2025, week 35. 10 singles

Yesterday, I witnessed rain, a downpour, lasting quite some time. For the life of me I could not remember when I saw such a downpour or even serious rain fall last. It will have been somewhere this year, but ...??? It happened while I was selecting songs for this week's singles post. Here is the resulting 10 singles, so enjoy!

Hey Now Sunshine. The Vibeke Saugestad Band

For me this singer and band are a new name. The title reminds me of 'Walking On Sunshine', the song itself brings to mind Blondie though. Debbie Harry turned 80 this year and recently announced the band's new album. Hey Now Sunshine delves back further in time then Blondie too. Expect some 1960s influences also. Especially when that horn comes in. Think the Kinks, 'Dead End Street'? Vibeke Saugestad is from Norway originally and had a whole career in music with her band Weld, before she met Ken Fox, got married and moved stateside. Now many years later she back in music with a new band, including husband Ken on bass. Hey Now Sunshine shows at least two things, the sprightly, bouncing step the band has in this song, making me feel good immediately and that its singer has a great voice, with just this little edge to it. This introduction is a tremendously pleasant one. I can't wait to hear more on the band's upcoming EP 'The Sun Sessions', out on 3 October.

Fuck It. Dick Move 

It seem inevitable that a singles post contains a contribution from New Zealand and so it is today. Punkers Dick Move throw in an energetic attempt at livening up the blog with Fuck It. You can take that as a successful one. Fuck It is a punk track like they should be. A promising intro, a loud continuation and then the use of dynamics in the verse, before mayhem strikes again in the chorus which has only two words, which you can guess. There's even a guitar solo thrown in for good measure. That's all you really need to know, fuck it!

Not So Sweet. Pearly*

Pearly* is an alt-rock band from Ōtepoti as Dunedin is also known and consists of Joel Field (guitar/vocals), Phaedra Love (bass/vocals), Ryan Hill (guitars) and Josh Nicholls (drums). The band started in 2023 and on Friday released its debut album, 'Not So Sweet'. The title track of the album is a gem of an indie track. Light sounding guitars, that meander around and hurtle over each other, backed by a soft yet firm rhythm section. The singers Field and Love meander just as nice around each other. Love takes the lead and Field supports her. What amazes me that there's nothing earthshattering happening at all and still Not So Sweet makes a great impression on me. And then that glorious explosion in the second half of the song. No, "honey" definitely is not so sweet all of the time. That message comes across quite easily with Pearly*.

Glum. Hayley Williams

Hayley Williams, so I learned, already has a career in music and a successful one for twenty years with her band Paramore and here I am without a clue. Recently I received a message announcing her (solo) album '17 Singles' and decided to give 1 single a try. Glum is an indie track sung with a voice definitely underscoring the title. With a voice that sounds tragically innocent and vulnerable all at once. In the chorus Williams can not really hold back and decides to turn the song into a modest musical party. The different ways she uses her voice makes the chorus a delight to listen to. If anything Glum is an invitation to listen to more. '17 Singles' is out since early this month.

Grandmother [ft. Laraaji]. Big Thief

I came rather late to Big Thief. So I was not there for the first four albums and stepped in with the album with the strange and long name. My plan still is to delve in the past but on the musical diet I'm on that is not an easy thing to do. A new album, 'Double Infinity' is announced for 5 September and to go by Grandmother, it will be a totally different affair. This song is so dreamy and ungrounded. It does not sound like anything I've heard by the band before (with the caveat I started this post with). Laraaji meanders throughout the song with a wordless contribution, giving the song an eastern vibe without being actually eastern. The combination works over the same pattern that is repeated over and over and puts the listener in a relaxed mood. Adrianne Lenker sings with a deeper voice making her sound mature and more mysterious, allowing us all to dream of turning things into rock and roll.

June Gloom. Laura-Mary Carter

And another of my more favourite bands of the past two decades is no more, Blood Red Shoes. The female part of the duo, Laura-Mary Carter is the one who told me by announcing her solo album with the single June Gloom. It is announced as something completely different; and it is. June Gloom is a slow, psychedelic ballad. A track that could have been on a The Beatles album from the mid sixties. This is meant as a complement, as Carter not only shows a totally different side of herself successfully, she also comes with a song that has an iced kind of beauty. It shines clearly from within the cool ice but for now is not within reach. Album 'Bye Bye Jackie' is released on 26 September. By that time we will learn more about Laura-Mary Carter's solo efforts. (N.B. Wikipedia has no announcement of the end of the band, so maybe things are not this bad.)

Cherry Pills. Small Miracles

People with a superb memory will remember that Small Miracles have found a spot on this blog before. These songs were more glamrock oriented. With Cherry Pills the Welsh band from Cardiff shows another side of itself. Cherry Pills is an alternative ballad in which Small Miracles totally stands its ground. The band is advertised as "queer alt-rockers". I will mention it once, but for me it is about the quality of a song. It is here where Small Miracles scores. The vocal and musical arrangements of Cherry Pills are simply so effective and enticing. Just listen to the backing vocals and the way an organ is incorporated into the whole. It makes for delicious listening. And, yes, debut album A Human Connection is finally announced: October 10th, 2025.

Dumb (Take Me Out). The Fool's Agenda 

Whole festival meadows start jumping up and down as soon as the iconic Franz Ferdinand riff starts playing, kickstarting life into the hitsingle. Next they shout out, answering the demand "I want you to": "take me out". The Fool's Agenda has the same demand "take me out". I doubt of the band's song will become this iconic a song but it is one that you may want to hear. If enough people will hear it, it can have the same impact on an audience, as the song has a great bounce in it. The Salem band plays a great mix of punk and grunge, where it's quite clear the band has listened to Nirvana and some 80s bands that preceded Seattle's finest. With singer Rhiannon Raine The Fool's Agenda has a great voice, with enough of a girl element to be pleasant and enough mature female toughness to sound convincing. It may well be that this band is not so dumb as it professes.

Never Again. STONE

It never seizes to amaze me, that there are still youngsters around the world who want to grab a guitar or bass and drums to start making noise as loud as they can. While all the charts are occupied by songs by a, with b and c, feat. d, e and f, where at least five people wrote on individual parts and sort of are all uninteresting to my ears. Luckily, bands like STONE from Liverpool step up and go for it. Never Again is a punk rock track that can make fans jump up and down, as the video, most likely filmed with friends and fans, shows. STONE's single is loud, huge in sound, wild but without forgetting that a song needs a few hooks to stick in the mind. That part is all over the song, making Never Again the kind of song to sing and dance to. "Rock and roll will never die", to quote a dinosaur.

Save Yourself. Steve Geraci

In the first spring weekend of this year Steve Geraci debuted on this blog with his single 'Voice In My Head'. Where this single had me doubting where Geraci wanted to go with his music, Save Yourself is very straightforward. Something like Alice Cooper in 'School's Out' or 'Billion Dollar Babies'. In my mind that sums this single up quite nicely. The song has a political message, taking the point of view of his own family coming to the U.S. in the hope of living the American Dream and puts that in the light of today when the fear of "the other" is growing and growing. He has put that idea into an almost blistering rock song, hoping for the best for the future. Many of us do, Mr. Geraci, so let me underscore your message with this review. Besides Save Yourself being a great rock song, of course. This song is on the blog on the last weekend before the start of the meteorological fall. So, how about a musical date on the first weekend of the winter?

Wout de Natris - van der Borght

Mustang Island. Little Mazarn

De Texaanse band Little Mazarn maakte drie jaar geleden al een geweldig album, maar het in juni verschenen Mustang Island is nog een stuk beter en verrast met een fascinerende combinatie van stijlen.

Bij vluchtige beluistering lijkt Little Mazarn misschien de zoveelste band die zich laat inspireren door de Appalachen folk uit vervlogen tijden, maar de band uit Austin, Texas, is zeker niet blijven steken in het verleden. Invloeden uit oude folk worden immers op subtiele en soms net wat minder subtiele wijze gecombineerd met invloeden uit het heden. In muzikaal opzicht is Mustang Island een spannend album, wat een wonderschoon album wordt door de prachtige stem van Lindsey Verrill. Het is misschien even wennen aan het bijzondere geluid van Little Mazarn, maar als de Texaanse band je eenmaal te pakken heeft wordt hun nieuwe album alleen maar indrukwekkender.

De naam Little Mazarn kwam me bij het bestuderen van de lijsten met de nieuwe albums wel enigszins bekend voor, maar ook niet meer dan dat. Het archief van de krenten uit de pop bood gelukkig uitkomst, want in de herfst van 2022 besprak ik Texas River Song, het tweede album van wat toen nog een duo uit Texas was. 

Ik was er destijds behoorlijk positief over en dat begreep ik direct toen ik het album vorige week weer beluisterde, want Texas River Song van Little Mazarn is een bijzonder album. Het is een album dat begint bij de Appalachen folk uit het begin van de vorige eeuw en hier ook een tijdje blijft steken, maar Lindsey Verrill en Jeff Johnston slepen de folk van weleer op Texas River Song ook op subtiele wijze het heden in door allerlei subtiele accenten toe te voegen aan hun songs. 

Toen ik Texas River Song beluisterde was ik nog veel meer onder de indruk van het album van drie jaar geleden en was ik erg benieuwd naar het nieuwe album van de band uit Austin, Texas. Ik ben inmiddels aardig in de ban van Mustang Island, want op haar derde album heeft Little Mazarn het geluid van haar vorige album geperfectioneerd. 

Ook op Mustang Island beginnen Lindsey Verrill en Jeff Johnston, die volgens hun bandcamp pagina inmiddels Carolina Chauffe hebben toegevoegd als vast bandlid, bij de folk die lang geleden werd gemaakt in de Appalachen, toch redelijk ver verwijderd van Texas. Maar waar de band op het vorige album nog een tijd bleef hangen in de Appalachen folk van weleer, schuift het drietal nu vrij snel op richting het heden. 

Het levert fascinerende muziek op die zowel traditioneel als modern klinkt. Dat hoor je het best in de titeltrack die alle kanten op schiet en je van een spaghetti western meeneemt naar iets dat in de jaren 80 in het hokje new wave had gepast. In muzikaal opzicht klinkt Mustang Island een stuk voller dan Texas River Song. 

Op het vorige album waren de accenten die de songs van de band buiten de kaders van de folk sleepten nog behoorlijk subtiel, maar op Mustang Island zijn de synths en andere toegevoegde instrumenten soms een stuk zwaarder aangezet, al kan Little Mazarn ook uit de voeten met rustgevende en ambient achtige klanken. Het zijn klanken die een eigen karakter krijgen door de zingende zaag van Jeff Johnston, die de muziek op het album iets magisch geeft. 

Nog veel meer magie komt er van de prachtige stem van Lindsey Verrill, die nog een stuk mooier zingt dan op het vorige album en hier en daar fraai wordt ondersteund (ik vermoed door Caroline Chauffe, maar de credits die ik kan vinden zijn helaas wat onduidelijk). Het tilt het nieuwe album van Little Mazarn nog een flink stuk verder op wat mij betreft.

Mustang Island is een album dat heerlijk rustig voortkabbelt met mooie folky songs en prachtige zang, maar luister net wat beter en je hoort muziek vol bijzondere details. Heel af en toe doet het me wat aan The Handsome Family denken, maar meer dan een vluchtige associatie is het niet. 

Texas River Song kreeg drie jaar geleden niet heel veel aandacht en dat is vooralsnog niet anders voor het nieuwe album, maar ik zou iedereen met een hart voor bijzondere Amerikaanse rootsmuziek adviseren om hier eens naar te luisteren. Little Mazarn slaagt er op Mustang Island in om een bijzonder eigen geluid te creëren en het is een in alle opzichten prachtig geluid.

Erwin Zijleman

 

Je kunt Mustang Island hier luisteren en bestellen:

https://littlemazarn.bandcamp.com/album/mustang-island 

Field Relief. a fungus

Amsterdam alternative rock band a fungus debuted on the blog in 2022 with (a single of) debut album 'It Already Does That'. I started my review with: "Not everyone can play Champions League", to follow up this statement by musing how nice it is to play in other finals. In hindsight the comparison is not very fair. Where players of the mentioned clubs wear Rolexes and drive Ferrari's, for musicians it means having to take a full-time job, while creating and playing music on the side that includes the rest of life. It's not for nothing that so many young and very talented bands call it quits.

Lucky for us a fungus, Max ten Oever, guitar, vocals, Otto de Jong, guitar, vocals, Boudewijn Scholten, bass, vocals and Timo van Sark, drums, synths and artwork, is still here and has released a new album today, Field Relief. (The piano in several tracks is played by Lyckle de Jong.) Where alternative rock and postpunk are still the starting point, some things have changed. The sound of Field Relief has a more lofi quality and several songs are smaller than on the debut. As if a fungus realised that it will never be as good as the competition and focused on two things instead: that what it's best at and sounding more authentic. In my opinion it has succeeded in both ways.

Field Relief opens with a track called 'intro'. It's instrumental and can be called something close to modern classic as interpreted by a postpunk band. I could settle for sped up minimal music as well, where the speed allows for the changes in several seconds instead of twenty minutes or so. 'Intro' will prick up your ears immediately, as it simply is not what one expects from a postpunk / alternative rock band.

With the single '3x3' the albums blossoms as it changes from atmosphere. Again an electronic rhythm is a part of the song, also giving the album an additional, electronic vibe. It makes me think of several bands coming out of Belgium in the past decades. Melodies that are never your straightforward ones and sounds not aimed at beauty but certainly aim for an overall effect that is strongly effective. With that approach a fungus leaves the Dutch postpunk scene behind, at least in a part of Field Relief. What remained are the sometimes disruptive rhythms, that can sound quite unsettling and as a stimulation to listen more attentively.

Promo photo

So, do not despair, as a fungus choses its moments and battles. When it postrocks, it postrocks with a bigger effect. Take 'All The Names'. From a more uptempo but still fairly soft environment and electric guitar does go for it, pricking my ears no little. The sound is dirty, yet modest. 'All The Names' can still be called a fairly small song, until the outro that is. At certain points on the album a fungus manages to create the bigger effect on the listener by not holding back anymore.

Take the way the final song, 'Group Remembering', is built up. Again it starts small but slowly but surely it takes on epic proportions. Louder and louder it gets and finally the whole band throws off whatever it was holding it back by on Field Relief. Whoops and howls adorn the music. Just don't expect any lyrics. At the same time the song remains elementary and almost primitive. a fungus does not do subtlety nor beauty, nor cleaning things up in the mix. In that most of Field Relief sounds more like a (lo-fi) demo than a recording and that will have been a conscious choice. (Lo-fi) indie and alternative are the right words here. With a song like 'Feeder' a fungus rocks no little with lyrics.

If you like music somewhere between these parameters than you definitely have to check out this album. a fungus shows a few sides of itself and dares to bare itself musically. The result is an album filled with honest songs, that present the band exactly how it wants be heard.

Wout de Natris - van der Borght

 

You can order Field Relief here:

https://subroutine.nl/product/pre-order-a-fungus-field-relief-sr129-lp/

Adult Romantix. Winter

Winter debuted on this blog just before the summer with the single 'Just Like A Flower'. It impressed me mainly because of the unusual set up of the song. The summer in the meantime has progressed quite far, so album Adult Romantix is on us.

As I wrote in June Samira Winter, who is Winter, has lived in very different places around the world and is now active from New York City. The alternative rock mentioned in the 'Just Like A Flower' review is certainly present on the album, to which indie and indie ballads/pop can be added. It makes for varied and pleasant listening. As such she falls in quite well with other indie bands coming from NYC/Brooklyn in the past few years.

A review of Adult Romantix in my opinion has to start with Ms. Winter's voice. She sounds like she is dreaming out loud on the bed of her adolescent room about the life she hopes to live later. She sounds as innocent like that. From there real life kicks in. The musical surroundings show that things are not as rosy as she expected in her dreams. The music is solid and at times with an edge that girls do not foresee in a Barbie and Ken paradise.

Photo: Sophie Hur

What struck me next is how playful the album sounds at times. Winter is really playing with and within the idiom leading e.g. to a song like 'In My Basement Room'. The song simply bounces, the rhythm is pure joy and the band sounds like it could play it forever. Perhaps they did, but the sound engineer just cut the recording and forced an ending on them. Samira Winter may still be singing in a dreamy way, it seems to be the way her voice sounds, there's nothing dreamy about this song, nor in that single and album opener 'Just Like A Flower'. There is a slow start called 'Just Like A Flower Intro' and then the band goes off, just like a band like DIIV does. Winter is in a league with DIIV for sure. So expect some shoegazing light to pop up in her songs.

Okay, I'll admit that by the end of Adult Romantrix I've heard enough before the album has played itself out. There are a few slower and softer song that I do not count among the best on the album. That said, there's so much to enjoy before that moments kicks in. Like the duet with Horse Jumper Of Love, 'Misery' and the tough sounding 'Hide A Lullaby'. Taking it all in, Adult Romantrix certainly lands on my good side and is still growing. 

Wout de Natris - van der Borght

 

You can listen to and order Adult Romantrix here:

https://daydreamingwinter.bandcamp.com/album/adult-romantix 

Pacific Ocean Blue. Dennis Wilson

In the Brian Wilson documentary 'Long Promised Road' I recently watched on TV, there is one interesting item I would like to highlight here. It's on his younger brother Dennis's only solo album, 'Pacific Ocean Blue'. Brian tells the interviewer while they are driving through L.A. that he had never heard the album. He had heard songs and was in the studio while Dennis was working on it, but never listened to the album as a whole. When they are back at Wilson's home he asks the interviewer to put the album on and they listen to it together. It made me want to listen to the album once again, and here's the result.

Dennis Wilson died in 1983 when he drowned in the L.A. marina, most likely very drunk or worse. By that time his rock and roll lifestyle had caught up with him big time, destroying his voice, a process that can already be heard on this album, private life and his health.

What becomes clear in the documentary, but can be read in any The Beach Boys biography, is the negative influence of the father, Murry, on Brian's mental health, but most likely also on Dennis. He was always sort of seen as the best looking Beach Boy, attracting all the attention of the girls, the happy-go-lucky one. 'Long Promised Road' is about Brian but hints at the dark side of Dennis as well.

Now that album. I had never heard of it, as far as I know as memories are fallible. What I do remember is reading about the re-issue in 2008 in 'Oor'. It was hailed as something like a lost classic album. I went to The Pirate Bay, a legal act in my country at that time and downloaded the extended album containing 33 songs. I think I listened twice and that was about it. I did not hear any brilliance, just somewhat mediocre songs, a bit tougher in a few instances than the band itself produced in the 70s and where I had stopped paying attention to at the time.

Because of the documentary I decided to not only give some The Beach Boys albums a new chance, with surprising results, but also Dennis Wilson's album. And with a surprising result as well. I will not claim that Pacific Ocean Blue is a long lost classic album, but certainly that it is a good album.

Let's start with Dennis Wilson's voice. Yes, it has a rough edge, but that suits most of the songs on the album quite well. The fact that he could work with people from the extended The Beach Boys family, including some from the closer circle as well, means he was working on familiar turf. Recording took place over a number of years, most likely in between the touring and band work but all in the Beach Boys' own Brothers studio in Santa Monica. That Dennis Wilson was more than a background vocalist and live drummer for The Beach Boys is shown by the credits he gets on the album. "Lead and backing vocals, piano, Hammond organ, ARP synthesizer, Moog bass, Minimoog, Clavinet, Fender Rhodes, drums, percussion, bass harmonica, tuba on "Dreamer", violin on "Time", lap steel guitar on "Farewell My Friend", viola and cello on "Tug of Love", arrangements". The sheer musicality and how serious he must have taken his music over the year shows from all these efforts. Rock and roll life style or not.

Wilson wrote two songs with his brother Carl and one with Mike Love. Most songs were written with his friend Gregg Jakobson, now 86 years old and two with his then wife Karen Lamm-Wilson (née Park). All this results in very different songs. From rock and roll based rockers, to very dreamy songs in the vein of The Beach Boys' 70s album. The overall mood is a mellow one and in line with the better music made in the second half of the 70s, like Steely Dan, CSN, The Beach Boys themselves. Not that the music becomes this intricately complicated, but certainly has that vibe.

The album starts with the uplifting piano part of 'River Song'. The vocal harmonies are of Beach Boys quality, like the arrangement is. If there is a critique possible, it is that the verse made me think of Manfred Mann's Earth Band, until I realised it is Manfred Mann / Bob Dylan's 'Mighty Quinn' that shines through the verse of 'River Song'. The song takes more that enough turns to become original, including a whole choir. From there we go into some honky tonk rock and roll with 'What's Wrong', with horns and all, followed by a slow ballad called 'Moonshine'. Another richly arranged song. Three songs, all very different and showing Dennis Wilson's talent. This continues all throughout the album. 'Thoughts Of You' is a song that really stands out, from small to big and back.

Being second fiddle behind someone like Brian Wilson and outshone by the angelic vocal quality of your little brother may have been frustrating for Dennis, who had the looks and the body of a surfer dude. His profession was being a musician, but finding your writing space in this specific band, that also held others who (co-)wrote songs may have been too hard for him. With Pacific Ocean Blue Dennis Wilson has proven to the world that he was a talented writer and musician in his own right. Had he conquered his demons, who knows what would have happened. That was not to be and that in itself is very sad.

On the re-issue in 2008 outtakes and another recording session were added bringing his solo oeuvre to 33 songs. If you haven't heard the album and like 1970s pop/rock music in general, you should listen to Pacific Ocean Blue. I picked up on it, better late than never.

Wout de Natris - van der Borght 

 

Personal History. Mary Chapin Carpenter

Mary Chapin Carpenter is misschien net wat minder bekend dan de allergrootsten in het genre, maar in kwalitatief opzicht doet ze er zeker niet voor onder, wat ook weer is te horen op het zeer fraaie Personal History.

Het is knap hoe Mary Chapin Carpenter de afgelopen vijftien jaar aan de lopende band uitstekende albums maakt. Het zijn albums die niet onder doen voor het beste dat in het genre wordt gemaakt en dat is knap voor een muzikante die al ruim veertig jaar muziek maakt. Het deze week verschenen Personal History heeft net wat langer op zich laten wachten, maar het is wederom een album van een bijzonder hoog niveau. Mary Chapin Carpenter beschikt over een hele mooie stem vol emotie, ze schrijft aansprekende songs, heeft een stel prima muzikanten om zich heen verzameld en wist ook dit keer een topproducer te strikken. Het levert een volgend prachtalbum op.

De Amerikaanse singer-songwriter Mary Chapin Carpenter dook aan het begin van de jaren 80 op in de folk scene van Washington D.C. en bracht in 1987 haar debuutalbum Hometown Girl uit. Het succes kwam in de jaren 90, maar ik ontdekte de muziek van Mary Chapin Carpenter pas in 2001, toen haar album Time* Sex* Love* verscheen. Mijn liefde voor haar muziek groeide overigens vooral de afgelopen vijftien jaar, waarin een aantal geweldige albums zijn verschenen. 

Ashes And Roses uit 2012, Songs From The Movie uit 2014, The Things That We Are Made Of uit 2016, Sometimes Just The Sky uit 2018 en The Dirt And The Stars uit 2020 zijn stuk voor stuk hoogstaande singer-songwriter albums, waarop Mary Chapin Carpenter indruk maakt als zangeres en als songwriter en waarop haar stem steeds mooier en doorleefder klinkt. Het zijn ook albums die profiteerden van het werk van topproducers als Dave Cobb en Ethan Johns. 

Tussen 2012 en 2020 kon je de klok zo ongeveer gelijk zetten op een nieuw album van Mary Chapin Carpenter, maar de afgelopen vijf jaar was het behoorlijk stil rond de muzikante uit Princeton, New Jersey. Aan het begin van het jaar verscheen wel het album Looking For The Thread, een samenwerkingsverband tussen Mary Chapin Carpenter, Julie Fowlis en Karine Polwart. Het is een album dat ik uiteindelijk liet liggen, maar dat meer had verdiend. 

Ik kan het deze week goed maken, want met Personal History brengt Mary Chapin Carpenter dan eindelijk weer eens een nieuw soloalbum uit. De Amerikaanse muzikante staat de afgelopen vijftien jaar garant voor geweldige albums en ook Personal History is er weer een. Een aantal van de vorige albums werden opgenomen in de Real World Studios van Peter Gabriel in het Britse Bath en dat is ook de plek waar Personal History werd opgenomen. 

Het is een album dat grotendeels in het verlengde ligt van de vorige albums van Mary Chapin Carpenter. De Amerikaanse muzikante deed ook dit keer een beroep op een producer van naam en faam, want zo mogen we Josh Kaufman (Cassandra Jenkins, The Hold Steady, Anaïs Mitchell, Bonny Light Horseman) inmiddels wel noemen. 

Josh Kaufman heeft Personal History voorzien van een mooi geluid, maar heeft de karakteristieke sound van Mary Chapin Carpenter intact gelaten. De instrumentatie is ook dit keer zeer smaakvol, maar staat volledig in dienst van de stem van Mary Chapin Carpenter. Het is een stem die prachtig rijpt en die de afgelopen vijftien jaar alleen maar mooier is geworden. 

De Amerikaanse muzikante schrijft bovendien aansprekende en tijdloze songs. Ook Personal History is hierdoor weer een singer-songwriter album dat past in de inmiddels rijke traditie van het genre. Zowel de songs, de muziek als de zang op het nieuwe album van Mary Chapin Carpenter ademen kwaliteit, maar de Amerikaanse muzikante weet me ook dit keer te raken met haar persoonlijke songs en haar bijzondere stem. 

Het is wederom de zang die de meeste aandacht trekt, maar luister ook zeker goed naar de muziek op het album en bijvoorbeeld naar het subtiele maar hoogstaande gitaarspel op het album. En vervolgens is er veel meer moois te ontdekken. Mary Chapin Carpenter maakt inmiddels ruim veertig jaar albums, maar ze lijkt alleen maar beter te worden.

Erwin Zijleman

Big Mood. Judy Blank

My recollection tells me that Judy Blank has several singles on this blog, including a Shane Alexander song 'Something Good', that she co-wrote with Californian singer-songwriter. To my surprise her album 'Morning Sun' from 2018 is on here as well.

Reading the review, I could sort of copy it, as I'm writing for the same reason. Big Mood is a very sympathetic album. It contains the ambition to write perfect pop songs and gets a long way there. Don't expect any danger, as Judy Blank is not out to shock. Instead she pleases and makes for relaxed listening.

Although the U.S. has always fascinated her (as an artist). She travelled and recorded there before, she now works from and lives in the U.S. and, yes, that led to an album where a lot of American influences can be heard, incorporated into her Dutch and European heritage.

The result is a mix of pop songs and ballads, even a stab at being entered into the Great American Songbook at some future point in time. You will find that Ms. Blank managed to make all the songs shine, no matter in what genre they are played. Expect surprising snippets of sounds to enter a song but also small pieces of melodies or vocal lines that seem direct quotes from existing music, incorporated into a song for 2 or three seconds. To my surprise I even found Wet Leg hidden in one of the songs.

Photo: Jantine Talsma

People following this blog regularly will understand that an album like Big Mood is on the fringe of this writer's musical interest. The fact that this is a week with relative rest in the release schedule, created a spot for Big Mood. That said, there is more than enough to enjoy on the album, that deserves to be heard. Let's start with the opening song 'Killing Time'. The line "we're not killing time, time is killing us", is quite a truth to hear in a pop song. Just like the opening line of 'No Thank You'. "I'm not gonna die tonight, if that's alright. I'll just stay alive. That would be better". I tend to agree, Judy. It sounds like a great intention. It shows that Judy Blank is looking well beyond "I love you" or "I hate you".

My favourite song by Judy Blank remains 'Mary Jane' from her 2018 album 'Morning Sun'. With Big Mood she has added several very nice songs to her oeuvre. On my fringe or not, I will keep following her career.

Wout de Natris - van der Borght

 

You can listen to and order Big Mood here:

https://judyblankmusic.bandcamp.com/album/big-mood 

2025, week 34. 10 singles

Slowly the season is starting to change. Days obviously get shorter and the nights longer. And the man who in 1973 set summer's end into words best with his number 1 hit 't Is Weer Voorbij Die Mooie Zomer', Gerard Cox, let the world know he does not have long to live any more. At 85, okay. The number of releases is climbing as well with summer's end nearing. So here is an overview of singles released in the past weeks. Enjoy!

Long Line. Soft Bait

More New Zealand today. Soft Bait is a newby on this blog, so let's do a short introduction. The four piece is from Tamaki Makaurau, as Auckland is know in the Maori language. The band consists of Joshua Hunter (vocals, guitar), Patrick Hickley (guitar), Keria Paterson (bass), and Cameron Mackintosh (drums) and has released its second album, 'Life Advice' late last month when I was enjoying a nice holiday. Soft Bait certainly can be put into the postpunk side of music. In fact I would advise the fans of Soft Bait to listen to Rotterdam band Tramhaus and vice versa. I'm sure you will both find something you like. "I come from a long line of bad backs", what an opening like for a song. Energy is shared all over the song, in the right kind of doses, as you will find. The rhythm section never relents. The guitars do hold back and make the more of an impression when they do go for it. The end is almost apocalyptic. Soft Bait, check the album out. 

Humankind. Mannifesto

I'm going to be very straightforward here, as I seriously asked myself the question how it is possible that I responded so positively to a song that is one big musical cliché? Before I go into the answer, let me introduce Mannifesto, as Humankind is the first release of the band. It consists of singer/saxophonist Patsy Gamble, guitarist Manny Manninen, bassist Martin Engelien and drummer Manni Von Bohr, with Pete Feenstra as lyricist. All have a truckload of experience in (classic) rock music for decades and can be called veterans. They formed a band fairly recently and here is the first result. Now to answer the question. Despite the music sounding very familiar, the band lays down a great groove, Gamble a solid vocal and guitarist Manninen plays his riffs like there is no tomorrow and a great solo to finish things off. The result is a powerful song that deserves being heard, clichés or not. This band knows full well what it is doing and what it wants to achieve.

Burn. Eric Barlow

From raving at a wall to burning things down is but a small step for Eric Barlow. With the former single he debuted on this blog and that introduction today is continued with a single that quite nicely sits somewhere between pop and rock like they used to make, as they say. Burn has it all, from a nice guitar intro, to a well strummed verse and a chorus that pricks up my ears. Again, I hear sounds from the 60s permeate into Barlow's song, with the sting of 1990s indie rock. It is as if I'm hearing a song that I ought to remember but just doesn't come from the depths of my brain. We all recognise a moment like that. A vocal melody that just does not finish itself or the next vocal line that doesn't follow where it should. A snippet of a melody that goes around and around but never connects to what will tell the name of the song and artist. Eric Barlow created a song that reminds me of such moments while providing an excellent start and an oh so pleasant follow up. Bring on more, please.

Free Space. Jake Nicholl

Near the end of my review of 'Lonely Mission', Jake Nicholl's 2024 album, I wrote: "In the bio it says, Jake Nicholl approaches each album differently". Well, listening to Free Space, the single to his new album 'Saturn Return', released on 1 August, it looks like he really delivered on his promise. Where I placed 'Lonely Mission' in the period of time where Tim Hardin and Leonard Cohen broke through, Free Space is an electronic affair and should be placed in a line with lo-fi electronic bedroom pioneers like Pickle Darling, Carol Cleveland Sings and Moon Moon Moon. Free Space is an electronic, slow song, with digital rhythms that sound like they were created on synthesizers from the 1970s, while Nicholl sings with a slightly or somewhat more treated voice. At the same time it is a song and one that it is nice to listen to. The album was released during my holiday, but I will try to give it a chance in the coming few weeks. Free Space is the kind of song that invites further listening.

3x3. a fungus

Over three years ago a fungus' debut album 'It Already Does That' made it to this blog with a favourable post. The band is still active in the postpunk/alternative rock niche of music. At the same time things have changed. Gone are the huge guitars, enter electronic rhythms supporting the drums and a sound that is postpunk yet far from noisy. As if a fungus has understood that the competition with bands like Tramhaus, Marathon or Personal Trainer cannot be won and looked at what the band is good at itself. The result is a single that shows another side of the band, while remaining interesting. 3x3 is a bare affair. The band keeps things small, while presenting riffs that are not your everyday's over a rhythm which is just as exceptional and all without blowing my ears inside. Yes, a fungus made curious to learn more. Whether its new album is smaller in sound as well we'll know on 29 August, when 'Field Relief' is released.

I'm Not Sad. The Cords

Wow. That was the word that came to mind when listening to I'm Not Sad for the first time. It is a dreamy, yet uptempo song that captured me within a few seconds. Sure, it sounds very familiar, as it is in a format that has been released now for over thirty years. A good addition is a welcome addition and that is what The Cords present. Imagine, the song was over before I had time to collect my first thoughts! At one minute and forty seconds it's all over. I'm Not Sad is the second single taken from the band's upcoming debut album 'The Cords'. The duo of sisters Eva and Grace Tedeschi from Glasgow, who obviously have a love for music from a long time ago. I'm thinking Teenage Fanclub and the dreamy side of The Stone Roses. When I'm Not Sad not only reminds me of bands like that, but clearly competes with them, something nice may be brewing. By 26 September we will know more.

The Golden Arc. Garlands

With Garlands we remain in Glasgow. Except that Garlands is on this blog for quite a few years now. Once again Gordon Harrow (vocals and guitar), Darren Mackay (bass) and Stef Blair (drums) have produced a nice sounding single that has one foot firmly in the past and one in the present. The Golden Arc has a The Beatles vibe, a 90s indie sound and the firmness to be from the 2020s. The song starts off fairly quiet and relaxed. The guitar part may continue into the song, when played alone it comes across as slow and soothing. The song has a 'Rain' connotation here, without the psychedelic effects The Beatles introduced in the 1966 song. When the band kicks in, the same guitar part gets a totally different context and becomes a driving force. The guitar overdubs do the rest and there's more you may want to discover. There are quite some nice details in The Golden Arc. There are so many recent Garlands singles now. When can we expect them as an album?

Stay Close By. Tamar Berk

"Hi, it's Tamar" it reads in an email and then I know new music will be arriving soon. For four years Tamar Berk is a regular on this blog and her fifth album in as many years will most likely get the same treatment. Stay Close By is out for some weeks now. I'm still catching up with new music by friends of the blog. Stay Close By is a mid tempo song. If something like an alternative rock ballad exists, I'd say the song qualifies. Tamar Berk sings with a dreamy, soft voice, that hovers over the song and sails through the cracks in the mix of the instruments, making her voice extremely present, despite singing softly. It adds tremendous quality to the song which already is so good. From a modest start, one electric guitar with a slightly dirty sound, the song is built bigger and bigger. Huge drums enter and several guitars with big and extremely small parts. All together they make for a single that delivers a big promise for the upcoming album, 'OCD' is released on 5 September.

All I Get. WILDES

And more dreamy music today. WILDES is Ella Walker, who is about to release her second album, 'All We Do Is Feel' on 12th September. At the start of the song, I had the impression to be listening to a Wolf Alice clone, but WILDES plots a totally different course. All I Get seems to be bursting at the seems for wanting to present big, fat rhythms. Electronic pulses are all over the place but always restrained and on a leash. Like a dog at the entrance of a campsite wanting to jump in front of my car before being restrained. The Wolf Alice idea comes from the way Walker harmonises with herself during the song. The approach makes sure that the tension is always building up and makes you want to listen as you want to know how it ends. I gave some away but not all, so you will have to find out for yourself. I'm not sure whether I can cope with a whole album filled with music like this, but I will listen first as All I Get is a good song and interesting to listen to at that.

Give Me Back My World. Ash

Ash? I think I have the band's debut album. '1977'? There's also a ten year old review of an album called 'Kablammo!' that I have absolutely no recollection of listening to unfortunately. The band still exists in 2025, so is around for circa 30 years I'd say. For a band with members in their 50s Give Me Back My World has a fresh, even young sounding atmosphere. This is a fun, poppy song. It's all nostalgia for things that have come and gone musically long ago. But as most music today brings back the best of the past, Ash's new single fits right in. The band found some nice adornments that make Give Me Back My World fun to listen to. In fact they are all over the song. This fits in with Nada Surf's best and that is meant as a big compliment. By far I've missed most of Ash's output but this is a song that makes me want to hear more. That more is called 'Ad Astra' and will be released on 3 October.

Wout de Natris - van der Borght 

Iris Silver Mist. Jenny Hval

De Noorse muzikante Jenny Hval betovert op haar nieuwe album Iris Silver Mist met wonderschone klanken vol avontuur, die je meenemen op een bedwelmende en buitengewoon fascinerende luistertrip.

Ik kwam de muziek van de Noorse muzikante Jenny Hval ruim tien jaar geleden voor het eerst tegen en kon er toen nog niet goed mee uit de voeten. Sindsdien is haar muziek stapje voor stapje wat toegankelijker geworden en ben ik steeds meer onder de indruk geraakt van haar muziek. Het zorgt er voor dat ik ieder nieuw album van Jenny Hval weer net wat mooier vind dan het vorige album en dat gaat ook weer op voor haar nieuwe album Iris Silver Mist. Het is een conceptalbum dat continu de fantasie prikkelt, maar dat ook een unieke sfeer creëert. Het is een stuk minder experimenteel dan de muziek die de Noorse muzikante tien jaar geleden maakte, maar het klinkt nog altijd heel bijzonder. 

Ik heb een aantal jaren geworsteld met de muziek van de Noorse muzikante Jenny Hval. Haar eerste albums intrigeerden me absoluut en waren bij vlagen ook zeker mooi, maar het waren ook albums waar ik veel te vaak geen chocola van kon maken, waardoor ik ze uiteindelijk toch liet liggen. 

Het veranderde in 2016, toen Jenny Hval haar album Blood Bitch uitbracht. Het is een album dat ik pas ontdekte nadat het in meerdere jaarlijstjes was opgedoken, maar vervolgens liet ik me snel overtuigen door de bijzondere mix van elektronische muziek, klassieke muziek en avant-garde en de al even bijzondere zang van Jenny Hval. 

Sinds Blood Bitch zijn de albums van de Noorse muzikante steeds iets toegankelijker geworden, waardoor ik The Practice Of Love uit 2020 en Classic Objects uit 2022 nog wat makkelijker omarmde dan Blood Bitch uit 2016. Toegankelijk is in het geval van Jenny Hval overigens een zeer relatief begrip, want voor dertien in een dozijn popsongs ben je bij haar nog altijd niet aan het juiste adres. 

Het deze week verschenen Iris Silver Mist is een stuk minder experimenteel dan de vroege albums van Jenny Hval en is weer net wat toegankelijker dan Classic Objects, maar iedereen die op zoek is naar hitgevoelige popsongs die na één keer horen voorgoed in je hoofd zitten, kunnen waarschijnlijk niet overweg met het nieuwe album van Jenny Hval. 

De basis van de meeste songs op het nieuwe album van Jenny Hval kreeg vorm tijdens de coronapandemie. De muzikante uit Oslo raakte geïntrigeerd door de wijze waarop geuren verbonden kunnen zijn met herinneringen. Het levert met Iris Silver Mist een conceptalbum op over geuren en herinneringen en ik vind het een bijzonder mooi album. 

De geuren moet je er uiteraard zelf bij verzinnen, maar het nieuwe album van Jenny Hval prikkelt wel een aantal andere zintuigen. In de openingstrack hoor je fraaie atmosferische klanken, bijzondere ritmes, uiteenlopende natuurgeluiden en de opvallend mooie zang van de Noorse muzikante, die haar stem ook gebruikt als instrument. 

In de openingstrack is er ook weer direct de combinatie van ingrediënten die makkelijk het oor strelen en ingrediënten die de fantasie prikkelen. Het zijn ingrediënten die terugkeren in meerdere songs op het album, hier en daar gecombineerd met bijzondere elektronica, die varieert van nostalgisch tot futuristisch. 

Ik zal de muziek van Jenny Hval op Iris Silver Mist niet snel experimenteel noemen of in het hokje avant-garde stoppen, maar alledaags is het album geen moment. Jenny Hval klinkt echt totaal anders dan op haar vroege albums, maar haar muziek is, ondanks het wat toegankelijkere karakter, nog steeds avontuurlijk en verrassend. 

Ik moest nog wel even wennen aan haar vorige albums, maar Iris Silver Mist vond ik eigenlijk direct mooi. Het is een album met een duidelijk Scandinavische sfeer, maar het op het legendarische 4AD label verschenen album herinnert ook aan een aantal in het verleden op dit label verschenen albums, zeker wanneer wat ambient achtige klanken domineren. 

Iris Silver Mist is soms bedwelmend of sprookjesachtig mooi, maar soms ook vervreemdend en ongrijpbaar. Ik heb lang moeten wennen aan de muziek van Jenny Hval, maar hetgeen dat ze laat horen op haar nieuwe album is bijzonder indrukwekkend en echt wonderschoon.

Erwin Zijleman

 

Je kunt Iris Silver Mist hier luisteren en bestellen:

https://jennyhval.bandcamp.com/album/iris-silver-mist 

The Clearing. Wolf Alice

Wolf Alice can be found on this blog ever since its first album in 2015. The band resonated well with this reviewer resulting in the band's previous album, 'Blue Weekend', becoming the album of the year 2021 on this blog and number 11 of the first quarter of this century. Then it became quiet until this very Friday with the release of The Clearing.

Where everyone points to Ellie Rowsell's first line on the first song 'Thorn', where she reflects on the lyrics of 'Blue Weekend', I would like to point out something completely different. To me it's like she went to visit Paul McCartney and came out with an intro combining 'Let It Be' and 'The Long And Winding Road'. And to have raised Phil Spector from the dead to orchestrate the second part of the intro. I did not see that one coming.

Wolf Alice is a band that is able to surprise and certainly did so from album two to three. In the past years the band has reinvented itself once again. Rowsell composes on piano now and it shows. The piano plays a large part on The Clearing, just like the way she presents herself. On the sleeve it shows a diva with the light fully on herself. It may be what is needed to push the band to that next level it deserves. The fact that it will play the AFAS Live in Amsterdam and not Paradiso or Melkweg attests to an expected growth.

The Clearing is an album that is different from all that came before and may even alienate first time round fans, especially if they are rigid in their tastes. Wolf Alice shows the soul side of itself. A side where guitars often play a second fiddle as it were. The keyboard/piano leads while synths or strings play in the background. For the rhythm section there is still a prominent role. It is guitarist Joff Oddie who has had to adapt and focus on embellishments in some songs.

It was the first single that didn't land well with me on its release. I decided not to write on 'Bloom Baby Bloom' and abide my time. What followed was released during my holiday and when I returned it was to a a new single and the final song on The Clearing. 'White Horses' sung in part and written by drummer Joel Amey, encouraged me to open my ears and start listening to The Clearing. Things turned out well pretty fast. Even somewhat with 'Bloom Baby Bloom'.

Fans of old will be pleased by 'Leaning Against The Wall'. It contains that layer of mystery in its sound that defines Wolf Alice's music of old. In 'Passenger Seat' the band checks out its inner country vein. Again a move that I did not see coming, but one that suits the band perfectly. Ellie Rowsell is showing off a different voice, the acoustic guitar has a great role and again there's The Beatles, as I hear George Harrison like licks on that guitar. Listen closely and you'll find it's not the last reference on this album. There are so many more surprises on this album.

At some point I did get the impression that this is more an Ellie Rowsell solo album than a Wolf Alice one. Like in the artwork, Rowsell's role is extremely prominent in most songs. From what I hear today, a solo album next seems more likely though. Time will tell.

Luckily, there is a rock song like 'Bread Butter Tea Sugar' on The Clearing as well. As you will find it makes for vary varied listening. Whether The Clearing will resonate with me like 'Blue Weekend' does only time can tell. The starting position is a positive one and I will probably buy the album this afternoon when I go to visit my local record dealer. That tells you enough for now.

With The Clearing Wolf Alice may surprise you musically but not with a lack of quality. The band delivers with its new album. Perhaps not in the way you would have come to expect. It has set a next step in its development and its a good one. After this album Wolf Alice can go any direction it choses, for better or worse. There are simply little barriers left.

Wout de Natris - van der Borght 

 

No Rain, No Flowers. The Black Keys

With No Rain, No Flowers The Black Keys have added a 13th album to its oeuvre. It was there when I returned from holiday, so I've read two reviews before I had the chance to listen to the album myself. The first one was extremely positive, stating how easily the duo of Dan Auerbach and Patrick Carney releases songs that stick with you immediately, while the other lamented where the band of the first albums had gone. Two ways to look at a band and its development.

For me, like most people around the world, The Black Keys came into my life with the single 'Lonely Boy' and the 'El Camino' album. I can't remember having listened to anything that came before and if I have, it made no impression of any kind. I own most albums that were released since and chances are No Rain, No Flower will wind up in the home also.

Fact is, I sort of agree with both reviewers. The often soulful songs on the new album are smooth and easy going. A bit like Auerbach's solo albums' sound, except that for some reason, despite Carney not being involved in the writing process, the songs are simply better. I can imagine Carney's ears and opinion do play an important role in the creative process, urging Auerbach to be more critical of or creative in his work. For me the former review wins out. Once again, this album is an exploration of a specific kind of music and soul it is this time around.

There's enough rock elements to be found in the mix. Strong guitar parts adorn a song like 'Down To Nothing'. The effect is a rough sea in what at first appeared to be smooth sailing. It's a trick that The Black Keys are so good at. In each single song there are surprising little sounds that make it stand out. The songs itself are already interesting by themselves, even if they are, at first listen, smooth, perhaps even suave. The rock element is always nearby in the solo's.

To all appearances the second reviewer has an issue with a band that develops itself and even transforms into a different band. Formed in 2001 in Akron, Ohio, I would hope the band does not sound the same as in the 00s. I can imagine the same reviewer writing today, had that not been the case. The Black Keys are not the same band as when its members were in their early 20s. Now in their mid-40s they dare to take on any music they like and are very good at what they do.

When you listen to 'Man On A Mission' there's still dirt in the band's sound in abundance. It makes for great alternated listening. As you will have surmised, in my view The Black Keys have totally lived up to expectations and even surprised a little. Seen from the albums of the past ten years, No Rain No Flowers should not have come as a surprise. The Black Keys have delivered and show that smoothness is just a frame of mind, as I hear more than enough rock on the album. The combination on No Rain No Flowers works exceptionally well.

Wout de Natris - van der Borght 

Tomorrow Comes Crashing. Smut

Chicago's Smut, vocalist/lyricist Tay Roebuck, guitarist Andie Min, bassist John Steiner, guitarist Sam Ruschman, and drummer Aidan O’Connor, already released Tomorrow Comes Crashing in the last week of June. At the time I simply did not have the time to give it the attention it deserved. As a few singles had already come by, it was clear that it was written in the stars that a review was imminent. In other words, time to make amends.

Smut made its debut on this blog in 2020 and became a regular over the past five years. However, now three EPs and three albums into its career, Tomorrow Comes Crashing is the first album on these pages.

And what an album it is. Smut pushes a lot of bells in my mind that were installed around 1995 with the album 'Eight Arms To Hold You' by Veruca Salt. Where alternative/indie rock bands fronted by a woman is concerned, that is my starting point. Smut is a very worthy member in this line of bands.

Although people with far more sensitive ears than mine will strongly disagree, Smut's basis is always the song. From there the song is built up and that can result in extremely noisy affairs, but always impressive. Pop music does not have to be a sweet affair. The element that makes it pop music can be put into loud guitar music as well. Great pop music always holds the elements: memorable melodies; sing-a-long vocal melodies and; creating the urge to play the song again and again. Listen to Tomorrow Comes Crashing and you will recognise these elements in all songs.

Of course, Smut does not operate in isolation. With Wednesday it holds the element of surprise as a song can explode in your ears and at any moment into it; or not. Otherwise there would not be a surprise. With New Zealand bands like The Beths Smut is great in combining the alternative and the pop in a perfect way.

Tomorrow Comes Crashing comes in with a bang. 'Godhead' is a statement combined with a great song. Tay Roebuck sings in a way that falls into a long line of female punk rock singers, where the singing comes close shouting but never really is. 'Syd Sweeney' easily trumps the opening song. The guitars are even louder and play a great and dirty riff. The opening duo have made me pay attention immediately and the rest of the album pays my time back abundantly.

What endears me even more to Tomorrow Comes Crashing is that Smut changes the mood to a more dreamy one, without surrendering the quality it started out with. Just listen to the details put into the arrangement and the different voices of Roebuck, making each song a rich affair. Decades of female pop and rock fall together into a great new mix.

In June I knew I had another good album in my hands, but simply lacked the time to familiarise myself with it enough to write on it. Today I have and can only add here that you may want to familiarise yourself with Tomorrow Comes Crashing. Smut deserves it.

Wout de Natris - van der Borght

 

You can listen to and order Tomorrow Comes Crashing here:

https://smutonline.bandcamp.com/album/tomorrow-comes-crashing 

WE WERE MADE PREY. Kathryn Joseph

De Schotse muzikante Kathryn Joseph maakte de afgelopen jaren drie aardedonkere maar ook wonderschone albums en ook het van elektronische impulsen voorziene WE WERE MADE PREY. is weer van een bijzondere schoonheid.

Ik ontdekte de muziek van Kathryn Joseph een paar jaar geleden bij toeval, maar sindsdien ben ik fan van de muzikante uit Glasgow. Ik moest wel even wennen aan de donkere sfeer op haar albums en aan haar niet alledaagse stem, maar eenmaal gewend domineerde de schoonheid en intensiteit van haar songs. Na drie redelijk vergelijkbare albums hoor ik op WE WERE MADE PREY. een net wat ander geluid. Het klinkt allemaal wat toegankelijker, al is dat een relatief begrip, en elektronica heeft wat aan terrein gewonnen. Ik was zeer gecharmeerd van het geluid op de vorige drie albums, maar WE WERE MADE PREY. klinkt nog net wat indringender en overtuigender. Hoogste tijd dat Kathryn Joseph bij meer mensen op de radar komt.

Bones You Have Thrown Me And Blood I've Spilled, het eerste album van de Schotse muzikante Kathryn Joseph haalde ik in de eerste dagen van 2016 uit een wat obscuur lijstje met de beste albums van 2015. Dat de muziek van Kathryn Joseph niet veel meer aandacht had gekregen begreep ik in eerste instantie wel, want na mijn eerste beluistering omschreef ik Bones You Have Thrown Me And Blood I've Spilled in mijn hoofd uitsluitend met termen als aardedonker, gitzwart en deprimerend. 

De muziek van Kathryn Joseph verdiende op hetzelfde moment wat meer tijd en kreeg die in de rustige eerste dagen van 2016 ook. Het hielp, want ik hoorde al snel de schoonheid in de muziek en de songs van de Schotse muzikante. Ik moest nog wel lang wennen aan haar stem, die zeker niet makkelijk is maar wel heel karakteristiek. Ik noemde in mijn recensie Karen Dalton, Joanna Newsom en Joni Mitchell als ijkpunten en dan weet je het wel. 

Kathryn Joseph vervolgde haar weg in 2018 met From When I Wake The Want Is, dat zeker niet onder deed voor haar debuutalbum. Het was wederom een album met mooie klanken van vooral de piano, met een hele bijzondere stem en met songs die het daglicht maar moeilijk konden verdragen maar ook bijzonder mooi waren en afwisselend associaties opriepen met Kate Bush, Tori Amos en Grouper. 

Dat zijn namen die ook op kwamen bij beluistering van het in 2022 verschenen for you who are the wronged, al was dat album wel net wat toegankelijker dan zijn twee voorgangers. Het was wederom een album dat niet veel aandacht kreeg maar bijzonder mooi was. 

Kathryn Joseph keert deze week terug met WE WERE MADE PREY. (de kleine letters zijn deze keer vervangen door hoofdletters) en het is wederom een fascinerend mooi album. Het is net als zijn voorgangers een album dat behoorlijk donker en hier en daar bijna duister klinkt, maar er is ook wel wat veranderd. 

Als ik de zang op WE WERE MADE PREY. vergelijk met de zang op de vorige albums vind ik de stem van de muzikante uit Glasgow nog altijd niet makkelijk, maar het strijkt bij mij geen moment meer tegen de haren in. Ook in muzikaal opzicht slaat Kathryn Joseph net wat andere wegen in. Op WE WERE MADE PREY. is wat meer ruimte ingeruimd voor elektronica, wat het donkere karakter van haar muziek versterkt. 

Het is nog altijd redelijk sobere muziek, maar in combinatie met de indringende zang van Kathryn Joseph is de impact maximaal. Ik had wel wat met de stemmige pianoklanken op haar vorige albums, die overigens zeker niet verdwenen zijn, maar de elektronische impulsen geven de songs van Kathryn Joseph een bijzondere sfeer en kracht. Het doet me af en toe wel wat aan Portishead denken, maar op hetzelfde moment is WE WERE MADE PREY. niet heel ver verwijderd van zijn voorgangers. 

Ik denk wel dat Kathryn Joseph met haar nieuwe geluid wat makkelijker de aandacht kan trekken van een net wat groter publiek en dat verdient de Schotse muzikante absoluut. Iedereen die het leven uitsluitend door een roze bril wil bekijken zal ook WE WERE MADE PREY. weer wat zwaarmoedig vinden, maar als je hier tegen kunt is ook het vierde album van Kathryn Joseph weer een bijzonder en echt opvallend mooi en intens album.

Erwin Zijleman

 

Je kunt WE WERE MADE PREY. hier luisteren en bestellen:

https://kathrynjoseph.bandcamp.com/album/we-were-made-prey 

Brian Wilson, Pet Sounds en Long Promised Road

My apologies, for once I'm writing in Dutch, as I wrote this text elsewhere first but decided to share it with you anyway with a small extension to give it the wider focus it needs here. Translating it would be too time consuming. So, if needed, put on Google translate and go.

Pet Sounds is al decennia een legendarische plaat waar superlatieven te kort schieten, maar toen ik rond het jaar 2000 een heruitgave op cd kocht, hoorde ik er helemaal niets in. Na een paar pogingen gaf ik het op en verdween de plaat in de kast. Als ik hem destijds had moeten scoren, was er een 2 of 2,5 uitgekomen. Sinds deze week zijn het ****.

Een matige score geldt overigens voor de meeste albums van de band die ik heb. Ik hoor het niet. Die magische singles uit de beginperiode en een aantal daarna, daar zit leven en pit in en doet de band ook waar het onovertroffen in is: het zingen van koortjes. Mijn favoriet is dan ook de Greatest Hits.

Deze week werd op tv de documentaire 'Long Promised Road' uitgezonden, waar 'Rolling Stone' journalist Jason Fine een angstige, oude man met zenuwtrekjes en duidelijke angsten mee op pad neemt en hem langs zijn leven leidt. Het werkt, zonder dat er serieuze grenzen overschreden worden. Ik had desalniettemin het gevoel dat er hier iemand werd uitgebuit door een journalist die zegt zijn vriend te zijn geworden. Voor een deel klopt dit ogenschijnlijk, maar het blijft een professionele vriendschap. Als het te spannend werd voor Wilson moest 'It's O.K.' van de LP '15 Big Ones' op. Hij bleek zijn eigen remedie tegen te veel angst geschreven te hebben.

De documentaire liet de hele carrière van Wilson zijn, waarin opviel dat het met Mike Love nooit meer goed komt en Bruce Johnson verder ook afwezig was. Wat het ook liet zien, is de invloed die ouders op kinderen hebben. Vader Murray haalde aan de ene kant alles uit zijn talentvolle kroost, maar was ook het type kampbewaarder met fysieke en psychische dwang in zijn opvoedingspalet. Het is duidelijk dat Brian, maar ook Dennis daar zwaar last van hadden na hun volwassen worden. Muzikaal relevanter is het muzikale oor en inzicht van Wilson. Geen detail ontging de man, toe niet en als oude man niet.

Door de docu zette ik Pet Sounds weer eens op en toen gebeurde het: ik hoorde het wel. Voor het eerst drong de muziek tot mij door en raakte me. Ik luisterde door hitsingle en openingsnummer 'Wouldn't It be Nice' heen of beter, ik liet mij er niet door afleiden. Het gevolg was, dat de wereld achter de single zich openbaarde. Daardoor was ik in staat om de schoonheid te ervaren die Brian Wilson de wereld heeft geboden. Beter laat dan nooit.

'God Only Knows' is natuurlijk onovertroffen, waar de keuze om Carl te laten zingen onmiskenbaar de juiste was. Als er een hemel is, dan spelen ze het nummer daar al jaren. Nieuw voor mij was, wat ik op Wikipedia vond, dat 'Caroline No' een solo hit voor Wilson was in 1966 in de V.S., met een nummer 2 notering. Het nummer taakte me voor het eerst. Ik vond er tot nu toe helemaal niets aan.

Tot mijn verbazing stond het The Beach Boys nummer dat ik mij zeer waarschijnlijk als eerste kan herinneren, 'Sloop John B', en enige nummer 1 hit hier, ook op de plaat. Het deed me al jaren niet zo veel meer, maar ook dat veranderde deze week. Ik werd er heel vrolijk van. Toch kom ik overall tot een andere conclusie dan de meeste mensen waar het Pet Sounds aangaat. Ook naar aanleiding van wat ik zag en hoorde in 'Long Promised Road'.

Hoeveel Brian Wilson ook geïnspireerd werd door 'Revolver' en die sterke drang tot competitie voelde, The Beatles, met George Martin erbij, zijn niet te kloppen. Bij hen bleef de speelsheid vrijwel altijd een onderdeel van het palet, ook al was het bij wijze van spreken take 100, en die ontbreekt op Pet Sounds nagenoeg volledig. Dat is precies wat het voor mij in het verleden zo'n lastige plaat maakte en in wezen nog steeds voor me is. Schoonheid alleen is niet altijd voldoende. Ik denk dat dat het was wat Wilson uit het oog verloor in de studio en wat bijdroeg aan zijn ondergang. 'Sgt Peppers' was de definitieve klap. Frank Zappa stelde de vraag al: 'Does humor belong in music? Het antwoord voor mij is ja. Humor mag daarbij overigens vervangen worden door plezier, luchtigheid, spontaniteit,of zefs relativeringsvermogen. Zonder dat wordt muziek doods. Luister maar naar een album als 'Love You' uit 1977, waar die vonk helemaal ontbreekt en in potentie mooie songs in saaiheid sterven.

Wout de Natris - van der Borght 

2025, week 33. 10 singles

Summer is not over, definitely not, but my holiday is. It's time to catch up on all those singles released in the past few weeks. A lot missed out, because they were released too long ago. A few are here anyway, because of my personal choice. A few even skipped the line, because an album is coming up soon. In other words there's enough to discover, once again, finally. Enjoy!

Who’ll Stand With Us? Dropkick Murphys

What is it that I want to hear from Dropkick Murphies (Quincy, Massachusetts ,1996)? Some serious Irish folk based punkrock, major party enthusiasm and anthems to sing along to, perhaps even supporting a just cause. Who'll Stand With Us?, a single from the album 'For The People', qualifies on all fronts. The band may be going into its fourth decade soon, it has lost nothing from the enthusiasm I encountered on a punkrock compilation album around 2001 and the album the song belonged to, 'Sing Loud Sing Proud'. It's a while since I stopped following the band. This single shows that I am ready for some more Dropkick Murphies alright. Reading up on the band on wiki, I found out how big this band is in the U.S.. But then, if I remember correctly, I saw the band advertised on Amsterdam's Ziggo Dome and that is quite different from Paradiso or Melkweg where I saw the band in the 00s. To my surprise, yes, but well-deserved no doubt.

Make It Work. Chantal Acda

The name Chantal Acda can be found on this blog since 2016 and in several musical configurations. With Make It Work she returns as a solo artist, yet things are different. She prepared and recorded her upcoming album 'The Whale' (29 September) with her touring band and yes, that makes the song on the one hand typically Chantal Acda but on the other far more solid. At least where this single is concerned. In her own way Chantal Acda is rocking and loud. The intro is already overwhelming and then it all drops away for a soft electric guitar and the familiar voice. The song is fleshed out ever so slowly, creating a tension that anyone understanding how songs are build up knows it has to be released. Slowly but surely that tension is built and built towards a magnificent ending in which the band is allowed to go full out. Make It Work is a magnificent single.

I Think It's Time To Leave ... EP. Already Dead

Two years ago I wrote a review on Already Dead's second album 'Something Like A War'. My infatuation with the band started with that immense wall of a single 'The Spirit of Massachusetts Avenue'. One of the best punkrock singles of the past years out there in the wild. You are reading up on the second Boston punk band this week and rightly so. It's time for the former band to provide Already Dead a support slot, if it hasn't already. Were I a lazy person and sometimes I am, I could copy/paste my previous review but will not. It would sell the band short. The energy oozing out of its latest EP I Think It's Time To Leave ... deserves attention. Five songs, five bursts of energy without relenting for a single second. Already Dead pushed in the peddle to the metal and stuck a stone there to be certain. And yet, listen to 'Nothing Wrong' and hear what the bass is adding to the song. Superior melody, once again. Five songs, ten minutes, after which all concerned have to take a deep breath to quote Dan Cummings from the song. This is the real thing alright. If Dropkick Murphies don't get them to Europe who else will?

Wild Horses. Wolf Alice 

Only two weeks to go and the new Wolf Alice, after four years of waiting, will be released. It's latest single announcing 'The Clearing' is a surprise as Ellen Rowsell is not the lead singer on the single. It's drummer Joey Amey who takes most of the lead and also wrote the song. The song is a dreamy one, which we have come to know from Wolf Alice, but at the same time it is a very much solid song. It's a big song. It has a very solid basis over which the two sing their lyrics. Not that it is a wall of sound in the Phil Spector way, it's more in the dense way the instruments are mixed, pumping up their respective presence. Just like Wet Leg's first single 'CPR' of its new album, I did not like Wolf Alice's first one. Also here my ears must have been screwed on wrong when listening. It is all going to turn out alright. Especially with Wild Horses as this is a great driving song that just propels itself and its listeners ever forward. Wolf Alice is back and how.

Wound Up Here (By Holding On). Wednesday

For a few albums now Wednesday can be found on this blog and having listened to the first singles my impressions is that chances are etc., as they say. Wound Up Here (By Holding On) is dirty, alternative rocker in which the band goes in search of the acceptable corners and edges of the genre and then bend them to its liking. Wednesday is not afraid to tip them over as well, as anyone having listened to the previous album 'Rat Saw God' can attest to. The song sounds dirty in the intro but when the first verse starts, things can still go both ways. Wednesday keeps things under control. If anything this song shows that the music made by alternative rock bands from New Zealand are not totally isolated. Wednesday (U.S.A.) and The Beths (N.Z.) to name one, are nicely aligned I'd say. When Kathy Harzmann has finished her lyrics, she and fellow guitarist MJ Lenderman just let it rip, leading to a great, orgiastic explosion of sound. The kind a song like Wound Up Here (By Holding On) deserves.

Mother, Pray For Me. The Beths 

In week 27 of this year there was quite a round up of bands in the singles section. Many a favourite of this blog could be found there and this week it's quite similar. The Beths are in both posts and with a very different song than I have come to expect from the New Zealanders. You hear Elizabeth Stokes sing to her mother who is asked to pray for her. She's accompanied by a fingerpicked electric guitar. An electric organ joins in giving the song s churchlike quality. Underneath a bass plays a very simple pattern. It is enough. Stokes gives the song exactly the right emotion, more observation of a situation than deep emotional involvement. It's a story about a relationship that does not seem right, but is what it is. The prayer is welcome though. Totally different, yet beautiful. Album 'Straight Line Was A Lie' is out on 29 August. It's going to be a busy day.

Smoke ‘Em If You Got ‘Em. Garret Vandermolen

What a haunting song Smoke ‘Em If You Got ‘Em is. It is also a great song. Garret Vandermolen is exploring the inside of his head here, dealing with depression and the isolation coming from it. It is a confrontational song and not just because of the subject. Musically it isn't your everyday song as well. Built around several guitar parts, including an effect tool here and there, that all add to the suspense. Percussion joins and then a bass guitar, before the drums kick in. It is all played by Vandermolen, who at some point decides to let it all go, all instruments and vocals. "No one know how I feel right now". That is totally true and that hasn't changed because of this song. What his unfortunate experiences did give the world is a great rock song. Smoke ‘Em If You Got ‘Em is a must hear song.

Queen Dynamite. The Cornfed Project

Rawk and then roll some more. Fullerton, California's The Cornfed Project continues where bands like Aerosmith and more locally for them Dirty Sweet have given up the ghost. The band debuts on the blog with a song that rocks in the best U.S. tradition. A really rough edge to the music and Matt "Cornfed" Wheeler matches what happens in the music with his voice. Listen a little deeper and you will find influences from The Who and The Rolling Stones as well. It's all irrelevant, as The Cornfed Project builds its own party and no little. Drums and bass are such a solid basis. I'm sure their parts already create a great song. Add the layers of guitars, including the lead lines and a guitar solo that is simply on fire. Wheeler and backing vocalists only have to give it their best to arrive at a perfect rock song. You may have heard it all before, but not dancing to this tune is out of the question. In fact it's mandatory.

Spartak. Shame 

Shame's latest is a single of classic length, 2.38 minutes, yet seems so much longer. It is also a song in which the band lets singer Charlie Steen take the lead for 100%. The band does everything to make him shine. The sound is so rich, as there is a lot going on underneath Steen's voice. In a way that seems to contradict my observation but listen to Spartak and you'll find out it is correct. The music does not draw away attention to Charlie Steen's almost deadpan delivery, because no matter how, yes, even frivolous, the accompaniment is, he remains in the absolute middle of Shame's latest single. It's a good question how the band plans to play this song live, as there's layers of guitars and keyboards. But Shame "will know better than me", I'm sure. Spartak is an exciting and interesting song at the same time, which is a bit surprising, as more often than not the songs by Shame I really like are in the former department of its genre.

Human Bean Instruction Manual. Pickle Darling

I can't help but mentioning Dutch band Moon Moon Moon because New Zealand's Pickle Darling is so close in music that to all appearances it looks like Lucas Mayo and Mark Lohmann have an antipodean, mid-Earth connection from their respective bedrooms where their music is created on a laptop of pc. Let me add the U.S. duo Carol Cleveland Sings here as well. On Human Bean Instruction Manual Pickle Darling moves beyond what is the contribution of a human "bean" in music. The simple keyboard that drives the song is pimped up and distorted, almost beyond recognition, while the voices are so machine manipulated, there's not that much human left. Human Bean Instruction Manual starts out as a regular song, with minor effects, okay, let's say Sparklehorse on its first album. Slowly things change into the second part of the song, but believe it or not from all the electronics pure magic and beauty escape. In all these effects the sun, albeit a very artificial one, is shining and warming my bones. Pickle Darling has done it again. Album 'Battlebots' is out on 5 September. Interesting title by the way, as it may portray humanity's future. A.I. receiving a manual to deal with us?!

Wout de Natris - van der Borght