To Be Continued. ER Jurken

What a strange band name, ER Jurken. Now jurken is in Dutch the plural of jurk, meaning dress. Musically, the band reminds me of a lot acts, but I still have not really gotten my head around what. On top of all this, I've played the album multiple times in just a few days, so enough reasons to delve in a bit deeper.

E.R. (Ed) Jurken is the name of the artist. So, it is not a band but a solo artist. To Be Continued is his second album, after the release in 2021 of 'I Stand Corrected'. I'm not familiar with this album, but this one is going down really well. Jurken goes back to a time when bands wanted to write pure pop songs. Here and there I hear The Kinks in abundance, but combined with a U.S. country feel not unlike Midlake presents or Wilco with a 100% pop intent.

It is even more in the singing that I am triggered the whole time but my brain just doesn't find the answer so far, except that the harmony vocals bring me back to Midlake circa 20 years ago. The outcome is very varied songs, somewhere in between pop/rock and ballads. Enough of that, let's focus on To Be Continued.

ER Jurken plays songs that go to my brain immediately. Hundreds of songs and albums paved the way for this one to hit straight home. Because that is exactly what To Be Continued did, so I noticed. This album combines the best U.S. and U.K. pop music has to offer. Somehow it is a perfect amalgam. To perfect the music, Jurken brought in three members of Chicago's powertrio Junegrass, Ben Brazil, Grant Engstrom and Jack Schemenauer on bass, guitar, drums and percussion, his friend Jonathan Kult on piano and worked with Paul von Mertens who wrote the arrangements for the horns and violins. On top of this all are the heavenly vocals of Jurken and especially when he starts to harmonies with himself. At least my guess is that by far if not all the the layered vocals are Ed Jurken. The result is an exquisite experience to listen to.

Within a few days To Be Continued has made me an addict to the album. I just have to put on the album again and again. It has been a while since an album has made such a great impression on me. Experience teaches me that quite often an album like this may fizzle out soon after, but there are certainly very positive exceptions to this rule. Time will tell which way To Be Continued will go but in the mean time I'm going to enjoy it for the whole of the ride.

As I already wrote, the album is so varied. It can rock rather hard, like in 'Mighty And Concealed', and still have that flowing almost floating vocals. But also listen to how the lead guitar's solo mixes with the string section. This is something else. There is the light pop of 'I Do', with a country twang added for good measure. The pop ballad 'Morning Paper' is another example of variation. Again that singing is there. Musically, the album is top already but the harmony vocals are the extra layer making the album so much better.

I was totally taken by surprise by To Be Continued, as I started listening without any form of expectation. Within a few songs I knew I was in for a treat, for something special. ER Jurken managed to keep that expectation in place until the very end.

Wout de Natris - van der Borght

 

You can listen to and order To Be Continued here:

https://erjurken.bandcamp.com/album/to-be-continued-2  

 

Farewell, Golden Earring (2)

Today we continue with the list where we left you at number 11. Today I consider the following songs my favourite ten Golden Earring(s) singles.

10. Sleepwalkin' (1976)

!976's album 'To The Hilt' was my first Earring album and the two singles my second and third Earring singles. Sleepwalkin' is one of these songs that make me wonder whether the crediting of songs to Hay/Kooijmans is justified. The bass riff in the background and Zuiderwijk's typical drumming and short solo's are such an integral part of this song, that a credit ought to be justified. This is more than just arranging, to my ears at least. There's more of that coming up below. This song is a driving force but it is more. It has a symphonic rock element as well. My take is that for the interludes the band listened to Genesis e.g. Besides that, there is the great sax solo of Bertus Borgers who played with the band for decades. This is some great musicianship and Robert Jan Stips, who would leave the band and later surface in The Nits, taking his moment. Another number 5 hit for the band.

9. That Day (1966)

That Day is Golden Earrings' second single. As the studio's in The Netherlands and the people operating them were all sub par, the band went to England to record in the Pye studio. The result is history, as Golden Earrings broke big with the song. Reaching number 2 for five weeks, behind 'Michelle', one of my least favourite The Beatles songs, the band became a famous pop band. A piano is the main instrument on That Day, played by Aad den Dulk, a friend of drummer Jaap Eggermont. The vocals are a joint delivery of Krassenburg and Kooijmans. What changed is the "steenkolen Engels". It looked like some people took lessons after 'Please Go'. Does perfect pop exist? I don't know but this sure sounds like it. At 17 George Kooijmans could already write a fantastic pop song. As an aside. Golden Earrings was a five and later a four piece, but so many songs had a prominent keyboard. That is rather strange, isn't it, for a band without a keyboard player. It would take years for the band to become a rock band. The beat/pop band was extremely good though.

8. Bombay (1976)

As I already wrote, Golden Earring experimented a lot. With Robert Jan Stips gone it was joined by former Cuby + Blizzards guitarist Eelco Gelling and that led to the sort of injection The Rolling Stones had with Mick Taylor. The guitar work on this single is truly exquisite. Who plays what, I don't know, but there are so many parts and riffs flying around it's almost impossible to keep up. I've liked this single from the day I heard it first, right up to this day. The eastern influence was brought in by Gelling, Bombay by Hay who lived in India in his earliest youth. Only number 7? Yes, and just I can't understand it.

 

7. Going To The Run (1991)

The last really big hit of Golden Earring is the ballad Going To The Run about a Hell's Angel. A friend of Barry Hay who crashed his motorbike, turned into a fantastic song. The chorus sung by Hay and Kooijmans is one of the finest in rock history. Despite playing in cover bands for well over 30 years, this was the first Earring song we've played, with my current band Sweetwood. And it got voted out last year. The remaining one is 'Rader Love', that we mastered after a lot of practising. With Going To The Run the Earring showed how good its ballads can be. One of the very best songs of the band ever.

 

6. Back Home (1970)

Enter Cesar Zuiderwijk, exit Sieb Warner. In a matter of months the band had totally reinvented itself and entered the stage with a real rock song. Heavy riffing and Barry Hay getting into his own. Finally he is the rocker that his voice is best equipped for. Of course, there is the flute played by Hay that is a remnant of times soon gone. With Back Home the band was right on top of the times as bands like Deep Purple and Black Sabbath were scoring their first hit in the same year. Just two years previously the band scored its first number 1 single (not in this list) and the two could not be further apart. The transition is in a way incomprehensible. Back Home is so loud and rough. The audience must have loved it as it was number 1 for five weeks with five weeks at number 2 around the 1 position. It makes Back Home Golden Earring's biggest hit by far. Did the old fans follow? I simply can't imagine they did. This then fourth grader did though.

We approach the first five and here it becomes really hard. On any day it could well be that a song could be in a different position but I think this is about accurate where I am concerned. Golden Earring(s) has produced several great songs but these five certainly are on top of all the others. Two of the songs were the band's claim to fame internationally. When I bought a compilation album in 1977 in Australia called 'Immortal Hits', it contained one Golden Earring song (and one Focus, 'Hocus Pocus'). We all know which song that is of course. The songs were all from the Polydor label, but still, Australia! Travel through the U.S. and you will hear the song regularly, just like Shocking Blue's 'Venus' by the way. Golden Earring is a pop/rock icon, globally. That ought to have had far more international hits, but alas.

5. Twilight Zone (1982)

Twilight Zone is the band's fourth number 1 single and built around a great riff. Sort of out of nowhere the band was really big again. Originally meant for a George Kooijmans solo album but added to 'Cut' that was supposed to be the band's final album. Come today we all know how that went. Again, a global hit was scored but again that could not be followed up, unfortunately. With Twilight Zone the band was able to combine two worlds and sort of reinvent itself. Twilight Zone without a doubt is a rock song, but it is also very danceable and has a lot of sounds that will sound familiar to U.K. postpunk/new wave bands. The Dick Maas video clearly catered to the demands of MTV. We are 44 years down the line but this single is still as strong as it was on its release day. Remember my comment on credits. Just listen to that bass riff and tell me your view.

4. Radar Love (1973)

When we had the intro, that was supposed to be a drum intro, we had created our own Beethoven's Fifth, said Cesar Zuiderwijk recently in an interview. The intro was thought up by bassist Rinus Gerritsen. Radar Love is one of the best rock songs ever of course. Iconic. The kind of song millions of people will recognise right at the first note played. A road song ideal for driving into the distance and within seconds you're speeding as well. As I wrote above, how can this be just written by two if the contribution from the rhythm section is so huge, including the iconic opening riff? What Cesar is doing here is composing on drums. Without his drumming in this way, the song would not half have the power it possesses and the same goes for the bass part. Rinus Gerritsen is a killer bass player! Some guitar parts were played by Eelco Gelling, who was not yet a member. Radar Love was the band's third number 1 hit.

3. She Flies On Strange Wings (1971)

This single/song is nothing less than a mini rock opera. For the life of me I can't understand that this was not a worldwide number 1 hitsingle. In fact, it did not go beyond number 4 here. It has everything you want great songs to have, split over an a and b side as the band refused to make a single edit. As I once wrote a whole post on this song, I'm going to refer you to it. Before I do, that bass player!

https://wonomagazine.blogspot.com/2021/11/a-classic-rock-giant-she-flies-on.html

 

2. When The Lady Smiles (1983)

When The Lady Smiles is Golden Earring's fifth and final number 1 single. Released one year after 'Twilight Zone' and meant as the continuation of the international success. But because of the video being pulled out of rotation by MTV, we will never know what it could have achieved. By attacking a nun on a tram in the video the band sealed its fate. That the perpetrator, Barry Hay's version of Van Kooten and De Bie's character 'De Vieze Man' ('The Dirty Man'), is severely punished further on in the video, is a subtlety that went by the puritan Americans. And us, Dutch? We just saw a great video accompanying an even greater song. As that is what When The Lady Smiles is for certain. This song has so much energy, can be danced to, has a host of guitar lines, and a chorus that is beyond superb. The only element I was not a fan of, was the 'Johnny and Mary' style solo at the end. George Kooijmans has played so many far better ones. The verses hold the tension that the song needs, so that the release in the pre chorus and then the chorus makes its point double and then triple. This song has the absolute wow factor.

 

1. Just A Little Bit Of Peace In My Heart (1968)

George was married to Melanie Gerritsen for 56 years. Melanie is bassist Rinus' sister, while their brother Rob for decades took care of finances for the band. A family band in a certain way Golden Earring was. But, in 1968 she broke up the relationship. George was heartbroken and must have decided to write one of the ultimate love songs ever to win her back and succeeded. They married soon after. Still called Golden Earrings, he went into the studio and came out with this masterpiece that reached number 2 behind The Cats' 'Lea'. In a way this is the least Golden Earring(s) song of all in this list, as the song has drums and bass but is carried by the orchestra arranged by Frans Mijts. Full blasting horns and loud violins! Listen to the end and you will find that bass sound already that would become a signature of Golden Earring a few years later. Kooijmans plays an acoustic guitar on the song and is pouring his heart out, to quote a later single. For me this was an earth shaking song. Together with 'Hey Jude', 'MacArthur's Park' and 'Eloise' it showed a third grader the power of music. There would be more songs at that level through the decades but very, very seldom better. For a short time, George Kooijmans was the lead singer of the Earring(s) on the singles before the band finally found the modus that would make Barry Hay the star he remained for well over five decades. Here George is shining like never before and never after. It goes to show that heartbreak leads to the best songs.

 

Summing up. The Earring will be there for my whole life as the songs will be there forever. Longer than I will live. Cover bands will keep the songs alive for some time to come. It's impossible to say what my truly favourite Earring(s) period is. I love the singles from the Earrings period. The rock period in the first half of the 70s is great, just like several singles from the early 80s. In the past days I played the 'Devil Made Us Do It' box repeatedly and found music at such a consistent level, even from the periods I thought I liked less. The box set is an altar for the music of Golden Earring(s). Should a song like 'Where Will I Be' be in this top 25? Yes, probably. Tomorrow this list may look different, for now this is it. What I can conclude, is that I like George sung songs the best in general, but without Barry's voice it would never have worked for so long. They were a golden tandem, just like Cesar and Rinus were. Together they were and are the best Dutch rock band ever.

Golden Earring is no more. At the end of this week the farewell shows are over. The music is there and I am sure going to enjoy it for some time to come.

Barry Hay seems prone to retire on Curacao, but Cesar is active in music, e.g. with Sloper and Rinus has become the bass player in the revived Supersister, with my neighbour from down the street Leon Klaassen on drums.

Wout de Natris - van der Borght 

Farewell, Golden Earring (1)

When guitarist, composer and singer George Kooymans announced that he was suffering from ALS and could no longer play, that spelled the end of the best Dutch rock band after an adventure that lasted for circa sixty years. Kooijmans died during my holidays last summer.

This January The Earring's three remaining members play five farewell shows in Rotterdam's Ahoy venue, for circa 15.000 people each evening, accompanied by a host of guests, celebrating a career with a host of highlights. With more demand than available days. I'm not there but will pay tribute to the band that was there for my whole life, from the moment I acknowledged music as more than a song that was put on by somebody else. The first song I can truly remember is 'I've Just Lost Somebody' in the spring of 1968. I think that a song like 'That Day' must have been there subconsciously, as I can not remember having heard it for the first time. To compair e.g., 1967's 'Sound Of The Screaming Day'. I know I did not know it when it charted, as it was on a compilation record I got as a present circa 1972 and it was a new song for me then.

In one of the very first WoNo Magazine's in 2001, yes 25 years ago, I wrote an article on the topic everyone has his or her own Golden Earring, as the band already existed for so long, that whole generations of popfans will have gotten acquainted with the band in a different era with a different song and backtracked from there. It also implies that the band will have sounded differently to everyone. Until the band more or less became a rock formula from the mid-80s onwards. Before that, it followed trends closely and reinvented itself multiple times and often very successfully. 

So for me that start was 'I've Just Lost Somebody', followed by the rather lame 'Dong-Dong-Di-Ki-Di-Gi-Dong', the band's first number 1 hit of five, but one the whole band later wanted to forget about. The next single is the one that made a huge impact on me, 'Just A Little Bit Of Peace In My Heart', a song that deserved to be number 1, but was beaten by The Cats' 'Lea' and that other rock mini-opera, 'Eloise' by Barry Ryan. Songs that were stamped into my young boy's brain and remain favourites to this day.

So many hits followed, the string went on well into the early 2000s. As far as albums are concerned, I am far less enthusiastic. If I had to mention my favourite, it would probably be decided between 'To The Hilt' and 'Grab It For A Second', the latter a total flop compared to the money poured into it. Somehow, it is the one that I did play for more than a few times (but long ago at that). Truthfully, I have far too many Golden Earring albums, but glad to have them anyway. The singles though, most are good and some are so great.

To honour Golden Earring(s) I am going to dive into the singles and present my favourites here, in two goes. Before we start, Golden Earring(s) released its first single in 1965 and the latest in 2019. I missed the first years and some early singles I only got to know because of the four cd compilation 'The Devil Made Us Do It'. The same goes for much after 1991, when I had lost interest in the band. Most albums from 1982's 'Cut' onward, I do not possess. As I have no albums before 'Eight Miles High' and neither all right after.

Here, we go, a countdown from 25 to 1. I'll admit to being "lazy" by deciding not to go for that one pearl on an album that I might have overlooked. These are all (hit)singles.

25. Say When (2019)

In 2019 the band released what proved to be its last single. It is not a final blast but certainly a worthy goodbye. The band rocks like it can and all the members have their moment. Rinus Gerritsen plays a mighty bass, Cesar Zuijderwijk lays the firmest of foundations and the guitar (overdubs) are all over the place and almost absent. The two singers do what they have done for decades, blending their different voices like they should. Barry Hay is himself. George Kooijmans' voice has clearly aged.

24. Another 45 Miles (1969)

If I remember correctly, this is the single in which the 's' was dropped from the band's name and the first where Barry Hay plays his flute. All of a sudden a lot of rock bands had a flute, which stopped again after 1970. The lyrics to this song are a 'Radar Love' avant la lettre. Also here in this mostly acoustic single the driver is looking forward to coming home. Sung by George Kooijmans it means that the song has a different vibe from the more rock led Barry Hay songs. The bass is deep and almost nasty. Released as a stand alone single the reach to number 3 in the Top 40. It was also the last and only single with drummer Sieb Warner who would leave the band in 1970. Drummer Jaap Eggermont left after the first U.S. tour to become a world renowned producer, e.g. Stars on 45. His last single, 'Where Will I Be' does not "chart" here.

23. Hold Me Now (1994)

The song received its iconic status as it was the encore in what has proven to be the final show of Golden Earring in Ahoy 2019. One they barely sold out at the time. Again, a George Kooijmans sung ballad. By 1994 I was turned off the band, so it never made a real impression on me. Like the rest of this country the song grew on me over the years, with a spot in this list as a result. Almost 30 years after 'Please Go' the band still scored a number 11 hit.

22. No For An Answer (1980) 

A song that did not make it into the Top 40 but one I've always liked. The band is rocking in a fairly uncomplicated way, straightforward with a chorus that is instantly recognisable and singable. Just like the guitar solo is a standard one and so nice. Singers Barry and George blend at the right moments, but Barry leads here. I truly can't understand why this did not chart. It should have.

21. Moving Down Life (1978)

The only single from 'Grab It For A Second', the Jimmy Iovine produced album that nearly flopped. It may have been a little too much of an American direction, while the songs as such certainly are not bad, as this single shows. It is a good rock song, where the band does what it was so good in. To my ears it sounds like the Earring should sound. 1978 however was not a good year for rockbands that were around for several years and with this album the band was not in sync, the Earring just behind the sign of the times. That may explain it. In 2026 this is classic Earring alright. It only got to #27 in the charts.

20. Quiet Eyes (1986)

The single with four different sleeves portraying each member solo. I have two of them and still on the look out for the others. The 1980s were a dark and often dismal affair musically. Quiet Eyes plays into this mood. It is a dark single for Golden Earring. The other side is that the band is able to write golden choruses and Quiet Eyes is no exception. Of course that typical bass sound is in the background and there is a warm Hammond organ accompanying the band. The song made it to number 9.

19. Buddy Joe (1972)

A single from the time the band was still experimenting by the song and Buddy Joe is no exception. With a sitar the intro and later playing the main riff Buddy Joe is very different. The same goes for the rhythm guitar. The pace is great though and Cesar is playing his signature drum fills, that would make him the best drummer this country has. The way the song is approached has a certain lightness because the way the guitars are played and mixed. It only gets its toughness in the verse with its muted guitar chords. Listening to the song in 2026, it is a lot better than I remembered it to be. With a number 4 position Buddy Joe was another big hit for the band.

18. Kill Me (Ce Soir) (1975)

I remember the song only as being called Ce Soir at the time. Perhaps the Kill Me was added for the English market. The song is so brooding. That made it really different from all the songs I knew at the time. It was a song I immediately liked. The darkness is everywhere on this song and yet it has this great pace that starts to shine through more and more as the song progresses. The violins made it different as well. Barry Hay is really shining here. 'Switch', the album, was the first with Robert Jan Stips, formerly (and now again) of Supersister, on keyboards. It reached to number 5.

17. In My House (1967)

The first of four Golden Earrings songs in this list. A song I was too young to know at the time and only got to know in the year 2000. I understand that it was mostly written by Rinus Gerritsen. It is a great pop track that has two faces. The pop rock and the mildly psychedelic interludes. It works great. The song is led by a piano and the solo is an organ both played by non-member Cees Schrama. Also it has to be noted that the band's composition is totally different. The singer is Frans Krassenburg and the drummer Jaap Eggermont. This would be the last single with Krassenburg, before Barry Hay entered the band. He can be proud of this final single though. It is a great pop song and got to number 10. All singles that charted after In My House for ten years all would be top 10 hits with 'Bombay' as the final one.

16. Long Blond Animal (1980)

The second representative of the album 'Prisoner Of The Night' here and its first single. At the time I was not convinced of the quality of this song, but that has definitely changed. This is a rock song that forever goes forward. The kind of song this band was so good at. It has a great little riff in between the lyrics of the verse. The "ah-ah" part is no doubt an explanation that the song kept growing in popularity. Barry Hay is shining in another rock song. The division between the two singers is mostly clear. The song did not make it beyond #19.

15. I've Just Lost Somebody (1968)

Here's the song that I remember as the first Golden Earrings song that I remember. A beautiful ballad with a lot of strings and a spinet or something like it. The song was written by Rinus Gerritsen although co-credited to Kooijmans. It was the last single with Gerritsen's name under it. Kooijmans took over and later Hay would be responsible for most lyrics. This song is so full of pining for a lost girlfriend and the music underscores it in a perfect way. That spinet (?) plays all the right sad notes, the dreamy vocals do the rest. It reached the charts twice. Number 8 in 1968 and number 13 in the "Naked" live version in 2005, forty years after the first chart position!

14. Slow Down (1981)

The only cover in this list. The band added Slow Down to the list of its second live album, '2nd Live'. It shows that Golden Earring was a great rock and roll band as well. Sounding a little like The Kinks did on its 1980 live album 'One For The Road'. Most likely a nod to the band it was before it charted first in 1965. I always liked this version of the Larry Williams song, as it is so utterly rock and roll. The single never charted. Why, I have no idea. I'm the proud owner of the single.

13. Weekend Love (1979)

Sort of out of the blue Golden Earring scored another big hit, hitting number 3. Kooijmans wrote and recorded the song at home and the demo never really got better in the studio, so what we hear is mostly the demo. The reason for the hit is obvious. Weekend Love is the kind of earworm that just never leaves you again. The end is not the strongest but by then the song has long made its point.

12. Holy Holy Life (1971)

The first Golden Earring single I bought. Most likely at a discount. I remember it premiering in 'Avro's Top Pop'. This was some pretty heavy shit alright. The double tracked riff is one of a killer kind. Golden Earring shows to be one of the great classic rock bands with this single. It is a logical follow up to 'Back Home' and is almost as good. The number 5 position was far too low for a great single like this. It was by the way, again a stand alone single. It also has a great ending, inspired by Small Faces, I'd say, but well before 'Stay With Me', Faces biggest hit was released.

11. Please Go (1965)

The band's first single and hit from 1965 and definitely one deserving to be in this list. Don't listen to the English, as it does not make a lot of sense. The pop feel is there however and is simply really infectious. At the time there was a fifth member, Peter de Ronde who plays the harmonica and guitar and can be heard on background vocals. Nobody was happy with the recording but it was released anyway and made the name for the band as it was in the charts for 20 weeks with #10 as peak spot. Although I got to know the song far beyond 1965, it has become one of my favourites because of that great pop feel.

Read on tomorrow when we continue with the top 10.

Wout de Natris - van der Borght 

Bang. Iona Zajac

De Schotse muzikante Iona Zajac speelde eerder met The Pogues, maar levert nu met Bang een buitengewoon indrukwekkend, indringend en bloedstollend mooi visitekaartje als solomuzikante af.

Bang van Iona Zajac zou ik zonder een tip van Spotify waarschijnlijk nooit hebben ontdekt, maar het is in zeer korte tijd uitgegroeid tot een album dat ik wil koesteren en de rek is er nog lang niet uit. Bang is een overwegend donker klinkend album, maar het is een album vol dynamiek. De muziek van de Schotse muzikante kan hier en daar uitbarsten, maar ze is ook niet bang voor zeer ingetogen folk. Het past allemaal prachtig bij haar stem, die niet alleen mooi en bijzonder is, maar ook over heel veel zeggingskracht beschikt. Het voorziet de songs op Bang van een bijzondere sfeer en lading, die alleen maar bijzonderder wordt wanneer je het album vaker hoort. Wat een droomdebuut.

In december werd ik zeer aangenaam verrast door een aantal bijzonder trefzekere tips van de tot op dat moment teleurstellende algoritmes van Spotify. Het zorgde ervoor dat ik mijn selectie voor deze week heb omgegooid. 

Eerder week besprak ik het werkelijk prachtige This Might Effect You van het Britse St. Catherine’s Child en vandaag is het de beurt aan Bang, het debuutalbum van Iona Zajac, dat minstens net zo mooi en bijzonder is. Iona Zajac is een Schotse muzikante, die in het verleden op het podium stond met The Pogues, maar met Bang haar eigen plek in de spotlights opeist. 

Het debuutalbum van de muzikante uit Glasgow intrigeert vanaf de eerste noten. De openingstrack Bowls opent met een langzame maar diepe percussie, waarna de stem van Iona Zajac invalt. Het is een mooie en ook wat donkere stem, die mede opvalt door de bijzondere zanglijnen. Langzaam maar zeker worden gitaren en synths toegevoegd en doet de Schotse muzikante er steeds een schepje bovenop in haar zang, wat een bezwerende track met een heftig slot oplevert. 

Bang heeft gedurende elf tracks een bijzonder geluid en houdt je een kleine drie kwartier aan de speakers gekluisterd. In muzikaal opzicht klinkt Bang vaak wat donker en dat wordt versterkt door de stem van Iona Zajac. Het doet me af en toe wel wat denken aan PJ Harvey, maar deze vergelijking gaat zeker niet altijd op. 

Bang is het debuutalbum van de Schotse muzikante, maar het album klinkt niet als een debuutalbum. Iona Zajac laat op Bang een eigenzinnig geluid horen en het is een geluid dat in alle opzichten kwaliteit ademt. De muziek op het album heeft vaak iets beklemmends, maar de vaak subtiele maar ook af en toen uitbarstende klanken op het album zijn ook bijzonder mooi en laten wat mij betreft een zeer onderscheidend geluid horen. 

Het is een geluid dat prachtig past bij de stem van Iona Zajac, die zowel ingetogen als wat expressiever kan zingen en de bijzondere sfeer van de muziek op het album versterkt. De intense zang van de muzikante uit Glasgow voorziet haar songs van een bijzondere lading en die wordt nog wat versterkt door de persoonlijke teksten, die hier en daar dwars door de ziel snijden. 

Bang is door de vaak wat donkere klanken en de intense zang af en toe best een heftig album, totdat Iona Zajac op de proppen komt met een uiterst ingetogen folky song en vervolgens nog wat meer indruk maakt met haar stem. Door de grote verschillen in de muziek en de zang is Bang een album vol dynamiek en een album met hier en daar flinke spanningsbogen, maar het debuutalbum van Iona Zajac is ook bloedstollend mooi en angstaanjagend intiem. 

Ik heb het album niet opgemerkt in de releaselijsten, maar een deel van de Britse muziekpers vond het album wel en strooit terecht met superlatieven voor een album dat als een mokerslag aan komt. Ik was altijd wat sceptisch over de tips van Spotify, maar met Bang van Iona Zajac heeft het een album getipt dat zonder enige twijfel in mijn jaarlijstje gaat terecht komen. En ik weet zeker dat ik dit groeialbum dan nog wat mooier en indrukwekkender zal vinden dan nu al het geval is.

Erwin Zijleman

 

Je kunt Bang hier luisteren en bestellen:

https://ionazajac.bandcamp.com/album/bang-2 

Can't Take My Story Away. Elles Bailey

With Elles Bailey we welcome a new name to the blog. The English singer-songwriter released her sixth album this year, excluding two live albums, since 2017. All the previous efforts passed me by and that changed recently.

On Can't Take My Story Away Elles Bailey shows a few sides to herself. With a voice well west of Four Roses' commercial saying "nothing's changed really", she takes us down a soul, country(rock) and blues adventure. In several songs this all comes together. The record starts with that voice. It almost has the grit that Janice Joplin used to have and Bonnie Raitt should wish to have. Musically I would connect the latter singer with Elles Bailey. The way all the genres are somehow connected is not unlike the albums I know by Raitt.

That is why in my opinion Can't Take My Story Away will be associated with the U.S. far sooner than the U.K. Everything ms. Bailey presents here has its origin in U.S. musical culture. She has mastered it all and made it her own signature.

For years, I am a fan of Swiss-American singer-songwriter Beth Wimmer. The start of this album reminds me a lot of several of her songs. Her voice is sweeter, as is her approach to the songs. It is all in the vibe of the two artists where the similarity lies. I can Beth easily hear singing the title song or 'Growing Roots'.

Photo: R. Blackham

Where the use of instruments is concerned, Elles Bailey obviously has a wider budget. The use of the horns, the warm sound of a Hammond organ, it all gives the music a broader sound, which brings soul songs of Aretha Franklin or 'Dusty In Memphis' to mind. Elles Bailey without a doubt uses the past for her music but in such a way that most songs have an urgent feel and fit perfectly in the 2020s. I have no way of knowing whether this music will attract young people to shows or mainly grey haired men and grey women at the roots of their hair.

I must admit that towards the end of Can't Take My Story Away, I have heard enough. For now I blame myself, as this music is somewhat towards the fringe of my musical tastes. All before that moment is consumed with pleasure. Elles Bailey has made an album that has a great sound and her voice is almost one of a kind. It's certainly enough for now.

Wout de Natris - van der Borght