2025, week 12. 10 singles

If it's a first, I don't know, but writing the singles post still on Sunday itself is rather unusual. It was a busy week, including performing myself with a mostly new repertoire and songs I hadn't played for a year or more ago. In other words fun, but writing about music becomes a bit more difficult with the rest of life continuing. Yet, there's an interesting collection of new songs for you here, so enjoy!

Gordon In The Willows feat. Charlotte Cardin. Patrick Watson

Patrick Watson is a Canadian singer-songwriter who excels in songs that seem to aspire to float away on the softest of breezes. The beauty of the act of disappearing into thin air. In Gordon In The Willows he does not sing himself with his soft and almost ethereal voice. Charlotte Cardin is a new name for me but in Canada she has made a name for herself on the basis of her albums 'Phoenix' and '99 Nights'. Now she lends herself to a typical Patrick Watson composition. You hear a piano somehow pretending to be so much more because of the tremendously spacious way it was recorded. At first she follows Watson's way of singing but, weird vocal noises aside, she takes over the song on the basis of her own vocal prowess. It results in a song where 1+1 is obviously more than just two. This song is very well made, no doubts here at all. It is the second single of Patrick Watson on which he collaborates with another singer. Is an album in the make with this concept as a basis? We will find out I'm sure.

Shadow Raised A Star. Marathon

Another release by Amsterdam alternative rock/shoegaze/postpunk band Marathon donned in what can by now be called its typical artwork. It is extremely distinctive and works of art in its own right. An extra point scored here. As Marathon does with the music. Shadow Raised A Star is a song that slowly but surely works towards an eruption. Nina Lijzinga's bass shows the way. Nothing special but she carries the whole structure of the single. For the previous singles I noticed a Tramhaus connotation, not surprising as Marathon hired the same producer, Daan Duurland. Shadow Raised A Star is more Marathon. The song starts out as slacker rock, slow, no hurry and everything seems just groovy. Everyone knowing a little about music can tell that there's more to come soon, and it does. After bringing things back down once again, the song goes into overdrive in a way that deserves the last spot on an album. If it is, we will know in about a month when 'Fading Images' is released.

The Remedy. Romy Liz Rose

A real debut on the blog, as this is Romy Liz Rose's first single on the Excelsior Recordings label. Where Rotterdam meets Amsterdam. The Remedy is a song that is pleasant to listen to from the very first second. That makes the single totally not dangerous but also smooth sailing. In The Remedy Romy Liz Rose (Romy Laarhoven) lets a pop feel meet country and indie at the same time. All through the song a pedal steel guitar is quite present, while the lead guitar spells another genre. Over it all Romy Liz Rose sings her pop melody, somewhere between happy and sad. She starts her first single with singing "I think I'll start from the beginning", a great line for presenting yourself to your prospective audience. Not after a fairly long intro though, that is quite daring for a debut, as you let people wait a while before showing yourself as a singer. The intro does set the mood for the song in exactly the right way, as it also promises some dreampop, which is delivered upon as well. With The Remedy Romy Liz Rose made a very nice entrance into the Dutch world of music.

Voice In My Head. Steve Geraci 

In Voice In My Head Steve Geraci seems to be uncertain which way to go with Voice In My Head. On the one side I hear the strict, formalistic new wave of the late 70s, early 80s and on the other I hear an attempt to be far more pop. In fact even Duran Duran entered my head at some point, like in the pre-chorus. When all is said and done, the combination does work. Steve Geraci's voice makes me think of Dan Baird of 'I Love You, Period' fame over here. Geraci has that toughness in his voice, while being able to carry more poppy elements as well. The combination of it all simply works.

Boudoir feat. Semisi Ma'ia'i. Erny Belle

Erny Belle is an alternative singer-songwriter from New Zealand and, I'd almost write of course, on the Flying Nun label. Both her previous albums are on the blog, and most likely her next album will as well. The first taste we get is Boudoir. Last year she released a single as support of Semisi Ma'ia'i's band Marlin's Dreaming, 'Earnestly', and this time it's the other way around. Semisi Ma'ia'i wrote the music and Ms Belle started her work from there, sharing producing credits between them. The result is a song that is just as mysterious as the songs on her previous album, 'Not Your Cupid' (2023). Boudoir starts around an acoustic guitar chord progression, after which the song only modestly flashes out. A soft plopping bass guitar, electronic drumming and Erny Belle's voice hovering over the melody. Electric guitars come and go but always in great taste, in an indie, alternative way. Semisi Ma'ia'i offers his whispered support lyrics  to the whole, making Boudoir even more mysterious than it already is. Yes, I'm ready for more, Miss Belle.

Regicide. New Candys

People following this blog will have noticed that more and more artists from Italy enter this blog. Where Bongley Dead for a long time was the only one. Read all about my adventures with the band here: https://wonomagazine.blogspot.com/2017/08/meeting-with-bongley-dead.html. In this decade things changed and today another new name, to me,  makes its debut on the blog. New Candys is a psychedelic rock band from Venice on route to released its fifth album, 'The Uncanny Extravaganza’ on 30 May. Regicide, killing a king or queen, was quite fashionable in history, even quite recently it has happened. New Candys goes at it from an electronic and analogue point of view. A synth and keyboards play their role in Regicide but so do firm drums, bass and a host of guitars. Subtle and full on, it can all be found. Over it all singer Fernando Nuti sings with a voice that is treated electronically in such a way that he could be singing from the grave after the killing was done. New Candys has listened to bands like The Black Angels, but that is fine. Regicide is a strong and forceful single all by itself. More will be coming soon.

The Test. Billy Nomates

Billy Nomates is the project of Bristolite Tor Maries. It is not often that I'm listening to a new song and get the impression to be listening to a modern version of a mix between Stevie Nicks and Christine McVie. But then why not? Apparently 'Rumours' is one of the best sold LPs out in the world for years now and especially by youths. Some of them will start writing music in that style at some point. So, enter Fleetwood Mac for the third decade of the 21st century. Billy Nomates gets away with it quite well I have to say. She mixes the 70s West Coast rock sound with the electronics and more modern beats her hometown is famous for, yet stays away from triphop for more than a mile at least. It is this mix that makes The Test so good to listen to. For the rest I have 'Rumours' as an LP and cd with extras. Billy Nomates, I do hope Tor Maries herself has some friends, is on route for a new album, 'Metalhorse', to be released on 16 May.

Sweet Proximity. TELL

About a year ago my review of Tell's album 'Life In Reverse' exploded and then once again, leading it to be among the best clicked on reviews on this blog. Only a little over a year later there's a new single by the band and again it has this rock feel that makes it pretty irresistible. The alternative rockband from Boston does what it is good at on Sweet Proximity. Come up with a chorus that is as tough as it is singable, while the lead guitars swirl all around the melody throughout the song. The rhythm guitar is distorted but leaves a lot of space because of the accented, stop-start way of playing for the singer and the lead guitar to fill in the spots it leaves open. Underneath there is a bed laid out by drums and bass, that gives the song the bedrock it needs. The singer has a little of Bowie theatrical kind of voice, just like the lead solo could be on Bowie's songs from around 'Boys Keep Swinging'. Don't get me wrong, for the rest Sweet Proximity has little to do with the late English artist. Sweet Proximity is a tough single that captures alternative rock, some grunge and yes, classic rock from the 70s.

The Whole Endeavour. Push Puppets

Push Puppets make it to this blog for the second time this year already. Again with a song that brings together the whole of pop music from the past it seems. Most upfront is Crowded House. The Whole Endeavour is the kind of song Neil Finn excelled in over thirty years ago. Erich Specht, like Neil Finn, has a knack for melodies within the melody. All throughout the song you hear these little extras that make The Whole Endeavour a song that I just want to listen to. There's nothing in there I haven't heard before, yet this is addictive stuff. Where it's been a while since I last took out one of my Crowded House albums, playing this single comes easy to me. It sounds fresh and new, which of course it is, as I'm playing it for the first time, but certainly not the last time. There's simply too much to enjoy. Album 'Tethered Together' is slated for 16 May. Based on the two singles, it is something to look out for.

The Maker. Nasalrod

If you're into punk, alternative rock and noise, The Maker by Nasalrod might just be your thing. It's a bit too extreme for me, like just across the borderline. Let that not refrain you from watching the video though. It's pretty weird, special, fun and nothing is what it seems. Not something we do usually, but here's the link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8463dR62j6c. The Maker is a must watch. And, hey, you might even like the music.

Wout de Natris - van der Borght