2025, Week 48. 10 singles

Another week has gone by and all of a sudden or so it seems, there are only four more to go before it's the end of 2025. It is time to start thinking about best of year lists, etc. I haven't made my mind up yet. There remain a few contenders for the honour of being on top of the album list, with a few more weeks to go. In the meantime here are ten new singles/EPs. So, enjoy!

Constant Distance EP. Emma Hessels

With Constant Distance Belgian singer-songwriter Emma Hessels releases her debut EP. Expect a record that whispers in your ear. Hessels keeps her music small and delicate singing with a soft, whispering voice. My gut feeling tells me that her voice is able to roar if she decides so, but does not. Her voicing of choice reminds me of Lou Doillon and her stepsister Charlotte Gainsbourg. Her music of the late Norwegian artist St. Thomas (Hansen). The way she seems to hesitate in what the next move in a song should be, the use of a choir way of singing in parts of the songs, are giveaways. In the fifth song that hesitation is thrown out the window, as the song keeps growing in volume, including the trumpet of Marthe van Droogenbroeck, who is allowed to play the song home in the softest way possible. Before this eruption Emma Hessels has long convinced me of the quality of her music. An acoustic guitar, a piano is enough to make a point. Fans of Suzanne Vega will find their way with Constant Distance. Based on the EP, Emma Hessels will soon have fans of her own.

Hanging On The Telephone. Christina Jean & Her All Stars

What is my favourite Blondie song? I have never ranked them, I have to admit. But 'Hanging On The Telephone' definitely will rank high. It is one the band's wildest songs, totally befitting the rough edge Debbie Harry has in her voice. Is she a good singer? That question is beside the point. It's Debbie Harry. Today a cover in honour of Blondie but more specifically its late drummer Clem Burke. Drummer Richie “BoomBoom” Mendez got friends together, including singer Christina Jean to record their version of the song. They stick nicely to the original Jack Lee-penned song, but it all sounds just this little neater than Blondie's version but that makes it this version. For the rest, when you play this song close to the original, you simply can't go wrong.

Don Enzo Magic Carpet Salesman. DITZ

For The Benefit Of Mr. Kite. Their Satanic Majesties Request. As a title Don Enzo Magic Carpet Salesman reminds me of the two previous ones. A real weird title. Ditz finds itself for the first time on this blog. Early this year they released an album called 'Never Exhale' that passed me by. This over nine minutes(!) long single holds several passages that make it go between alternative rock like e.g. Personal Trainer right up to psychedelic experimental pieces and some sort of hardcore or whatever it is called. Loud, loud music. In other words Ditz takes you on an adventure. You are in for some (nasty) surprises.

 

This Hotel Room / Look At Miss Ohio. King Hannah

Liverpool's Hannah Merrick and Craig Whittle have found themselves several times on this blog this decade. So it comes as no surprise that they are here once again. This time with a special 7" single, with a Gillian Welch cover on the flip side. This Hotel Room is an alternative, indie ballad in the style of someone like Bonny 'Prince' Billie. Too dirty in sound to be truly country, but the DNA of the track is fully descended from the genre. The song gets bigger and louder by the minute, with Merrick and Whittle singing ever closer together. The word epic doesn't fit this kind of music, but as far as I'm concerned it's epic in its own way and style.

Build A Box Then Break It. Ulrika Spacek

One more debut this week. The only Spacek up to now I was familiar with, is Sissy. Things do not get as hot as in 'Carrie', I'm glad to say, her "niece" Ulrike presents a song from its upcoming album 'Expo', out on 6 February, in quite an undercooled way. Radiohead is the word that popped into my head. More in the way Rhys Edwards is singing, than in the music. This is best defined as spacey. Swaths of keys float into my ears, while the drums keep up the rhythm is sort of jazzy way. As a whole it makes Build A Box Then Break It a rather mysterious track. Ulrika Spacek is a U.K. five piece, all male band that formed in 2014. Two members are playing together since their school days, starting in 2002. Expo is the band's fourth album and one I'm certainly interested in hearing more based on this single.

The Wind Doesn't Blow This Far Right. Lisa O'Neill

Far right is the place where storms of rage, ruin and indignation are created nowadays, I find more and more, shaking western democracies to its foundations. I am not certain if Lisa O'Neill is singing about this kind of metaphorical wind but there clearly is something that is upsetting her. For a song that took her eight years to finish, the opening line is remarkable: "I've lately been thinking of an old friend". Already it is clear that this song is something special. The Wind Doesn't Blow This Far Right is a modern kind of folk song. Sang in her Irish-English dialect, she is accompanied by an acoustic guitar and all sorts of droning instruments, making the song an amalgam of tradition and modernness. This is the kind of song that gets to you. Her new ep 'EP' releases on 26 February.

Pond. Runo Plum

In September I reviewed 'Sickness' and here is Pond, Runo Plum's new single. It is a slow affair with an acoustic guitar at its heart. Again, it is an electric guitar with a moderately dirty sound that sets the song mildly aflame. (When I think it's starting a solo, the song abruptly fades out.) Runo Plum sings with a super dreamy voice that fits but also contrasts with the music underneath it. The tempo befits it, of course, but it is also more direct than the style of singing. That makes for a very interesting mix.  Album 'Patching' was released two weeks ago. Is it varied like Georgia Knight's album 'Beanpole'? More on that album tomorrow.

 

Does This Go Faster? Lala Lala 

I had to walked down the stairs to check, but yes, I own a cd of Lala Lala. It was sent to me a few years ago I guess, but, to quote our former prime minister, "I do not have an active recollection" of it. Things get worse for me, because it turns out I wrote a review of 'I Want The Door To Open'. Lala Lala is Lillie West, who signed a contract with Sub Pop this year. This single is the first output of their collaboration. The main question she tries to answer is "how was the day after the party?" This is a question that often is better not asked, I personally find. Does This Go Faster? is an indie rock track, in a tempo that is mellow enough for the circumstances. Everything in the song makes clear the party is over, were it not that the rhythm does prod the listener that moving some more definitely is a possibility. There's a little The Stone Roses in the tempo, just this little bit slower and laid back in the rest of the instruments. As a whole it works.

IX.I. Papir

Here's another debut on this blog and another nine minutes plus "single" today. Papir is a psychedelic rock band from Copenhagen that releases its records on Germany's Stickman Records. Titles are unnecessary, at least on this record, as I do not know any others. IX is the ninth album and I is its first song. Things can be that simple. In principle the songs are jams that the band works out. There's a drummer, a bass player and a guitarist. The bass player is not just a rhythm supporter but plays as many notes as possible, with melodies supporting the composition as well. The guitarist creates wide landscapes of sounds, that open the whole song up. Nine and a half minutes is long for a song but I does not overstay its welcome. I do not know about a whole album like this though. You can out for yourself, as IX was released last week.

I'm In Love With My Friends. Girl With A Hawk

Let's end the week with another pop rock track by Girl With A Hawk. The Boston band around singer-guitarist Linda Viers presents a positive sound that makes me feel good immediately. Not unlike Blondie's single '(I'm Always Touched by Your) Presence, Dear'. The song starts with people chattering at a party or at the local pub where friends meet to celebrate an event or just the being together. This is exactly the setting that Viens celebrates in this song. Some things in life can be so simple. Musically it takes a few chords, a nice little organ and a fine, relaxed guitar solo to underscore that great feeling that spending an evening with friends brings you. Girl With A Hawk captured the feeling expertly, doing the theme completely right.

Wout de Natris - van der Borght 

Not For Lack Of Trying. dodie

De Britse muzikante dodie is pas dertig jaar oud, maar heeft er inmiddels al een heel leven in de muziek op zitten en laat op haar wonderschone nieuwe album Not For Lack Of Trying horen dat ze vooralsnog alleen maar beter wordt.

Build A Problem, het debuutalbum van dodie, haalde vier jaar geleden mijn jaarlijstje net niet, maar als ik het lijstje nu opnieuw zou moeten maken sluit ik een top 10 notering zeker niet uit. Ik moest destijds erg wennen aan de muziek van dodie, maar het deze week verschenen Not For Lack Of Trying had me onmiddellijk te pakken. De zang van dodie is nog altijd fluisterzacht, maar wat zit er veel gevoel in haar stem. Wat voor de zang geldt, geldt ook voor de muziek, want in de subtiele klanken op het tweede album van de Britse muzikante is veel moois en bijzonders verstopt. Ook de songs van dodie hebben aan kwaliteit gewonnen, waardoor Not For Lack Of Trying echt een prachtalbum is geworden.

De Britse muzikante Dorothy Miranda Clark was als tiener zeer actief op de sociale media en maakte indruk met persoonlijke verhalen en zeker ook met bijzondere en over het algemeen zeer intieme popsongs, die ze vertolkte met haar stem en haar ukelele. Dorothy Miranda Clark is inmiddels bekend onder de naam dodie en debuteerde een kleine tien jaar geleden met haar eerste EP. 

Ik ken haar zelf sinds het voorjaar van 2021 toen dodie’s debuutalbum Build A Problem verscheen. Het is een album dat me niet direct wist te overtuigen, maar na een tijdje begon ik te houden van de intieme fluisterpop van de Britse muzikante en uiteindelijk werd het een album dat ik koester. Die fluisterpop vond ik overigens op zijn mooist op de aan Build A Problem toegevoegde bonus-disc, waarop de songs van dodie waren ontdaan van alle opsmuk en je vooral de stem van de Britse muzikante en haar ukelele hoorde. 

Na haar debuutalbum dook dodie op in de ‘supergroep’ FIZZ, waarvan het debuutalbum mij echt volledig is ontgaan, maar ondertussen werd ook gewerkt aan een tweede album. De Britse muzikante keert deze week terug met dit tweede album en ik vind Not For Lack Of Trying echt prachtig en nog een stuk beter dan het wat onderschatte debuutalbum. 

Voor haar nieuwe album deed dodie wederom een beroep op producer Joe Rubel, die haar muziek hier en daar heeft voorzien van versiersels, maar gelukkig niet de hele trukendoos van een producer heeft opengetrokken. De meeste songs op het tweede album van dodie zijn behoorlijk sober ingekleurd, wat in combinatie met de fluisterzachte zang van de Britse muzikante zorgt voor muziek die dicht tegen de bedroom pop aan kruipt, totdat zich toch opeens een bijzonder klankentapijt ontvouwt, overigens zonder de intimiteit van de popsongs van dodie te schaden. 

Door alle subtiliteit in de muziek is Not For Lack Of Trying wel een album dat je met enig volume of met de koptelefoon moet beluisteren, want de muziek vervliegt snel. Dat geldt ook voor de stem van de Britse muzikante, die nog wat zachter is dan op haar debuutalbum, tenzij de zang opeens in meerdere lagen uit de speakers komt. 

De zang op het tweede album van dodie is over het algemeen echt fluisterzacht, maar ik vind haar stem echt prachtig, al is het maar omdat de zang ook overloopt van gevoel. Door de zachte zang en de bijzondere instrumentatie hoor ik af en toen iets van Billie Eilish op Not For Lack Of Trying, al heeft dodie wel een duidelijk eigen sound. 

De Britse muzikante mag van mij ook een album opnemen met alleen ukelele en zang, maar ik raak steeds meer gecharmeerd van de productie van het nieuwe album van dodie. Ik raak ook steeds meer gehecht aan de songs, die vol verrassende wendingen zitten en toch heel vaak net hetgeen doen dat je niet had verwacht en ook niet vies zijn van uitstapjes richting onder andere folk en jazz. 

Het zijn songs waarin ‘coming of age’ een centraal thema is, wat gezien de leeftijd van dodie en haar leven niet zo gek is. Het is een wat uitgekauwd thema, maar de perspectieven op Not For Lack Of Trying zijn net wat origineler en bovendien klinken de teksten van de Britse muzikante oprecht. 

Ik ben nog steeds zeer gecharmeerd van het debuutalbum van dodie, dat ik eigenlijk pas een jaar na de release echt op de juiste waarde wist te schatten, maar haar nieuwe album vind ik nog een stuk beter. Het is een album dat het oor in eerste instantie zachtjes streelt, maar hoe vaker je het album hoort, hoe intenser de fantasie wordt geprikkeld.

Erwin Zijleman

Oh, To Be Home. Loupe

Loupe (Dakota) and singers. Soon after releasing the debut record both bands containing guitarist Abel van der Waals, bassist Lana Kooper and drummer Annemarie van der Born lost their singer. And here is the third album, Oh, To Be Home, with new singer Nina Ouattara.

The album was recorded in a live setting in De Zonzij in Amsterdam in the presence of an audience. There is no comparing how the album would have sounded, had it been recorded in the studio with all the options available there. If there is a difference, it may be that Van Der Waals' guitar parts sound more direct, less ethereal.

In all other ways, Loupe delivers at the level I have come to expect ever since seeing Dakota perform to celebrate the graduation of then Jasmine van der Waals at the Amsterdam Conservatory, because I was there at the invitation of Roeland Scherff of the now ex-Elenne May. 'Here's The 101 On How To Disappear' impressed just as much, as did the first Loupe album 'Do You Ever Wonder What Comes Next?' Seen in this light the title Oh, To Be Home sounds quite comforting.

Photo: Jantina Talsma

What struck me first on hearing this album was how good and beautiful it is. The album struck a chord immediately. The mood is one to wallow in, to wrap around myself when I'm listening to it. Like an old but so well-fitting and warm winter coat. All the elements contained in the songs work. The whole of the time! Like in 'On Dit Quoi?', where Ouattara sings in French, the band comes close to French band Feu! Chatterton in the mystic atmosphere the song shares with its listeners.

Next came the realisation that this album is so much more mature. There is no hesitation. Everything is more serious and that takes Loupe to a next level.

In the past years I was on the look out for a live Loupe show, I saw the band once in an instore on Record Store Day, but only ever saw shows outside of our home country. I hope that this may change in the coming year, although the only date announced is for Copenhagen in March. Even in the store setting the band impressed, with far too little people present. Only in a living room setting can you get closer to an artist though.

Listening to the recording, with the live recording in mind, I was convinced to be hearing more than four musicians and more voices. Look at the picture here and everything is revealed. Loupe's producer Arne van Petegem is one of the extra musicians. The extra's are subtle and clear additions to what is possible in Loupe's four piece setting. I couldn't find additional information on who is playing or singing what.

With Oh, To Be Home, Loupe sets a great new step in its career. With Nina Ouattara the band has found a new singer that fits its music in a very convincing way. Loupe is up there with the better if not best bands somewhere in between indierock and dreampop. Absolute world class.

Wout de Natris - van der Borght

 

You can listen to and order Oh, To Be Home here:

https://thisisloupe.bandcamp.com/album/oh-to-be-home 

Black and Blue 50th Anniversary. The Rolling Stones

Forty nine and a half years ago my parents took me on a roadtrip to the south of the U.K., including two uncles and aunts and a niece. That spring The Rolling Stones had released a new album called 'Black And Blue', and I would be allowed to buy the album there. It cost two pound sixty nine pence. a lot cheaper than at home it was. It was my first Stones album, followed within a few months by 'Goat's Head Soup' and Get Your Ya-ya's Out.

On the radio pirate station 'Mi Amigo' the new single of The Rolling Stones was announced and played, 'Hey Nigrita'. It turned out that the leaked song was not the single. One week later 'Fool To Cry' was played. Both songs were a bit of a shock for the young Stones fan I was. But then, I only knew a few singles at the time and that was it.

Black And Blue is often displayed as a weak intermediate album by a band that had to reinvent itself after guitarist Mick Taylor had left the band in 1974. Now I have always found Black And Blue a very strong album. An album on which the band dared to experiment with a host of styles. It was far removed from the formalistic band it would become from the 80s onwards, until 2023 that is.

Through the years I've always returned to it. To my 1976 album with that great cover or to the cd I bought decades later. And now my third version with the extra cd entered the home. The album got the Steven Wilson remix treatment. Yes, I have the idea that I'm hearing things (better) than before. Elements in the music have been brought forward.to garner the attention they deserve. I also experience a guitar more up front that I would not have minded had it remained more obscured, but that is a minority. Mostly the album sounds great.

Years ago I wrote that dying means never to be able to listen to 'Melody' again. And although I received a return message that we can never know, I'm not hopeful in that respect. So, I'm enjoying it while I can. 'Melody', did Billy Preston write parts or most of it?, remains the dirtiest song the Stones ever recorded.  That dragging tempo, the way the piano picks up the song, the guitar accents, the singing between Mick Jagger ad Billy Preston is masterly. Jagger sings as if he's on her trail and ready to kill. And then near the end the horns come in for a support slot that hammers the song home. It is one of band's best songs, if not the best.

With 'Memory Motel' the album contains one of the best ballads of the band. It is a song I just love to hear and sing along to. Let's not forget 'Fool To Cry'. Another superb ballad with Jagger turning his voice inside out. He had found his falsetto voice and wanted the world to know it.

With 'Hot Stuff' and 'Hey Negrita' the album has explorations into funk and with 'Cherry O Baby' into reggae. All while remaining The Rolling Stones. David Bowie with help of no less than John Lennon had released 'Fame' in 1975. The Stones recorded these forays into other musical styles in 1975. Ten years plus into the band's career, it was time for another change. It did the band a host of good.

(As an almost post scriptum. This Tuesday Jimmy Cliff died. It made me realise that he was one of two artists who introduced me to reggae, without me understanding to be listening to reggae in a conscious way. With 'I Shot The Sheriff', Eric Clapton's 1974 hit single, 'Cherry Oh Baby, was my second return to the music. Not much later Bob Marley and Peter Tosh started to score hits and UB 40 entered the musical scene.)

Finally, there are two straightforward rockers, 'Hand Of Fate' and 'Crazy Mama', so the fans of old would have a handle to hold on to. Especially 'Hand of Fate' is a very strong song. All together the songs make for a great album in which the band branched out in a very successful way.

On the second cd the already released 'Shame Shame Shame' can be found. The Stones turned the Shirley & Company number 1 hit into a fun Rolling Stones song with Jagger enjoying himself no little. His explorations into the nightlife of NYC were paying themselves back here. The second new song 'Love Letters' is a soul track, a nice to have but not a must have.

The jams with the guitarists who did not become the new member are nice to hear but not exceptional. All together this makes the re-release of Black And Blue far less urgent than e.g. 'Goat's Head Soup' and 'Tattoo You' as the additional cd there contained truly good songs, that would have made one great record together, say as 'Tattoo You Too'.

The clear sound of the new mix does make it of interest to buy the album. Steven Wilson did a very good job here. It provides a very good excuse to play my old fave album a few more times once again.

Wout de Natris - van der Borght 

Wolf Alice live with Florence + Road. AFAS Live, Saturday 22 November 2025

Photo: WdN-vdB

Was it me or the band? Not for one second did Wolf Alice drag me into its show. Although the show started hopeful with the beautiful opening song of the band's latest (and very good) album, 'Thorns', followed by 'Bloom Baby Bloom' and the perhaps best song of 'The Clearing', 'White Horses'. It was the band's biggest venue in Europe yet "and it scares us", or so Ellie Rowsell said, giving off some weird giggling right after, as if she was really uncomfortable (or visited 'The Bulldog' of course). And I think it showed. Perhaps the band tried too hard and made things too loud and at times pumping everything up to bombastic levels, leaving me more stunned than impressed.

To my surprise it has been eight years already since I last saw the band in the Melkweg and in my memory (and review) the band played a perfect show, where audience and band blended. This time, I saw some people leave the venue well before the end and people holding their hands over their ears. Now, I can imagine if you came on board with 'My Blue Weekend' or 'The Clearing' the punk side of Wolf Alice can come as a nasty surprise. Here the band has the same challenge as I imagine Arctic Monkeys has. Where do you stick 'Dance Floor' and 'Teddy Picker' in the setlist with the songs on 'The Car'? Wolf Alice has that challenge as well. That was decided on quite well, as the setlist was quite dynamic, working between the pop ballads on 'The Clearing' and the louder, mostly older songs..

Something else I was not prepared for, is that from a distance I had the impression to look at Lana del Rey on stage. Ellie Rowsell's outfit does not match Wolf Alice's image as an alternative rock band. I know, that has been left behind almost completely on 'The Clearing', but still.

Finally, I noticed that what works really well in venues like Paradiso or Melkweg does not work as well on a stage like AFAS, let alone bigger. The audience participation part is instigated mostly by bass player Theo Ellis. His enthusiasm does not come across further down the lines. This has to become somewhat bigger as well.

Admittedly, I was not completely fit and at some point had to go to the back to sit down. That may have influenced my perception of the show. Let me tell you, the people at the back are not the people to enjoy a show with. There were a few highlights like 'Leaning Against The Wall' and 'The Sofa'. Several times the band showed how subtle it can play and gave Joff Oddie the opportunity to show what a great guitarist he is. There were some great sounds coming from his guitar. The addition of a keyboard player was certainly a winner. On top of it all, Ellie Rowsell is a great singer. What power comes from her rather frail body. It just did not save the evening for me. Perhaps my expectations were too high. Madrugada never topped that magical evening in Melkweg after the release of 'The Nightly Disease' either.

Photo: WdN-vdB

Irish band Florence + Road opened and had some good moments, but never captured me either. It was interesting enough to go and check the band out later on Spotify.  The band's singer is great. What a voice and the music was able to go from quite intricate to a storm and back, in a convincing way..The way the band stood on the stage was rather strange though. Singer/guitarist, drummer and bassist close together on their right and the lead guitarist on her own to the left. As if she didn't belong to the band really. To see them standing in the middle of the exit hall talking to fans was nice to see. At that level of popularity, this level of interaction is still possible. Enjoy it while you can.

Wout de Natris - van der Borght 

 

Mystery Park. Kathryn Williams

De Britse singer-songwriter Kathryn Williams staat al meer dan 25 jaar garant voor kwaliteit en doet dat ook op haar nieuwe album Mystery Park, dat in muzikaal opzicht af en toe herinnert aan haar meesterwerk Little Black Numbers.

Een nieuw album van Kathryn Williams is wat mij betreft altijd iets om naar uit te kijken. Ik keek dan ook al een tijdje uit naar Mystery Park, dat in september is verschenen. Het is een album dat aan de ene kant volledig voldoet aan de verwachtingen en het uit duizenden herkenbare Kathryn Williams geluid laat horen, maar de Britse muzikante weet ook altijd te verrassen. Dat doet ze bijvoorbeeld met songs die zijn voorzien van wat vollere arrangementen, maar Mystery Park bevat ook een aantal songs die weer wat dichter tegen de songs op haar voorlopige meesterwerk Little Black Numbers aan zitten. Het levert wederom een album van hoge kwaliteit op, precies wat je verwacht van Kathryn Williams.

Het is dit jaar, toch wel enigszins tot mijn verbazing, alweer 25 jaar geleden dat Little Black Numbers, het tweede album van de Britse singer-songwriter Kathryn Williams, verscheen. Little Black Numbers was me direct bij eerste beluistering zeer dierbaar en dat is in de afgelopen 25 jaar niet veranderd. Integendeel zelfs, want ik schaar het inmiddels onder mijn favoriete albums aller tijden. 

Little Black Numbers is daarom vanzelfsprekend nog altijd mijn favoriete Kathryn Williams album, maar ook de stapel albums die Kathryn Williams sindsdien heeft uitgebracht is van zeer hoge kwaliteit, met Old Low Light uit 2002, Hypoxia uit 2015 en Night Drives uit 2020 als persoonlijke favorieten. Vorig jaar leverde Kathryn Williams samen met de Schotse muzikant Withered Hand (aka Dan Willson) nog een prima album af, maar met Mystery Park verschijnt deze week een volgend soloalbum van de Britse muzikante, die werd geboren in Liverpool, maar inmiddels Newcastle als thuisbasis heeft. 

Mystery Park is volgens de bandcamp pagina van de Britse muzikante al haar vijftiende album en het is wederom een hele mooie. Kathryn Williams noemt Mystery Park zelf haar meest persoonlijke album tot dusver, maar het is ook een album waarop ze intensief samenwerkt met andere muzikanten en songwriters. Hieronder muzikanten en songwriters van naam en faam als Leo Abrahams, Neill MacColl, Beth Neilsen Chapman, Polly Paulusma, Ed Harcourt en Paul Weller, die allemaal bijdragen aan de hoge kwaliteit van de songs en de muziek op het album. 

Een aantal tracks op Mystery Park herinnert in meerdere opzichten aan Little Black Numbers, dat ook voor Kathryn Williams zelf nog altijd een ijkpunt is. De echo’s uit het verleden, die overigens ook van het hierboven genoemde Old Low Light komen, hoor je vooral in de spaarzaam ingekleurde songs met vooral invloeden uit de Britse folk. Kathryn Williams is altijd een folkie geweest en Mystery Park verandert daar niets aan. 

Het album is echter zeker niet steken bij het terecht zo bewierookte Little Black Numbers en de directe opvolgers, maar bevat ook een aantal wat voller en anders ingekleurde songs. De arrangementen en de muziek op het album zijn echt prachtig en ook op de productie van Leo Abrahams heb ik niets aan te merken, want muziek en zang zijn echt prachtig in balans. 

Net als de vorige albums ontleent echter ook Mystery Park de meeste kracht aan de zo herkenbare stem van Kathryn Williams. Het is een stem die 25 jaar geleden betoverde op Little Black Numbers en dat doet de zachte en heldere stem van de Britse muzikante nog steeds. Het maakt hierbij niet zoveel uit of Kathryn Williams kiest voor de wat soberdere klanken die we kennen van haar vroege albums of juist voor een wat voller klinkend geluid, want in beide gevallen is de stem van Kathryn Williams echt bijzonder mooi. 

Het komt allemaal samen in een serie persoonlijke songs, die de Britse muzikante deels schreef met anderen. Het zijn, net als de songs die we inmiddels kennen van Kathryn Williams, songs die lekker in het gehoor liggen, maar die bijzonder knap in elkaar zitten. Ik ben inmiddels al 25 jaar fan van Kathryn Williams en ze heeft me nog nooit teleurgesteld. Dat doet ze ook weer niet met het echt bijzonder mooie Mystery Park.

Erwin Zijleman

 

Je kunt Mystery Park hier luisteren en bestellen:

https://kathrynwilliams.bandcamp.com/album/mystery-park

Jimmy Cliff (1944 - 2025)

Just now it was on the news that Jimmy Cliff had died at the age of 81. It made me wonder, when did I hear reggae music for the first time? I can't be 100% certain, but most likely it was when 'Israelites' entered the Top 40 in 1969 and went to number 1. Not much later 'Wonderful World Beautiful People' entered. It was Jimmy Cliff's first hit here in NL.

Did I realise I was listening to reggae? That answer most likely is no. At that age I took most music for granted. A hit was a hit because it was played on the radio and most of the songs in the Top 40 were taken at face value, with the exception of a few songs that were obviously for parents and grandparents.

Reggae disappeared again, but I remember a film on a reggae festival in Jamaica on the Belgian tv in 1973 or 74. By then everybody was speaking about reggae but I remember being turned off quite soon. It all sounded sort of the same to my ears and although I do like the average reggae hit through the years, after a few songs I have heard enough.

Cliff's second hit was 'Vietnam', a protest song so I gather. It sounds in hindsight very, well almost festive. The rhythm gives it a positive vibe. In 1970 he had his first big hit, 'Wild World', a track Cat Stevens wrote, turned into a reggae track. If I remember correctly, it is the only Jimmy Cliff (James Chambers at the registry office) single I have, because I really liked the song back then. One of his most famous songs, I know because of Joe Jackson's cover on a maxi single and the last he was to release with his Band, until the 00s that is. 'The Harder They Come' is a great song. I've never seen the movie that, so I understand, made a star of Jimmy Cliff.

Where hits were concerned, things became quiet here but he did have a comeback. His second top 10 hit was 'Reggae Nights', followed by 'Sunshine In The Music'. All well over 40 years ago. By then I was not into this kind of pop reggae. Third World though, with the powerful 'Now That We Found Love' and 'Try Jah Love', now that was something different.

Summing up, I've never been a fan of Jimmy Cliff or reggae really. His demise did remind me that one of his songs introduced me to reggae music in 1969. Listening to 'Wonderful World Beautiful People' still makes me feel good. Just like that first hitsingle of Melanie from around the same time, 'Beautiful People'. Is it a coincidence they share a title?

Wout de Natris - van der Borght 

Nusantara Beat. Nusantara Beat

Looking in from the outside, I can't help but wonder what the added value is of singing in Indonesian (bahasa Indonesia) for a band from The Netherlands releasing its debut album in 2025. Listening to the album, I can only state how beautiful the album is and that the language barrier simply disappears after a few minutes.

Nusantara Beat is a relatively new band but can be called a Dutch supergroup, as all members play or have played in other bands. All members are, at least in past of Indonesian descent and have been playing together for a few years. It is their Indonesian heritage they are honouring with Nusantara Beat. Nusantara means unity and was the name of Indonesia in a long ago era, when several kings tried to make the many islands and kingdoms into one nation.

The beat stands for the history of "Indorock" and krontjong bands, made up of youngster who had emigrated from the new Indonesian state to the former colonist country circa 1950. Expecting to leave soon, but that never happened for most. This is for a different kind of blog, one on history. With ex-EUT singer Megan de Klerk the band has enlisted a singer with a dreamy voice, bringing in a dreampop influence to the whole. She dared to sing in a language she didn't master at the time. With her, the band was complete. All these influences from the past were blended by the band with indie, alternative pop and rock from this century. The result is the album Nusantara Beat and it's very convincing.

The band further consists of guitarist Jordy Sanger, guitarist/keyboardist Rouzy Portier, drummer Sonny Groeneveld, percussionist Gino Groeneveld and bassist Michael Joshua. The latter is the only one born in Indonesia. Together they produce music that is extremely slick, there's no other word for it. From there the band is able to show its teeth in the right places, so that when it bites, it has the effect like running into a tiger in the jungle.

My experience with Indonesian music does not go much further than the singles my late aunt had of Anneke Grönloh full of nostalgia for the emerald isles (and some gamalan music). And yet, there are faint resemblances in the way Megan de Klerk constructed her vocal melodies. I'm not saying there is a direct link between songs like 'Paradiso' or 'Soerabaja' and Nusantara Beat's. What connects them is a feeling and a kind of longing for things not here. Guitarist Jordy Sanger brings out a twangy surf sound to the mix, what will be the link to the indorock that I'm simply too young for, believe it or not.

As I started, I'm not certain who this album is for, but I for one sure don't mind listening to it. The nostalgia works for 100%.

Wout de Natris - van der Borght

 

You can order Nusantara Beat here:

https://excelsior-recordings.com/en 

2025, week 47. 10 singles

Cold, grey, sleet, do I need to say more? Late fall is upon us. The central heating is on and the light needs to be turned on earlier and earlier. Just a little more than one month and the days will turn, slowly, longer once again. In the meantime here's ten recent singles with mostly (fairly) new names for you to explore, so, enjoy!

Nightwalking. Gans

Another debut on the blog is for Birmingham duo Gans, the Dutch word for goose by the way. Euan Woodman (drums, vocals) and Thomas Rhodes (bass, vocals) form Gans, but do not shy away from using a host of other instruments, as you can hear. In a way you could say Nightwalking is everything but a drums and bass song, like e.g. Royal Blood produced. If anything, this single is a reincarnation of a Wham song. Now Wham had several great songs in its day, that I loved to dance to at one of the great parties in our student dorm called 'De Zevende Hemel'. In an alternative way Nightwalking is 'Edge Of Heaven' or 'Wake Me Up (Before You Go Go)'. It is a fun song. Certainly darker than the Club Med setting of Wham's video. The duo's debut album 'Good For The Soul' is out for two months already. Do check it out.

Anthem. Nick & June

After single 'Husband & Wife' Berlin based Nick & June return to the blog with another single from their upcoming album 'New Year's Face' (5 December). Anthem is a dreamy song where Nick takes the lead vocal. Behind him the song turns from being hesitating to at times epic proportions. Horns fill my ears in a prominent way. Anthem becomes a huge song, while Nick, supported by June, keeps singing with a dreamy voice, almost distancing himself from the rest of the song. Towards the end it all comes together again to be led to a grand finale, where the voices are lifted upwards, before the horns wave them goodbye and take over the outro big time. 

Wild God (Live God). Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds

When 'Wild God' was released I bought it without listening. It was a Friday afternoon. My wife and I had a pleasant "vrijmibo". She usually cooks on Friday's, so I put on 'Wild God', fairly loud and positioned myself exactly in the middle of my speakers, on a slight high from consuming two great Belgian dark Kasteel beers. It didn't take long before I was totally gripped by the music, totally submerged. But then my wife came from the open kitchen, full of emotion asking who this was playing. We were both totally gripped by Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds' new album. And now Wild God (Live God). And Nick Cave does it again. What an explosion, an orgy of sound and emotions. Anyone doubting whether a live version adds anything, in my opinion, here's your answer. Accompanied by four female backing vocalists and a band that becomes supercharged, Cave rises and rises and can sing the song to a fantastic climax. Not many songs leave me breathless but this live version of Wild God certainly did.

I'm Your Fiend. The Sophs

I'm Your Fiend starts as a a bunch of kindergarten kids who were let into the studio. Things do get together soon, but the voice of the singer just sounds like this for most of the song. The singer of Swedish band The Plan sang like this. ('The Plan' is still one of my favourite albums from this century.) The Sophs is a six piece band from Los Angeles with Ethan Ramon as frontman. With I'm Your Fiend the band steps away from the stand alone singles it has been releasing recently, as it is working towards the release of its debut album, 'Sweat'. The release is planned for 30 May. With I'm Your Fiend The Sophs presents itself as an exuberant band, where the dark shines through with the distorted guitars and the light in the singing. Ramon sings as if all is roses, at least for most of the time. Isn't being in love not the worst during the time before you know if the loved one will reciprocate your love? "Shall I get down own my knees, I'm your fiend"? Well, ok, if you say so. It does put things kind of on ots head. And The Plan? It's all over I'm Your Fiend.

Victoria.  The Melancholy Kings

Victoria is the second single lifted from The Melancholy Kings' upcoming album 'Her Favourite Disguise' (28-11). Fans from harder driven pop songs like Gin Blossoms', that in its turn tapped into music from 80s bands like The Replacements, will find their way easily into Victoria. The members of The Melancholy Kings all were present at the time as young men and now live their own moment with writing originals in the vein of that long-gone era. The result is a single with some great double guitar lines and a tough rhythm section. The voice of singer Mike Potenza tops things off. No doubt The Melancholy Kings will excuse me for making the comment that the older 'Victoria' is the better song, but that comment does allow me to point to the final influence I hear in the song, one missing in the bio, The Kinks. I hear the band in several parts of Victoria, in the accents and parts of the vocal melody. It only adds to the quality of this nice song.

Easier. Audiogust

Everyone who goes online will know what Audiogust (Chris Evans) is singing about. It is so easy to disappear down the rabbit hole of social media. I will not go into this topic much deeper, because of the fact this is a music blog. But, a) it can take a lot of effort to switch it off and b) it doesn't exactly make you a happier person. "It would be easier if I didn't know", Evans sings and most of the time I wholeheartedly agree. The amazing side to this song is that Audiogust starts so tranquil and soft, reminding me of how Tamar Berk starts some of her songs. The quoted line at some points start to be repeated over and over, as if it is spinning inside of Evans' head until it explodes out of his ears. The song explodes as well and changes the whole mood of Easier. The Foo Fighters comparison the bio provides, finally makes sense to me. Album 'Falling From Down' was released on 7 November.

Heavy Lifting. Howling Bells

Yes, the second single of the revived Howling Bells makes it to the singles post also, after 'Unbroken' did in October. Heavy Lifting is a psychedelic rock track that at the same time reminds me a little of The Pretenders. Mostly because of the way singer Juanita Stein sings. She combines a tougher stance with very dreamy sequences. In the chorus Howling Bells goes into a grungy part with a distorted guitar leading the way. What I also like a lot in this single, is the different ways the individual parts are arranged. It makes for interesting listening for the whole of the two minutes and thirty three seconds Heavy Lifting lasts. Take the flanged(?) lead guitar that pops in and out of the song or the keyboard that enters later in the song. With the different singing parts, just a few of the examples you will find when listening. The comeback of Howling Bells becomes more interesting by the song. We will know more on 13 February when 'Strange Life' is released.

Everybody Knows My Business Now. Georgia Knight

Everyone who reviews music knows there is so much more out there than is possible to give attention to. This is the main reason why I started this singles post once a week. Georgia Knight's debut album 'Beanpole' is out already but I'm not certain if I will get around to it before the end of this year. So, to be certain, here is a second single. Georgia Knight is from Australia and recorded Beanpole already in 2023. Today it is here for the world to enjoy. Again, this single shows how different Ms Knight sounds from most of her contemporary colleagues. Everybody Knows My Business Now is a serious song and has nothing to do with pop ditties, let alone AI generated pop tunes. Let me call it alternative folk, because of some of the instruments I'm hearing. Parts of the song are more atmosphere than music in the sense of chords being played. There are, in the chorus, just don't expect an easy to sing along to one. Georgia Knight impressed me with 'Mingle' and again impresses me with Everybody Knows My Business Now. 'Beanpole' is on my list, believe me.

Joan. Gunmoll

Gunmoll returns to the blog with Joan. A strong track the crawls under the skin, threatening to break right through it but never really does. The tension is there without getting a full release. The Amsterdam band is in a great shape in this song. The outro does comes close, with bass player Koen van Bemmelen doing a Paul McCartney in The Rolling Stones track 'Bite My Head Off'. An extremely dirty sound escapes his amp propelling the song forward towards its final chord. Singer Jolien Grunberg keeps her cool during the whole of the song. The interludes keep the song grounded with their high sounding keys. In the past few years Gunmoll did not always convince me but with Joan the band certainly finds itself firmly on my good side. A very strong single Joan is. It's only until 6 February that we have to be patient, the date debut album 'Kill Your Darlings' is released.

Wounds. Julie's Haircut

The final single this week is from a band that makes its debut on this blog, Julie's Haircut. To think that the band is around since the late 90s! Musically, that time link makes sense, as this subdued song holds the kind of mystery that came with a band like Massive (Attack). Wounds has a vibe like that. All kinds of instruments seem to lurk in the background and depth of Wounds. Italian-Nigerian singer Anna Bassey certainly is able to sing like Sharon Nelson or Elizabeth Fraser. Julie's Haircut is from Emilia in Northern Italy, the town with that great, futuristic train station of the high speed railway. The mood Wounds sets certainly makes me curious to hear more. Album 'Radiance Opposition' is out on 28 November.

Wout de Natris - van der Borght 

Coming Up For Air. Roufaida

Na een terecht geprezen mini-album keert de Nederlands-Marokkaanse muzikante Roufaida deze week terug met haar debuutalbum Coming Up For Air en wat is het een mooi, spannend, vernieuwend en sprankelend album geworden.

De Rotterdamse muzikante Roufaida maakte in 2023 al indruk met een bijzonder eigen geluid en dat geluid is op Coming Up For Air alleen maar mooier, rijker en eigenzinniger geworden. Het is een geluid waarin bijzondere ritmes centraal staan en waarin zowel plaats is voor invloeden uit de Westerse popmuziek als voor invloeden uit onder andere de Marokkaanse muziek. Het is van de eerste tot en met de laatste noot spannend, maar het is ook bijzonder mooi. Het wordt nog mooier door de stem van Roufaida die diepe indruk maakt als vertolker van zowel Engelse als Arabische teksten. Roufaida sleept je een bijzonder muzikaal universum in, dat je vervolgens voorlopig niet meer wilt verlaten.

De Nederlands-Marokkaanse muzikante Roufaida (Aboutaleb) leverde in het voorjaar van 2023 een titelloos mini-album af en maakte terecht flink wat indruk met bijzondere klanken, persoonlijke songs en een mooie en karakteristieke stem. Op het mini-album combineerde de Rotterdamse muzikante op bijzondere wijze invloeden uit de folk en de indie met invloeden uit de Marokkaanse muziek en muziek uit het Midden-Oosten. Het leverde uniek klinkende maar ook zeer aansprekende songs op. 

Roufaida keert deze week terug met haar volwaardige debuutalbum en laat horen dat ze sindsdien alleen maar beter is geworden. Op het ruim twee jaar oude mini-album liet Roufaida al een bijzondere smeltkroes vol invloeden horen en hier zijn alleen maar invloeden aan toegevoegd. Naast folk en indie en invloeden uit de muziek waarmee de Rotterdamse muzikanten kennis maakte tijdens de vakanties in Marokko uit haar jeugd, zijn op Coming Up For Air ook invloeden uit onder andere de hiphop, R&B, Afrobeat en pure pop te horen. 

Roufaida koos op haar mini-album nog vooral voor songs met een duidelijke folky basis, maar kiest op haar debuutalbum vooral voor dansbare maar tegelijkertijd redelijk ingetogen tracks. Het zijn tracks die worden gedragen door bijzondere ritmes en het zijn tracks die in muzikaal opzicht continu een brug slaan tussen de culturen waartussen Roufaida zich beweegt. Het klinkt allemaal bijzonder lekker, maar de muziek op Coming Up For Air is ook altijd spannend, waardoor je steeds weer nieuwe dingen ontdekt op het album. 

Het slaan van een brug tussen culturen doet de Rotterdamse muzikante ook met haar teksten, die deels in het Engels en deels in het Arabisch zijn. Het zijn overigens teksten waarin Roufaida geen blad voor de mond neemt. Direct in de openingstracks vraagt ze aandacht voor de Palestijnse zaak, maar ook meer persoonlijke thema’s als discriminatie, het vinden van een eigen identiteit en volwassen worden in een onstuimige wereld komen ruimschoots aan bod op een album dat ook optimisme uitstraalt. 

Roufaida trekt niet alleen aandacht met haar bijzondere muziek, maar maakt ook indruk met haar stem. De zang op Coming Up For Air heeft aan kracht en souplesse gewonnen en voelt zich als een vis in het water in het avontuurlijke en veelzijdige geluid op Coming Up For Air. Hoe mooi haar stem is hoor je misschien nog wel het best in een zeer ingetogen track als Li Beirut, maar ook in combinatie met wat steviger aangezette klanken is de stem van Roufaida echt bijzonder mooi. 

Het heeft heel af en toe wel wat van de muziek van Naaz, die ook verschillende culturen samenbrengt in haar songs, maar Roufaida heeft op haar debuutalbum ook een duidelijk eigen geluid. Het is een geluid dat verder wordt opgetild door de fenomenale productie van Wannes Salomé, die we kennen van zijn band Klangstof, maar die ook als producer inmiddels flink aan de weg timmert. De Nederlandse producer heeft het album voorzien van een mooi helder geluid, waarin de ritmes een cruciale plek innemen en waar de rest van de muziek en de zang fraai omheen draaien. 

Coming Up For Air bevat elf tracks en bevat ruim een half uur muziek, maar wat gebeurt er veel moois en spannends in dit half uur. Na haar mini-album waren de verwachtingen met betrekking tot het debuutalbum van Roufaida hooggespannen, maar de Rotterdamse muzikante maakt ze met speels gemak waar. Wat een bijzonder album.

Erwin Zijleman

Forever. Glyders

With Forever U.S. trio Glyders releases its second album after 'Maria's Hunt' (2023). Although the album appears to have entered my inbox, I have absolutely no recollection of hearing it. Things changed with Forever. Expect a trip down a psychedelic memory lane, while ticking boxed galore, with some mild garage rocking on the side for good measure.

Glyders was a duo with ever changing drummers, until guitarist/vocalist Joshua Condon and bassist Eliza Weber ran into drummer Joe Seger. Ever since the three are on a trip to conquer the world together. For starters, they have conquered my ears. That started right with the opening song, 'Super Glyde'. The intro is rather weird in sound and in presentation. My guess was that this was going to be an instrumental track. Around one minute the song changes course and twenty seconds later Condon starts singing. By then the song has a T. Rex vibe, like 'Get It On'. At the same time my brain was turning itself inside out during the chorus to find an answer to the question it kept asking, until I found the answer, Tim Claridge of Death Goldbloom. It sounds like his voice there.

T. Rex returns once more in the second track, 'Moon Eyes', that turned out to be instrumental. The psychedelic sauce that is poured over the song, makes it totally its own. With 'Stone Shadow' Big Star and Chris Bell get a huge tip of the hat. Glyders obviously is not afraid of showing what it likes to listen to, while adding some nice songs to the whole in existence already. Later on we get some The Velvet Underground in the way of playing, in a song that is different from what Lou Reed c.s. used to play. Listen to the songs of Forever and you will notice Glyders does this kind of trick for the whole of the time, by including snippets from other bands and sounds into its own.

I could do comparisons for more songs, but that would sell Forever short. The album contains several exciting songs (and one or two less so). Isn't this what discovering new music is about? Finding songs that are either beautiful or wild and exciting? Glyders is able to present just that with its second album. Now what does 'Maria's Hunt' sound like?

Wout de Natris - van der Borght

 

You can listen to and order Forever here:

https://glyders.bandcamp.com/album/forever 

Daylight Daylight. Steve Gunn

Late September, I wrote on Daylight Daylight's single and opening song 'Nearly There' and pointed out what the song reminded me of. Hearing it again, and having listened to Pink Floyd's 'Animals' for the first time in a few years, made me realise I had missed something. The sound of Gunn's acoustic guitar sounds exactly like the one on 'Pigs On A Wing'. The sound and the way it is strummed. And when he sings on 'Morning On L Road', it becomes even more pronounced. The songs don't plagiarise, don't worry, it's the mood and sound that brings the comparison to mind.

Besides, it is meant as a compliment. 'Animals' may not be in my personal Pink Floyd top 3, as in my top 10 all around, the album is in close pursuit. This however was not what I liked the first time I listened to Daylight Daylight, when I wrote down the album immediately for a review. No, that is the extremely pleasant listening experience, the songs and Gunn's voice.

In a way this album, Steve Gunn's seventh solo album, is in a line with Nick Drake's. Gunn recorded his voice and guitar and sent the result to his producer and friend James Elkington. He received a carte blanche with one caveat: this is meant to become a small album. The result is, like Drake's albums, a singer-songwriter accompanied by other instruments that mostly take their place in the background. Soft percussion, some keys or a guitar overdub and strings played by Macie Stewart (violins and viola), Ben Whiteley (cellos) and Nick Macri (upright bass). There's also Hunter Diamond (woodwinds).

This soft and small approach allows the listener to truly listen and move along with the flow Gunn and Elkington created for us. The result is an album that is rich in mood, texture and atmospheric. I would almost say new age, the way 'Another Fade' progresses. As a whole Daylight Daylight puts the listener in a relaxed mood for certain. Just close your eyes and submerge into the seven songs. That is all you need to do and enjoy your half hour with Steve Gunn and colleague musicians.

Wout de Natris - van der Borght

 

You can listen to and order Daylight Daylight here:

https://stevegunn.bandcamp.com/album/daylight-daylight 

Holandaluz live. Huiskamer concert Haarlem, zondag 16 november

Foto WdN-vdB

Alweer voor de 22e keer vond er een huisconcert plaats in deze huiskamer, ditmaal met de flamenco gitarist van Nederlandse bodem, Marnix Ducroock.

Voor mij persoonlijk was het een geheel nieuwe ervaring. Ik ken flamenco voornamelijk als gepassioneerde gitaarmuziek die dansers begeleidt die veel en vaak met de voeten stampen om het temperament van de muziek en dans te onderstrepen. Mijn onkennis voert zelfs zo ver, dat ik geen idee had dat de vermaarde gitarist Paco de Lucia een flamenco gitarist was. Ik dacht altijd dat hij klassieke muziek speelde (en heb hem nooit, bewust althans, gehoord).

Ducroock studeert als een kleine twintig jaar flamenco en reist daarvoor geregeld naar Sevilla om lessen te nemen bij vermaarde gitaristen. Maar daar stopt het verhaal niet bij. Op zijn vierde (!) raakte hij onder de indruk van het gitaarspel van David Gilmour op de cd 'The Division Bell' en wilde vanaf dat moment gitarist worden, wat vanaf zijn zesde mogelijk werd.

Die twee wijzen van gitaar spelen is hij in zijn eigen werk gaan combineren. De flamenco is vermengt met een liedstructuur, als vervanging van een klassieke flamenco compositie. Hij doet dat sinds zijn laatste plaat onder de naam Holandaluz, de Hollandse Andalusiër. Voor puristen is dit natuurlijk not done, evenals het vermengen met Braziliaanse rumba. Echter, zonder invloeden van buitenaf en mensen met ingevingen zou er nooit iets veranderen in de wereld. Enter, Marnix Ducroock.

Gedurende een kleine twee uur, inclusief een korte pauze en onderhoudende verhalen over zijn spel, de muziek, haar achtergronden en helden, speelde hij zo hard met zijn armen, polsen, vingers, vingertoppen en nagels tot dat de stukken er bijna afvlogen. Iemand van zo dichtbij, zo virtuoos zien spelen, is een enorm voorrecht. Met open mond heb ik zitten kijken, en luisteren natuurlijk, naar schier eindeloze runs over de snaren van hoog naar laag en terug, met ritmische riffjes tussen door, terugkerende thema's, ritmische stukken die typisch flamenco waren, maar overgaan in een stuk dat van een akoestisch deel van een Pink Floyd plaat kon komen, waarop een riff à la 'Pinball Wizard' volgt, om er daarna weer een virtuoos stuk achteraan te gooien. Wat ook zichtbaar was, is hoe zwaar het spelen an sich is. Niet alleen voor het lijf, maar ook het brein. Het was gewoon genoeg toen de toegift er op zat. Daarvoor speelde hij overigens een nieuw nummer, in ontwikkeling. "Mijn beste tot op heden". Het was van een verbluffende schoonheid. De wereld moet nog circa twee jaar geduld hebben voordat het op plaat verschijnt.

Foto: WdN-vdB

Over dat voorrecht gesproken. Nog nooit heb ik iemand zo in zijn gitaar zien kruipen. Ogen dicht, gitaar dicht tegen het lichaam en het hoofd naast de hals gebogen. Totaal opgaand in de muziek, maar ook de opperste concentratie om dit te kunnen spelen. En dan te bedenken dat Ducroock stelt nog niet goed genoeg te zijn. Hij dacht nog een jaar of vijf nodig te hebben om zijn streefniveau te bereiken. Dat is nog steeds niet de 100%, want dat vergt hele delen van de waakzame dag om te kunnen besteden aan oefenen.

Ik heb het geluk gehad om een aantal zeer gerenommeerde rock gitaristen live te zien, die fantastische dingen uit een gitaar weten te krijgen, maar iets als dit? Nee, dat was een eerste keer. Wat een belevenis en wat een bezieling.

Na afloop kochten we een paar LPs en ook die zijn, hoewel ze anders klinken dan ik had verwacht, ze zijn prachtig. Hier speelt Marnix Ducroock zijn composities in een bandsetting met een viool als prominent instrument. En, mocht u iemand kennen die huisconcerten organiseert, Marnix houdt zich warm aanbevolen.

Wout de Natris - van der Borght

 

Je kunt de muziek van Holandaluz hier bestellen:

https://holandaluzmusic.com/music 

Starlit Alchemy. Rachael Yamagata

Rachael Yamagata leverde 21 jaar geleden een bescheiden en miskend meesterwerk af en levert sindsdien met lange tussenpozen nieuwe albums af, die prachtig zijn, wat ook weer geldt voor het deze week verschenen Starlit Alchemy.

Wie herinnert zich Happenstance van Rachael Yamagata nog? Het misschien wel mooiste album van 2004 deed destijds veel te weinig en de albums die volgden deden nog minder. Niet zo gek dus dat er vorige maand niet heel veel aandacht was voor Starlit Alchemy, maar ook het nieuwe album van Rachael Yamagata is weer prachtig. Het is een intiem album dat wat vaker neigt naar klassieke singer-songwriter albums, maar ook dit album heeft weer het unieke Rachael Yamagata geluid, al is het maar vanwege de mooie en emotievolle stem van de Amerikaanse muzikante, die inmiddels vijf echte wonderschone albums op haar naam heeft staan. Ga dat horen!

De naam Rachael Yamagata is voor mij echt voor eeuwig verbonden met haar debuutalbum Happenstance. Het in 2004 verschenen album is inmiddels alweer meer dan twintig jaar oud, maar het is al die tijd een album geweest waar ik met enige regelmaat naar luister en een album dat me echt extreem dierbaar is. Op haar debuutalbum deed de muziek van Rachael Yamagata wel wat denken aan de muziek van de door mij zeer bewonderde Fiona Apple, maar Happenstance is ook album dat teruggrijpt op de albums van de grote singer-songwriters uit de jaren 70, met Carole King voorop. 

Happenstance leek de start te zijn van een zeer succesvolle carrière, maar die kwam helaas nooit helemaal van de grond. Het feit dat Rachael Yamagata na Happenstance de tijd nam voor haar volgende albums heeft hierin zeker meegespeeld. Aan de kwaliteit van de albums lag het zeker niet, want Elephants...Teeth Sinking Into Heart uit 2008, Chesapeake uit 2011 en Tightrope Walker uit 2016 waren alle drie uitstekende albums, al haalden ze het torenhoge niveau van Happenstance net niet. 

Rachael Yamagata keerde vorige maand terug met haar vijfde album en ook Starlit Alchemy is weer een hele mooie. Het is een zeer persoonlijk en wat melancholisch album dat niet echt onder doet voor zijn drie voorgangers. Op alle albums van de Amerikaanse muzikante hoor ik iets van Fiona Apple en iets van een aantal grote vrouwelijke singer-songwriters uit de jaren 70 en dat is op het nieuwe album van Rachael Yamagata niet anders. 

Vergeleken met Happenstance is de balans wel wat doorgeslagen richting de singer-songwriter muziek uit het verre verleden en daar is niets mis mee. Starlit Alchemy werd opgenomen in de thuisstudio van de Amerikaanse muzikante en er is hoorbaar de tijd genomen voor het album dat tussen 2022 en 2024 is opgenomen in Hudson Valley, New York. 

Met name de wat soberder ingekleurde songs nemen je mee terug naar de jaren 70, maar in Birds of Blue Jay hoor je toch opeens weer Fiona Apple, terwijl het bont ingekleurde en rijk georkestreerde Carnival met een beetje fantasie van Rufus Wainwright zou kunnen zijn. 

In muzikaal opzicht is Starlit Alchemy een interessant album. In een van de weinige artikelen die over het album is gepubliceerd omschrijft Rachael Yamagata het album zelfs als volgt: “Perhaps think of Tom Waits as Willy Wonka and Rickie Lee Jones as Dorothy in a soundscape mentored by Hans Zimmer and Joni Mitchell – from her ‘Both Sides Now’ album. None of which I’m well versed in by the way, so forgive any pretence”. Geestig, maar het zegt verder niet zoveel, dus ik hou me bij mijn eerdere omschrijving. 

Ik heb het nog niet over de stem van Rachael Yamagata gehad en het was haar stem die me 21 jaar geleden betoverde. De stem van de Amerikaanse muzikante klinkt op haar nieuwe album rijper en doorleefder, maar ook op Starlit Alchemy is de zang intens en bijzonder mooi. 

Het blijft jammer dat Rachael Yamagata nooit is omarmd door een groot publiek, want hier zijn haar albums goed en interessant genoeg voor. Ik ben zelf blij dat ik haar nieuwe albums steeds weer in het vizier krijg en dat is dit keer niet anders, want na een paar keer horen ben ik alweer behoorlijk gehecht aan het intieme, intense en bij vlagen echt wonderschone Starlit Alchemy van Rachael Yamagata.

Erwin Zijleman

Ripe Fruit Rots And Falls. chokecherry

... Unless you pick it first of course (and eat it). With its debut album duo Izzie Clark (vocalist/guitarist) and E. Scarlett Levinson (vocalist/bassist) make their debut on this blog as well. chokecherry's album rocks no little at that. Let's not forger the assistance of drummer Abri Crocitto there, who makes the sound even huger.

Coming from the Southern California scene and mentioning acts like Turnstile and Mannequin Pussy as influences, fans will know enough. Not for me, as I'm not familiar with both. chokecherry starts with scoring on the Veruca Salt meter as far as I'm concerned and coming a nice long way. Besides that, there's a lot more to enjoy.

Ripe Fruit Rots And Falls immediately set off the pleasure bells in my brain. This is the kind of album that tickles my fancy immediately. The combination of loud rock and dreamy female vocals is a combination that simply pleases me. Of course, the songs have to have quality. That part is taken care of by chokecherry. How to categorise this music? Dreamrock?

Let's begin at the beginning, 'Porcelain Warrior'. It starts with just a clean sounding electric guitar with a little wobbly effect on it. The singer(s) come in one after the other, showing how good they can sing together. For the second verse everything is kicked into life, with drummer Crocitto filling up a lot of the available space. chokecherry shows that it excels in both circumstances, quiet, subdued and in rocking mode. The overdubbed guitars all add to the atmosphere of 'Porcelain Warrior'.

Press photo

On influences, I would start with the rock side of Heart, add some Warpaint and La Luz style singing and then think of every good alternative rock band you know since the 1990s. And 'Eight Arms To Hold You'! That description gets you a long way understanding and appreciating chokecherry. The band varies just enough in the dynamics in the songs and between songs to keep the album interesting when moving deeper into it. From very huge, 'Pretty Things', it can also tone down like in the first part of 'Secrets', before the band kicks in and Clark and Levinson sing us straight into heaven. This is so well done, so beautiful.

Although there are six more songs on Ripe Fruits Rots And Falls, there is not much more I can add for you, except that the following songs are all up to par. No, this album is no earth-shattering debut album. For that too much sounds very familiar. What it is, is a very good debut album from a very talented band, with a great drummer in a supporting role.

Wout de Natris - van der Borght

 

You can listen to and order Ripe Fruits Rots And Falls here: 

https://chokecherry4ever.bandcamp.com/album/ripe-fruit-rots-and-falls