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Sleepwalker EP. Tony Marsico
Tony
Marsico debuted on this blog late in 2023. In my review of 'Guilty Of
That' I pointed to the 1964-1966 pop period. And pointed to The Byrds
and 'Needles And Pins', the the Searchers hit. I could not know how
prophetic these words would be. The title song of this five song EP
starts with an ever so slight rework of the famous 'Needles And Pins'
opening riff. What happens next is even more astonishing. 'Sleepwalker' could have been on
that great solo album of Roger McGuinn, 'Back From Rio', mixing the two perfectly. Marsico really
hits the jackpot with 'Sleepwalker'. Anyone loving this kind of music
will find his way into the EP. Don't expect anything new in the sound. The songs are and that is more than enough. Excepting one cover, 'Starry Eyes'. Tony Marsico reached for pop
heaven, where many of the original artists of this era are celebrating
their reunion shows already, and found it. Sleepwalker is an oh so sweet
pop EP. As if 1966 never ended. Marsico has been active for decades in bands and as session/live bass player for numerous artists. Sleepwalker is his debut solo album on which he brought everything he learned along the way in a successful way.
Formed
in 2012, Sweden's Then Comes Silence plays as if the first 6. 7
years of the 1980s never ended. I lived through the decade, partying a
lot, but never truly warmed to the music of nearly all bands of the
time. Along comes Ride Or Die in which Then Comes Silence simply mixes
elements of so many bands of the time and adds a dark and brooding, but
great chorus. Ride Or Die is almost a pub quiz question: Who recognises
the most references to 1980 bands? I suggest you play it someday. In the
song the synth bands, the doom bands, the pop synth acts and the
biggest bands are all referenced. And from these elements the Swedes
manage to share a convincing single. In the 1980s I would have passed
the song by, as most likely that extra factor would not have been
present. In 2024 it is there alright. I'm getting into the car, just to ride.
Nina
June debuted here in 2021 with two singles but it was Erwin Zijleman
who wrote on her album from 2023, 'Meet Me On The Edge Of Our Ruin'. In
the winter of 2024 she has released her new album. The songs are
serious. This is the best word I can provide you with to describe them.
Nina June has made a lot of effort to make them sound serious, as in
mature and well thought out. To make them sound as beautiful as she was
able to do. She sounds like a whole host of female singer-songwriters do
in the last years. What makes her stand out is the quality of her songs
and that voice. Again, serious and mature. This singer isn't playing
around. The songs are in the mid-tempo range. Songs to listen to and to disappear
in. Like 'Wish You Well'. The song is so warm, that it wraps itself
around me until there's nothing left but 'Wish You Well' and me. The
whole EP does actually. It's the title song that sets itself apart a
little with its electronic beat and electric guitar. Again that mix of
American singer-songwriters of the past 50 years and that U.K. tinged
and more recent pop. There's a word for Nina June's music on Paradigm:
beautiful.
Only
two weeks to go and I'm going to the band that I missed when they were
here just before they broke up. How many times I've watch the 'Vega' DVD
in the past years I can't tell but often and enjoyed it each and every
time. Kaizers Orchestra was and hopefully still is one of the most
exciting live bands out there. I'll forgive the guitarist if they won't
jump the oil drums anymore. Dine Gamle Dager Er Na is not a new single,
It looks more like the announcement saying "look, we will be back soon". It is an
instrumental track with a lot of drama and pathos in it. The typical guitar sound, the
bombastic everything in the song and a choir from a very serious 1950s
movie or Pink Floyd's 'Atom Heart Mother'. Two weeks to go. I can't wait and it will be good. Watch this
space, folks.
A
lot of music this week reminds me of things past. Caffeine is no
different. Jennifer Tefft & the Strange manage to bring back The
Pretenders from the beginning of its career and joining it with a far
tougher sound. Again the 1980s are all over this single but not in the
U.K. synth/pop/doom form. Tefft and band play rock with a sweet pop
tooth in the singing and the hooks. The guitars are so nicely layered.
The drumming is very prominent. Chris Georgenes plays as if he's in a
duo instead of a full band. He really drives the Strange. Over it all
lies the voice of Jennifer Tefft and I have to say I like it. The way
of singing is extremely nostalgia inducing. I'm back a long time ago
with her. More importantly, Caffeine is a strong song. Very powerful and good.
"De
afgelopen twaalf jaar is de gerespecteerde artiest uit Los Angeles
uitgegroeid tot een van de meest bijzondere songwriters van haar
generatie", says the Dutch bio of Jessica Pratt's upcoming, fourth,
album 'Here in the Pitch'. And, yes, you can find her on the blog in
2013 thanks to Erwin Zijleman. For me, she a totally new name. Is Life
Is super special? No, but what it does have, is a Nancy Sinatra vibe.
That sense of mystery Lee Hazelwood created for Nancy. Life Is has that
same vibe. Somewhere between suspense and relaxation. This is 2024 but
believe me, this song could have been placed in 1966 with ease. Had this been the
b-side of 'These Boots Are Made For Walking' it would have been totally
convincing. That brings me back to the opening sentence in Dutch, Google
translate will do the trick for you. Reflecting on it, this text does not rhyme with 1966, the year this song brings me to. That said, intriguing Life Is is.
Inaka,
sung in English and Japanese, is a tour de force. The artwork
accompanying Mei Semones' music is very contemporary, but the cute Japanese
anime style does not prepare you in anyway for the music hidden under
it. The changes of playing and mood is more high art in music and not
the cute, big eyed animals. An abstract painting would be more in place. Mei Semones is playing with the imagination
and the absorption faculties of her listener, pushing away all boundaries, doing away with all expectations. The jazzy guitar at the
heart of Inaka changes into a band and orchestra when she wants to, while the mood and inner tempo of Inaka all change as well.
Somewhere on route she dares to rock out, only to fall back on where she started. There was no chipping
away at sounds and instruments here while creating this song. I can't tell yet whether Inaka is
really good, This takes far more listening sessions. Mei Semones
certainly has invited me to listen more often and to look forward to the
release of her EP 'Kabutomushi' on 5 April.
Let's
face it. Looking at Hana Vu's video for Care is not a pleasant
experience. In fact, it's extremely confronting. Luckily we have the
music. This is as laidback as many female artists in the
alternative/indie rock section of modern music are producing. Care is a
mid tempo song where the instrumentation is recognisable. The fun is in
the details as you will find. Care is far from a one dimensional song.
With it's carefully layered guitars and other instruments, Care is a
rich song. Hana Vu has an extremely pleasant voice to listen to, with
softness and strength in one. Multi-tracked both sides receive the
attention they deserve, simultaneously. The song starts with an acoustic
guitar, while in the background the start of the richer arrangement can
already be discerned. Imagine, my mind turns on a churchorgan sound in
some parts of the song. The only element missing? Hana Vu is a new name
for me. The introduction is a great one actually. More in May with album
'Romanticism'? "I'm just a book you throw away, here I go", Hana Vu
sings. With Care she does not need to fear. This one will stay.
16
Horsepower disbanded a long, long time ago, 20 years? In 2024 Jean Yves
Tola returns with a solo album called 'Feathers', to be released on 19
April. 16 Horsepower was the human incarnation of Dave Eugene Edwards '
inner demons. Tola facilitated the manifestation of these demons. So what does a solo album by one of the former band
members sound like? On the basis of Let It Flow, the answer is the
following. The tempo is sort of the same but with a far more mellow
mood. The notes are held just as long without the devil on their tale.
The nervousness, the existential fear of the punishments in the
afterlife.is totally missing. Let It Flow is a far more pleasant listening experience. I recognise the singer immediately.
Chantal Acda releases her records on Glitterhouse as well, as well as
collaborates with other label mates. Tola created the ideal
circumstances for her voice to shine, while being present himself with
the piano and backing vocals. The cello or violin gives the song that little extra, making
the mood even more serious. Let it Flow is a beautiful song.
It's only a few weeks ago Broken Hearts Are Blue debuted on this blog with a single announcing its album 'Meeting Themselves', released on 1 March. Already a second single makes it to the blog. The following stands out for me. The music and the band's picture could not be more different. The whole song comes across as if a young band is playing and what I see is a picture of dads of teen kids or most likely older, with an academic background. Never judge a book by its cover, as they say. Broken Hearts Are Blue is back on the front and that is a good thing for the world. Perhaps nothing new, you could justly say, but do listen how good the song is that Broken Hearts Are Blue serves us. Fans of alternative rock from the 1990s, like e.g. The Lemonheads or Buffalo Tom should check it out, as a single like Just How It Goes slides through me like a knife through soft butter.
Wout de Natris
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