Low Mirada. Ryan Traster

'The Seventh Daughter', a single coming off Low Mirada, featured on the blog recently and made me very, very curious for the album. That album is out today. The description it deserves, is that it is ultimately pleasing. Ryan Traster  manages to tickle many of my musical fancies.

Anyone having any knowledge of pop music of the last six decades will recognise Traster incorporating many of the best elements to create his own songs, that sound so nice. From the beat era The Beatles to The Byrds and all the bands that emulated this music from the mid 1960s onwards. Add to that the California bands of the 1970s and you are starting to get the picture.

The sound of Low Mirada is clear. The guitars have either a slight twang or have very clear lead tones. The drummer, Pete Anderson, plays very relaxed but firm. He sounds as if playing his instrument comes naturally, effortless. It makes that the songs have a solid body, without taking up more room than strictly necessary. With a bass playing in great sync with him, the bottom of each song is taken care of.

Traster has been playing music ever since his 16th birthday. His first EP was released in 2010. The Minneapolis raised singer built an oeuvre from there. He recorded this album in Minneapolis with Kris Johnson and Chris Walla behind the console. His live band plays on the record. This is not always the case with country rock artists.

Ryan Traster's music goes way beyond country. There certainly are faint traces in his music. Take 'Blue Blood'. Here he mixes country with The Rolling Stones' 'Exile On Main Street's sound. His inclination on Low Mirada however is to present pop music with a mild rock element. Had the guitars been mixed in more prominent, it could have been a more rock oriented album. Now his voice and a piano, like in 'Fangs', are more prominent. Not to forget the nice female backing vocals, that attract attention regularly on Low Mirada.

This combination makes Low Mirada an American album. In Europe a band like Teenage Fanclub comes to mind or the Norwegian Sugerfoot. An American album that does everything right. From the first to the last note Ryan Traster pleases with his take on pop music. The promise of 'The Seventh Daughter' is totally lived up to.

Wout de Natris

You can listen to and order Low Mirada here:

https://ryantraster.bandcamp.com/album/low-mirada

Dogs. Steve French

Who is who in alternative Amsterdam rock? You tell me. It all depends on who is singing and who is the main writer in the band. In Steve French it is Cees Paris but you will find most of his Canshaker Pi or Private Trainer and Banker mates in their as well, in a serving role.

With 'Lightning Tiger Running' Steve French sort of blazed itself through my speakers. Two years later it's almost as if a different band presents itself. Dogs certainly is an alternative pop-rock album with all the estranging notes and sounds that come with the music so many bands in Amsterdam are excellent in. Dogs is also a relaxed affair. Not that I will call this ballads but it is not that far off. The mid-tempo songs are sort of rippling along until a stone is thrown into the calm water or a boat comes by.

Steve French either stands on the bank of the pond to throw the stone or hires a boat to start rocking with it ('Solid Days' especially). It gives Dogs a few different vibes. All the songs are on the alternative side of pop and rock music. That's the starting point of the album. From there different paths lead to different end results. Memories of Canshaker Pi fly by, just like memories of  'Sunday Morning' or 'Candy Says'.

Cees Paris, the leader and principle songwriter of Steve French, hides his voice a little. It always sounds a bit muffled and as of coming from another room. The music itself is also somewhere between a demo lo-fi sound and a studio. The latter is in the clear sound of the great alternative pop song 'Country Blues Dilettante'. Where album opener, 'Absolute Beginnings', is more in line with the former part of the sound on Dogs. The contrast with 'Solid Days' can't be bigger in both accounts. This blistering punkrocker is a total surprise like a thunderclap on a bright, blue day.

In Amsterdam a scene has been built that reminds me of Antwerp in the mid 1990s where a lot of people played in each other's bands. Look at the line up of Steve French and you can start making connections straight away. Starting in early November with the release of Private Trainer's debut album.

With Dogs Steve French surprises. It was not the album that I saw coming. With the new album and the different sounds the band convinces though. Dogs is an alternative pop rock album showing the talent of its makers. One foot firmly in the past and one firmly in Amsterdam's alternative rock scene.

Wout de Natris

You can order Dogs on the Excelsior Recordings website:

https://excelsior-recordings.com/products/steve-french-dogs

Week 39, 10 singles (oops 11)

From punk(rock), to modern pop, to music to truly listen to, it all comes by in this diverse set of songs I present you this week. Perhaps you have never heard of them. I'll admit, the same went for me until this week for most of these artists. Time to dig in.

40 Riddiford Street. Dartz

With a song lasting only two minutes, taking 40 seconds to introduce the song in the video is rather daring. Dartz are quite fine with this introduction. 40 Riddiford Street explores one of the great problems in this world. Having 24 beers and only two hands. Singer Danz is clearly struggling to find a solution, but has a solid plan. The band is in full support though. In this classic punk song, there are no concessions. Drums and bass pound on while the guitar moves in and out of the song. When its there it's repeating a riff over and over. This is not about being subtle. This is not about playing nice and clean. 40 Riddiford Street is a statement. Dartz presents itself to the world. The album, The Band From Wellington, New Zealand, is out on 4 November.

Beat Revolution. Muck and the Mires

In Boston all U.S. revolutions start. The Bill of Rock was nailed to a tree recently and Muck and the Mires are its stark defenders. In 1770s military gear the band presents its new single and it is a glorious pop-rock affair. How upbeat can a song be? Where Muck and mates are concerned extremely. Fast, tight, with a couple of great riffs that kill, the revolution is all over the place in a couple of minutes only. Where my acquaintance with the band so far gave me the impression the band to be admirers of 1960s pop-rock able to turn this admiration into very nice self-penned songs, this song goes a step further, because for the first time I'm truly hearing Muck and the Mires and not, fill in your favourite band from the 1960s here. There's something old here, obviously, but also something new with a 100% urgency. And that takes Muck and the Mires to the next level. It's time to sign up to the beat revolution, folks.

Hey Boy. Holly Beth Vincent

More Rum Bar Records niceties this week. Holly Beth Vincent plays on the dirty side of rock music. Slightly slurred singing and distorted guitars set the stage. Hey Boy is a single full of energy. Positive and uncertain. Holly Beth Vincent wants to be with this boy, but what does he want? "Why do I want to be with him"?, she asks herself. She recorded in the past as Holly and the Italians, before moving into other kinds of music. Together with producer Travis Ramin she returns to her first love in music, punk, with a great single, a true 45 rpm, that shows what she's good at. Hey Boy holds it all where punk is concerned and is a great song as well. Pogo with care, aging punkers.

Convenient Friend. The Downhauls

Can you top 'Hey Boy'? Of course. The Downhauls do just that with Convenient Friend. Try to find it on You Tube and you find two videos that cannot cope with the sound coming from the stage. Convenient Friend is a song that is somewhere between punkrock and powerpop and takes the best of both worlds. The Downhauls rock out extremely loud with all that it's got. The singer is a modern day Joan Jett that has thrown everything to do with subtlety overboard as waste cargo. What remains is a song that speeds forward with the proverbial devil on its tail. The singer is mixed right in front of the music. The harmony vocals are top notch. The band is supertight, with a drummer that is really, really going for it. In another universe this song would be number 1 and it looks like it's in mine. This is the best I've heard in punk-rock-pop in a long time. So, ladies of The Downhauls count me in as a convenient friend.

Air Castles EP. Loula

Loula is Dutch singer Julia Hendriks. She's finally ready to release her debut EP, as, as for many people, the pandemic got in the way. On Air Castles she shows different sides to herself. She starts off with 'Top Of Your Mind'. A song with an acoustic guitar played in an orthodox way. Only to burst out in a joyous way next. Loula goes out in a fully pop way, with beats, sequencers and all, while her voice is pumped up in all the right ways. This is creating a sound alright. With a song like this she ought to be able to chase Rondé from the top of the pop pinnacle in NL right away. This song works and even gets to the good side of this old rocker. 'Human', the second song starts with a beautifully recorded piano. Loula is a modern artist and singer but aware of the good things of the past. Together with songwriting partner David Westmeijer (The Brahms) she found a great combination. Loula is a more outspoken singer than Lana del Rey, hence more varied in her approach and certainly more solid. She taps into a lot that is happening in music today, with one difference to most artists. I like what is happening on Air Castles and that has a lot to do with the sound of the EP. This is outstanding. All four songs hit the nail on the head. Loula has one worry less. Her EP certainly is not an air castle.

Back In Your Love. Truth & Salvage Co.

Oh, yes, let's wind down some more. Truth & Salvage Co. tap into years, no decades of pop music from the past and come up with a glorious new song that really takes the listener by the hand, to walk together through the decades of fond memories and in the meantime brings them this new song. Back In Your Love is the kind of song that is easy to love. The kind of rock ballad that is on the safe side of rock, but unlike a rock band doing a ballad to score a big hit, think 'I Want To Know What Love Is' or something like it, I believe Truth & Salvage Co. is Back In Your Love. A bold statement, yes, as this single is my introduction to the band. The singing, the arrangement of the song, it is all spot on. The mood of the song matches the longing of the lyrics. With a piano and an organ, there's a wide sound, making me think of the first hits of Keane in a combination with some great U.S. acts from the past. On 7 October 'Atoms Form', the band's first album since 2015 will be released.

Refusing The Wave. Tom Cunliffe

Is there a week without music from New Zealand? Probably, but it will be hard to spot one on this blog over the past months. Tom Cunliffe makes his debut on these pages today. What triggered me is that Dave Kahn produced the album Cunliffe is about to release, 'Secret Exhibition'. Kahn worked with Reb Fountain and her two records are hard to remain out of my player for a long period of time. Refusing The Wave is a very serious song. Lavishly produced and mixed, giving the impression of a whole orchestra playing behind the singer. There's not one, but the sound is so expressive. Tom Cunliffe presents a very slow single. Don't expect a beat of any kind. All players need one in their heads to keep time. Should I have to compare, it is to Irish bard Damien Rice (where did he go?). Cunliffe can reach me at the same musical and emotional level. Serious pop in other words, lasting almost six minutes, well worth the investment.

Smelter. Die! Die! Die!

More punk from New Zealand. Die! Die! Die! released a 12" single that is so rare "that it may have self-destructed after playing". Smelter is like a downpour of rain washing over me, instantly soaking me to the bone. There's so much energy shared here that sitting still is not an option. There's so much noise coming from the record that it becomes hard to really distinguish between the individual instruments. In an interlude, when there's just voice, a raging bass and drums, there's some respite for the innocent listener. For the rest there's no rest for wicked on Smelter. Die! Die! Die! simply goes full out and hardly has an idea that something like a break exists. The band goes for it for 110% at full speed.

Good Girl. Darlyn

Dutch band Darlyn returns to the blog with a sweet flowing single. It touches on pop with a hint of soul in it. The mood is not happy, more like expressing a deep longing for something that has not been achieved or reached yet. The music wraps itself around singer Diwa Meijman. The subtle tones and soloing notes are all here for her. Darlyn has clearly thought about the arrangement, as there are keyboards, the child piano sound especially, and guitars popping in and out of the song enriching Good Girl no little. Granted, Good Girl is far from a dangerous song. But, hey, who says music needs to be dangerous and there are enough songs that are among the ten songs presented here. Good Girl is simply nice and well made. That is enough for me.

Broken Record. Somebody's Child

To make this easy. Somebody's Child is the solo project of Cian Godfrey, an Irishmen born in Paris, but active from Ireland. He started his project in 2018 with a string of singles. In 2022 his energy laden new song sees the light of day. Broken Record is anything but a solo singer-songwriter song. Don't be fooled by Irish and solo project. This single rocks as if there's n tomorrow. Everything about it is urgent, full of energy and huge. Somebody's Child sounds as if the stadiums of the world have already been conquered. This is certainly the ambition of Godfrey and he's not hiding it. You will find every trick in the stadium rock book in Broken Record. Whether this is a really, really good song, is a matter of taste. All I can conclude here is that Broken Record works.

Liberation. Dmitry Wild

To wrap this week up, NYC's Dmitry Wild brings us a protest song. Yes, they do still exist. Liberation is a dark, muddied song, where Wild returns to the dark early 80s with his tone of voice. He puts the kind of deadness into his voice that came with the postpunkers of the time. He combines that with some blistering guitar soloing like no one was familiar with at the time. Liberation is about protesting, as the video shows as well. The theme is extremely timely with protest rising up in several countries for whatever reasons. All are anti-government but for very different reasons. With the scenes coming out of Iran as the most eye-catching: "Set us free", indeed. Wild has packed his message into an urgent song, one that builds up tension and releases it.

Wout de Natris

Wilderness Of Mirrors. The Black Angels

Time flies. One of the points of proof is that bands I've discovered later on in life are with me for over a decade. One of these bands is The Black Angels. In the time before Spotify, The Pirate Bay was the way to try out new bands. Illegal downloading? Well, in The Netherlands the government upheld the fiction that downloading was not illegal. Uploading was. The result for The Black Angels? I bought two of its albums and have been to shows. In all other cases I would probably have never heard of the band.

Come 2022 and finally there's a new album. The Black Angels still do what they are best at. Mix psychedelia and darkness with The Velvet Underground. The result is a perfect mix of alternative rock music that can find itself in a mid tempo and in some extremely tough rockers. Listen to the stark riff kicking off 'History Of The Future' and you'll know what I mean. At this point 'Empires Falling' still has to start....

Hearing new music of a band in the past, was always a disappointing affair. It never met my expectations. Usually things came out well in the end. It was only a matter of getting used to the new songs. Nowadays things are very different. Wilderness Of Mirrors came across as excellent immediately. The Black Angels obviously rock, are in its element and really show its ready to present its new music to the world.

And me? I have no explanation for this difference of welcoming new music. The only argument I can think of, is that my relationship with albums has changed over the years. When a teenager I only had a few albums and they meant the world to me. Now I have thousands and thousands and that simply is not the same. It still happens every once in a while, this intense relationship with an album but far less often.

Five years after 'Death Song', with the fantastic, antipode, title song 'Life Song', The Black Angels are back with an, in a relative way, open album. The sound is somewhat more upbeat and a few songs have the kind of pop feel The Velvet Underground had when Nico or Doug Yule sang. The Black Angels put more power behind its pop songs. Take 'El Jardin'. The song takes off at a light pace, to change into a monster of a pop song, with singer Alex Maas singing at his best. Drummer Stephanie Bailey is drumming as if this is the last song before she can go home, as in a final sprint.

The Black Angels keeps up this level of quality effortlessly down Wilderness Of Mirrors' road. Some French delight comes by, as do some other surprises. Modern psychedelia comes by in many, many guises. The Black Angels' guise is to rock out loud and serve it up with a lot of warbling, bubbling, sissling and other slightly estranging effects. They are all spot on. Modern psychedelia at its best this album and band is.

Wout de Natris

 

You can listen to and order Wilderness Of Mirrors here:

https://blackangels.bandcamp.com/album/wilderness-of-mirrors

Three albums. Hooveriii, Liar Thief Bandit, Starry Skies

Three albums that were released either during my vacation or deserve a spot any way. You will find three very different albums but all three have a song in mind before all else. That they sound totally different is the preference of the band. Enjoy.

 A Round Of Applause. Hooveriii

Released right in my vacation, the album slipped my mind completely after everything got back on track and the new releases started coming in by the dozens. Luckily for Hooveriii the album did get my attention as it deserves it. It came with the non-biased comment "one of the best releases this year". Usually to be taken with a grain of salt, but in this case there's quite some truth in the comment.

Hooverii released its previous album in 2021 and caught my attention with it. 'Water For The Frogs' was nice alright but with A Round Of Applause Hooveriii goes next level. The band adds some prog elements to its music and classic rock. This may have to do with the fact that the band is progressing as a band and moving further and further from its one man project's beginning.

The music is a rich as the latest ... And They Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead record, without clobbering it all in. Hooveriii allows for some of its songs to have more air and lets in a pop feel. Listen to 'Twisted and Vile' to hear what I mean. A glorious alternative vocal pop melody over a shredding guitar and burning it up band. And some surprises following it all. Hooveriii is on a roll here.

Influences come from all over the place. From bands like Deep Purple and Uriah Heep to British folk style singing over a rock song and some earlier 70s Bowie. For a L.A. band that are mostly U.K. influences, yes. There's much more but what it shows for me is how Hooveriii has incorporated all these influences to make its own great album. A Round Of Applause is called for indeed.

Diamonds. Liar Thief Bandit

On its mini 7 song album Sweden's Liar Thief Bandit does not make things more complicated than necessary. The band rocks and no little at that. Riffs and melodies fly into my ears constantly, reminding me of bands that have been with me for decades and then some. 1970s and 80s rock is abundant on Diamonds. The band is supertight and its guitarist knows every rock trick in the book. With singer Mikael Jacobson the band lays a bridge to the post-grunge bands Creed and Staind, so adds another decade to its background. Despite having a power trio line up, the guitars are everywhere. This will lead to having to make some tough choices in a live situation. All the double leads will have to go. They sound great though and every fan of a band like Cheap Trick and from there onwards into 80s rock will love these lead guitar melodies. Without Niklas Dahre on bass and William Grube on drums behind him, Jacobsen could never do what he does. The two lay down a great foundation to play off from and he does. With six originals and one cover, Graveyard's 'Ain't Fit To Live Here', Liar Thief Bandit delivers. Seven songs long.

Small Wonders. Starry Skies

Starry Skies is a band from Glasgow with members from many other places, including Australia. The band formed in 2014 around songwriter and singer Warren McIntyre. Based on my first hearing the band, I had expected the album to be all soft and listening intense. Opener 'Smile Right Through The Dark' is the song setting this expectation. The second song 'Spitfire Susie' totally upsets my expectations in a pleasant way. The song rocks, period. The eight songs that follow all fit in somewhere between these two extremes.

Listen to Small Wonders, the band's fourth album, and you will recognise a lot. I can say a lot about Small Wonders, not that it is original. For that everyone from Roger McGuinn, The Waterboys and even Bob Dylan ('Isis') comes by. Not to forget fellow Glaswegians Belle and Sebastian. What I can say is that Small Wonders is fun to spend time with. The songs all work and McIntyre's voice is extremely pleasant to listen to. With the women singing with him, Starry Skies is unbeatable. The warm sounds filling in the extra's like a violin or organ, give some of the songs an extra lift.

If you expect folk songs with a lot of spice in it, you're at the wrong address. If you like to listen to songs that are well-worked out, with a keen ear for details and nice harmonies you are at the right one. And, let yourself be surprised by the odd ones out. Small musical wonders indeed.

Wout de Natris

You can listen to and order the albums here:

https://hooveriii.bandcamp.com/album/a-round-of-applause

https://liarthiefbandit.bandcamp.com/album/diamonds

https://starryskies2.bandcamp.com/album/small-wonders

Tresor. Gwenno

Gwenno schuift op haar derde album Tresor op richting wat subtielere en vaak sprookjesachtige klanken, die prachtig combineren met het gebruik van lokale talen en de bijzondere stem van de muzikante uit Wales.

Ik vond de eerste twee albums van Gwenno absoluut bijzonder, maar ze overtuigden me uiteindelijk niet. Het deze week verschenen Tresor doet dat wel en hoe. Gwenno betovert op haar nieuwe album met bijzonder fraaie klanken en arrangementen, waarvan het mysterie nog wat verder wordt versterkt door de teksten in met name het Cornish. Het levert een album op dat geen moment lijkt op andere albums, dat met geen mogelijkheid in een hokje is te duwen, maar dat ondanks alle potentiële drempels die Gwenno opwerpt onmiddellijk overtuigt en vervolgens uitgroeit tot een album dat je tot de laatste noot wilt uitpluizen. Gwenno zet een reuzenstap met dit bijzondere album dat vooralsnog alleen maar indrukwekkender wordt.

Het Britse muziektijdschrift Uncut geeft in het augustusnummer de redelijk zeldzame score van 9/10 aan Tresor, het nieuwe album van de uit Wales afkomstige muzikante Gwenno. De Britse muziekpers was ook al behoorlijk enthousiast over de vorige twee albums van Gwenno, maar Y Dydd Olaf uit 2014 en Le Kov uit 2018 wisten mij uiteindelijk toch onvoldoende te overtuigen. 

Op beide albums zocht Gwenno Saunders, die eerder deel uit maakte van de band Pipettes, nadrukkelijk het avontuur, maar op de momenten dat ze dit in mindere mate deed, klonk haar muziek wat mij betreft juist wat gewoontjes, ondanks de teksten in het Welsh en vooral het Cornish. 

Ook het deze week verschenen Tresor (Treasure) klinkt direct ongewoon in de oren door het gebruik van de lokale talen, die voor buitenstaanders compleet onverstaanbaar zijn en vooral mysterieus klinken. Gwenno zingt op Tresor ook af en toe in het Engels, maar op het overgrote deel van het album maakt ze geen gebruik van haar afkomst en kiest ze voor het Cornish. 

In muzikaal opzicht doet het nieuwe album van Gwenno hier en daar denken aan de vorige albums van de muzikante uit Cardiff, maar ik vind Tresor een stuk beter en veel interessanter. Ook op haar derde album werkt Gwenno samen met Rhys Edwards, maar Tresor klinkt voor het overgrote deel anders dan Y Dydd Olaf en Le Kov. Waar deze albums vooral elektronisch werden ingekleurd, gaan elektronische en organische klanken op Tresor hand in hand en duiken hier en daar klassiek aandoende arrangementen op. 

Zeker wanneer de elektronica stevig werd ingezet konden de eerste twee albums van Gwenno zoals gezegd wat gewoontjes klinken, maar op album nummer drie is de instrumentatie een stuk subtieler. Gwenno combineert op Tresor bovendien uiteenlopende invloeden. Naast invloeden uit de traditionele muziek uit haar geboorteland Wales, hoor je op het album invloeden uit de folk, de new age, de psychedelica en de elektropop. 

Het zijn allemaal invloeden die op uiterst subtiele wijze zijn verwerkt, waardoor Tresor in geen van de genoemde hokjes past. In muzikaal opzicht doet het album me hier en daar denken aan het debuutalbum van Portishead, maar Tresor schiet ook allerlei andere kanten op en kan sprookjesachtige klanken afwisselen met een opeens toch weer redelijk rechttoe rechtaan popliedje. 

Het derde album van Gwenno is niet alleen vooral subtiel ingekleurd, maar heeft ook een voorkeur voor zich langzaam voortslepende en wat dromerig klinkende songs. Het zijn klanken die mooi kleuren bij de al even dromerige vocalen van Gwenno, die betovert met de mysterieuze woorden in haar teksten, maar er ook in slaagt om de luisteraar haar songs in te slepen. Tresor is, zeker vergeleken met zijn twee voorgangers, wat meer naar binnen gericht, wat het resultaat is van het isolement door de coronapandemie en het moederschap van de muzikante uit Cardiff. 

Ik geef eerlijk toe dat ik vooral sceptisch was toen ik de Uncut recensie van het album eerder deze week las en de torenhoge score zag, maar inmiddels kan ik alleen maar concluderen dat er niets op valt af te dingen. Tresor is een album dat drie kwartier lang betovert met bijzondere klanken en mooie zang en met songs die de fantasie stevig prikkelen, maar die ook van een bijzondere of zelfs unieke schoonheid zijn. Prachtig.

Erwin Zijleman

 

Je kunt Tresor hier luisteren en bestellen:

https://gwenno.bandcamp.com/album/tresor

3 EPs. Wytiki, The Vices, Hazlett

In the past weeks several EPs were released, too long for the single section, too short for a long post, too nice to ignore. So lets do a compilation of EPs this week.

U. Wytiki

Those who follow the singles post each week will have encountered Wytiki or Wieteke Wijte, an Amsterdam based singer-songwriter. She can be known through her stints as background singer for DeWolff and Eefje de Visser. Together with producer Daan Schepers she worked on her own songs. Thus it comes as no surprise that U is an EP filled with songs on the cusp of pop, electronics, dance and dreampop. Wytiki's voice has a dreamy quality that easily mesmerises. I can dream away on her singing without losing the connection with the voice and music. Behind Wytiki's voice synths play a big role but so does electronic percussion of all shapes and sizes. From my point of view this is dangerous music, as usually I do not like it. Why I like U is easily explained. Wytiki remains fully human and sings in a way that gives the electronics a warmth. Besides the songs being strong and interesting. U contains high class pop and not your everyday's. Every second is worthwhile listening to.

Strange Again EP. The Vices

The Vices debuted with a nice album in 2021, 'Looking For Faces'. The band now releases a four song EP and continues where it left off, with a different set of songs that have a base in alternative rock. A song can take a turn left towards indie and right towards pop. With the album I wondered who The Vices really were, as there were so many different, well, faces on the album. On the EP things are not so different, you will find. What combines the four songs is the obvious pleasure of playing together and presenting the songs to the wider world. The outset of the songs may be very different, the centre instrument is the guitar. Just listen how many different parts there are in 'I Had A Name'. The band obviously worked hard on the arrangement, without being content with the obvious. The pop feel has some liking to Chefs' Special. In opening song The Vices are in totally different place, alternative rock. Loud and convincing. The odd one out is song four. A ballad, a piano, an empty sound and beatlesque, as they say. It shows once again how diverse the Groningen band is. Having supported Kensington for that band's farewell shows, it's time to move up a rung. Listening to Strange Again the band is ready for it.

Oh, Downhill EP. Hazlett

Hazlett in an Australian in Stockholm and started his musical, solo career there. Preceded by a few singles earlier this year, he now releases his third EP. It is filled with dreamy songs. Songs that bring a melancholy mood to the listener. Hazlett's voice can be compared to a singer like Patrick Watson. His music is slightly more concrete than the often ethereal soundscapes of his Canadian colleague. They are there but the other instruments, whether digital or analogue are allowed to come through the mist of the soundscapes.

On Oh, Downhill Hazlett worked closely with friend and producer Freddy Alexander to create the music he hears in his head. The result is five songs that deserve intensive listening. To appreciate Hazlett's music you simply have to listen. There's nothing else for it. To do so is being rewarded with five modern day pop songs that are a little more mystical than the average singer-songwriter scoring huge hits this day, like George Ezra or Ed Sheeran. It makes Hazlett more interesting to listen to. As a bonus there's even a real hey-ho kind of song song on Oh, Downhill called 'My Skin'. After so many years, I can stomach a new one again. Five songs, five pleasures.

Wout de Natris

 

You can listen or order the EPs here:

https://wytiki.bandcamp.com/

https://www.mattanrecords.com/product-page/the-vices-strange-again-ep-vinyl

On. On

On featured on this blog recently for the fist time with a single, 'Blackmail', of its self-titled LP. Today is the right time to introduce the album to you. ON is the kind of album that falls right in with door and all. 'Break You' is there, right in your ears from the very first second. One pound on the drum and there the trio goes. 'Break You' brings memories of great female led bands of the past decades and adds a new classic to the genre. There's no other conclusion. This song is great fun.

ON is a trio comprised of three veterans of the Toronto music scene. Lucy di Santo sings and plays bass, Steve Fall is on guitar and Dan Cornelius plays the drums. Together they rock with an enthusiasm and power that belies their age and mileage in the industry. They are here to stun the world with their songs and presence.

What I think is so good when listening to ON is that the music has power. Call it grunge, call it post punk, whatever you like. To me this is glorious pop music. ON never forgets that a song takes a melody to be remembered. And ON has enough of these songs on ON. The second song on the album is my proof of point. 'Underdog' is loud, rough, tough, with some great riffing and chord changes and over it all is this great pop vocal melody. As a whole the song is simply great.

In the second half of the album the less good songs are encountered. There arguably is a difference in quality by then. Nothing that makes me turn off the record. I play it from A to Z easily. Perhaps the quality of the first bunch of songs is simply so high that everything would disappoint a little. When all is said, they do not take anything away from my overall impression of ON.

Promo photo by Lindi Gordon

This debut album has been years in the making. The three are friends for years and decided to play together at some point in time and from there slowly but surely built this selection of songs. Together in one place, online via video connections and by sending files by email. The result is a riveting album full of exciting songs that are urgent in sound, yet surely recognises what came before. There's some funky stuff, some powerpop and loads of power as such.

In front of all the music is Lucy di Santo who can have the roughest voice imaginable and sound like a purring pussycat with angelic harmonies. Just listen to another great track, 'Hereafter'. Di Santo shows all her different vocal qualities in one song. Extremely different in a lot of ways. The distortions are off, showing that ON does not not need noise to succeed and convince. 'Hereafter' is a beautiful and great track. Another highlight on ON, with great delicate playing by Steve Fall.

The result is I'm hearing a tougher version of The Bangles and The Go-Go's, but also Nirvana, Veruca Salt and others from the 90s. ON plays it all and is itself in the meantime. This is glorious powerpop.

Wout de Natris

You can listen to and order ON here:

https://onband1.bandcamp.com/album/on

Week 38, 10 singles

Another week and 10 more singles are highlighted on WoNoBlog. Once again, a very varied set, although I have to add that for once more singles did not make this list than did. Perhaps I was not in the mood for them, then I apologise but I had the idea they were just not speaking to me. Not all music is meant for me. That said there are simply too many singles being released to keep up with. There's only a spot for 10 here. From serious rock, you'll find dreampop, country pop and what not. It all ends with a big bang and a truly fantastic drummer. Hearing is believing here! Kim Coffel, remember that name.

Cold Killer. Redlight King

Can hardrock and pop go together? I hope I'm not offending anyone but yes it certainly can. Redlight King is combining the two perfectly. The tough guitar sound sets the tone. Together with the rhythm section it makes sure that the verses have the air to breath, to go for it in the choruses. No matter how cold the title is, the feel of the chorus is simply great. Fans of rock music will recognise elements from Guns 'N' Roses right up to Muse and that's only the start of this song. What I particularly take a liking to, is the little details in the song. The top of a cymbal, the extra, extra harmonies behind the front voice and harmonies. Redlight King knows how to embellish a song in all the right places and ways. As I wrote, pure pop. Be on the lookout for the Canadian-American band's fourth album later this year,'On Our Blood'.

Push. Cash Savage and the Last Drinks

Just because of the video it is good to listen (and look) to Push at least once. A band plays in a small apartment while the singer, in a semi-normal way goes about the apartment, doing things she would ordinarily do and sing as well. She may not be "feeling to hot today", the Last Drinks are. The band is on fire in this alternative rocking song. Musically the band strokes against your hairs half of the time while at the same time building this tension of which you know is in search of a release. When it comes it is still close to the edge of my musical tastes but so full of energy that giving is is an easy thing to do. For me Cash Savage and the Last Drinks is a totally new name and I can't even find out any more how the band got on my radar. It doesn't matter, the steam is getting out of my speakers and ears. Excitement is another good word for what I'm hearing.

The Seventh Daughter. Ryan Traster

With Low Miranda not out for another two weeks, here's a little taster in the form of the album's single, The Seventh Daughter. It is an ideal mix of country, pop and indie rock. You will hear a twangy lead guitar, playing in a song that with only some minor alterations could have been by R.E.M. or my fave country singer Karen Jonas. At the same time Ryan Traster adds this pop element to his song that makes it so easy to listen to. He manages to hover between the light and the shade and makes the light win on points. Listen to what the piano is doing, as accompaniment and solo notes. As a whole the song is extremely well-balanced making the listening experience sheer fun. It took me a while to acknowledge, but his voice sounds a lot like Vancouver's Tim Claridge of Death Goldbloom and Hymalyan. Extra points scored because of it. The Seventh Daughter is a great introduction to Low Mirada which I'll certainly start listening to soon. Out on 30 September.

Gin Joint Jukin'. Hambone Skinny

Duo Hambone Skinny, Skinny Mike on guitar and vocals and Stepth F. on drums (and a shout here and there), present nothing more than what they are, a duo. Skinny Mike plays his one riff over and over on his distorted guitar. One chord seems enough for the verses and chorus. The change comes when he throws in his slide for the solo's. Steph F. pounds away on her drums making sure that every inch of the sound not filled by the amp cranked up to 10.5 is filled by the drums. Behind Skinny Mike's voice, rough from wear and tear, she repeats a word here and there. If Hambone Skinny does one thing right, it is recreating the sound of the southern juke joints on a Saturday night. Gin Joint Jukin' is a s close as you'll get these days.

Double Helix. Ronan Conroy

Dubliner living in Brooklyn releases a single from his upcoming album 'The Slow Death Of The LoveMyth'. It is a song, on the dark side of the song spectre, that is quite heavy to digest. Let me start with the thing that irritates me no little: that long held, high keyboard note that is there for the whole song, hardly ever changing at all. With that out of the way, the rest of the song is fascinating. With singer Juli Dicterow of Oh Halo in a Stevie Nicks kind of role. She leads the way despite being somewhat in the middle of the music going on around her. The music comes across as one huge cloud that envelopes me completely. Yes, there are different instruments. They come across as one big whole. A monolith of sound, led by that one note. Listen more closely and a rich musical tapestry appears. With the many layered vocals of Dicterow and all the other instruments behind her. Double Helix is fascinating music in several ways.

I Guess You Had Enough. Kevin Stevenson

I'll be honest and write that Kevin Stevenson's album 'Reality Alley' is a bit too much for me. This single shows why individually his songs can be fun. They tap into a style of song that went out of fashion about 40 years ago, when bands like The Specials, The Selecter and Madness were, almost, past their short-lived hey day. Stevenson adds some pop to the whole and comes up with a mix of pop and slow ska, horns and all. Enough to bring a smile to someone's face instantly. Live this will undoubtedly go down very well. This music is fun. Nothing more but certainly nothing less.

Abstract Oils. Crush

More from New Zealand. Abstract Oils is the title of the latest single of the band Crush. Title and music faintly reminds me of Japan and the early solo works of David Sylvian. Warpaint is a name of the last 10 years that comes to mind immediately. The dreamy music is mixed with the mystical. At the same time there's a down to earth element in the music with thanks to the drummer and percussionist. Things happen that move towards reggae and dub, while singer and synths warble around as there's only sky and wind to sooth and carry you. Put Abstract oils on and let yourself be carried away. Just drift away, softly but surely into the trance the rhythm and warbling synths can bring you in.

Better By Now. Brooke Annibale

Listening to Brooke Annibale's single I get a feeling that The Cure has lost all its effect pedals somewhere on the road and in sheer desperation recorded Better By Now any way. The result is an alternative pop song that is instantly pleasing yet missing something. When I chuck my The Cure association out of the window, I hear a singer that is pining for something better. She wrote the song in January 2021, with the Christmas tree freshly out of the door and a hope for a new fresh year and on came the storming of the Capitol. (And Covid far from over yet of course.) The song expresses the faded hope for a better year in all the right ways. More bitter than sweet and more sad than happy. Better By Now is a song for those moments, without forgetting the silver lining is there somewhere. Hope does shine through. "How we wanted to believe it, somehow". Keep that thought when in the situation Brooke Annibale was in in January 2021. And listen to what came from it.

Dead Trajectory. Black Market Karma

London band Black Market Karma releases a single ahead of its album 'Aped Flair & Hijacked Ideas' (29 September), it's 10th. On Dead Trajectory singer Stan Belton delivers the right tone for the song. Do not expect a host of emotions on the single. The music is a more intricate affair. You will hear several guitars all playing off and against each other. Rhythms, leads, solo notes, wide chords and strums, it can all be found any moment in the song, without it ever becoming a jumble of noise. In the background the drums and bass keep it all on track and nicely going. Black Market Karma is in line with a band like Teenage Fanclub here without the intricate vocals. At the same time the band that hardly anybody has seen live, is quite present as well. The Velvet Underground is in the music and vocals. The pop and the dark come together in Dead Trajectory in quite a surprising way.

The Call. Hoaxed

Hoaxed is a duo, Kat Keo and Kim Coffel, that produces a song that sort of is a perfect blend of everything going on in modern rock music. Kat Keo sings like an angel in The Call and would have fitted with any of the dreampop bands of today. Kim Coffel batters her drumkit in such a way that Lars Ulrich could retire from Metallica any moment knowing that the kit would be filled a formidable way. Together they play metal in such a way that The Call is instantly a sing-a-long kind of song. Yes, it's hard and loud, while being pure pop, 24 carat gold. The best songs of Earth & Fire came to mind immediately in the moments the keyboards ring out, think 'Seasons', 'Wild and Exiting' and 'Maybe Tomorrow Maybe Tonight'. Hoaxed is a totally new name for me but instantly liked. The album. 'Two Shadows' is out on 28 October. Let me put the spotlight once again on drummer Kit Coffel. This is really sick stuff.

Wout de Natris

 

Expert In A Dying Field. The Beths

The impression The Beths made on me with the its single and opening song of its previous album, 'Jump Rope Gazers', it will never be able to repeat. Everytime I hear the song start, it still tingles down my spine. How can a band ever top that? It can't. The only thing to do is to come up with an even greater album as a whole. And it is here. The Beths fully deliver. Expert In A Dying Field is a great album and with 'Silence Is Golden' the band comes very close to 'I'm Not Getting Excited'.

The Beths is another band from New Zealand. This time I was allerted to them for the first time by Erwin Zijleman. Because of his review of 'Future Me Hates Me' I started to listen to the album and within a few songs I had heard enough. One of these days I'm going to have to do a retry of course. Why I haven't? Time is a restraint here with all the music coming in a daily basis.

Expert In A Dying Field contains everything that makes The Beths a perfect band. With Elizabeth Stokes the band has a songwriter that delivers and a singer who hovers between slacker and presence in a totally convincing way. The band has a lead guitarist who dares to derail his solo's without going off the rails. Hearing Jonathan Pearce's solo's is believing. Where is he going? Where does this wind up? In the end always in the right note but a lot of them in between are quite on the edge of the options open to him if not beyond. Pearce is like Roadrunner and certainly no Wyle E. Coyote as it were. The band as a whole knows how to rock and successfully pulls of an indie rock ballad at times as well.

Since the mid 90s I'm a great fan of Veruca Salt's album 'Eight Arms To Hold You'. Here you go where The Beths are concerned. Come 2022, the conclusion may have to be drawn that I have a new standard and it is Expert In A Dying Field. Many songs on the album are sharper, go to the edge more and are less well produced, in a positive way, as in this is not a "huge" album, which Veruca Salt's was.

What I truly like as well, are the harmony vocals on the album. All The Beths' members sing with Elizabeth Stokes, including harmonising with herself, giving the album an extra level of quality. With each listening session there are other details for me to discover.

Musically The Beths must be familiar with the alternative rock bands coming out of Boston around 1990. The Lemonheads, Buffalo Tom and such. Fans of these bands will find something of their liking here. For me The Beths simply go way beyond these bands. The band and its members add a level of enthusiasm to the music, something upbeat and plain fun. When I've listened to this album I always wind up with a smile on my face. Besides being totally pleased in a general way. It looks like I have added another band to my list of top bands.

Wout de Natris.

You can listen to and order Expert In A Dying Field here:

https://thebethsnz.bandcamp.com/album/expert-in-a-dying-field

No Ninja Am I live, Amsterdam De Nieuwe Anita, Saturday 17 September 2022

Photo: Wo.

With a beautiful new album, 'Plenty Of Blankets, in the pocket Sander van Munster called the band back together for one show to play the new songs live. For now it was a one off as there are no other shows planned for this year.

Plenty Of Blankets is a solo album by Sander van Munster with a little help here and there from friends. In my recent review you can read all about the album and the level of musicianship reached there (https://wonomagazine.blogspot.com/2022/09/plenty-of-blankets-no-ninja-am-i.html).

On stage there is a five piece, playing together as if they do this six days a week. The music changes because of it. From the Westcoast pop it moves towards a more rock oriented whole, with more than enough space to make all the details shine. The band allows Van Munster to sing and perform, while playing an acoustic guitar. Guitarists Gijs en Rens both play intricate pieces that work really, really well together. Just like the rhythm section, brothers Chris and Wubbo, plays as if they do this music together all the time. They don't. I couldn't help but wonder, how are they able to do this with songs they were not involved in and only practising a few times together? And deliver a host of harmony vocals as well.

Looking more closely, I noticed the musicians looking a each other quite closely to see what needed to happen, taking cues from each other. Remember, this was not bringing the band back together and do what they had done a long time ago once again. No, this was getting the band back together and play things they had never played before and get away with it gloriously.

Photo: Wo.

The quality of the songs are so good that there must be so many more people in this country who will enjoy this. No Ninja Am I has the songs, the melodies, the harmonies and the quality to attract far larger audiences. Who can be the connector?

For me I now know three incarnations of No Ninja Am I. The first are the records. The second is the band that does living room shows. Intricate, delicate, mesmerisingly good. Now the electric version was added to the previous experiences. You know by now what my impression is. Yes, it would be a good idea to have a second version of Plenty Of Blankets: the solitary singer-songwriter version and the band version. Both will be very much worthwhile to have.

Wout de Natris

You find the music of No Ninja Am I on its bandcamp page. You can order it there too:

https://noninjaami.bandcamp.com/

Moonage Daydream. Brett Morgen

A Friday evening in Leiden. Emerging totally into David Bowie. The rockumentary lasts well over two hours and not a second went by unnoticed. Morgen made a movie for Bowie fans, as in true fans. No one else will sit through this movie. A few seemed to sleep through it or nodded off. Not me. Riveted is the right word.

Morgen made his movie by going through Bowie's private collection of films, clips and pictures and added a collage of influences on Bowie and loads of live shots from tours from the mid 70s until circa 2000. The music is fantastic, When you're a fan this is the holy grail. I've seen clips I've never seen before but then I'm not a You Tube forager scraping every crook and cranny of the World Wide Web, as in almost none at all. I'm happy with my records and 'Reality Tour' live dvd.

In the movie we hear Bowie speak. On himself, on his view on life, on his career. He's a singer, performer and an ever more successful one and lets face it, a very extravagant and provocative one at that. This results in a load of, I would almost call it, impertinent list of questions from tv people and journalists that dig into his personae, from David Jones to Bowie incarnation number x. As if being a singer allows people to dig into everything. Through time he deals with it better and better and finds himself along the way. Maturing it's called.

The second theme is Bowie the loner. He decided that in order to be his best, he had to sacrifice all else. And keep travelling, keep moving, never settle down. Until meeting Iman, there's almost nothing personal in the movie. Angie Bowie is presented in three or four photo's and a comment that he never really loved her. His son, Zowie, now Duncan Jones, does not even get a single mention, unless I missed a very superficial one.

There's nothing on his life after his heart attack on stage in 2004. Just a reference and a fleeting glimpse of the 'Lazarus' video.

What I did see and strongly realised that I missed David Bowie's most extravagant show, the Ziggy Stardust one. Too young. Also, I never realised the enormous dedication of fans. His impact on society. Again, too young. I did see him, for the first of five times, in 1976, but knew far too little songs at the time to truly appreciate what I was hearing. I had never even heard 'Ziggy Stardust' at the time, although I was told that he had not played a single song of the album. I only knew the hitsingles, of which he had had very few at the time in The Netherlands and 'John, I'm Only Dancing'. I bought the single in its original sleeve at a discount. In 1976 he had left the extravagance behind and had focused on the music itself and being 'The thin white duke. Little did I know about that.

The critique that Bowie had sold out came up as well. In a neat way it was described as "for the first time Bowie is fully in sink with his audience". The result: his first number 1 hit in The Netherlands, 'Let's Dance'. An album that was extremely anticipated after three years of silence. In the meantime Bowie had moved across the world and lived in many different places in Asia, detonating with peroxide blonde hair with everyone around him.

For me Bowie became terribly uninteresting after 'Let's Dance'. I even stopped buying his albums for a while. Some singles were fantastic, but albums? No. My personal change towards Bowie was confirmed in the movie to have been the correct choice. He himself admits he had lost interest more or less. It was 'Black Star' that swept me of my feet for the first time in decades. One of the better albums ever made. Also after the shock on that Monday morning in January 2016.

"Moving is good, it allows you to throw things away" or words like it Bowie spoke somewhere after his Berlin years. Well, anyone who's been to the museum a few years ago knows better. Even his drawings of the stage clothes of his first band, The Manish Boys, at age 17, were still in his collection. So, perhaps the plates and forks and knives went out but not much else.

I also saw many of his paintings for the first time. Yes, they were good. A new museum show around the globe could be in the making, I'd predict.

Moonage Daydream is a treat for every Bowie fan. It may be that we see what Brett Morgen wants us to see or the estate wants us to believe. Still, we see the ultimate dedication of a rock star to his profession and the tremendous heights he soared at, to never really come down. When Bowie played people showed up in their thousands right up to the end of his performing career and beyond with the stage show, 'Lazarus' and in the museum. Bowie's here to stay and his estate makes sure of that.

Wout de Natris

Gaman. The World of Dust

With Gaman The World of Dust adds a new chapter to its oeuvre. Now eight albums strong. Did Stefan Breuer work closely with Todd Tobias on the previous two releases, Gaman is totally his own album, having written all songs and playing most instruments himself. All songs have guest players of which most have a relationship with Breuer's label Tiny Room Records, are family or have worked with him in the past like Thijs Kuijken of I Am Oak, for whom Breuer played bass for years in the past.

"Gaman is a special record for me", says Stefan Breuer. This is for personal reasons. Where the quality of this album is concerned he can be quite content as well. Gaman is an album filled with rich sounds. From his warm voice the album is build up, instrument by instrument. Breuer is not the best singer in the world but makes the most of the range of his voice. He does not try to make it more than it is and exactly because of this deliberate limitation he highlights his voice's strengths. Slowly and articulated he shares his messages and stories with the listener, who can hear them loud and clear.

Musically a lot comes by. You will find references to folk just as easily as to The Moody Blues, mach II, or a line lifted straight from The Corgis' 'Everybody's Got To Learn Sometimes'. This song, 'Needles', is based on an acoustic guitar, where others are so much more developed around different instruments. Like a singing saw and harp in 'Apocalypse'. The harp is played as if an acoustic guitar would be in a folk song. This is just one example of many. Gaman is a rich album musically and in sound.

A long list of instruments are played by Stefan Breuer himself. He shows his competence on all of them. Many of the extra's come from his guests, although his brother Arno plays most of the bass on the album. You will hear very different instruments like saxophones, a marimba, a trumpet, an accordion and the already mentioned instruments. They all make the sound of Gaman warmer and more special.

Vocally Stefan Breuer is supported by Geri van Essen, Thijs Kuijken, Tamara van Esch (Mevrouw Tamara) en his wife Anneke Nieuwdorp. They each provide a nice background to Breuer's voice. The women even in an angelic way. They really fit into the atmosphere of this album. Everything is in mid tempo, so it comes down to the listening experience and that is exactly where The World of Dust delivers, big time. All together it makes listening to the new The World of Dust a beautiful experience.

Gaman, is Japanese and means "enduring the seemingly unbearable with patience and dignity". However, there's nothing unbearable listening to Gaman, the pleasure of this musical trip is all mine.

Wout de Natris

You can listen to and order Gaman here

https://tinyroomrecords.bandcamp.com/album/gaman

90 In November. Why Bonnie

De Amerikaanse band Why Bonnie lijkt de zoveelste band met een voorliefde voor vrouwelijke 90s indierock, maar hoe vaker je naar dit album luistert, hoe mooier, veelzijdiger en bijzonderder het wordt.

Why Bonnie heeft nog niet heel veel aandacht getrokken met haar debuutalbum, maar 90 In November verdient deze aandacht absoluut. De frontvrouw van de van oorsprong Texaanse band schreef de meeste songs voor het album in New York, maar er werd uiteindelijk gekozen voor een studio in Texas en dat hoor je. Why Bonnie put uit de archieven van de 90s indierock, maar verwerkt ook invloeden uit de Amerikaanse rootsmuziek in haar songs. Hier blijft het niet bij, waardoor je steeds meer moois hoort in de songs van de Amerikaanse band, die in de persoon van Blair Howerton ook nog eens beschikt over een uitstekende zangeres en songwriter.

90 In November is het debuutalbum van de Amerikaanse band Why Bonnie en volgt op een aantal prima EP’s. De band komt oorspronkelijk uit Austin, Texas, maar omdat frontvrouw Blair Howerton de muziekhoofdstad van The Lone Star State inmiddels heeft verruild voor Brooklyn, New York, werden de meeste songs voor het debuut van Why Bonnie geschreven in The Big Apple tijdens de eindeloze lockdowns van de afgelopen twee jaar. 

Omdat de band Texas misschien had verlaten, maar Texas de band niet had verlaten, werd het debuutalbum van Why Bonnie uiteindelijk overigens opgenomen in de thuisstaat van de band. Het is een debuut dat veelvuldig het predicaat “90s indierock” krijgt opgeplakt, maar dat predicaat vertelt wat mij betreft maar een deel van het verhaal van 90 In November. 

Zeker wanneer de gitaren lekker gruizig klinken en Blair Howerton op haar lieflijkst zingt, doet de muziek van Why Bonnie inderdaad wel wat denken aan de rockbands uit de jaren 90 met een vrouwelijk boegbeeld, maar de Texaanse band kan ook met andere genres uit de voeten. 90 In November bevat hier en daar invloeden uit de Amerikaanse rootsmuziek en laat ook flarden American Underground en psychedelica horen. Why Bonnie is hiernaast niet vies van een vleugje pop, waardoor het debuutalbum van de band niet zomaar kan worden weggestreept tegen de albums van al die andere bands van het moment die de mosterd halen bij de vrouwelijke indierock uit de jaren 90. 

Uit dit genre haalt de band rond Blair Howerton de zo nu en dan lekker gruizige gitaren en de hard-zacht dynamiek, maar de muziek van Why Bonnie klinkt zowel complexer als verzorgder dan die van de meeste voorbeelden van weleer. De gitaarakkoorden op 90 In November kiezen lang niet altijd voor de meest voor de hand liggende weg en verder is het geluid van Why Bonnie verrijkt met piano en keyboards, waardoor de Amerikaanse band er in slaagt om een duidelijk eigen geluid te creëren, dat afwijkt van dat van de talloze soortgenoten. 

Waar deze soortgenoten vaak hoge gitaarmuren opbouwen, is de muziek van Why Bonnie betrekkelijk sober en ruimtelijk, wat niet alleen ruimte biedt voor wat experiment, maar wat er bovendien voor zorgt dat de dromerige zang van Blair Howerton prachtig klinkt. 90 In November is een album dat zich dankzij de echo’s uit de jaren 90 makkelijk opdringt, maar het is ook een album dat de fantasie wat steviger prikkelt dan de albums waarmee het in eerste instantie associaties oproept. 

Het is ook een album dat beter wordt wanneer je het wat vaker hebt gehoord, waardoor 90 In November bij mij begon als een ‘guilty pleasure’, maar inmiddels is uitgegroeid tot een album dat zomaar uit kan groeien tot een van mijn favorieten van het moment en wie weet wat er nog meer in zit. 

Ook in tekstueel opzicht is 90 In November overigens een interessant album, want het isolement in New York heeft mooie en persoonlijke teksten opgeleverd. Het debuut van Why Bonnie is bovendien een interessant zoekplaatje, want de platenkast die de Texaanse band omver trekt op haar debuutalbum bevat veel meer dan een aantal indierock favorieten uit de jaren 90 en is de helden uit de thuisstaat niet vergeten. 90 In November hoort bij de wat obscuurdere releases, maar het is echt een hele mooie.

Erwin Zijleman

 

Je kunt 90 In November hier luisteren en bestellen:

https://whybonnie.bandcamp.com/album/90-in-november