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Do You See Me Differently? gglum (with Kamal)
"Did
I make it out alive, 'cause sometimes it feels like I didn't", sings
Ella Smoker a.k.a. gglum in the single for her upcoming debut album,
'The Garden Dream', out on 29 March. The single sounds as glum as the
lyric promises and the band name underscores. What the listener can
expect is a soft song with a modest singer with a husky element to her
voice. The song starts with an acoustic guitar strumming the same
pattern, with Ella Smoker singing. The contrast with Kamal's voice
further on in the song is a nice addition, making the song grow. Slowly
but surely other instruments join but also atmospherics. On the few
piano notes gracing Do You See Me Differently? a host of effects are put
leading to otherworldly sound effects, usually found in an obscure
composition on the radio show 'Kairos' on Concertzender. Although gglum
has released music before, my introduction is one that wants me to hear
more. To answer her question that started this review, to all
appearances I'd suggest to answer yes, you did.
More
mystery comes with the next single this week. Cod Fishing is another
song simply shrouded in mystery. Habitants' singer Anne van den Hoogen 's voice floats all by itself on the basis of its qualities but is also
softly carried by the synth sounds underneath her singing. Habitants is a
new name to me but its founder is not. René Rutten was the guitarist of
symphonic rockband The Gathering and although I have to admit not having
played them for quite some time, there are cds of the band in the
house. Habitants sounds like where The Gathering left off, for me at
least, somewhere in the 00s. Built around softly played guitar notes,
the rest of the band slowly but surely gains power and Van den Hoogen
changes the way she uses her voice. Together they slowly turn from
fragility to power, ending up between a soft version of metal and
symphonic rock. No one will ever catch me cod fishing but listening to
Cod Fishing is definitely a pleasure.
Back
to New Zealand and the Flying Nun label. Its most exuberant artist
called Dartz to be more precise. The punkers really go for it with a
song that Dropkick Murphys definitely would have been pleased with to
have on its roster. With a chorus to yell along to "I'm a piece of shit (short pause)
in paradise" and a golden guitar riff Paradise is a winner and should
be heard all over the world. I have reviewed several Dartz singles
before, but this definitely is the best one so far. The pub brawling
chorus is simply so good. The song is the perfect mix between rash
enthusiasm and tradition. Dartz has taken the best of what came before
and built it into its own hitsingle. The interlude, the guitar solo, the
melody and the chorus all have the punkrock it factor. Frankly, I'm
surprised this single is so good. It surpasses all that came from Dartz before.
KMFDM
is around for 40 years and has recently released its 23rd record,
'Letting Go'. Yet, I'm very much convinced that Airhead is my initiation
into the band's music. And I like my first KLFDM song. But to explain
you why is hard. Looking at Airhead from a rational level, the song is
more or less the same for almost 4.30 minutes. Nothing much changes.
Singer Lucia Cefarelli even repeats most of the lyrics once again after
the interlude halfway the single. Even the sound is familiarly 1980s
rock, 'Love Like Blood' style. Yet, I'm writing. Airhead has this pulse
that makes me want to follow the song ever further. The band rocks,
while Cefarelli remains as undercooled as the 1980s were. This
combination simply sounds very attractive for a while. 40 Years, stuck
in the 1980s, rocking for the 2020s. People visiting the shows in the
upcoming, extensive U.S. tour will have fun, is my guess.
No,
I never was a Billy Joel fan and sort of forgot his music, except
that it is everywhere. It was a tribute band in a programme called 'The
Battle of the Bands' that reminded me that even the man's ballads had
quality. Part because they are great and partly because memories bring
nostalgic feelings where music is concerned. It has become a part of you
whether you like it or not. For over 30 years Billy Joel has not
released new music, yet does play shows regularly. And out of the blue
there's a new song. Time has done its thing. The song instantly
resonates in me. It is a true Billy Joel kind of ballad. Half of the
song is Joel and his piano and clearly at the top of his abilities. The
backing band joins later but it would not have been necessary. Of
course, it enriches the song, especially the melancholy cello. Now well
into his 70s, Billy Joel has not lost his tricks. If this single
announces a new album, I have every faith in it the fact that this will
please his fans no little and who knows, even me.
What
do I know about Whispering Sons. A band from Belgium and when they
released an album some years ago I went home with an album of the
Belgian band Sons. So here you have it. In 2024 Whispering Sons releases
a single to announce a new album called 'The Great Calm', out on 23 February. I
would not opt to call Walking, Flying anything resembling great calm.
The song has two distinct sides. The verses that are tight and powerful.
The rhythm is extremely driving. The bass guitar is the driving
instrument backed by a drums pattern that does not leave any room for
anything. A short keyboard surge, a few isolated notes on the guitar or
just one strummed chord. In the chorus, be patient for it though, the whole band
goes full out. No one holds back and creates a great alternative rocker.
Over it all Fenne Kuppens is somewhere between singing and declaiming.
Yes, impressive Walking, Flying is. I wonder today what I missed in the
band's previous music.
I
Just Want To See You is an oh so slow song. In the music there is
nothing extra, nothing the song does not need to shine. And shine Ella
Ronen and her producer Sam Cohen do in this duet. A slow piano and a
softly strummed acoustic guitar form the basis of the song. Add a bass
playing very sparse notes and a drums and with the reverb the mood is
created. You will find more sounds here and there, but you get what the
song presents. Total relaxation set to music this single is. Ella Rosen
was looking for a producer and the one she selected decided to work with
her on the basis of her lyrics. The music that followed is exceptional. A modern equivalent of 1986's 'Don't Give Up' by Peter Gabriel and Kate
Bush. There's a whole album to come, 'The Girl With No Skin', 8 March.
Only
three weeks ago Grazia debuted on this blog with the single 'Cheap',
the opening song of the EP. The song remains the same great punkrocker
it was three weeks ago. Duo Heather Dunlop and Lindsay Corstorphine
manages to emulate The Bangles as much as Wet Leg. Inspirations abound
on a song like 'Speed Freak'. Again there's this riff that goes on and
on, with some great drumming behind it. But that is just the start of
'Speed Freak'. Grazia knows how to flesh out a song and make it sound
good. Dunlop overdubs her voice and harmonises with herself, making
herself five fold as big. Musically again Wet Leg is what I hear but
Grazia blends this with decades of female punkrock and The Undertones.
The result is extremely attractive. This four song EP is a total
success, there's no other word for it. In Poor Taste is an EP to watch
out for folks!
Who
is this old man?, I asked myself when I saw a short clip come by announcing a new
single by legend Mark Knopfler. I hadn't seen a picture of him for many
years, so the sight was rather shocking. Knopfler is of course the
former singer and songwriter of Dire Straits, a band that folded circa
30 years ago. When I heard 'Sultans Of Swing' for the first time and the
album a little later, I was totally blown away. In 2023 he releases a
calm track based around a nice, easygoing riff. His clear style of
guitar playing is totally there, while the song is very pleasant to
listen to. Don't expect any fireworks. His band accompanies him in a
dignified way, leaving all the room for THE guitar master to do his
thing. They all play for him, that much is clear. Ahead Of The Game is a
nice song, but don't expect me to rush to the store to get it. Those
days are over. That live version of 'Sultans Of Swing' I heard on the
radio recently, now that did blow my mind. The single is good enough to
honour Mark Knopfler on this blog for the first time.
Mary Timony is going to release her first album in 15 years, but despite her having played in a host of bands before that year, they all passed me by. On Summer, the third single from her upcoming album 'Untame The Tiger', 23 February, she plays somewhere between The Kinks, powerpop and elementary, well-thought out punkrock. The riff is almost as if she's too lazy to really go for it, yet very effective. Musically Mary Timony is close to what Linnea's Garden is producing in Boston for the past few years. In other words, rock out and go for it. Summer is certainly not brilliant but it has spunk and attitude. The outgoing double solo is well-done and makes the song even better no little. And it stops abruptedly at a moment when I certainly wanted to hear some more of it. A good sign, following up the famous Goethe quote exactly the right way. If 'Untame The Tiger' is this good, I don't mind taking a listen soon.
Wout de Natris
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