Jeune & Laide. Camille Yembe

De Nederlandse popmuziek bloeit momenteel volop, maar ook bij onze zuiderburen gebeurt van alles en België heeft met Jeune & Laide, het debuutalbum van de Brusselse Camille Yembe, echt een hele bijzondere troef in handen.

Het debuutalbum van Camille Yembe pikte ik met enig geluk uit de releaselijsten, maar vervolgens had het album niet veel tijd nodig om me te overtuigen. De in Brussel geboren en getogen Camille Yembe trok in eigen land de afgelopen jaren al de aandacht, maar gaat met haar debuutalbum ook buiten de landsgrenzen de aandacht trekken. Jeune & Laide is immers een album dat er binnen de Franstalige popmuziek van het moment niet alleen wat betreft de kwaliteit uitspringt, maar het is ook een album dat grenzen verlegt. Het is een album met de moderne Franstalige popmuziek van het moment, maar het is ook een album vol echo’s uit het verleden en een album dat steeds interessanter wordt. 

Ik heb met enige regelmaat een enorm zwak voor Franstalige popmuziek, waarbij ik ook de hitgevoelige Franse popmuziek niet uit de weg ga. Het interessantst zijn natuurlijk de Franstalige albums die wel buiten de lijntjes kleuren en dat bij voorkeur flink doen. Wat dat betreft steekt La Symphonie des Éclairs van Zaho de Sagazan er voor mij de afgelopen jaren flink bovenuit. 

Ook Zaz behoort wat mij betreft al vele jaren tot de smaakmakers van de Franse popmuziek, al vind ik haar vroege albums interessanter dan haar recentere albums. Deze week is een Franstalig album verschenen dat wel eens in de voetsporen kan treden van de sensationeel goede albums van onder andere Zaz en Zaho de Sagazan. Jeune & Laide van Camille Yembe, want dat is het album waar het om gaat, kwam ik deze week tegen in een aantal lijstjes met nieuwe albums. 

Bij vluchtige beluistering van het album was mijn interesse direct gewekt, maar toen ik het hele album had gehoord was ik compleet in de ban van het debuutalbum van Camille Yembe. Sindsdien is Jeune & Laide alleen maar interessanter en indrukwekkender geworden. 

Camille Yembe werd geboren in België en heeft een Congolese vader en een Belgische moeder. Ze groeide op in het Brusselse Molenbeek, waar het gezin het niet breed had. Camille Yembe had een lastige jeugd en stond al vroeg op eigen benen, zonder een bron van inkomen. Ze kwam uiteindelijk terecht in de muziek en trok vorig jaar in België al de aandacht met haar EP, die onder andere werd aangeprezen door Stromae. 

Nu is haar debuutalbum verschenen en dat is een album dat ook buiten België de aandacht gaat trekken. Jeune & Laide is een persoonlijk album over opgroeien in armoede, volwassen worden, overleven op straat en het ontdekken van de eigen (Afrikaanse) identiteit. 

Dat het een persoonlijk album is, lees je in de teksten van de Belgische muzikante, maar je hoort het ook in haar stem, die alle songs van veel emotionele lading voorziet. Camille Yembe beschikt over een hele mooie stem, maar het is ook een stem die je keer op keer bij de strot grijpt. 

De persoonlijke songs van Camille Yembe en haar indrukwekkende stem dragen stevig bij aan de hoge kwaliteit van haar debuutalbum, maar ook in muzikaal opzicht is het een fascinerend album. Het is knap hoe de Brusselse muzikante binnen een paar noten kan schakelen van muziek die geen geheim maakt van bewondering voor het traditionele Franse chanson naar de elektronische popmuziek van het moment. 

 Jeune & Laide verschiet hierdoor continu van kleur en zit af en toe ook flink buiten mijn muzikale comfort zone, maar ook als Camille Yembe kiest voor rap en hiphop houdt ze mijn aandacht makkelijk vast. Als je vaker naar het debuutalbum van de Belgische muzikante luistert, hoor je steeds meer bijzonders.

Jeune & Laide schakelt makkelijk tussen genres, maar springt ook door de tijd met het ene moment de sfeer van Franse chansons uit de jaren 70 of pop uit de jaren 80 en het andere moment de popmuziek van deze tijd. Camille Yembe wordt in eigen land vergeleken met Stromae en zelfs met Rosalía. Dat hoor ik persoonlijk niet, maar ik hoor wel een eigenzinnige muzikante die de Franstalige popmuziek met haar debuutalbum in een net wat andere en bijzonder interessante richting duwt.

Erwin Zijleman

Sains et Saufs. Zaz

Zaz heeft de afgelopen 15 jaar een fraai stapeltje uitstekende albums afgeleverd en voegt er met het net wat meer ingetogen en wat meer tegen het Franse chanson aanleunende Sains et Saufs weer een hele mooie aan toe.

Het is jammer dat de behoorlijk uitgebreide wereldtour van Zaz haar niet naar Nederland brengt, maar gelukkig is er wel een nieuw album. Op haar zesde studioalbum neemt de Franse muzikante weer wat meer afstand van de blinkende pop op het vorige album en laat ze zich weer wat meer beïnvloeden door het Franse chanson, overigens zonder zich in het strakke keurslijf van het genre te laten persen. De wat meer ingetogen klanken bieden nog wat meer ruimte aan de stem van Zaz en die stem imponeert veertien songs lang. Het is een stem met een uit duizenden herkenbaar geluid en bovendien een stem waarin kracht, emotie en precisie prachtig samen komen. Prachtig album weer.

In de zomer van 2010 kocht ik in een Zuid-Franse hypermarché het debuutalbum van de Franse zangeres Zaz. Het was een blinde aankoop die al snel een gouden greep bleek. Op haar titelloze eerste album verwerkte Zaz op fraaie wijze nogal diverse invloeden. De Franse muzikante begon op haar debuutalbum bij het Franse chanson en verrijkte dit vervolgens met invloeden uit onder andere de jazz, gipsy, Latin en Afrikaanse muziek. Het leverde in muzikaal opzicht een zomers en sprankelend album op, maar Zaz maakte vooral indruk met haar krachtige stem, die de songs op het album nog flink wat verder optilde. 

Direct in de zomer van 2010 was me al duidelijk dat Zaz heel groot zou gaan worden en dit kwam ook uit met geweldige albums als Recto Verso (2013), Paris (2014), Effet Miroir (2018) en Isa (2021), waarop de muzikante uit Tours steeds weer een net wat anders invalshoek koos en langzaam maar zeker ook steeds wat meer Franse pop verwerkte in haar songs. 

Het laatste album van Zaz, overigens het alter ego van Isabelle Geffroy, is alweer vier jaar oud en dus was het zo langzamerhand wel weer eens tijd voor een nieuw album van de Franse muzikante, die er momenteel stevig op los tourt, maar Nederland helaas links laat liggen. Haar nieuwe album verschijnt hier gelukkig wel en ligt in de winkel.

Zaz werd het afgelopen jaar wat betreft internationale aandacht en lof voorbij gestreefd door Zaho de Sagazan, maar laat op Sains et Saufs horen dat ze nog altijd garant staat voor geweldige albums. Op de vorige albums van Zaz speelden invloeden uit de gipsy muziek en de Franse pop een voorname rol, maar op haar nieuwe album kruipt ze weer wat dichter tegen het Franse chanson aan. 

Het is wel een moderne variant van het Franse chanson, want in muzikaal opzicht klinkt Sains et Saufs fris en eigentijds. De wat meer ingetogen klanken en het wat lagere tempo zorgen er voor dat de stem van Zaz centraal staat in de songs op het album. Het bevalt me eerlijk gezegd wel. Het is zeker niet zo dat de stem van Zaz ondersneeuwde op de wat voller klinkende albums, maar de zang op Sains et Saufs is direct vanaf de openingstrack bijzonder indrukwekkend. 

Zaz zingt met veel kracht, maar ook met veel passie en emotie, waardoor haar nieuwe album mij direct wist te grijpen. Zaz heeft wat betreft aandacht misschien een stapje terug moeten doen, maar ze is nog steeds een van de beste zangeressen die Frankrijk rijk is en misschien wel de beste. 

Het knappe van Sains et Saufs is dat het album direct vanaf de eerste noten klinkt als Zaz, maar desondanks toch weer duidelijk anders klinkt dan zijn voorgangers. Het nieuwe album van de Franse muzikante eert van al haar albums misschien wel het meest het pure Franse chanson, maar Zaz is zeker niet blijven steken in het verleden en steekt het Franse chanson in een net wat moderner jasje, zonder de intimiteit en de intensiteit van het genre te verliezen. 

Ik heb het meest met de meer ingetogen songs op het album, maar ook als Sains et Saufs wat voller klinkt of toch weer even jazzy of gipsy klinkt, imponeert Zaz als zangeres. Ook ik ben het afgelopen jaar vooral onder de indruk van de fascinerende muziek van Zaho de Sagazan, maar ze krijgt de komende tijd flinke concurrentie van Zaz, die met haar nieuwe album laat horen dat ook zij nog altijd behoort tot de absolute top van de Franse popmuziek.

Erwin Zijleman

2025 week 38. 10 singles

This week we go from heaven on a Canadian island to a high school in Australia as if it's nothing. In between you'll find musical time machines, a real protest song, a real surprise for me and a chanson. If this doesn't make you curious, I do not know what will. Enjoy!

Heaven EP. Lauren Mann

12,5 Years ago Lauren Mann with her The Fairly Odd Folk made her debut on this blog. Since October 2020 things remained quiet around her, but here is Heaven, a new four song EP, released last Friday. Years ago Lauren Mann moved to a relatively isolated part of Canada, Pender Island. Not only a shift of scenery but also of the way she lives her life, in work, as a wife and motherhood. Still, there is music that finds itself a way out, that needs to be written and recorded. Heaven is the product of this process. The four songs all have a light touch, celebrate life with the windows wide open to let the sunlight in. Two songs are new and two songs never found their way to an album. One of these is the opening song 'Different Light', released as a b-side of a single years ago. The song is upbeat and presents a Lauren Mann who seems to be bouncing through the studio of sheer joy. The contrast between the rhythm that keeps going, albeit in different forms, and the accents created with the piano, synth or pedal steel guitar makes the song far more alive than if everything had been plugged up with instruments. It makes for an open and layered sound that makes all played come across in such a strong way. I'm always surprised that artists are able to let one of their best songs shelved, as that is what 'Different Light' to me is.

The following songs are all more intimate. She shares her happiness, her life, her love with the world. Again, listen to the sparse piano notes in 'Collarbone', in the style of her countryman Patrick Watson, where Lauren Mann remains more wordly. Take the time for it and beauty washes over you. In the second new song 'Sing Your Song' an electronic rhythm accompanies her, giving the song a different vibe, but not topic. This is a personal song, perhaps about the support she gets for her artistic work but it could also be about her child learning her own voice. The final song, 'Maybe Heaven', is the kind of song many artist have: the one they don't know how to finish. That happened, finally and is presented on Heaven with great result. The final version is a dreamy track, with the richest arrangement with strings (or synth treated voices?) in the background and heavenly background vocals. Does heaven on earth exist for Lauren? It seems like it. I'm betting it is found on Pender Island.

Four songs, each different musically, but each so worthwhile hearing. With twins on the way, it may be some time before we hear more new music by Lauren Mann. It will be worth the wait, as she proves once again with Heaven.

Zydeco Sont Pas Salés. The Rolling Stones and Steve Riley 

Here I am months after the release without having had a clue. Somehow I totally missed that The Rolling Stones' contribution to a Clifton Chernier tribute album had been released as a single. Now zydeco is a music genre that operates at the fringe of my musical taste, it usually makes me feel good when the uptempo accordeon driven music reaches my ears. That is no different with Zydeco Sont Pas Salés. The music fits The Stones like a glove. Joined by accordeon player Steve Riley the old rockers obviously have fun playing some Stones riffs underneath and over the typical Zydeco/Cajun rhythm. My guess is that it's Keith Richards' riffs flying around mostly, with Jagger's harmonica topping things off. Zydeco is dance music and The Rolling Stones deliver it in spades.

I'll Drive. The Bros. Landreth

I'll Drive starts as a The Rolling Stones song from the first half of the 1970s could have started or a solo effort by Keith Richards. When the singing starts that illusion is over. The Canadian duo David and Joey Landreth provide a great rock song with some southern rock infused licks here and there. It's the kind of song that does not need a lot of words to convey in writing that it has this dragging kind of rhythm bands like The Black Keys have become famous for. I'll Drive rocks, is filled with powerful licks and riffs and some dirty guitars supported by a warm Hammond.

 

Mingle. Georgia Knight

Will the music scene of New Zealand ever stop surprising me? Georgia Knight, originally from Melbourne, is a new name to me and with Mingle she has released a single that is as mysterious as it is confrontational. With her breathy voice (French sigh girl style) she sings over a dark track that is laced with electronic sounds that go straight for the jugular while the rhythm keeps pounding my brain. In between is all that mystery, created by layers of synths and keys that all play a different melody and they all fit perfectly. They go from swaths of sounds like a shaggy rug, to alarming sounds like fog horns in the night and everything in between. Nothing is "normal" the way the music in Mingle is presented. And yet it is so intriguing and good. Georgia Knight parachutes herself into my musical universe with this single.

Let me tell you something ‘bout my country. Sophie Straat

Protest songs still exist and Sophie Straat has released one recently. Sing-shouting in the style of Amy Taylor of Amyl and The Sniffers she sums up everything that she thinks is wrong with The Netherlands. From colonisation to siding with the U.S. in many wars in the past decades and everything she thinks was wrong in the centuries in between. The music can be called an electronic kind of punk music. The beat is strong and electronic synth sounds are all over the place. And that is exactly what makes this song so attractive to listen to. Sophie Straat is angry and wants the whole world know it, the reason why she sings in English for the first time ever. You can agree with her or not, a great song is a great song. For those who do not agree, just think how much she picked up from her history lessons. There's always a positive side. All others can sing with Sophie Straat: "FUCK!!!!!"

Revolution. Spidergawd

And here I was thinking that the 1970s ended almost 46 years ago. It seems one band managed to escape through a time capsule or machine. I truly thought to have heard all Uriah Heep, Deep Purple, Black Sabbath, etc., songs of the day and here comes Revolution. It really is a song that sounds like it is from the first half of the 70s. Fast, heavy metal, classic rock but above all a great song. Twin guitars, tough bass and a drums part that is classic "Animal". The singer has the voice to match all behind him. Revolution is a strong melodic song by the Trondheim based Norwegian band. It's new album is released on 10 October and is the first one not numbered as could be expected, 'VIII'. Instead it is called 'From Eight To Infinity'. If Revolution is anything to go by, it will be a killer album.

Lucky Guys EP. The Mono Kids

In my first The Mono Kids review in January 2023 I wrote: ".. three songs that could have started with one, two, three, four, counted off very fast and go". The latest EP by the Eindhoven duo actually starts with: "One two three four". Where have I heard that one before? What follows is in line with the famous, but literally dead, band The Ramones. Becoming a member was not a healthy choice it turned out. That does not stop others from making the kind of punk rock that made The Ramones legendary. The Mono Kids have already reached a certain age and keep the fire burning. From the very first second drummer Roelof and guitarist/singer Michel take off like a car race with a flying start. Six songs long the pedal is pushed beyond how deep it can physically go. There is no need to pick out individual songs or it should be because of a hellish guitar solo in 'L.O.V.E.' or background vocals, yes! It is all a part of that seemingly endless discharge of energy. What strikes me every time, is that The Mono Kids never forget that a good song needs a melody to go with that energy. The band delivers there once again by adding little pop elements here and there, only to strike back with an even more fuzzed out guitar in the next song. What also strikes me, is that it is not even three years ago since the duo contacted me pointing me to its music. The output is so regular, that I could have sworn that The Mono Kids are on the blog for far longer. With Lucky Guys they are once again and with its longest lasting EP to date. "One two three four" it sounds all over in my ears.

Mille Vagues. Feu! Chatterton 

Three or four years ago I was tipped on a band called Feu! Chatterton. The French band had released it's fourth album, 'Palais d'Argile' and it hit home with me immediately. The album remained on the stash of recent ones for quite some time and was played regularly. But at some point I sort of forgot about it. And then I read somewhere that there's a new album out. Mille Vagues is one of the singles that was released a while back. It has exactly that modern chanson atmosphere that I associate with the band. There is this saxophone solo sounding like it can in the labyrinth of the metro in Paris. Music comes from somewhere, but you may never see the musician. The song starts with two guitars that play a simple respectively a more complex picked pattern. Over it Arthur Teboul sings with his chanson voice. I hardly understand a word but melody does the understanding for me. Mille Vagues is so full of atmosphere that album 'Labyrinthe' must, again, be a very good one.

The Ghouls. Midlake

'The Trials Of Van Occupanther' and more precise 'Roscoe' is the song that defines Midlake for me and I realise how long ago it is since I bought the album and how long ago it must be that I played it last. Somewhere in the past years I read that Midlake called it quits and I sort of forgot about the band, I guess. Comes the late summer of 2025 and a new album is announced with the release of single The Ghouls. It gripped me immediately. It has that Midlake drive and yet I feel there's a new urgency on display. The single sounds a little tougher, more direct than the songs I remember from the past. The dreamy part that often accompanied Midlake's music is missing, as if the band has some catching up to do. If this is the deal, count me in. 'A Bridge Too Far' is available from 7 November onwards.

Dipped. HighSchool

HighSchool is a duo from Naarm/Melbourne, Australia. Rory Trobbiani and Luke Scott recently announced the release of their debut album, Highschool, on 31 October. Did I write about Spidergawd, see above, that it sounded like the music came from a time machine, you might get the same idea when you put on Dipped for the first time. Except that the music is not classic rock but somewhere in between new wave and post punk. HighSchool excels in emulating the darkness of bands from the first half of the 1980s like Big Country, The Armoury Show and of course The Cure. The difference is that total annihilation, at least for now, seems a bit further off than around 1980 (although I personally always believed Sting more about Russians and children) and that shows through in HighSchool's music. This is about personal stuff and not the end of the world as we know it. "Wasting my time", the topic of choice is. Musically Dipped works really well. This is no duo as such at work but a nicely layered song with a lot of care put into the details of the song. 'Highschool', 31 October!

Wout de Natris - van der Borght 

The best albums 2000 - 2024, 2 of 10

We're getting there, slowly but surely. In fact, the top 10 may be a lot more boring, where variety is concerned, than the 10 albums presented here. These albums are not my absolute favourites though.

 

20. El Camino. The Black Keys (2011)

An album containing songs like 'Lonely Boy', 'Gold On The Ceiling' and 'Little Black Submarines' simply has to end way up high on this list and with the consistent quality of the rest of the album it does. All albums that followed, and I have them all, cannot match the quality of El Camino. The Black Keys found its greatest form here and found themselves in the bigger venues. The duo, that on record and live has not been a duo for a while, found its true qualities here in a set of superb songs that together make a great album. Especially those first two mentioned songs are of an exceptional quality. The best two the band ever made.

19. Letter To Self. Sprints (2024)

My favourite album of this year finds itself back at number 19. Released in the first week of 2024, it remained my favourite all through the year. Live the band performed on the same height. Starting with the single 'Literary Mind' the Irish band found itself in my good graces immediately. Enter a song like 'Up And Comer' and  the band can't do no wrong any more. Both song are in the second half of the album, even near the end and they are bangers. The rest of the album certainly is of very consistent quality. I have played it so much this year. The band has been touring relentlessly ever since the release, so I can only hope they still like to be musicians and find the inspiration to come up with an even better album soon. They have a quality that deserves to be heard more and more. Discoveries can be made later on in life with ease. It only takes an open ear.

18. Tim Christensen and the Damn Crystals. Tim Christensen and the Damn Crystals (2011)

The album starts with an eleven minutes long song named after Tim Christensen's support band band, 'The Damn Crystals'. Whatever comes after it, doesn't matter. This is the song of songs where Tim Christensen is concerned. Of course the album is good, all his albums are, but 'The Damn Crystals' is simply top. Call it alternative rock or progrock, I don't care, the song rocks and takes the listener through several moods, speeds and musical genres. Next up is the first single of the album called 'Surprise Me' a clear and strong rock song. Live the band convinced totally. This was a machine and then it all stopped. With 'Tim Christensen and the Damn Crystals' we at least still have the memories.

17. You Could Have It So Much Better. Franz Ferdinand (2005)

And once again here is the band that I thought would be my band of the 00s. It turned out to be John the Baptist which is almost as good, isn't it? You Could Have It So Much Better was my album of 2005 and not even the best album by FraFer, as I call them. Fact is, the band never disappointed and with the first single of You Could Have It So Much Better, 'Do You Want To', delivered one of my absolute favourites by the band. In 2004 the band came into my life with a bang and consolidated this position with its second album only a year later. Since then things went slow. In January 2025 the new album is due. I'm looking forward anxiously, just like you can look upward in this list for more to come.

 

 

16. Pergola. Johan (2001)

Had you asked me circa five years back how many Johan albums would be in this list I would have said three, but I've turned a bit off the band. Not from Pergola though. This remains my favourite and the title song remains its best song to date. The alternative pop and rock found on the album is the best it ever played. Add a single like 'Tumble And Fall' or a sensitive ballad like 'Day Is Done' and a short but oh so fine song like 'I Feel Fine' and you'll understand why this is the best album coming out of Hoorn and Amsterdam in this first quarter of the century. And, not to forget, the best album coming out of The Netherlands in this period.

15. Supermoon. Sophie Hunger (2015)

Here is record 1.a of 2015. You have already read about Broeder Dieleman, here is Sophie Hunger's finest to date, by far. On Supermoon everything Hunger had been working on for a decade came together. Assisted by her fantastic band and super guitarist and Belgian Geoffrey Burton she brought together different genres of music and different languages. The Swiss singer showcases several languages but mostly English. Supermoon is the more surprising as what came before did not really give something away on what to expect. The albums that followed were good as well, but not good enough for this list. I just love the musicality of Sophie Hunger (Émilie Jeanne-Sophie Welti) and live she's nothing but a sensation.

Fun fact, I work regularly with a former colleague of her father, both former Swiss diplomats.

14. Employment. Kaiser Chiefs (2005)

Although 'Ruby' became Kaiser Chiefs' signature song for posterity, the band never bettered its debut album Employment. The songs with which the band entered the stage were so incredibly strong. Just look at the songs opening the album. 'Everyday I Love You Less And Less' 'I Predict A Riot', 'Modern Way' and 'Na Na Na Na Naa' and you have four winners in a row. Take later on a song like 'Caroline No' and you have a winning album. True, it's been a while since I played the album last, but whenever one of these songs come by I know again how good the album is. The one after is nice also, with 'Ruby' on it but after that only 'Education' etc. was worthwhile. Since then the band has totally lost it way imho. With Employment it has a claim to eternity.

13. This Is All Yours. Alt-J (2014)

The band I wasn't interested in, until I read early in 2015 that it was the best selling album on vinyl. Don't ask me why, but I decided to buy it. The first new album on vinyl I bought in something like 26 years and the start of a new collection. I simply loved it and played it over and over and over. This Is All Yours is strange collection of songs. From a folk tune on a recorder to complex electronic tracks, Alt-J is not a band that digests easily. And yet the album got to me like a knife through butter. The weird voice of singer Joe Newman, the electronics of Gus Unger-Hamilton and all the sounds and tricks together make for very interesting listening. There's not a vinyl album I've played more in the past ten years.

12. Rivers And Coastlines: The Ride. TMGS (2013)

The Moe Green Specials the band used to be called before it became TMGS and released the best album coming out of Belgium in this century. On Rivers and Coastlines: The Ride a host of musical styles come together, starting with Americana and then mix it Tex-Mex, West Coast balladry and the soft, modest voice of Peet Lodiers. The way the trumpets blow is pure mariachi coming out the Belgian heaths around Kalmthout. When I first heard 'Tell Everyone' it was as if struck by lighting. Everything stopped around me. All that followed confirmed what I was hearing: extremely sensitive and good music. TMGS is a big band with a wide sound bringing the listener to the U.S.' border regions with Mexico, coming straight out of the border region of Belgium and The Netherlands, for which my country cannot take any credit. The even made it to the top of my list in 2013. That is no longer is the case, as you will find out tomorrow. I have no clue whether the band is still around. If it is, it's time for a new record!

11. Blue Weekend. Wolf Alice (2021)

My album of 2021 is Blue Weekend. Wolf Alice, quiet now for four years, really brought everything together that it promised on its previous two records. The punk, the rock, the mystery, the atmosphere and the voice of singer Ellie Rowsell. Blue Weekend is the kind of album that puts a spell on its listeners. An album you follow without questioning it. It washes over you like a big wave, leaving you uncertain for a short while whether you will surface again but unlike the real thing, Blue Weekend does. Right up to today I love listening to the album and every time I am surprised how good it is. I saw the band live in 2017 and that was just as mesmerising. One of those shows of which you know it is special. The promise the band gave off then was delivered on by way of Blue Weekend. It's time for the next step!

Wout de Natris - van der Borght

Mad Sometimes. Ella Raphael

Mad Sometimes van Ella Raphael is allereerst een album van een echt geweldige zangeres, maar ook in muzikaal opzicht is Mad Sometimes een bijzonder album, dat je zowel door de tijd als over de wereld sleept.

Je hebt van die albums die direct bij eerste beluistering een onuitwisbare indruk maken. Mad Sometimes van Ella Raphael is er zo een. Die onuitwisbare indruk maakt het debuutalbum van de Britse muzikante in eerste instantie met haar bijzonder mooie stem, die lastig is te karakteriseren, maar song na song betovert. Dat doet Mad Sometimes ook in muzikaal opzicht, want het debuutalbum van Ella Raphael is een bonte mix van folk, Franse popmuziek, jazz en veel meer. De Britse muzikante springt ook nog eens met zevenmijlslaarzen door de tijd, waardoor haar debuutalbum steeds weer weet te verrassen en ondertussen vermaakt met zwoele en zonnige klanken. Heerlijk album.

Ella Raphael groeide op in Londen en kreeg de muziek thuis met de paplepel ingegoten. De uit de kluiten gewassen platencollectie van haar vader bevatte flink wat albums van de grote jazzzangeressen uit de jaren 50 en 60, maar ook de albums van The Beatles lagen vaak op de draaitafel. Beide invloeden hoor je terug op het deze week verschenen debuutalbum van Ella Raphael.

Hier blijft het zeker niet bij, want de Britse muzikante probeerde het ook een tijdje op het prestigieuze Berklee College Of Music in Boston, maakte haar muziekopleiding uiteindelijk af in het Spaanse Valencia en reisde vervolgens uitvoerig door Australië en Europa. Met heel veel en behoorlijk diverse muzikale bagage begon ze vervolgens aan haar muzikale carrière, die deze week pas echt van start gaat met de release van Mad Sometimes.

Het is een album, of met ruim 26 minuten muziek misschien eerder een mini-album, dat na een paar noten al laat horen dat Ella Raphael een fantastische zangeres is. De stem van de Britse muzikante is opvallend zuiver, maar het is ook een stem met een duidelijk eigen karakter en veel warmte. Het is bovendien een stem die in meerdere genres uit de voeten kan. Dat laatste komt goed uit, want Mad Sometimes is een album dat alle kanten op kan.

Amerikaanse folk uit de jaren 60 is een belangrijke inspiratiebron voor de songs op Mad Sometimes, maar Ella Raphael is ook de Britse folk niet vergeten en heeft bovendien een zwak voor Franse popmuziek, die ze tijdens haar opleiding in Valencia ontdekte. Die opleiding heeft meer sporen nagelaten op het debuutalbum van Ella Raphael, want de instrumentatie op Mad Sometimes doet soms wat Mediterraan aan of schuift zelfs op richting Tropicalia.

Dat kan zo weer veranderen, want de albums van The Beatles die ze in haar jeugd zo vaak beluisterde hoor je terug in een aantal arrangementen op het album en hier en daar in het gitaarwerk. Dat gitaarwerk neemt je overigens veel vaker mee terug naar de jaren 50, waardoor Mad Sometimes soms klinkt als een album dat vele decennia oud is, tot Ella Raphael je toch weer het heden in sleurt met modern klinkende synths. En dan zijn er ook nog de grote jazzzangeressen uit de platencollectie van haar vader, die je hoort in een aantal songs met een duidelijke jaren 50 en 60 vibe en in de songs met een vleugje Norah Jones.

Ondanks de vele invloeden, de teksten in meerdere talen en het veelkleurige geluid is Mad Sometimes zeker geen ratjetoe geworden. Dat ligt enerzijds aan de over het algemeen genomen redelijk ingetogen klanken op het debuutalbum van Ella Raphael, maar het ligt vooral aan de prachtige stem van de Britse muzikante, die track na track imponeert met zang die het oor genadeloos streelt.

Door de bijzondere stem, de hang naar het verleden en de veelheid aan invloeden klinkt Mad Sometimes anders dan al die andere albums van vrouwelijke singer-songwriters, maar het is een album dat zich bijzonder makkelijk opdringt. Ik was zelf zoals gezegd al na een paar noten overtuigd van de schoonheid van de stem van Ella Raphael en ook de songs en de muziek op het album, waarvoor een flinke bak instrumenten uit de kast is getrokken, hadden niet veel meer tijd nodig. De herfst en de winter komen er aan, maar met de prachtige klanken van Mad Sometimes van Ella Raphael door de speakers is het nog even lente of zomer.

Erwin Zijleman

Je kunt Mad Sometimes hier luisteren en bestellen:

https://ellaraphaelmusic.bandcamp.com/album/mad-sometimes

2023 Week 15, 10 singles

The weeks fly by. The sun is out, pollen fly on the breeze making eyes water and noses run. The music business goes on no matter what. This week we have some nice, brooding, dark songs, some unrelentless loudness and end with the smallest of them all, a traditional folk song. Rock on where you can and enjoy the silent, intricate moments!

My Way Of Thinking. Beebe Gallini

Beebe Gallini returns to the blog with a raucous rock and roll track in the best 'You Really Got Me' and 'All Day And All Of The Night' tradition. The spirit of 60s garage rock and the original punk scene is very much alive in 2023. Playing for the fun of it and making it sound as good as you can. This attitude and approach to the song oozes out of my speakers. The fun extends to the video as well, where the band members keep swapping roles with obvious fun. My Way Of Thinking is a song written by Donna Weiss and recorded by a band called Randy and The Radiants in 1965. Is it on my 'Nuggets' box? If not, that would seem a serious omission. Beebe Gallini takes the bull by the horns and literally drags the track from the obscurity where it was hiding. Anyone looking for three chords and the truth, can stop looking. It's staring you straight in the face here.

Your Mind Is Not Your Friend (feat. Phoebe Bridgers). The National

Yes, I skipped 'Eucalyptus' that stood in line for today. There's a more recent single and it's beautiful. Your Mind Is Not Your Friend is a dark, brooding song full of compassion. Matt Berninger sings in his slow way, accompanied by one of the indie darling singers of the day, who sings harmonies, not a duet. She adds another layer to a song that is already so fully layered. Music is everywhere I am able to pay attention to at the same time. Listening to this song is musical multitasking! So much is going on that it is impossible to keep up with all the small and bigger parts of the arrangement. It makes Your Mind Is Not Your Friend a rich listening experience. Very much like Berninger's solo record, which may prove to become my way into The National. Two of the recent singles all go down well. 'First Two Pages Of Frankenstein' is slated for 28 April. It is one to watch out for.

Honey I Do. Josh Ritter

It appears Josh Ritter is a bit tired of his former self. Too bad, in my case, as I think he never made a better song then 'Man Burning At Both Ends', from 200-what, 4? (Sorry, Mr. Ritter.) Soon he is to release a new album and single Honey I Do precedes it. It is a song that does not sparkle in any way, like The National's dark and brooding song does. Honey I Do's atmosphere is not in line with its title. It is downcast and muddied over. And yet, the song obviously has something going for it. Because it is an almost happy song, as close as Ritter wants to get to a happy song. Because of the fine details that he worked into the arrangement. Also here the comparison to 'Your Mind Is Not Your Friend' works. Not that rich but certainly rich. As if little flowers are allowed to come out of the ground before being cut off immediately to be placed into an unseen vase. You can only smell the flowers as it were. The song may be be called Honey I Do, the message is not so nice: "No one's ever going to love you, again". Whoever the honey is, he/she will have to deal with it.

Froide Et Méchante. Caprice

Me and French? It never really got off the ground. Even when I tried hard, somehow it just did not stick. Mostly words remain from my efforts. Not enough to understand lyrics, let alone speak it beyond ordering something and hoping not to get an answer. Recently in my inbox a single from France reached me and I like it. Froide Et Méchante (cold and mean) is a modern pop song and chanson in one. Caprice is a new name for me but she has released several singles in the past few years. Froide Et Méchante has a mysteriousness in it, created by the electronics accompanying Caprice. The mood explodes in a rap part where she appears to let it all come out. The modern pop feel works against the more traditional way Claire Gibeaud sings. Fans of Sophie Hunger, Belgian singer Lizzy and Dutch Pitou should gives this singer/band? a chance.

Divinity. High Priest

Sometimes just trying something out works like a storm. As that is what Divinity is. High Priest decided to try out one more song and came up with a high roller and rocker of a song, based on an iPhone recording by guitarist Josh Regan. Divinity starts with a warped guitar riff before the band goes off full force. In the best standard set by Deep Purple and all that followed after, riffs and fast, loud chord changes jump up and down in my room. I am not a metal fan but when it comes in this mix with classic hard rock, I come a long way and Divinity is definitely up my alley. Two singles in a row on WoNoBlog for Chicago band Hip Priest. 'Invocation' is scheduled for late June.

Cocaine Footprints. These Beasts

Yes, things can get even louder on this blog. The blood from the bass players throat is on the inside of my desktop's screen. Grunted screams all over the place. Usually, I'm turned off immediately. This grunting only takes place in the second part of the near 8 minutes long video single. Dark is a word that passed by several times today already and it befits Cocaine Footprints. These Beasts, also from Chicago, making the Windy City feature prominently on this blog today, is a trio in the classic rock trio formation.  The drummer is pounding away in a truly impressive manner. A huge bass drum that comes through the whole of the way in a super prominent way, dry skins and cymbals are all over the song. The guitar is hugely in overdrive, playing mostly power chords. It is the bass that surprises me. Looking at the video the instrument in played in such a slow way, while the sound is huge as well. I doubt whether I will be able to undergo a whole album, 'Cares, Wills, Wants' out on 21 April, this single is sure impressive.

Inside Outside. This Is The Kit

No, it does not get any louder still. This Is The Kit (in Dutch a nickname for the police when I was young) Inside Outside is a nice indie folkish rock song. Based on a somewhat unusual rhythm, the song slowly but surely plays itself out. This Is The Kit is Kate Stables' brainchild. Together with her band mates Rozi Plain (bass/voice), Neil Smith (guitar) and Jamie Whitby-Coles (drums) she presents new work on route to album 'Careful of Your Keepers', planned on 9 June. Inside Outside has a dark layer over it. It is in the way Kate Stables sings, that some light and optimism is provided by the song. The vocals become more layered the longer the singles last, just like more and more guitar parts are added. Whitby-Coles keeps that rhythm going giving Inside Outside a playful appearance as well. There are several links to music coming out of Australia and New Zealand in recent years, where this song easily stands its ground. I'm not certain, but I suppose the Rozi Plain that was on this blog recently with her latest album, is the same woman. A nice introduction this song is to This Is The Kit.

Insatiable. Jody and The Jerms

A second single by Jody and The Jerms on WoNoBlog. With a 'Last Train To Clarkville' kind of riff and a Kirsty MacColl flavoured tune Insatiable is irresistible. Singer Jody Jeger sings with this bittersweet voice that simply makes listening to her compulsory. The Jerms are behind her but the song is mixed in such a way that it is all about Jody. She carries the song and leads the band here. What does happen behind her is an attempt at pop perfection though. Listen closely and you will hear that everything falls into its right place. That nice riff, the little organ that comes forward a little a few times, the drum fills and bass runs. It all spells perfect pop. Insatiable is a beautiful song. No more words are needed here.

Tiger. Pip Blom

There must have been something in the water in the Blom - Smit home during the pandemic as both have come up with so different music afterwards. First Willem Smit with his tremendously good Personal Trainer album, 'Big Love Blanket' and now Pip Blom with the first new single Tiger. This is a daring move, because when even a New Zealand record store cum record label announces your new album as a must order, that tells you something. Tiger is a pop-short single with loads of electronics, far removed from the alternative pop/rock Pip Blom played. The guitar is still there in the intro but drops away for electronic beats and synths. I do not really know yet make what to make of the new course. Context will definitely be provided soon but I am willing to give the band the benefit of the doubt for now. The band is evolving and as such that is a good thing.

Come Fare Away With Me, The Jean Ritchie Experience. Kate MacLeod

The third single from Kate MacLeod's project of exploring the songs of Jean Ritchie is here. The second on this blog. Kate MacLeod plays all the instruments you hear, all to do with strings in one form or another. On vocals she is accompanied by Morgan Morrison, Paul Hammerton and Stephanie Thompson. Together they create an atmosphere of what I have learned to call British folk. As all involved, including Jean Ritchie, are from the U.S. this seems a bit awkward to write down. It shows how far music transcends borders and imagination. Influences come from many sources, as the title to the song already indicates. Who knows what Jean Ritchie's grandparents were singing to her in her youth, inspiring her to make her own music? Come Fare Away With Me is song of intricate and inner beauty that radiates through Kate MacLeod's version. The kind that touches. The contrast with some songs above here could not be bigger, yet its effect drives home to me in a clear and pleasant way.

Wout de Natris

Sentiments. Louane

De Franse muzikante Louane is in eigen land al enkele jaren een grootheid en laat op het relatief sobere maar ook prachtige en gevoelige Sentiments op indrukwekkende wijze horen waarom dat zo is.

Bijna uit het niets is er opeens een nieuw album van de Franse muzikante Louane. Het is een album dat volgt op drie albums die binnen de Franse popmuziek met de allerbeste albums mee konden, wat heeft geleid tot hoge verwachtingen. Louane maakt ze met speels gemak waar, want Sentiments is nog wat indrukwekkender dan zijn drie voorgangers. Louane kiest dit keer voor een wat soberder geluid met een hoofdrol voor de piano. Het is een geluid waarin haar stem centraal staat en die stem schittert op Sentiments als nooit tevoren. Het vierde album van Louane was direct goed voor kippenvel, maar de songs op het album worden echt alleen maar mooier en indrukwekkender. Had ik nu maar een paar dagen langer gewacht met mijn jaarlijstje. Minstens top 10 dit album.

In de tweede helft van december verschijnen normaal gesproken geen interessante nieuwe albums meer, maar tussen alle overbodige kerstalbums en verzamelaars vond ik tot mijn verbazing een gloednieuw album van Louane. Louane (Emera) is de artiestennaam van de Franse muzikante Anne Peichert en inmiddels een vaste gast op de krenten uit de pop. 

Louane deed in 2013 mee aan de Franse editie van The Voice en groeide in sneltreinvaart uit tot een ster. Louane is in Frankrijk niet alleen bekend als zangeres, maar ook als actrice, wat haar inmiddels een aantal aansprekende Franse filmprijzen opleverde. In Nederland is ze helaas nauwelijks bekend, maar haar eerste drie albums vielen bij mij zeer in de smaak. 

Op Chambre 12 uit 2015, Louane uit 2017 en Joie De Vivre uit 2020 liet de Franse muzikante horen dat ze uit de voeten kan met zonnige en verleidelijke Franse pop, maar ook durft te putten uit de archieven van het weemoedige Franse chanson. Dat vraagt om het nodige zangtalent, maar hierover beschikt Louane in ruime mate. 

Het is zoals gezegd ongebruikelijk om eind december een album uit te brengen en dat heeft Louane dan ook niet gedaan. Haar nieuwe album Sentiments verscheen in Frankrijk al in november, maar duikt met enige vertraging in Nederland op. De vorige albums van de Franse muzikante heb ik zoals gezegd hoog zitten, waardoor ik met torenhoge verwachtingen begon aan Sentiments. 

Op haar vierde album laat Louane de zonnige Franse popmuziek grotendeels achter zich en kruipt ze dichter tegen het Franse chanson aan. Sentiments is een behoorlijk sober ingekleurd album, dat in de basis genoeg heeft aan de piano en de stem van de Franse muzikante. Hier en daar worden wat fraaie orkestraties toegevoegd, maar Sentiments klinkt anders dan zijn voorgangers, waarvan het titelloze album uit 2017 hoog opdook in mijn jaarlijstje. 

Het jaarlijstje voor 2022 staat helaas al vast, maar Sentiments had hier zeker niet in misstaan. Ik vind het nieuwe album van Louane immers nog wat indrukwekkender dan zijn drie voorgangers. De stemmige pianoklanken doen het uitstekend in het huidige seizoen en ook wanneer de songs van Louane net wat voller worden ingekleurd blijft de instrumentatie bijzonder sfeervol. 

De relatief sobere klanken op Sentiments vragen heel veel van de zang op het album, maar Louane levert ook op dit terrein kwaliteit. De Franse muzikante toonde zich op haar vorige drie albums al een uitstekend zangeres, maar de zang op Sentiments is nog een stuk mooier en indrukwekkender. Mede dankzij een aangenaam rauw randje behoort de stem van Louane tot de mooiste stemmen binnen de Franse pop van het moment, maar ze zingt dit keer ook met veel expressie en emotie. 

Sentiments onderscheidt zich door de fraaie klanken en de geweldige zang, maar ook door de sterke songs makkelijk van de concurrentie binnen de Franse pop en kan ook de concurrentie aan met de albums van Franse muzikanten in het net wat traditionelere segment. Ik heb nog niet kunnen vinden wie het nieuwe album van Louane heeft geproduceerd, maar Sentiments klinkt ook nog eens prachtig. Franse popmuziek krijgt in Nederland helaas niet meer zoveel aandacht als in de hoogtijdagen van de Franse zuchtmeisjes, maar na La Féline levert ook Louane in 2022 een prachtalbum af.

Erwin Zijleman

Palais D'argile. Feu! Chatterton

Ik had nog nooit van de Franse band Feu! Chatterton gehoord, maar met Palais D'argile heeft de band uit Parijs een album gemaakt dat behoort tot de meest opvallende van 2021 tot dusver.

Invloeden uit het Franse chanson vermengen met elektronische popmuziek, jazz, synthpop, psychedelische rock en de indierock van een band als Radiohead. Je moet het maar durven en je moet het maar kunnen. De Franse band Feu! Chatterton durft en kan het en levert met Palais D'argile een album af dat 70 minuten lang hopeloos intrigeert en indruk maakt. De muziek van de band uit Parijs verschiet makkelijker van kleur dan een kameleon, maar op een of andere manier klinkt alles logisch en doordacht. Palais D'argile is mijn eerste kennismaking met de muziek van Feu! Chatterton, maar het smaakt naar veel en veel meer.

Twee lezers wezen me de afgelopen dagen op Palais D'argile van de Franse band Feu! Chatterton. Hoewel het al het derde album is van de band uit Parijs, kan ik me niet herinneren dat ik de naam van de band ooit eerder heb gehoord. Dat is ook niet zo heel gek, want ik volg de Franse popmuziek niet heel nauwgezet. 

Als ik kijk naar de albums uit Frankrijk die ik de afgelopen jaren heb opgepikt zijn het bovendien toch vooral Franse zuchtmeisjes en wat serieuzere vrouwelijke vertolkers van het Franse chanson die ik er uit heb gepikt. Verder ken ik het natuurlijk het oeuvre van Serge Gainsbourg behoorlijk goed en ben ik bekend met de muziek van Air en Daft Punk. 

Aan de Franse zuchtmeisjes heb ik niets als vergelijkingsmateriaal bij beluistering van Palais D'argile van Feu! Chatterton, maar het Franse chanson, het werk van Serge Gainsbourg en de elektronische popmuziek uit Parijs hebben hun sporen nagelaten op het album. 

Het is een album dat 70 minuten lang uitblinkt door veelzijdigheid en avontuur en het is bovendien een album dat in muzikaal en vocaal opzicht uitblinkt en dat ondanks de speelduur van 70 minuten geen slechte song bevat. 

Zeker in de zang hoor je invloeden uit het Franse chanson en echo’s van de muziek van de belangrijkste Belgische vertolker van het genre, Jacques Brel. In muzikaal opzicht verkent de Franse band echter vooral andere wegen. Palais D'argile kan zwoel en jazzy klinken, maar voegt ook met grote regelmaat invloeden uit de elektronische popmuziek toe aan haar songs. 

Feu! Chatterton is zeker niet kieskeurig wanneer het gaat om invloeden uit de elektronische popmuziek. Soms hoor je wat van de pioniers uit de jaren 70, soms wat van de aanstekelijke synthpop uit de jaren 80 en soms wat van de elektronische popmuziek zoals die in de jaren 90 in Parijs werd gemaakt. 

Palais D'argile is echter zeker niet alleen een elektronisch album, want naast zwoele jazzy momenten, citeert de Franse band ook uit de archieven van de psychedelische rockmuziek uit de jaren 70, zoals in het fascinerende Libre. 

De songs van Feu! Chatterton kunnen meerdere keren van kleur verschieten, maar op een of andere manier klinkt iedere wending logisch. Het doet me meer dan eens denken aan de latere albums van Radiohead, maar dan wel Radiohead met een Franse chansonnier als zanger en met Serge Gainsbourg achter de knoppen. 

Mijn Frans is niet zodanig dat ik de teksten direct kan volgen, wat nog wat extra mysterie toevoegt aan dit bijzondere album. Palais D'argile had me direct bij eerste beluistering te pakken, maar er gebeurt zo ontzettend veel op dit album, dat je ook na meerdere keren horen nog nieuwe dingen hoort in de muziek, die ook nog eens vol passie zit, wat je met name hoort in de expressieve zang. 

Het is ook een album dat beluistering met de koptelefoon verdient, zodat je goed kunt horen hoe Feu! Chatterton meerdere lagen aan elkaar weet te smeden en dat zo knap doet dat ook een song van ruim 9 minuten nog niet te lang duurt. 

Palais D'argile zal in de smaak vallen bij liefhebbers van het Franse chanson in een eigenzinnig jasje, maar ook liefhebbers van avontuurlijke pop- of rockmuziek moeten absoluut eens luisteren naar dit verrassend veelzijdige en wat mij betreft ook verrassend goede album.

Erwin Zijleman

 

Luister naar onze Spotify Playlist om uit te vinden waar we over schrijven:

https://open.spotify.com/user/glazu53/playlist/6R9FgPd2btrMuMaIrYeCh6?si=KI6LzLaAS5K-wsez5oSO2g

 

10 singles, 2021/17

Where have the days gone when punkrock bands could score hits with great punkrock songs. One of these bands returns to this blog after nine years but with a song that is as much fun as their hits of decades ago. Welcome back, The Offspring. What else do we have for you this week? Two more Red on Red Records from Boston singles. Even a little bossa nova and a Greek experimental jazzy song. In other words let yourself be surprised by this selection of recent singles. 

Science And You. Linnea's Garden

"Hey, baby, I wanna make you some guacamole". Did a song ever start with a nicer introduction? With this line Linnea's Garden returns to this blog. ("I don't believe in God, only in) Science And You" is one of those, short and effective alternative rocksongs. At the same time it doubles as an alternative love song. One that doesn't need much more than bass, drums and a rhythm guitar, barring the nice, aggressive guitar solo. Linnea Herzog sings the song in her lower register, giving the impression that she may not really mean what she's singing. Looking at the video though, I have the impression that she's totally sincere here. With an EP coming up my interest in Linnea's Garden's music certainly is rising.

Que Reste-t-il De Nos Amour? Patrick Watson

Patrick Watson is from Montréal in Canada, so most likely was educated in English and French. Usually singing in English, I was surprised to find a French single. It is a slow song, like they used to make in the 1950s for musical is my impression. Sonically it was impossible to record a song like this at the time. The atmosphere certainly is there in the strings behind his voice. Every once and again that typical Patrick Watson mood breaks through. Of course that is in part caused by his voice but not all. That mystical wave that is typically added to his music, in which the atmospherics woven into the song seem to slow the music and with it reality down considerably. It is here alright.

Googling a little I find numerous versions of the song, indicating that the song was written and recorded years before I was born, let alone Patrick Watson. It is a Charles Trenet song, a French chansonnier, who is only a name to me. That explains the jazzy atmosphere in Patrick Watson's recording. All said, quite a nice one.

Chrysalis. Avawaves

Avawaves is a new name to me. I had expected another girl punkrock duo based on the name. So consider the level of surprise when I heard a keyboard violin duo playing around an minimal themed, neo-classical piece with some trancelike synthesizer sounds behind it. That puts Avawaves in the category of the many artists focusing on neo-classical music with either only a piano or little extra's thrown in. In Chrysalis the extra's certainly are present. A whole string section (unless it's digital). The song is serious, moody and fairly uniform. Musically a few themes are repeated over and over, with little surprises. My music? No, not really, but I certainly want to share my surprise with you.

Through The Fog. Marinero

Why not a little bossa nova on the blog? Alright, for today then. Recently I was sent the link to an album called 'Hella Love' (May 21). It did not take too long for me to grow tired of the music. But let's face it, it is also fun for a while, as it sparks memories of warm beaches, nice weather and cold caipirinhas served at a party in a mansion once was owned by a Colombian drugsbaron. Work can go together with a tropical destination sometimes. I do not know a lot of bossa nova, besides that one song by Astrud Gilberto and and album by Bebel Gilberto, making a more modern version of the genre, incorporating more modern beats. Marinero, an American called Jess Sylvester, operates somewhere in the middle. The mood of the song is certainly nostalgic and where modern instruments are used they are there to underscore that nostalgia. The downbeat singing of Sylvester brings the mood down a little, making the song sound a little melancholy as well, as if things used to be much better once. Somewhere through the fog that makes the past invisible.

Stockholm Syndrome. The Daylillies

Stockholm syndrome as a metaphor in a break up song. "When I said that I loved you, that was Stockholm syndrome". Another single sees the light on Justine Couvault's Red on Red album. The song is a study in restrain, as nothing is overdone. The Daylillies play its perfect alternative pop song totally balanced. The lead vocals are echoed by the male backing vocals. The guitar is matched by the piano playing a few lead notes here and there. The drums and bass only have to goad the rest forward, no pushing or shoving required. Those with some pop knowledge in their bags, will find more than enough references from decades past in the song, but who cares. Stockholm Syndrome is a beautifully crafted song, very much worthwhile to get acquainted with. Originally from 2019's eponymously called mini album, Red on Red must be happy to release the song in 2021. The video is a reflection of what happens to bands in times of covid.

One More Hour. Flock of Dimes

A single that is full of mystery. Like I wrote on Patrick Watson in the above, One More Hour is a song that creates the impression of delaying time somehow. It's caused by the slurring effect in the singing and playing. It turns a song that could have been a straightforward ballad, into something totally different. Not as easy to digest, but certainly one that caught my attention. Flock of Dimes is Jenn Wassner from North Carolina. She started writing the songs for her second album, 'Head Of Roses' in the early lockdown of the pandemic, accompanied by a fresh heartbreak. After writing she started working with producer Nick Sanborn and a few musical collaborators. The result is in this case a mysterious single. The topic is, if the singer could make one wish, it would be one more hour with someone. Musically there are some faint traces to Annie Lennox and The Eurythmics, in the moments that duo really held back, as Flock of Dimes never takes the breaks off on One More Hour.

Underrated. Atreyu

Harder it does not often become on WoNoBlog. Most likely because System of a Down hasn't released a new record for over a decade now. Atreyu is a System of a Down, there's no denying there. Including a fantastic melodic chorus. Those remembering my recent review of Suffocate for Fuck Sake's 'Fyra', may wonder why I like Underrated. All the screaming and grunting going on! That is so easy to explain. It is a melodic, albeit intense part of this music, just like the melody itself is and the supertight metal riffing has a great melody. The result is a hybrid song that is extremely loud, but it's also full of force ans above all a song.  Listening to this song the only question I'm left with is whoever is underrating it?

Finger/Painted Landscape. The Puzzle Is Cast

With the sixth song being released of seven, the monthly project of The Puzzle Is Cast from Athens, Greece, is slowly coming to an end. (For those counting, yes, we missed the first release.) Where some of the songs were very experimental, Finger/Painted Landscape is less so. The basis is a beautiful melody played rather subdued on an electric guitar. The style is jazzy. Around it there's emptiness, despite there being other sounds. It's easy to identify a bass guitar and all sorts of atmospherics and sounds can be heard as well. Still, I have the impression the guitar is alone. It is not supported. The effect the rest has on me is estrangement and a level of eeriness. It is as if everything is alright but had this been music in a movie, all viewers would know the situation to be different. Interesting to notice what a piece of instrumental music can do to the mind. This composition is Kairos material.

Real Hero. Blaudzun

Following the trilogy of albums, it became quiet for some time around Blaudzun. This month the band returned with a first single from an album that may not be released before 2022. Real Hero was inspired by the illness of a young child, at the moment that a full recovery was still imaginable. Unfortunately that was not to be, a tremendous tragedy for the family.

With Real Hero it is becoming clear that Johannes Sigmund and Blaudzun have settled into their music. The song sounds like I have come to expect a Blaudzun song to sound. Of course I do not want the band to change to opera or dance, but fulfilled expectation also makes me as listener a bit complacent. Real Hero does not challenge me in any way, like many songs on the previous five albums all did. At first listening I was even a little disappointed. That has dissipated but I'm not overly enthusiastic. Real Hero is no 'Promises Of No Man's Land' to give just one example. It is a decent Blaudzun song nothing less but also nothing more.

We Never Have Sex Anymore. The Offspring

Does The Offspring still exist? Coincidentally I asked myself that question very recently. The last album was reviewed in the very first months of this blog. That is spring 2012. Nine years later the band returns with a phd graduate in the band. Singer and songwriter Dexter Holland decided to finish his studies and did. Now several of The Offspring's biggest hits had a novelty element in them and so does We Never Have Sex Anymore in a way. Punkrock songs with horns? It's not your everyday plate service, right? I faintly remember a band from Brooklyn mixing punk with mariachi (The Bronx under another name?). It gives this single a load of extra energy and shows that The Offspring can still write a song that makes a difference in the band's oeuvre. I can't imagine this becoming a hit in 2021. Times have changed over the past 27 years. For those who liked the band in the past decades should welcome this new song. I know I did. It is upbeat, despite the topic of when relationships die, where love goes to die and only little irritations and spite remains. A love song upside down and still come up with a great punkrock song, horns and all! Well done, gentlemen.

Wout de Natris

Listen to our Spotify Playlist to find out what we are writing about:

https://open.spotify.com/user/glazu53/playlist/6R9FgPd2btrMuMaIrYeCh6?si=KI6LzLaAS5K-wsez5oSO2g