liedjes, die diep gevoelde verhalen zijn en met haar persoon, een mix van onzekerheid en volledig vertrouwen die zich continue laat merken.

Misschien behalve bij een artiest thuis zijn, is een huiskamer show het meest intieme mogelijk. Publiek en artiest zitten op elkaars lip. Zij horen en voelen elkaar als het ware. Er is dan ook niemand die een geluid maakt of kletst. Dit is pure beleving. Er is ook geen verschuilen mogelijk. Voor alle aanwezigen is dit wat het is.

Foto: Wout de Natris

Het is ook een ontdekking. Een jongeling die met open mond zit te luisteren en na het eerste nummer, eigenlijk vol verbazing zegt, wat is dit mooi, Een volwassene die zich afvraagt waar haar microfoon zit. Het kan toch niet dat ze dit zo doet? De verrassing van de intensiteit bij hen die haar voor het eerst zien. Anderen weten wat er gaat komen, maar worden opnieuw overvallen door de schoonheid van Jane Willow's muziek en voordracht.

In 2019 trad Jane Willow op met één EP op haar cv en een aankomende single. In 2022 met de prachtige en overtuigende cd 'Burn So Bright' op zak. Een plaat met een aantal nummers die zich inmiddels een weg gebaand hebben naar de Ierse radio. En terecht, want die kwaliteit hebben verschillende van haar nummers op Burn So Bright. Het maakt dat zij in Ierland een bescheiden bekendheid is.

Dat is een grote stap voor de jonge vrouw die ruim tien jaar geleden naar Ierland verhuisde omdat zij daar een muzikale carrière wilde opbouwen. Met veel downs en enkele ups lijkt dat nu te gaan lukken. Het teken dat, hoe moeilijk het ook is, je een droom moet najagen als je er echt voor wilt gaan. Een inspiratiebrom voor velen.

Foto: Wout de Natris

Nu Nederland nog. Wie zorgt ervoor dat Jane Willow met bijvoorbeeld het prachtige 'Let There Be Light' op de Nederlandse radio gedraaid gaat worden? Wie zorgt er voor dat ze af en toe ook hier kan optreden? Dat wordt de hoogste tijd. Van Breda naar Dublin naar Hilversum. Waarom niet?

Het was afgelopen vrijdag een magische avond in Haarlem, een die de mensen die aanwezig waren niet snel zullen vergeten. Voor diegenen die er niet bij waren, is er een troost. Met Jane is de afspraak gemaakt dat als haar tweede cd uit is gebracht, zij hier voor de derde keer komt spelen.

Tijdens haar dankwoord gaf zij aan mij een held te vinden, omdat ik over haar schrijf, dat zij hier kan optreden. Dat is, leuk om te horen, maar veel te veel eer. Wel geef ik zo toe, dat dit een van de echt leuke kanten van dit blog is, maar de eer laat ik echt aan de artiest. Om zulke mooie muziek van zo dichtbij te mogen beleven, dat is, om een bekende reclame aan te halen, echt onbetaalbaar. Het is een voorrecht om dit te kunnen organiseren voor onze vrienden en om zelf bij aanwezig te zijn. Zo ongelofelijk bijzonder.

Wout de Natris

Je kunt Jane Willows muziek beluisteren en bestellen op haar bandcamp pagina:

https://janewillowmusic.bandcamp.com/

River Of Marigolds. Jon Chi

Often we reviewers of music are on the lookout for cutting edge releases and the latest rage. At the same time it's extremely important to not ignore something very good coming by, that may be sounding totally familiar. A record adding a truckload of niceties to the already existing pile of songs in that genre.

River Of Marigolds by Jon Chi is such an album. Tapping into that kind of U.S. music where country, rock and pop come together to make up songs that are suave, mundane and mature. Think Jon Allen to give a name, to underscore the suave part, think The Rolling Stones' outings in country rock to underscore the rock part. Somewhere in between the country and pop meet.

Jon Chi releases his third solo album with River Of Marigolds. His first in seven years. He is active in music for over a decade, with his former band Rainmaker, as writer and producer and as a solo artist. Having worn out the pandemic, he is ready to take on the world with River Of Marigolds.

Listening to the album is instantly satisfying. The music pleases decades of memories. Especially artists that were on the Def American label in the mid 90s, like The Jayhawks and Dan Baird. Artists that combined country with rock, while always presenting pleasant melodies and interesting guitar solo's. It is exactly this that Jon Chi offers in abundance. All the songs on River Of Marigolds have this flow, this easiness with a rough little edge in the sound. Most have great guitar solo. They all have a warm sound of the kind that welcomes its listeners, like a warm hearth on a cold night. Just listen to that organ go.

Rivers Of Marigolds may contain nothing new on the face of things. In one way it appeals to nostalgic feelings about music from long ago, in the other, it sounds totally urgent and fresh. So, what the album offers, compensates for the nostalgic part more than enough. This album is such a pleasure to listen to. One of the best in its genre I've heard for years.

Wout de Natris

You can listen to and order River Of Marigold on Jon Chi's Bandcamp page:

https://jonchi.bandcamp.com/album/river-of-marigolds

Better In The Shade. Patrick Watson

Have I changed my mind about Patrick Watson over the past decade! Quite some years ago I was slipped an, admittedly illegal, copy of one of his albums and there seemed to be nothing I liked about it. If I remember correctly I could have seen him perform in one of the smallest venues, but oh so nice, in Leiden and did not go. Why not?, I ask myself today.

Better In The Shade is Patrick Watson's seventh album and my third. Fans will instantly recognise his style. Not that everything remained the same. This album is more experimental and even more ethereal. It starts with the floating sound of the piano. Drenched in echo, sounding as if played under a thick woollen blanket, it sounds almost ghostlike. It matches Watson's singing. There's always an effect on the recording technique. Now there's also an effect on his voice as such. It makes Better In The Shade more mysterious than his previous work.

The result is that this album at first sounds colder. What I've found is that the effect wears off after multiple listening sessions. Step by step Better In The Shade warms up and becomes a record that becomes dear quite easily. Undeniably a Patrick Watson album is the result.

Promo photo: Nicola D'Orta

On the one hand this album is atmosphere. Patrick Watson creates a mood from and around which a song is built, layer for layer. Undefinable music is the result. A hint of a 60s film score can be eluded to, like in 'La La La', at the same time not one single song could have sounded like in, say 1965. The individual ingredients did not exist then as well. Some of the sounds in the back and sometimes even foreground Watson has created for Better In The Shade, could be used to make what I call non-music, as in just atmospherics hovering around. Through these sounds melodies are interwoven, creating a song built up from different moods and effects, but undeniably a song.

It all results in a form of idiosyncratic beauty. Some people may only hear gibberish, I hear beauty, intense beauty, that Patrick Watson shares with his listeners and the world. Music to truly listen to and fully undergo. I'm a fan and who would have thought so in 2009? 2011 or 2012? Do I still have that copy? It's time to take a listen and see whether I had clogged up ears at the time. Better In The Shade is proving me, once again, extremely wrong.

Wout de Natris

 

You can listen to and order Better In The Shade on Patrick Watson's Bandcamp page:

https://patrickwatson.bandcamp.com/

Start At The End. Tamar Berk

To sum up, Start At The End is not only a good album, but a great fun one as well. Tamar Berk really got the best out of herself and the people she's worked with.

Wout de Natris

Following Tamar Berk's advise, I started where I should have ended. So, let's return to the beginning. Not that long ago, I received an email asking if I wanted to listen to her album. I did and wrote a review of 'The Restless Dreams Of Youth' in early summer last year. Less than a year later Tamar Berk is back with a new album called Start At The End. If her previous album was a nice introduction, I'll admit to still playing every once in a while, the new one is a stunner.

On Start At The End Tamar Berk shows a host of sides to her musical self. From the very beginning the bittersweet pop of 'Your Permission', with its delightful piano part, sets a mood for the album that begs listening. The song easily touches the bar an independent singer-songwriter like Lauren Mann sets. A beautiful song with a few surprises along the way.

'Tragic Endings' was a single that has come by in a singles post recently. It has to be mentioned once again, as it is one of the songs that sets the standard for Start At The End. The pop-rock ranges from Veruca Salt to a Mick Taylor/The Rolling Stones style guitar solo, played by Rob Wrong. This song has it all, as it brings back everything including The Bangles and Belinda Carlisle, while rocking out in a truly sweet way.

Go on through the album and you will find that a standard has been set. A standard Tamar Berk manages to reach for successfully quite often. Whether a ballad or a rocker, you will find lines blurred here and surprises in nearly all songs. You may rightfully state that you have heard this kind of music before. There's absolutely no denying here. Neither can I deny how nice these additions to a well-known genre are. Tamar Berk simply does an awful lot of things right on her new album.

In the past few weeks I have been able to listen to Start At The End and find it so easy to return to it. The music certainly is serious but that does not exclude it being fun to listen to. This music is uplifting and all a person needs every once in a while.

If Start At The End shows anything, it is growth. The songs are better, Tamar Berk sings better, as a whole the album comes across far more self-assured. It is one of those big surprises that come with having this blog. With 99,9999% I dare to write that I would never have heard this album and because of the blog I have. It is one of those privileges coming with it. From the beautiful ballad, again with a little Stones included called 'Sweet Relief' (yes, Rob Wrong again), to the alternative rocker 'Real Bad Day', I wish everybody a real bad day like that one, it is a delight to listen to. Something far more people should be doing.

Oh, yes, I had written the ending already. You can order Start At The End on Tamar Berk's Bandcamp page:

https://tamarberk.bandcamp.com/album/start-at-the-end

Singles, week 16

WoNoBlog has ten more singles in wait for you. As always a very varied bunch, including by bands that are usually not found on the blog, but recently have released very interesting singles. Always keep a fresh ear in order to be able to discover what is worth of your attention and perhaps even more. Enjoy!

Malnutrition. Cheap Cassettes

"Now what can a poor boy do, except to play in a rock and roll band? Mick Jagger asked himself this question on 1968 and is still doing it in 2022, without ever having had to have a 9 to 5 job. The members of Cheap Cassettes may have asked themselves the same question two decades ago and answered that question totally differently by necessity. At the same time the dream of playing in a rock and roll band never died. This two sided choice results in a perfect pop song called Malnutrition. Decades of rock music come together in the song, containing one killer riff and a great melody. Malnutrition is a single of the album 'Ever Since Ever Since' released in January of this year. An album I've missed at the time. It seems like that may have been a tragic omission. Fans of a band like Nada Surf and other bands from the U.S. in search of perfect pop songs, let's say a lighter form of Weezer, should check this band out. Malnutrition is a perfect introduction to the album.

Am I Really Going To Die? White Lies

This morning the radio show my girlfriend listens to in the morning announced its new music, they play one a day, it seems. I only pay half attention usually. After a while it dawned on me that I must be listening to the new Franz Ferdinand single. Without anyone warning me?! Next came the notion that this is not Alex Kapranos singing, although it was a good impersonation. So, what is it?, I wondered. White Lies?, isn't that band the band always trying and never really succeeding? As far as I'm concerned that is. With Am I Really Going To Die? (spoiler alert, yes, you are, so you better have fun in between), it took me only one half listen to be convinced. This single is great fun. The darkness and gloom, usually part of White Lies' music, has been transformed into a mix of disco, 80s new wave and Franz Ferdinand style pop. The combination totally works. This single is highly danceable, easy to sing along to and great fun. The synths sound shows that it is oh so easy to have fun and listen to 80s sounds. Played this way, it is simply so good. White Lies surprised me no little today. This is a top song and should be a huge hit.

All The Good Times. Angel Olsen

With Angel Olsen a lot is possible. Over the years I've heard things I liked and music that I did not really care for. So what comes our way in 2022? A country single with a huge twist later on. With All The Good Times Angel Olsen announces her upcoming album 'Big Time', to be released early in June. To be honest, I had lost Ms. Olsen over the past years. I had seen her play in Paradiso somewhere in the first half of the previous decade, a good show, but she did not fully convince me. The albums that came afterwards did not do so either. Resulting in Big Time not being high on my list of expected albums. All The Good Times is a single that convinces me though. The country mood settles on the right tone, her voice just right for that mood. The pedal steel wines in an alternative way. When the twist comes and the band fully kicks in, with a warm Hammond organ on top of it all, the 1960s come alive in a Nancy-Lee kind of way, without forgetting to tip to the hat at the likes of Lynn Anderson and Tammy Wynette. Angel Olsen balances exactly right between tradition and alternative, with a beautiful song as an end result. If there's more like this on Big Time, expect more in a few weeks' time.

Little Sieve. T.G. Shand

Talking of dreampop. Annemarie Duff or T.G. Shand from New Zealand is laying on the reverb effect no little on Little Sieve. The song is from a limited edition 7" single, impossible to get over here, but that is what we have the Internet for, to discover it anyway. Thank you, once again Flying Nun for tipping me here. Little Sieve is the kind of song that somehow seems not always to know how to continue. It has these extremely charming halting moments before the rest of the band comes back in to continue the song despite the hiccups. The drums are the solid backbone of the single. It plays a soft version of a Madchester (dance)track from the early 90s. The kind that involved many pills and thrills. Over it a heavily reverbed guitar plays its melody, supported by a soft, unobtrusive bass. A whispering voice sings the lyrics, that are not overly present on Little Sieve. Several harmony vocals come in from all sides. Just don't expect a huge story. The lyrics are almost a part of the atmospherics and sounds that make up the rest of the song. Little Sieve is such a modest song, yet worth every second of your time.

Titanic. Night Court

Talking about a song that's over before you know it. Titanic is over in a sigh and a whisper, except the song is not that soft. Night Court is a band that started during and in lockdown. Two friends emailing song ideas to each other and recording them on an old Tascam recorder. The result is a punkrocking song of the softer kind. A workingman's, daily life version of Fountains of Wayne, something like that. The title is a bit of a joke, as the band members wanted to write a song about the Titanic, without mentioning it once. To wind up naming the song after the 1912 shipwreck disaster. There's simply not much more to write, the song was over four times before I reached this point. You best go listen yourself, but pay attention. As I wrote, it's all over before you know it.

How It Feels. Cindy Lawson

"Now I'm old and grey and I remember each day how it feels" Cindy Lawson sings in her new single. Now that is not a lyric I've heard a rock chick sing ever before. Cindy Lawson debuted on this blog with a re-release of a single of her 1980s band The Clams. Today with the single of her upcoming solo album 'New Tricks'. How It Feels is a tough rocking song, with the right mix between tough rock and melody. The guitar solo will make the paint on your ceiling pulverise immediately, showing the toughness of the song. At the end some sweetness comes through showing the other side of Cindy Lawson: "We pretended to be the bad girls, we just wanted to know how it feels", she sings, while the music gets another shade. At the beginning of the song, the same lyric spells the bad girls for 100%. How It Feels is all about loud, huge riffs and a mean rhythm section. Adding it all up it spells excitement. If How It Feels signifies Cindy Lawson's return to rock and roll, the world can only welcome her warmly.

Ur Mom. Wet Leg

Yes, O.K, I know, I wrote last Friday that I would write no more about Wet Leg singles from the 'Wet leg' album, but Ur Mom is so good, I can't resist. Ur Mom has a clever melody, this ear-pleasing riff and the tongue-in-cheek messages announcing what is going to happen next: "I've been practising my loudest scream", followed by am extra long one. Ur Mom proves how good Wet Leg is and why they are the new indie darlings. The charm of the song, like most of Wet Leg's is that it all seems so extremely simple, as if anyone could do this, and let's face it, not much can. There somehow is an irresistible urge to listen to the band's songs, something I have not had this intense since Franz Ferdinand and Artic Monkeys. Ur Mum combines all that makes Wet Leg so good. They're good and fun. This element certainly is a huge part of the attraction. Teasdale and Chambers have a knack to introduce all these little elements into their songs that make them draw your attention to them, while simultaneously offering instant aural satisfaction. A little extra sound here, a little doo-doo there, some humour and seriousness combined. There's nothing to feel sorry for where your Ur Mom is concerned. This song is quintessentially Wet Leg.

Lord Lord. Seb Zukini

Seb Zukini has released its second single, after 'Reaping What You Sow' in the winter. It's spring single, again is a glorious modern rocking song. Lord Lord is a tight song, with a loose feel. This paradox can be clearly heard. The rhythm section keeps it all together. This allows the lead instruments the freedom to play playful notes, going out of the the four bar rhythm. In the chorus it all comes together, when the band goes full out in a glorious chorus. In 2022 it is easy to state that I've heard this all before. There's no denying there. What Seb Zukini achieves is to take something like the heritage of a band like Go Back To The Zoo and Moss of 10 years ago and mix it into a song that sounds fresh and new. Not unlike the Belgium band Ramkot does. Lord Lord rocks, has melody and sounds like I want to hear more, much more. A final comment has to go to the artwork. this can go straight into a modern art museum. Wow!, is the word here.

Through The Looking Glass. Di-Rect

When a band like Di-Rect has crossed the 20 years line, I know I'm getting old. I remember an old van parked in Leiden, while I was cycling to the train station on my way to work. Di-Rect never was my band, although I took one of my stepsons to a show twice as his birthday present. The shows as such were fine. Every once in a while a single comes by that I like better and Through The Looking Glass is one of them. Di-Rect does a The War on Drugs is probably the easiest way out to describe it. Without taking six minutes or more to make a statement. Di-Rect manages to add a little pop vibe to the song and Spike van Zoest plays a glorious riff on his guitar. The lyrics show two sides of modern life: in the modern world there is nothing left to believe in, while on the other side everyone needs dreams to pursue and fulfil in order to get to the other side of life successfully. Marcel van Veenendaal's voice suits this song perfectly. He finds the right balance between tenderness and force, underscoring the subtle verses and the strong chorus. I do not have a clue anymore what makes a song a hit and what doesn't. To my ears Through The Looking Glass is one.

Fire Escape. Beach Bunny

We end this week with another great pop rock song. Beach Bunny is rocking out alright and lays down a great pop melody over the rock song. Singer Lili Trifilio masters her rocking band fully. Her voice, girllike, innocent, is mixed fully up in front, There's no doubt who is leading who here. To answer the lead guitar plays a glorious melody in spots where Trifilio leaves a little spot open. Behind the two, the band plays loud punkrock in a way The Offspring would not be ashamed of. The drummer is extremely prominently present. Playing double hits and long lasting fills, he is present alright. The bass plays playfully around him. The rhythm guitar fills in the rest. Distorted, strong, tight. Fire Escape shows the best of a few worlds and is a good introduction to Beach Bunny's upcoming album 'Emotional Creature'.

Wout de Natris

The Epic Tale Of The Stranded Man. VanWyck

In the past circa two years I have raved about New Zealand's Reb Fountain on this blog, but in the meantime I have mostly overlooked a just as big talent in my home country. VanWyck is able to take on the world in the soft and dreampop genre with a hint of folk woven into the slow moving songs. The question whether there currently is someone active in this musical genre who is better than VanWyck, is justified to ask.

VanWyck came into my life with her previous, Covid album, 'God Is In The Detour'. An album I bought after hearing it once, but when all was said and done did not make a lasting impression. With The Epic Tale Of The Stranded Man this is already totally different. The album keeps growing and growing, with new details hidden into the soft music coming forward with each listening session.

VanWyck is the Amsterdam based singer-songwriter Christine Oele. She is releasing songs since 2015, all as an independent artist. For The Epic Tale Of The Stranded Man she is working with the Excelsior label, from Amsterdam as well.

The Epic Tale Of The Stranded Man is a concept album about a man who finds himself washed upon an island, with no memories of his past. A story spread out over twelve songs. The music is warm, with often a hint of sadness for things lost. VanWyck does not shy away from having a string section in the songs, like in 'Lola With The Light Eyes'. The folk song with a voice and an acoustic guitar, gets a chamber pop quality because of the strings, that totally befits the song. They give it the feel it deserves, not creating an effect because the song needs one: voice and guitar would have sufficed.

The example just given, underscores the good taste in which this album was made. Beauty is the word here. Sometimes an influence comes to the surface, moving away at the right time. I'm thinking specifically of a Broeder Dieleman song from his latest album. Not once, but twice.

Promo photo Jitske Schols

What strikes me most on The Epic Tale Of The Stranded Man is that the songs at its barest are totally convincing. Take 'My Baby Rides A Dark Horse'. A guitar, the voice and the vocal melody would have been enough to make the song a success. Enter the strings in the background, and a dark spark enters the song, showing that dark sparks can shine as well. Later on an electric guitar sends off the bright sparks as a contrast. Once again proving that just a few notes can tell a musical tale in capital letters. An epic tale of seemingly endless proportions, indeed evoking Bob Dylan's longest songs successfully.

The Epic Tale Of The Stranded Man is an album that allows the listener to totally disappear into it. There's no other option but to succumb. To isolate yourself for the duration of the album. Except for 'Pond Floor Dwellers', that rocks in VanWyck style, the other songs would disappear into the thin air of inattention when, as a listener, you do not self-isolate for a while. Self-isolation may not sound so attractive these days, but to do so here, the rewards reap large, I promise you.

Wout de Natris

You can buy The Epic Tale Of The Stranded Man on VanWyck's Bandcamp page:

https://vanwyck.bandcamp.com/

Pompeii. Cate le Bon

Singer-songwriter Cate Le Bon staat garant voor bijzondere albums en levert ook met Pompeii weer een album af dat even de tijd moet krijgen, maar dat vervolgens naar grote hoogten groeit. 

Ik heb een ongelooflijk zwak voor de muziek van Cate Le Bon, die met het in 2019 verschenen Reward haar beste album tot dat moment maakte. Dat album krijgt serieuze concurrentie van het nu verschenen Pompeii, dat me inmiddels minstens net zo goed bevalt. De muzikante uit Wales verwerkt dit keer wat meer invloeden uit de jaren 70 en 80 en heeft hoorbaar een zwak voor de muziek van David Bowie. De songs van Cate Le Bon moeten ook dit keer groeien en rijpen, maar als dat proces voltooid is, is ook haar nieuwe album weer een album dat makkelijk vermaakt met fraaie klanken, maar dat ook dieper graaft met bijzondere twists. Bijzondere muzikante, uitstekend album.

De uit Wales afkomstige singer-songwriter Cate Le Bon bracht vijftien jaar geleden haar eerste single uit en bouwt sindsdien aan een heel bijzonder oeuvre. Ze heeft inmiddels een aantal uitstekende albums op haar naam staan en het zijn stuk voor stuk albums die niet voor de makkelijkste weg kiezen, maar die op hetzelfde moment flink wat memorabele popsongs bevatten. 

Het vorige album van Cate Le Bon, het in 2019 verschenen Reward, was voor mij en ondanks de hoge kwaliteit van haar eerste albums met afstand haar beste album tot dusver, waardoor ik, inmiddels al weer enkele weken geleden, met hooggespannen verwachtingen begon aan haar nieuwe album Pompeii. 

Bij een nieuw album van Cate Le Bon weet je over het algemeen twee dingen zeker. Allereerst klinkt een nieuw album van de muzikante uit Wales tot dusver altijd anders dan haar vorige albums en hiernaast maakt Cate Le Bon muziek die de tijd nodig heeft om te rijpen. Het gaat ook weer op voor Pompeii dat zeker niet fantasieloos voortborduurt op het prachtige Reward en dat bovendien sinds mijn eerste beluistering nog flink aan kracht heeft gewonnen. 

Pompeii is net als Reward geproduceerd door de van oorsprong Russische producer Samur Khouja, die de afgelopen jaren mooie dingen deed voor Regina Spektor, Midnight Sister en dus ook voor Cate Le Bon. Cate Le Bon schakelde voor Reward nog flink wat muzikanten in, maar op Pompeii doet ze veel zelf. De Britse muzikante tekende zelf voor de gitaren, synths, bas, piano en percussie op het album en deed alleen voor de drums, saxofoon en clarinet een beroep op andere muzikanten. 

Pompeii is vergeleken met de vorige albums van Cate Le Bon een behoorlijk toegankelijk album, al zitten haar songs ook dit keer vol dubbele bodems en bijzondere twists. Reward haalde deze bijzondere twists zo nu en dan uit de archieven van de Krautrock, maar bevatte ook verwijzingen naar het werk van David Bowie. 

Invloeden uit het werk van de Britse grootheid hebben op Pompeii aan kracht gewonnen. Qua sfeer doet Pompeii meer dan eens denken aan de muziek die Bowie in de tweede helft van de jaren 70 in Berlijn maakte en zeker ook aan die van de jaren hiervoor in de Verenigde Staten, maar Cate Le Bon is op haar nieuwe album ook niet vies van uitstapjes naar de jaren 80, zeker wanneer haar songs worden voorzien van wolken synths. 

Pompeii is een behoorlijk introspectief album. Cate Le Bon nam het album grotendeels in haar uppie op in Cardiff en voegde de aanvullingen van de andere muzikanten wat later toe. Veel songs op het album klinken wat in zichzelf gekeerd, maar Pompeii heeft ook een nostalgisch tintje. 

Bij eerste beluistering vond ik het album net wat minder dan zijn zo goede voorganger, maar over een album van Cate Le Bon moet je nooit te snel oordelen. Songs die in eerste instantie makkelijk lijken te vervliegen of die wat fantasieloos voort lijken te kabbelen, blijken bij herhaalde beluistering een stuk beter en ook na een paar weken is de rek er voor mij nog niet uit. 

Pompeii klinkt vaak als een album dat in de jaren 80 gemaakt had kunnen worden, al weet ik niet direct wie er in dit decennium in staat was om een album als dit te maken. Ook met Pompeii gaat Cate Le Bon weer niet wereldberoemd worden, maar een ieder die haar muziek, net als ik, inmiddels een jaar of tien koestert, valt er ook op het zesde album van Cate Le Bon weer verschrikkelijk veel te genieten.

Erwin Zijleman

Je kunt Pompeii beluisteren en bestellen op de Bandcamp pagina van Cate le Bon:

https://catelebon.bandcamp.com/album/pompeii

Waiting Room EP. Kids With Buns

Another band with one foot in rock and the other in the dreamworld. Waiting Room is the kind of record combining the two in the exactly the right way. There's a lot to dream away to and more than enough keeping the listener on his toes. Like those lucid moments when the conscious and subconscious mix in between dreams and reality.

Kids With Buns is a duo from Belgium, Marie van Uytvanck en Amber Piddington its members. Having started only a few years ago, it has already made a modest name for itself in Belgium. With Waiting Room, a five song mini album, Kids With Buns makes it debut as a record releasing band.

Looking at the cover art, the picture immediately reminded me of Wet Leg. Musically the two are rather wide apart. The music on Waiting Room is serious. The singing is subdued. The deepish voice for a woman sets the mood. She sings in a way that evokes melancholy and gives the impression of sadness. The music fully underscores this, adding a little escapism due to the dreamy nature.

All these parts make the album to go two of either ways, on any given moment. In general I like it, otherwise you would not be reading this. It makes for a nice and sometimes even great listening experience. On other moments I definitely need to hear something else. The moment moods do not match. Overall, certainly the first option prevails. Then I hear the beautiful guitar part in 'untitled (live)' and drift way with its reverb laden notes and chords.

Promo photo: Isaac Ponseele

Comparisons here in NL can be made by mentioning Dakota and its follow up Loupe. Like that band Kids With Buns can sound totally dreamy and rock out, like the band does in the title song. Guitars, bass and drums play a huge role, shaking things up. As such it may have fitted better as a final song, where it would have brought everyone back into the regular world after wallowing in the Kids With Buns' one for a short while.

Waiting Room is only a mini album, but worse introductions to a new band can be imagined. With Waiting Room Kids With Buns has put itself on the map and is a welcome addition there.

Wout de Natris

You can order Waiting Room on the band's banscamp page:

https://kidswithbuns.bandcamp.com/album/waiting-room-ep

Anaïs Mitchell. Anaïs Mitchell

De Amerikaanse muzikante Anaïs Mitchell stortte zich de afgelopen jaren vol overgave op haar musical Hadestown, maar keert gelukkig terug als singer-songwriter op haar beste album tot dusver.

Het titelloze nieuwe album van de Amerikaanse muzikante Anaïs Mitchell had maar een paar seconden nodig om me te overtuigen om vervolgens alleen maar verder door te groeien. Het nieuwe album van Anaïs Mitchell heeft geen titel meegekregen, maar verder valt alles op zijn plek. De mooie persoonlijke verhalen over de terugkeer naar haar geboortegrond, de werkelijk prachtige instrumentatie van een aantal topmuzikanten, de al even mooie productie van Josh Kaufman en zeker ook de geweldige stem van Anaïs Mitchell, die in het verleden nog wel eens uit de bocht vloog of tegen de haren in streek, maar dit keer het in alle opzichten geweldige album naar angstige hoogten tilt.

De Amerikaanse singer-songwriter Anaïs Mitchell debuteerde precies twintig jaar geleden en heeft inmiddels een aantal mooie albums op haar naam staan. Op hetzelfde moment vind ik het oeuvre van de Amerikaanse muzikante ook behoorlijk rommelig of zelfs wisselvallig. Sinds het uitstekende Young Man In America uit 2012, moesten we het doen met een album vol kinderliedjes, met het fraaie maar wel erg sobere Xoa en met de musical bewerking van het uit 2010 stammende Hadestown. 

Met name het laatste album en de bijbehorende vertolkingen in het theater hebben Anaïs Mitchell aardig bezig gehouden de afgelopen jaren en overigens ook de nodige prijzen opgeleverd, maar ik heb echt helemaal niks met musicals, ook niet als het gaat om een op zich redelijk smaakvolle musical als Hadestown. 

In de tussentijd had de Amerikaanse muzikante overigens wel tijd om deel uit te maken van het zeer geslaagde project Bonny Light Horseman en speelde ze een glansrol op het vorig jaar verschenen album van Big Red Machine. Alles bij elkaar niets te klagen dus, maar bij de soloalbums van Anaïs Mitchell had ik in het verleden wel altijd het idee dat er meer in zat. 

Dat blijkt nu een terechte veronderstelling, want op het deze week verschenen titelloze album van Anaïs Mitchell komt dat meer er echt in alle opzichten uit. Het titelloze nieuwe album is een album dat zich vanaf de eerste noten als een warme deken om je heen slaat en dat vervolgens ruim een half uur de ruimte aangenaam verwarmt. 

De Amerikaanse muzikante heeft haar nieuwe album voorzien van een warm en gloedvol geluid dat in de basis bestaat uit akoestische gitaren, elektrische gitaren en piano en dat vervolgens subtiel verder is ingekleurd met onder andere strijkers, blazers en keyboards. Het is een tijdloos singer-songwriter geluid, dat herinnert aan de grote vrouwelijke singer-songwriters uit de jaren 70, maar dat ook wel wat doet denken aan het geluid op Folklore en Evermore van Taylor Swift, die vorig jaar overigens ook te horen was op het album van Big Red Machine. 

Het is een zeer smaakvol geluid, maar je hoort ook direct dat er een aantal topmuzikanten zijn te horen op het album. Een blik op de credits, waarop de namen van onder andere Josh Kaufman, Thomas Bartlett, Michael Lewis, JT Bates en Aaron Dessner prijken, bevestigt dit. Bonny Light Horseman bandgenoot Josh Kaufman produceerde het album en tekent voor een geluid dat niet alleen perfect past bij de stem van Anaïs Mitchell, maar deze stem ook versterkt. 

Zeker op haar eerste albums streek deze stem nog wel eens tegen de haren in, maar op het nieuwe album van Anaïs Mitchell zijn de instrumentatie en de vocalen perfect in balans en is de stem van de Amerikaanse muzikante alleen maar heel erg mooi en bovendien fraai doorleefd. 

Het album is ook nog eens gevuld met mooie persoonlijke verhalen en gaat met name over de terugkeer van Anaïs Mitchell naar haar geboortegrond op het platteland van Vermont en het achter zich laten van Brooklyn, New York. De covid pandemie en een zwangerschap liepen hier nog eens dwars doorheen. 

Zeker na haar bijdragen aan de muziek van Bonny Light Horseman en Big Red Machine had ik hoge verwachtingen van het nieuwe album van Anaïs Mitchell, maar was ik ook op mijn hoede door enkele zwakkere schakels in haar oeuvre. Dit nieuwe album heeft mijn verwachtingen echter op alle fronten overtroffen, al had het van mij best een kwartiertje langer mogen duren.

Erwin Zijleman