2024. Week 16, 10 singles

Spring is all around. The birds are whistling like crazy, flowers everywhere, the first trees are showing leaves and pollen fly around creating the dark side of spring for a host of people. Hayfever time is upon us once again. Watery eyes, runny noses and worse. In the meantime more songs are released a person can ever keep up with. Once again, we have ten recent singles for you from a very diverse set of artists, so, enjoy!

Long Way Home. Myriam Gendron

It's time for a breather after all the (punk) rocking songs of last week. Myriam Gendron delivers this. Her soft song and dark voice provide a moment of rest in a stormy world, where anything, even the most dark things can happen at any moment. We are off our moorings with no clear direction. Long Way Home provides that sort of anchor. Just basic instruments in the singer-songwriter tradition where not a single one escapes attention, nor wants to escape the serving role to the song and its singer. "A very sad" song, Myriam Gendron sings. Long Way Home is the first single announcing Gendron's new album 'Mayday' out on 10 May. On the album she's accompanied by fellow guitarist Marisa Anderson and drummer Jim White (Dirty Three). Especially White is a busy man, as the duo not only released an album of its own recently, there's also a new Dirty Three album announced. Gendron in the meantime has released a song that is a far cry from a distress call musically. It is a gem that will attract lots of people to 'Mayday'.

Big Machine. Liz Lawrence

Back to rock with Liz Lawrence. Funny how one can write rock and how different songs can be that can be put under that moniker. Big Machine has a few angles to it, that all work very well. Liz Lawrence may have gone through a rough patch due to the effects of the pandemic on her life and ability to work, listening to the first single of her upcoming album 'Peanuts', she has gold in her hands. And who knows because of it all. Big Machine starts with this pulsing rhythm guitar. Her clear voice taking command of the song. "I want to live in the wild", as opposed to living in the London that she lived in before the pandemic. Moving back to her hometown changed her perspective on life and on topics to sing about. Listening to Big Machine it is more like she wants to bounce through the wild. In the second part of the song, the mood changes, more pop is let in and a little psychedelia as well. It is as if "mother nature" has brought her energy level down to her new life. Usually, a song works towards a big finale. Big Machine works down towards a total unwinding. And succeeds.

One Last Dance. Baby Rose

"Undoubtedly one of the decade’s most striking voices", starts the bio announcing Baby Rose's upcoming album 'Slow Burn', released on 12 April. I had no idea what to expect. On starting the video on You Tube I heard a voice sounding as ancient as an echo of the wife of a pharaoh in the faintly illuminated shafts in a pyramid. The music is almost as old. One Last Dance is a mix of 60s soul music and a 60s ballad, including the flute. Baby Rose is a relaxed version of Alabama Shakes' Brittany Howard. This single is slow, sad and liberating in the lyric. She calls it a country song. It's not to my ears. This is a true ballad that many a great soul singer from decades ago would have loved to sing at the time. Even Dusty Springfield in her Memphis sessions would have craved for a second song as good as 'Son Of A Preacher Man'. One Last Dance comes close. With the plopping bass made famous by Serge Gainsbourg and later Air, as the finishing touch. Baby Rose a.k.a. Jasmine Rose Wilson, is on her way to fame.

How Do We Go Back To Being Normal? Sarah Julia

Sisters Sarah and Julia Nauta besides growing up together have acted in tv series , films and on the stage. Then Julia was playing guitar and mumbling some words and from there the duo's what is now its second single, 'Mount Fuji', grew. Sarah Julia's first EP is a folk album with slightly jazzy undertones. The ballads are slow paced, widely mixed with so much space between the instruments. Over the beautiful and subtle music the two voices weave and mix like sisters can sing together. Both have deeper registers, that make the songs more relaxed, yet also more impactful. The bio dares to compare the level of songwriting with Phoebe Bridgers, Adrianne Lenker and Joni Mitchell. Those are very big names to live up to and almost unfair to compare to. It sounds like "the new Bob Dylan", to be never be heard from again. Sarah Julia's debut EP How Do We Go Back To Being Normal? deserves to be heard because of its own strength. All four songs please at a few levels. That is when a debut record can be called a success. This is not the last we have heard of Sarah Julia I'm sure.

Mind. Marathon

Slowly but surely Marathon is becoming a new favourite of mine. With Mind, which makes up the second half of a 7" single, the band now released, with 'Fire' on the other side. Alternative rock of the heavier kind is the best way to describe Mind. Nirvana like dynamics, a great riff from the postpunk era, a heavy bass really carrying the song. The solo interlude is totally psychedelic thanks to what seems like flanging to me. If the bass wasn't propelling me forward anyway, it would be like floating in outer space, weightless. The band goes full out again in the chorus making sure we do not forget its post punk attitude. Marathon can really rock and be melodic. Yes, Tramhaus is not far away (well, where is Tramhaus? It's quiet for quite some time now). Marathon is more melodic than a lot of the other Dutch postpunkers of the last five, six years. The louder little cousin of Moss is another description. Slowly but surely Marathon is building a nice oeuvre. What's next, please?

Occupied Territory. Hood Rats

Of course, punk is never far away in this weekly post on singles. Today, enter Hood Rats and for the first time here as well. Hood Rats is a punk band from Montreal in Canada and around for about seven years. After releasing individual songs, the band is ready for its debut album that was released last week, 'Crime, Hysteria, & Useless Information'. If Occupied Territory is anything to go by, this album must be fantastic. What a load of energy comes out of this song. The trio has a rhythm section that certainly listened to Green Day's Tré Cool and Mike Dirnt. Just like the main riff comes out of that band's playbook. It's the voice of Tony Salador that makes it real for Hood Rats. Combined with the golden riff of the song and the loads of guitars flying around in the mix, Occupied Territory can't be beat, as the song reaches back 17 years beyond Green Day's breakthrough singles as well. In short, Occupied Territory may be as real as it gets in 2024.

Taxi Driver. The Hollywood Stars

The fact that Taxi Driver is lifted off an album that is the first by the band in 47 years makes it a Guinness Book or Records kind of fact! Unlucky people do not even live that long. It might also be a nice fact to memorise for Trivial Pursuit but here it is important whether the song is okay. The two previous singles did not make me hopeful nor expect much. Taxi Driver however is a song with a great riff and has that touch that made and make so many songs from the second half of the 60s and early 70s so nice to listen to. The Hollywood Stars, with two original members, the singer and drummer, return to the musical game with the album 'Starstruck' which is slated for the summer. Based on Taxi Driver, I would say that fans of good old pop rock music, who are up for original work will find their fill on 'Starstruck'. Taxi Driver is a song that has a great drive and is filled with tiny references, I will let you play your own game with. So, enjoy, I'd say.

Can't Go Out. The Loyal Cheaters

Yes, yes, yes, more punk rock and roll please. This music is around since Joan Jett and the Blackhearts. Female fronted rock and roll with a punkrock attitude. Can't Go Out really rocks and has a great melody that begs singing along to. The Loyal Cheaters will make everyone jump, sing and who knows what more. Singer Lena McFrison has that edge to her voice that makes for a true rock female vocalist. She has that combination somewhere between tough and feminine. A whole bunch of people sing the background vocals, as if the band invited the whole bar to come along to the studio. Here they are: Lello Lellino, Danny Savanas, Lu Silver, Silvio Pasqualini, Jack Corzani, Joe Riviera, Marianna Venturi, Angie Paganelli, and Maya Cito. Add two band members as well. The Loyal Cheaters is a German-Italian band about to release its second album, 'And All Hell Broke Loose' on 26 April. I don't know who plays the solo guitar on Can't Go Out, either McFrison or Max Colliva but its searingly blistering. Rock and roll as it was meant to be around 1980 and here it is for all to enjoy 44 years later.

In Your Diary. Disintegration

In Your Diary? Remember that Yazoo song, the band's first single? and The Cure's album 'Disintegration'. Well, In Your Diary has that sense of pulsating nervousness all through it. 80s synths and fake drums are all over the song. Over it sings Haley Himiko not very much unlike Allison Moyet, except that her voice goes up regularly, showing more emotions. Speaking of, in as far synths can have emotions, they have them on this Disintegration song. The more I listen to the song, the more Kim Wilde comes to mind. Listen to those floating synths underneath the pulsing ones and the same goes for the singing. Coincidence has it Ms Wilde played the local hall this Wednesday, while I was there for Hackensaw Boys. Rumour has it, she sang horribly off key. Not Haley Himiko, with every note she gets closer to me it seems. Later this year Disintegration, from Cleveland, Ohio, will release an album with the same name as the single.

Running. Pearl Jam

My God, I hadn't seen a picture of Pearl Jam for some years. I was shocked how old the members had become. Not me of course. I age only by the day. This year it is 32 years ago that the world and I bought '10'. What still is the band's best and probably always will be their best album. When I heard there would be a new album, it left me cold. I stopped following the band years and years ago. And now I'm listening to Running. Let's face it. Pearl Jam is rocking here like there's no tomorrow and they are not out of breath half way the song. Running is extremely urgent. What The Rolling Stones can, 20 something years their seniors, we can do, it seems. This is punkrock combined with melody and energy. Pearl Jam not only rocks but seems totally inspired. Nothing was left to chance here. I'm listening to the best Pearl Jam song since '10'. If all songs on the upcoming album are like this, it will probably kill them on stage. But then, the fans will only want to hear the old stuff, so they'll be alright. 'Jeremy', eat your hear out, I say.

Wout de Natris