Pomegranate. Tess Parks

Pomegranate's extremely colourful cover art is a big change from the sober black photograph on the front of  Tess Parks' previous album 'And Those Who Were Seen Dancing' from 2022. Does the music underscore this colourful change as well?

That answer is yes. Of course, Tess Parks' voice is what it is and certainly in the way she chooses to sing. It is like she's singing from under a tombstone. It's a combination of her style of singing and the tone of her voice. It is what it is.

Musically, I would say that the sun is sort of shining on Tess Parks' universe. The Canadian singer delved into musical history and landed somewhere in the 1960s and its psychedelia. There's quite some tripping going on on Pomegranate. Lava lamps and fluid projections can be taken out of storage to accompany the album when playing it.

That is only half of the story though. Many of the songs have an undercurrent that goes beyond the moody voice. There are sparks flying around in the music. In the guitar parts, the bright piano notes, the mellotron and all sorts of assorted tones, there's even whistling going on ('Koalas'). It makes for interesting listening and adds to the music as I knew it so far.

Erwin Zijleman is the real expert, as he already wrote on the singer in 2014 and after on this blog, where I only learned of Tess Parks through her previous album. For me Pomegranate is a positive step forward, as the music is just that. She worked again with producer Ruari Meehan. They let in so much more adventure and sounds that enriches this album no little. Take 'Charlie Potato'. Parks speak-sings in a whispering way and around her everything becomes like the drugs scene in 'Fear And Loathing In Las Vegas '. Nothing is what it seems, with wafts of flute coming by and music that seems to be dragged out beyond possible boundaries, like oil in a heated pan. It's so weird, yet so beautiful.

1960s drugs inspired music is all over Pomegranate. Does the term psychpop exist? If it doesn't it should be invented, just like psychballad. Tess Parks' voice may be an acquired taste, this music is not. In combination it lifts Pomegranate up into spheres where I did not expect to ever find a Tess Parks record. With songs like 'Bagpipe Blues' and 'California's Dreaming' the album opens like a dream and keeps that level up with ease. Groovy, baby. Far out!

Wout de Natris - van der Borght

You can listen to and order Pomegranate here:

https://tessparks.bandcamp.com/album/pomegranate

Fat Brando. Fat Brando

Fat Brando is a new band from Belgium and is a collaboration between Robin Aerts and Gerrit Van Dyck. During the lockdown they started to write songs together that a few years later surfaced under the name Fat Brando. (Not to be confused with a Denver based band with the same name.)

As is accustomed in Flanders musicians play in or contribute to multiple bands and Fat Brando is no exception. Aerts plays in Het Zesde Metaal, Van Dyck in The LVE and their fellow Fat Brando collaborators in a host of bands. Best known is the late Tom Pintens, who can be heard on 'Fat Brando'.

The music is quiet the ride. Songs with very different moods come by, each surprising and slightly different. It all starts with the single, 'La Voce Nella Tempesta', a song that takes its time to start. What a song to introduce a new band's debut record with. It is dreamy and yet solid. Slowly but surely an Air vibe is introduced into the song, as it slowly moves from a ballad with a sound drums and bass to the dreamy Air synths and slow guitar notes and wah wah sounds. A song like 'La Voce Nella Tempesta' captures me immediately and opens me to receive the rest of the album. The first battle for attention is won long before the nearly seven minutes long song is over.

Fat Brando is a band that shows several different sides to itself including styles of music. From a dreamy beginning it can become very concrete like in the rocking 'Hold That Thought, Take Care', which has a Pink Floyd mixed with Oasis/Liam Gallagher vibe to it. The mix is extremely successful and I really like the way this track rocks. The contrast with the opening song is huge and shows that Fat Brando is not just another album of friends playing together. 'Hold That Thought, Take Care' is musically as rich as 'La Voce Nella Tempesta'.

Other songs are more what a The LVE fan would expect to hear listening to its songwriter and singer Gerrit Van Dyck. 'Sad Lasts Longer' is a good example. There is a difference though. There's more meat on the bones of the songs on this album. The drums more solid, the electric guitars more present and louder. It attest to stepping out of his comfort zone, making Fat Brando a different band. (The LVE fans musically have already been satisfied with Nijmegen band Waltzburg's latest album. The vibe is so familiar.) I am not familiar enough with Het Zesde Metaal, so can't judge that side of the songwriters duo.

Of course, this is a collaboration and this makes things different already. 'I Am In Love' attests to this. The song is dreamy, yet totally in my face as well. The accents the band plays are extremely tight, the piano very present, the guitar accents dark and brooding. Another of the songs I truly like.

Fat Brando is a new band from Belgium with a good debut album underneath its belt. I do not opt for another lockdown but certainly for a second Fat Brando album.

Wout de Natris - van der Borght

Charm. Clairo

Clairo koos op haar vorige album voor een geluid dat je direct mee terug nam naar de jaren 70 en heeft dit geluid geperfectioneerd op het geweldige Charm, dat zowel in muzikaal als in vocaal opzicht excelleert.

Claire Cottrill dook een paar jaar geleden op in het kielzog van Phoebe Bridgers en al haar volgelingen, maar liet op haar debuutalbum al horen dat ze eigenzinniger was dan de meeste van haar collega’s in de indiepop. Die eigenzinnigheid was nog veel duidelijker te horen op het fraaie Sling, waarop Clairo de liefde verklaarde aan de singer-songwriter muziek uit de jaren 70. Sling was een geweldig album, maar het deze week verschenen Charm is nog veel beter. Ook Charm haalt de inspiratie deels uit het verleden, maar Clairo doet ook nadrukkelijk haar eigen ding. De sterke songs op het album zijn ook nog eens voorzien van prachtige klanken en mooie zang, wat zorgt voor een album dat met geen mogelijkheid is te weerstaan.

Claire Cottrill is pas 25 jaar oud, maar levert deze week met Charm alweer haar derde album onder de naam Clairo af. Ik was zeer gecharmeerd van de eerste twee albums van de Amerikaanse muzikante, die ik allebei bovengemiddeld goed en onderscheidend vond. Op haar debuutalbum Immunity uit 2019 kon Clairo wat mij betreft mee met de smaakmakers binnen de indiepop en verraste ze met popliedjes die niet zouden hebben misstaan op de albums van Phoebe Bridgers, maar die ook invloeden uit onder andere de R&B, de bedroom pop en de postpunk verwerkten.

Met Immunity legde Clairo een stevige basis voor een carrière binnen de indiepop, maar op het in 2021 verschenen Sling sloeg Claire Cottrill een totaal andere weg in. Het tweede album van Clairo, dat werd geproduceerd door niemand minder dan Jack Antonoff, liet zich immers beluisteren als een singer-songwriter album uit de jaren 70. Het was een verrassende en gewaagde keuze, maar het pakte wat mij betreft geweldig uit.

De liefde voor popmuziek uit de jaren 70 wordt doorgetrokken op het deze week verschenen Charm, dat net als Sling een zeer aangename jaren 70 vibe heeft. Clairo heeft Jack Antonoff verruild voor Leon Michels, die eerder werkte met onder Norah Jones en Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings en die invloeden uit de soul en de jazz toevoegt aan het geluid van Clairo.

Charm werd opgenomen in Woodstock en New York, waarbij gebruik werd gemaakt van analoge apparatuur. Het versterkt het tijdloze karakter van de muziek van Clairo, die zich nog altijd laat inspireren door de tijdloze singer-songwriter muziek uit de jaren 70, de Laurel Canyon folk uit dezelfde periode en flirt met soft rock uit het verleden, maar die haar songs ook voorziet van eigentijdse ingrediënten uit de pop en de R&B.

Ik was zeer gecharmeerd van de productie van Sling door Jack Antonoff, maar Leon Michels heeft de aangename jaren 70 vibe in de muziek van Clairo verder geperfectioneerd. Charm heeft een bijzonder lekker en warm klinkend geluid, dat fraai is versierd met flink wat verschillende blazers, bijzonder fraai pianospel en een weergaloos spelende ritmesectie. Net als Sling lijkt Charm af en toe zo weggelopen uit de jaren 70, maar de muziek van Clairo klinkt op hetzelfde moment eigentijds, wat bijzonder knap is.

De Amerikaanse muzikante heeft zich de afgelopen jaren ontwikkeld tot een uitstekend songwriter en ook de zang op Charm is bijzonder mooi. De ontwikkeling van Clairo komt ook terug in haar teksten, die de worstelingen van het volwassen worden inmiddels ontgroeid zijn. Charm is een album dat meedogenloos verleidt wanneer je het op de achtergrond laat voortkabbelen en dat nog wat meer indruk maakt wanneer de zon schijnt, maar luister net wat beter en je hoort alle muzikale en productionele hoogstandjes op het album, de precisie en het gevoel waarmee Claire Cottrill zingt en de fraaie wijze waarop haar songs zijn opgebouwd.

Ik was direct bij eerste beluistering van Charm verliefd op de lome songs, de warme klanken en de bijzonder aangename stem van Claire Cottrill, maar het nieuwe album van Clairo is een album dat nog lang door groeit en dat steeds weer nieuwe dingen laat horen. Het ene moment waan je je in de jaren 60 of 70, maar de songs op Charm bevatten ook ingrediënten die alleen maar uit deze tijd kunnen stammen. Clairo had goede papieren om uit te groeien tot een van de sterren van de indiepop, maar heeft gekozen voor een totaal ander geluid dat wat mij betreft veel mooier en interessanter is.

Erwin Zijleman

Punk, alternative and garage rock 2: Skeggs, Man-Eaters, Pinhead Gunpowder, Hotbox

Around 18 October so many good punk and other rock albums were released that we're adding a second instalment. So here we go.

Pacific Highway Music. Skegss

It must have been around 1996 that a few people in a bar in Leiden will have seen my first band The Beerhunters live for the last time. That moment that we finally started to sound like something. Soon after then drummer number x decided to leave the band, which proved fatal (and he lost our demo). Why is this relevant? Because we played my self-penned song 'Eastern Point', based on a trip up the Pacific coast of Australia, overlooking the ocean from the campsite, very near the most eastern point of the continent. That campsite was in Byron Bay, where Skegss originates from.

Skegss is a little bit of an outlier here as it plays less punk and garage rock than all the others. That said it deserves its spot with ease. The voice of Ben Reed is nice in a rough rock way. He is one half of a duo. Drummer Johnny Lani is the other. Opener 'Tradewinds' brings The Strokes to mind, from its debut album 'Is This It?'. Reed has a little of Julian Casablanca's rasp in his voice. Skegss likes to rock less hard and in a mid tempo range, with the focus more on melody. That still allows for a nice bit of alternative rock that live will be hard to reproduce for a duo. Skegss is not afraid to throw in another guitar or two, a bass or keys. In a song like 'I Think I Can Fly' that mix brings Skegss close to a band like Bright Eyes of circa 20 years ago. Pacific Highway Music brings a great mix of songs that allow for a party, can be translated to the campfire and work in the living room as well. Original?, no far from. Good?, certainly.

Quatro Muchachos. Man-Eaters

In my review of single 'Creepy Crawl' I wrote that a whole album of Man-Eaters would probably prove to be a bit much. And opening song does everything to prove me right. Man-Eaters punk rock, metal and hard rock all in one. I have to confess that the band does it in a great way. Just listen to these double guitars and the rhythm section go at it. The singer has a voice that has been treated with the most coarse sanding paper or even a steel brush for all I know. He gives the rock Man-Eaters play so much extra. The Chicago based band put a lot of energy into their new album, its fourth. The members obviously loved rock bands that were releasing records somewhere between 1976 and 1985. Bands that went after a huge rock sound, leaving the classic and more symphonic tinged bands behind. Man-Eaters have it all, including a huge dose of energy it is willing to share with the whole wide world.

UNT. Pinhead Gunpowder

The most traditional band in this overview is punkrockers Pinhead Gunpowder, a band that is around since 1990, but in the past fourteen years have only been playing for the members' own fun, when and where they could come together. That they could is telling of how much they like to play together as one member is quite famous, one Billie Joe Armstrong. It is not so surprising that the band does sound like Green Day quite often. Yes, Pinhead Gunpowder plays uptempo punkrock with great melodies also. Thirty three years after the band's first 7" there's a new album, where fun and skills can be found all over UNT. Although you may have heard it all before, the quality of the songs make UNT a very welcome album to listen to. Besides Armstrong you hear Aaron Cometbus (drums, lyrics), Bill Schneider (bass) and Jason White (guitar, vocals). Together the four play inspired and great. I let you decide which band released the better album this year. It may be tighter than you expect.

Hotbox. Hotbox

Hotbox is one of the bands that were started after The Dogmatics folded late in the 1980s. The band is active again for some years but Rum Bar Records has been on a hunt to find these long-forgotten recordings like by the Boston band Hotbox (and Matweeds some time back). The recordings from the early 1990s prove that some bands, maybe most bands do not receive what they deserve. The songs on Hotbox rock no little and mix 1960s garage bands with the bigger rock from the 1970s. Totally out of fashion in the early 1990s when grunge and Guns 'N' Roses really broke big. Come 2024 and its time for a full reappraisal. Hotbox was Jerry Lehane (vocals/guitar), Peter Mulford (lead guitar), Frank Pagliughi (bass) and Pete Sisco (drums). Just listen to a song like 'When It's Over'. Mulford plays a great solo over a song that rocks so hard and so good. How is it possible that no one picked this song up at the time? Or would my ears have listened differently 30 and some years ago? Most likely, yes. Still, it's time to make amends. Hotbox is an incredibly good band and this album is the best of the eight I presented in a short form. Hotbox by Hotbox yes, listen to it, now! It's the kind of album many alternative rockers today would die for.

Wout de Natris - van der Borght

You can listen to and order the albums here:

https://skegss.bandcamp.com/album/pacific-highway-music

https://man-eaters.bandcamp.com/album/quatro-muchacho

https://pinheadgunpowder.bandcamp.com/album/unt

https://rumbarrecords.bandcamp.com/album/hotbox

2024, week 43. 10 singles

Today there's a very well-known band among the singles (and EPs) and one artist that is around since the 1980s and should be far better known in my opinion. For the rest you find a nice mix of new and a little older, names familiar to this blog. Enough to discover, so enjoy!

Red Sky Night. Chuck Prophet and ¿Qiensave?

Chuck Prophet and this blog go back to the magazine of old even, including legendary shows in Leiden's finest Q-Bus venue with the band performing at top level while rocking on their feet from jetlag. With 'Wake The Dead' about to be released it is time to pay attention to the album's single Red Sky Night. This is Chuck Prophet at his most suave. Strings and "sha la la's" are all over the place. Ever since 'No Other Love' I know the man can do no wrong with a ballad. Just listen to the wah electric guitar and the softly played acoustic guitars and the pedal steel adding some accents here and there. On the album Prophet and band play together with Cumbia Group ¿Qiensave?. This single sounds traditional Chuck Prophet, so I am curious what the band offers on the album .

NTL RM EP I. The National

The National is about to release a live album recorded in Rome. I have never seen the band live and am only a recent fan. At some point I did see a live show on YouTube for a while, until there was no time left to watch for me. On that basis I am convinced that a live show by the band can be a very intense experience. True fans will sing along for the whole of the way. To really enjoy it, one has to know most of the back catalogue. Based on what I am hearing on this EP, there's no doubt left that The National is a great band. Whether a live album adds anything to the studio albums, I can't truly judge, but the music here sounds truly inspired and forceful. NTL RM EP1 is a real taster of what is to come. The band is in a great form based on these four songs.

California's Dreaming. Tess Parks

Tess Parks never ceases to amaze me. How deathlike can a singer sound? Even when in the Califormia sunshine, things do not change. Well almost, as musically she delves deep into 1960s psychedelia. And where besides London in the U.K. did that genre really thrive? Right, San Francisco and California. California's Dreaming is miles away from The Mamas and The Papas' debut single, because of that darkness in ms. Parks' voice. The music with the sound of a mellotron right up front and a great 60s inspired guitar solo to match, flourishes no little. The mix of the two is intriguing and works. California's Dreaming may well become my favourite Tess Parks song to date. Album 'Pomegranate' was released this week.

Lost Track Of Time EP. Nathan Ball

On 'Stateline', the single of this EP Nathan Ball answered to the question when best to play it: "I would say the ultimate would be with the windows down driving around the winding lanes down to the sea in summer. It’s a hazy day song, written for that moment when the sun is going down and the sky has that beautiful orange tint to it." O.k., I can live with this description. It is the toughest song on the EP. There's a bass and drums kicking in. I was wondering whether it would happen, as that tension was building up, and it does. The first three songs are for after arrival, hanging in your hammock under a coconut tree. It is that kind of music, to literally lose the track of time to. Nathan Ball sings like Patrick Watson, high, slow, dreamy, as if coming from the dreamtime. That matches with the fact that 'Stateline' was written in Australia while he was on tour there. If you like this kind of music, which I do every once in a while, Lost Track Of Time contains your kind of music. It is amazing how different the single is though. A true pop gem that is.

Creepy Crawl. Man-Eaters

I'll admit that a whole album is bit much for me, but the energy flowing from single Creepy Crawl is all I need right now. The band simply goes for it in a mix of Alice Cooper circa 'School's Out' and 'Elected' guitar riffs and solos mixed with punkrock rhythm from the 1990s. The outcome is a song that rocks and rocks and then some more. Singer Danny Babirusa has the exact right, rough voice for a song like Creepy Crawl. It is as if the song needs some sanding with the roughest paper available or better a steel brush to prepare first. The twin guitar line up spray their rhythm and solos all over the place supported by an ace rhythm section. Chicago has one hell of a punkrock band within its city limits. Album 'Man-Eaters' is out. So, if you like this I'm sure you'll find your way. Just don't look at the band photo first.

La Voce Nella Tempesta. Fat Brando

Gerrit Van Dyck, from The LVE, is, once again, in another band, like most Flemish musicians are. Together with Robin Aerts of Het Zesde Metaal he started writing songs during the lockdown. Later friends and neighbours joined. The late Tom Pintens contributed and others. Album 'Fat Brando' is already out, so let's focus on La Voce Nella Tempesta first. The song is a ballad in the Air tradition, with its plopping bass, soft wah-wah effects and soft, slow synths. In other words, the perfect music to dream away with. The drums that open the track (and album) do not give away anything by the way. It is solid playing. Only when a solo guitar enters later on the first hint is given. The dreamy vocals do the rest. La Voce Nella Tempesta ('the voice in the storm') is quite a nice introduction to this new band I have to say.

Where The Groove Is. Junior Varsity

A new band on Rum Bar is Junior Varsity, the new band of drummer Joe Vincent. Where The Groove Is is a near perfect pop-rock song. I'm going to step over the small parts where I get the impression the song is a little forced, because otherwise I would never get to the glorious parts. That starts with the great guitar driven intro, where the piano plays a great role that uplifts the song no little. The rock and roll type playing puts a smile on my face immediately. The second instance where that happens is in the harmony vocals during the chorus. The Varsity Vocal Squad: Lisa Zaire, Mary Colbert, Mike Fornatale, & Tom Lucas, makes the sun come out at midnight. The pop feel here reaches beyond 100%. Next time I'm going to join them and sing along. And the outro? Let's not dwell on it and put the song back on again.

00.00. The Dumpies

I did not even have the time to gather my thoughts before 00.00 was over. 0.54 seconds the single last. This is punk music alright. The song comes close to a punked up version of Green Day. The melody, the pace, the intent, it all matches and then imagine the tempo going up and the just this little more. The Dumpies are a band from Austin, Texas that was formed in 2017. Today they live in Oregon though. This spring they were on the blog for the first time with a split single with Vancouver BC band Night Court. With 00.00 they take WoNoBlog by storm. This is the real thing alright: zero zero double zero. Album 'Gay Boredom' has been released already.

Come Down. Reb Fountain

What a coincidence. Did I write recently about the similarities in the music and lives of Dutch singer VanWyck and New Zealand singer Reb Fountain, today I can write that both have surprised me musically as well. Reb Fountain comes with a totally different kind of song. Come Down is rhythm driven and not atmosphere. There is a drum part that is the centre of Come Down around which the rest circles. Of course, Reb Fountain's voice is her voice and that has that mysteriousness in it setting the mood of the song. The result is a different beast though. Because of the rhythm it becomes a car song, one to play while on the highway with only distance in front of you. Just like VanWyck's 'Dust Chaser' album Come Down surprises in an extremely pleasant way.

Wake Up With You (WUWU). Mood Bored

With Wake Up With You (WUWU) Mood Bored returns to the blog. First with (singles from) EP 'Bored', then as support act for label mates POM and now with the first single of the second EP 'Too Much?', which will be released in February. WUWU is a friendly alternative poprock track. Mood Bored plays successfully with dynamics and dares to just let drums and bass do the work of supporting singer Myrthe Driesenaar in the first verse. Later guitar(s) join but you will also find some synths supporting the music. Mood Bored did not let itself get off easy. Just listen how many different guitar parts and styles of playing you find here. It makes for layered listening and promises a lot more for the future.

Wout de Natris - van der Borght

 

Am I Okay? Megan Moroney

Megan Moroney legde de lat vorig jaar bijzonder hoog met haar uitstekende debuutalbum Lucky, maar met Am I Okay? laat de muzikante uit Nashville horen dat dit album zeker geen toevalstreffer was.

Met Lucky maakte Megan Moroney vorig jaar een fantastisch countrypop album, wat haar in de Verenigde Staten terecht een ster heeft gemaakt. De rest van de wereld moet zich maar laten overtuigen door het in augustus verschenen Am I Okay?, want het tweede album van Megan Moroney is nog beter dan het al zo indrukwekkende debuutalbum. In muzikaal opzicht klinkt het allemaal nog wat mooier, al is het maar omdat Megan Moroney de country nog wat steviger heeft omarmd, maar ook de zang van de Amerikaanse muzikante is nog wat mooier dan op haar debuutalbum. Lucky wist ook nog eens te verleiden met een serie onweerstaanbaar lekkere songs en deze zijn ook te vinden op Am I Okay?. Voor iedereen die het nog niet wist, Megan Moroney is de smaakmaker van de countrypop van het moment.

Op 5 mei 2023 verscheen Lucky, het debuutalbum van de Amerikaanse muzikante Megan Moroney. Vijf dagen later recenseerde ik het album en was ik behoorlijk enthousiast over het eerste album van de muzikante uit Georgia, die een paar jaar geleden haar geluk zocht in Nashville. Het is sindsdien hard gegaan met Megan Moroney en daar valt niets op af te dingen.

Ik kon bij het typen van mijn recensie van Lucky nog niet vermoeden hoe dierbaar het album me uiteindelijk zou worden. Lucky vind ik met afstand het beste countrypop album van 2023 en haalde uiteindelijk de top 5 van mijn jaarlijstje. Megan Moroney is nog druk bezig met de Lucky tour, die haar in september ook naar Nederland brengt, maar een paar dagen geleden werd uit het niets haar tweede album aangekondigd, dat ook vrijwel onmiddellijk is verschenen.

Am I Okay? bevat veertien nieuwe tracks van de muzikante uit Nashville en het zijn veertien tracks die gaan bepalen of Megan Moroney de belofte van Lucky inmiddels is ontstegen. Op Lucky waren invloeden uit de country en de pop voor mij perfect in balans, wat betekende dat invloeden uit de Amerikaanse rootsmuziek domineerden, maar een laagje pop nooit ontbrak. Op Am I Okay? heeft Megan Moroney deze balans gelukkig behouden.

Ook het tweede album van de muzikante uit Nashville is een album met veel country, misschien nog wel net wat meer dan op Lucky, en een beetje pop. Qua geluid ligt Am I Okay? in het verlengde van het terecht zo goed ontvangen Lucky. Ook op haar tweede album vertrouwt Megan Moroney op de productie van Kristian Bush, die het album heeft voorzien van het van Lucky bekende warme geluid, waarin snareninstrumenten domineren en waarin ook invloeden uit de rootsrock een plekje hebben gekregen.

Het wordt ook dit keer gecombineerd met de prachtige stem van Megan Moroney die naast heel veel country ook een bijzonder aangenaam ruw randje in haar stem heeft. De Amerikaanse muzikante tekent ook dit keer voor persoonlijke teksten, waarin de hobbelige weg van de liefde centraal staat en de nodige verkeerde mannen voorbij komen. Het is misschien wat clichématig, maar het past perfect bij de countrypop die Megan Moroney maakt.

Het debuutalbum van de Amerikaanse muzikante ontleende een deel van zijn kracht aan de mooie rootsklanken en aan de fantastische stem van Megan Moroney, maar wist zich ook zeker te onderscheiden door een serie fantastische songs. Het zijn songs die me inmiddels stuk voor stuk zeer dierbaar zijn, wat van het tweede album van Megan Moroney ook wel een lastig album maakt.

Ik begon daarom misschien wel met onrealistisch hoge verwachtingen aan Am I Okay?, maar het tweede album van Megan Moroney was eigenlijk onmiddellijk het warme bad dat Lucky in het voorjaar van 2023 was. In muzikaal opzicht is Am I Okay? nog net wat beter dan het debuutalbum door net wat extra twang en ook de stem van Megan Moroney is in het afgelopen jaar nog wat extra mooi gerijpt.

De songs op het tweede album van de muzikante uit Nashville zijn door te schakelen tussen wat stevigere songs en een aantal ingetogen ballads nog wat veelzijdiger dan die op het debuutalbum en een zwakke song ben ik nog niet tegengekomen. Lucky schaar ik inmiddels onder de beste countrypop albums ooit gemaakt en met Am I Okay? heeft het album er een serieuze kandidaat bij, maar ook liefhebbers van country zonder pop kunnen met het tweede album van Megan Moroney vast uit de voeten. Mijn verwachtingen waren misschien onrealistisch hoog, maar met Am I Okay? maakt Megan Moroney ze nog waar ook. Pff, wat hou ik van dit album.

Erwin Zijleman

Cartoon Darkness. Amyl and the Sniffers

I can't help but liking this album such a lot. Cartoon Darkness is simply too much fun. There's so much positive energy in, so many great melodies and shiny guitar solos on the album and then there's Amy Taylor. From the minute 'Jerking' starts I'm moving in my seat, if not dancing around the living room. Amyl and the Sniffers have come up with a dream of a punk rock album.

You can try to convince me that Amy's voice is horrible and sounds like a wining child or that the songs are too simple or whatever you have against this band and I will deny all allegations and denounce them till my last breath. Amyl and the Sniffers simply do not deserve this kind of criticism. It is the kind I run into here and there.

The Australian band came into my life with its previous, second album, 'Comfort To Me' in 2021.  I wrote at the time: "this album is one surge of energy that rages over me, with me enjoying every inch of the way". In part I can write this again. Most songs on Cartoon Darkness are raging punk songs. The other, smaller part is more introspective and shows that Amyl and the Sniffers have a different side to itself. The mix of songs work and show that the two sides fit the band.

The band rages hardest in 'It's Mine'. The studio ceiling must have been blown off during the recording of the song. Amy is spitting out her lyrics like a true punk singer has to. The band lays down such a dark mood and groove that clouds will gather on a sunny day out of nowhere. The rage remains but a positive melody is introduced in the next song 'Motorbike Song'. Here the Iggy & the Stooges influences, think 'Raw Power', shine through. The Sniffers show how good they can rock. Guitarist Declan Martens shows his chops playing great rhythm and escaping as soon as he can to show off his lead solos.

Looking at Wikipedia I see how many awards Amyl and the Sniffers has won in Australia for best band, best album, best live band. It says something about Australia, as a band like this would not even get nominated here, let alone win. It says even more about the band. To all appearances a lot of prizes can be collected after the release of Cartoon Darkness, as the album is better than 'Comfort To Me'. The band dares to go deeper and wider in a successful way. It is a punk(rock) force and shows to be capable of writing Blondie like punk ballads, if such a thing exists. Just listen to a song like 'Bailing On Me'. This song is spot on. (Blondie scored its first hit in Australia by the way in the spring (there) of 1977 with 'In The Flesh'.) Both are the kind of song that provides bands with a bigger audience.

To become huge several Amyl and the Sniffers songs are to uncompromising. Where I'm concerned the band excels in both. With the 90s punk bands out of existence or ageing, the title for best punk band is vacant pretty soon. I have identified the contender for the title best punk band in the world.

The band is in great form on Cartoon Darkness. And Amy?  Just listen how versatile her voice is and how much energy goes into the songs and then tell me again about those criticism. Cartoon Darkness is one of the best albums of 2024 to date. And there are quite a few very good ones, believe me.

Wout de Natris - van der Borght

You can listen to and order Cartoon Darkness here:

https://amylandthesniffers.bandcamp.com/album/cartoon-darkness

Punk, garage and alternative rock: High Vis, Corker, Why Bother?, Black Doldrums

On Friday 18 October a whole host of albums were released by bands that I mostly not heard of before, but all rocked, hard. One belonged more in this niche and others in another one. Scanning them I thought, oh, yes, I think I would like to write on this album. But there were simply too many of them with too little room. So, I decided to write a little on all. That will not do justice to the whole album, but hopefully it sets you on the trail of band and album. Here we go.

Guided Tour. High Vis

High Vis?, what does it mean in English?, as vis = fish in Dutch. High Vis is from London (U.K.) and has two faces. The first is how Guided Tour opens with melodic rock and with angry rock moving towards punk next. Singer Graham Sayle's spitting out his lyrics here, while he does his best containing the spittle in the other songs, like The Who's Roger Daltrey in the 60s. The two faces do the band really good. A song like 'Worth The Wait' is a great example how this works out. This band has a great melodic side that it shows regularly and has an enormously energetic side that does it credit as well. Singer Sayle is a huge part of that energy, while live he may have the same impact that Tramhaus' Lukas Jansen has. I'm not familiar with the band's two previous albums. Guided Tour is a good album to start a High Vis adventure with.

Hallways Of Grey. Corker

More punklike is Cincinnati's Corker. With Hallways Of Grey the band released its second album a year after its debut 'Falser Truths'. Corker presents songs that sound like a Joy Division light with the same intent. They seem to have one foot in the past and one in the present. Corker is Luke Corvette (Lead Vocals, Guitar), Cole Gilfilen (Guitar, Synth, Vocals), Ryan Sennett (Bass, Synth) and Alex Easterday (Drums, Percussion). The lead guitarist is not afraid to take a prominent role, giving 'Night Ride' a very distinctive sound. 'Distant Dawn' is loud, a true energy boost and yet has a hint of pop that makes the song stand out more than anything else. Corker may have DIY written all over itself, the result Hallways Of Grey is one to be proud of. The mix between raw energy, melody and musicality is about perfect. 'Forever Silent', with Angie Willcutt on lead vocals, is an odd one out. Corker may recreate a lot what came before and well before the band's members were even born judging a photo, it does so with with the attitude that makes it deserve its a spot in the 2020s.

Hey, At Least Your Not Me. Why Bother?

Punk and garage rock bands come a dime by the dozen these days. Yet, many have their own angle to the niche in rock music. Why Bother? returns to garage rock bands like can be found on the 'Nuggets' box and add the speed of The Ramones to their music. The combination leads to punkrock songs with a truly far out psychedelic solo like in 'Chasing The Skull'. Over the top is actually an understatement here. Why Bother? is from Mason City, Iowa and consists of Terry, Vocals/Synthesizers, Speck, Guitar/Vocals, Pamela, Bass Guitar and Paul, Drums. I'm not sure but the band may be the first I know coming from Iowa. Does anyone know other examples? Why Bother? is not one for subtlety and goes for it with loads of enthusiasm. No, it's not the best band I've ever heard, but it simply does a whole lot of things right and that makes for interesting listening.

In Limerence. Black Doldrums

London based Black Doldrums return to the blog but for the first time with an album, the band's second. In Limerence kicks off with one of the singles, 'Hideaway'. It's a song that rocks hard, in a psychedelic rock niche that reminds me of The Black Angels mostly, except that the Londoners rock this little extra. Just listen to the bass runs new bassist Matt Hold is making. He joined Kevin Gibbard (guitar and vocals) and Sophie Landers (drums and vocals) for this album. Black Doldrums' music starts in the doom and gloom of the 1980s. As much the guitar based bands as the ones who also had a keyboard on board, like The Cure. Gibbard likes to throw his voice down an octave as well. The difference is that the band prefers to rock also and is not afraid of throwing a little pop influences into its melodies. It results in an album that is a perfect hybrid of two ages, the 1980s new wave and the 2020s psychedelic rock. With In Limerence, "a state of intense, all-consuming romantic longing", Black Doldrums hits all the right notes. In March the band embarks on a European tour but no Dutch dates as yet unfortunately.

Wout de Natris - van der Borght

You listen to and order the albums here:

https://highvis.bandcamp.com/album/guided-tour

https://corker.bandcamp.com/album/hallways-of-grey

https://blackdoldrums.bandcamp.com/album/in-limerence

Black Cat On Your Doormat. Waltzburg

Allow me to start with the comment that is most obvious to make for me. Listening to the new Waltzburg album is as if The LVE has finally released a new album. The way songs are built up and arranged, the way of singing and the male - female interchanges, the themes, the mood and tempo of songs, it all fits. It is not though, as Black Cat On Your Doormat is Nijmegen's own Waltzburg's new album.

In 2018 Waltzburg can be found on this blog for the first time with its debut EP. Since things were mostly quiet here, barring two singles. So let me introduce the band first. Waltzburg is Joost Klapmuts (bass/keyboards), Jesse Smits (guitar/keyboards), Luuk Gerards (drums), Nicole Jansen (vocals/keyboards) and Menno Krivokutya (vocals/guitar). Together they play mostly keyboards and vocals driven songs. All in a mid tempo range, with lyrics that are introspective. Songs to listen to and not exactly to party to.

As there is a time for everything Black Cat On Your Doormat is the right kind of album to relax with and just enjoy. The kind of album that can take you away from the here and now for a while, making the listener forget the world around him/her.

It was surprising to read that on the album some of the oldest demos the band had made can finally be heard in their final form. Especially as this is the band's second album after releasing 'Cut The Wire' in 2019. By working with keys and synths these tracks finally received the form they needed. Guitars were only added later after the songs had received their current form. Keys are not dominant overall. In 'Decisions' guitars are very prominent as you can hear.

What I like most about Black Cat On Your Doormat is the relaxed way Waltzburg is playing. The band is not in a hurry and enjoying what it is doing. This mood comes across in an optimal way. The music is making me feel relaxed as well. I can surrender to this music unconditionally. Very much like I can with The LVE. One track may have some dance influences in the rhythm like 'Miss You', while others are more ballad oriented. The result is totally the same. Black Cat On Your Doormat makes for an extremely pleasant listening experience, with no ominous superstition vibes in earshot.

Wout de Natris - van der Borght

You can order Black Cat On Your Doormat on the band's website:

https://waltzburg.com/

Woodland. Gillian Welch en David Rawlings

Gillian Welch en David Rawlings leveren met het prachtige Woodland een album af dat voortborduurt op de muziek die het tweetal in het verleden maakte, maar dat ook zeker andere wegen in slaat.

Een nieuw album van Gillian Welch en David Rawlings is altijd goed nieuws, maar het deze week verschenen Woodland heeft me zeer aangenaam verrast. De muziek van de twee klonk altijd behoorlijk sober, maar op Woodland is hoorbaar veel tijd gestoken in de muziek op en de productie van het album. Ook de songs op Woodland zijn voornamelijk ingetogen en spaarzaam ingekleurd, maar zitten ook vol bijzonder mooie details. Het zijn songs die af en toe dicht tegen de Appalachen folk aan zitten, maar Woodland slaat ook andere richtingen in. Gebleven is de prachtige zang van met name Gillian Welch, die ook Woodland weer voorziet van het uit duizenden herkenbare maar ook volkomen unieke karakter.

De Amerikaanse muzikante Gillian Welch maakte tussen 1996 en 2003 met Revival uit 1996, Hell Among The Yearlings uit 1998, Time (The Revelator) uit 2001 en Soul Journey uit 2003 vier prachtige albums, maar hierna was het, al dan niet door een writer’s block, lange tijd stil rond de muzikante uit Nashville.

Gillian Welch keerde pas in 2011 terug met het al even mooie The Harrow & The Harvest, waarna het weer stil werd, tot ze in 2020 weer opdook met het samen met David Rawlings gemaakte All The Good Times. In de tussentijd was ze wel nog af en toe te horen op de albums die haar muzikale partner en echtgenoot David Rawlings onder zijn eigen naam uitbracht, maar echt verwend werd de liefhebber van de muziek van Gillian Welch niet.

De afgelopen jaren gaat het gelukkig weer de goede kant op. Naast All The Good Times verscheen een kleine handvol albums met restmateriaal van de eerste vier albums van Gillian Welch, waarop te horen was dat de Amerikaanse muzikante tussen 1996 en 2003 nog veel productiever was dan we al wisten.

All The Good Times krijgt deze week een vervolg met Woodland, een album dat wederom onder de namen van Gillian Welch en David Rawlings is uitgebracht. Woodland is opgenomen in de fameuze Woodland Studios in Nashville, Tennessee, waar alle groten die ooit in Nashville rond liepen muziek hebben opgenomen. De studio is al geruime tijd eigendom van Gillian Welch en David Rawlings, die hierdoor lang hebben kunnen sleutelen aan hun nieuwe album.

Woodland opent met een song die niet had misstaan op de vroege albums van Gillian Welch. Het is een song die echo’s van de folk die lang geleden in de Appalachen werd gemaakt laat horen en die onmiddellijk bekend in de oren klinkt door het gitaarspel van Gillian Welch en David Rawlings en vooral door de uit duizenden herkenbare stem van de Amerikaanse muzikante. Het is een stem die een kleine dertig jaar na het debuutalbum van Gillian Welch nog niets aan kracht heeft ingeboet en nog altijd even uniek klinkt.

Vergeleken met het vroege werk van Gillian Welch hoor je wel dat er veel meer aandacht is besteed aan de inkleuring en de productie van de songs. Het klinkt niet meer zo Spartaans als op met name de eerste twee albums die ze maakte, maar de instrumentatie is nog altijd redelijk subtiel en staat in dienst van de stem van Gillian Welch.

Woodland borduurt niet alleen voort op de muziek die Gillian Welch en David Rawlings in het verleden hebben gemaakt. In de tweede track, het met veel strijkers ingekleurde What We Had, is niet alleen de stem van David Rawlings wat nadrukkelijker aanwezig, maar klinkt ook de stem van Gillian Welch anders. Het bevalt me eerlijk gezegd wel, want Woodland voegt met name door de tracks die afwijken van de muziek die de muzikanten uit Nashville in het verleden maakten, iets toe aan alles dat er al is.

De stem van David Rawlings klinkt wat kwetsbaarder dan in het verleden, maar past nog altijd prachtig bij die van Gillian Welch, wiens stem ik misschien nog wel mooier vind dan op haar vroege albums. Het is sinds haar eerste paar albums te lang stil geweest rond Gillian Welch, maar op Woodland laat ze samen met David Rawlings horen, dat ze haar oude vorm heeft hervonden op een album dat vertrouwt op de kwaliteit van destijds, maar dat ook zeker nieuwe wegen in slaat.

Erwin Zijleman

Je kunt Woodland hier luisteren en bestellen:

https://gillianwelch.bandcamp.com/album/woodland

Cutouts. The Smile

And once again, I hear an album by The Smile. The third in two years and the second of 2024. Again I wonder why isn't this a Radiohead album? The answer by Johnny Greenwood in an 'Oor' email interview, is as direct as it is telling: "We can work faster this way". To me it sounds like it is much more fun for Johnny to just work with Thom Yorke and have Tom Skinner do some inventive drumming behind it, while Thom is painting in the studio on the side.

Despite having all Radiohead's albums and all of The Smile's, both will never become my favourite band nor be mentioned in my list of favourite albums. Yet, when something is released it is an event. Something to learn about and to have and play every once in while. But not more. Hence, Cutouts is in the home as LP since yesterday.

I understand that the songs were recorded in the same sessions that brought us 'Wall Of Eyes' earlier this year. My impression is that Cutouts is a lighter album. Of course all the strange rhythms are there, the weird noises and slow, lilting singing. It all sounds like Radiohead, uh, The Smile. As far as this duo can express (I suppose that they do have it at times) fun musically, it seems like they are having it here on Cutouts.

Of course, that is weird, as the two albums we the result of the same session(s). Then it's the result of serious choices what to put on one album. It's hard to say which one is the better album, Cutouts is here for only a few weeks. My inclination is to go for the latest album. For starters the weird noises and harmony voices in 'The Slip' make a song based on an impossible rhythm close to a pop song. There's also a lightness in a song like 'No Words' that is unusual for this band.

The album opens with a modern church hymne though. The text aside, I can imagine this being played and sang in Sunday mass. Trade the synth for a church organ and the lyrics for a psalm and bingo. 'Foreign Spies' is serious business, so for that matter it could be a James Bond theme for movie 26 as well. "It's a beautiful world", Thom Yorke sings and I almost believe him. Adding this song to it, I can only agree.

Magic dust is sprinkled over the world in the intro of 'Instant Psalm'. Matched by a little bit dirty sounding bass, the ballad is set into motion. Musically The Smile creeps close to The Beatles of  'Abbey Road'. The strings and synths are adding a lot to the song that is full of mystery. It shows that Greenwood and Yorke were having a good time just following their musicality and not their experimental side. That returns with the complex riffs of 'Zero Sum'. The fun of being able to do this is jumping out of the record. A track to dance to 'Zero Sum' is. On several songs on Cutouts The Smile explore, albeit in a very alternative way, their pop side.

Although drummer Tom Skinner is not (prominently) present in all songs, in most songs his complex rhythms set their pace and body. This draws the other two totally out of their comfort zone. Both are challenged and here we have the third difference with Radiohead. After three records the conclusion has to be that The Smile has its own right to exist next to the mothership, whatever its status in 2024 is. Based on Cutouts I'd say there's a lot more here to explore together.

Wout de Natris - van der Borght

You can listen to and order Cutouts here:

https://thesmile.bandcamp.com/merch

2024, week 42. 10 singles

Today you will read a lot of new names on the blog .... that are not new names. The reason is that these artists come by with a new record for the first time since WoNoBlog exists, which is past 12 and a half years by now. We let that festive moment slip by unnoticed, I only now realise. Sure, you will have found the artists as a reference or part of someone else's story, for example in an obituary. Amazingly, they never had their own entry. Add some more newbys and you have enough to explore this week. So, enjoy!

Rats. Suzanne Vega

My only Suzanne Vega record is from the 1980s with 'Luka' on it. Based on this recollection nothing prepared me for Rats. Suzanne Vega is rocking like there's no tomorrow. In fact she is in competition with several 2020s alternative, postpunk bands. She wrote the song with her guitarist and musical director Gerry Leonard. It is such a direct song, with guitar lines all over the place. The bass is very in your face and there's this Farfisa organ that is almost irritating to listen to, as it is supposed to sound. Vega herself seems to be hanging on for dear life with this tempo. She manages very well, thank you. What I can't tell from a distance is whether the Rats are a metaphor for everything happening in politics in the U.S. these days. I can imagine it is. The song is direct enough to be an allegorical protest song. For all I know Suzanne Vega is making music like Rats for years. I am very positively surprised. Rats its a great postpunk rock song.

Disinfectant. Peter Perrett

To my surprise, I reviewed an album by Peter Perrett on this blog, 'Humanworld', in 2018. There's an older Erwin Zijleman one as well. Sorry, but I have no recollection of it at all. Disinfectant took a short while for me to catch on but after that I was hooked. The song starts slow and Peter Perrett's voice is not exactly without wear and tear of the past 45 years. Musically, the song takes off in the first chorus and never looks back. Disinfectant rocks and with that no little. If I have to compare Disinfectant to anything it is David Bowie 'Boys Keep Swinging'. The lead guitar is so fantastic on both. The kind that you want to keep going and going and stops before things become too much at some point, making you crave for more that isn't there. If anything with this single Perrett shows that age is something in the head of the beholder. Older rockers can still create fantastic songs, as Disinfectant shows to the world.

Shake EP. Sunflower Bean

Band of Skulls is dead long live Sunflower Bean? I did not see that one coming. Sunflower Bean self-produced for the first time and throws the world a loud bone called Shake. There already is a 'Death By Diamonds And Pearls', otherwise the title song could have qualified to become it. Where I wrote in my 2018 review of 'Twentytwo In Blue': "Somewhere under that sweet-voiced Ms. (Julia) Cumming there can be hints of danger in the music.", on the Shake EP that danger is in the front, middle, last row and the balcony. In the first three songs Sunflower Bean goes more than full out. Only in song four 'Serial Killer' the tempo goes down a little, the noise considerably so. The toughness remains though. It may be a ballad, the in your face approach will fool many who have a totally different concept of balladry. It is always nice to be surprised and Sunflower Bean has done so. To think I almost did not listen to the EP. Boy, am I glad I did. If I were the band I would stick with presenting the unfiltered version of itself. It suits Sunflower Bean quite well.

Secret Place. The Dogs

Detroit? That is MC5, The White Stripes and Motown of course. And since today The Dogs. I understand that the band has reformed with original members Mary Kay Dodson on bass and backing vocals and Loren Molinare on lead vocals and guitars. They are joined in 2024 by  Rob Klonel on drums. With Secret Place The Dogs have a comeback single like they should be. It rocks right into your face. The trio dare to tone down to just a tough bass, drums and muted rhythm guitar, before exploding into the rock monster The Dogs also is. Secret Place is the announcement of a career spanning album called 'Unleashed' with 24 songs on it. Rum Bar released the album on 18 October.  Secret Place reminds me of 'Kick Out The Jams', MC5's signature song. The Dogs just keep things whole and do a great job at it too. Secret Place is a delicious dirty rocker of a song.

Pétillant. The Daylillies

Three years ago The Daylilies were on this blog with 'Stockholm Syndrome', a release of Justine Couvault's Red on Red label. Over time more and more bands surface on other labels, after Justine's demise in 2023. With Pétillant The Daylilies return with a great pop-rock single. The single has a golden melody and singer Laura England Klain really is determined to show what she's capable of. Many 80s singer can be put to history when new singers have voices like England Klain's. Pétillant is the kind of song that has a varied yet great sound. With an organ that reminds people like me who lived through new wave of songs like 'Oliver's Army', 'Just What I Needed' or 'Marliese' and a guitar that is tough enough to come from any decade between the late 70s and today. Pétillant means bubbly, as in sparkling wine. The theme of the song is coming out of Covid and playing together again. This single really sounds like the joy I felt when were in a room once again making music, shield between at first us or not.

Boat Called Predator. SASSYHIYA

Another new name on this blog. I had never heard of SASSYHIYA until an email dropped into my box a few weeks ago. With the title Boat Called Predator I did not expect a rap song but what else? It turns out that the single is a pretty direct indie rock song by a female singer. SASSYHIYA ("Sassy Hiya") formed in London by singers and songwriters Kathy Wright, vocals, guitar and Helen Skinner, vocals, bass, who are partners in life as well. Together they write the songs. So far two EPs have been released. Over time they were joined by Pablo Paganotto on drums and Neiloy Mookherjee on guitar. On 8 November the debut album 'Take You Somewhere' is released. While on holiday in western Scotland Kathy and Helen were overtaken by a trailer with a boat called 'Predator' on it, leading to this energised song. At first listen Boat Called Predator appears very straightforward. Listen more closely and you'll hear the backing vocals, the guitar lines Neiloy Mookherjee adds to the song, the little handclaps and the little mysterious additions of sounds here and there. It makes for great listening.

Alone. The Cure

Believe it or not but just like Suzanne Vega The Cure makes it debut on this blog. It's last album is from 2008, four years before the start of this blog. You will find the band as a reference all over the place, but that is different. All over the summer it was clear that something was brewing, but summer is not the right season for The Cure to release albums in, isn't it? 'Songs From A Lost World' is slated for 1 November, when the last leaves are falling from the trees and the last of autumn's flowers have withered. Alone has been given to us a few weeks ago. It is a nearly seven minutes song and just before the 3.30 minutes Robert Smith comes in with his characteristic voice. The instrumental part is a huge affair. An enormous layer of synths is showered over us, with underneath the drums pounding away, an electric guitar playing its notes and a bass that is seriously low. A distorted guitar part, piano chords that move through the thickness like a cool breeze on a warm summer's evening. The Cure goes for the big effect and succeeds as far as I'm concerned. When returning on record after so many years you have to come in with a bang. The only valid question I can ask here, why does it have to sound like as if Pink Floyd came back together again?

One Woman. Eric Clapton

Even more surprising is that Eric Clapton makes his debut as well. Having released his first commercial single in 1963 or 64 with The Yardbirds, that is special isn't it? Now Clapton has not released a lot in the past years, I think, There already is a new album, 'Meanwhile', since late September. Totally unnoticed by me by the way. This single was announced about the release date of 'Meanwhile'. It is an album containing six "previously unheard tracks" and eight singles. I suppose that One Woman is a song in the first category. We hear Clapton moving routinely through a reggae-ish song, that continues satisfactorily without rocking any boats. Like many tracks on his solo albums did in the 70s and 80s and beyond. To be honest, I would have let it pass me by, had Clapton been on this blog before. But also because One Woman is a nice track. It is far from bad. The playing is impeccable. It simply never comes truly alive. My conclusion is that Eric Clapton doesn't want to offend anyone and is in total pleasing mode. The only hint at danger is a darker sounding guitar somewhere in the middle, to be mixed away as fast as possible, as if producer Simon Climie discovered it too late. Of course, Clapton's solo playing is good to listen to. Even in a track like One Woman listening to him play is a pleasure. To end more positively. The longer the song plays out, the more I get into its mood, so maybe things are not as average as they seem at first listen.

Rode Maan. De Kift

Rode Maan begint met gesproken woord, zoals alleen Ferry Heine dat kan. Onder hem een (bas?)gitaar akkoord, maar algauw valt de band in met een gejaagd ritme. Het klinkt allemaal zeer bekend in de oren. Dit is De Kift in vorm. Wel valt het op dat de Zaankanters niet proberen te pleasen met Rode Naam. Dit draait om de tekst: "de man met een wilde droom op zijn tong". Het eindigt zelfs a capella. In de tussentijd drijft de band zanger Ferry Heine op. Hij klinkt net zo gejaagd als de muziek. Haal ik het einde van dit verhaal?, lijkt hij zich af te vragen. In de aankondiging staat dat De Kift muzikaal terug gegaan is naar de begin jaren. Gezien de elementaire manier waarop met name de sologitaar klinkt, kan ik daar in mee gaan. Dat is een typisch De Kift gitaar progressie. Ondanks dat er een aantal zeer verschillende instrumenten te horen zijn, is op een bepaalde manier Rode Maan een kaal nummer, dat heel veel energie uitstraalt. De rust van het einde is bijna paradoxaal. Rode Maan maakt heel benieuwd naar 'Niemandsland' het 13e album van De Kift dat in november uit gaat komen.

Baby I Love You. Beatersband

I got to know Baby I Love you in 1969, when Andy Kim (1946) scored his only hit in NL with the song. It is much older of course being recorded by The Ronettes in 1963. So I'm a bit surprised to hear a 2024 version from an Italian band called Beatersband. You can't really fail with a song like that and the self-styled punkrock'n'roll band doesn't. Beatersband plans to have a career to turn well-known songs into its own style. Baby I Love You gets a guitar, bass, drums treatment, but at heart is just a nice song. It remains this even when punkrock'n'rolled. Nothing more but certainly nothing less.

And then I remembered a little something. After the chorus of Baby I Love You, Andy Kim does something that makes the sugary song "more punk" than Beatersband's. Kim's "na-na-na-na-na" is really well done.

Wout de Natris - van der Borght