Total Dive. Brown Horse

De beste mix van countryrock, alt-country en indierock kwam de afgelopen twee jaar niet uit de Verenigde Staten maar uit Engeland en ook dit jaar heeft het Britse Brown Horse met haar nieuwe album Total Dive een sterke troef in handen.

Met haar debuutalbum Reservoir legde de Britse band Brown Horse ruim twee jaar geleden de lat hoog voor zichzelf, maar het vorig jaar verschenen All The Right Weaknesses vond ik dankzij een indierock-injectie nog wat beter. Het in april verschenen album Total Dive trekt de lijn van het vorige album door, maar het energiek en gedreven klinkende nieuwe album van Brown Horse slaagt er wat mij betreft weer in om het niveau van de band naar een nog hoger plan te tillen. De Amerikaanse band Wednesday won het vorig jaar nipt van de Britse band, maar Brown Horse slaat met het prachtige Total Dive keihard terug en levert een van de meest opwindende albums van het moment af.

De Britse band Brown Horse houdt de vaart er vooralsnog flink in. Aan het begin van 2024 verscheen het debuutalbum van de band en Reservoir was en is een prachtig album. Op Reservoir combineert de band uit Norwich op fraaie wijze invloeden uit de countryrock zoals die in de jaren 70 werd gemaakt met invloeden uit de alt-country die vanaf het begin van de jaren op de kaart werd gezet. 

Op haar debuutalbum klinkt de muziek van Brown Horse eerder Amerikaans dan Brits, maar Reservoir laat ook een eigenzinnig geluid horen, waarin bij vlagen stevig gitaarwerk en de opvallende en emotievolle stem van Patrick Turner nadrukkelijk de aandacht trekken. 

Brown Horse haalde in 2024 met Reservoir mijn jaarlijstje en de Britse band herhaalde dit kunstje vorig jaar met het in het voorjaar van 2025 verschenen All The Right Weaknesses. Ook op haar tweede album omarmt Brown Horse invloeden uit de 70’s countryrock en de alt-country van latere datum, maar All The Right Weaknesses klinkt een stuk steviger en gruiziger dan het debuutalbum van de band. Het is in een aantal tracks meer een indierockalbum dan een rootsalbum, al is er altijd wel iets van country te horen in de songs van de band. 

Brown Horse maakte het de Amerikaanse concurrentie twee jaar achter elkaar moeilijk en duikt een jaar na All The Right Weaknesses alweer op met een nieuw album. Ook met Total Dive levert de Britse band weer een uitstekend album af en het is een album dat na de eerste twee albums voorzichtig bekend in de oren klinkt. 

In de openingstrack van het nieuwe album laat Brown Horse direct weer de combinatie van behoorlijk stevig en gruizig gitaarwerk en een alt-country vibe horen. Het zorgt ervoor dat de verrassing er inmiddels misschien wat af is, maar de band doet er ook nog een schepje bovenop met nog wat steviger gitaarwerk en nog wat intensere zang van Patrick Turner. 

Total Dive is me inmiddels net zo dierbaar als de jaarlijstjesalbums Reservoir en All The Right Weaknesses en ik schat het derde album misschien nog wel hoger in dan de twee geweldige voorgangers. De Britse band beschikt over vier getalenteerde songwriters en die hebben een serie fantastische songs geschreven. 

Het zijn songs die nagenoeg live werden opgenomen, wat zorgt voor heel veel energie en dynamiek in de muziek van Brown Horse. Zeker als het tempo wordt opgevoerd en de gitaren en andere snareninstrumenten alle ruimte in mogen nemen, knalt Total Dive uit de speakers en denk je af en toe te luisteren naar Neil Young & Crazy Horse in hun beste dagen. 

Ik heb soms wel wat moeite met de stem van Neil Young, maar Patrick Turner van Brown Horse is een geweldige zanger, die met zijn intense voordracht makkelijk overeind blijft in het volle en stevige geluid op Total Dive. Het wordt allemaal nog wat mooier wanneer een vrouwenstem invalt en als er dan ook nog eens een gruizige maar ook melodieuze gitaarsolo opduikt is het gevoel van gelukzaligheid compleet. 

Toen ik alweer een nieuw album van Brown Horse zag opduiken in de releaselijsten vroeg ik me af of de band niet wat meer tijd zou moeten nemen voor haar albums, maar Total Dive nam de zorgen onmiddellijk weg en ligt goed op koers om voor de derde keer op rij mijn jaarlijstje te halen.

Erwin Zijleman

 

Je kunt Total Dive hier luisteren en bestellen:

https://brownhorse.bandcamp.com/album/total-dive 

2025, week 16. 10 singles

By now, I'm running behind about a month on singles since the start of the new year. Unfortunately for many songs, it becomes time to skip the line and move on to today from the next singles post onwards. Which will be a few weeks from now. In the meantime enjoy this batch as it holds some very good and interesting recent singles, from mid-March.

Attention Span. The Dollyrots

Have The Dollyrots ever heard of The Dolly Dots? With a name like that it does make me wonder. Musically the two bands could not be further apart, except that they both know where pop music goes to dwell. Attention Span is a punk rock song though of the kind that is being played ever since Green Day and The Offspring broke big in the mid-90s. Expect all energy levels at maximum, a pop feel hidden into the punk attitude. Duo bassist/lead vocalist Kelly Ogden and guitarist/vocalist Luis Cabezas know what a good punkrock song needs to succeed and that is exactly what Attention Span does.

Joyride. The Cocktail Slippers

More female fronted rock music but this time from Oslo in Norway. Last year I was in the city for a week, even played on a huge stage in Lillestrøm's convention centre, but no one there pointed me to a band called The Cocktail Slippers. Too bad. Had they been playing in town a visit would have been very much worth my while judging Joyride. Of course for about 30 something years that title is claimed by fellow Nordic band Roxette. This Joyride is just that little tougher and I have to say, at least as good. I love the dirty sound of the song and the punky way of singing. Here I'm reading that the band is working on its sixth album and I've never ever heard the name before. It's time to catch up.

The Power Runs Ripe. Bed Rugs

It's eight years since Bed Rugs released its previous record. For someone like me, The Power Runs Ripe is an introduction. Having nothing to compare to, gives a totally fresh ear where the music of Bed Rugs is concerned and what I'm hearing is landing well. Bed Rugs is a four piece from Antwerp that plays a form of psychedelic rock that has a tough pace. The drummer is not allowing the band to escape into fantasy land; until 1.34 minutes that is. As if the mixer has just cut out the drums totally. Should you like a comparison. The closest I can come is Dutch band Moss, partly in the way Stijn Boels sings. The Power Runs Ripe has a great pace and that is a part of its charm, the keyboard sound is the other. There's more underway, but we will have to be patient.

Bang Bang. The Noise Who Runs

At times I do wonder if any new music is made in 2026. Having lived as long as I have, I'm most likely entrenched in favourite genres. That makes it hard to hear something new, even with recent acts. All follow in the footsteps of giants. This is especially the case with artists who return to music after years of absence or have worked in the relative margins of music for decades and release a new record. Ian Pickering was a member of bands like Sneaker Pimps and Work Line Assembly. Bands that totally passed me by at time. And now I'm pointed to his new band, The Noise Who Runs. Bang Bang is a single that brings 80s angst to mind immediately. That puts the song into a basket for me. What stands out is, the lead guitar playing strong accents, the deep bass in the chorus and the 80s synths laying down a nice carpet in the background. Together it makes a strong single. Album 'RE: GEN X' will be out on 8 May. 

Sweet Nothing. Jesus The Dinosaur

I almost passed up on Sweet Nothing, until I heard something that triggered my memory towards an album from, I think 1993, and I haven't played for a long time, but loved a lot at the time: 'Whirligig' by The Caulfields. Sweet Nothing has that same unpredictability. The song is able to set me on the wrong foot a few times within a few minutes, almost making me forget that it is a strong song. Jesus The Dinosaur is the band of Tommy Ng from Boston. The band is on route to release an album called 'Nothing To The Branches'. Re-listening, the changes in the song become stronger and better. Sweet Nothing is truly growing on me. Thank you for reminding me of 'Whirligig' for starters and the album is from 1995. And, yes, I want to hear more soon!

Whenever You Want Me Too. The Greenberry Woods

In the above under The Noise Who Runs I wrote about artists returning to music. The Greenberry Woods are a new proof of point. The band released music in the 1990s and then called it quits. In 2026 the band returns with Whenever You Want Me Too, a single on which pop music is celebrated in its purest, albeit U.S. form. Think of bands like The Rembrandts, where golden pop melodies go together with singing in harmony. The intro to Whenever You Want Me Too is a dead give away. Guitar parts weave in and out of each other, with the bass and drums going ahead unperturbed ,laying a sound foundation. The same goes for the harmony vocals in the choruses. Pure pop, as if the past 30 years did not happen. In May there will be an album as well.

Sober. Bluai

Sober is a single with two very distinct faces. Looking down from a helicopter, the Antwerp based band does a Nirvana or The Police. A soft verse versus a chorus that let's it all hang out. Expect no grunge or rock-reggae though. Bluai plays a kind of folk music with an indie foundation. The band consists of singer/guitarist Catherine Smet, drummer Mo Govaerts and bassist Caitlin Talbut and can be found on this blog in June 2024 with a review by Erwin Zijleman, who lauded album 'Save It For Later' no little. Sober is my personal introduction to Bluai and I have to say I like what I'm hearing. That change between the dark and the light is well done. Learning a little more about the background of Sober tells you that the chorus is more about wishful thinking than solving the grave situation addiction is. A serious topic is tackled by Bluai. A new album is under way.

All I Did Was Dream Of You feat. The Marías. Beabadoobee

Every once in a while a song allows you to dream away. And Beabadoobee (Bea Lous) allows you just that with All I Did Was Dream Of You. The single has such a relaxed atmosphere. The music is warm and soothing, in the second verse almost bubbling over. Bea Lous sings over it as if she's half asleep, lulling in a beach chair, half in the shade on a very warm day. On this track she collaborated with María Zardoya, better known as The Marias. I cannot tell you what her role is. What I do know, is that you should not go dreaming for too long, as you will be rudely awakened when All I Did Was Dream Of You explodes into an indie rock track where the lead guitar goes off into its own exploration of the song. It makes for interesting listening this combination does.

How Do You Feel? (Feat. Rosie Flores). Nocona

Some more music like they used to make and still do today. How Do You Feel? rocks out with a strong country feel. That fat twang in the guitars reminds me of The Fabulous Thunderbirds from a long, long time ago. Rosie Flores makes her second appearance on this blog. Two months ago she featured on Ruby James' 'Bumble Bee'. Now she provides a tough edge to How Do You Feel? with her rough voice and like with Ruby James some extra guitar work. Nocona is here for the first time. The veteran alt-country/cowpunk band presents a song with a great boogie feel to it. The kind of song it's impossible to stand still with. An album is underway for this summer, that is all I can share with you at the moment.

Porcelain. Waste A Saint

More music from Norway today. Waste A Saint debuts on this blog with a song somewhere between rock and metal. A song that is as busy as it is present. The band goes at it like your ADHD little brother. Every member seems to go at it in full action mode. That this is not necessarily a bad thing, is proven by Porcelain. In every way this is a strong and powerful song. From the drum intro, already telling you something of what to expect, into the synth led second part of the intro. Bogey Stefansdottir sings in a way that reminds me of the goth metallers that broke big around 2000. She has a great voice barring the opera influences like Floor Jansen has. Alexander Skomakerstuen (guitar), Ole Nogva (bass/synthesizer) and Trym Solan Renolen (drums) all support her vocally, like in the great ending of Porcelain. The music is deep, dark, yet strongly melodic making the single not just a physical experience but also something I want to listen to. Album '...And It's Evergreen' is out already.

Wout de Natris - van der Borght 

2025, week 13. 10 singles

After a week that contained more sadness than I'd ever wish upon anyone, here is some new music for you to enjoy, like I have to set my mind to encounter more positive things. Spring and summertime are upon us once again and I look forward to the lengthening days and long evenings. Like I'm looking forward to all that great music to be released in the coming weeks and months, with some live shows as well.

Brand New Me. Robert Ellis Orrall

Sometimes a song is released that while hearing them for the first time it seems that they have been around like forever. Brand New Me, a recent single by Robert Ellis Orrall is one of them. You could have fooled me into believing the song was released in the 1970s, 80s or 90s, but just never heard me by me at the time. In 2026 the song sounds just as fresh, as this artist pretends he is Heart, Gin Blossoms and Dan Baird in one. From the modest intro riff it's clear Robert Ellis Orrall brings us back to the time where folk, rock, indie and countryrock went into a blender and produced songs like 'Magic Man' and 'I Love You, Period'. Brand New Me can be added to these two examples and all others you can think of yourself while listening to this track. Brand New Me is a delightful song, Album 'Wonderland' is out since 27 February.

Mary Anne. Magic Castles

With second single Mary Anne of the upcoming album 'Realized' (24 April) Magic Castles makes to WoNoBlog for the first time. Mary Anne is a song that mixes pop, rock and a light touch of psychedelia with faint traces of the 1960s psych and pop era. The guitar solo presented here was totally unthinkable back in those days. The Minneapolis based band, that is around since the early 2000s, is not attracting your attention in a very obvious way. Mary Anne is the kind of song that comes to you slowly, like in waves, through all the well-thought out additions in the arrangement, while singer (and guitarist) Jason Edmonds sings with his soft voice lauding the woman 'whose mind he's trying to read'. In one of the waves this subtle yet very nice guitar solo sprouts forwards, topping the song off. Mary Anne is a song very much worth while getting to know.

Rewrite History EP. Fit

One of Rotterdam's Mattan Records' latest signings is the band Fit. Today the band releases its first EP on Mattan, second in total, which does make it to this blog. Fit hooks up to that very long train called postpunk. In 2026 that means that it becomes important to be distinctive. So many Dutch bands have come and also gone in the past circa eight, nine years that I've started to develop an interest in the genre again, after the wave with Franz Ferdinand and Arctic Monkeys fizzled out. Fit consist of Ide Ploeg (voice, synths), Oscar van Cruchten and Maas van Rijsbergen (guitars), Roman van Rookhuizen (bass) and Mink Huurmans (drums). With that distinction you'll find the band is more than on the right side. From postpunk in general and more specifically 'Little Something', a track Maxïmo Park would be proud of, to more danceable tracks where a hint is given to Chefs' Special, you can find it all on Rewrite History. Fit is able to add more than enough energy and youthful exuberance to its mix, making the songs fully their own. Rewrite History is not an earth shattering experience. What it is, is a very good EP that I will want to play more often for certain, to get to know the five songs better. There is no reason to doubt why Fit should not be able to follow the route ex-labelmates The Vices have taken.

Dreams I've Had. tofusmell

O.k., I'm convinced. Reincarnation exists. Elliot Smith has returned to earth and sort of starts again where he left off when his life tragically ended. No, just kidding. tofusmell is singer-songwriter Ray Chen from Winnipeg by way of Orlando, Florida. Anyone listening to Dreams I've Had will agree with me that, at least on his single, as I have not anything else by tofusmell yet, Elliot Smith's ghost is prominently present. The soft whispering, modest voice is there. The way the song transforms from an indiefolk/singer-songwriter song into an alternative folkrock song, including the addition of a dirty lead guitar. Ray Chen does it all in a very good way and in good taste. Nobody will ever write a better song in this genre than Elliot Smith's 'Pretty (Ugly Before)', but besides this point Dreams I've Had convinces me totally. Debut album 'All My Time' releases on 24 April.

Place Memory. Cape Crush

The title song of Cape Crush's upcoming album (1 May) finds its way to this blog, making it the band's second entry. And again, The Beths entered my mind instantly. Despite that the differences between the two bands are obvious, it's there any way. It is in the way singer Ali Lipman frases here words, turns her vocal's chord changes and in the background vocals. The Beths is one of my absolute favourite bands of this decade, so being compared to them is not a bad thing in my book. Place Memory rocks in the way alternative bands do. Cape Crush adds a golden melody to its rock and combines it with endless vocal lines that are all over Place Memory. Layers of them, making the song stand out totally. Bring me more, Cape Crush!

Anyone. Joan as Policewoman

Twenty years ago, I wrote about Joan Wasser's solo project Joan as Policewoman in the old magazine predating the blog by eleven years. 'Real Life' made Joan as Policewoman one of my favourite new artists at the time, just like she became for my then girlfriend, now wife. We saw her several times life in concert in Amsterdam and The Hague. And then, somehow, she slipped from my attention and her she is back announcing the 20 year anniversary version of 'Real Life' with the release of Anyone as a single and once again I'm immediately drawn into the jazzy tune. Anyone is the musical equivalent of a day where you do not have to do anything else but relax. Just lying around or reading a book. Anyone is the kind of song that I just want to listen to and not have to do anything else. It is beautiful and then some. 

Nobody's Heroes. The Menzingers

You will have to go back to the very first months of this blog to encounter The Menzingers. In April 2012 'On The Impossible Past' featured on the blog. I wrote about punk pop and a likeness to The Hold Steady. What the band produced in the past fourteen years, I don't know. Today I've encountered Nobody's Heroes and decided to write about it. The band, no longer young men, kicks the song off with an acoustic guitar and an organ, before the band kicks in. There's not much of punk to be found. There's certainly a hint of emo in the vocal delivery. The music is more alternative rock like they used to make around 2000 in the U.S. with just a lighter touch to the sound bringing the band closer to e.g. Gin Blossoms. The combination works well, because it makes singer (and guitarist) Greg Barnett's voice and vocal delivery stand out more. The music is serving, adequate and simply nice.

Cool Job. Telehealth

One more time machine on the blog. Seattle band Telehealth debuts on this blog with a song that is as odd as it is danceable and slightly infectious. A song like Talking Heads and many bands following it, like in the 00s Franz Ferdinand could have made. I'm not even going to mention the bands that sprouted this decade. For me the source is Talking Heads and let's stick there. Telehealth has all the things in place that allows for comparisons. The odd sounding rhythm, the guitar lines that are as weird as they are full of rhythm. The lyrics that seemingly are randomly generated and sang in a way that is somewhere between declaration and song. Did I mention that it works? It does and there is an album coming up. 'Green World Image' releases on 15 May. I've heard enough to want to hear more.

Over You. Dreamwave

Dreamwave returns to the blog with a song that lands somewhere in the middle of alternative rock, alternative pop and psychedelic rock. Over You manages to hold a 1960s psych and garage rock vibe and mixes it with The Black Angels on a good day, something the Austin band seldom to never has and Green Day exuberance. The result is a tremendously upbeat song that invites to dance to and sing-along with. The guitar riff may be standard for the genre, it makes Over You come totally alive. The female voice supporting the singer, gives Over You a party feeling as well. The Bristol based band has released two EPs at once, 'Moon Dogs' and 'Drifter' on 20 March. 

Born To Kill. Social Distortion

In 2004 I bought my first Social Distortion cd, 'Sex, Love And Rock & Roll'. The first four songs on that album are so fantastic. Then I found out that the band was around already for over 20 years. That makes over 40 today. And yes, Mike Ness' voice is definitely not one of a young man. The energy put into Born To Kill is phenomenal though and brings me in a good mood immediately. This song is one of a band on a mission but has nothing left to prove. Born To Kill is like a shot of adrenalin, immediately energising the senses and body into action. I would not recommend moshpits for the fans of the first hour but with a song like this the band ought pick up punk lovers of all ages. The song goes out with a banger of a guitar solo as well. Album 'Born To Kill' will be released on 8 May.

Wout de Natris - van der Borght 

Can't Take My Story Away. Elles Bailey

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

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

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

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

Photo: R. Blackham

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

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

Wout de Natris - van der Borght 

2025, week 50. 10 singles (2)

Yes, two packets of singles in one week. There's so much to catch up on before the new year starts. So, don't let me hold you back on exploring the next ten. Enjoy! 

Golden Rules / Guilty Pleasures. Fuzzy Teeth

The name Fuzzy Teeth suggests a band name. It is the musical project of Anthony Koenn, a man who played in his first band, The Hague Punks, at the age of 11. Whatever that may have sounded like or what the quality was, I can't tell you. Single Golden Rules / Guilty Pleasures is a mature alternative pop track that shows that pop is not necessarily something produced by x with y featuring z, a and b, co-written by c, d and e. Koenn's may sound dreamy, he also sings a little off kilter. It gives his take on pop an even more alternative sound. In sync with a lot of bands and artists coming out of Brooklyn, N.Y., the Dutch singer is right on top of the musical waves right now. A golden lining this guilty pleasure of a song has.

Shopping. Rayon

Rayon is a postpunk band from Portland, Oregon made up out of people who have played in several other bands and is led by Eric Sabatino. The single blends a few guitars that play between the light and the shade but a little askew where the melodies are concerned. Over it Sabatino sings with a dreamy voice, adding some dreampop into the postpunk. In the first verse the guitars drop away, making shopping sound very open, putting the emphases on the fine drums and bass part. The two main guitars come in and later a host of overdubs. All in all, it remains on the safe side of postpunk. Don't expect Tramhaus antics here. The dreamy vocals even take on a light psychedelic vibe later in the song. It is the combination of it all that makes Shopping an attractive song. The single is released on 7", so you better hurry. 

I've Got Issues. Sandy

A young woman, one acoustic guitar. If anything, I've Got Issues reminds me of the songs of Tom Lehrer a friend played for me close to forty years ago. That cheekiness of wordplay that comes unexpected and can be funny as well. The topic of I've Got Issues is not exactly funny but the way Sandy presents it, suggests her sense of humor. This is added to by the video, that shows Sandy (Skye Netburn) having fun in multiple ways. Her voice is something different. No sweet girl in hearing distance here. She has a tough edge to her voice. Maybe not a Janis Joplin one, but who knows what happens after a few years in music? Musically, she comes close to Karen Jonas on this song, like in 'Oklahoma Lottery'. I've Got Issues has a country element to it. It is not country, but what it is? Good question. Let's say singer-songwriter. Her album 'Issues' was released in October on her 18th birthday.

Alive And Well. Tombstones in their Eyes

The L.A. band returns to the blog with a song that is sort of a signature of its sound. Loud rock, a wall of sound and a psychedelic, dreamy sauce laid out over it all by way of the singing. The title Alive And Well is not entirely appropriate. The song is dedicated to the band's guitarist who died in October. Paul Lovecraft plays on this track and the band decided to release it in his honour anyway. The world is a little better because of it, as it is an optimistic track. The intro may be fuzzed up guitars as if the gates of hell just opened themselves, after that the track starts properly and a huge sound opens itself to my ears. It makes me wonder exactly how many guitars I'm hearing. It could be dozens, all stacked on top of the other. "I'm coming back" the band sings. Well, if that happens, Paul Lovecraft is the second who manages that feat. Now that would be something.

Go On, Move Your Body. Jana Horn

A mood change, Go On, Move Your Body brings to this post. Depressing, that is the right word to use here. On this single for her upcoming album 'Jana Horn' (16 January), the NYC resident presents a song so slow that Low might have deemed it too slow. The bare intro, think electric guitar, bass and drums, with an derailing sound somewhere in the corner of the mix, provides the right mood for Jana Horn to sing-talk her lyrics. Slowcore is the term, I believe. There's nothing in there that will bring you joy or beauty. What it does, is show you how glad you should be not to feel like this. Jana Horn excels in this song, that is quite easy to listen to, as it is full of subtle details, that pop up for a second or two. An accent on a bass string, a few bass notes, the slow hitting on a cymbal. It all stands out all of a sudden and makes Go On, Move Your Body, shine, perhaps despite itself. A whole album? That may be a bit too much for me.

Rearview. Tad Overbaugh

Some countryrock is welcome after the darkness presented right above here. Tad Overbaugh presents nothing new. With his band The Late Arrivals, he shows how to excel in this well-known genre. With a voice that presents enough wear and tear to sound convincing, he leads the song. The guitars have that sound that comes with the territory. The lyrics are about being left behind, for someone else. Overbaugh was left in the rearview. The only criticism possible is that the music sounds a little too optimistic to match the lyrics. That apart, Tad Overbaugh delivered a nice song. Watch out for his new album as well, 'Farther From Near' pours now on tap at Boston's Rum Bar Records.

Bob's Bolero. Reluctant Bob & the Lonely Lovers

A kind request by email to listen to Bob's Bolero and why not? In The Netherlands in the mid-60s there was a band called ZZ & The Maskers (yes, masks) and if Bob's Bolero reminds me of anything it is of this band's famous songs, like 'Dracula' for example. That band's singer, another Bob, Bouber, wrote one of the best Dutch pop songs ever, 'Ik Heb Geen Zin Om Op Te Staan' for the band HET. Check it out, Americans! Back to Bob's Bolero. Reluctant Bob is Robert Baker and together with producer Phil Christie he made the song. It is built from a bolero rhythm Baker found on You Tube, with no less than 12 views! With The Lonely Lovers, Mark Liepmann, Álvaro Martínez, Baker makes a sound like they used to a long time ago. The name vintage pop seen from the vantage point of 2025 is not a strange connotation. ZZ & The Maskers were old for their time. at least I think, as I only got to know the band much later. Let alone Bob's Bolero. It's fun though. (See also posts on The Crayon Set on this blog.)

The Gallopers. The Would-Be-Goods

1988, that is 37 years ago. In that year The Would-Be-Goods released its album 'The Camera Loves Me'. The band around Jessica Griffin returns next year with a new album, 'Tears Before Bedtime' (13 February). First there is the single, The Gallopers. The song has a pre-The Beatles pop vibe, just listen to the organ emulating Del Shannon's 'Runaway' there in the background or the intro tangy guitar. In the rhythm there is a hint to the "Elvis chipshop" song by Kirsty McColl and Tracey Ullmann's 'Breakaway'. All influences from a long and even longer time ago. Jessica Griffin is no longer young, as her voice shows. The topic of The Gallopers is either a memory from long ago or stated through a top-down relationship. The melancholy mood of the song points to the former. It makes for somewhat distant but nice listening.

To The Brim. DEADLETTER

DEADLETTER found its way to this blog for the first time in 2024, with positive words on how a saxophone was oven into the postpunk music, so many other bands were already good at. It created something different and new. In late 2025 the band returns, announcing its upcoming album 'Existence Is Bliss' (27 February) and a tour. To The Brim is the first single and once again combines three forms of expression. 1) The singer that is somewhere between singing and talking, 2) the postpunk that comes in after a very quiet and relaxed intro, and 3) the sax that moves in between the rest. To The Brim is a relatively relaxed track. The acoustic guitar is not what I expect in a postpunk track. Neither are the electronics you can hear. Singer Zac Lawrence slowly applies some pressure on the song, by putting in more and more words into a line. And then it all goes back down again. Intriguing track To The Brim is. 

Talking (Pt.II). Raman

Belgian singer-songwriter Raman returns with a second single from his upcoming debut album, 'When Loneliness Succeeds' (9 January). Someone who dares to use Jeff Buckley as a reference to his music, has a lot of courage. Who dares to compare himself to the angelic Jeff? Well, listening to Talking (Pt.II) it is justified. This is a mighty track. Raman has a voice that shimmers between high and lowish, hovers between soft and mighty. In his music Raman is able to do exactly the same. At the same time there is a triphop reference in the way he sings, as it reminds me of Massive Attack's 'Teardrop'. In the vocal melody there are even direct links to Buckley. And then the end awaits us. A huge slide guitar part escorts us to Talking (Pt.II)'s exit. It blows the song right  up into our faces. What an ending it is. This song deserves a lot of attention. One tip for Raman. don't go swimming in a river and certainly not with your clothes and boots on when a barge comes by.

Wout de Natris - van der Borght 

 

2025, week 46. 10 singles

How many times will the word lizard be part of a song's lyrics? "I am the lizard king and I can do anything" is probably the most famous one. There's that Australian band with lizard in its name. Today, we have at least two of them and so much more. There's even a request to donate! You are invited to do so but also to just sit back, enter the names of the songs into your streaming service and enjoy!

The Fight. Cold Expectations

In the past few years Cold Expectations has become a regular feature in the singles sections. Brought to my attention by the late Justine Covault, as many bands from the Boston area were. Today for Cold Expectations that role has been taken over by The Sound Cove's (and Superfossils) Garret Vandermolen. With The Fight the band delivers a song that I would link to the 1980s where the mood is concerned. The way the band rocks out makes The Fight fit in anywhere, right up to today, including a link to the alternative folkrock side of The Walkabouts. All these musical memories make this song stronger. Yet, all this does not make me forget how good The Fight is in its own right. The lyrics put focus of the fight for survival and ordeal singer Steve Prygoda's ancestral country Ukraine is going through: "We can’t… we won’t…. WE MUST FIGHT!". Should you want to help out, you can donate here: https://help.rescue.org/donate.

They Have A Howard Johnson's There EP. Jessie Kilguss

I had already expressed my surprise of the combination of Algiers and Howard Johnson in one song in my review of the single 'Howard Johnson' recently. Here is the six song EP, more mini album, Jessie Kilguss recently released. On the record she mixes pop, roots and country rock in the right doses to stand out. That single already is an example of how good her mix of these genres is. The roots element is pumped up with enough rock to sound tougher, while Kilguss' voice has an edge that blends pop with tougher genres. You will also find singer-songwriter songs, with at heart Jessie Kilguss' voice accompanied by a guitar. You will find religion, with Saint Teresa and Jesus himself in the role of crossmaker, a cover version of Judee Sill's famous song. The combination of styles make this mini album a very pleasant one to listen to. Jessie Kilguss' voice is one of a mature woman and extremely pleasant to listen to. A woman that is truly singing and not somewhere between whispering and dreaming out loud, is quite nice for a change. Just listen to songs like 'Chasing Down A Ghost' and 'Lost Causes' and you'll know enough.

Turn To Gold. The Gold Needles

Pop rock comes in many guises. Even one of men of a certain age, far removed from their youth and youthful looks. At the same time they can still so easily tap into their youth's musical experiences, influences and above all enthusiasm and energy. All this results in a bouncing powerpop single called Turn To Gold. Everything a band like Boston brought to music circa 1977 can be found in this song. Soaring guitars, double guitar lines, distortion and a chorus as easy to sing along to like 'More Than A Feeling's. The U.K. band The Gold Needles offers it all. We still have a few months to go before the album is released, but based on the two singles, 'Supernature' was on the blog in May, it ought to be a nice one.

Days of Clay ft. Axender. Library Card

Library Card may make its debut on this blog, its guest singer does not. Axender or Marnix Visscher as he is better known can be found with both his bands, Korfbal and Price, on this blog. Together they bring a postpunk track that moves from the very empty to explosions of sounds. From just drums and a soft playing bass the band works itself towards the moment Axender starts singing accompanied by an electric guitar playing in a clean mode. The melody and the singing between Axander and Lot van Teylingen remind me of the best songs of The LVE from Antwerp. The explosions do not. They set Days of Clay apart from a song like 'Milky Sea'. The five minutes plus song ends with a confusing phone call between the two, more as if they are not really talking to each other. It makes Days Of Clay a disconcerting experience. As a song it works, totally.

One Hand Free. Ezra Furman

Ezra Furman has a rough voice for a female. It could double for one of a male with a highish, yet rough voice. This is not the reason why I decided to write One Hand Free. That is the relaxed atmosphere of the song, that faintly reminds me of  Four Non Blondes' 'What's Going On'. The lyrics are far darker though, as it is all about extinction and "seeing you in hell". Ezra Furman moves somewhere in between Bob Dylan, singer-songwriter and a protest song, while bringing in a pop element by way of that moody piano part that meanders through her dirge for a relationship, including a metaphor for it as the end of the human race. Ezra Furman does not use small talk nor small words in One Hand Free. And, how many songs contain the word 'lizard'? Here were two in a row for you.

Monkey See Monkey Do. Stone

In August, I wrote on Stone's previous single 'Never Again': "STONE's single is loud, huge in sound, wild but without forgetting that a song needs a few hooks to stick in the mind". These words suffice for the latest single, Monkey See Monkey Do. Liverpool's Stone just goes for it and well with two minutes has said it all. The song is urgent, in your face and full of energy. Punk rock like they used to make it, with enough energy displayed to believe it all, and yet make it good time fun and pleasant on the side as well. Stone did it again. The album, 'Autonomy', is slated for 20 February.

Hey There. Leatherette

Leatherette is an Italian indie band that with its single Hey There comes close to a slacker song. A little like I remember Pavement to sound. The bass plops as if it is detuned at least two whole notes, giving Hey There its distinct sound. Hey There is not a song to enjoy in the classical sense, for that it is too darkish and sounding too disinterested to entertain. Beware, that is different from there not being anything to enjoy. The song contains a lot of interesting details, starting with that bass. Next there is a guitar riff reminding me of the intro of Steve Harley's 'Make Me Smile'. And, there's a saxophone part that brings David Bowie to mind. The combination of it all makes Hey There a song worth while checking out. Should you want to hear more new work by the band, you have to be patient for two more weeks. On 28 November 'Ritmo Lento' will be released.

Hold On Soul. Dirt Road Souls

Life in the city and life in a small town, is the topic of choice. I know all about it, except that a city was where I grew up first and then was taken to a small town to grow up, part 2. Personally, I was so relieved to be back in a city. Dirt Road Souls' Davis Black was torn between two places so to say for quite some time. He shares his experience with the world in Hold On Soul, "you're almost home". The music he sets his experience to is indie rock with some country/roots influences worked into it, blending the two pretty perfectly. The best versions of this music come of course from the U.S. Hold On Soul is the proof and the pudding in one. Dirt Road Souls do a lot of things right here.

Moon Buggy. Dreamwave

With several singles and one EP on this blog already, Dreamwave is no stranger to it. With Moon Buggy the Bristol band wants to renew my and your, dear reader, acquaintance. The band does so with a very uptempo psychedelic track. The vocals sound as tinny as can be allowed for, making them sound estranged from the real world. But then both singers have the key to the moon buggy, so their vocals come from across the universe to the earth. Everything seems to be coming to my ears from a long distance, distorting and fuzzing all sounds. What remains is the energy and enthusiasm. This shines through in abundance. Dreamwave will have had a lot of fun making the song. With finding all the little blips in the song, putting them in the right places, while trying out extreme settings on the available effect pedals. The result is an exhilarating single.

Silver Bangle. Bau Cat

Bau Cat is a trio from North Wales combining a lot of influences into its music, even from well before the members were born. Abby Butler (lead vocals & bass), Jim Davies (guitar & vocals) and Jack Wells (drums & vocals) form Bau Cat and know how to make a song work. That starts with how the three are able to sing together. This makes Silver Bangle a very rich song vocally. Butler's voice is over the two male ones, that support hers in two ways. As a call response and as harmonies. The driving bass Abby Butler plays gives Silver Bangle its drive, added to by the drums. This allows guitarist Jim Davies to go off exploring some nice lead lines here and there. Look at the video and you see the bangle on Abby's right wrist, a piece of jewellery her mother passed on to her after a live show. That gift was the inspiration for Silver Bangle. The present led to a great song. Thank you, Abby's mother!

Wout de Natris - van der Borght 

2025, week 23. 10 singles

Summer of 2025 is near and a tremendous lot has happened around the world. For me personally that all of a sudden Covid is there again. So far a heavy cold and the feeling that comes with it. I had managed to forget all about it until a colleague said my wife has it and I decided to test. And summer? Outside it's cold, wet and gloomy more a premature fall at the moment  No reason to not listen to new singles though or practice for a gig in Haarlem and Oslo soon. Here are another ten recent ones. Enjoy!

Manhood. Girljockey

Strap yourself to your chair, tie your headphones to your head so it doesn't run off and then quietly undergo the varied and extremely different sides of Girljockey's debut single Manhood. From a voice accompanied by an electric guitar, not necessarily playing an average chord with a sound somewhere between clean and dirty, with a little sloppiness as a bonus and a cello, to an eruption the Etna would be proud of. Gillian Chamberlin, who formed the band last year, really is letting herself, her voice and the band rip it up and even more than that in the solo section. My ears have barely escaped catching fire. If anything Manhood reminds me of Hole but then even more extreme. The bio says PJ Harvey but I'll have to take its word for that. I could not get through her in the 90s, later music somewhat. My advise? Just dive into Manhood head first and let yourself be surprised. I have and lived to tell.

Swallowing Your Pride. CIEL

Where in 2023 I wrote about CIEL that it would follow into the Brighton shoes of former local band Blood Red Shoes, in 2025 there's little left of that reference. At least in Swallowing Your Pride. Another name I mentioned at the time was Kim Wilde. That early 80s vibe is what can be heard on CIEL's new single. But more like a tea bag that has been reused again and again. At least compared to the sound of e.g. 'Kids In America'. Swallowing Your Pride does offer a naive kind of new wave pop that makes for dancing and singing. In 2025 CIEL is a duo, singer-songwriter Michelle Hindriks and drummer Tim Spencer. Producer, and now it becomes interesting remembering the first sentence of this review, is Steven Ansell of Blood Red Shoes. Together they have set this song apart, not only from his own band but also from the old days, while providing it with an energy that does make it stick out. We have some time to go before the album is released late in October.

Magic Of The Sale. Teethe

The second new name this week is the Southern slowcore band Teethe. Working towards the release of the same titled album on 8 August, the band introduces itself to me with a track that is as solid as it is mysterious. This has everything to do with the atmosphere of the song. There are clear and present instruments and there's vaguer ones and then atmospheric ones. Add a singer that seems to simply float on the music and you get the picture. Teethe is or used to be from Denton, Texas and released an eponymous album in 2020. The members, who all write songs, collaborated with a host of other musicians of whom MJ Lenderman and his Wednesday colleague Xandy Chelmis are known to me. Magic Of The Sale, not to mix up with 'The Art Of The Deal' and for a good reason, takes the listener on a musical trip that brings him/her to a few unexpected destinations. Intriguing single, with more to come soon.

Laugh So Loud. Duncan Lloyd

Pop aficionados will recognise the name Duncan Lloyd immediately. As guitarist of Mäximo Park he has made my life a lot more pleasant and with 'Apply Some Pressure' co-wrote one of the ultimate singles of the 00s decade. A lot of that energy and freedom of expression, as in no rules, can be heard on his solo single Laugh So Loud. In fact, I think it a better song than most I've heard from his mothership for some years now. No, he's not the best singer, but his soft voice works quite well on his own single. The layers of guitars do the main work, also played by Cloud Nothing's Joe Boyer, not in a little supported by a great rhythm section. Bass and drums are very drivingly present. Above all Laugh So Loud is an adventurous song, that wants to take the listener along. In that it is quite steering. The quality makes you go along for the ride without protest.

Bookends. U.S. Girls

The good thing about the singles blog post is that they are so diverse (besides that I seldom have an idea what to expect next on this endless list of singles). With Bookends I enter a totally different sort of music. U.S. Girls, the moniker of singer-songwriter Meg Remy, presents a ballad tempo song that is as U.S. as it comes. I think some people call this roots music, let me just pose that it's going a long way towards beauty. Remy has a voice that is well-worn in. It has plenty of mileage on it and she doesn't mind showing it to the world. Charlie McCoy's harmonica gives the song even more desolation the Springsteen's 'The River'. The way it interacts with the Hammond organ gives Bookends an almost desolate feel. One big question remains, can you call a 12 minutes something long song a single? The change later on in the song comes as a huge surprise. It is pure funky. I will let you find out for yourself. Album 'Scratch It' is released on 20 June.

New Threats From The Soul, featuring Catherine Irwin. Ryan Davis & The Roadhouse Band

This is more straight forward country. It may be a song filled with other elements, the way of singing, the pedal steel and structure all spell country, somewhere between tradition and a band like Slobberbone. That is a nice mix to listen to. With Ryan Davis & The Roadhouse Band we have another debut artist on this blog and well deserved. Davis and band know how to play on a thin line and keeping a perfect balance. The intro is already so nice, with a few unusual instruments joining in. Again, like 'Bookends' right above here, Ryan Davis presents himself with a long song. This one well over nine minutes. And I do not mind one second of it. The addition of Catherine Irwin as guest vocalist works really well. Beauty and the beast duets often do. Album 'New Threats From the Soul' will be released on 25 July.

Jamie C'Mon [Andy Lewis Remix] + Hey Sah-Lo-Ney. The Chelsea Curve

It's three years ago that The Chelsea Curve from Boston was on this blog with the album 'All The Things'. Before that the band debuted with a string of singles, one a month of which several made the cut. Today the band returns with the digital version of what will be a 7" single somewhere in the summer. Listening to the b-side, a cover version of Mickey Lee Lane’s Northern Soul track Hey Sah-Lo-Ney from 1965, it will be well worth the buy. The Chelsea Curve is on fire here, leaning into the rock and moving with the roll just it is meant to be. It's all but unbelievable this song used to be a soul track. The a-side is a remix of the lead single from the afore mentioned album from 2022. Hear the horns and all and Northern Soul is far closer than on Hey Sah-Lo-Nay. Together the two songs make a golden, if not pure steaming combination. The Chelsea Curve is back alright.

Illinois. Joe Bourdet

Dan Fogelberg? I faintly remember an advert for several album on the inner sleeve of 1970s albums, perhaps even my favourite Zappa album, 'One Size Fits All', promoting a Fogelberg album. A man with a blow wave in his hair and a moustache? I will have to check. Perhaps I even know a single that was played on the radio somewhere in the latter half of the 70s. That's as far as my knowledge goes. Why is all this relevant? Because Illinois is a cover of the Dan Fogelberg song. Joe Bourdet takes the man out of obscurity and judging by this version, rightly so. It's a true country song, the kind that makes me imagine riding though the desert somewhere, with an endless stretch of road ahead of me and dust all around me. The flavour of the song is enhanced by the pedal steel sound played by "Catfish" Connor Gallaher. The song could have been on an earlier Eagles album. The vocal harmonies are spot on. Bourdet does a really, really good job here. Fogelberg died at the age of 56 in 2007, leaving behind a long stretch of albums of which some were million sellers in the U.S. Somehow this does not surprise me but I had no idea. Also not that he has had two songs in our yearly music fest in the last week of December, the Top 2000. Not since 2014 though.

Not Broken. Alan Sparhawk With Trampled By Turtles

It's not possible to go much slower and still maintain a stable melody in a voice. Alan Sparhawk, formerly of Low and by sad necessity a solo artist since a few years, teams up with blue grass band Trampled By Turtles. You can find one album by both on this blog, written by Erwin Zijleman. Not Broken is taken on by me. The song is a duet between Sparhawk and his daughter Hollis. It is impossible to not think that the topic is about the death of their wife/mother. Instrumentation by the band is as delicate as the singing is. Together they bring each other to ever higher levels of emotions. While pretending to contain them, I should add. It is almost painful to listen to Sparhawk singing, where daughter Hollis continuously tries to bring it all back to earthly proportions. When her father joins her for the chorus, things do land back on solid ground. In the end, when all has been said and done, things remain in one piece.

Born At Night. Pile

We end with another new name, the band Pile from Boston, working towards the release of its ninth album. A band from Boston that was never brought to my attention? I'd have thought that to be impossible but here I am. Born At Night is a single with a few faces that all together make for very interesting listening. Pile is advertised as a DIY band, that for its upcoming album 'Sunshine And Balance Beams', 15 August, called in the assistance of some technical support in the after recording process. (DIY? That explains me not having heard of Pile before.) I can not compare, but Born At Night has a mighty sound as soon as the band lets go of the reigns it has put itself in at the start of the song. Two guitars playing arpeggios respectively two notes from a chord over which Rick Maguire sings. When the band joins in, also a few violins join. and Maguire builds up the tension and start to vent some anger as well. When the song truly explodes Pile takes no prisoners, this is full out musical war. In a phenomenal way. The whole is brought down for a short rest, before we go off again for the second half of the rollercoaster Born At Night is. What an introduction to a band this single is.

Wout de Natris - van der Borght