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Smile. Martini Kings featuring Kate Campbell
Celebrating
42 years in music, Martini Kings released an album called 'Enchanted'
recently. One of its singles, is a song with singer Kate Campbell from
2018. Listening to Smile, I'm brought back about 40 years as well, to
the time of Matt Bianco, Everything but the Girl, and bands like that
that brought jazz and bossa nova to pop music. Martini Kings appear to
be excelling in this blend of pop music. This combination would have
been a hit in 1984-86, I'm sure. It has all the features that made for
hits at the time. In 2024 this is totally anachronistic (as Matt Bianco
et al were then in a way as well). It does make for relaxed listening
though and for one, I'm more inclined to like it today I notice. Far
more than 40 years ago. Martini Kings win because my 2024 inclination, a spot in this
weekly overview.
With
Once Again Tramhaus has released its most "normal" song to date. Once
Again is moving close to Personal Trainer in some moments. A smart move
as the Amsterdam band gets more attention abroad these day and I'm sure
Tramhaus wants to go in that direction as well, and deserves to do so.
Of course, this song is still far too left of center for the average pop
listener, but for Tramhaus this is pure pop. The guitars refrain from
searching for notes that make for awkward listening for untrained ears.
Not here. The mood of the song is even quite mellow, until the band
can't contain itself any longer and let's it rip. And rip good. The
result is a song where Tramhaus shows another side of itself and scores
once again. (Good title!) With the second single being this good, it
looks like the debut album will deliver on expectations.
I
know that everything is relative. Tramhaus' mellowness is a rock and
roll storm compared to the mellowness of And They Spoke In Anthems.
Light Blue Light is a ballad filled with soft tones and soft singing.
Everything about the single is as soothing as singer Arne Leurentop
sings about in Light Blue Light. It's the kind of song that wraps itself
around the listener, to warm and sooth him/her/they. The song is
adorned with trumpets and violins later on in the song, making it even more
richer than it already was in the first half, with acoustic guitar,
plopping bass, piano and very soft drums. A few singles of the album
'Still' already came by on this blog. This is another one deserving attention.
There's
no end to post punk bands it seems. Home many young men and women
are interested in this musical artform from around 1980? Unendlessly
many it seems. DEADLETTER sets itself apart with blending a
saxophone into its sound. Not unique, see Madness, but I haven't heard many bands in
the last years doing so. For the rest the band manages to colour between
the lines of postpunk nicely. The true adventure here is with Dutch
bands like Global Charming or Tramhaus who pull the lines in their
direction. DEADLETTER has the right singer, making it a U.K. (or Irish)
band without doubt. The music has that nervousness and yet melodic
strength that makes the better bands in 2020s postpunk so good, setting
them apart from the 1980s postpunk bands as far as I'm concerned.
DEADLETTER does a lot things right with Mere Mortal. In September the
debut album will follow, 'Hysterical Strength'.
The latest single by The Decemberists is a small love song. An acoustic guitar and some horns playing the melody. Colin Meloy is singing without any exertion. Just stating that "All I want is you". The music accompaniment is of the most modest kind, yet everything is in its right place. It is a song you should just listen to, there's really nothing else to say. One last sentence: beauty was sought and found.
The
Feeling Is Gone is another slow and soft song, albeit with a
psychedelic undertone. Penny Arcade is the new name under which James
Hoare releases his music. About a decade ago you may have found him on
this blog under the names Veronica Falls, The Proper Ornaments or
Ultimate Painting. The first for 100%. Although it's a long time ago I
listened to Veronica Falls' album, my memory tells me it was good and
should be listened to again. With Penny Arcade's album 'Backwater
College' out since 3 May, it is time to put the spotlight on The Feeling
Is Gone. Hoare sings with a whispery voice, soft and calm. The music is
almost soft and calm. Slowly but surely other instruments wurm their way
into the two softish guitars at the left and right of the mix. This The
Velvet Underground inspired sound is upset by the additions that sort of
take over towards the end. Hoare and background vocalist sing on
unperturbed, the song isn't. Intriguing it is.
Now with the apostrophe in its right place, German rockers Bird's View return to the blog with a fuzzed out new single. Come Back Home could have been called "If you want it just get it", as it is sung so many times in the chorus. The band does this exactly right, as it allows someone to attach immediately to the song. It is so easy to sing along and yet it rocks hard. The band makes as much haste as it can to arrive at the chorus. a drum intro, a few sung lines and here we go. Noticeable also is the singer singing "I don't wanna come back home". Now what it is? As long as the fun is out there, I would postpone that return for a while as well "as long as I can come back home". Bird's View has released a strong single, but you've guessed that already.
How
long can bands exist? A long, long time as many classic rockers are
proving by the year. Members may die or not be able to play any more.
Those who remain standing continue with new members replacing the
fallen. Deep Purple is around still with three of its breakthrough mach 1 original
members in place. After the surprisingly good 'Woosh' album, the band returns with a new single announcing '=1'.
Portable Door is the first single with new guitarist Simon McBride who
replaced the band's youngest member Steve Morse. Listening to his solo
in Portable Door he will prove to be a worthy replacement. It's smoking,
there's no other word for it. The organ solo by Don Airey following it
must have set his Hammond B3 on fire. A solo worthy of a twenty year old
playing on his first record. Portable Door is good single, strong even.
For a band that is around for well over 50 years that is an
accomplishment and meant as a compliment. Although there is a hint of
familiarity to an uptempo song in 'Jesus Christ Superstar', it takes
nothing away of its strength. Old rockers keep doing what they are good
at, rocking hard.
Another
band releases its new single on Belgium's Fons label. The very alert
readers will notice that 'Casse-Toi', another single of Crooked Steps,
was on this blog in 2022. A surf rocking song of big proportion so I
read. Bottomline does not fall under that moniker. What I hear is a band
that could be the younger brother of Groningen's traumahelikopter.
Crooked Steps plays alternative rock here with a great melodic
component. In the singing and the music. The Ghent band does everything
right here. The song is aggressive in the right way, leaving enough room
to be able to enrich Bottomline with little melodies and sounds. Just
like traumahelikopter is so good at. On top of it all singer Lou Lippens
accuses the Belgium government of neglecting its duties in youth mental
care. A familiar topic for us north of the border as well. Bottomline
is the kind of song that spans across decades. Postpunk and punk with
2020s energy. This is a strong single.
More alternative rock from the Boston area. And yet that does not tell it all. What I certainly notice also, is that Charming Arson has heard The Who and knows how both Roger and Pete sing. And so a mix comes together of 1990s Buffalo Tom and 1970s The Who with a guitar solo that could have been played by Craig Chaquico of all people. What starts out as a song of which many have come before, by the 15 seconds turns into a bigger and bigger song. As singer Charming Arson presents the U.K.'s Foreign Minister and former prime minister David Cameron, or at least its nice to think so when someone has the same name. Just imagine! Listening to Saving Chelsea once again, I find that I'm even more impressed by how the song develops. This is rock and roll for the 20s alright. Later in the year the band will release an EP. I can only say I'm looking forward if the songs are this good.
Wout de Natris
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