Multicolor. Son Mieux
There's pop and there's ultimate pop. Dutch The Hague band Son Mieux has reached that level with its new single. I am hearing the song for some weeks now without realising what I was hearing. Is this a song I'd missed 20 years ago? Something by The Verve or something? When I realised I was hearing the song too often, I found out it was Son Mieux. Yes, to my surprise. The band, to my ears, reaches a total next level. As it blends The Verve and Miles Kane into one and surpasses both with ease and throws in some Robbie Williams enthusiasm into the mix for good measure. There's pop and there's ultimate pop and Multicolor is just that.
For over a minute I was wondering 'is anything going to happen here?' and when it did, I forgot all about that thought immediately. ON is a grunge trio from Toronto, Canada. Singer (and bassist) Luci di Santo has the voice to be as rough as needs to convince as a female grunge-style singer. She opens the song with her voice and on second listen things fall into place immediately. Blackmail builds up its inner tension in all the right ways. A simple yet effective riff drives the song, while Di Santo delivers her sneers for all the world to hear. Blackmail reminds me of the fact its almost 30 years ago I heard Courtney Love sing for the first time. And it took me a while to get used to that, I can assure you. ON falls right into its place with ease. Tough but nice.
The Persian Leaps return to the blog with a cover. It's new single is a rendition of a The Coachmen, Dan Fogelberg and Jon Asher, song. Asher happens to be Drew Forsberg's uncle. Maybe Time Will Let Me Forget is a song that could have been recorded in the 1960s. The kind of pop that was on the radio then the whole day long. At the same time its the kind of pop song that is sort of timeless. Many have played this music through the decades. The Persian Leaps adds itself to that long list with a kind of song that simply pleases the ears. A very pleasant melody with enough elements that stand out. It's in the little details the song stands out enough to set it apart. The supernice outro does the rest. Fat chance, that forgetting I'm afraid.
Another new alternative rockband from the Netherlands and Amsterdam. Despite a lot of attention going to Rotterdam's Tramhaus these last weeks, Amsterdam is most likely to draw that attention back to the capitol of the country. Age is the debut single of Marathon and it is impressive. The monotonous start calls to mind British post-punk of the very early 1980s. Age is dark and gloomy. Singer Kay Koopmans spits out his lyrics, right into your face, spittle and all. It's a take it or leave it affair. Marathon is even a band that reminds me of Q65. Musically it is different, in spirit this is really the same affair. The single explodes in fantastic ways, with loads of force and melodies combined, with thanks to the guitar overdubs. The band has signed with V2, so there will be more coming and Age has made me very curious I can tell you. It is a fantastic debut single.
Time for some laidback pop music. Karamelien is Léanie Kaleido and guitarist Mark Foster. They took a sample from the song by Top Topham, The Yardbirds' original guitarist and Léanie's father. The result is a song that flows like a pop song should. It is so smooth in sound. A soft guitar that seems to turn around on itself the whole time (a Leslie speaker?), a warm, soft organ and a little funky drumming. Kaleido's voice is so pleasant to listen to. Those who paid attention last year, will have noticed the favourable reception her album 'How To Weigh A Whale Without A Scale' received. "This music is serious, contemplative and soothing but also slightly troubling at some points.", I wrote at the time. Today I would only leave the word soothing, as Ascension Heights is easy listening in the most positive of ways.
Met Versailles maakt Winston een verontrustende single. De sfeer is beangstigend. Met andere woorden, deze plaat overtuigt in wat hij wil overbrengen. De plaat begint duister met een schreeuw van pijn en angst, die regelmatig terug komt gedurende het nummer. De muziek is verwarrend. Het is een vorm van disco, met een donkere riff die het nummer in een tegenovergestelde riching uitduwt. Dit is alternatieve rock gespeeld op synths. Simon Alice René aka Winston zet met het nummer een wereld neer. Opgetrokken uit electronica zonder de melodieën uit het zicht te verliezen. In Nederland heb je Nancy Kleurenblind en de Zingende Roadie, die, ietsje minder donker, hetzelfde doen. Winston "wil de zonneschijn", maar weet het lichtknopje nog niet zo goed te vinden. Wie goed luistert, hoort invloeden uit de jaren 80 zoals 'The Reflex' van Duran Duran, wier geluid een mooi accent legt in Versailles. Een verrassend sterke single uit Hasselt in België.
For me The National is a band that I need to be in the mood for and Bon Iver someone I never "got". A too typical voice that is not for me. The combination however works a miracle. Now singer Matt Berninger's solo record was one of my favourite lock down records and Weird Goodbyes certainly lies close to his solo songs. This is moody music filled with undercooled emotions. They are oozing out of every crack of the song with everyone, musicians and singers mostly pretending they are not there. Berninger's and Justin Vernon's voices go really well together. The two registers truly add to the other. The National mostly plays holding back, with a mild rhythm and patches of music like swaths of fog on an early morning field, soft drops dripping from the tree leaves for rhythm. Weird Goodbyes is über beauty.
The Take is the kind of song that takes its time to develop. The mid-tempo song is darkish, brooding but definitely going somewhere. Built from a riff on one of the guitars, while the, at a minimum, two others do their thing. The drum lays down a nice groove with the bass playing around and on it in exactly the right way to get people moving to the slow rhythm. Somewhat less psychedelic than The Black Angels, the effect is about the same. The 60s are laid down in a less obvious way. You will find them in the instrumental interludes in The Take though. The Hammond organ is there, the wobbly guitar. Oddly enough the band you hear does not exist anymore. Several members left during and after the pandemic but can still be heard. The vocals, as if from beyond the grave of singers Jim Biggs and Claire Tucker, also guitarists, are still there. The Seattle band has gone through a host of changes in the 20 odd years of its existence, so no doubt new members will join. As an appetizer to 'Washed In The Sound Of Black Nite Crash', out on 14 October, The Take does it all. Moody, good, intriguing.
With Vest Third Party Incident released its second single recently. It's as short as it is energised. The video shows a band turning a street upside down with the song and that's exactly what it aims for. No subtleties all full force blasting. One guitar solos away, the other turns on the wah wah pedal for full maximum effect. Third Party Incident plays its mix of British punk rock and The White Stripes style rock and roll with gusto. Not a single moment too long, like the hits of old. Is this a hit in 2022? Most likely not but it's certainly a song like they used to make 'm. With Vest Third Party Incidents is two songs into its career. I'm taking notice already.
A re-release 7" from 1989 of New Zealand band Fish For Life. A-side Alice is a straightforward punk single, like they made them in the U.K. in 1977 (and the U.S., granted). The band was around from 1985 to 1989. Its recorded songs are being put back on the market, also in digital form. And rightly so. Alice is a song that every punk loving individual ought to get to know. It has every trick in the book within it. When all is said and done, The Buzzcocks remains as main influence is my guess.
The result is a single that is as much on fire as the singer is for his Alice. Just listen to that bass. It's walking all over the place. One run after the other the bassist fires at us listeners. The singer may not be the best one in the world, but convinces, as do the two guitarists. Toast is a more experimental track. It starts of with a singing bowl before we heard of them. A totally different feel than the a-side. The guitar comes in loud and clear. The drummer playing rimshots for a long while. The song does go off but in a (much) lower tempo. It's the bass that is attracting attention again. Two very different songs this 7" contains. The digital version on Bandcamp has two more tracks. They may be better than the 7" songs! So best go and check it out.
Wout de Natris
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