Erwin Zijlemans plaat van 2025: Virgin. Lorde (2)

Zeven maal per week publiceert Erwin Zijleman recensies op zijn eigen blog 'Krenten uit de Pop'. Twee maal per week herpubliceert hij zijn favorieten op WoNoBlog. Hierdoor krijgen de lezers een mooie mix te lezen van muziekstijlen, omdat onze smaken, uitzonderingen daargelaten, voornamelijk verschillen. Ieder jaar publiceert Erwin zijn favoriete top 75 en dit is de nummer 1 van 2025.

Lorde leverde in 2021 met Solar Power een interessant maar ook net wat minder overtuigend album af, maar revancheert zich razend knap met Virgin, dat vooralsnog met afstand het beste popalbum van 2025 is
De Nieuw-Zeelandse muzikante Lorde is nog altijd pas 28 jaar oud, maar levert deze week met Virgin al haar vierde album af, bijna 12 jaar na het verschijnen van haar debuutalbum. Met Melodrama maakte ze in 2017 een van mijn favoriete popalbums aller tijden, maar dat niveau haalde ze niet op haar vorige album. Het is een niveau dat wel weer wordt gehaald op het deze week verschenen Virgin. Het is een album met de zo herkenbare stem van Lorde en haar al even herkenbare eigenzinnige popsongs. Virgin is ook in productioneel en muzikaal opzicht een hoogstaand album en het is een album dat vooralsnog alleen maar interessanter wordt. Wat een indrukwekkende zet weer van de Nieuw-Zeelandse popster.

Ella Marija Lani Yelich-O'Connor was pas 16 jaar oud toen ze in 2013 haar debuutalbum Pure Heroine uitbracht onder de naam Lorde. De Nieuw-Zeelandse muzikante maakte direct indruk met een aantal geweldige en zeer aanstekelijke popsongs, maar het waren ook popsongs met een duidelijk eigen geluid. 

Ik vond Pure Heroine vooral een album met een aantal geweldige singles, maar met het in 2017 verschenen en door geweldenaar Jack Antonoff geproduceerde Melodrama leverde Lorde wat mij betreft een nagenoeg perfect popalbum af. Het is een popalbum dat ik schaar onder de beste popalbums van dit millennium en er verschenen er de afgelopen vijfentwintig jaar nogal wat. Het vervolgens in 2021 verschenen Solar Power was zeker geen slecht album, maar het wat meer ingetogen album was, zeker achteraf bezien, lang niet zo goed als Melodrama en dit ondanks een aantal geweldige muzikanten en wederom Jack Antonoff achter de knoppen. 

Sinds de aankondiging van Virgin, het vierde album van Lorde, ging het in eerste instantie alleen maar over de zogenaamd gewaagde of zelfs ongepaste cover van het album, maar ik zie nog steeds niet wat er gewaagd of ongepast is aan een röntgenfoto (de binnenhoes hadden we toen nog niet gezien, maar kom op, het is 2025). Sinds deze week kunnen we het gelukkig over de nieuwe songs van Lorde hebben en die zijn echt geweldig. Of Virgin uiteindelijk Melodrama gaat overtreffen durf ik nog niet te zeggen, maar het vierde album van Lorde komt in ieder geval akelig dicht in de buurt van het album uit 2017 en groeit nog wel even door. 

Voor de productie deed Lorde dit keer een beroep op drie producers, onder wie Jim-E Stack, die nog niet de status heeft van Jack Antonoff, maar wel een van de producers was van het briljante Desire, I Want To Turn Into You van Caroline Polachek, en Daniel Nigro, de man achter Chappel Roan en Olivia Rodrigo en ook betrokken bij het genoemde album van Caroline Polachek. Ze tekenen voor een productioneel hoogstandje.

Vergeleken met Solar Power schuift Virgin weer wat op richting elektronisch ingekleurde en soms zwaar aangezette popsongs. Toch blijft Virgin ver weg van de wat eendimensionale popalbums van het moment. Net als bijvoorbeeld Billie Eilish, met wie Lorde bijna de achternaam deelt, schakelt Lorde makkelijk tussen met veel elektronica ingekleurde en uptempo songs en wat subtieler klinkende songs waarin gas wordt teruggenomen. 

Net als Billie Eilish slaagt Lorde er bovendien in om een uit duizenden herkenbaar geluid te creëren. Dat doet de Nieuw-Zeelandse muzikante met haar stem, maar ook met haar songs, die zonder uitzondering aanstekelijk zijn, maar ook overlopen van avontuur en verrassing. In muzikaal opzicht staat het allemaal als een huis en slaagt Lorde er in om iedere track weer net wat anders en vaak ook verrassend ruw te klinken, maar ook de karakteristieke zang van Lorde is fantastisch op Virgin en hetzelfde geldt voor haar persoonlijke teksten. 

We wisten natuurlijk al dat Lorde in staat is om een kwalitatief hoogstaand popalbum te maken, want dat deed ze op hele jonge leeftijd al eens met Melodrama. Toch ging ik er op voorhand niet van uit dat de Nieuw-Zeelandse muzikante het nog een keer zou flikken, maar na Virgin meerdere keren gehoord te hebben kan ik alleen maar concluderen dat Lorde voorlopig met afstand het beste popalbum van 2025 heeft gemaakt en ik denk eerlijk gezegd niet dat iemand hier in dit genre nog overheen gaat dit jaar. (Waarvan acte, WdN-vdB.)

Erwin Zijleman 

2025, Week 1. 10 singles

2025, week 1? Yes, confusing, isn't it? The last singles post of this year (2025) is formally situated in the first week of 2026. Well, let's leave that for what it is. Again, we present a host of singles that are so different, yet all speak for themselves. 2025 is almost done. Tomorrow we present Erwin Zijleman's album of 2025 and in the first days of the new year other lists will follow. After that new music. Musically, I truly enjoyed 2025 and for the rest we live in very interesting times in which there almost literally isn't a single dull day. Worrying?, yes. Interesting?, most certainly so.

Shellfish. Celeste Corsano

The fifth single in a row by Celeste Corsano shows her on the one hand at her most Kate Bush to date but on the other adds a rock element that reminds me of hearing 'James And The Cold Gun' for the first time. Without rocking that hard. Shellfish has a how do you sleep at night theme, playing with the words shellfish and selfish. The song is perfectly balanced with the tight verse, versus the dreamy chorus and the explosive second half. Over it all Celeste Corsano's voice roams, commanding the musicians as it were like a general commands his troops. Together they go for a peaceful, musical triumph. The artwork is by her brother Chris.

Spill No Mo Wine. Robin Ross & The Melodynes

Step into a time machine and come out hearing Spill No Mo Wine. That is what I was thinking listening to the new single by Robin Ross & The Melodynes. The single was released only a few weeks ago and is brand new. The whole vibe and all is straight out of the late 1970s with bands like The B52s breaking ground with their totally new sort of music. The Pennsylvania band plays tight and presents an alternative pop power that sparkles. If anything, today it reminds me of the last album of the late Justine (Covault) and The Unclean's last album, 'The Signal Light'. Spill No Mo Wine has the exact same power and that little rough edge. My late father could have related to the title. Spilling alcoholic beverages was an abhorrent something to him.

Horrorful Heights. The Bevis Frond

A bit to my surprise there are no less than four The Bevis Frond reviewed by me in the past decade. With a new album, in fact two, coming up on 3 April, The Bevis Frond released the title track. It is a folk kind of track using some drones around which melodies are created. Singer Nick Saloman sings a melody that could be from the time of Henry VIII. In a way that goes for the melody as well and even all of the instruments used were around then, albeit in a more primitive version. The result is a song that fits in with a long tradition of U.K. folk, yet is different enough to have its own voice. A surprising and intriguing song. The second album is called 'Horrorful Offal' by the way.

crumple zones EP. Pickle Darling

A maxi single that adds to the 'Bots' experience. Lucas Mayo, aka Pickle Darling, adds three songs to his oeuvre, precluding perhaps a deluxe editions of his great album 'Bots'. The opening song is an alternate and shortened version of 'Human Bean'. We hear Mayo accompanied by instruments with strings and keys that are non electronic. Of course he masks his voice with some device but the result is a soft, melancholy tune. By Pickle Darling's standards this song is stripped down to the bone, as all the electronics that determine a large part if his sound are gone. They return full force in 'Pinwheels'. Together with singer Anna McClellan he swerves in between the blips and soundscapes that make a melody anyway. The prize song however is song number 3, the alternate version of 'massive everything'. A latter day ballad if I ever heard one. The digital and analogue seem to blend effortlessly. The spirit of Sparklehorse and Mark Linkous is closer than ever. crumple zones is a nice addition to the album.

The Closer You Look. The Bernadette Maries

The Bernadette Maries from Brussels make their debut on this blog with its first single on the Géographie label. There seems to be no end to recent bands loving to play in the style of the glum music of the 1980s. Where at the time bands simply were mostly too gloomy (for me), these days there's always a ray of sunshine involved. Although The Bernadette Maries, Guy, Daria, Romain, and David, do their best to hide it, it is there in the way the two singers sing together. The light and the shade personified. The subtle keyboard notes under the dark distorted guitar solo, is a second one. Fans will find everything starting with The Cure and beyond in The Closer You Look, making the band interesting to explore further in 2026. It's working on its debut album, so we have to be patient.

Heading For The Moon. Golden Hours

More darkness with Heading For The Moon with which Golden Hours makes its debut on WoNoBlog. The entrance the single makes is of the majestic kind. Slow, dark, brooding, mysterious, beautiful. In fact, the rest of the single never bests the intro. It is good but not that good. With members having served in all sorts of bands and genres, Golden Hours is working towards the release of its second album, 'Beyond Wires', out on 6 February. Heading For The Moon is a song that sounds like lava sliding down a mountain, slowly, surely, not stopped by anything, It seems just as fluid, yet solid. A mountain of sound from which elements escape, creating a majestic feeling of grandeur.

Three Against Me. Horace Pinker 

Chicago  punkers Horace Pinker may have eight albums under its belt, this is the first time the band finds itself on this blog. In the past days I've listened several times to the latest album 'Now And The Future' that was released recently. As I have to start focusing on end of year stuff and 2026 albums, let me make amends by putting the spotlight on single Three Against Me. With its 2.15 minutes it is a classical punkrock track as they used to and still make them in the U.S. All the energy goes into these two minutes plus, while at the same time the melody is not forgotten, resulting in a strong punk song. The whole album is filled with great songs like this.

Nothin'. Guns 'N' Roses

From midnight Christmas to midnight of the new year in this country a lot revolves around the Top 2000 on Radio 2, from whatever is on number 2000 right up to almost always 'Bohemian Rhapsody'. Somewhere in between all the hits of Guns 'N' Roses will come by. All from the band's first three albums. Then Izzy Stradling left the band and that sealed it's musical fate. The punk cover album apart, it took 15 years for a new album the whole world listened to once and 17 years later there is Nothin'. According to Wikipedia this is a reworked leftover from the 'Chinese Democracy' sessions at that. The electric piano at the start turned me off at first. Once the guitars and fat drums kicked in, the song isn't half that bad. Just don't start comparing Nothin' to 'You Could Be Mine' or 'Sweet Child Of Mine'. A new world tour is announced for 2026.

You Are The Jet. Marc Valentine

The first minute of You Are The Jet did not convince me. It seemed too safe for me, too dependent on all that came before it, without adding that extra to reel an older and more experienced listener in. Over the whole single You Are The Jet does become stronger and worthy of a spot in this post. Especially from the "I was going nowhere" section onwards. The song gets the powerpop injection it needs to stand out. At these moments Marc  Valentine gets close to Glasgow's Garlands, to name a band in the same musical niche in the U.K. Overall, the song misses that little extra that makes it truly sparkle. Marc Valentine comes close but needs one extra step to truly stand out. Based on what I'm hearing on a large part of You Are The Jet that ought to be an option.

Venomous. Jack Harlon & The Dead Crows

The second song by Jack Harlon & The Dead Crows on this blog makes this year go out with a bang. We are moving into metal territory. The single may have a few psychedelic details and they are not hard to spot, the part that stands out most, are the heavy sounding riffs. many a metal band would be proud of, leaving out the sprinkles of psychedelia. Harlon's voice is disguised by an effect giving the song an eerie atmosphere. Venomous is a little scary at that. The title is not a fun one either of course. Everything venomous is dangerous and gets a skull with two bones as a warning. I will not go that far for this song but a warning to the faint of ears is in place.

Wout de Natris - van der Borght 

Mood Elevator. The Gold Needles

My final album review of 2025 goes to The Gold Needles. In the short version of a review I could point to the golden melodies The Gold Needles have recorded. There's no denying that the band went in search of the perfect pop song and found the source where they flow from.

After two singles, The Gold Needles finds an album on this blog for the first time. Despite having released three albums before Mood Elevator, the band never made it to my ears. So let's introduce the band first. The members are Simon Dowson (Lead & Harmony Vocals, Guitar), Dave Burbage (Lead & Rhythm Guitars), Mark English (Keyboards, Bass Guitar (Track 10), Backing Vocals), Carl Slaughter (Bass Guitar, Harmony Vocals) and Will Jones (Drums). Dowson, Burbage and English are responsible for these golden melodies. The band formed in 2015 and is from Kingston upon Hull in the U.K.

Press photo

For the true fans of this blog it is best to compare this band to Dutch band The Maureens. Both share that element of pop, harmony vocals with a bite here and there when it's functional. My next one is The Moody Blues. That may have to do more with the voice of Simon Dowson than the music. The combination makes me regularly opt for the latter though. All through the album you will hear other snippets of melodies that will sound familiar to you. It makes for recognisable listening. That would not be enough as The Gold Needles puts in a lot of itself, making the album get better. Besides that, it rocks out regularly. Showing far more preferences than just pop tunes.

Like many bands reviewed on this blog, The Gold Needles consists of men of a certain age that (re)formed a band and pursue the dream of making music (once again). None will make the jackpot but hopefully they do not have to any more. Pleasing as many people as they can and especially those who are willing to listen to new music that has one foot firmly in the past, is a great goal. The Gold Needles has reached that goal with ease. Mood Elevator makes more than good on its promise. Pure pop oozes out of every bit of my digital version of the album.

Wout de Natris - van der Borght

 

You can listen to and order Mood Elevator here:

https://bigstirrecords.bandcamp.com/album/mood-elevator

Heir Of The Cursed. Heir Of The Cursed

In september verscheen het debuutalbum van Heir Of The Cursed, een project van Beldina Odenyo, dat je ruim een uur lang op indringende wijze bij de strot grijpt, maar dat helaas ook de zwanenzang van deze bijzondere muzikante blijkt.

Er is tot dusver weinig aandacht besteed aan het titelloze debuutalbum van Heir of The Cursed, terwijl het een album van een bijzondere of zelfs unieke schoonheid is. Het is helaas het eerste maar direct ook het laatste album van Heir Of The Cursed, want Beldina Odenyo, de vrouw achter het project, maakte een einde aan haar leven voor ze haar eerste album kon maken. Het album is er gelukkig toch gekomen en het is een uniek album. Het is een aardedonker album, maar het is ook een album met prachtige muziek en minstens even indrukwekkende zang. Het is een album dat je niet kunt beluisteren zonder een brok in de keel, maar hoe vaker ik de muziek van Heir Of The Cursed hoor, hoe mooier en indrukwekkender het wordt.

Er gebeurt helaas nog niet al te veel op het social media platform Bluesky, dat een alternatief biedt voor Elon Musk’s steeds extremer wordende platform X, maar ik kreeg op het nieuwe platform voor het eerst een hele mooie muziektip. Het betreft het debuutalbum van Heir Of The Cursed, een project van Beldina Odenyo, die werd geboren in Kenia, maar opgroeide in Schotland. 

Het is een debuutalbum waar een heel triest verhaal aan vast zit, want Beldina Odenyo maakte in 2021 een einde aan haar leven. Ze deed dit toen ze op het punt van doorbreken stond, want haar bijzondere muziek begon in het Verenigd Koninkrijk rond de tijd van haar zelfverkozen dood net flink de aandacht te trekken, onder andere na een optreden waar iedereen stil van werd. 

Haar zus heeft zich de afgelopen jaren ontfermd over de muzikale erfenis van Beldina Odenyo, waardoor op wat de vijfendertigste van de Keniaans-Schotse muzikante had moeten zijn, toch nog een debuutalbum van Heir Of The Cursed verscheen. 

Het is een debuutalbum dat is gemaakt op basis van de thuisopnamen die Beldina Odenyo heeft nagelaten. Of het debuutalbum van Heir Of The Cursed klinkt zoals Beldina Odenyo dat voor ogen had weten we dus niet, maar het is een bijzonder en wat mij betreft erg mooi album geworden. 

Bij een op basis van demo’s gemaakt album verwacht je in een muzikaal opzicht wat eenvoudiger album, maar dat is het debuutalbum van Heir Of The Cursed zeker niet. De songs op het album zijn bijzonder mooi ingekleurd met vooral zeer karakteristiek gitaarwerk, dat de muziek van Heir Of The Cursed een geheel eigen karakter geeft. De muziek op het album is behoorlijk sober, maar kaal klinkt het zeker niet. 

Het debuutalbum van Heir Of The Cursed is in muzikaal opzicht lastig te duiden. In de muziek hoor ik vooral invloeden uit de folk en de jazz, maar de songs van Beldina Odenyo hebben een behoorlijk eigenzinnig of zelfs uniek geluid. Het is een geluid dat vaak behoorlijk donker of bijna beklemmend klinkt en door de repeterende elementen in het gitaarwerk en de soms behoorlijk lange songs heeft de muziek op het album ook zeker iets bezwerends. 

Het bijzondere gitaarspel is bijna alles dat Beldina Odenyo nodig heeft voor haar songs, waaraan incidenteel percussie en wat toetsen zijn toegevoegd. Het wat ruimtelijke en elementaire maar o zo trefzekere gitaarspel vormt de perfecte basis voor de stem van de Keniaans-Schotse muzikante. 

De stem van Beldina Odenyo is minstens net zo bijzonder als de muziek op haar debuutalbum. Het is een mooie maar ook zeer expressieve en emotievolle stem, die het wat donkere of beklemmende karakter van de songs van Heir of The Cursed verder versterkt. Ook in de stem van Beldina Odenyo hoor je invloeden uit de folk en de jazz, maar haar stem heeft ook het unieke en intense dat bijvoorbeeld ook de stem van Sinéad O’Connor had. 

Hier en daar duiken wat Afrikaanse invloeden op in de muziek, maar heel prominent zijn ze niet. Naast de muziek en de zang zijn ook de teksten op het debuutalbum van Heir Of The Cursed behoorlijk donker. Het ontheemd opgroeien in een Schots dorp heeft Beldina Odenyo getekend en er waren wel meer demonen op haar pad. Het voorziet haar al zo bijzondere songs van nog wat meer lading. Het is doodzonde dat het eerste album van Heir Of The Cursed ook direct de laatste is, maar gelukkig is dit album er gekomen.

Erwin Zijleman

2025, Week 52. 10 singles

Here are 10 more singles. The huge stack is slowly emptying out. A few more Christmas songs to celebrate the time of year and for the rest the usual mix of a bit of everything. So, enjoy! 

Good For You. Plantoid

In November, I compared single 'Dozer' to the work of Ohmme/Finom. Not so Good For You, the second single working towards album 'Flair' (30 January). The mood brought me back to 'The Bleak Midwinter', see last week, only less sacral. Plantoid's new single is a song with two faces. The start is ever so constrained, reined in and modest. Chloe Spence's voice is absolutely carrying the song here. In the second part the band joins in, full force. Although Spence's voice remains totally on top in the mix, the music brings me back to the 1970s. Plantoid here becomes a 2025 version of Yes. Symphonic rock in a modern jacket  It makes for very interesting listening.

Backbreaker. Helicon X Al Lover

What will be next? Armin van Buren teaming up with The Black Angels? Something like that is happening on Backbreaker. Glaswegian psychrockers Helicon team up with Los Angeles based producer DJ AI Lover. This results in a few quite obvious results you'll hear. Although the song from itself has a dance vibe to it, everything underneath it pointing in that direction is double and triple underscored. Think Junkie XL and Elvis's 'A Little Less Conversation'. That would already have been nice, but it's far from all. AI Lover has added all sort of electronic sounds to the whole, making the track even more psychedelic than it was in the original version the band must have recorded as a starting point. More can be heard on the upcoming album, 'Arise', out on 13 February.

This Christmas. Marta Arpini

More Christmas songs. After mostly punk/rock singles last Sunday, today Marta Arpini returns to the blog with a jazzy Christmas song. A song that is mostly very relaxed and easy going. In the music though, accents are put in that never make me totally relaxed. These little jolts keep me on my toes. Everything around it is certainly Christmassy. Marta Arpini sings as if she's auditioning for the return of The Carpenters. I'm not a The Carpenters fan, but I recognise a good song when I hear one (over the years). Because of what came before, a song like This Christmas falls into a long line of music. Arpini has managed to create a rich song, with all the different instruments that come by. No matter what happens with the music, she manages to remain in a Christmas mood. The music may vary a little and sending mixed signals. As a whole This Christmas is extremely pleasant.

God's Gonna Cut You Down. Beauty in Chaos

Christmas songs come in ominous versions as well. The bio states that this is a song popularised by Johnny Cash. If it had said it to be a cover of 16 Horsepower, I would have believed it 100%. Beauty in Chaos front man Michael Ciravolo worked with producer Michael Rozon on this  track, who provides the extras where the deserving the 16 Horsepower comparison is concerned, by playing the lapsteel guitar. Things get rather dark here, as it should when living with the fear of God and/or a devil on your trail. The God here must be an Old Testament vindictive God, a God that is jealous and more made to men's likeness than vice versa. The song is impressive, the lyrics do not impress me much. In fact, I have a strong dislike of people who try to rule through fear.

Christmas With Me. Jessie Wagner

The final Christmas song this year is the exact opposite of the previous one. Jessie Wagner presents a pure pop track that implies that Christmas is nothing but fun, happiness and sharing love and presents. We all know that for a lot of people Christmas comes with a lot of stress and 'how do we make sure things remain pleasant' feelings? Let's drop that and just enjoy the optimism Christmas With Me shares. Remove the word Christmas and replace it with night of weekend, take out the Christmas bells and what is left is a purely gold pop tune. And that is just fine every once in a while. Jessie Wagner shines all through the song and the music does the rest. If we all not only believe in what she is singing but start acting on it as well, the world would be a far better place than it currently is.

oblivion 2025. a.gris

a.gris is the solo project of Alex Delamard (Hoorsees). It is introduced as a "digital glitchy folk project". Well, I do not know what Delamard (or his publicity agent) was thinking but what I'm hearing on this debut single has nothing to do with folk. Glitchy, yes, perhaps. oblivion 2025 may start with an acoustic guitar but from there it is all (distorted) guitar work, synths and, most likely, programmed drums. Delamard's voice is nice and light compared to the music, creating a contrast and keeping the track away from rock bordering on metal. There's a nice solo woven into the whole, followed by what seems an interlude, but in fact is the stepping stone for the end of oblivion 2025. a.gris will release a five song EP in 2026, so we may learn more then about the folk element then.

Murmers On The Dunes. Dreamwave

Dreamwave returns to the blog with a strong but dark psychedelic rock song. Murmers On The Dunes is a song that is completely closed where the mix in concerned. Every little hole is closed with music in the section where the band goes full out. I don't even want to know how loud the amps were cranked up in the studio. Most likely on Spinal Tap loudness. What the band does well, is create moments in which the storm it creates subsides for even more psychedelic interludes. This song is not for the faint of heart. More for bands like Frankie and The Witch Fingers. If the band plays this loud live as well, then it is advised not to tour together, ever (and then I read they already have!). Musically, it totally makes sense though and nothing that good earplugs can't weather. Dreamwave will release a new EP next year called 'Drifter'. Something to look forward to indeed. 

Barbed Wire. Cardinals

With Barbed Wire, Cardinals finds itself for the first time on this blog. The Irish band is on route to the release of its debut album in February. Barbed Wire shows two sides to the band. The single starts as a song that is closer to folk than anything else. When the drummer comes in, the rest of the band follows in a very present way. The music shows links to alternative rock and even Madness rocking harder. The volume keeps going up and Barbed Wire not only gets more present, it becomes better by the minute. The lead guitar comes in more and more, while the staccato rhythm of the band makes sure not paying attention in not an option. Welcome to the blog, Cardinals. I'm certainly curious to hear more next year.

DRAGGED UP A HILL (and thrown down the other side). Big Special

With this stand alone single Big Special shows a totally different side of itself. The right description is a ballad. Where Joseph Hicklin usually is always somewhere in between declamation of his lyrics and singing them, here he is singing, I'd almost say in a Shane McGowan way. Where there can be a lot of noise in the music, here there's just an organ with here and there some drums, accompanied by electronic processing of some sort. What DRAGGED UP A HILL (and thrown down the other side) shows is that it is possible to make a big impression with limited means. Hicklin is singing his heart out and it comes across for what it is. Authentic and heartfelt. I did not know Big Special had it in it. Surprises can be so pleasant.

Dear Anyone. The Modern Era

Time teaches that bands come and go and that some return. This is the case for The Modern Era from Minneapolis. Formed in 2013, it released some songs and drifted of. Recently, after an hiatus of nine years the band returns with a strong alternative rock track. The band found no less then Jack Endino to produce its new album, slated for 2026. It will not come as a surprise that a band like Nirvana is an influence of The Modern Era, yet I would not call The Modern Era a grunge band. For that the bright side shines through far too much. This band rocks but knows where the curtains and the light switch are located. By using dynamics Dear Anyone is a song that shows the light and the shade for most of the single and has all the elements to make large fields go apeshit in a moshpit. To all appearances, a welcome back is called for.

Wout de Natris - van der Borght 

Merry Christmas

 

Merry Christmas

 

Te gast bij The Wonderstuff, 19 december, Shepherd’s Bush Empire, London

Foto: HareD

In mijn bijna veertigjarige carrière als concertbezoeker was ik nog nooit te gast van de optredende band. Tot afgelopen vrijdag, toen ik op de guestlist stond bij het Londonse concert van The Wonderstuff.

Dat is één van mijn favoriete bands, waarover ik al vaker schreef op dit blog. ‘The Stuffies’, zoals de Britten ze liefkozend noemen, bestaan 40 jaar en geven traditiegetrouw (ook) een reeks concerten in de weken voor Kerstmis. Shepherd’s Bush Empire (2000 man) was ook nu weer uitverkocht, na goedbezochte optredens in Manchester en thuisstad Birmingham eerder in de week

De violiste van de band, Erica Nockalls, is naast haar muzikale werk ook schilderes. Een paar jaar terug gaf ik haar een opdracht voor een schilderij en haalde dat bij haar thuis op (ze woont in Parijs).  Tijdens het mailcontact in het kader van het schilderij werd door haar een toekomstige guestlist-plek aangeboden, waar ik afgelopen najaar op kon ingaan.

Ik wist niet precies wat ik kon verwachten, maar kreeg het ‘totale pakket’. Dus toen ik mij meldde bij het loketje van het theater kreeg ik zowel een gratis kaart, als een polsbandje. De kaart bleek voor een gereserveerde stoel op het eerste balkon, met perfect uitzicht op het podium. Nu zijn concerten de enige gelegenheden waarbij ik zodanig beweeg dat het in een verre verte op dansen lijkt. Daarom sta ik altijd en gelukkig was daar ook ruimte voor (zie foto, links boven).

Foto: HareD

Na het concert kwam het bandje van pas. Daarmee mochten wij, na wat gedoe met de bewaking, naar een aparte barruimte. Van daaruit nam een medewerker van de band enkele gelukkigen mee naar boven, naar de kleedkamers van de band. ‘Back stage’ bleek in dit geval ‘above stage’. Daar was het een gezellige, maar typisch Britse ongeorganiseerde, puinhoop. In en uitlopende bandleden, roadies, managers en gasten, samengepakt in twee heel kleine ruimtes. Inderdaad met afgetrapte lederen bankstellen, kledingrekken, wandspiegels met gloeilampen erom en -na wat zoeken tussen de lege flessen -  een beetje wijn uit een papieren bekertje. Na de nodige small talk met bandleden en gasten ging ik op zoek naar de uitgang en toen ik die eindelijk vond, bleek daar nog zanger Miles Hunt te staan, met wie ik ook nog een praatje en een selfie kon maken (zie foto).  Al met al erg grappig en leuk om een keer mee te mogen maken.

En de muziek? Erg goed, zoals altijd. Extra tof was dat ook Vent optrad in het voorprogramma. Dat was een band van Miles Hunt, samen met drummer Billy Duffy (The Cult), Peter Howard (The Clash) en bassist Morgan Nicholls (o.a. Muse) die in het midden van de jaren negentig kort bestond, zonder al te veel succes. De heren Hunt, Howard en Nicholls zijn na 29 jaar weer verenigd en speelden ook nieuw werk. Een donkere en hardere versie van The Wonderstuff, dat erg lekker klonk. Zowel Vent als The Wonderstuff brengen volgend jaar een nieuw album uit, waarbij er ook nog opnamen voor een live album werden gemaakt. Dus laat 2026 maar komen!

HareD

 

Een kleine aanvulling van Wo. HareD heeft namens WoNo Magazine op de guestlist van Bettie Serveert gestaan in het jaar 2016, waar hij tevens een interview heeft afgenomen. Zie alhier:

https://wonomagazine.blogspot.com/2017/01/interview-bettie-serveert-hedon-zwolle.html

Dit doet vanzelfsprekend niets af aan de mooie ervaring hier boven.

 

PPS van HareD:

Dat was toen het plan bij Bettie, maar dat liep een beetje anders. Ik had namelijk vroeg dat interview met hen gedaan in de Hedon, backstage inderdaad. Maar dat was ruim voor het concert voorbij. Het was niet echt de bedoeling dat ik bleef hangen  ofzo, dus toen ben ik via de gewone weg naar de zaal gegaan. Maar de portier wist van niks toen ik over de gastenlijst begon, dus dat was tikkie lullig. Ik had ook een gewoon kaartje, en daarop ben ik toen bij het concert geweest…

Wellicht had ik als het echt een punt was geweest Peter Visser kunnen bellen,  maar dat heb ik toen niet gedaan…. 

Wo. 

 

Cul-De-Sac Kid. Jess Jocoy

De naam Jess Jocoy zal niet bij iedereen een belletje doen rinkelen, maar iedereen die haar eerste twee albums kent weet dat ze behoort tot de beste rootszangeressen van het moment, wat nog eens wordt onderstreept op album drie.

Ik koester de eerste twee albums van de Amerikaanse muzikante Jess Jocoy, die haar muziek aan het begin van 2020 persoonlijk onder mijn aandacht bracht. Met Such A Long Way en Let There Be No Despair maakte Jess Jocoy twee prachtige rootsalbums, die deze week gezelschap krijgen van album nummer drie. Cul-De-Sac Kid doet niet onder voor zijn twee voorgangers en staat vol met zeer aansprekende en smaakvol ingekleurde songs. Ondanks het beperkte budget klinkt ook het nieuwe album van Jess Jocoy weer prachtig en de Amerikaanse muzikante maakt ook op Cul-De-Sac Kid weer diepe indruk met haar sensationeel goede stem. Wat mij betreft een van de grootste talenten binnen de Amerikaanse rootsmuziek van het moment.

In het begin van 2020, vlak voor het uitbreken van de coronapandemie, stuurde de Amerikaanse muzikante Jess Jocoy mij haar debuutalbum Such A Long Way. Ik werd onmiddellijk verliefd op het album, waarop de muzikante uit Nashville, Tennessee, echt alles goed deed. Toen het album een paar maanden later verscheen was de wereld totaal veranderd, maar mijn liefde voor het debuutalbum van Jess Jocoy was alleen maar groter geworden. 

Het album haalde aan het eind van 2020 dan ook met overtuiging mijn jaarlijstje en dat lukte twee jaar later ook het in het voorjaar van 2022 verschenen Let There Be No Despair, dat ik net als zijn voorganger schaarde onder de beste rootsalbums van de afgelopen jaren. 

Op Such A Long Way en Let There Be No Despair imponeert Jess Jocoy als zangeres. De Amerikaanse muzikante beschikt over een mooie, krachtige en karakteristieke stem, maar de zang van Jess Jocoy zit ook vol gevoel, waardoor haar songs keihard binnen komen. De songs van de Amerikaanse muzikante zijn op beide albums ook nog eens fraai ingekleurd met vooral snareninstrumenten en het zijn van die songs die onmiddellijk vertrouwd klinken en die je vervolgens eindeloos wilt koesteren. 

Het is daarom niet zo gek dat mijn hart een sprongetje maakte toen ik een nieuw album van Jess Jocoy tegen kwam in de lijsten met de nieuwe albums. Ik begon met torenhoogte verwachtingen aan de eerste beluistering van Cul-De-Sac Kid, maar na een paar noten wist ik al dat Jess Jocoy de verwachtingen met gemak waar zou gaan maken. 

Ook op haar derde album zingt de muzikante uit Nashville weer de sterren van de hemel, wat je nog wat beter hoort wanneer je het album met de koptelefoon beluistert. Het is bijna niet te geloven en eigenlijk ook diep triest dat een geweldige zangeres als Jess Jocoy met twee prachtalbums op zak een crowdfunding campagne nodig had voor het maken van haar derde album, maar gelukkig is de campagne geslaagd. 

Er kwam uiteindelijk een kleine 12.000 dollar op tafel voor het maken van Cul-De-Sac Kid en dat is niet heel veel. Het was wel genoeg om een geweldig klinkend album te maken, want het derde album van Jess Jocoy klinkt nog wat mooier dan zijn twee voorgangers. De muziek op Cul-De-Sac Kid is over het algemeen genomen subtiel en beperkt zich af en toe tot een akoestische gitaar, maar met grote regelmaat zijn ook fraaie elektrische gitaar en vioolpartijen te horen en worden bovendien bas en drums toegevoegd aan het geluid van Jess Jocoy, dat af en toe wat steviger klinkt.

Het is een warm en een verzorgd klinkend geluid, maar het is boven alles een geluid dat alle ruimte biedt aan de stem van Jess Jocoy. Dat is een wijs besluit, want de Amerikaanse muzikante behoort wat mij betreft tot de beste zangeressen binnen de Amerikaanse rootsmuziek van het moment. De zang op haar vorige twee albums was al prachtig, maar de stem van de muzikante uit Nashville lijkt alleen maar mooier te worden. 

De songs op Such A Long Way en Let There Be No Despair zijn me inmiddels zeer dierbaar en de songs op Cul-De-Sac Kid zijn zeker niet minder. Het zal inmiddels duidelijk zijn dat Jess Jocoy wederom een droom van een rootsalbum heeft afgeleverd en het is een album dat zeker zal opduiken in mijn jaarlijstje. Ga dat vooral horen!

Erwin Zijleman

Issues. Sandy

For once, I'm going to be very direct in the first sentence: no, Issues is not an earth shattering debut album. With that out of me and to prevent disappointment at the end, I urge you to read on, as Issues is worthwhile learning about. why?

Sandy (Skye Netburn) is an 18 year old singer-songwriter from somewhere on Long Island who released her debut album Issues last month. I caught on a little belatedly because of the single 'I've Got Issues' that was on my singles list to listen to, and running about a month behind. It caught my ear immediately for three reasons. Of course, the song itself struck a chord. Besides that, two names popped up: Karen Jonas and Melanie (Safka). After listening to the song I could not get 'Oklahoma Lottery' and 'Beautiful People' out of my head for days. The firmness in her voice did the rest.

These comparisons are with me again while listening to Issues. Sandy dared to release a record with just her on it. With her voice that sounds like it has been around for a few centuries instead of 18 years and her acoustic guitar. It is all that Sandy needs to make a huge impression or perhaps she is because of this setting. Just listen to that voice and you know you are encountering the real and rough deal.

Musically, you can hear her play in a style like Nancy Wilson and Richie Havens, finger picking, arpeggios and heavy chords, it is all in there on Issues. It seems a very conscious choice to release this album as just Sandy. To me it seems like a very good choice. If anything in my lifetime, Issues reminds me of another great debut album, Steve Forbert's 'Alive On Arrival'. Despite this is a full band album, the impact on me is the same. Perhaps, this is what people older than me experienced when they listened to Bob Dylan for the first time.

I will protect Sandy from calling her the new Bob Dylan. Besides, it is a remark that doesn't make sense any more in 2025. She is Sandy and fits in quite nicely in a long line of folk inspired singer-songwriters with stories to tell. Sandy is 18 but had she been 25, the impact of this album would have been the same. Issues may not be earth shattering, it is an impressive debut album.

Wout de Natris - van der Borght

 

You can listen to and order Issues here:

https://sandyland.bandcamp.com/album/issues 

2025, week 51. 10 singles (2)

Another week gone, only one and a few days left to go, in 2025 that is. The first albums and singles for 2026 are already stacking up. First, we enjoy this latest batch, including several season songs that I've kept for this week. Enjoy!

Facts Don't Mean A Thing EP. Ramkot

Type in Ramkot in the search engine in this blog and the trio, Tim and Tom Leyman and Hannes Cuyvers from Ghent, pops up multiple times, ever since 2021. In the meantime the band signed to V2 and turned its hobby into something even more serious. With Facts Don't Mean A Thing, what an apt title for these times of ubiquitous information that is ever more to be distrusted it seems, a new EP is added to the oeuvre. With 'Algorithmic Kings', containing the EP's title, the EP opens surprisingly. An electronic rhythm leads the way. Don't worry, the song gets under way and sounds familiar soon. The way Ramkot rocks is far suaver than a few years ago. Soulwax circa 2000 comes to mind. From further back, the main riff reminds me of 1980s staples 'She's Sells Sanctuary' and 'Rain', The Cult's two best songs. In short, Facts Don't Mean A Thing starts with a fantastic song. The Soulwax vibe remains with 'A Grain Of Sand'. The song is slower, barer but certainly not less entertaining. A Ramkot to listen to, yes, I know that sounds a bit weird, makes for a change. 'Hollow' featuring Jef Neve already received full attention recently, so let's move on to the next song, 'I Think I've Gone Slowly Insane'. This live track shows the totally opposite Ramkot. The trio goes all out, underscoring the song's title masterfully. I'm so glad that I do not have to sing this one. My vocal chords would be turned inside out and bleeding within two seconds. The song shows how tight Ramkot is live. With Facts Don't Mean A Thing Ramkot shows different sides of itself in a successful way.

Shall Be Love EP. The Question

The Question? If you have not heard of this band, it is not something to be ashamed about. The band formed in 1980 and disbanded decades ago. Today it is branded as Los Angeles' answer to The Jam. In its days, it released a few songs and recorded a few more. Oglio Records is about to re-release them all. Recently, the band reformed and will record a new record 40 years plus something down the road. Joining so many bands that reform now the kids are out of the home and the members may be even retired from their jobs. Shall Be Love is a re-released single with three extra tracks. What to make of it in 2025? Let's face it, I have heard better in the past close to 50 years. But that said, The Question does sound like a band that deserves renewed attention. The title song is a really good song, just like 'One More Time'. That song borrows very nicely from a 1960s track like 'Mony Mony'. 'One More Time' has that same sense of energy. Listen to that bass! This is some tough ass playing. Opening song 'Brand New World' also has a load of energy and again lends from a nice riff that is changed just a little, e.g. 'Everybody Needs Somebody To Love'. It shows that a hip young band from 1982 knew its classics and reworked them into its favour. Based on the four songs on Shall Be Love, The Question is a better band than many bands that did get to release albums around 1980. As a final comment: What I'm hearing here makes me think more of The Buzzcocks than The Jam.

Split single Hilken & Melissa feat. Kay Hanley / The Other Girls

What's So Bad About Christmas. Hilken & Melissa feat. Kay Hanley 

With What's So Bad About Christmas, Hilken & Melissa with Kay Hanley bring us back quite some decades to a time when there were still ice blooms on the windows in winter, with one heat source in the home and the days towards Christmas just would not pass due to sheer excitement (and boredom of being inside). That memory is deceptive though, as this song contains enough of an indie vibe, that would have made all my late family members shudder. I love the tone of the guitar, that is old and new at the same. The song has a country vibe and is something else at the same time. I have no idea who Hilken & Melissa feat. Kay Hanley are, but this single is absolutely top and blends eras with ease. Mariah Carey eat your heart out, I'd say.

I'm Not Getting Anything For Christmas. The Other Girls 

The Other Girls do not beat around the bush with I'm Not Getting Anything For Christmas'. Let me amend that, here's your present, ladies, in the form of a review. The Other Girls rock out and no little a that. The guy may have been kicked out of door and the Christmas stocking empty, it brought us this great single. The sound is really wild, dirty, unwashed faces and all. This song would have been fantastic with another lyric about whatever replacing Christmas. I thought the flip side of this split single was good, but this is a Christmas song that really blows me away. Not since 'Come, Thou Long Expected Jesus' by Morgan Mecaskey have I been so impressed. Wow!, is the only word/sound that says it all for me. Whatever Christmas brings, no one is going to take this away from me.

Christmas, Baby Please Come Home. Greg Antista and the Lonely Streets

It's only the second time Greg Antista and band find themselves on this blog and with a Christmas song at that. Yes, it is possible to make a punkrock Christmas song, so I've just found out. With all respect to Antista, but just take a lot of Green Day, add several repeated whoas at the right intervals and here is Christmas, Baby Please Come Home. All I have to add, is that it works in this form. A Christmas punkrock song, why not.

 

Mister Grinch. The Haymakers Boston

Okay, there was just a link someone sent me and I have no idea who did so. The link however led me to this song by a band that does not ring any bell. The band is from, Boston. where else? I'm inclined to say. Mister Grinch is another great rock song. The Haymakers Boston play a raucous form of rock that is extremely infectious. Yes, even if it is a Christmas song. Riffs and short solos fly into my ears, tickling my fancy and the singer has a voice that belongs to this kind of rock. The band obviously has fun playing this song and is giving it its whole and perhaps a little bit more. Christmas songs are getting more fun by the minute, folks.

The Fart That Ruined Christmas. Red Peters

When I was young there were these country songs, except that I did not know what country music was at the time, that told a story. Always a man with a bronzed voice telling it and women coming in to sing a chorus, working towards an ending of some sorts. Well, here is another one by comedian Red Peters. I suggest you just go over to You Tube and listen to it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ujeF59K6wU. 

 

 

The Bleak Midwinter. Lisa O'Neill

Earlier this week, I was quite surprised to find Lisa O'Neill mentioned in a Tom Smith review when he was interviewed following the release of his solo album. He championed her song ‘The Wind Doesn’t Blow This Far Right’ as a great modern protest song. O'Neill returns to this blog with a song that has the feel of Christmas in many ways, but not the mood. The lyric is a poem by Christina Rossetti, called 'A Christmas Carol'. The song is ever so slow, the accompaniment an acoustic guitar, double bass, violin and accordion. The effect is a Christmas song like they were sang in the church of my youth, the music resembling more a Medieval song than anything modern. And yet, Lisa O'Neill presents pure beauty with The Bleak Midwinter. Of all the Christmas songs here, she's the only one sounding like they used to sound.

Sad Clown. Melanie Baker

Globalisation may be going out of fashion fast, with all sorts of consequences, it still exists in music. Newcastle (UK) artist Melanie Baker signs to a Copenhagen based record label and finds a lot of inspiration from 1990s U.S. band Hole, to name one example. That is not all, as Sad Clown also emulates the softer pop rock female singers from the same decade, like, well name your own favourite here. The result is an alternative rocktrack that is more than just a song emulating the past. Melanie Baker rocks with a little slack in her diction. The band goes for it in the choruses, in the verse the rhythm matches her relaxed diction. The combination is almost invigorating. Almost, as the slackness does not want it to be 100%. One thing's for certain, Melanie Baker is far from a sad clown. Mission accomplished.

Crime Wave. Sunbendr

We end this week on the blog with an alternative rocktrack, or a house-party song as the band calls it, by San Diego's Sunbendr. With Crime Wave Sunbendr successfully blends rock with The Beastie Boys. The band is a new name to me, so to this blog. Sunbendr is Frank Dixon on drums, Chris Coté on bass, vocals, Percussion and Brandon Parkhurst on guitar, vocals and together they rock. In this country I would point to Nijmegen giants De Staat, except that this band lays on the hiphop rhythms far thicker. The end result though is not that far apart. Both present songs that are out to provide a party and Crime Wave is exactly doing that. Sunbendr's latest single is a great song to end this week with.

Wout de Natris - van der Borght 

Faded Polaroids. Lanie Gardner

Na haar verrassend sterke debuutalbum A Songwriter’s Diary laat de Amerikaanse muzikante Lanie Gardner op haar deze week verschenen tweede album Faded Polaroids horen dat ze nog beter en veelzijdiger kan.

Ik begon in de herfst van 2024 met hele lage verwachtingen aan het debuutalbum van Lanie Gardner, die ik alleen kende van een vreselijke Fleetwood Mac cover, maar haar debuutalbum bleek een verrassend goed countrypopalbum. Ik vond A Songwriter’s Diary uiteindelijk zelfs jaarlijstjeswaardig. Het is nog altijd dringen binnen de countrypop, maar ook het tweede album van Lanie Gardner valt in positieve zin op. De Amerikaanse muzikante heeft een flinke stapel aansprekende songs geschreven en heeft deze voorzien van een geluid waarin ruimte is voor invloeden uit de country, pop en rock. De mooie stem van Lanie Gardner maakt het ook dit keer helemaal af.

In de herfst van 2024 verscheen het debuutalbum van de Amerikaanse muzikante Lanie Gardner. Ze was op dat moment vooral bekend van een door David Guetta tot goedkope danstrack getransformeerde versie van Fleetwood Mac’s Dreams, waarin haar stem echt het enige lichtpuntje was. Haar debuutalbum A Songwriter’s Diary bleek echter een verrassend sterk album, dat het uiteindelijk schopte tot mijn jaarlijstje. 

Op haar debuutalbum maakte Lanie Gardner lekker in het gehoor liggende countrypop, maar het was wel countrypop met een voldoende dosis pure country en een niet al te dik laagje pop. Ik vergeleek het met de meer country getinte songs van Kacey Musgraves en veel mooier dan dat ken ik het niet in het genre. 

Lanie Gardner keert deze week alweer terug met haar tweede album en laat horen dat A Songwriter’s Diary geen toevalstreffer was. Ook op Faded Polaroids maakt de muzikante, die opgroeide aan de voet van de Appalachen in North Carolina maar op jonge leeftijd neerstreek in Nashville, Tennessee, het soort countrypop dat momenteel populair is in de Amerikaanse country hoofdstad. 

De eigenzinnige Lanie Gardner heeft zich echter zeker niet volledig in het strakke keurslijf van de Nashville countrypop laten persen. Veel songs op het album bevatten wat stevigere uitstapjes, die laten horen dat Lanie Gardner niet alleen een zwak heeft voor country en pop, maar ook voor rock. De Amerikaanse muzikante flirt hiernaast met Laurel Canyon singer-songwriter pop en laat hier en daar horen dat haar liefde voor Fleetwood Mac verder reikt dan Dreams. 

De muzikante uit Nashville schreef samen met een aantal gerenommeerde songwriters uit Music City en nog geen jaar na haar debuutalbum maar liefst 18 songs voor haar nieuwe album, dat ruim 50 minuten muziek bevat. Op haar debuutalbum hoorde ik af en toe iets van Kacey Musgraves, maar Faded Polaroids zit dichter bij de albums van Megan Moroney, een andere persoonlijke favoriet uit de countrypop van het moment. 

Zeker wanneer de songs wat steviger klinken heeft het tweede album van Lanie Gardner bovendien raakvlakken met de albums waarmee Gretchen Wilson en Miranda Lambert ooit opdoken. Ook Morgan Wade en Carly Pearce, overigens ook persoonlijke favorieten, dragen zeker relevant vergelijkingsmateriaal aan. 

In muzikaal opzicht klinkt het allemaal aangenaam en wat mij betreft nergens te glad, maar het sterkste wapen van Lanie Gardner is ook dit keer haar stem, die zich soepel beweegt door de mix van country, pop en rock. Ik kom wekelijks meerdere albums tegen die in dezelfde vijver vissen als Lanie Gardner, maar net als op haar debuutalbum heeft de Amerikaanse muzikante genoeg in huis om zich te onderscheiden van de moordende concurrentie. 

Het was ook dit keer de stem van Lanie Gardner die me over de streep trok, maar Faded Polaroids trekt ook steeds nadrukkelijker mijn aandacht met een serie hele goede songs, met persoonlijk teksten die een inkijkje geven in de persoon Lanie Gardner en met een lekker veelzijdig geluid dat door de subtiele invloeden uit de rock en de hoorbare liefde voor traditionele Amerikaanse rootsmuziek altijd oprecht klinkt. Met Faded Polaroids maakt Lanie Gardner de belofte van haar debuutalbum A Songwriter’s Diary dan ook makkelijk waar.

Erwin Zijleman

Under Dark Skies. Tombstones In Their Eyes

Previous Friday, Tombstones In Their Eyes' new album was released, Under Dark Skies. I'm not going to beat around the bush. Based on my memory my conclusion is that I'm not hearing anything new compared to the Los Angeles band's last 2024 album, 'Asylum Harbour' (2024), but it sounds so incredibly good. The band has delivered an album that went straight into my brain and played every individual cell in there.

This feeling started with the opening and title song 'Under Dark Skies'. A drum pickup and off the band goes with a layer of guitars, a deep bass underneath it all and a drumkit that is mixed slightly to the foreground. The triple vocals of John Treanor (also guitarist), Clea Cullen and Courtney Davies are riding the waves the band provides them with like pro surfers. This song is such a great opener to the album.

The tempo may go right down for 'You Never Have To Love Me', the mood of Under Dark Skies remains and sails straight ahead. A psychedelic rock ballad? Why not. Tombstones In their Eyes shows how it's done. A massive sound is created by the whole band, besides Treanor, Cullen and Davies, there are Phil Cobb, guitar, Stephen Striegel, drums & percussion, Nic Nifoussi or Joel Wasko on bass and Paul Roessler, keyboards, harmony/ backing vocals. Finally, there is the late Paul Boutin on guitar & backing vocals. Boutin passed away in October but can be heard on the album.

Photo: Karin Johasson

The band with ease seems to be able to keep this level of quality. John Treanor wrote all the songs bar a co-written one. The band turns them into huge psychedelic rock anthems. There is not a lot of room for subtlety. The best is to let Under Dark Skies wash over you, to let it become one with you. The sound is so massive that it is easy to imagine to be completely covered by all coming at you. This tombstone is like a warm blanket wrapped around you on a cold night. A whole record long I am enthralled by the vocals. As they are singing with so many voices, the vocals become as massive as the music itself. Maybe there are more bands doing this, I'm not familiar with them. Because of it Tombstone In Their Eyes is a band that is unique. Under Dark Skies is an Ayers Rock, sorry Uluru, of an album. A solid monolith.

Yes, in a way I could have copied my review from last year. Except that I have the strong impression that Under Dark Skies is simply next level, perhaps two levels.

Wout de Natris - van den Borght 

 

You can listen to and order Under Dark Skies here:

https://tombstonesintheireyes.bandcamp.com/album/under-dark-skies 

2025, week 51, 10 singles

Catching up some more, here's another bunch of recent singles. What surprises me still, is that even after nearly 14 years of this blog and the probably thousands of singles reviewed over the past years, there still are so many new names that pop up in this section. There is no end to (new) artists wanting to release songs (and then there are all the songs that do not make my circa 30 seconds cut decisions). Going against every grain of commercial advise and distressing news about missing revenues and AI-generated music. As music fans, we are the better because of these artists. Let's celebrate and applaud them. Here's ten more songs, so explore and enjoy!

Things To Do When It’s Dark. Tell

TELL's album 'Life In Reverse' is one the best read reviews on this blog. Here's the band with a new single. Of course, it's an alternative rock track. The beginning though is a very tense affair. After an already very bare intro as in one dark piano note, the first verse is just the drums and singer David Wildman. This makes the track stand out immediately. When the band comes in, it is still not your average rock track. This has everything to do with the rhythm that is not a straightforward affair. Things To Do When It's Dark is a track to pay attention to because of these musical surprises. In my album review last year, I pointed to post-'Hunky Dory' David Bowie and again I hear a faint hint in that direction but this description would sell the song short. TELL is fully it's own here. Lyrically, the song does not leave you with a lot to guess. "Resistance rock" is a new term, but what else can it be when "We take back our country" is one of the lead lyric lines?

Smoke And Drive. Bobby Mahoney

Next up this week is a punkrock track from New Jersey's Bobby Mahoney. In a genre where a lot has been said and done already, Mahoney manages to present us with an exhilarating track  There's nothing new in there, but he manages to excite. Smoke And Drive's rhythm is tight. Over that the lead guitar plays these great melodies. In the lyrics there are enough whoawhoawhoas to allow for a lot of singing along. Living in Ashbury Park he is close to where Bruce Springsteen found his voice. Musically they may be far apart, the energy and intensity are the same. Smoke And Drive boils over with it. 

Take It Back. Regal Beagle

Take It Back is a punk track as punk comes. Dirty, fast, yet with a chorus that is as simple and straightforward as they come. No one has to hear this a second time before it can be sang along to. Regal Beagle is another new name on this blog. Formed in 1993 in Monterey Park, California, the band is about to release its first album in over a decade, also called 'Take It Back.' It seems highly likely to me that with the title track released as a first single, Regal Beagle makes a clear statement. We're back and you better be well prepared as we are going to give you an energy boost you will not easily forget. Take It Back simply works from the first to the last second. Two and a half minute is enough for this statement.

Long Time Gone. Speedtwinn

Speedtwinn is a band from Los Angeles. That makes two California bands in a row. Musically there is a difference though. I'm inclined to call this music bluesrock, but it also has a 1960s pop element hidden in there. Things start with the hard riffing lead guitar played by Derwood Andrews. The mildly dirty sound matches the mildly rough voice of singer Gary Twinn. The riffs are augmented by a slide, making the guitar part stand out even a bit more. I find the song slowly packed me in. At the start I thought been-there-done-that, heard it too many times before, but half way through the song I had gotten into its rhythm. Finally, I wanted to hear it again and again. The hint at Stevie Ray Vaughan is unmistakable, but there are not a lot of Vaughan tracks I like as well as this one. That says enough, right?

The Drop. Queen's Pleasure

Amsterdam's Queen's Pleasure returns to the blog with its final single release before its third album is unleashed on the world on 9 January, called 'Stunt Double'. After its first EP and album, I sort lost track of Queen's Pleasure. This had to do with the fact that the music did not convince me. It made me start listening to The Drop with a negative expectation. And then came the end of the song. It is an explosion of music. It's as if the band understood this was it last chance with me. At the start, of The Drop my impression was that the music was neither meat nor fish. That sealed it sort of. And then the end came in and I advise you to listen to it. The band lets it all go, as in taking no prisoners. What an orgiastic musical delight to listen to.

Indie Hero. Laptop

Laptop debuted on this blog in September with its single 'Additional Animals'. Again, the band of father and son Hartman return to the blog. Listening to Indie Hero, I would say that they present a tribute to that other Hartman, Dan and to Patrick Hernandez, both two mid-70s disco icons, with songs like 'Relight My Fire' and 'Born To Be Alive'. Songs that still light up parties to this day. Indie Hero is far more modern in sound but has this groove that calls for moving your body to the rhythm. The topic of Indie Hero, "I wanna go to Japan again", is one I can subscribe to. Having been there once, I'm sold. I'm also sold on Indie Hero. The track is simply fun. Jesse Hartman's return to music is paying off as far as I'm concerned.

This Guy? Hater

Hater is on this blog since 2017. The last time was in 2023 with its album 'Sincere'. On route to its new album 'Mosquito', the Swedish band released a new single, This Guy? I can be quite short. This Guy? convinces from the very first seconds. It has an indie rock vibe allowing singer Caroline Landahl to present a perfect mix between a Scandinavian ice diva and a warm- blooded singer. Equal parts between distancing and longingly dreaming are created by her voice. The lead guitar manages to underscore this in a great way, making the song grow and grow. I'll own up and admit that I had all but forgotten about Hater in the past years. I'm glad to have renewed our musical relationship today.

L.O.V.E. The Mono Kids

What can I say but that The Mono Kids from Eindhoven have done it again. Of course, this is another punkrock record by two men of a certain age, who love to play the genre they like best. The enthusiasm is more than matched by the quality of the song itself. L.O.V.E. is one of the songs on E.P. 'Lucky Guys', but deserves individual attention. Add the humorous video and the picture is complete. L.O.V.E has so much energy that it ought to be able to assist in unstressing the energy grid in the south west of The Netherlands. From the very first second the song goes full blast and there's no stopping the duo in any way. With the accents all in the right spots, it makes for interesting listening as well. With We Are Joiners in the vicinity, The Mono Kids may have received some local competition. For me the world gets just this little better having them both in it.

Flowers. Shadowman

At the start I had no idea what to make of Flowers (and no, this is not a cover version of Miley Cyrus' 'Flowers'). Music like walking in trickling rain, yet making you very wet and in the dark of course. That darkness remains, the rain swells and subsides. Nick Cave is the name that pops up when listening to Flowers. Just like the Australian artist, Shadowman, and its singer John J Presley, is able to impress with the directness and its impressive wall of sound and with the quiet parts in equal ways. Once that beginning is over, it becomes clear that a musical onslaught awaits us listeners. The musicians go full out and a saxophone works its way into the mix, screaming bloody murder. To think this is the debut single of a collective consisting of Presley, Ben Hillier and Danielle Perry. All three have completely different backgrounds/careers in music, yet collaboratively come up with this impressive work of musical art. Flowers is one heck of an introduction to Shadowman. Besides the message "debut album in 2026", we have to await further news.

Everybody Knows. The Legal Matters

Okay, let's end this post with a band trying to go for the perfect pop song; and comes a long way. The Michigan band may be called The Legal Matters, it has very little to do with the 1965 hitsingle by The Who of that title. This song finds itself in a more guitar laden spot where a sweet song like '74/75' finds itself. Core trio Chris Richards, Andy Reed and Keith Klingensmith have put a silver lining of pure pop over their nostalgic poprock song. The guitar parts are all over the song, backed by organ, bass and drums and they all are very much worthwhile exploring. But then: enter the real forté of The Legal Matters, the vocals. This band knows how to sing together and get the most out of the vocal melodies. The combination of music and vocals creates an extremely rich song that is a pleasure to listen to. Welcome to this blog, The Legal Matters.

Wout de Natris - van der Borght