Ritmo Lento. Leatherette

Over the past years, I've made this comment before. Italian bands have somehow made it into my span of attention. When this blog started, nearly 14 years ago, there wasn't a single one. Today, there are several, for the simple reason that people present them to me. Leatherette is a new name. You will find a single from this album recently, but that is it.

So let's start and introduce the band. The members are called Michele Battaglioli (vocals, guitar), Francesco Bonora (drums), Jacopo Finelli (saxophone), Andrea Gerardi (guitar) and, Marco Jespersen (bass), The band is based in Bologna. Ritmo Lento ('Slow Rhythm') is the band's third album. They started out as a punk band but as you will hear on this album, the band diversified into, let's call it post punk, but there's alternative rock as well and bits and pieces aimed at going against the grain of mainstream listeners.

The album opens with 'Magic Things'. The rhythm grips me immediately. The dirty sound of the rhythm guitar makes the song truly dirty, while sounding great at the same time. The lead guitar seems to be doing what it feels like and then a saxophone joins with a scream that could also have been delivered by a female punk singer. The mood of Ritmo Lento has been set and Leatherette is like a fish in water.

'Lovers Drifters Foreigners' starts as if it is a dark 1967 psychedelic song. Then it explodes into a punk song's chorus. Next is a far slower interlude where the sax comes in. The second verse is alternative rock that makes Personal Trainer seem like neat schoolboys. The song goes from mood to mood. Leatherette is doing things very right. It may seem like a hotchpot of styles, it comes together as a great whole. If a name comes to mind, it is The Libertines. With one main difference, that band often irritated the hell out of me after a few songs. Not Leatherette.

Promo photo

The way the sax is played by Finelli, reminds of the saxophone on David Bowie's 'Blackstar'. The songs it features in don't for one second. It just has the same tone, which is different from the way saxophones sound in e.g. classic soul tracks.

On Ritmo Lento Leatherette works somewhere between the genres I've just described. So, there is no need to pull out more individual examples for you. What makes the album so attractive is just that. Add to that the element of surprise that the band manages to throw into every single song and you have an album that is up there way above the average album. I am not familiar with Leatherette's previous work but if the change in its music brought Leatherette to this level of musicianship, the change was well worth pursuing.

Wout de Natris - van der Borght

 

You can listen to and order Ritmo Lento here: 

https://leatherette111.bandcamp.com/album/ritmo-lento 

Long March Through The Jazz Age. The Saints

Posthumous albums are not always of extreme interest. Nice to have as fan of a band or artist. Where The Saints are concerned there is no previous relationship with me. Okay, I sang background vocals on the chorus of 'Under The Milky Way', that at the time in Vilnius' town hall I was able to do to my big surprise. 'Under The Milky Way' is one of the favourites of the band I sing with at some international conferences. Never mine.

After the summer this year, I listened to a single that had been released, 'Empires (Sometimes We Fall)'. The song opens Long March Through The Jazz Age. The single struck a chord with me immediately and I made a note to listen to the album come the time. And here I am nearly three months later.

Chris Bailey is the name that I had encountered in the past forty years but the reviews never made me interested to listen to one of The Saints' albums. Perhaps, based on this album, I have whole decades to backtrack. I won't, as there's too much new music to follow already. On the release of the single, I found that Bailey had died in 2022 and this collection are the songs he left behind orphaned.

To my surprise the songs are even older, far older. They were recorded in the fall of 2018 in Sydney (that would make it our spring?). Long time drummer Pete Wilkinson joined, as did producer and touring guitarist Sean Carey and guitarist Davey Lane. Where so wished other instruments come in as you will find. Together they made a great record. There's no other word for it. Fun fact, the album can also be used in a 'Hitster' like game, as you will find several familiar quotes in the lyrics. It makes the album not one filled with leftovers but one that, for whatever reason, was not released until eight years after recording it. We are the richer for it.

Most songs are in a mid tempo, built around an acoustic guitar. Just wait until you get round to the riff laden 'Bruises', where the electric guitars are in the lead. Although several songs sound "simple" in the way of the chord structure, the way it is played and on top of it all Chris Bailey's voice is what make Long March Through The Jazz Age such a fine album. Life did make this album Bailey's swan songs, and what kind of a swan song. For me its the best the band ever released......

Wout de Natris - van der Borght

 

You can listen to and order Long March Through The Jazz Age here:

https://thesaintsmusic.bandcamp.com/album/long-march-through-the-jazz-age 

 

Begging The Night To Take Hold. Emma Pollock

Emma Pollock maakte deel uit van de legendarische Schotse band The Delgados, maar heeft ook prachtige solo albums gemaakt, waaraan deze week het echt prachtige Begging The Night To Take Hold wordt toegevoegd.

Het was de afgelopen negen jaar helaas stil rond Emma Pollock, maar deze week keert de Schotse muzikante terug met een nieuw album. Door het nodige persoonlijke leed is Begging The Night To Take Hold een behoorlijk melancholisch album geworden, maar het is ook een bijzonder mooi en sfeervol album geworden. Het is een album waarop de stem van Emma Pollock centraal staat en de Schotse muzikante maakt nog wat meer indruk als zangeres dan op haar vorige albums. Die indruk maakt ze ook als songwriter, want Begging The Night To Take Hold is een album dat je drie kwartier lang aan de speakers gekluisterd houdt. Wederom een jaarlijstjesalbum van Emma Pollock.

Dat Glasgow een levendige alternatieve muziekscene heeft mag als bekend worden verondersteld en die bruisende muziekscene heeft de Schotse stad al heel lang. Het leverde een aantal grote bands op als Belle & Sebastian, Franz Ferdinand, Mogwai, Simple Minds, Texas, Travis en Middle Of The Road (!), maar nog veel meer bands die de cultstatus niet, slechts in beperkte mate of slechts tijdelijk wisten te ontstijgen als Altered Images, Bis, The Blue Nile, Lloyd Cole & The Commotions, The Lotus Eaters, Orange Juice en Sons & Daughters. 

Tot de laatste categorie reken ik ook The Delgados, dat in de jaren 90 en vroege jaren 00 moet worden gerekend tot de leukste exponenten van de Schotse popmuziek. Ik ben de albums van de band uit Glasgow momenteel weer aan het herontdekken en kom hier binnenkort op terug. Reden van mijn heropleving van de aandacht voor de muziek van The Delgados is de release in oktober van Beginning The Night To Take Hold van Emma Pollock. 

Emma Pollock maakte niet alleen deel uit van The Delgados, maar was ook een van de oprichters van het aansprekende Chemikal Underground label. Na het einde van The Delgados begon ze bovendien aan een solocarrière en een aantal andere bezigheden. Heel veel tijd voor de muziek heeft Emma Pollock kennelijk niet, maar de albums die ze uitbrengt zijn echt uitstekend. Het gold in 2007 voor Watch the Fireworks, het gold in 2010 voor The Law Of Large Numbers, het gold in 2016 in nog sterkere mate voor het geweldige In Search Of Harperfield en het geldt deze week voor Begging The Night To Take Hold. 

Omdat het vorige album van Emma Pollock inmiddels al weer negen jaar oud is moest ik weer even in mijn archieven en in mijn platenkast duiken, maar bij eerste beluistering van In Search Of Harperfield was ik weer bij de les. Het is een album dat ik destijds heel vaak heb beluisterd, dat ik uiteindelijk koesterde en dat ik vergeleek met het allerbeste werk van Aimee Mann en dat is voor mij buitencategorie. 

Ook bij beluistering van het deze week verschenen Begging The Night To Take Hold moet ik af en toe weer aan Aimee Mann denken en dat vind ik nog altijd een groot compliment. Net als Aimee Mann beschikt Emma Pollock over de gave om lekker in het gehoor liggende songs te schrijven die ook interessant en avontuurlijk zijn en net als de Amerikaanse muzikante bestrijkt de muzikante uit Glasgow het hele palet van uiterst ingetogen tot uitbundig. 

Op Begging The Night To Take Hold kiest Emma Pollock voor een belangrijk deel voor ingetogen en door de inzet van strijkers zeer stemmig ingekleurde songs. Het zijn songs waarin de stem van de Schotse muzikante centraal staat en die stem is met het verstrijken van de jaren alleen maar mooier geworden. Het is een stem die nog mooier wordt door alle emotie die komt met de zeer persoonlijke teksten op het album, dat direct na de coronapandemie vorm kreeg en waarop de nodige persoonlijke misère voorbij komt en de muzikante uit Glasgow zichzelf zeker niet spaart. 

Emma Pollock is, mede door haar beperkte productie, niet heel bekend, maar heeft met Begging The Night To Take Hold een prachtig album gemaakt, dat er makkelijk uit springt. Door het album heb ik mijn oude liefde voor The Delgados weer nieuw leven in geblazen, maar het solowerk van Emma Pollock is misschien nog wel indrukwekkender.

Erwin Zijleman

 

Je kunt Begging The Night To Take Hold hier luisteren en bestellen:

https://emmapollock.bandcamp.com/album/begging-the-night-to-take-hold 

Frankie and the Witch Fingers live. Patronaat, Haarlem Saturday 29 November 2025

Photo: WdN-vdB

Dark and very wet but luckily not cold were the conditions when I got on my bike to cycle the circa ten minutes to Patronaat to go and see the Los Angeles psych rock band Frankie and the Witch Fingers. The support started so early, that I was still eating at the time.

When I walked in everything was set up with these very colourful cables on the stage and even yellow and blue coloured microphones. It looked quite special. During the show the cables seemed to change colour a little with the change of lightning. I'd never seen anything like it before.

My introduction to the band was through its last album, 'Trash Classic', but there are eight in total already. I heard a few familiar songs during the show but also a lot I'd never heard before or did not recognise. It didn't matter one bit. The band came on stage and went off and kept going at it until the very, very last note.

The start was impressive though. Over fast synth notes played by new member Jon Modaff, the other four played starts and stops that seemed to go on forever, in all sorts of variations, without missing a beat/chord/note. What a way to start a show! Very impressive. It was all led by a drummer who has the energy for a thousand shows in one. Nick Aguilar simply doesn't know how to stop playing, yet always falls back into the rhythm. There's so much power in his drumming that the band just has to follow. No one can let up for even a second. Aguilar impressed me the whole show long.

Photo: WdN-vdB

For the rest. Each song effortlessly melted into the next. Some without stopping. What they were singing about? I have no clue. At best a word could be picked out. Harmony vocals? I saw it, but heard it? Not really. Except for a "ballad" somewhere in between the set, it all just went on and on for circa 75 minutes. The storm only died down when the band left the stage, when all was said and done. No encore, as it wouldn't have added one iota to the whole presented. The European tour was over and the band can go home satisfied with their Haarlem show.

Finally, what to call this music? In the live setting, I can't tell you. There was a little of everything, like punk, trash, garage, something-core, etc., and yes, some psychedelia, at the moment the keyboard managed to get over the rest that is. Loudest that is the right word. Great fun to look, from a bit at the back for me. Not counting the insane trio The Forty Fives, the only louder show I've ever been was A Place To Bury Strangers. There were elements in the guitar swaths played that reminded me of that show, but it stopped there. The song was always present with Frankie and the Witch Fingers and that makes it a winning show. I was smiling the whole of the way home, rain or no rain.

Wout de Natris - van der Borght 

Beanpole. Georgia Knight

Something odd happens at the beginning of Beanpole. A radio being tuned across the dial can be heard, with stations fading in and out fast. Does it still work like that in the digital transmission age? It brings me back to my early youth and the cat's eye on old radios belonging to my grandparent's generation. But, also to 'Searching For The Young Soul Rebels', Dexys Midnight Runners' debut album. The band made a statement with it, as Kevin Rowland said when the radio faded out, "for God's sake burn it down" after which the northern soul exploration and revival began.

Georgia Knight's statement is so much more subtle. No noise, no excitement, just a woman with soft songs composed on an autoharp and extra instruments added when needed, but all in a slow motion setting. Making her statement just as impressive by the way. It just takes a little more effort to get it.

Knight is from Melbourne, Australia, but came to me personally by way of New Zealand. This in my ears perfectly makes sense as her music fits right in with NZ artists like Vera Ellen and even Aldous Harding. From slow and fairly bare songs something big can grow. And yes, she does add some pepper in some of the songs, like in the single 'Mingle', that was her debut on WoNoBlog, just like the mentioned colleagues can.

Hearing it again in the album setting, it stands out immediately because of the drum part, the loud synth and the rhythm that keeps chugging along. Because of the way of singing, the link to Georgia Knight's living or bedroom where she composed the songs is evident. The combination of the two settings makes 'Mingle' the most mysterious track on Beanpole. Again, I'm totally caught off guard by it. In 'Rockabilly' things even get louder, with a drumpart that reminds me of the way G. Love and Special Sauce spiked its folk songs in something hip hop inspired, circa 1994 (did we have trip hop then?). For a short time, it got a lot of attention.

The change from the soft to the louder is a little controversial. Listening to the first three songs brings other expectations in the mind of the listeners. For myself, I notice that I love the change, surprising though it is. Georgia Knight has these two sides inside herself and wants both to show, the soft and the loud.

Photo: Laura May Grogan

Another amazing fact is that this album lay on the shelf for two years, which even by the standards of these modern record releasing days is long. A year appears perfectly normal. Compared that to the weeks in which new singles were released in the days of the Beatles and the Stones. Why, I ask myself?, but is not for me to judge on.

Georgia Knight went into the studio with Andrew ‘Idge’ Hehir. When they were ready, they brought in several musicians, Nick Finch, Holly Thomas (Quivers), Rosie Noyes, Dan Luscombe, Joe Orton, Jethro Pickett and even more the bio says. Together they made Beanpole come alive in a grand way.

Near the end, the album winds down again. First the hybrid track 'Not Bad At All', to end with the impressive 'Cut You Loose', that swells like waves on the beach, to recede once again.

With Beanpole, Georgia Knight has released an album ripe for the end of year lists. You'll have to be patient a few more weeks for that one though.

Wout de Natris - van der Borght 

 

You can listen to and order Beanpole here: 

https://georgiaknight.bandcamp.com/album/beanpole 

 

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