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I Can't Pretend To Know. The Murder Capital
With
I Can't Pretend To Know The Murder Capital delivers it's most forceful
song to date. In the latest single the Dublin based band does not hold
back for a single second. From the get go band and listener are in a
high energy place, with little space for subtlety or reflection. I Can't
Pretend To Know starts with a forceful drums pickup by Diarmuid
Brennan, after which he goes sort of ballistic. The guitars are shredded
to pieces and singer James McGovern delivers his lyrics with a punk
attitude. Only in the outro when the drums and bass drop away there is
some respite for the wicked. People like me immediately touch play
again, only if we forgot to push the repeat button that is.
A
new name this week on the blog. The NYC duo lays down a deep rock groove
bringing together 70s and 90s rock. Post grunge is certainly present in
Human, although singer Steph pronounces it more as humane, which is
slightly more subtle in her context. Pre-pandemic it seems Sister
Thieves was a band and released a first EP. After the pandemic singer
Steph regrouped with Aaron. Together they penned and recorded a new EP
called 'Crawl' that on publication of this post has been released.
Despite the overall huge rock sound, Sister Thieves is not afraid to play at a
very subtle level and somewhere in between as well. It gives Human two
different faces that both are extremely attractive. Yes, I'm enjoying
myself riding the musical waves Sister Thieves provides with this
single.
The
milkman is something from a very distant past by now. A man who had his
own store and drove by the home selling all sorts of milk products on
credit that was paid once a week? People go to the supermarket these
days (and expensive cheese and wine stores). Class' song called Milkman
is just as nostalgic. It sounds like a post punk song from 1980, with
one dose of anger, one dose of indignation and one dose of I just don't
care, all bundled into one. The start is fantastic. A few great chords and then the
tempo changes into a classic The Undertones rhythm. Milkman adds some
1960s psychedelia into the mix as well. The result is a single that
works out quite well. Nostalgia works in music too.
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With
'Time Is History' The Brother Stereo debuted on this blog and received a
straight A/10, had we given scores to music. With The Ballad of the
Washed Up (and Seemingly Forgotten) the band around Michael Kelly
returns. The single is a very neat and clean affair. There's nothing
dangerous about this song and yet it is so good. The danger is more in
the lyrics as it tackles depression "and the demons come ... I'm feeling
down", Kelly sings. The electric guitar underscores the first sentence in the way of
playing, while the whole song reflects a downcast mood. The playing is
in a great style. Lovers of the more serious music from the 1970s,
somewhere between rock and what they called Adult Orientated Rock,
should start to listen as The Brother Stereo shows great potential, once
again.
By
the time of this post's publication EP 'Wolfed' will have been
released. At the point of writing there's the single, Flower. As I
had never encountered the name Grumpy, as in not a dwarf, before, let
me me introduce the band. Grumpy is singer-songwriter Heaven Schmitt, who
also plays guitar, Kaden Vanoorsdel guitar, bass and vocals, Austin Arnold
drums and bass and Lane Rodges, keys, synth and bass. Flower is an
upbeat song that at the same time is a little downcast in the mood.
There's a great line on cooking vegetables in the kitchen in the
beginning of the song. I love how the song starts so small and the
surefire way the song is embellished by all sorts of subtle sounds,
before an almost ominous electric guitar joins. To underscore that
flowers die, as the singer realises? Grumpy has been releasing songs
since 2018. For me it's a new name. Based on Flower I certainly like to
learn more.
Leaving a baby alone in a crib under a tree in the back garden for hours on end, to have some rest. That is the starting point of Tawny Ellis' new single Sweet Georgia. This story from her past before having her own active memories resulted in an extremely strong song. Ellis turns her doubts and fears into a statement. Assisted by a host of musicians who work with the likes of Brandi Carlisle and Neil Young, Sweet Georgia is not only a strong song but also musically powerful and soothing. Her Sweet Georgia chorus is like a balm to a rough skin. Although the country feel is undeniable, the song is tough enough to move ever so subtle towards rock. It's four years since her album 'Love Life' featured on this blog. I'm hoping to hear more soon.
Delwood is a totally unknown name for me. With its dark and brooding single Lo And Behold it has come into my life. The singer sings with a darkish, towards whispering voice over music that is part music and part atmospheric sounds. The result is twofold. The soft voice sucks you into the song while the sounds makes me wonder when they return or what else might be coming next. In other words, I'm captured and curious. Delwood is a band from Liège in Belgium. On Bandcamp the band says it has two bass players, a synth player and a drummer. Quite the unusual line up. The sound of the synth leads here bring me all the way back to the second half of the 70s when Absolute Elsewhere released its 'In Search Of Ancient Gods' album. The latter happens mostly in the long instrumental ending of Lo And Behold. This is very much worthwhile listening to. On 15 November the album Dis-location will be released.
Over
a month ago Falsely Accused made its debut on this blog and already
returns with its latest single Witches. Expect a grunge song with deep
ties to the better hardrock of the 1970s. The guitars are extremely deep
in sound, while the single expects to see us in hell. Well, isn't that
where all our friends go anyway? The deep growl of a car accompanies the
listener on route in the intro. The New England trio with its even
deeper bass and drummer that fills all the spaces left open by the two
guitars. This is far beyond keeping time and an important part of
Witches' alure. The guitar solo is classic classic rock styled. Start
deep and end high and wining, with some eastern notes and a great wah wah part to boot.
The singer would fit well in most rock or grunge bands from long and longer
ago. We need new bands and heroes by now and Falsely Accused could be on
route to become just that.
A
real debut single signals a new name on the blog. The Wood is a duo
from Liverpool, singer Alex Evans and producer / multi-instrumentalist
Steve Powell. Someone from Liverpool may not want to hear this but the
rhythm is classic The Stone Roses of course or Beck's 'Loser' if you
prefer that. Making the rocking track danceable for starters. Over it
people having listened to modern music over the past 35 years will
recognise more that they like. The Wood brings in all sorts of elements
into Let It Loose. From soulful background vocals to funky guitar parts
and horns that make the song come doubly alive. Evans' delivery may be a
bit deadpan, until he flies his truer colours after the instrumental
part in the middle. A lot is happening in Let It Loose, which makes it a
tremendously promising single. There's even a trumpet near the end,
that is cut off as if the 12" single is about to start.
The WeeGee story starts with singer Julie Congo wanting to form a band. We're in 2017. She finds Adam Kastin (guitar) and drummer Michael Rekevics willing to join her. Over the next seven the years the trio wrote songs and recorded them. Fall 2024 is the great date. Spellbound is the band's first single and it is one it can be proud of. On the one hand it is a very tight affair. Drums and bass keep the whole firmly together. It is Kastin who goes off into the stratosphere and beyond. A little like Reeves Gabrels did on some of the Tin Machine tracks. At times he touches base but only in the intro riff for example. Over this sonic storm and tight rhythm Congo sings with her deep, slightly dead sounding voice. Together it gives Spellbound an eery vibe. Something to put underneath a horror movie from the 1930s, just before Dracula appears in black and white, with a lot of light in his face. Weegee makes Spellbound sound totally anachronistic, as this belongs to decades ago and yet it is so much fun today.
Wout de Natris - van den Borght
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