vrijdag 31 maart 2023

Saturn Return. Soft Plastics

Based on the single 'Darcie' I had expected a totally different album. The alternative rocker cleaned out my proverbial ears. Having reviewed 'My World/Your Girl', the opening song, on these pages in October 2021, I could have expected another kind of album. The mind is not what it once was.

Based on what I'm hearing, sort of anew, is that 'My World/Your Girl' is a great opener. Lana del Rey, Donna Blue and all those acts looking back on the early 1960s adding some reverb or a lot more, have a new act to look out for. Soft Plastics has this form of nostalgic slowcore down to a t. The song sets the mood for Saturn Return, a mood that is revisited a few times but also deviated from. The variation is what makes Saturn Return so interesting.

Expect more alternative rocking, driven by a tight rhythm section, drums and bass is enough to get 'Easy To Forget' going. The song brings me back for over 40 years. A hit like 'So Long' by Fischer Z for example has this same pulse. What Soft Plastics manages to do, is give this tight song a dreampop edge. The added atmosphere changes the outset of 'Easy To Forget' totally, enriches it by a large margin.

Soft Plastics is a trio from Te Whanganui-a-Tara or Wellington, New Zealand. Saturn Return is the band's debut album. A highly anticipated album and not just by me. The singles released over the past one and a half year were all interesting, raising expectations. Drummer Laura Robinson, singer-bassist Sophie Scott-Maunder and guitarist Jonathan Shirley deliver on these expectations.

Saturn Return holds a host of influences. Lana was already mentioned and let me add Angelo Badalamenti's 'Twin Peaks' here, while on the other end of the spectre I hear Veruca Salt's alternative rock, while there's a lot in between you'll find. If the band ever comes to The Netherlands or Belgium, hook up with either Amber Arcades, Donna Blue, Robin Kester or The LVE in Belgium to do a double bill. Soft Plastics uses these inputs to create a world of its own. And a rich musical world it is. Filled with atmospheric music, dreamy, up until that moment the band decides to give the song a kick in the you know where.

'Darcie' is the loudest example of one of those kicks. It proves not to be the ideal album opener, as I wrote a few weeks ago, but it will definitely be the ear-splitting end to the band's live show. What an energy is unleashed, saved by the slowcore and slow dreampop songs that will have preceded it. 'Disembodied' should be the encore. From soft to a sonic storm. Usually that goes down really well.

Saturn Return is a debut album that brings a lot of already familiar musical idioms. With these building blocs Soft Plastics went to work and came out with a set of really nice songs. Nearly each one holds an element that surprises and gives the song another point of view. The album delivers on musical promises made. It's varied but above all, good.

Wout de Natris


You can listen to and buy Saturn Return here:

https://softplasticsband.bandcamp.com/album/saturn-return

donderdag 30 maart 2023

Amber Arcades + Robin Kester live. Patronaat, Haarlem Sunday 26 March 2023

Photo: Wout de Natris
What can I add to everything that has already been written on this double-billed tour? Amber Arcades and Robin Kester both recently had a successful album release. There was no end to the extremely positive reviews and interviews preceding the release of 'Barefoot On Diamond Road' and 'Honeycomb Shades'. The same goes for the duo shows of the two artists. One would expect a sold out venue, but Haarlem did not seem up for it. Where are the people that should go to live shows of good alternatively rocking Dutch acts? Did they miss anything? Yes, excuse me, a double yes.

Amber Arcades and Robin Kester, totally unknown to them, had some shoes to fill. In the afternoon the Antwerp band The LVE gave a great show in a living room in Haarlem, playing their sad, sad songs to perfection. Total surrender and admiration were their share. And, to be honest, Amber Arcades' first part of the show suffered because of it. It took me some time to get into its, quite different, rhythm. Not even the excellent 'True Love' got me there. There's one cure: play 'Fading Lines'. She did and from that moment on I was totally alright.

What stood out and here is why this double bill works so well, is the atmospherics created by the band. There's loads and loads of bathroom effects on the voice and lead guitar, giving the mood something of fairytale that can move to the dark side at any moment. Like a puppy changing into to a snarling, huge dog.

The difference starts with the artists. In the middle of the first show is singer-guitarist-songwriter Annelotte de Graaf. On stage she appears like an unapproachable pop goddess. The sonic storms raging around her; silence descending, both not touching her, in any way. As if it all slides off her. Unassailable she is to her stage environment. At the same time she is responsible for it all. Off stage she changes back into herself; interested in making small talk with fans, signing records.

In her show both sides of her music come out well. The new songs are still finding their way to fans, the old ones are undoubtedly favourites of many. The new songs will get there, as I'm certain Amber Arcades will always play a few of them in the future. They're good and great additions to what was already there.

Photo: Wout de Natris
Robin Kester is a relatively new name. Personally I had not heard of her before the announcement of the shows. Her album, 'Honeycomb Shades' went down well on this blog, also. Not being overly familiar with the songs yet, I could undergo them with a relatively fresh mind. They held up well. Kester is a friendly stage personality, who smiles and seems to have a genuinely good time there. At the same time she appears still a bit uncertain. The use of electronics, there were two synthesizers that were used a lot, creating all sorts of weird noises in the high and the low end as well.

The bass sound was classic Moss. It is here that her collaboration with Marien Dorleyn came through most. That dry sound is a dead giveaway. The rest is far less so and it is here that the two acts meet in the middle. The shredding of the guitar with endless effects on the sound makes the music much louder than it truly is. Robin Kester makes a soft, dreamy kind of music that is allowed to go totally out of hand towards noisy finales without overdoing it (and so does Amber Arcades). Impressive is the word and then enter the synths.

The evening ended with a duet. Annelotte de Graaf came back on stage and together they played the famous The Velvet Underground & Nico song 'Femme Fatale'. Seductive as the song should be, the two played around each other taking lead vocal in turns and harmonising. What an ending to a huge musical day.

Amber Arcades and Robin Kester could start a band together if they wanted to and make each other even better. For now we have two very good alternative rock acts in this country to enjoy.

Wout de Natris


You can listen to and buy Amber Arcades and Robin Kester here:

https://amberarcades.bandcamp.com/album/barefoot-on-diamond-road

https://robinkester.bandcamp.com/

woensdag 29 maart 2023

Magie. The LVE live in de huiskamer, 26 maart 2023

foto: Wout de Natris
Een zondagmiddag in Haarlem. Het is opvallend fraai weer. Alle voorspelde regen viel elders. Drie auto's rijden voor, uit Antwerpen, vol met apparatuur, die allemaal op een paar vierkante meter moet worden geplaatst. Met halsbrekende toeren lukt het alle bandleden om op hun plaats te komen. De band speelt zich warm, stelt het geluid in, met een echte geluidsman. Het is veel te hard voor zo'n kleine ruimte en dan gaat de bel voor het eerst.

Langzaam maar zeker loopt het huis vol. Rond de 30 gasten en maar heel weinig afzeggingen. Dat is ook wel eens anders. Wat voor een muziek gaan we naar luisteren?, was een veel gestelde vraag. Niemand kende de band vooraf, met de uitzondering van de vijf aanwezige leden van de band Sweetwood, die al een aantal jaar met veel goesting het nummer 'Love When You Don't Want It' covert. Hoe die vraag te beantwoorden? Vlak voor aanvang wist ik het. Tijdens de brunch kwam het nummer 'Sad Sad Songs' voorbij. "I like the sad sad songs ... I like the moody shit I write". En dat is de sleutel tot het antwoord. Vrijwel alle songs hebben een melancholische inslag. Een soort weemoed die het beste in de band naar boven brengt. Vrijwel alle songs dragen dit kenmerkende element in zich. Overigens doorgaans zonder somber te zijn. Het lijkt een mindset die goed past.

Lead gitarist Bert was ziek en kon zo niet bij het eerste optreden van The LVE sinds de lockdowns zijn. Dat was jammer voor hem. Gelukkig kwam de band wel en speelde de pannen van het dak af, aangemoedigd door een publiek dat steeds enthousiaster werd. En terecht. Er hebben alle vele acts in deze woonkamer gestaan, maar deze zondag waren we getuige van een next level ervaring. Het gaat goed worden, mailde zanger-gitarist Gerrit vooraf. Hij schreef geen letter te veel. Het was zo mooi en goed.

foto: Wout de Natris
Het enorm leuke aan een huisconcert is de intimiteit. Dit maakt het mogelijk om zowel de band als heel het publiek te observeren. De interactie die ontstaat tussen beide, de kleine conversaties, maar bovenal de mate waarin de muziek toeschouwers raakt en wat dat met de band doet. Dat alles zat wel goed. "Mag ik de WAV voor mijn radioprogramma"?, was zo'n spontane reactie. Of na afloop, "hoe heet dat nummer? Het is ook wel wat voor de band". Lessen in Vlaams en de mogelijke Nederlandse vertaling samen vinden.

The LVE heeft geen groot repertoire, maar wel een kwalitatief hoogstaand oeuvre. Er werd een goede dwarsdoorsnede gespeeld van alle drie de platen. Bovendien gingen een paar nummers in première, die heel veel belovend zijn. Van alle gespeelde nummers zit 'Sad Sad Songs', nu twee dagen later, nog in mijn hoofd. En dat ondanks een persoonlijk hoogtepunt. Karen en ik mochten in de toegift 'Love When You Dont Want It' zingen. Het nummer was al voorbij gekomen in een prachtige versie.

foto: Wout de Natris
Wat direct opviel, was hoe goed het geluid stond ingesteld voor de band. In de kamer was het al perfect, maar ook op het podium. Complimenten voor Jeroen, de geluidsman, zijn volkomen verdiend. We hebben het gedaan. Verbaasden een deel van het publiek. Dank, The LVE, want dit was echt een kippenvel moment. Dat realiseerde ik me pas tijdens de solo van Gerrit: we mogen dit doen. Dankzij een filmpje dat werd opgestuurd durf ik te zeggen, 'ja, ik kan zingen'. Van Karen wist ik dat al.

Volkomen ten onrechte haal ik de aandacht weg waar die hoort. The LVE speelde een geweldig concert en verdient een veel groter publiek. Daar was iedereen het over eens. Het applaus dat klonk in de huiskamer was, zonder overdrijven, nog nooit zo lang, inclusief een staande ovatie. Sara, Gerrit, Rienk, Thomas en Joes, heel erg veel dank voor deze ervaring en ik hoop dat jullie als er nieuw werk is nog eens terug willen komen. Maar nog meer hoop ik dat het Patronaat inderdaad volstroomt. Jullie verdienen het!

Wout de Natris


Je kunt de muziek van The LVE hier luisteren en bestellen:

https://thelve.bandcamp.com/album/the-lve


Hier de video van Sweetwood zangers met The LVE:

https://youtu.be/1asuIRMDV5g

dinsdag 28 maart 2023

Cradle. Starling Arrow

Leah Song, Chloe Smith, Tina Malia, Ayla Nereo en Marya Stark zijn stuk voor stuk geweldige zangeressen, maar als Starling Arrow weten hun mooie stemmen elkaar op bijzondere wijze te versterken

Cradle van Starling Arrow is een album dat ik ook zomaar opzij had kunnen leggen, bijvoorbeeld als ik bij beluistering van het album bij een van de a capella songs was blijven steken of wanneer ik gewoon niet in de stemming was voor de muziek van het Amerikaanse vijftal. Ik ben blij dat ik Cradle van Starling Arrow wel heb opgepikt, want het album waarop zangeressen Leah Song, Chloe Smith, Tina Malia, Ayla Nereo en Marya Stark de krachten bundelen betovert me steeds meer. Cradle is een album dat indruk maakt door vijf stemmen die bijzonder mooi bij elkaar kleuren en die bovendien steeds op net wat andere wijze worden gecombineerd. Luister met volledige aandacht op een rustig moment en je gaat gegarandeerd voor de bijl.

Starling Arrow is een project van vijf zangeressen, die tijdens de coronapandemie songs schreven en besloten deze gezamenlijk uit te voeren nadat ze elkaar eindelijk weer hadden kunnen ontmoeten. Leah Song, Chloe Smith, Tina Malia, Ayla Nereo en Marya Stark zijn allemaal gezegend met een prachtige stem, maar geen van de namen klonk mij bekend in de oren. Leah Song en Chloe Smith timmerden bovendien al aan de weg als Rising Appalachia, maar ook dat is geen naam die bij mij een belletje deed rinkelen.

Iedereen die de krenten uit de pop met enige regelmaat bezoekt, weet dat ik een zwak heb voor vrouwenstemmen. Bij beluistering van Cradle van Starling Arrow voel ik me dan ook als een kind in een snoepwinkel, al kan het combineren van vijf stemmen ook makkelijk teveel van het goede zijn. Leah Song, Chloe Smith, Tina Malia, Ayla Nereo en Marya Stark combineren hun stemmen af en toe in fraaie harmonieën, maar ze geven elkaar ook flink de ruimte, waardoor het debuutalbum van Starling Arrow wat mij betreft nooit overdadig klinkt.

De vijf zangeressen droegen allemaal twee songs aan voor Cradle, dat verder een traditional en een improvisatie bevat. Starling Arrow laat op haar debuutalbum twee soorten songs horen. In een aantal songs neemt een van de zangeressen het voortouw, is de instrumentatie uiterst sober en zijn er wonderschone harmonieën. In een aantal andere songs kiezen Leah Song, Chloe Smith, Tina Malia, Ayla Nereo en Marya Stark voor a capella songs en worden de stemmen van het vijftal ook gebruikt voor het inkleuren van de songs.

Ik ben normaal gesproken niet gek op a capella songs en heb ook op Cradle een duidelijke voorkeur voor de songs waarin wordt gekozen voor een combinatie van leadzang, sobere klanken en mooie harmonieën, maar de a capella songs van Starling Arrow zijn zo mooi en krachtig, dat ik mijn aversie tegen dit soort songs in vrijwel alle gevallen makkelijk op zij kon zetten.

Cradle van Starling Arrow is een album waarvoor je in de stemming moet zijn of waarvoor je in ieder geval het juiste moment moet zien te vinden, maar als je ervoor in de stemming bent en open staat voor de stemmen van de vijf muzikanten, is Cradle een prachtig album. Het is een album dat de ruimte, ondanks alle mooie stemmen, voorziet van een bijna serene rust. Ook dat geldt overigens met name voor de songs waarin is gekozen voor een sobere instrumentatie en waarin Leah Song, Chloe Smith, Tina Malia, Ayla Nereo en Marya Stark elkaar de ruimte geven.

Cradle maakt me nieuwsgierig naar de individuele verrichtingen van deze vijf uitstekende zangeressen, maar de tijdens de coronapandemie ontstane samenwerking is zeker waardevol. 1+1+1+1+1 is in veel gevallen teveel wanneer het gaat om het combineren van stemmen, maar op het debuutalbum van Starling Arrow vullen deze stemmen elkaar prachtig aan en weten ze elkaar wat mij betreft keer op keer te versterken.

Als ik zou mogen kiezen zou ik op het volgende album minder vaak kiezen voor a capella songs en misschien hier en daar kiezen voor een net wat voller klinkend instrumentarium, maar ook in de huidige vorm smaakt de samenwerking tussen Leah Song, Chloe Smith, Tina Malia, Ayla Nereo en Marya Stark wat mij betreft naar veel meer

Erwin Zijleman


Je kunt Cradle hier luisteren en bestellen:

https://starlingarrow.bandcamp.com/album/cradle

maandag 27 maart 2023

Big Tear. Pitou

Today a record that I am still digesting. As it is already released and in the coming weeks there will be a lot of new records coming out, I'm afraid I will not get around to Big Tear again. Because I am not ready really, this will be a short review and not a deep dive into my experiences as you may have gotten used to.

Dutch singer Pitou Nicolaes, living in Antwerp, has released her debut album and it is a record where a lot is happening. It is extremely intriguing. She plays expertly with a dreamy mood. In her singing and the music accompanying her voice the Efteling never seems far away. It is the kind of music that floats around my room more than that it is present.

Thinking of artists that come close I would present the following names: Robin Kester, Amber Arcades on her latest record, Chantal Acda and Elenne May. All Dutch artists. With Pitou as the one where the fairytale element runs largest. Just listen to a song like 'Greed' or 'Comfort' to understand what I mean. Pitou keeps her music as small as possible. An acoustic guitar of a more or less exotic form, some other acoustic instruments and finally atmosphere and the empty spaces in the recording room. It's all she needs to attract the listener to her voice, that in a few of the songs remind of Ann Wilson when singing a folk song by Heart, like 'Dreamboat Annie'.

Photo: Rayan Nohra
As I started with, I still do not have a complete picture. For that Big Tear is too diverse, too rich. Four, five listening sessions are not enough in this case. I will keep listening, as Big Tear is worth spending time with. I already know as much.

Let me end with the album title. Does she have a big tear because of the big tear in her coat or pants? In the title song yet another influence comes across, I've just noticed, Florence + Machine without the bombast. A lot of good things fall into the place called Big Tear.

Wout de Natris


You can order Big Tear and Pitou's two previous EPs here:

https://www.pitoumusic.com/store

zondag 26 maart 2023

2023 week 12, 10 singles

Tequila, I hate the drink but as a song it is going to make this week's singles reviews go out with a huge bang. Before that bang, expect a lot of interesting songs to pass you by. A few artists come by for the first time on the blog, including the return of a band that had it's greatest hit 30 years ago. A successful attempt at a comeback at that. Which band? You're bound to find out.

Thinking Of Me. Upploppet

Sweden seems to have two tastes in music: pop ditties, of which some are of the highest quality, and (hard)rock. Upploppet certainly has to be placed in the latter category. The five piece from Gothenburg on Sweden's west coast really go for the big riffs, loud chords, a huge solo and straightforward playing, all topped with a golden vocal melody. It is here that the rock meets the pop element of Swedish music. No matter how loud and all the nudges to rock from the late 80s and 90s, there is a pop element in Thinking Of Me. It results in a song to sing, dance and headbang to. Upploppet gives you the opportunity to chose, so be my guest as well.

Piece Of The Pie. Leather Catsuit

Described as "a labour of love" by singer Kim Olin, Piece Of The Pie is in a way the culmination of being active in music for over 30 years. During the pandemic Olin was able to get a band together, Leather Catsuit, whose members would not have been available otherwise. From it an album grew and this is it's first single. Expect a Joan Jett style punk rocker, with a rough and tough singer who "wants the world right at her feet". With Piece Of The Pie chances are she ought to get enough people at her feet to make a difference. Kim Olin shows that age has nothing to do with being able to write, sing and record a great punk rock single. Piece Of The Pie is a declaration of intent and purpose where "the sky is the limit". Assisted by the great guitar work of Steve Conte and the rhythm work of Johnny Pisano and John Weber, this is one tough single.

Waiting Such A Long Long Time. New Earth Farmers

Usually, I do not write about a single after I already wrote about the album. (See a few weeks back.) I happen to like Waiting Such A Long, Long Time so much, I do it anyway. The song is originally by World Party. From an album released in 2012. I wasn't even aware World Party was still active (at the time). I totally lost track of Karl Wallinger's vehicle. If this cover is anything to go by, he hasn't lost his pop touch. The fun of New Earth Farmer's version is that it combines elements of Kaiser Chiefs and the rock side of The Kinks in there. The result is a rock element fused with the pop. Let's focus on the singing also. Tough, a little studio treatment on the voices, yet heavenly harmonies jump from my speakers. New Earth Farmers deserves to score a hit with this version. It has it all and a little more.

Hand Of The Sculptor. Mike Miz

Mike Miz is Mike Mizwinski and with Hand Of The Sculpture he jumps the gun of Stones, Faces and Black Crowes rock as if these bands' days are not long behind us. It isn't of course, as it has proven to be timeless, with The Stones on top of everything right up till today. Mike Miz emulates the best of 'Rocks Off', 'Stay With Me' and 'Remedy' and brings it to his own song Hand Of The Sculpture. Expect double guitars and a slide guitar, a great piano solo where Ian Stewart would have been available for any day, and rock, rock, rock. Just listen to the intro. If you like this style of music and not fall for it, it's time to have your ears flushed, urgently. This is as real as things can get in 2023.

O Torto Santo. Bike

Let's move towards psychedelia. In general I associate Brazilian music with Astrud and Bebel Gilberto. Today I have to revise my prejudices. Bike produces nothing even closely resembling bossa nova. If this had been a new single by The Black Angels, to name an example, I would have believed it. Bike is a totally new name to me. In 2014 Julito Cavalcante (guitar and vocals), Diego Xavier (guitar and voice), Daniel Fumega (drums) and João Gouvea (bass) formed the band and will release their fifth record, 'Arte Bruta', in early May. O Torto Santo is my first Bike song. It is song that has a deep sound but at the same time is not heavily psychedelic. For that the sound is too light. More spacey and wobbly and leaving room for some dynamics in the tune. Just go along with this musical trip is my advise and ride its musical waves and you'll be far out.

Break It All. Muck & The Mires

2.23 minutes is enough. The Beatles, The Kinks, The Rolling Stones, all knew that close to and over 60 years ago. Muck and the Mires know it in 2023. Break It All is a song that could have been released in 1964 or 65 and it would have been a huge hit. It is the perfect combination of rock and roll with pop and beat. Had the song been recorded by The Beatles tens of thousands of screaming girls would have fainted at their feet. Muck and the Mires will be lucky if several hundreds show up at the same time. Those hundreds will have the time of their life though. I've already written several positive reviews of the band's songs but this one is exceptionally good. "Maximum garage rock and roll" the band writes (about) itself. Well, folks, and then some I'd like to add. Break It All combines everything that is so good about the beat era, mixed with what was happening in London. Wow, is the word.

Cello Song. Fontaines DC

In July an album is to be released with covers of Nick Drake by a host of artists. One single is released to announce it. Fontaines DC is one of the biggest post punk bands of the 20s. It comes with an, at first, totally unrecognisable song. A long instrumental intro gives way to what indeed is a Nick Drake song. It emerges as it were from the deep. Nick Drake came late to me. Probably in my early to mid 40s. I still do not play him often but when I do, he nearly always touches me. Part of the story is his untimely and sad demise at the age of 26 - He did not even make the famous club! Fontaines DC manages to make its own take on Cello Song. When all is said and done, it is recognisable as a Nick Drake composition but with a post punk sauce over it that makes it Fontaines DC, with some eastern melodies in there for good measure. If all artists approached the repertoire as inventive as Fontaines DC, 'The Endless Coloured Ways' will be quite interesting.

Something Started EP. EUT

EUT returns to the blog with a new. four song EP. It starts with 'San Francisco', a concise alternative rocker. Going against the grain a little, pushing the hair back the wrong way. Singer Megan de Klerk sings with a punky attitude, pleasing just a little less than usual. It makes 'San Francisco' sound just a little darker than EUT usually sounds. Barring the previous single, 'Can't Stop Me', which I thought to be to disco poppy, EUT and I agree a lot. Where 'Step By Step' went down quite well in the fall of last year. This makes 'San Franciso' the only new song on Something Started. (With a remix of 'Can't Stop Me'.) Listening to 'Can't Stop Me Now' today with fresh ears and another mindset probably, I can live with the song. Something Started is a nice in between on route a new full length album. I haven't seen the band live yet. It's high time.

Rise. Extreme

'Get The Funk Out' and of course 'More Than Words', that surprising ballad that became a world wide number 1 hit, were the songs that introduced me to Extreme. And then things went silent again as far as I'm concerned. Extreme is back with a huge single that could have been a new Van Halen single. As Gary Cherone was its singer for a short while, why not? Rise is a powerhouse. The song has so much power in it. When you come back as a band after how many years, you better do it good. Extreme shows why it's a good band. Extremely tight with a fantastic guitarist, Nuno Bettencourt, showcasing a lot of what he's good at in Rise, and a good singer in his own right. Cherone has a little edge to his voice these days and it suits him. Whether 'Six' as a whole is this good, we will know in June. For now I'll amuse myself for a while with Rise. Extreme raises me up for a while alright.

Tequila. Los Bitchos

Let's go out with a bang, like Los Bitchos end their shows, with a shot of tequila. The song has nothing to do with the 60s classic with the same name. The idea is the same though. Play loud rock and roll, sing instead of a saxophone melody and then all together shout "tequila". Huge guitars accompany the shouting/singing. Girls just want to have fun, Cindy Lauper sang in the 1980s and Los Bitchos seems to have taken this advise to heart. This song is rock and roll in the 20s of the 21st century to the max. Of course somewhere deep under the punkrocking, 1 minute 45 seconds song is the The Champs song of old. It's played with so much energy and guitars that it all but became unrecognisable as such. Los Bitchos really make the most of it and a released great song to end this week with on a huge high.

Wout de Natris

zaterdag 25 maart 2023

Every Acre. H.C. McEntire

Na het prachtige Lionheart en het misschien nog wel mooiere Eno Axis, legt de Amerikaanse muzikante H.C. McEntire de lat op het wat meer ingetogen maar zeer fraaie Every Acre nog wat hoger.

H.C. McEntire wordt nog niet geschaard onder de groten binnen de Amerikaanse rootsmuziek, maar laat op haar derde album horen dat dit slechts een kwestie van tijd is. De muzikante uit North Carolina is een geweldige zangeres, maar ze overtuigt ook op Every Acre weer als songwriter met tijdloze rootssongs die ergens over gaan. Ook in muzikaal opzicht is het derde album van H.C. McEntire een geslaagd album. De Amerikaanse muzikante citeert nog steeds uit de archieven van de countryrock uit de jaren 70, maar klinkt ook absoluut eigentijds. Het is dringen in dit genre, maar het derde album van Heather McEntire zou ik zeker niet laten liggen.

H.C. McEntire, het alter ego van de Amerikaanse muzikante Heather McEntire, timmerde in het verleden aan de weg met de bands Bellafea en Mount Moriah, maar debuteerde in 2018 als solomuzikante met het werkelijk prachtige Lionheart. Lionheart greep in muzikaal opzicht vooral terug op de countryrock van de jaren 70, met hier en daar een beetje gospel, maar in tekstueel opzicht was het een eigentijds album. Dat kwam vooral door de zeer persoonlijke teksten, waarin H.C. McEntire worstelde met haar homoseksualiteit. Het was en is in het aartsconservatieve zuiden van de Verenigde Staten nog altijd een gevoelig thema, wat van Lionheart een moedig album maakte.

In 2020 keerde H.C. McEntire terug met Eno Axis, dat ik nog wat mooier en indrukwekkender vond dan het debuutalbum. Ook op haar tweede album maakte H.C. McEntire vooral door 70s countryrock beïnvloede muziek, maar de gitaren klonken net wat gruiziger en ook in productioneel opzicht was Eno Axis wat mij betreft net wat beter dan zijn voorganger. Deze week keert H.C. McEntire terug met haar derde album, Every Acre. De muzikante uit Durham, North Carolina, nam haar nieuwe album op in gebieden die toebehoren aan een aantal Indianenstammen, waarmee H.C. McEntire aandacht vraagt voor de problematiek van de oorspronkelijke inwoners van de Verenigde Staten.

In muzikaal opzicht is er niet zo gek veel veranderd op Every Acre. Ook op haar derde album heeft H.C. McEntire zich deels laten inspireren door de archieven van de 70s countryrock met hier en daar een vleugje Laurel Canyon folk, maar Every Acre is ook een eigentijds klinkend alt-country album. De meeste songs op het album zijn behoorlijk ingetogen en zeer sfeervol. De gitaaruithalen van het vorige album duiken nog maar een enkele keer op en hebben plaats gemaakt voor een subtieler maar zeer smaakvol geluid. Het voorziet Every Acre van een wat lome en broeierige sfeer, zoals die wel vaker is te horen op albums die in het zuiden van de Verenigde Staten worden gemaakt.

H.C. McEntire heeft haar nieuwe album gemaakt met een beperkt aantal muzikanten, onder wie medeproducers Luke Norton en Missy Thanks, en deed hiernaast een beroep op Amy Ray en S.G. Goodman voor een duet. Every Acre is vooral ingetogen ingekleurd, maar er zijn veel mooie details verwerkt in de fraaie instrumentatie op het album, waarin vooral de ruimtelijke gitaarakkoorden opvallen. Ook de bijdragen van andere instrumenten zijn overigens bijzonder mooi en raak.

Ik heb het nog niet gehad over de zang op het album, maar die zang is wat mij betreft het sterkste wapen van H.C. McEntire. De stem van Heather McEntire lijkt op die van veel andere muzikanten in het genre, maar ze zingt met veel gevoel, waardoor de sterke songs op Every Acre zich makkelijk opdringen. Zeker wanneer je de volumeknop wat verder open draait komt de stem van H.C. McEntire flink binnen en onderscheidt het album zich in positieve zin van de meeste andere releases in het genre.

Na de twee geweldige voorgangers is de verrassing van een nieuwkomer er op album drie misschien wat af, maar ook Every Acre overtuigt weer verrassend makkelijk en schaart H.C. McEntire wat mij betreft onder de toppers in het genre. Every Acre doet niet onder voor de laatste albums van bijvoorbeeld Courtney Marie Andrews en Margo Price. Het moet genoeg zeggen over de kwaliteit van dit album.

Erwin Zijleman


Je kunt Every Acre hier luisteren en bestellen:

https://hcmcentire.bandcamp.com/album/every-acre

vrijdag 24 maart 2023

Radio Transient. Chris Church

Chris Church can be found twice on this blog. Last year, with his refurbished album 'Darling Please', from 2011 released in 2022 and the single culled from Radio Transient 'Going 'Til We Go'. Parts of what I wrote then, could be copied here without having to change much to the text except for the titles. Even the assisting people are mostly the same.

On Radio Transient Chris Church has one leg in the past and one in the present. He manages to tap into a sound that is popular today, say the urgency in the pop rock of The War on Drugs and mix that with almost everything you can think of from the past. 60s Rickenbacker, 70s West Coast jazzy pop, 80s new wave, 90s and beyond punkrock and 20s rock. The result is songs that for about 80% are sparkling with good melodies, harmonies and musically fun. Yes, the album does have a dip or two but on average this is a well above the average record.

Chris Church has released numerous records. His Bandcamp page is filled with albums in his own name and others'. On his new record, as I do not know any of the ones on his Bandcamp page, he seems like a sponge. Soaking up everything in front of him and then is squeezed to come up with this beautiful music. Do not expect easy pop ditties. Far from, even. Church is able to emulate a band like Field Music's play on weird rhythms in perfect pop songs. He adds melody where The War on Drugs sticks to the same thing the whole time or plays a Roger McGuinn styled Rickenbacker melody into an altogether totally un-The Byrds kind of song. Some of the songs are easier to digest than others, most make you work for your money. And, are more interesting to begin with because of this starting point.

Press photo
Chris Church is inventive and has the creativity to play with something that already exist and turn it into something different and unique. This is a quality Chris Church has and shares with the world. You can expect a lot and it to be Chris Church music.

The range of pop music on Radio Transient is wide. The pop feel is always there making the album not one you have to work hard at to understand. What it does, is give you a good ride for your money. Interesting, good and diverse. It is more than a lot of other artists offer.

Wout de Natris


You can listen to and order Transient Radio here:

https://bigstirrecords.bandcamp.com/album/radio-transient


donderdag 23 maart 2023

Mess Of Everything. Local Drags

Glorious powerpop returns to WoNoBlog in the form of Springfield, Illinois' Local Drags. Somehow I associated the band name in the past with punk (rock) but that is only a, very one-sided, part of the story. Local Drags combines the best of a few decades of powerpop from the U.S. in its songs. Ten new ones see the light of day on Mess Of Everything. Ten songs that explore everything what is possible in this niche of the music scene.

Mess Of Everything is Local Drags' third album. I've missed the first, lauded the second, 'Keep It Glued', and now am listening to a glorious third. Glorious because the band truly hits a high here. Not afraid of infusing come country into its rock, 'Call You A Baby' comes out as perfect pop. A pedal steel wines through the song as if Local Drags is a country rock band of old, playing a kind of rock that still needed inventing in the mid-70s.

It is the pop feel that is hitting on those highs. Each song is of the instantly sing-a-long kind. What Mess Of Everything is not is a commercial sell out. With references to Big Star, Weezer, The Romantics and an obscure favourite of mine from the 90s The Caulfields, to name a few, Local Drags emulates the best of bands that at best scored a hit single by accident, if at all like Big Star and The Caulfields. Unfortunately perfection does not always bring huge success.

At a minimum this albums deserves serious attention of fans of poprock, powerpop and punkrockers. They will not be disappointed. Local Drags truly brings the best of many worlds together in a successful way. This mix works. To think there's only 700 copies available, on vinyl and cd combined, so you'd better be fast. Better, order far beyond that 700 and make this album an instant success. Lanny Durbin, he has played most of the music and is Local Drags, deserves it.

What I'll concede, is that Mess Of Everything is not an original album where the music it contains is concerned. But, please tell me if any of the originals has made a better album than this recently. I haven't heard it in any case. Local Drags is on a roll and surfs the waves only top songs produce. The variation on the album does the rest.

I have only one question left. If Lanny Durbin made a mess of everything on his new record, what will he share with us when he hits perfection? Will it be too much to bear musically?

Wout de Natris


You can listen to and order Mess Of Everything here:

https://localdrags.bandcamp.com/album/mess-of-everything

woensdag 22 maart 2023

10 Albums (It's albums catch up day)

There are more good albums released these days than fit this blog. Usually it is tough luck, as I only have time on average to review four albums each week. In addition there's a singles section since a few years, highlighting 10 recent singles per week. So why not do the same for some albums that really deserve attention? So, I decided to do a catch up of  some albums from the past few weeks and late last year. Agreed, they are not so well and intensely listened to as usual. It will have to do.

Epocha. Abrasive Trees

On Epocha Abrasive Trees or Matthew Roachford brings together the songs he has released in the past few years of which some have made it to this blog. Expect, on average, songs lasting for five minutes. Dark and brooding, they slowly take you through the dark ages to come out vindicated on the other side. My musical reference is the postpunk of the 1980s. Think The Cure, Killing Joke, The Cult, but all without the big drums and huge guitars. Epocha is more about creating a mood than showing muscles and comes out well. The mood is set by electronic sounds or dark, distorted guitars mixed into the background and some muffled percussion. A guitar (or two) is always present, playing a slow, clear riff. Roachford's singing is just as dark. The contrast  with a female voice, like on 'Now You are Not Here' (Jo-Beth Young) is welcome and well done. Epocha fits well in the mid 20s and is a trip down the 80s memory lane in one.

You Radiate. Jimmy Diamond

The first notes I heard of You Radiate were from a song called 'Chase The Moon'. Nice but not special. It's good I paid attention for a bit longer, as the song slowly but surely keeps growing. Jimmy Diamond is a Dutch trio that started its musical life as the European tour band of Strand of Oaks, a band I still do not really know what to think of. Timothy Showalter made up the band's name on tour and during the pandemic the trio started working together on making their own music. This resulted in an album that definitely has the United States written over it where the music is concerned. Hints at Americana, the pop rock of The War on Drugs and Strand of Oaks, where ballads and rock easily mixes. Jim Zwinselman, Ruud Gielen and Floris Poessé catch a great mood in their music. There's no need to hurry anything. Even when they rock, like in 'In The Dark', they take their time to do so. Yes, there's a link with Excelsior label mates Moss in sound, not in the urgency. As a final comment, I'll mention the dreamy atmosphere of Jimmy Diamond, Like a long summernight the band takes its time for every single note. The sun is still out, yet going under ever so slowly (and then I saw the album's cover).

A Room Of One's Own. Rosemary & Garlic

Another album taking its time. Slow piano notes fill my ears. An intro to an album taking its time. Anne van den Hoogen is not in a hurry to let her voice be heard. When she does though, her point is made fast. Dreamily she sings over the music that unfolds slowly as well. All rest and play here. “If you put on the music, I would hope that it would stop you somewhere in your tracks for just a second, just to feel some comfort and some kind of beauty,” she says in the bio. Mission accomplished, Anne. Rosemary & Garlic is now a solo effort, with former part of the duo Dolf Smolenaers now present as co-producer. A Room Of One's Own is Rosemary & Garlic's second album. Filled with singer-songwriter and folk songs with a modern take on British folk of old, the album also offers space. Every instrument has its own place and time in the songs. They all come across beautifully and warm, spaciously mixed, giving them each their own spot on the record. Beauty caught on record.

Different Game. The Zombies

In the past months two singles already came by and made me very, very curious for the whole album. The Zombies today are men beyond men of a certain age. They are elderly gentlemen still going at what they do best, recording songs and playing them live. The Zombies never received the commercial acclaim when first active as a band. The real breakthrough came after they disbanded and 'Time Of The Season' became a hit in 1969 anyway. With Different Game the band releases a new album and it binds all of the sixties in it and add a modern studio sound to it. The title and opening song could have been by Procol Harum as far as the organ goes. The typical The Zombies organ comes in with 'Dropped Reeling & Stupid'. One of the singles. Colin Blunstone's voice is not what it was 50 years ago. It can't be. He does really well though, just like Rod Argent has come up with the songs that make for a good, if dated, album. There's nothing sentimental about Different Game though. This album totally deserves to be heard.

Mist. Vreemde Kostgangers

Another album by a band of veterans. The oldest is alive and kicking and doing the interviews. Henny Vrienten died almost a year ago and George Kooymans is terminally ill with ALS. They had started their third album during the pandemic after the tour had to stop, like everyone else's. Mist is an album filled with melancholy songs about life, ageing and death. The album had to be finished and released Vrienten had said to the other two and they did, a little against the odds. It's impossible to listen to Mist without realising what happened after the tour had to stop in March 2020. (I was one of the lucky ones on 5 March in Haarlem.) It is possible though to listen to the album and hear the quality of these three Dutch musicians of star quality. The troubadour, Boudewijn de Groot, the pop star who became a lot more, Henny Vrienten and a rock god, George Kooijmans, bring their different sides to Vreemde Kostgangers and show how good they are. This album is filled with beautiful songs showing so many different sides to them.

Hello. Continentals

Dropkick Murphys' founding guitarist Rick Barton finds himself in Quincy, Massachusetts painting houses when not playing with his band Continentals. Listening to the quality of his band's album Hello, I can't help but muse what's wrong with the world these days if a band with the quality of Continentals can't sustain its members by playing music. A song like 'State O' Maine' is a HIT, in capitals, yes. Perfect rock and roll, perfect harmonies, perfect changes in the vocal melody and chords. Should I have left anything of brilliance out of this summery, I deeply apologise. On Hello decades of rock and roll come together in a blend that's almost too much fun. From The Rolling Stones into the 80s U.S. rock bands to Dropkick Murphies barring the Irish influences and anything resembling powerpop and punkrock in between, with a little americana on the side. It's all there in the nine songs on Hello. Granite City in the name Quincy gave itself. This music is just as hard rock(ing).

One More Drink. The Streetwalkin' Cheetahs

Another band with members that go back a few decades already and decided to come back together after 20 years and go for it once again. The music is as old-fashioned punkrock as it is good. It is that the voices betray their age, the playing is so forceful and energetic that it belies the musician's age by a decade or three and a half. How many more good songs can be written using these basic rock and roll chords?, I often muse. Loads it seems, as The Streetwalkin' Cheetahs have a whole album filled with them. Yes, you'll have heard it all before but who cares when it's this good? With Frank Meyer the band has a great singer, who really leads the band as a driving force. The surprise sax solos of Geoff Yeaton are a huge surprise, as it isn't the kind of instrument to expect in a band like this. He matches the guitar riffs with ease. If I have to compare this band, it would be to Social Distortion at its best. The Streetwalkin' Cheetahs come really, really close. One More Drink comes as a deluxe edition with bonus tracks for those who jump the gun. Better go over to Rum Bar's Bandcamp page fast.

De Belevenis van Niels Hendrix. Niels Hendrix

Rocksongs gezongen in het Nederlands met een Vlaams accent. Dat is de eenvoudige omschrijving. Dit is al een iets ouder album, dat er tussendoor glipte door diverse oorzaken, die mij enige tijd weerhielden om veel tijd aan het blog te besteden. Tijd om het goed te maken, want De Belevenis Van Niels Hendrix is een heel fijn album. Hendrix heeft een mooie mix van luisterliedjes en rocksongs gemaakt, binnen één song en niet apart. Met zijn akoestische gitaar speelt hij het liedje en met zijn stem en geregeld binnenvliegende elektrische gitaar wordt de rockkant van zijn muziek belicht. Het album is uitgebracht op Fons Records. Als ik kijk hoeveel platen van dit underground label uit Hasselt hun weg hebben gevonden naar dit blog, dan kan alleen maar geconcludeerd worden dat het niveau hoog ligt. De Belevenis Van Niels Hendrix is hier geen utizondering op. Rock in het Nederlands/Vlaams is al een uitzondering. Goede rock in die taal al helemaal. De Belevenis Van Niels Hendrix levert dit op overtuigende wijze. Dan kan een popsong als 'Nooit' makkelijk vergeven worden. Wat resteert, is van topklasse.

Horizon. The Inspector Cluzo

French farmers and rock duo touring the world The Inspector Cluzo returns to this blog. Again, they rock out in a decidedly unfrench way. The duo makes a lot of noise for a duo. Impossible to recreate together on stage. On record, who cares? Not me. Horizon is a fine album on which modern blues rock is mixed with solid rock. Altogether it is all about excitement but not without interesting songs. In between all that farming and as soon as the chickens have gone to roost, the guitars and drums come out sounding out over the French fields. Successful enough to hire Vance Powell as producer and have Iggy Pop, his album 'Every Loser' is still fantastic, contributing to 'Rockphobia'. You have to be patient though before you hear him. Singer (and guitarist) Laurent is a great singer in his own right. He has different voices to share with us, making listening to Horizon even more interesting. The Inspector Cluzo knows how to rock but what it is doing as support act to EELS (7 April AFAS), I can only muse at. Doesn't sound like the best match to me. Just listen the duo go down on 'The Armchair Activist' and you can't but agree with me. '9 Billion Solutions' would fit though, so I may be wrong.

Nuts. Mich

What happened to Niels Hendrix, happened to Mich also. An album I had already set apart never got off the list of blog potentials. Until today. Mich is, better was, a project and not a real band. Over the years this seems to have changed, as the band fairly regularly releases new records. Nuts is, once again, an album that has 1980s written all over it. More specifically, it has The Cure written all over it. Mich manages to combine the upbeat side of The Cure's music with the darkness surrounding the upbeat sound. A high sounding guitar, synths and a firm rhythm section are supporting dreamy singing. The pop element wins on Nuts, more so than before. In fact, the songs are better than on the band's previous two efforts. To my ears, the songs are better. They stick better somehow and my take is this has all to do with the pop element that has been infused into the 80s music. At a time when the world does seem to be about to fall on our head, Mich comes with a blue sky, thus providing the blue hats we all will wear when a blue sky falls. Nuts it may be, the music is not. Nuts is Mich's best effort so far.

Wout de Natris

dinsdag 21 maart 2023

To Heal Her Too. Haley Harkin

De Amerikaanse muzikante Haley Harkin bracht vorig jaar het album To Heal Her uit, dat deze week gezelschap krijgt van ‘companion album’ To Heal Her Too, dat nog een stuk mooier en indrukwekkender is.

To Heal Her Too is het derde album van Haley Harkin uit Austin, Texas, en het is wat mij betreft haar beste album tot dusver. Het is over het algemeen een vrij ingetogen folkalbum, maar door de bijdragen van met name strijkers kan de muziek van Haley Harkin ook een stuk voller klinken. De instrumentatie op To Heal Her Too is relatief sober, maar zeer smaakvol en de Amerikaanse muzikante schrijft mooie songs die een ontspannende uitwerking hebben. Het mooist vind ik echter de stem van Haley Harkin die haar persoonlijke songs met veel gevoel en expressie vertolkt. To Heal Her Too is ook nog eens een album dat steeds beter wordt. Absoluut het ontdekken waard.

Tussen de eerste releases van 2023 kwam ik To Heal Her Too van de voor mij tot voor kort onbekende Haley Harkin tegen. Het is het derde album van de singer-songwriter uit Austin, Texas, en de opvolger van het precies een jaar geleden verschenen To Heal Her. Dat deze twee albums iets met elkaar te maken hebben zal duidelijk zijn. Op To Heal Her keek Haley Harkin vorig jaar volgens haar bandcamp pagina van buiten naar binnen, terwijl op To Heal Her Too de blik van binnen naar buiten domineert.

De omschrijvingen op de bandcamp pagina van de Amerikaanse muzikante zijn wat aan de zweverige kant en ook de muziek van Haley Harkin doet, zeker bij eerste beluistering, misschien wat zweverig aan, maar To Heal Her Too is ook een erg mooi rootsalbum, dat de muzikante die opgroeide in Fort Collins, Colorado, wat mij betreft schaart onder de vele beloften in het genre.

Too Heal Her Too bevat elf songs, die samen goed zijn voor zo’n drie kwartier muziek. De songs van Haley Harkin zijn te typeren als folksongs en het zijn folksongs die redelijk spaarzaam en grotendeels akoestisch zijn ingekleurd. Haley Harkin vertrouwt voor een belangrijk deel op haar akoestische gitaar en haar stem, maar ze voegt zelf ook nog wat elektrische gitaar, banjo, mondharmonica en percussie toe aan haar mooi en verzorgd klinkende geluid. Dit geluid wordt verder op subtiele wijze verrijkt met bijdragen van bas, viool en cello.

De Amerikaanse muzikante combineert de ingetogen maar zeer sfeervolle en smaakvolle klanken met een mooie en karakteristieke stem, die af en toe in meerdere lagen is opgenomen. Het is een stem vol gevoel, waardoor de songs van Haley Harkin direct impact hebben. Het is een stem die gemaakt lijkt voor het vertolken van Appalachen folk, maar ook in de moderner klinkende songs overtuigt Haley Harkin makkelijk met haar stem.

Too Heal Her Too is in muzikaal en tekstueel opzicht hier en daar zoals gezegd aan de zweverige kant, maar dit zorgt er wel voor dat het album zich als een warme en ontspannende deken om je heen slaat. Zeker tijdens de donkere winteravonden van het moment klinkt de muziek van Haley Harkin bijzonder aangenaam en op de afgelopen Blue Monday verdreef het album met speels gemak alle donkere wolken.

Haley Harkin klinkt vaak folky, maar To Heal Her Too schuurt hier en daar voorzichtig tegen de singer-songwriter pop aan en heel af en toe herinnert ze me zelfs aan de dreampop van Harriet Wheeler van The Sundays. Uiteindelijk is To Heal Her Too echter vooral een rootsalbum.

Natuurlijk zijn er heel veel vrouwelijke singer-songwriters die folky songs maken als die van Haley Harkin, maar wat mij betreft beschikt de muzikante uit Austin over voldoende onderscheidend vermogen. In muzikaal opzicht kiest de Amerikaanse muzikante voor net wat meer rust en ontspanning dan de meeste van haar soortgenoten en door de subtiele toevoegingen vind ik haar geluid ook origineler dan de meeste andere folky albums van het moment.

De bijzondere stem van Haley Harkin springt er voor mij nog wat meer uit. Ze vertolkt haar songs met veel emotie en expressie, waardoor, ondanks de vaak sobere klanken, geen sprake is van een album dat maar wat voortkabbelt. Haley Harkin houdt je niet alleen bij de les met haar muziek, maar maakt ook indruk met een aantal songs die stevig bezweren.

Ik heb natuurlijk ook het precies een jaar geleden To Heal Her er bij gepakt en ondanks de andere invalshoek is dit album vergelijkbaar met het deze week verschenen album, al vind ik zowel de instrumentatie en de zang als de songs op het nieuwe album nog net wat aansprekender, al spraken de blazers op To Heal Her me ook wel aan. Mooie ontdekking deze Haley Harkin.

Erwin Zijleman


Je kunt To Heal Her Too hier luisteren en bestellen:

https://haleyharkin.bandcamp.com/album/to-heal-her-too

maandag 20 maart 2023

Unknown Affairs. The Vices

The Vices from Groningen released its new album this week. With Looking For Faces, the band got a good reception on this blog in 2021 There was a small aside mentioning that the band covered a lot of genres, leaving the question who or what The Vices wanted to be. Has this question been answered over the past two years?

No, not really. The Vices still covers a lot of ground. What has not changed, is the sure-fire certainty with which it finds the golden notes in each song. This band has a golden pop quality. Whether playing rock, indie rock, more pop oriented and anything in between songs, always, at a minimum, there's a hint of gold dust and most of the time the real thing. To think that the band only started in 2019. Already it has two albums to its name, with that "difficult" second nowhere in sight.

In Floris van Luijtelaar the band has a lead singer and songwriter who is on a roll. He is able to write great songs and has several voices to match the genres, making it interesting to listen to him as a singer. The band behind him matches him with ease. Jonathan Kruizenga (organ/guitar), Simon Bleeker (bass) and Mathijs Louwsma (drums) lay down a great sound together, managing all the changes, surprises and genres.

Taking in Unknown Affairs slowly but surely, I get the impression that it is more consistent than its predecessor. If you think an average The Beatles album is consistent that is. No, I do not call Unknown Affairs that good. Fact is, The Vices are at least as ambitious as the Fab 4 were. Take 'Fooled Again'. Strings, an acoustic guitar, a band that is not directly within earshot. Already The Vices do not restrain themselves to the band format. A song gets what it needs. So, yes, there is a Beatlesesque element to The Vices' new album in more than one sense.

Promo photo
In general the clock strikes rock though. Things start with a drum beat over which alternative rock licks and chords are played. It's the rhythms where the playfulness of the band comes through. 'I Had A Name' is not your average rock song, despite the two lead guitar parts rock out, there is a hint towards ska as well. It results in a hybrid song that works, just like some of the better songs from the Madchester time did. With 'For My Mind' the band goes the extra mile. It now has a huge rock anthem to its name as well, dreamy and direct. With 'Tomorrow I'll Be' there's the ballad and finally surf is added to the repertoire as well. The many faces of The Vices? Stop looking, mission completed.

Unknown Affairs is the ideal step any band would love to make in its career. The Vices already had a nice debut album to its name. It has a good second album out this week that may grow to be great. It's to early to tell but it is on its way is my guess today. Impressive progression, this sums it up.

Wout de Natris


You can listen to and order Unknown Affairs here:

https://thevicesofficial.bandcamp.com/album/unknown-affairs

zondag 19 maart 2023

2023 Week 11, 10 singles

This week we span three continents and multiple musical genres. Alternative rock and beautiful ballads reign this week though. We end with two of them but not before some good old rock comes by first, with in between the necessary variety. Enjoy!

Lucky. Mood Bored

Lucky is the third single by Mood Bored. "It shows another side" of the band according to the bio and perhaps that is the reason it finds itself on this blog for the first time. I don't know to be honest. Fact is Lucky is the kind of dreamy song that allows me to file the single under the moniker dreampop. There's more to it than that. The Wolf Alice link, Mood Bored was a support act recently, is there as well. The band has a rock side to it, but you find it mixed a little into the background. Live it will be enough noise to make a difference is my guess. Myrte, Daan and Timo met at the pop academy in Tilburg and are obviously serious to make their band work. On the basis of Lucky, I should check out 'Easy Going' and 'Pour Into Me' out soon. Interesting new band. It's hard to keep count in 2023.

Wait For Me. Karamelien

More dreamy music. This ballad has all the ingredients a ballad needs. It's slow, of course, but from there Karamelien slowly builds out her song. With a piano leading the way, strings and horns come in for the dramatic effects that underscore her lead and backing vocals. In the first song by the U.K. singer on this blog, 'Ascension Heights', she sampled a song by her father with the same title. Top Topham, founding guitarist of The Yardbirds, died this January (my condolences, Léanie). The text of Wait For Me consoles everyone who has lost someone dear, and who has not after reaching a certain age?, with the thought that you perhaps can meet again. "I will never let you go", she also sings. Reincarnation or heaven (hell) or not, this song is certainly true. The ones you love live within you as long as you do. Wait For Me is sad and consoling at the same time. On top of that, every note is its right place, making it a beautiful single.

Dorothy Bay. Tiny Ruins

'Olympic Ruin' was one of Erwin Zijleman's favourite records of 2019. It did not get past my post. That's no reason not to give the New Zealand band another chance. And lo and behold, the single seems to go down quite well. There's that word again, dreamy. Not the bass though. The bass player chugs though Dorothy Bay as if he's not playing in a soft dreamy song, giving Dorothy Bay a totally different vibe, subduing even the drums behind him. Like in the first song in this post by Dutch band Mood Bored, New Zealand's Tiny Ruins have a loud lead guitar mixed into the background. Even the solo is lurking there, giving the song a totally different atmosphere, a little spooky even. It is the acoustic rhythm guitar that is at the front, with the bass, as said. Over it all singer Hollie Fullbrook sings with a dreamy voice, not straining herself in any way. What went wrong with the previous album and me, I can't tell anymore. Dorothy Bay makes me interested in what's to come for sure.

Darcie. Soft Plastics

One more single before 'Saturn Return' is released on 31 March. New Zealand indie rockers Soft Plastics found the distortion pedals alright while  recording Darcie. The song has some great dynamics but it is the full out, rhythmically great, moments that totally grab my attention. If the two singles I've heard are anything to go at, Soft Plastics' debut album is going to be an event. The Te Whanganui-a-Tara, better known globally as Wellington, trio really blows itself up to grand proportions. After the first two, wobbly seconds, a sound that returns elsewhere, the band goes for it. It would have made a great opening statement on 'Saturn Return'. It isn't though. Is the best is saved for later? or is 'My World/Your Girl' even better? Only two weeks to go.

Literary Mind. Sprints

More alternative rock, moving toward punk. Now from Dublin in Ireland. Half a world away from Wellington. Although a more straightforward rock song, the power and energy are certainly catchy here as well. Because the band signed with City Slang, the single gets a re-release, complete with a live version on the b-side and video filmed at Whelan's, one of the Dublin venues an aspiring musician in Dublin must have played at to become part of the music guild. The new attention to the song is totally deserved. Literary Mind mixes early U2 with The Cult and its own enthusiasm and writing skills. The fun of playing this song simply jumps out of my speakers. "And I tell her", Karla Chubb sings. Let me rephrase this a little. Let me tell everyone out there, this is one of the most exciting singles I've heard for quite some time. Literary Mind, Sprints, check it out!

Stark Raving Mad. Grande Royale

Sweden's Grande Royale rock like it's decades ago. As when Guns 'N' Roses was still a fresh, new band and not a bunch of late 50, early 60 somethings touring the world on the basis of hits from over 30 years ago. Stark Raving Mad has that freshness that makes this song a joy to the ears. Not that this is a band full with youngsters. No, Grande Royale's members have lived some already. This does not stop them from rocking as if they're in their early 20s. The whole song just bounces on the fun of playing and the riffs and solos the tandem guitarists has come up with. The vocal melody does the rest. Watch out for the album 'Welcome To Grime Town' later this month.

Heard About It. Local Drags

Some more alternative rock but so obviously from the U.S. The combination of a poppy vocal melody with some tough playing is of the kind that comes from our friends from the other side of the pond. Let's say since the second half of the 70s. Starting with The Ramones, Blondie and The Knack, in 2023 I certainly do not mind adding Local Drags. That kind of pop-rock that does not need more than two minutes and a little to have said it all. A golden riff that sprays itself like paint all over the coachwork of Heard About It. If this song is anything, it is the much better version of Gin Blossoms. A band that never fulfilled its promise as far as I'm concerned or better simply did not stick as it wasn't that good. This song is though. With two top singles what will 'Mess Of Everything' bring? You can already order it, folks.

Bath County. Wednesday

Some more rock music from the U.S. Bath County is more of the shoegazing sort. A huge wall of guitar noise leaves my speakers. The singer is audible but also somewhat distorted like everything else. Karly Hartzman is on top of things but only barely. The nearer Bath Country gets to its finale, the harder guitars, bass and drums go for it. She rightly stops singing there. There's no glory left to be gotten (as a singer). Wednesday does real well here as a whole. Sparks fly and set the world ablaze for a short while. Bath County is built up nicely as well. It starts out in a relatively friendly way, containing everything and everyone. But wait for that second half of the first chorus. There's not a single instrument that wants to go back into its cage. The gentle-music lovers do get a short respite but after that there's only room for the wicked. Exciting is a word I could use here. Would I manage to get through a whole album? I can't tell yet, but according to Pitchfork 'Rat Saw God', 7 April, is one of the important releases of this year. We'll see.

Alyosha. Susanne Sundfør

Time to unwind and Alyosha provides this opportunity. Susanna Sundfør sings a song to her new born daughter and sounds truly inspired. Exquisitely arranged, Alyosha meanders like a brook through a forest. Drops of water falling from a leaf into the brook become piano notes that adorn this single in a beautiful way. In the lyrics Sundfør shows how her world changed from the moment her daughter was born. All the troubles and darkness surrounding every day's life seems to have disappeared in the love for a new life. "It's you, it's you, it's you". Clearer the message can not be. Susanne Sundfør has captured this feeling into a beautiful ballad. The emotions are all in here. Simply beautiful.

A Little Bit Longer. Isbells

We end this week with another ballad. Isbells is a Belgian band around Gaëtan Vandewoude that also holds (or held, I have no information) Chantal Acda, the Dutch-Belgian singer that has come buy in several incarnations on this blog. A Little Bit Longer is a ballad with small hints at Americana but not more than that. The way the piano sounds is totally in sync with the previous single, 'Alyosha'. VandeWoude slowly sings himself through the song, with enough effect on his voice to sound like singing from a well-tiled bathroom. "Almost ready for the night", he sings but only after a very pleasant evening it seems, so I hope, as it sounds totally satisfied in many ways. Totally at ease with each other and the world. The band has caught this satisfaction in music in a totally convincing way. Again, simply beautiful.

Wout de Natris