Chuck Timely & The Hourglass. ROLE MODEL

Ik had tot dusver niets met de muziek van ROLE MODEL, maar het in augustus verschenen Chuck Timely & The Hourglass is een album vol aangenaam zonnige en volstrekt zorgeloze songs en een onweerstaanbaar lekkere jaren 70 vibe.

Tucker Pillsbury wil heel graag een grote popster worden, maar met de eerste twee albums die hij maakte als ROLE MODEL kwam hij wat mij betreft kwaliteit tekort. Op zijn derde album kiest de Amerikaanse muzikant weer voor een ander geluid en dit keer heeft hij een geluid te pakken waarmee hij zich wel weet te onderscheiden. Chuck Timely & The Hourglass lijkt zo weggelopen uit de jaren 70 en lijkt vol te kiezen voor het vermaak, maar de songs van Tucker Pillsbury zitten dit keer ook knap in elkaar. De songs op Chuck Timely & The Hourglass zijn zwaar aangezet en neigen soms naar kitsch, maar zo ver laat de Amerikaanse muzikant het niet komen. Het levert een mooie zomerse soundtrack op en waarschijnlijk nog veel meer dan dat.

ROLE MODEL is het alter ego van de Amerikaanse singer-songwriter Tucker Pillsbury, die deze week zijn derde album heeft uitgebracht. Ik heb zijn eerste twee albums wel eens beluisterd en vond er eerlijk gezegd niet zo veel aan. Op zijn debuutalbum maakt de Amerikaanse muzikant nogal doorsnee pop met invloeden uit de R&B, terwijl hij het op zijn tweede album over een andere boeg gooit en kiest voor singer-songwriter muziek met veel invloeden uit de Amerikaanse rootsmuziek, maar ook een flinke dosis weinig inspirerende pop. 

Op beide albums hoorde ik wel de grenzeloze ambitie van Tucker Pillsbury om uit te groeien tot een grote popster, maar de daden bleven wat mij betreft flink achter bij de ambities, want echt onderscheiden kon hij zich wat mij betreft niet. Ik had dan ook hele lage verwachtingen van zijn derde album, maar Chuck Timely & The Hourglass heeft wel wat, al wist ik niet direct wat. 

Bij eerste beluistering van het album ging ik ervan uit dat Chuck Timely & The Hourglass wel eens uit zou kunnen groeien tot een hele fijne ‘guilty pleasure’, maar inmiddels schat ik het nieuwe album van ROLE MODEL hoger in. Na de eerste twee pogingen om een grote popster te worden, kiest Tucker Pillsbury op zijn derde album weer voor een ander geluid en wat mij betreft heeft hij dit keer beet. 

Op zijn nieuwe album kruipt Tucker Pillsbury in de huid van het personage Chuck Timely. Deze Chuck Timely beschikt over het vermogen om door de tijd te reizen en gebruikt deze vaardigheid om door de geschiedenis van de popmuziek te reizen. Bij beluistering van het album is direct duidelijk dat Chuck Timely in eerste instantie in de jaren 70 is neergestreken. 

De songs waarmee het album opent herinneren aan zorgeloze popsongs uit de jaren 70, zoals bijvoorbeeld die van Elton John, maar ook zeker Michael Franks. Ik was zoals gezegd niet zo onder de indruk van de muzikale keuzes die ROLE MODEL op de eerste twee albums maakte, maar op Chuck Timely & The Hourglass heeft de Amerikaanse muzikant zijn geluid gevonden. 

Het album is voorzien van een lekker broeierig en vol geluid en is knap geproduceerd. Zeker met de koortjes ligt overdaad op de loer, maar de koortjes hebben ook een aangename David Bowie ten tijde van Young Americans vibe. Er is een enorme bak instrumenten gebruikt voor het rijk ingekleurde geluid op Chuck Timely & The Hourglass. Het neigt af en toe naar kitsch, maar Tucker Pillsbury blijft wat mij betreft altijd aan de juiste kant van de streep. 

Ik vond hem op zijn vorige albums geen geweldige zanger, maar het geluid op het nieuwe album is hem op het lijf geschreven. Zeker als je het album wat vaker beluistert, wordt het een zoekplaatje met tal van bedoelde of onbedoelde verwijzingen naar hits uit de jaren 70, wat van Chuck Timely & The Hourglass ook een ongelooflijk feelgood album maakt. 

Of Tucker Pillsbury met dit album gaat uitgroeien tot een grote popster durf ik niet te voorspellen, maar ik hoor voor het eerst de potentie van de Amerikaanse muzikant. Over één ding maak ik me wel zorgen en dat is over de tijdmachine van Chuck Timely. Deze brengt hem aan het begin van het album weliswaar feilloos naar de jaren 70, maar blijft hier vervolgens ook steken, wat ik persoonlijk trouwens helemaal niet erg vind.

Erwin Zijleman

 

Je kunt ROLE MODEL hier luisteren en bestellen;

https://rolemodelsongs.bandcamp.com/album/chuck-timely-the-hourglass 

Hey Pony. Hey Pony

Sometimes a new album just falls on my door mat, uninvited but on principle welcome. Very rare exceptions aside, a rapper or something, I will always give such an album a chance. A few weeks ago I found Hey Pony on the doormat, accompanied by the question to give the album a chance. I have, multiple times, as I truly like what I'm hearing.

Hey Pony is a duo from the "Bollenstreek", or there where the tourists go in droves in spring to watch the tulips and more in bloom. Now, in the 90s I recall a funk band called Red Hot Tulpen Bollen, I practised with a band in Voorhout for a few weeks circA 1997 and practised with another band for a year in a bulb shed in Voorhout in 2012, from which my current band rose from the ashes. Except for Howrah, a resurrected band now three albums into its new career, that is where my knowledge of things rock stops from the Bollenstreek.

Enter Hey Pony. It is a collaboration, as they call it, between Naomi van der Ven en Mark van Rijnberk. Both have a thirty year career in music and recorded two records in 2005 and 2010 together. I may have seen Van Rijnbeek play in The Avonden and certainly heard him on record, as I have a few albums by that band.

Put Hey Pony in your cd player and this pleasant sounding indie (rock) starts to come out of your speakers. This duo knows how to make songs that please. Alternative enough to be credible, but they also have a pop feel that makes it so easy to connect with the music.

Take 'Connect The Dots' as an example. The way a piano meanders through the song makes it so attractive. And here's a guitar guy lauding a piano part! It is what makes the song stand out. In the following song, 'I Am Not Alone' it is the surprise of the harmony vocals and again the rich arrangement that follows in the outro. This duo did not go over one night of ice and kept working on its songs to make them richer and better. In that influences from the 70s shine through and not just indie rock from the 90s. As such Hey Pony presents the best of several worlds. I won't call some parts symphonic rock but certain elements from bands like Led Zeppelin and Yes can be found in the swirling sound of a keyboard.

It is these surprises that make Hey Pony such an attractive album to listen to, To think the two just started out writing a few songs together, recorded them as demos before the songs started to take on a life of their own, demanding more effort and time. In 2026 we know why this time and effort was all worth it.

Wout de Natris - van der Borght

 

You can listen to and order Hey Pony here:

https://heypony.bandcamp.com/album/hey-pony 

2026, week 36. 10 singles (2)

The days are getting frighteningly shorter, as they do once we've reached September. Only 17 days before the sun crosses the equator, going south. There's always music, no matter what. So here are ten singles, varied as always. Enjoy!

Hope Our Paths Cross EP. Tommy WÁ

An uncertain, hesitant voice, the kind that is not exactly easily accepted in the local choir. The music is of a folky nature, with a piano and an organ as well. The first name that shot into my head was City and Colour where the intensity of the opening song, 'Into Your Arms', is concerned. I'm not entirely honest here, as my first thought was a band that I truly do not like, Chefs' Special, and let 'Into Your Arms' be that band's greatest hit. (This was before I'd read the title of Tommy Wá's song!) Tommy Wá is a Nigerian singer-songwriter and Hope Our Paths Cross is his third EP. In his bio he is compared to Michael Kiwanuka and there is some truth in this. Wá is able to reach a maximum effect with relatively little instruments while relying on his voice that is not your average. Typical, yet strong and varied. I had not heard of Tommy Wá until listening to this EP and I have to say that his songs go down really well. At this point 'Alleluya (Another World)' is my favourite. Slow, but with a lush, lingering melody, that is so easy to connect with. It may well be that Tommy Wá is a name to watch.

The Hockey Song EP. Miss Georgia Peach 

Miss Georgia Peach goes country in honour of a Minnasota hockey team, the Frost and the U.S. woman hockey team that won a gold medal at the Olympics. All that means nothing in a country where speed skating is the number one winter sport. That aside. The bio referred to the movie 'Slapshot' and I had all but forgotten about it. Now I'm pointed to it, I'm immediately associating it with the outlaw Argentina squad at the World Cup last summer in the U.S.A, Canada and Mexico. They played exactly like the team around Paul Newman's character did in 'Slapshot'. The song 'A Little Bit South Of Sasketoon' is a cover of someone called Stompin' Tom Connors and apparently was played in 'Slapshot'. In the version of Miss Georgia Peach it is a fun song, uptempo country, where the joy of playing it shines through every second of the song. I'll refrain from commenting on The Hockey Song. That is best for all concerned.

Closer To The Water. Caution Bomb

Believe you me, there is a record label called Mom's Basement and it has released this single by Caution Bomb. Hailing from Ohio, the trio presents a song somewhere between punkrock and powerpop. It has the credentials to be called punkrock and flows so easy that the pop description is fully deserved as well. Caution Bomb really deserves both monikers. Caution Bomb is guitarist/vocalist and primary songwriter Johnny Stanec, drummer Beau Basement and bassist B.J. Lisko. They have teamed up to continue down rock's path together. On 6 November album 'My Kind Of Team' will be released and if the songs on it are as good as Closer To The Water, it is something to truly look out for.

Don't Say A Word. Blood Red Shoes

About a year ago I was in fear to have lost another band that I truly like for the past circa 20 years. Unnecessarily so, as before the summer a new single was released and here is another, with album 'Stay Lonely' just down the road (18 September). Don't Say A Word is a song that again has an electronic foundation, like more recent songs by Blood Red Shoes have. Most likely the duo will partly play live as a four piece again, like a few years ago. Don't Say A Word combines the alternative rock side with the more poppy side of the band and which came through on singer/guitarist Laura-Mary Carter's solo album 'Bye Bye Jackie'. The combination makes Blood Red Shoes' new single less predictable and good. The musical effects and sounds make it a treat to listen to, the verses are alternatively totally credible, while the chorus is as poppy as this band has ever been. Two more weeks only!

The Fountain. DIIV

DIIV can be found with three albums on this blog, from 2012, 2016 and 2024. Looking in my collection, I only find  the 2016 one, 'Is The Is Are' on record. On 30 October the band's fifth album 'ZIRP!' will be released, so it appears I missed one along the way. Single The Fountain is an alternative rock song that is not afraid of blowing itself up to huge proportions, while singer Zachery Cole Smith sings with his typical soft and timid voice. Guitars are all over the place, distorted, fuzzed, and what not, layer upon layer is placed with a quiet interlude that goes into the second verse. A little Nirvana, yes, but more playful with the sounds and far more layered in the textures of the song. It makes for interesting listening as The Fountain is musically multi-dimensional. I like it alright.

Wonder Woman. Kurt Baker

Only a few weeks ago I reviewed a long lost Kurt Baker album from 2010 and here is a new single already. With Wonder Woman Baker does what he's so good at. Finding an interesting riff and translating that riff into a hard rocking song. Together with Brad Marino and Geoff Palmer, Kurt Baker has become my favourite American artist who keeps alive the sort of music that was great in the late 70s and beyond and still sounds good today, if in some cases not better than then. The skills of writing, playing and arranging has risen since 1978. Wonder Woman is a great example of that. No, I can't and won't call it original, but as long as it rocks like Wonder Woman, you won't hear me complaining.

Fade. Soft Science

Well into the 15th year of the blog and still new names pop up in the singles section so regularly, that it shows that more band are releasing records, perhaps even more than ever before. Soft Science is such a new name. It is a big band, Katie Haley (lead vocals, percussion), Matt Levine (lead guitar), Ross Levine (guitar, backing vocals), Tony Cale (drums), Becky Cale (bass, backing vocals), and Hans Munz (electronics), are all a part of it. All people of a certain age that still or once again are making music together. Fade is a dreamy but lush song. The bio speaks of "ethereal vocals, luminous guitars and a propulsive pulse, the track captures the bittersweet tension" and I could not have described it better, so decided to just quote here. Right in the intro the band starts rocking out, keeping the pace but dropping the noisy lead guitar, giving way to Katie Haley's voice before the noise and huge sound returns for the chorus and the repeating of the intro. Great single Fade is. Album 'Sand' was released on 4 September.

Marianne. Fontaines D.C.

With 'Romance' still fairly fresh in my ears, here's Marianne, the first single of upcoming album 'Dopamine Chamber', out on 16 October. What to expect, as Fountain D.C. is developing by the album, with 'Romance' containing quiet some musical surprises. The band moved to London in the past years and slowly but surely shook its postpunk feathers. Marianne is another step from there. Alternative pop comes close. Synth swaths can be found all through the song. The drums are still tough, the bass with a delay on the sound very driving, the overall sound is tough as well. Not the style though. Grian Chatten is Grian Chatten, so his voice is the anker but this music is not Fontaines D.C. of 2018 - 2022 for sure. Do I like it? I notice that I can get use to Marianne.

High Priestess. Brennan Wedl

Reading the name Nashville usually puts me on alert. Yes, Brennan Wedl plays like a singer-songwriter with some country elements in there on High Priestess. But nothing that puts me off. High Priestess is an alternative country song that reminds me of 1990s female singers from the U.S. like e.g. Sheryl Crow and The Walkabouts' Carla Torgerson, who were able to give the genre a new and interesting leash. Brennan Wedl does just that with High Priestess. All through the song a pedal steel guitar is doing its thing. Had it been an organ, I would probably not have thought of using the moniker country. Still, an acoustic and an electric guitar, bass and a soft drums is all that the song needs to come alive, with Wedl's voice double tracked. And then enter the pedal steel. Album 'High Priestess' was released on 19 August.

Sensational. Wishy

With Sensational, Wishy released an alternative rock song that did not take much time to catch my attention. Just listen to that percussive intro. It's not just drums you hear. Listen to how that bass guitar drops in and then the guitar playing the chords riff that returns all throughout the song. It makes melodic options small for Wishy. But then listen to how that is turned around as well. And then I have not even started about all the breaks in Sensational. In other words, more is happening than my ears can keep up with in the first spins. There will be a lot more to discover in the coming days and weeks. Sensational is a great song to end this week's singles post with. Album 'Nature's Pill' is out on 2 October and don't forget to watch the video. What a tremendous load of work making it must have been.

Wout de Natris - van der Borght 

2026, week 34. 10 singles (2)

Downpours? Who remembers them? Torrents of rain driven through windswept streets? I had all but forgotten about them. This week they are back for the first time in months, quenching a dried out land. In between there's still some sun though, but no longer heatwave like temperatures. And there's always new singles to listen to, so, enjoy!

The Rush. Editors 

How many crossroads are there in the world that draws hoards of tourists? I can think of two. The one on Abbey Road in London I still have to visit. The other is a part of the video to The Rush. Yesterday I happened to read about bands that never topped their debut album and 'The Back Room' was used as an example. I beg to differ, as I never truly got into that album. The Rush is another example of why that is. Editors has left teenangst and the resulting doom and gloom behind it and has let in some light into its music. The Rush feels totally alive and sparkling. It may not be Editors' best song ever, but its great to listen to and makes the listener feel as alive as the song is. Album 'Surface, Echo & Sound' will be released on 30 October.

American Midnight. The Jayhawks

When was it that I last heard a new The Jayhawks song? 2003 or around 2010? I don't know. Neither when I played an album for the last time? It may be a long time ago. All this did not stop me from listening to a new single from the upcoming album 'Sanctuary Park' (28 August). It all sounds so pleasantly familiar immediately. Yes, pleasant is the right word. American Midnight is an up tempo song, a mild rocker is the description that fits best. The singing between Gary Louris and Karen Grotberg still works. Things become uncanny when I realise that the band entered my life in 1993 with a single that still plays inside my head regularly, 'Take Me With You (When You Go)'. That is 33 years ago. The band itself formed 40 years ago and is still capable of creating a strong song like American Midnight. Perhaps it's time to listen to a new The Jayhawks album once again after all.

I'm On Standby. Eels

Did I write 1993 in the above post, here's 1996 when 'Novocane For The Soul' came into my life and the album 'Beautiful Freak'. Just like with The Jayhawks, I missed several albums of Eels through the past 30 years. That doesn't stop me from listening to a new single and I'm On Standby is proof that a song can be seemingly simple, yet perfect and beautiful(ly arranged). E's voice is what it is and suits this single just right. I can hear him performing I'm On Standby with just an acoustic guitar within my head. And then listen to all the subtle details that come by in this single. The organ is totally defining. Subtle strings add to the beauty of it all. On the face of things there seems not to be happening a lot. Open your ears and you'll be amazed. Don't forget to really open your ears at the end. A beautiful single I'm On Standby is.

Lie Down With Dogs, Stand Up With Fleas. British Birds

British Birds is a DYI, brother-sister band consisting of Bobby and Emma Townson with Dominic Lawson on drums and James Robinson on bass. On route to their third album, 'Murmurate, Oscillate', to be released on 16 October, the band releases this sort of time machine of a single that hops from year to year scoping up elements of music. The result is mix of XTC, The B-52s, and much, much more, caught in a flash of energy that is led by an oh so cool 'ooh-ooh' sang by Emma Townson. Come the chorus there's only one band left I can think of, Dogs Die In Hot Cars and then add the Cindy Wilson and Kate Pierson quality of Emma's voice. Lie Down With Dogs, Stand Up With Fleas is a song that bounces in all sorts of directions but keeps the eye on the ball the whole time. British Birds manages to be as alternative as it is poppy in a very convincing way. "ooho ooh-ohoo, oohoo ooho-ooho" alright.

Drop/See. The Machine

With Drop/See we go off to the darker and deeper side of music. The Machine is a Dutch stoner rock trio consisting of David Eering (guitar/vocals), Chris Both (bass) and Klaas Dijkstra (drums). For 20 years the band has been honing its craft and it shows on Drop/See, which is also the opening track of the upcoming 'Another Sun' album (2 October). The deep, dark riffs that drive the album, played on both guitar and bass, define the sound of Drop/See. The vocals are mixed in such a way that they are clearly only supporting the song. The big riffs take the main stage, accompanied by all sorts effects on the guitar. From there the melodies are explored by the guitar. Behind it all are the huge drums of Klaas Dijkstra. From past experience, I'd say that Masters of Reality are the best comparison. Yes, it's loud but if it's good as well, who cares.

Goodbye To It All. Jess Williamson 

There are artists that have come into my life, I even have a few of their records and yet, somehow they disappear as they have come once those albums move into the "collection". Jess Williamson is one of those artists, I realised when I was pointed to her new single, Goodbye To It All. Listening to it, I wondered, did she sound as country as this? My memory tells me, no, she didn't. Goodbye To It All has a country twang, caused mainly by the pedal steel guitar that weaves itself around the other instruments throughout the song. Ms. Williamson's voice sings a bit in a country way as well. Listening for the first time, I wondered whether I should write about the song, but decided in favour before the song played itself out. A little bit of country every once in a while doesn't do anyone any harm, and as far as I'm concerned there's no need to say goodbye to this song.

Take It Back. Garret Vandermolen

Sound Cove is a label that releases digital singles only. They include songs that founder Garret Vandermolen wants to release as a solo offering. Over the past few years I have written on the single releases of the label and Take It Back is no exception. It is one of those tracks that combine a good rock sound and riff with a great vocal melody. It has that driving rhythm that gives the impression that the song will go on forever, something the listener wants it to do. Although the guitars are the driving force, a warm B3 Hammond underscores the warmth the rock song contains as well. Musically, Take It Back combines the melodic side of 70s rock, e.g. Uriah Heep's 'Easy Living' with 90s alternative rock like Buffalo Tom. It is a combination that really works out well for Garret Vandermolen.

1972. Librarians With Hickeys

1972, man that is long ago by now. Do I want to go back to it? No, thank you. Singer Ray Carmen of Librarians With Hickeys does though. The band presents a single that is just as nostalgic sounding as The Connells' '74/'75'. 1972 is just a little faster and janglier. The Ohio band returns to these pages with a single that shows how good it is in music that seems to come from the past but is sounding new and fresh. There are so many bands and artists that have returned to music and are able to come up with great sounding songs, that will remain more or less in the shadow of the past, but can compete easily with what came before. Librarians With Hickeys is such a band. We have to wait to somewhere next year though before being able to hear the upcoming album.

Comin' To Get Him EP. The Lemon Drop Gang

"How far back can a band put the hands of the clock? In the case of The Lemon Drop Gang it is about sixty years", I wrote in January of this year introducing the band's single 'My Mind's Got A Mind Of It's Own'. There's no need to change the opening lines for the three songs (one is an instrumental pedal steel version of opening track 'Wreckless Eyeballs') on this EP. Two songs that can't be much further apart though. 'Wreckless Eyeball' is a garagerock country song. Dirty, sleazy but country nonetheless. Steph O'Halloran sings as if she drags her voice down the mud up and down the street. The guitar is just as dirty. The pedal steel does the trick as do the backing vocals. The solo they play together is the icing on the cake. I can only write that I really like what I'm hearing. The same goes for the third and title song of the EP. 'Comin' To Get Him' is a garage rocker like they used to make them. The fuzz pedal on the guitar is cranked up to the max it seems. No matter how 60s the track sounds, The Lemon Drop Gang puts itself on the same level as modern day, Australian punkers Amyl & the Sniffers. That amount of energy comes from the digits playing in my ears right now. The two songs may be uncannily different, on this EP they work like a miracle from hell. 

Ellen C. Let Me Downs

I'll admit, it is not easy to write an original review on another punkrock single, that sort of sounds like they all do and yet is good. Tacoma's Let Me Downs do everything right on Ellen C. It has the energy, the tightness, the melody, the power, the breaks and above all a chorus to shout along to. So, does Ellen C. need an original review? No, because writing that a song is good at times is enough. So, let me repeat, Ellen C. is a great punkrock single, in the style that is around for over 30 years and never seems to tire when played right. Ellen C. by Let Me Downs offers just that.

Wout de Natris - van der Borght 

It's All Good, Sugar. The Greenberry Woods

It's All Good, Sugar is an album containing pure pop with elements from all the decades in which, when all is said and done, the best music was made, because it was invented in these years. Come 2026 there are on average far more accomplished musicians and of course recording options are so much better now than in the 1960s and 70s, that musicians could not even dream of them. The Greenberry Woods is obviously making the most of these options and present a poprock album that can go with the best of them from the 2020s.

All in search of pure pop do not have to look any further. It's All Good, Sugar is filled with it, twelve songs long. In fact, it's incredible that The Greenberry Woods are able to come up winning, song after song after song.

The first time I heard an album like this, as in tapping into the 60s pop era with fully original songs of very high quality, was with the album 'Catch All' by a band filled with musical friends from different bands called Swag from 2001. Since circa ten years a host of albums have reached me attempting the same feat. I like many of them, but it seems with It's All Good, Sugar The Greenberry Woods have raised the bar some more.

Promo photo

As I had never heard of the band before, I decided to read in. The Greenberry Woods released two albums in the 1990s before calling it a day, 'Rapple Dapple' (1994) and 'Big Money Item' (1995). Like many of its contemporaries the three songwriters of the band, Brandt Huseman, Ira Katz and Matt Huseman are giving it a new try some 30 odd years later. I am not totally surprised by the 1990s link. The song 'Very Good Year' reminds me of the sound of the one album band The Caulfields alled 'Whirligig'. It also means that the band members most likely are well into their fifties, reliving a passion they once had. Based on what I'm hearing, that was very wise decision. The three are joined by multi-instrumentalist Paul Krysiak (also in Splitsville with the Huseman twins) and drummer Joe Parsons.

Another band I could mention from the 1990s, is The Posies. Like it The Greenberry Woods manages to combine The Beatles and Big Star with that tougher sound of the 1990s poprock. All the elements blend in a way that keeps tingling my ears for the whole of the album. Take 'The One That Makes You Happy'. The strong and loud guitar chord progression manages to blend perfect pop vocal melodies and harmonies. The third is Scotland's Teenage Fanclub, originally also with three songwriters and singers, as The Greenberry Woods also excel in softer, dreamier songs.

What more can I write? Hearing is believing, so let me leave you with pointing you to the link below to be convinced by the perfection on offer on It's All Good, Sugar.

Wout de Natris - van der Borght

 

You can listen to and order It's All Good, Sugar here:

https://bigstirrecords.bandcamp.com/album/its-all-good-sugar 

2025, week 14. 10 singles

Sun, wind, rain, sun, wind, rain, it's a typical Dutch early spring. In a few days it will be warm and sunny. Perhaps next week frost in the night and sleet. Who knows? What I do know is that new singles keep coming in. Here's the selection for week 14, so explore and enjoy! 

Gris EP. a.gris

The two singles released in the past few months signalled that a.gris's upcoming EP Gris could well be worth my while. Believe me, it is. As a short reminder, a. gris is Alex Delamard, singer/guitarist of Hoorsees, who has been working on a solo project under the name a.gris. This EP is his first work of art. Before I start, I refer you to the singles posts of 27 December 2025 and 1 February. That leaves me with three songs to review, the number 3 to 5 on the EP. It starts with what was released as a third single, 'Meta Piano', an alternative rock ballad. A distinctive feature is a Chinese/Japanese sounding main riff, that has a kinship to Ryuichi Sakamoto's main tune for the 'Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence' Movie. It gives the song a totally different vibe from the two singles that precede it. 'Munchhaussen' derives his name from the "by proxy". I know Baron von Münchausen from a comic series published most likely in the 1950s or early 60s, at my grandparents'. The song 'Munchaussen' is a heavy tune, with a dark sound that lays over the song. The acoustic guitar opening takes nothing away from the brooding sound of the song. The treatment of the voice adds to it. The female voice behind Delamard brings some relief. Final song 'Gravity Rules' starts somewhat lighter with again that female voice. Not that much later the brooding mood returns, interlaced with intriguing sounds that move in and out of the song. The whole EP has a touch of emo in it but not in a way that stops me from listening. (No, I'm not a fan, exceptions allowed for.) a.gris has produced a strong EP that allows him to explore his solo work further.

Projectors. The Notwist

The Notwist is a German band that is around for longer than I care to remember, but also a band where I never found my way into. On this blog you will only find a review by Erwin Zijleman from 2021. As I tend to give singles I'm alerted to a circa 30 seconds chance to convince me, I did so with Projectors. Without too much expectation. To my surprise I heard a sort of funeral dirge entering my ears. The music is somewhere between folk and country, with an acoustic guitar as the lead instrument. With a female second voice, Enid Valu, giving the music something angelic, the song becomes infinitely more attractive. With the following line from the bio: "the lyrics ... have been written as if Rutger Hauer could have sung them in 'Blade Runner'". Yes, the song is dark enough alright. It's good thing surprises are still possible.

Romany Blue. The Bevis Frond

U.K.'s The Bevis Frond is around since like forever and it's front man, Nick Saloman, even longer. With a steady pulse the band delivers a new album and with it's upcoming album, 'Horrorful Heights' (3 April), things are no different. What may be a little different, is how accessible single Romany Blue is. It is a delightful pop ballad like they used to make them a long time ago. Only with a singer that has aged gracefully. The music, after the intro, is fairly dense mix of bass, drums and two electric guitars, the second somewhat cleaner in sound. They alternately take a few leadnotes and strum the rhythm. The solo is overdubbed and nice, really supportive of the mildly melancholy mood of Romany Blue. All together Romany Blue is a nice listening experience.

Pieces Of Time. The Riflebirds of Portland 

If I've read the message right, I'm listening to a track from 1985 from the album 'April' to be re-released this month. The Riflebirds disbanded before they could have taken off, to reunite four decades later as The Riflebirds of Portland with last year's album 'Windmills on the Moon'. I have missed both albums at the time, but judging Pieces Of Time, I have to conclude it is fantastic folk song. Singer Kate Oser (at the time Lieuallen) has a beautiful clear voice. It really resonates on this single. The band, Lee Oser (bass/vocals), Kevin Kraft (guitar), and Kevin Jarvis (drums), provide her with the space to shine in Pieces Of Time. What also strikes me is the clear sound of the recording. Marvin Etzioni can be held responsible for this. You can find him a couple of times in a different capacity on this blog. With Pieces Of Time The Riflebirds (of Portland) ought to claim their route to fame any way. The song works totally in the 2026 context.

Next To you. Dirt Road Souls

With Next To You Dirt Road Souls enter this blog for the second time. Except for the topic of the lyrics, I could repeat the gist of my previous post. Next To You is an alternative rock track with a lot of country rock influences, ergo roots rock. The band I'm reminded of immediately is San Diego's Dirty Sweet, long since disbanded. There are far more famous examples but I suggest you pick your own favourite here. Next To You can be called a rock ballad also as far as I'm concerned. It is a song with the brake on, allowing me to listen to a lot of details. For a trio, Davis Black, Rick Weden and Brian Sargent, Dirt Road Souls has a rich and clear sound. What you hear on record can not be reproduced by three on stage; too many guitars. Singer Davis Black has a voice that seems to belie his age, but sounds fantastic in Next To You. Two singles in, I sure want to hear more and that more is there in the form of the roots rock opera '(The Life and Times of) Johnny Moonshine'.

When It's Over (feat. Hemi Hemingway). Vera Ellen

Vera Ellen can be heard regularly in my home, office and car. In a fairly short time she has become one of my favourite artists from New Zealand. All thanks to the newsletter of recordshop and label Flying Nun from that country. She's even coming over this spring but not for a regular show unfortunately but a festival. With the second single of her upcoming album, 'Heaven Knows What Time' (1 May), Ms. Ellen again shows how good a musician she is, while always maintaining that sort of slacker atmosphere that always is an integral part of her songs. The dark voice of Hemi Hemingway is a beautiful counterpart to her own voice. Ater she once sung a Nancy & Lee song karaoke with him, she just knew she wanted him to sing on When It's Over. A golden choice.

Cute. Asara

In 2024 I was charmed by the Paris band Dog Park's album 'Festina Lente'. I don't know whether Dog Park is no more, but one of the ladies in the band returns on this blog under the name Asara. With Cute she releases a dreamy song that, except for the rather abrupt and unimaginative ending, is really beautiful. Asara's voice reminds me a little of Amber Arcade's Annelotte de Graaf's. They both have that quality to hover of a song, while taking me as listener in to it. This is exactly what Asara does with me. The guitar with a little reverb on it plays a nice riff all through the song, supported by a keyboard. Underneath that is a synth making rather mysterious sounds, like a sampled choir. The introduction to Asara is just about perfect. An, as yet unnamed album, is announced for the fall.

Peaceful Alibi. Other Brother Darryl

Other Brother Darryl returns to the blog with a single announcing an album called 'Hey Yeah Hey' slated for this summer. The eight piece roots band returns with a single that makes me want to take out one of my old Eagles albums. The harmonies in Peaceful Alibi get extremely close to the 1970s band's. The word peaceful may even be sung on the same notes as in one of the Eagles' songs. Enough about memories and comparisons, as Peaceful Alibi is a beautiful song in its own right. Close to a ballad, the song has its own, mid, tempo that allows all the instruments to stand out. Starting with a pedal steel that howls softly into the mountains and a great guitar solo later on. The drums sit straight in the middle supported by the bass. From there a warm organ meanders through the whole and the clear sound of an acoustic guitar can be heard, as can a piano. Over it all lie the vocals, that are the cherry on the cake Other Brother Darryl baked for us to hear. A beautiful track Peaceful Alibi is.

I Wanna Feel Pretty. Greg Mendez

The name Greg Mendez did not ring a bell, but can be found twice on this blog, once by Erwin Zijleman. He returns with a single announcing his upcoming album 'Beauty Land', released on 29 May. The title alone reminded me of Elliot Smith and then I read Erwin's opening lines from 2023 mentioning the music reminding him of same. I can be short here, the music of I Want To Feel Pretty does as well. Mendez sings in a very relaxed voicing, while sparse accompaniment joins and leaves the short song. A few piano notes here and there do the trick. For the rest Greg Mendez plays his acoustic guitar and sings his story, not necessarily a happy one. Enough to make an impression though.

Wandering Star. Haylie Davis

We end this month with another ballad. Again, it has nothing to do with classic rock ballads from the 70s and 80s. Don't expect to hear a 'I Want To Know What Love Is', to name one example. Haylie Davis presents a piano driven song that could be called an alternative version of a Billy Joel song. As far as I know, Haylee Davis is a new name to me. Based on Wandering Star the pleasure of musically meeting is all mine. With a clear voice Ms. Davis presents her single. It is somehow timeless. There's no year I can pin her song on. It is as much of today as it could be from the past. Haylie Davis is from Los Angeles and working towards releasing her debut album, 'Wandering Star' (5 June). Based on this single, the album could be quite interesting to listen to.

Wout de Natris - van der Borght