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Golden Eye. Upploppet
Oh,
yes! This song starts so nice. The clock strikes rock and Upploppet
delivers for the full two minutes and forty five seconds. The guitars are
just as dirty in sound as the singing is. Upplopet is from Sweden and
fans from Nordic rock bands from the past like The Hellacopters will
recognise where Upplopet found its mustard. Upplopet is translated into
English in The Riot. In Dutch, as our Germanic languages are somewhat
related, I would say 'oploop', and this is the moment before it could
turn violent. And this describes Golden Eye beautifully. There's a lot
of energy, some kerfuffle and pushing and shoving, without malicious
intent. Golden Eye contains all that. It's a great rock song.
A review starting with apologies? Yes, one is deserved here. In spring 2022 I promised to listen to this song and forgot all about it. There's too many emails sometimes. Coincidentally I ran into it this week and gave No Saviours a listen.
Selk is a folk band from Dublin,
Ireland, releasing songs for 10 years. For me No Saviours is my
introduction to Selk. On No Saviours it plays a traditional variation of
folk with a lot of attention to the voice of singer Anna Jordan. Not an
everyday kind of voice, think Josephine Foster or Anna Tivel, so it may
take an effort to get used to for some. Musically, the song is immediately
pleasing, with the glockenspiel and plucked violin. The song is warm and
distant at the same time. In comes the violin and cello changing the
sound but not the mood of No Saviours. In the second half of the song,
the band comes in in full, making the song darker and more folkrock in a
very Selk kind of way, exposing another, deeper timbre of Anna Jordan's
voice as well. More happens than meets the ear at first encounter.
With
the release of Moving On getting close, Litzberg releases the third, same-titled single. The band shows a more alternative pop side of itself. The
huge sound is not absent, it is the alternative, loud rock that is
largely missing here. Moving On has a distinct pop element, not that far
removed from a 'Run To You', to name but an example. The female backing
vocals, oohs and aahs, applied here and there do the rest. My guess is
that this song will be a nice point of rest on the album, where Mathijs
Peeters' band will rock the day and night away. This is the kind of song
that could be played, and deserves to be played on national radio. Just
about two weeks to go, I can't wait.
Heavy
Heart is aptly titled. This is all about heartbreak and the pain coming
with it. Howling with the wolves on the mountain, is what singer Kaz
does at the end of this slow moving ballad. It's not a soft ballad in
the sense of hardly any guitars and loads of violins/synths. No the
guitar, bass, keyboard and drums are here alright. They are just played
softer and slower than Redlight King does normally. At least, that's my
guess from seeing a few pictures on the internet. This song is all about
keeping things as basic as necessary to score the point; it comes
across. Redlight King has made a huge ballad with a minimum of effects,
Simply well done. Album 'In Our Blood' comes out on 3 March.
The
Laissez Fairs from Las Vegas return to WoNoBlog with a 60s infused
psychedelic rocker with a great pop melody. This could have been an
obscure song by The Move that The Laissez Fairs have unearthed from a
forgotten b-side or outtake. The song kicks off with the chorus. An
intro as a statement and kick in the you know where at the same time.
Pretty Penny is in your face, ears and mind before you are aware of it.
The singing may not be the best ever, it fits the song and everything
that happens in there is purely magic. Add all the psychedelic 1960s tricks
in the book and you have a song that mesmerises and pleases all at the
same time. This is a great pop song that should be teleported back in
time and would have scored a huge hit in 1967. Alas, it is 2023 but I'm
rooting here. Go and listen because "Pretty Penny has it all".
This
is a recent recording and a song covered from an American
singer-songwriter, Jean Ritchie, but it is as if I'm listening to a
recording by Fairport Convention from, say 1970. (Sounding extremely
good, granted.) It isn't. It is the first release by Kate MacLeod, a
folk singer-songwriter from the U.S., who is working on a tribute
project of songs by Jean Ritchie, who lived from 1922 to 2015. If a word
underscores the music on this song it is grace. Wintergrace is so graceful. MacLeod sings and plays
guitar and dulcimer. She is accompanied by John Bryant on acoustic bass
and Morgan Morrison's harmony vocals. Together they cast a spell with
Wintergrace lasting a full five minutes. Despite all involved are
American (Appalachian) musicians, this song is pure U.K. folk of the
kind that I hear every once in a while but never at this level of
musicianship. MacLeod has only just started. Expect more under the moniker The Jean Richie Experience soon.
A
Christmas song as a single from an album to be released somewhere this
spring? Why not? Jumping boundaries is what gets people forward. As I
read somewhere, keeping two feet to the ground never got someone
anywhere. One Horse Band is professed as the loudest one man band on
earth. Part of that shows on Santa Claus, that starts fairly quiet.
Atmospherics fill my ears, followed by a rough voice and a softly played
electric guitar. Later on in the song more noise comes in and it
becomes impossible to play as a one man or horse band. Several guitars,
drums, a shaker of some kind, a bit much isn't it? I'm not complaining
though. Santa Claus is a nice rock song. It even has a Beatlesque little
solo melody. See if you can find it. One Horse Band is working towards
the release of a new album. With Santa Claus the Milan based musician
provides a very nice introduction. And a dark laugh at the end.
With
'Plenty Of Blankets' out for under a year, here's Kiss Your Friends
with Sander van Munster boldly announcing a new record for later in
2023. The song starts extremely playful. A child's voice counting in the
rhythm, "ghost" vocals announcing and repeating the lyrics. It almost
disguises what is truly going on in Kiss Your Friends. Where I implied
in my review of 'Plenty Of Blankets' that No Ninja Am I had found its
inner CSN and other artists from around 1970, here Van Munster dove off
the deep end. This is CSN, The Beatles and what not all in one. Not just
a nice copy but an inventive arrangement, with great vocal harmonies
and not one note too much. This is mostly the bare essence, as if an exercise in restraint, of what
Kiss Your Friends could have been in the hands of someone else. Still,
sheer beauty is everywhere. Although 'Plenty Of Blankets' made my list of
favourite albums of 2022, it does not hold a song of this quality. Life
is good when songs like Kiss Your Friends can still blow me away.
The
Vices return to the blog with a new song. The Groningen band has many
faces, in my opinion maybe two too many. On the other hand it may please
a lot more people. With its new single Never Had To Know the band
combines alternative pop with the sound of a band like Moss. The
combination really works. The Vices touches on the light side of life in
the musical mood it has given to this song and the darker side because of the
singing and the theme of the lyrics that touch on life and the passage of time that
changes it irreparablt. The warm arrangement provides the light. With
80s synths setting the mood, flashing in and out of Never Had To Know.
The guitar layers, acoustic and electric do the rest, making the song
melancholy for things past. Judging from memory, I'd say I've just
listened to the best song of The Vices to date.
The Bites combines everything within itself that make U.S. rock so good. And with everything I mean everything between Aerosmith and San Diego's Dirty Sweet. Do Me A Favor rocks with loads of enthusiasm, a great, instantly memorable melody and a huge sound. The Bites is out to impress and does. Just listen to the intro to the song. Unashamedly long but everything and everybody can count their one-two-three-fours before the gang breaks loose. The chords are just E-A-B and more than enough to create a huge rock song, with long, fiery guitar solos. A three guitar line up guarantees the huge impact, drums and bass do the rest. The singer sounds a little like Steven Tyler, the guitarist has Steve Perry's chinline, what's more to wish for? Not much, so do me a favour and play it again, please!
Wout de Natris
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