A few new albums. Catching up day: The Black Keys, Elbow, Adrianne Lenker

Too many albums are released to keep up with as a, mostly, one person blog. Recently a few albums were released by artists that I like a lot. But the are albums that do not reach my digital mailbox well-before the release date, they are already "old" by the time I had the time to listen. So they do not always make it to this blog. To catch up, today a few together with a far shorter post. Not unlike the weekly singles post.

Ohio Players. The Black Keys

It took me two listen sessions to be convinced. Not really paying attention the first time, while working, the album did not register. The second session a few days later was meant to determine whether I was going to write any way. Today I bought the album, on cd. The price of a new The Black Keys LP went from € 19,90 to € 24,90 to € 34,90. That's a bit more than inflation, I reckon. I have 'Delta Kream' on cd also, so the price will have been somewhere in that region as well.

Enough complaining on the LP price. Ohio Players, also the name of a soul band from the 70s, is an enormously playful album. It is too early to tell but it may well become the duo's best album since 2011's 'El Camino'. Those three big hits is what is missing on Ohio Players. More than good songs there are in abundance. Take 'On The Game', a song somewhere between pop, rock, ballad and folk ("hey", but where is the ho?) with a golden, slow riff. It shows the songwriting prowess of Dan Auerbach.

Be prepared to hear The Black Keys divert to new chartered waters, like soul and rap, even Noel Gallagher and Beck. The guests on the album take their chance to turn the album in their direction for a while, making Ohio Players more surprising than could be expected. They even all have songwriting credits, so this is no guest role but a true addition to The Black Keys' modus operandi. The duo also certainly rocks in the way it is well known for by now. It pleases fans of old, fans of the 'El Camino' era and undoubtedly new ones based on the new avenues explored.

Yes, I'm very happy with the new The Black Keys album.

Audio Vertigo. Elbow

It may well be that I've skipped one or two Elbow albums. I had become saturated with the Elbow sound. When I read the review of the album in 'Oor', I knew I'd better listen anyway. Audio Vertigo did not disappoint. Elbow is Elbow. Slow, expanded songs with a strong focus on the slow voice of Guy Garvey, who as a vocalist never is in a hurry. It is what happens behind him immediately in the first song that convinced me.

'Things I've Been Telling Myself For Years' for starters is a title like 'Leaders Of The Free World' or 'The Take Of And Landing Of Everything'. It sounds ambitious and intriguing. The song starts with direct drumming, setting a different mood than in the average Elbow song. The slow three notes riff does the rest. When Garvey starts singing things are as expected but behind him is a female choir. There are some faint weird sounds, I think. The keyboards come in with some distracting notes and finally a blistering guitar solo, wah wah pedal and all flies from left off center. This is more than enough to start me listening to Elbow once again.

The rest of the album does not disappoint either. With Alex Reeves the band has a new drummer and this obviously pays off. On Audio Vertigo the band is exploring how far it can take its songs and perhaps even encountered a little Radiohead like music here and there. Weird rhythms can be heard and it suits the band well. In how far Reeves is responsible here I can't tell of course.

With 'Balu' the band goes 80s style synth disco, creating a hug sound. Again I notice how rhythmically present Elbow is. Not something I associated the band with over the years. A little horns are thrown in as well, making the song even bigger.

All throughout Audio Vertigo keeps surprising. This is Elbow and yet I'm listening to a newer version as well. Well 20 years into its recording career, Elbow manages to surprise once again. Something the world can be quite pleased with.

Bright Future. Adrianne Lenker

My introduction to Adrianne Lenker was, most likely unlike many other people, through a solo album, 'Abysskiss' in 2018. Of course I discovered that she played in Big Thief, but I never really found my way into that band until its last album 'Dragon New Warm Mountain I Believe In You'. There is no review of Big Thief on this blog from my hand. They are all by Erwin Zijleman.

Today there's a new solo album. Again, I have to work my way through her voice, but I have gotten used to it sufficiently to not run away from it anymore. The album starts with a really small, yet intense song, 'Real House'. A piano and Lanker sings, well almost tells it all from her. Her youth, the strained relation with her mother, it is all there.

Adrianne Lenker decided to make music with three friends and see what happens. This is exactly what we hear on Bright Future. The music on the album is like a holiday where nothing had to happen and in the meantime lots did but all in an extremely relaxed way while absorbing one memory to treasure after the other.

Most of the songs are laidback while there is an intensity anyway because of the wobbly delivery of Lenker. And in the lyrics of course. Her acoustic guitar is the main instrument, besides that voice, which can be counted as one. Her friends join when there is a reason to. Singing or adding an instrument and it is enough. With Bright Future Adrianne Lenker shows once again that she is one of the greater singer-songwriters of the day.

Wout de Natris