Three albums, 10 May 2022

Today three albums that were about to fall in between the cracks of this blog but deserve a spot. So here are three little write ups, to give them the attention they deserve.

Solo. Jesse Mac Cormack

Somewhere, pre-Covid, I saw Jesse Mac Cormack play a support show. To whom? Sophie Hunger? The show was extremely intense, almost more experience than listening. One man, one guitar and a whole host of effects. In the past few years, I had all but forgotten about the Canadian singer-songwriter, so was pleasantly surprised to find a new album by him.

Solo is a modern album. In sound and in approach Mac Cormack presents different sides to himself. His voice, subdued, almost disguised behind effects, does not sing in the traditional sense in some of the songs. The rhythm, like many other sounds, is electronicly induced. This allows the music to spread out like wind sweeping over a bare plain.

The mood of Solo certainly has a kinship to his countryman Patrick Watson. The dreamy atmosphere is there, as there is some likeness in the way of singing. The electronic rhythms are the big difference. Solo's pace is so much tighter and faster. Jesse Mac Cormack's music is more, immediately, present. The two find each other in finding the right sounds for their songs, with great inventiveness. Solo will surprise you a few times with the sounds that come by.

Listening to Solo, it cannot be further removed from the one man, one guitar and a truckload of effects. It may be a huge challenge to bring this music alive on stage on your own. Coming from your speakers, the album is one big musical adventure sending you in many directions. And that is what an album is all about.

All The Things. The Chelsea Curve

Last year The Chelsea Curve was on a one a month single release schedule. I'm not certain they all made the weekly singles post. I am certain a lot of them did. A few weeks back the album was released and what fun it is to hear all these songs, eight!, and five more, combined together.

The Boston band brings together a lot of nostalgic music for the 50 and 60 plus music lovers and all that latched on in the decades afterwards. Expect Blondie pop punk, expect Dave Edmunds, expect Joe Jackson Band and all sort of bands from around 1980 who blended punk with 1960s best pop melodies and a little rock and roll as an extra. In short, the best the era had to offer.

The Chelsea Curve is a trio from Boston, drums, bass, guitar and the voice of singer/bassist Linda Pardee. With the tougher background vocals it all together rocks out in such a nice way. Yes, it is nostalgia that trickers me first in this music, but if All The Things wasn't as good as it is, why listen to it? I already have a 'Look Sharp', right? All the Things totally stands its own ground compared to let's say 'Plastic Letters' and Linda Pardee is the better singer. Man is this album fun to listen to. The only question I can never answer is: How would it truly have compared in 1978? Answer could well be that I like it a lot better in 2022. My musical tastes are a lot wider today. With All the Things The Chelsea Curve tickles all my fancies.

Immortalized. Ava Vox

Ava Vox has come by on this blog twice now and, yes, her album deserves some extra attention. With a voice sounding like years of smoking two packets of Gauloises a day, smoothed over by some Four Roses, she immediately makes a first impression. She may sounds ten times as tough as she really is, I do not know of course, but as a singer this is one tough lady. The opening song, 'Crash', sprints out of the docket as if there's no tomorrow.

Singer Elaine Hannon created Ava Vox two years ago and celebrates her return to music, since her band, The Seventh Veil, formed in the 1980s called it quits in 1991. 'Crash' is a song by The Seventh Veil. The 1980s are all over Immortalized, her eight song album released a few weeks ago. With her doom voice, she brings singers like Ian Curtis to mind and all who followed his style of singing over 40 years ago. The music matches the mood her voice conjures up. Apart from that, what gets into my ears first, is the huge sound of Immortalized. Big drums, like Simple Minds around 'Up On The Catwalk'.

You will find two covers on this album. Soft Cell's 'Tainted Love' and Bowie's 'Life On Mars'. The former gets a guitar rendition, the latter starts off with a beautiful piano part like the original. Where 'Tainted Love' is concerned I totally see the added value, with Bowie's signature song I am less sure after a few listening sessions. Together with two other ballads, it does show the other side of Ava Vox.

There is a third side. With 'Heart Of Good Intention' she also shows a more pop side of her music. The song is totally upbeat, something harder to achieve for her voice. The combination does work, helped no little by that organ melody. Immortalized holds enough to make it worth your while to take a listen.

Wout de Natris

You can listen to and order the albums here:

https://jessemaccormack.bandcamp.com/

https://redonredthechelseacurve.bandcamp.com/album/all-the-things

https://avavoxmusic.bandcamp.com/album/immortalised