Ricochet. Snail Mail

Na een droomdebuut en een nog veel beter tweede album had Lindsey Jordan de lat hoog gelegd voor haar alter ego Snail Mail, maar het deze week verschenen album Ricochet laat horen dat de rek er nog lang niet uit is.

Lindsey Jordan’s Snail Mail rekende ik, zeker na het verschijnen van haar vorige album Valentine, tot het beste dat jonge vrouwelijke muzikanten met een voorliefde voor indie te bieden hadden. Dat dit terecht was laat Snail Mail horen op het deze week verschenen derde album Ricochet. Het is een album waarop Lindsey Jordan laat horen dat ze nog beter is gaan zingen en nog aansprekendere songs schrijft, maar het album valt vooral op door een mooi en rijk geluid dat zich niet langer op één genre laat vastpinnen. Lindsey Jordan is nog altijd pas 26 jaar oud, maar Ricochet laat een gelouterde muzikante horen, die garant staat voor albums van wereldklasse.

Alweer bijna acht jaar geleden verscheen Lush, het debuutalbum van Snail Mail. Het alter ego van de destijds pas 18 jaar oude Lindsey Jordan maakte op mij behoorlijk wat indruk. Lush van Snail Mail sloot aan bij de betere albums van vrouwelijke singer-songwriters in de indiepop van dat moment, maar liet zich ook beïnvloeden door indierock uit de jaren 90 en koos bovendien een eigen weg. 

De stem van Lindsey Jordan klonk op haar debuutalbum misschien nog wat iel en onvast, maar de muzikante uit Baltimore, Maryland, zong wel met veel gevoel. Ze liet bovendien horen dat ze prima gitaar kon spelen, iets wat ze overigens leerde van haar gitaarlerares en cultheld Mary Timony (Helium). 

Het debuutalbum van Snail Mail liep over van de belofte en die kwam er helemaal uit op het aan het eind van 2021 verschenen Valentine, dat uiteindelijk de tweede plek wist te bereiken in mijn jaarlijstje. Op Valentine klonk de stem van Lindsey Jordan een stuk mooier en krachtiger en liet ze bovendien een veelzijdiger geluid horen dat varieerde van ingetogen indiefolk tot aanstekelijke indiepop en gruizige indierock. 

Ook in haar teksten, waarin tienerdromen plaats hadden gemaakt voor de pijn van het volwassen worden, groef de Amerikaanse een stuk dieper, wat haar songs voorzag van flink wat emotionele lading. Op het door topproducer Brad Cook ook nog eens prachtig geproduceerde album viel alles op zijn plek en met het album schaarde Snail Mail zich wat mij betreft onder de smaakmakers binnen de indiepop en indierock. 

Lindsey Jordan heeft inmiddels Greensboro, North Carolina, als thuisbasis en heeft de tijd genomen voor haar derde album. Ze is inmiddels 26 jaar oud en heeft de groeipijnen van het volwassen worden achter zich gelaten. In tekstueel opzicht kiest het album wat bredere thema’s, maar Lindsey Jordan schuwt ook persoonlijke thema’s als de angst voor de dood niet. 

Ze maakte haar nieuwe album samen met de van de band Momma bekende Aron Kobayashi-Ritch, die het album mede produceerde. Ricochet is een logisch vervolg op het ruim vier jaar oude Valentine, maar laat ook horen dat Lindsey Jordan de afgelopen jaren in meerdere opzichten is gegroeid. 

Op Valentine vond ik haar zang al zeer aansprekend, maar de zang op Ricochet is mooier en duidelijk beter dan op het debuutalbum van de Amerikaanse muzikante. Ook in muzikaal opzicht is Ricochet een beter album dan Valentine. Op haar vorige album schakelde Snail Mail tussen indiefolk, indiepop en indierock, maar op Ricochet zijn alle invloeden gecombineerd tot een fraai totaalgeluid. 

Het is een vol geluid met afwisselend hoofdrollen voor gitaren en diverse synths, maar ook strijkers hebben een voorname rol gekregen in het bijzonder fraaie en zeer sfeervolle geluid op het album, dat ook alle ruimte biedt aan de stem van de Amerikaanse muzikante.

Lindsey Jordan heeft zich ook nog eens ontwikkeld als songwriter en ontworstelt zich op haar nieuwe album op knappe wijze aan de kaders van de indiepop en de indierock. Ricochet is meer een singer-songwriter album dan een indiepop of indierock album en het is een album van een hoog niveau. 

Op basis van Valentine had ik grootse daden verwacht van Lindsey Jordan, maar de afgelopen jaren was het helaas behoorlijk stil. Met Ricochet voldoet Snail Mail echter volledig aan mijn bijzonder hooggespannen verwachtingen en levert ze voor mij een van de topalbums van 2026 af.

Erwin Zijleman

 

Je kunt Ricochet hier luisteren en bestellen:

https://snailmail.bandcamp.com/album/ricochet 

2026, week 28. 4 singles

Summer Summer Summer. David Myhr

In a year that many people are getting more summer than they had wished for, David Myhr releases a tremendously upbeat single called Sumer Summer Summer. A song that he probably wrote in the dark, snowy and cold Swedish winter days reminiscing about these beautiful sunny days of old. David Myhr manages to capture that feeling of summer that I remember from long ago, school summer holidays and lying, without sunscreen of course, at the local swimming pool looking at the somewhat older girls that were way out of reach. Never mind those summers were rain just kept falling. Who remembers them? This single is pure pop music like they used to make it. ELO is the nearest connection that I would make, but sure, the also mentioned Fountains of Wayne or Paul McCartney (The Beatles) in the bio all qualify as well. Summer Summer Summer is simply 98 % joy with a very small feeling of nostalgia for things from long ago.

From Above. Bed

From Above was originally released in 2022 as part of Bed's self-titled debut LP. The album is re-released in 2026 with From Above as an outstanding single. From the intro guitar piece that returns during the song onwards, my ears were all attention. Up tempo and urgent, putting the song immediately in the frontline. The verse that follows, tones everything down, before the part returns in all its glory. It also returns as the outro, but everything is slowed down, making From Above even more impressive. The Los Angeles band consists of Ebed “bed” Moreno Leon, vocals, guitar; Kenneth Bonifacio, bass; Joseph Nixon, drums and Alberto Lopez, guitar. The four produce music that could be described as shoegaze, Yet, that guitar riff going on through most parts of From Above is far to upbeat for that. Looking at the points of your shoes is just impossible here. The dreamy way of singing Moreno Leon qualifies better. Bed wants its audience to explode and a song like From Above is designed in such a way that the explosion is facilitated in the best possible way. "Take Me Out' of shoegazing? Why not!

Yellow Red & Blue. In Loom 

With its fourth released song In Loom again caught my attention. The basic ingredients are known by now. Two men with as little instruments as the song allows and two voices. In Yellow, Red & Blue, coming with an intricately created artwork, again is a alternative rock song built around guitars, accompanied by weird sounds in the overdubs. Hidden in vocal melody is a golden pop melody that at times even reminds me of The Beatles and Traffic. The same goes for the little melodies on the guitar that move in out of the alternative foundation. With In Loom Gijs Kerkhoven and Sander van Munster allow themselves to experiment sonically and musically, while not forgetting their pop side. The combination leads to interesting hybrids like Yellow, Red & Blue.

This Town. The Cocktail Slippers

With This Town The Cocktail Slippers return to this blog, after the previous single 'Joyride' was reviewed in April of this year. The punky approach of 'Joyride' has been traded in for a sound that comes closer to 80s band like The Go-Go's and The Bangles at its more rocking/powerpop side and finally Roxette itself, that I mentioned because of the title of the previous single (and album on 28 August). That all adds up to a song that has a strong pop side and infused that with a tough rock sound. In the video The Cocktail Slippers promote its hometown Oslo no little. I've only been there once and I recognise a lot of the sites used to shoot the video. We started this singles section with an ode to summer from a Swede and it ends with an ode to summer from Norway. Recently, I've read that more and more people go north on holiday to avoid the heat in the south. From a musical point of view that choice make a lot of sense as well. If you hurry, you might even be able to row with the Norwegians should they defeat England in the World Cup.

Wout de Natris - van der Borght 

2026, week 27. 5 singles (2)

"Along with the sunshine, there's got to be a little rain sometime", sang Lynn Anderson 55 years ago in her hit single "(I Never Promised You A) Rose Garden'. It is like that here at the time of writing, together with a neighbour complaining about a barking dog on my block that is making people crazy. Thank God for double glass, it seems. 'Rose Garden' did make me wonder: which came first the book or the song? Hannah Green's bestseller is from 1964 so I've just found. The song won in my personal case. In the meantime I have five more recent singles for you, enjoy!

Dark Eyed Junco. Kristin Hersh

You have to go back to 2019 to find Kristin Hersh on this blog. She returns with a dark and intense single called Dark Eyed Junco. There is very little light that Ms. Hersh lets through in this song announcing her upcoming album 'Sugar On Blackstone' (18 September). It all starts with a guitar part somewhere between a melody and a riff. Together with the lead note that returns over and over, it already sounds eerie, like a modern version of some themes in 'Once Upon A Time In The West'. When the band kicks in, it is all papered over, blackout style. Kristin Hersh's voice is not your every day solo voice, but it fits this music perfectly. The role of drummer Rob Ahlers is prominent in several parts of the song, really sweeping it forward. Dark Eyed Junco may be a dark but it is also an intriguing song, making me look forward to hear the whole album.

Hello Sunbeam EP. Wooden Overcoat

Wooden Overcoat returns to the blog with its EP. The first of the four songs is 'Home'. There are these songs that function as a time machine. Despite the fact that no band could sound in 1967 like Wooden Overcoat does in 2026, it emulates bands like Traffic, The Lemon Pipers and what not from the day, while fitting in nicely with a whole host of psychedelic bands of the last 10 to 15 years. Although there are a multitude of angles in which to play this kind of music, from The Black Angels to Wooden Overcoat, there are more similarities than differences. Wooden Overcoat aims for the relaxed vibes coming with psychedelia, peace and happiness, adorned by kaleidoscopic fluid projections in the background. The band's frontman is Brian Hajek playing guitar and singing. He's joined by bassist Dillon Glusker, guitarist Mac and drummer Brian Levin. Including the overdubs Wooden Overcoat creates a full sound without muddying it all up. And someone must be playing the keyboard. I'm not sure if I would get through a whole album in this style. The four song Hello Sunbeam EP works like a miracle though. It's warm, relaxed and more than just pleasant.

How Long Is Too Long. The Broken Heartbreakers

More from New Zealand and a new name to me. It was twelve years ago The Broken Heartbreakers released its previous album. It may well be that I was not alerted yet on New Zealand releases at the time. For me this is a new band. How long is too long? is a good question to ask after an hiatus of twelve years. Many people will have forgotten all about you. With this single the band places a gentle reminder of its existence. How Long Is Too Long is a beautiful acoustic folk song. It fits in a tradition of British folk songs and adds a little jazzy atmosphere and even a hint of Latin American music. Someone like Bebel Gilberto will be able to translate this into a modern sounding bossa nova with ease. The Broken Heartbreakers is Rachel Bailey and John Howell with drummer Paul McLennan-Kissel. How Long Is Too Long is a song that is so delicate. From the soft voice of singer Rachel Bailey to the accompaniment, all is aimed for an effect on your soft side and it works. Album 'Imagine If We Could Just Keep Driving' is due on July 17. 

The Fire. De Staat

Classic De Staat The Fire is. These five words sum it up nicely. The heavy rhythms, the darkness, the electronics, Torre Florim Janssen (the addition of Janssen is new to me) sing talking, the band answering here and there. After 'Old McDonald' a long time ago, De Staat today is "rowing gently down the street". You will all find it all on The Fire. Nothing new under the sun then? If I'm honest, no, there isn't. Is that a bad thing? No, it's not. The energy caught in and on The Fire is obviously genuine. It's the kind of song that will get a venue and festival field going alright. As long as you don't expect any grand new insights  from De Staat, you'll be just fine with The Fire.

Waiting On Nina. Family Stereo

The family stereo entered my family in 1967 with a radio and pick up hidden in a kind of cupboard. From that day onwards, I started to collect records, slowly but surely. The band Family Stereo is the project of singer-songwriter Blake Watt, that will release its debut album on 31 June, called 'The Thread'. Watt's voice reminds me most of Dutch singer-songwriter Thijs Kuijken, operating under the name I Am Oak. Musically, the two operate in a folkish kind of music, but musically distinct. Waiting On Nina places itself in a long tradition of folkpop singers, who present their soft music in a poppy way, while smearing some contemplative melancholy over his listeners. Family Stereo strikes the right mood and notes to convince with Waiting On Nina. Now who was that singer that scored a minor hit with 'Lydia'? For the first time in decades I'm thinking about the song. You Tube tells me immediately: Dean Friedman. To my surprise all piano and strings, so very different musically. That mood is there though.

Wout de Natris - van der Borght 

Residue. Yea-Ming and the Rumours

To me it remains fascinating that young musicians have a fascination with music from way before their time and perhaps even their parents'. In the case of Yea-Ming Chen it must be her parents. Residue sounds like music coming from a time machine. With a voice like Nico (Crista Päffgen) without the German accent and too much life behind her, she emulates that dreaminess The Velvet Underground had within it also. Even more so with Doug Yule as co-singer than Nico. The prickly pears that John Cale infused into The Velvets' sound had gone by then.

The result coming out of Yea-Ming Chen's mouth is a mix of Nico and French sigh girls of the 1960s. The way she sings is completely safe. There's no danger whatsoever within earshot on Residue. The Rumours provide the exact right background for this voice. The music is somewhat indie. The lightest version of R.E.M. is not far away. Think a song like 'Nightswimming'. The indie gets a sixties twist, where I'm reminded of Nancy Sinatra as well as The Walker Brothers but both stripped of the bombast that the producers added to their most famous songs. So, indeed The Velvet Underground stripped of the danger. 'Candy Says', 'Pale Blue Eyes' and 'After Hours' are good examples of this.

With Residue Yea-Ming and The Rumours released its fourth album. For me its my first, so there's nothing to compare to. Although I understand that The Rumours are more of a project than a band, the current line up is Yea-Min Chen, vocals, guitar, organ; Eóin Galvin, lead guitar, lap steel, vocals; Luke Robbins, drums, percussion, vocals and Rob Good, bass, lead guitar, vocals. Together they lay down an album, that after the moderately loud, by comparison that is, opening track 'Paper Doll, ís an album filled with tranquil tracks. Not rocking the boat seems to be the concept. Yes, also in the faster songs, like 'Cold'.

This comes with a risk. When not paying close attention, the album will pass you by. Paying only moderate attention will make you think the album is boring. That makes Residue an album to pay attention to, invest in by listening with attentive ears. The investment is rewarding, as Residue is a good album worth spending your time with. The single 'Cheap Thrill' put me on the trail of Residue and the single proves to be a great key opening up the album. If you like the first two songs on Residue, the rest will follow effortlessly.

Yes, Residue will come across like a time machine, but a rewarding one. After more than just a few years in music Yea-Ming Chen (and band) has a new fan. I'm signing up.

Wout de Natris - van der Borght 

 

You can listen to and order Residue here:

https://yea-ming.bandcamp.com/album/residue 

 

2026, week 27. 5 singles

Pffff, it has cooled down, making life a little more bearable again. Well, with the World Cup taking a bad turn for my country, how can you miss three penalty kicks in a series of five and have the bad luck that the goalkeeper stops a kick only to get it against his heel after which it goes in anyway, things are relative. Anyway, it is time for music. Here's five more recent singles to enjoy!

Baobab. Upupayāma

One of the first bands of what for the ease of argument I call the new psychedelic wave that caught my attention in a positive way was Elephant Stone. Many followed, some good and interesting, some less so. Right on the opening measures of Baobab, I'm transported back to my 2014 experience. Upupayāma remains more spacey in Baobab. Nothing becomes concrete but sort of floats around them bongos and the acoustic guitar setting the rhythm. Without being Indian, the song does give off strong Indian vibes and certainly not African, where the Baobab tree originates from. With Baobab Upupayāma provides the ideal inner mind holiday, as it is a song to surrender to, unconditionally.

Gimme Ammunition. Gene Champagne

Gene Champagne returns to the blog with a 7" single. Once again it is a charged up affair. Let's face it, if this song hadn't been just that, I would have ordered him to change its title. Champagne moves straight into punkpop tracks by the likes of Blondie around 1977-1979. Let me even add The Ramones. It is the line up and the guitar solo that brings Gimme Ammunition into the Blondie side of punkrock/pop. This song holds the combination of energy, fun and skills at songwriting to not only make it stand out but to truly enjoy as well. Singing along to the chorus is something that becomes mandatory at shows. Gimme Ammunition is one big invitation to jump around, shout and sing along with it.

Which Side Are You On?. Dan Cummings

Very attentive readers of this blog will recognise the name Dan Cummings as the singer and songwriter of the punk band Already Dead, who first made a deep impression on me with the single 'The Spirit Of Massachusetts Avenue' from the album 'Something Like A War'. In this acoustic single he dusts off a traditional, that also has been on the repertoire of Dropkick Murphies. It was a class song of the working man against the higher class. Dan Cummings takes a very political stance on Which Side are You On?, but takes the song into the third decade of the 21st century. This is about siding as decedents of immigrants with today's immigrants. To point to the fact that billionaires reap all the benefits, to return to the class war just like in the original. One more artist from the Boston area who takes a stance and leaves no doubt which side he's on. It makes me muse what the modern variant of tea will be? That harbour must still be there. 

Clarion. Tasha

Who else but Erwin Zijleman wrote about Tasha's previous album, 'All This And So Much More', on this blog? But to my credit the single 'Michigan' and Love's Changing' were reviewed by yours truly. Clarion comes to my name as well. Tasha shows two different sides to her songwriting on this single announcing her new album 'You are Spring!' that was released last week. Clarion is an ultra relaxed song. In fact, it is almost a slacker tune, were it not that the arrangement belies this completely. The other side of Tasha comes forward in the intricate arrangement where instruments and notes weave in and out of each other. Notes pop up to disappear again, while other instruments join, not to leave the song. Over it Tasha sings her lyrics in that completely relaxed way. The combination simply works, as that is how the song sounds, simple. Don't be fooled by that relaxed tempo though. There is a lot going on there.

S33.u.in/HAL. Holy Wave

A new name on the blog, or so I thought. It isn't, as the single 'Happier' was reviewed by me in 2023. As our former prime minister used to say when I a political bind, "I have no active recollection of this", and got away with it. Mine is in a digital print, that makes it a bit harder to deny. What to make of the title of this song? I really have no clue. HAL is both the Dutch Holland America Line, now an investment vehicle and the super computer in Space Odyssey. It's even the name of a band from the 00s, I think. Looked at in a more broader way, I derive at "see you in hell". A lot of options. The music is almost as weird as the title. The largest part consists of a mix of indie, psychedelia and dreampop. Enter a bit of shoegazing in the chorus and instrumental interlude. The noise is pushed to the background and turns into quite some weirdness, to be faded out when the verse starts again in all its tranquillity. The result is a song with two very distinct faces, like a musical version of dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. The Texan band presents a fascinating song. Album 'I'm Dada' can be expected on 10 July.

Wout de Natris -van der Borght 

2026, week 26. 5 singles (3)

A change of the weather is coming up. It's darkish, thunder and lightning loom in the distance and the first drops of rain fall off and on, without gaining momentum yet. The storm can't make up it mins yet, it seems. It probably will when we have to go to the trainstation later this afternoon. In the meantime its clammy and sticky, while the very sporadic wind feels fresher already. In the meantime I'm setting five more recent single aside for your pleasure, so enjoy!

Jealous Lover. The Rolling Stones

And here is the third the Rolling Stones songs released before 'Foreign Tongues'. The song fits into a long line of Stones songs, that show the more pop side of the band. At 82 Mick Jagger can still put in his falsetto voice, as if time has no grip on him. Let us go back to 'Emotional Rescue' from 1980 as a starting point. It is not exactly my favourite The Rolling Stones single, but like almost all singles of the past, I found my way into it at the time. Jealous Lover in the end will go that way, as I do like the chorus and that slick guitar work shared between Keith and Ronnie sounds really smooth and nice. Newspaper 'The Times' already spoke of "a career high" when it wrote about  'Foreign Tongues'. Based on the three songs so far, the rest must be really, really exceptional, to nestle with albums like 'Beggar's Banquet', 'Exile On Main Street' and 'Tattoo You', to name but a few. Jealous Lover is nice, it's smooth, but can't tip 'Sweet Sounds Of Heaven' from 'Hackney Diamonds', to name a recent smash song.

Great Start. In Loom 

Gijs Kerkhoven and Sander van Munster have made music under many names. As In Loom they have made these pages twice this year and here is number three. As said, in In Loom it is Kerkhoven who is the lead singer, making the sound of the duo stand apart from their other collaborations. With Great Start the subtlety that characterises Sander van Munster's work is thrown overboard completely. Can a guitar sound much dirtier than in the intro and beyond of Great Start? Certainly, it can, but that would leave little room for a song. Great Start draws on some of the psychedelic songs The Rolling Stones presented on its 1967 album 'Their Satanic Majesty's Request'. In Loom adds some totally underwater bubbly experiences to it as well. Over this that dirty guitar is put, making Great Start stand out and makes it a very intriguing song. There's far more happening than I could ever have guessed when the song started. Great Start is a listening experience.

The Sweet Goodbey. Opus Kink

Recently I wrote of Opus Kink that there is a strong connection to Dutch fanfarepunkers De Kift and with The Sweet Goodbye the likeness is not taken away. The way the band uses the horns tells me all. At the same time all sorts of influences are let into the mix. Although this song is far less of a genrebender than 'The Head Tree' that featured The New Eves, you will find more than enough surprising elements. At the same time The Sweet Goodbye is more traditional post punk, with horns. Opus Kink does go one step further, at least, than the saxophone DEADLETTER uses to spice its songs for example. Again Opus Kink intrigues with its mix of music, that no matter what is straight in your face the whole time.

Moping. Personal Trainer 

A few weeks ago the first song of Personal Trainer's upcoming third album was reviewed on this blog. It surprised me with its sound and approach. With Moping Personal Trainer is back to its more traditional sound. A little lighter perhaps, maybe even with a disco rhythm guitar sound, added to by a The Stone Roses style drumming, but without doubt Personal Trainer. A female voice answers Willem Smit's vocal in parts of the song. I myself took a shine to Moping immediately, just like I did with so many songs of Personal Trainer and of Willem Smit's previous bands. "This is simply, just good", a voice says in Dutch in the middle of the song. And that comment, made by the band itself, sums it all up for me.

Pay To Play. Tornado Lobster Killer

Punk from Italy? Yes, why not. Tornado Lobster Killer is from Milan in northern Italy and plays punk(rock) as it is supposed to. Don't expect anything different then tremendously fast played instruments, releasing energy and the venting of anger of having to pay to play a show. Bandmembers need to earn some money, except when its a hobby and even then its nice to get something to pay for rehearsal rooms and gasoline. So, writing about this style of music may sound like a summing up of clichés. The music isn't, as Tornado Lobster Killer has the right energy but also the skills to make a song like Pay To Play sound interesting, because of the little melodic additions woven into the whole. So, punk from Italy? Yes, please.

Wout de Natris - van der Borght 

2026, week 26. 5 singles

A long, long time ago Martha and the Vandellas sang a song called 'Heat Wave' and the band Heatwave scored a hit called 'Boogie Nights'. With the temperatures awaiting us in the coming days, I doubt if there is going to be a lot of boogieing. Listening to music is always an option of course, so here's four recent singles and one EP for you to explore. Enjoy, but keep cool!

CIA. Mont Loser

'CIA' is very likely the loudest song recorded by the former Dutch band Caesar on what proved to be its last album around 2003. It looks like that is the mood that the U.S.' Central Intelligence Agency conjures up within musicians. Proof of point, Mont Loser from Paris, France really goes for the jugular as well on its new single. The song flies right off the road into an orgy of guitars and sound eruptions. If CIA expresses what the youth of France thinks about the U.S., it is clear we all have to start looking elsewhere. This song is not pretty, a far cry from welcoming, total chaos, a statement of anger. Nothing is hidden, despite the sound being a mud pool of noise, with everyone playing and singing at their loudest. The message is clear.

Hollow Heart EP. Heidi Curtis

The intro to the title song opening Heidi Curtis' EP really put me on the wrong foot. Listening to the acoustic guitar I expected to be listening to a singer-songwriter song. When the band kicks in that is changed into something that mixes between 70s rock and 2026 pop rock. And Heidi Curtis' voice will ring another bell with everyone listening to 'Hollow Heart'. When the acoustic guitar returns for a short intermezzo, the Buckingham-Nicks connection is even underscored. This EP starts with an extremely strong track. This impression does not leave me in 'Behind The Doors'. Of course, the music lover with some mileage behind him will think to have heard it before, but then isn't 'Rumours' the best selling classic rock album on vinyl for several years in row? The number of youths I see walking with it in records stores tells it all. Of course a new generation is influenced by its sound.The strong point of Hollow Heart is that it does not make me want to hear 'Rumours' immediately. I do not mind spending time with the powerful poprock songs of Heidi Curtis from Newcastle in the U.K., and her powerful voice.

Making Pretty Babies. Sally Jaye

Nostalgia seems to be the theme of this and the previous singles post. Believe me, the order is random as far as I'm concerned. This is roughly the order songs come in, with leaving out what doesn't attract me at first hearing. Sally Jaye brings that mix of music that is somewhere between roots, americana, country and a little rock. My all time favourite song in that genre is Hazeldine's 'Drive', from the late 1990s. Making Pretty Babies reminds me of that song, as it catches the same atmosphere. The pedal steel guitar is a nice additions, as it gives the song a more traditional sound. The band obviously knows what is expected of it and all Sally Jaye has to do, is sing convincingly with her voice that has the right timbre for this kind of music. And she does just that.

Drunk at the Gym. Jazmine Mary

This morning I was at the gym. Perhaps there was a little alcoholic residue left in my body, but I was certainly not drunk. Drunk At The Gym, Jazmine Mary's new single, is a far weirder affair. It starts with a car park and a bag of drunks. From there you better follow the story yourself. Ms. Mary sing-tells the story to us, singing in her deeper registry, giving the song a darker mood. With that she falls into line with (former) label mates Aldous Harding and Vera Ellen, who are able to create a mood like this also. The accompaniment is not your average as well. A banjo, strings and a clarinet steel the bigger roles from the more traditional instruments. When she moves up a register with her voice, the mood changes for a short while. All together, it makes Drunk At The Gym an intriguing single.  

Beautiful Things. Donnie Vie

After 'Plain Jane' in February of this year, Donnie Vie finds himself again on these pages. Again, it is a single that has a psychedelic vibe like The Beatles created around 1967 and adds a pop element that brings the best pop singles of the era to mind. Beautiful Things is a song with nothing less than a wall of sound, in music and singing behind Donnie Vie. Nothing was held back in order to make this song shine. It's as if Jeff Lynne and George Harrison had brought together another band than The Traveling Wilburys. To create an even bigger form of pop music than ELO itself ever made. Beautiful Things is an undertaking and Donnie Vie gets away with it with ease. Beautiful Things could easily have become a pastiche of things past or worse, a failure. It isn't, and that tells you enough about the accomplishment of Donnie Vie and his team.

Wout de Natris - van der Borght 

2026, week 24. 10 singles

Another week has sped by, it seems to go ever faster. In between I have played a great live set with my own band Sweetwood, that showed that we are still progressing and become better. Below you find ten recent singles, with a surprising number of duos making their debut on this blog. Old and new, you will find it all, so enjoy!

Deny. La Sécurité

Post punk? Yes, very much so. La Sécurité dives into the postpunk coming out of the U.K. around of 1980, when melody was traded for a sort of communist five year plan kind of music. All pleasure was traded in for music of a rigorous socialist orthodoxy kind. Enter Deny in 2026. The rhythms, the talk-singing, the accents and bursts of guitars all fit. Except this song is set on fire. The Montreal art-punk collective makes the song come totally alive and manages to throw in a musical joke or two. Listen to how the electric guitars drop away revealing the synth underneath them. Slowly but surely it also becomes clear how danceable Deny is. the song is a clear winner. Eat your heart out Gang of Four and their ilk.

Tide - Prologue. The Stream

Leiden's The Stream has found its way to this blog for over a decade now. Jan Stroomer and band are true veterans. When a new record is announced, I tend to prick up my ears. Fans will remember fondly how the previous record, 'Nature Calls', was accompanied live with a host of physics and chemistry experiments while the band played on. In 2026 things have changed somewhat. The band decided to record an instrumental album, 'Flood', and had to say goodbye to its long time drummer Koen van Dijk. This results in music that is rather far detached from what I usually listen to, but then being a guitar man, The Stream always was a bit aside of my usual musical playground. I notice that it is easy to listen to Tide - Prologue. The piano plays an upbeat melody, that comes close to classical, making The Stream leave its usual habitat of pop songs with a piano as main instrument. The doubled part gives Tide - Prologue a nice darker edge, allowing some tension to enter the composition. It is the first release from an upcoming EP, ''Flood - Prologue'.

Young Hearts. Isaac Roux

I was about to write that we have a debut on the blog, were it not that Erwin Zijleman reviewed Isaac Roux' (Louis de Roo) debut album 'Troubeld Waters' two years ago. For me it is though and I'm pleasantly surprised by the uptempo song Young Hearts is. A long time ago Rod Stewart sang about "young hearts" in his hit single 'Young Turks' and Isaac Roux taps into this line of energy, while making his song rougher and more alternative. It starts right away with the intro, where an electric guitar is allowed to go for it, after which most instruments drop away when the first verse starts, to come in again on the second line. There is some Kensington in the way the chorus presents itself, except that Young Hearts avoids the platitudes in the music that band excels in. Young Hearts remains alive, fiery and energetic. Bigger and bigger seems to be the adagium used in this single and it works from beginning to end.

Precious Days. Brand New Heartache

Usually, I listen to new singles on You Tube, as most are available there and it's easier and faster to access them. So I found that Brand New Heartache, the Nashville husband-and-wife duo of Eleese and Matthew Meschery, has exactly 1 person who subscribes to their channel and and the video had 13 views. That is no reason to write a review but this song is. Based on what I'm hearing these numbers ought to rise fast. Precious Days meanders somewhere between country, folk and pop. It's a great up tempo song not unlike Emmylou Harris' rendition of Chuck Berry's 'C'est La Vie (You Never Can Tell)'. Precious Days simply rocks and is rich in sound, orchestration and vocal delivery. Far more comparisons are possible to make, but I'll let you find your own favourites. I prefer to just like Precious Days for what it is. Album 'A New Alchemy' is slated for 24 July. Based on what I'm hearing here, it's something to look out for alright.

3, 2, 1. Bente 

Bente is meer een naam voor mij dan een zangeres. Wel heb ik een paar afleveringen gezien van het programma 'Beste Zangers', waarin zij liet zien een heleboel in haar mars te hebben. Haar eigen werk gaat tot nu toe gewoonweg langs mij heen. Tot dat ik dit nummer hoorde op de Radio 2 ochtendshow waar mijn vrouw graag naar luistert voor het werk. Ik hoorde een heleboel energie en vooral een alternatieve poprock song waar de stukken vanaf vlogen. Ja, ik krijg de doorgaans jeuk van de manier waarop veel jonge, Nederlandse zangeressen zingen. Bente moet deze techniek in 3, 2, 1 grotendeels loslaten, omdat het tempo zo hoog ligt. De manier van zinnen afbreken dat lukt nog wel, nog zoiets, maar maakt het nummer niet minder goed. Hier wordt gerockt en het staat Bente goed. De opbouw is eveneens goed. De rustpunten in het nummer zal er voor zorgen dat een zaal op het juiste moment loos zal gaan. 3, 2, 1 is een sterke Nederlandstalige pop- en rocksong.

Low Sunday Ghost Machine - Black EP. Lowsunday

Lowsunday is the second of four duos making their debut on this blog in the same week. Shane Sahene (vocals, guitar, synth, bass, drums) and Bobby Spell (bass, guitar, drums) are the two members of the original band from the late 90s who came back to release new music. In 2026, I can't judge the old work, I'm afraid, Lowsunday releases music that is as dark as it used to be in the 1980s except that it lays the light side of a band like The Cure or Big Country over its Joy Division foundation. The result is music that is simply infectious. Opening song 'You're So Wired' immediately sets the stage for rock and for the typical shoegaze style of dancing, i.e. looking at the points of your shoes and move as little as possible. Should you not be a shoegazer, I'm sure other forms of dancing are allowed by Lowsunday. Tracks like 'You're So Wired' and 'Shattered' are made for moving with abandon. Should the band plan to play live again, it will need more musicians, as layer after layer of guitars and other stuff are stacked upon each other creating a huge wall of sound. Lowsunday certainly did not leave it to chance where its comeback is concerned. This kind of music makes you noticed immediately. Love it or hate it, you can't escape it. I'm all good here.

Bug In The Cake. Violet Grohl 

Going by the name Grohl, no matter what you say, will open a lot of doors. Father is famous for well over 30 years, first as drummer and then as front man of Foo Fighters. Violet has recently released her debut album 'Be Sweet To Me' and received a lot of attention surrounding the release. It made me somewhat sceptical, next to having too many albums to listen to already. And then I ran into this video. I can only admit straight up that Bug In The Cake is a great alternative rock song. In fact, I love it. It fits in very nicely with alternative rock songs coming out of the U.S. since the 1990s. It has just enough of a pop vibe, because it has a few great hooks and an instantly singable (pre) chorus. Not to forget some great guitar solos. Bug In The Cake has a lot of urgency that Violet Grohl is sharing with the world and the song is simply a lot better than many, not all, her dad gave the world. It looks like I have another album to listen to.

Backstabber (Tailor's Version). The Dresden Dolls

And here is another new name on this blog. Although I have heard the name The Dresden Dolls before, I do not recall having heard its music. That may have been a great miss, as Backstabber (Tailor's Version) is a great song. Duos come in a lot of ways but usually it is guitar and drums ever since The White Stripes, with some doing bass - drums like Royal Blood. The Dresden Dolls present themselves as a piano - drums duo. Reading up on the band, I found that the band formed in 2000 and released two albums in the 00s. One of these albums, 'Yes, Virginia' is getting a re-release with a pun on Taylor Swift's re-releases of her first albums. For me, I'm glad to hear this song because of the re-release. Amanda Palmer's piano playing is forceful and rhythmic, while Brian Viglione fills in everything else with his drumming, besides providing background vocals. Backstabber is an ideal song to get to know the band in the 2020s.

Diablo. Deep Purple 

Deep Purple is around for 58 years in 2026. Everyone with the slightest knowledge of hard (classic) rock knows the band went through several line up changes through the decades. The current line up is four old timers and new guitarist Simon McBride. They already present their second album soon. Deep Purple is acting as if El Diablo is on its tail and given the average age of the members, that is not far beside the truth. With Diablo Deep Purple again, after first single 'Arrogant Boy' shows that it has not lost its chops. Don't expect anything new, but do expect the classic Deep Purple sound at its best. A driving rhythm, dualling guitars and organ, a great riff or two and Ian Gillan singing in his older gentleman voice, that fits this music perfectly. In 2026 Deep Purple still is a great band, no doubt about it.

Socialism Ditty. Mr. Dinkles

After The Dresden Dolls a forth duo features for the first time on this blog. This time The White Stripes is the blueprint. Mr. Dinkles, vocalist/guitarist Mac Rettig and drummer Rocco Ramos, is more a punk band though than the blues rock The White Stripes based its music on. The title and lyrics refer to what 'The Economist' recently dubbed "Gen-Z socialism". It is a spot on description as ms. Rettig shout-sings "you don't really need that, just give me that". We all know it doesn't work that way, although there definitely is a point to gen-z socialism and rethinking wealth distribution. Musically, Socialism Ditty is a raucous song, dirty for the whole of the way. A distorted guitar and ever dirtier overdubs make up the body of the song, with drummer Ramos hitting everything else home. The song starts like many other punk/garage rock songs do. The energy is there, creating the fun and expectation of wanting to listen to it. The explosion comes and does not go back into its corner until the very end. In fact, more flares start exploding, making Socialism Ditty more urgent by the second.

Wout de Natris - van der Borght 

 

Roses. Widowspeak

Of course, checking the past of this blog, I find that Erwin Zijleman beat me to a Widowspeak album review. His love for female singers precedes mine by something like two decades. With 'Plum' Widowspeak came into my life in 2020, undoubtedly in the time of the second lockdown. The music resonated within me immediately. My second album, Widowspeak's sixth, 'The Jacket' was not that good in my ears. Now, four years later, Roses claims a spot just like 'Plum' did six years ago.

There are two versions of reception of 'Roses'. The first is on a modest level of sound. Believe me, there is far less to enjoy, as the second version is to play it somewhat louder on a headset and all of a sudden a host of details unfold themselves. 'Roses' proves to be a very, very rich album with a host of guitar parts that are everywhere my ears can cope with.

Widowspeak formed in Brooklyn, NYC in 2010. Through the years only guitarist and vocalist Molly Hamilton and guitarist Robert Earl Thomas, a married couple, remained of the original four piece. On 'Roses' it is Molly Hamilton who creates a dreamy kind of pop music with her somewhat sleepy sounding vocal delivery. The music may have some elements of dreampop, but equal parts consist of indie, roots and French sigh girls. All together this creates a near magical mix of alternative pop music that goes down really well with this listener.

Photo: Alexa Viscious

The album starts with one of the more solid numbers, 'The Hook'. As far as I'm concerned, this title describes the situation quite well. I'm hooked alright after listening to 'The Hook'. The song does what a million other songs have done in the past. A guitar that plays some slow solo notes, a piano here and there playing some slow notes as well, a warm Hammond closing everything that was left open in the crooks and crannies of the mix. Molly Hamilton overdubs her vocals in all the right places. Out comes this Americana-indie track that sounds as warm (the music) and dreamy (vocals) as can be. When in the next song, 'No Driver, I'm remembered of my favourite Hazeldine album, 'Digging You Up', I'm sold, hook, line and sinker.

In the rest of the albums, the songs remain warm and rich. Guitars are everywhere, including a pedal steel here and there, creating a great mode, that in a way is the same mood but it's never enough. On Roses there simply is never enough of a good thing. Recorded on the Greek island Hydra with the band's touring members Willy Muse, John Andrews, and Noah Bond, in January and fine tuned at home in Brooklyn, the band is ready to take on the world once again. To think that the members of a band this good, have regular day jobs to sustain themselves, makes it something close to a miracle that we are able to hear Roses. I know, it's not unique, yet it gives you pause that making great music does not assure you an income sufficient to live off. It must be the product of total dedication to the muse that houses within the Widowspeak duo.

So let's be grateful for the present Roses is. Widowspeak has delivered an album of great beauty.

Wout de Natris - van der Borght

 

You can listen to and order Roses here:

https://widowspeak.bandcamp.com/album/roses 

POM live. Ekko, Utrecht, Friday 5 June 2026 with Fit

Photo: WdN-vdB

In my review of the new POM album last week I mentioned how much better and more consistent the band had become in the past two years. 'Enlightened, Baby' belies everything that "difficult second album" is often said to be. How does this translate into a live situation?

That answer is so easy to give as one word suffices: growth. Compared to the show in Rotown in December 2023 POM has gone from a band that played its debut record live in a convincing and entertaining way (plus some more chaotic but enthusiastic, perhaps unplanned encores) to a band that owned its repertoire and used it as a starting point. With new guitarist Rosa Kiki, who replaced Joy Kunst last year, in the line up, the band went for it. The set started off in a moderate way and song for song the sound was broader, louder, better, to explode towards the end into an orgiastic music fest. Without control over the songs and playing skills getting lost in the enthusiasm. Breaks were executed and harmonies sung perfectly.

One thing stood out in the mix. The bass was far more audible than at average shows and that dry, pumping sound made the show almost funky. Up front though Liza Kim van As has turned from the singer into the front lady of POM. There is no doubt who draws most of the attention to herself, who is living the role of singer. In a tight fitting dress, she was showing the world to be proud of who she is, pink hair and all. Focusing only on Van As would take away from the whole. Drummer Justin is great and a self-assured rhythm master, the two guitarists weave their parts perfectly, found weird guitar sounds to share with us and play attractive solo parts. The whole has blended perfectly and that is where it showed the band has set a perfect next step in its career. It is ready for a next step, just like the album already showed.

Besides, when a band can afford to not play the most energetic single from it debut album, 'Exoskeleton', and totally get away with that, it must know its on the right course.

Photo: WdN-vdB

Fit from Utrecht is also a band on Mattan Records and has released only a few songs so far. in a reviews I compared it for example to Maxïmo Park. Well, I was in for a surprise. The band on stage and what I had heard on record, somehow do not add up. The unleashed energy was enough to warm up a whole city and infect all present. The band has two guitarists, yet all the solos were played by the singer on a small synth in front of him. That made it very different from most bands I'd ever seen. Fit was happy to be on this stage and it showed. They were going for it and the audience started rooting for Fit more and more. At some point I was wondering if Fit would eclipse POM, as the headlining band still had to play. That fear was laid aside easily by POM.

Near the end of the set, I was struck by a feeling that I had never had before. Having grown up partly in a Noord-Brabant village, I had missed out on live music in small(er) venues entirely. Fit gave me the impression of what it could have been like to attend a the Undertones show in 1979 or something. It was a very authentic feeling and I guess a big compliment to a band, when all is said and done, I barely know in 2026.

That feeling of energy live and capturing it on record? When I played the POM LP today, I missed some of that energy as well. It will take some time to get used to the album again, I'm afraid.

POM and Fit both made a great impression on me. Bigger stages ought to be awaiting them.

Wout de Natris - van der Borght 

2026, week 23, 10 singles (2)

With the weather switched to position erratic, sun, wind, rain, lots of rain, cloudy, back to sun, etc., it is easy to make amends and do two rounds of singles this week. You'll find no huge names this week but certainly some WoNoBlog favourites of the past few years and several new names. Musically, it is a nice mix as well, like open your ears widely to truly listen to softer songs, as cover your ears fast should you be partial to not liking postpunk. Either way it's here, and all in between, enjoy!

Alone EP. Carly Hann

Today, Carly Hann makes her debut on this blog with her EP Alone. She is a totally new name to me, so I looked a little beyond just listening to her beautiful dreampop songs. She was formerly known as Carly Holt until she married The 1975's guitarist Adam Hann, who also produced her debut EP. She hails from Canada. She musically first drew attention with her cover version of said band's 'About You' and now presents her own music. That music starts with an acoustic guitar. The songs on Alone can be played on the beach, in a living room or the front garden entertaining neighbours during the next pandemic. Around her soft, dreamy and relaxed voice and the guitar, other instruments join, creating a dreamy atmosphere. In the case of opening and title track 'Alone' that mood is slowly but surely expanded on and when in the bridge drums join the song, it turns into a wall of sound. Lana del Rey is not far off, but Carly Hann does keep it as her own song. 'Breathe' starts as someone trying to play piano but not really certain (s)he's capable of doing so, before it turns into a song anyway, shedding that uncertainty immediately. 'Can't Shake This Feeling' is built around the acoustic guitar once again. This time strings come in for accompaniment. 'She Got' is the game changer. An electric guitar plays fast notes and the drums play an erratic, somewhat unusual rhythm. Carly Hann remains herself and draws the song into a dreamy state anyway. Also pay attention to that violin that plays a distinctive role in the song, making it far beyond the average dreampop song. Carly Hann may have started her career piggybacking her husband's career, she's very much her own talent on Alone. 

De lytse oarloch fan Japie Ossefet. Zea

Een Rotterdams verhaal in het Fries. Het had het verhaal van mijn vader en zijn gezin kunnen zijn. Als ik goed reken is Max of zoals de bijnaam die zijn moeder hem gaf, Japie Ossefet, net zo oud als wijlen mijn oom Ben. Max is Max van Broekhoven een import Fries, zoals Max' vader of grootvader aan de achternaam te zien een import Rotterdammer uit Brabant was. Het verhaal is opgetekend in een bejaardentehuis in Heerenveen door toenmalig Dichter des Vaderlands Tsead Bruinja, muzikant Arnold de Boer a.k.a. Zea en fotografe Rosa van Ederen,.Samen tekenden zij in 2020 levensverhalen op. In totaal 11 in 11 verschillende tehuizen. Het oorlogsverhaal van Max werd op muziek gezet door Zea. Mijn vader was 7 tot 12 in de oorlog. Voor hem was het een groot avontuur, met allerlei spannende zaken die in normale tijden nooit hadden gemogen. De meer volwassen verhalen kwamen van mijn tantes en hun echtgenoten, nu allen overleden. Mijn oudste oom was bij een razzia opgepakt en in een cementfabriek in Leimen bij Heidelberg te werk gesteld, maar wel met een Duitse vrouw thuisgekomen. Dat werkte niet heel goed in net bevrijd Nederland. Al hun verhalen samen maken ongeveer het verhaal van Japie Ossefet, zonder hulp aan onderduikers, dat wel. Zea heeft het als een vroege Bob Dylan op muziek gezet en stelt het nummer nu beschikbaar voor een goed doel, ter ondersteuning van kunstenaars in Beiroet, genaamd Beit Aam (https://linktr.ee/Beit.aam). Het nummer kun je hier aanschaffen voor €1,50: https://zeamusic.bandcamp.com/track/de-lytse-oarloch-fan-japie-ossefet. Doen!

Plovdiv. Tramhaus 

Tramhaus in 2026 is a band that has been around half the world, that is able to premiere its new single on a Seattle radio station and receives reviews from internationally renowned websites. So, what can I add to all this? To start a personal note. In 2025 I visited Plovdiv on a 43 degrees Celsius day and, reading the title, wondered how it is possible that Tramhaus first single release from its upcoming new album, Blister' (9 October), is called after the city. The band wrote the song there on a free day, touring Bulgaria and Turkey, in a rehearsal room. I hope they did get a peak at the Roman antiquities in Plovdiv. The song Plovdiv presents a louder and more direct Tramhaus. Through live shows, I was able to see the way the band gelled more and more through the years and Plovdiv is the result. There is less room for subtleties and more for a full band experience. The first verse is the group's community singing, recorded like a church choir in a church with the worst kind of acoustics, before singer Lucas Jansen takes over and explodes in the chorus together with the band. Getting better acquainted with Plovdiv, I notice better that the, lets call it the Nirvana, approach to a song, is still in tact. The erratic subtlety that characterised early Tramhaus songs, has been traded in for blasting. Live it will lead to even more enthusiasm is my guess. After a hesitant start, I'm sold.

Honeydripper. Ruby James

Ruby James returns to the blog with a dirty track that is somewhere between, what exactly? Certainly rock. The dirty guitar soloing gives the song its dirty vibe. There is something dancy in there as well, e.g. in the way of singing and rhythm. Except the song goes off of its rocker as in totally when it approaches the end. That guitar is really going for it. It is all very gritty in a blues kind of way. On top of it all, it's pure sex that is dripping from this record and it is intended that way so I understand. Ruby James wrote Honeydripper with songwriter Kate Vargas. Together they came up with this groove and built the song from there. It's convincing alright. Be on the look out for the album, 'Call It Rock & Roll', from 7 August onwards.

Punch Drunk Love. Personal Trainer

Punch Drunk Love is Personal Trainer as you've never heard it before. More than ever before the band sounds like a band that could be any regular band and it has dropped everything to do with loud electric guitars. In fact, Punch Drunk Love could have been, with a little imagination, a hit for The Kinks in the mid-60s. The band took an acoustic album and playing live in the studio together, as the starting points and that is what the single sounds like. A piano is the leading instrument for most of the song, playing its slow notes. You'll find a violin playing short solos with the guitars only playing accompanying riffs and soft chords. Over it all Willem Smit is singing softly. There's no need to shout at all. I fell in love slowly with album number 1, but in the end never truly found may way around number 2. Number 3, 'Human Assholes' is slated for 4 September. I'm sure we'll hear more in the meantime.

Magic In The Air, feat. Palmyra Delran. Dan Miraldi

"Sometimes you really have to wrestle with songs, but ‘Magic in the Air’ felt pretty effortless", says Dan Miraldi in the accompanying bio to his latest single on the writing process. This is exactly how the song sounds like. Magic In The Air combines pop, rock and a little punk attitude into a song that sounds somehow perfect. That relatively slow riff/solo guitar leading the listener into the song, followed by a mellow mood coming with a glorious, not too warm feel of a summer day. Miraldi manages to get this mood across without giving up on the firm body of the song. Palmyra Delran adds a nice female touch to the whole in both lead and harmony vocals. On top of it all comes this dreamy bridge, making a perfect song even better. Welcome to the blog!

Letting Go. Deardarkhead

An instrumental track somehow is the hardest to write about for me. Not that I analyse lyrics a lot, it is the layer of how vocal melodies interact with the music, where I often focus my attention on. Deardarkhead is a band from New Jersey, formed in 1988, that in 1998 released its only full length album to date, 'Unlock the Valves of Feeling'. Since several EPs saw the light of day, the last one being from 2016. Since its singer left, the band has become an instrumental outfit and listening to Letting Go focusing on extremely melodic instrumental tracks. Guitarist Kevin Harrington leads the pack with a very clear sound, while never overdoing the number of notes he can squeeze in. This is about melody and not about chops and prowess. He is supported by drummer Robert Weiss and bassist James Malizia, The mortar in between is played by guest keyboardist Joe McGinty (The Psychedelic Furs, Nada Surf, Ryan Adams and Deborah Harry), who adds just the right texture. It is this combination of musical facts that make me like Letting go. There will be a full length album, Deardarkhead's second, on 10 July called 'The Pendulum Swings'.

Still Here. High on Stress

In March you may have found High on Stress on this blog for the first time. In my few words on single Over/Through I compared the band to the likes of Gin Blossoms and The Jayhawks. Today, I will go a step further and compare it to a band that I liked a lot more around 1995, Slobberbone. High on Stress has that same level of intensity and just being who and what you are as musician and band. Of course, everything is well thought out and there is a lot of attention being paid to details, that make the song more interesting to listen to. "It goes on and on, on and on, and I'm still here", they sing. Unmistakably true, as Still Here sounds very much alive. This song rocks in a way only, for lack of a better word ,rootsrockers from the U.S. can. Album 'Still Here' is out there for a month already, I notice just now. It's time to take a listen. This title song hits all the right buttons.

Hard Evidence. Ringlets

Ringlets is on tour in Europe and celebrates with the release of this stand alone single. Hard Evidence is not an easy song to digest. Everything is just a little less normal than what is expected from a song. The vocal melody is monotonous in the verses and the accompaniment is stern. The mood is darker. It also is in the chorus, but the mood changes to playful because of the band accompaniment while still being somewhat stern, as the vocals do not join in the playfulness. They remain moody, sang in a deeper and subdued way. The New Zealanders show that their band has a few sides to it. Having listened to Hard Evidence a few times, I notice the song is growing on me. Ringlets reaches the bar it set for itself with the superb album 'The Lord Is My German Shepherd (Time for Walkies)' with ease.

Gonna Be Alright. Chaser

A real 7". It's not exceptional but also far from normal in 2026. (And what bands like The Rolling Stones or Arctic Monkeys charge for one, € 17,99, borders on the absurd.) I don't know what Southern California skatepunkers Chaser charges for theirs. Based on what I'm hearing, things are going to be alright. 'My Promise' is a melodic punk track in the best form as Rancid and The Offspring are capable of. Deep dark and dry drum skins are leading the way for Chaser. This drummer truly leads the way with more rolls, fills and double bass fills than my ears can keep up with. Guitar lines and bass are all all over the place as well, supporting a golden vocal melody. Yes, of course, it all sounds very familiar but who cares when a song is this good. The other side of the 7" is a rendition of Bob Marley & the Wailers' 'Three Little Birds'. As that track was high jacked by 020's fans, I leave it you to find out for yourself. Greetings from 010 supporter,

Wout de Natris - van der Borght 

2026, week 23. 10 singles

With some good old pop cum rock and roll on my earphones from one of the records below, WoNoBlog is back with a bunch of singles after having missed last Sunday. Too much going on and too beautiful weather. There is more in life than music. This week you find a very old name and a whole lot of debutants below, so more than enough to explore. Enjoy!

The Sky Isn't Falling. Strawberry Alarm Clock

About sixty years after releasing the songs that led them to be a part of the legendary 'Nuggets' box, Strawberry Alarm Clock is back and finds itself for the second time on this blog this year. The Sky Isn't Falling (but if it did, on a clear day, we'd all have a blue hat) is a very much alive poprock single in the best tradition of a band like Moody Blues, to name an example. What is perhaps striking, is that all five original members are present, not a normal thing for a 1960s psychedelic rock band. I like, again, the way the band lets the guitars go out of their pens but also the enthusiastic vocal melodies make The Sky Isn't Falling feel very much alive. There's an album in the making for later this year. Based on the three preceding singles, it's going to be special.

The Ghost Of Roky Erickson! EP Muck and the Mires

What are the chances that two artists are joined together by the order of chance, being the moment an email reaches my inbox announcing a new single or EP? In general close to 90% is my guess, but what if both artists are found on the 'Nuggets' box set released in the late 1990s and the LPS in 1972? Especially, as the artists are (from) bands from the second half of the 60s? In this case Strawberry Alarm Clock and The Eleventh Floor Elevators, the band of Roky Erickson (1947-2019). That chance must be extremely small. Muck and the Mires return to this blog with an EP called The Ghost Of Roky Erickson. Muck encounters his ghost after the elevator stops on the 13th floor. As always Muck and the Mires rock with the 1960s well in mind. Riffs fly around, fun is had by all, band and listeners. Of course, the band is part pastiche, as it successfully milks things that were successful once. This comes with a big but. Muck c.s. is a very good band, tight, bright and totally alive. On top there is often a layer of sheer fun. The title song attest to that best, with its extremely good riff and a touch of the madness that accumulated in Roky Erickson's head over the years, both caught in lyrics and the music. The other three songs are 60s rock, 60s pop and 60s poprock. It's instantly recognisable and yet fresh and new, exactly how I have come to love the music of Muck and the Mires over the past decade.

Call It In. Editors

Editors is a band I love and hate. Twenty years ago, I sort of liked it but also found the bombastic sound often too much of a not so good thin and the deep, pumped up voice of Tom Smith often too much to bear for long. Then some great singles came along anyway and somewhere in the mid 10s I even bought two records and then not with 'EBM', Editors' previous album. Four years later there's Call It In. The song is very up tempo, the sound is tough yet modest for Editors and Tom Smith's voice is different. Where is that deep resonance? There's also less of an effect put on it, as it sounds very natural. All bands of the age Editors have reached, can't escape from comparisons to all things that passed. Yes, Call It In reminds me of previous singles, but certainly has a right to exist. The tempo and urgency, the nice and smooth synth sound really works in the right spots. A strong single showing the right form.

Finally Arrived. Wooden Overcoat

Listening to Finally Arrived one song pops up in my head, The Everly Brothers' 'All I Have To Do Is Dream'. That is the state of mind the Portland, Oregon band the Wooden Overcoat brings in. Finally Arrived is the right title for this song, as it is slow. Don't get me wrong though, the song has an extremely slow psychedelic vibe to it that does bring me into an alterative reality. One where I'm totally relaxed and move with the softly lapping waves of Finally Arrived's instrumentation. Band leader Brant Hajek takes his time and so are bandmates Dillon Glusker (bass), Mac (guitar), and Brian Levin (drums and backing vocals). Listen deeper to the song and you will notice far more is happening than you thought after the first dose(ing off). This is a gem of slow psychedelia if I ever heard one. EP 'Hello Sunbeam' was released on 29 May. (And, a wooden overcoat is a euphemism for a coffin, so I've learned.)

Punching The Flowers. Death Cab For Cutie

This band is about to release its 11th album on 5 June, 'I Built You A Tower. I'm sure I have one from maybe 20 years ago, but do not have a strong recollection of it I'm afraid. So, I'm listening with a near open mind to Punching The Flowers. This is a strong alternative rock single. The pace is near relentless, while the drummer has found an original pattern that he is ramming home for the whole of the way. The song may be soft or hard, he's hitting dry and hard. The song reminds me of The Hold Steady and a little of R.E.M. Especially the former is a band that I cannot listen to for more than a few songs at a time. The singer's voice is the cause of that and my guess is, it will be the same for 'I Built You A Tower'. In the meantime, I'm enjoying Punching The Flowers.

We Need Some Love Today. The GrooveBuzz 

A new band, a first single. The band is active since 2023 and is a collective of seven singers and musicians. Drummer and producer Leon Klaase alerted me to the song and it is a very rich and swinging affair. In fact it sounds more like a ten piece band to me with voices and copper everywhere once the song has left its somewhat hesitant start. That is, compared to what follows. After the piano led intro, the strong and deep voice of Mieke de Jongh takes over, accompanied by Annabel Romijn and Fran Genis. The accompaniment changes towards a funky kind of soul music with a percussive guitar assisting the solid drumming of Klaase and the supportive bass played by Marcel van de Bas. The multilayered saxophones of Peter Romijn do the rest. The band is working on the release of its first album, 'Hit In The Heart', a line taken from this single.

Scattered Like Dust. Charlot

The band Charlot, Lotte Mulder, Hilde Luytjes, Boaz van Willegenburg and Alex Haak, makes its debut on this blog as well, with its third single from its upcoming second album, to be released in September. All that came before passed me by. Not Scattered By Dust, a pleasant mid-tempo dream- and synthpop song that has more than enough hooks in it to stick to my brain with ease. Lotte Mulder sings with a highish voice, close to breathy. The synths sound like a friendly pop version of the synth sound Gary Newman made famous with his Tubeway Army hit 'Are Friends Electric?' from 1979. The sound Pet Shop Boys turned that into a hit machine. Charlot uses it to make a song that crosses the bridges of decades and comes up with a song that fits nicely in 2026, with a great guitar part for those liking one.

5 Year Plan. BERTHAJU

5 Year Plan? I remember from my history lessons that they tend to fail after a while because the goal becomes more important than the result. The best example is the bridge that was built parallel to a river because the building specs showed it that way and no one dared to call higher up and ask questions. Dutch-German band Berthaju is not bothered by the hesitation of lessons history can bring and signed to Rotterdam label Shai Records after a successful stint during the Popronde 2025. 5 Year Plan is the first sign of this collaboration and listening to the single that was a good decision. Bethaju plays music that is somewhere between postpunk, alternative rock and Wet Leg, but most of all very alive and energetic. There will be an EP in September. Keep up the good work and Bethaju's 5 year plan will lead to great results.

Grenadine. Sorcha Richardson

After all the poing-poing energy of the previous bands, it's time for some introspection and that is exactly what Grenadine brings. Sorcha Richardson may sing "I push the peddle" and something with metal at the start of the chorus, musically she certainly does not. The song sets a slow chugging pace with minor accents in the guitar progression she plays over and over. With her style of music she fits in nicely with the likes of Aldous Harding. Listen more closely and you will notice that just this little more is happening in the background, making Grenadine more exciting that you'd  think at first listen. Sorcha Richardson, another first timer on this blog, is from Northern Ireland. An album is underway somewhere in the future.

The Head Tree feat. The New Eves. Opus Kink

What to make of The Head Tree? My first thought is De Kift on acid singing in English. It isn't though but there is quite some likenesses in the way the horns come in upending a song totally and partly the way of singing. But also a song like 'Pappa's Got A Brand New Pigbag' comes to mind, as well as totally freaked out psychedelia. In other words, what is not happening in The Head Tree? Opus Kink is a collective from Brighton in the U.K. that collaborates here with The New Eves, a British folk punk band from Brighton with clothing like The Last Dinner Party. The start of the first verse made me think of circa 1970 folk like Fairport Convention but after that all anchors are away setting Opus Kink adrift wherever a musical whim takes it and believe you me, the song is full of them. Believe it or not, it works, just like De Kift works. Check that band out Opus Kink fans! and I promise to keep my ears open for more coming out of this Brighton collective.

Wout de Natris - van der Borght 

2026, week 21. 10 singles

"Summer's here and the time is right to" eat in the garden, to walk on sunshine and what have you. Cloudless skies, 25 degrees plus temperatures. It's going to be a lovely day with ten new singles/EPs for you to explore, so I'd say enjoy the weather and the music!

Daughters EP. The Sour

We kick off this week with a new name on the blog. The four women from Tāmaki Makaurau or Auckland as we know it over here, that form The Sour present themselves on their EP with a dirty grunge/alternative rock sound that contrasts nicely with the female voices. The avid readers of this blog will know by now I have one benchmark album for this combination, 'Eight Arms To Hold You" by Veruca Salt. The Sour scores well in this benchmark. The Sour hovers somewhere between wanting to sound cool and hey, look at what we've made. All four songs have that combination, because the band made the most of the chance it was offered. The songs all have well thought out arrangements, allowing rays of light in and even a pop element in the vocal arrangements. On the other side there is the darkness in the deep sounding rhythm guitars and the coolness of the lead singer. All four songs have this quality and although there are some subtle differences between them, it's not necessary to pick out individual songs on the four song EP. They're all good, making The Sour another promising young act from New Zealand.

Sand. Swapmeat

We are going Down Under some more on this blog, but to Adelaide in Southern Australia this time. Swapmeet in part presents a softer kind of slacker rock, only to give a kick to both my ears when it feels like it, with me going, please, kick me some more. Swapmeet consists of Venus O’Broin (guitar, vocals), Joshua Doherty (bass), Maxwell Elphick (guitar, drums, vocals), and Jack Medlyn (guitar, drums, vocals). The four met in their teens and released an EP in 2024, making their upcoming album, 'Mount Zero' (17 June), their debut. Just like this single finds Swapmeet on this blog for the first time. In the part that Jack Medlyn sings lead, the band kicks in the pedals, while Venus O'Broin keeps things calm and tranquil. The combination really works on Sand and makes me certainly curious to hear more next month.

Out Of Context. Library Card

With its previous single Days Of Clay Library Card found itself on these pages for the first time. With Out Of Context the band is back. The context of Out Of Context is post punk. This is a song of contained fury about the downsides of capitalism. "You will love what you do" it is declaimed as a given; wherever one works and whatever one does there. Taken out of context of the song carrying that title, it's clear Library Card follows its own rule. Singer Lot van Teylingen talks more than sings, while the rhythm section of the band plays an incredibly fast pace, the guitarist play accents the whole time. And then it happens, with a few notes the band takes us to a postpunk version of psychedelia. Van Teylingen starts to sing changing the mood of Out Of Context completely. That is not the end. The band explodes in something we could call a solo section, before strongly accented notes brings us to the end of this impressive single. There is a cure though. Just listen to Jefferson Starship's 'Out Of Control'.

Guardrail EP. CAITLIN

With two singles from Guardrail CAITLIN (Bradley) from Christchurch, New Zealand already had drawn some attention to her EP. It deserves attention as a whole as well. Simply because the songs are so good to listen to. No, nothing spectacular may be happening on Guardrail and you will have heard singer-songwriters like CAITLIN before. Those are the very last things that you should let prevent you from taking a listen. It all starts with the voice of the New Zealand singer. She's able to settle right into the middle of your head, like she does in 'Outline', with the instruments mixed all around her voice, so that the quiet and almost modest song fills your whole head, leaving space for nothing else. All songs are at heart singer-songwriter based, I imagine having started on an acoustic guitar. From there she worked with producer Will McGillivray to find out what extra's would work best for the song. I leave you to find out about the details added to the individual songs. Believe me, they all make CAITLIN's voice shine a little bit more.

War On War. Frenchy and the Punk

In a period that the U.S. has actually gone to war, Frenchy and the Punk releases its new single War On War. In the meantime singer Samantha Stevenson has her own battle to fight, breast cancer. As a result the band has to cancel all shows for 2026, losing its revenues and livelihood. You can help the duo by supporting it. You can do so here: https://gofund.me/24f28df11. That makes two musicians I've reviewed this week battling the same disease. Back to music. War On War is the sort of anthem you'd expect with a title like that. War On War is a huge song in a 1980s style but with a rock element of all the past decades put together. Samantha Stevenson has a voice that can alert other boats in the thickest fog imaginable. It's deep and loud but above all totally convincing in a song like this. Scott Heiland creates the music around her that makes her look extremely good. If this song can't convince belligerent parties to get to their senses, I do not know what else can.

I Smell. My Purse

More postpunk from the Low Lands. My Purse is a new band consisting of Una Jongenelis, Keetje Voogd, Igor Jongenelis en Sara Elzinga. If anything, the single reminds me Tramhaus' 'I Don't Sweat', one of its first songs. My Purse is a tad less confrontational than its Rotterdam based colleagues. Slowly but surely Dutch postpunk is becoming its own genre. Always confrontational, with guitars that play parts that are not exactly the notes you’d expect to hear yet work. They always go (a bit) against the grain, yet all together make a good melody, just like the vocal melody does. My Purse has found all the right notes to convince me. Yes, there's room for one more band in the Dutch postpunk basket.

Tambourine. Lenny Kravitz, eh Lenny Lenny

With Tambourine Lenny Kravitz taps into the vein that brought him a string of hits in the second half of the 80s and very early 90s. Tambourine has that mix of swing and robustness with which he created these crossover songs that made him stand out from others at the time. It's decades ago since I stopped following him. More or less after the single 'Are You Gonna Go My Way', still my favourite Lenny Kravitz song, by far. Tambourine will most likely not change that, but I like what I'm hearing. Kravitz is singing with a highish voice, the music underneath his voice is part suave, part soul, part rock. In fact it's attractive. The kind of song I do not mind hearing more than just once...... And then I find the joke's on me. This isn't Lenny Kravitz at all. It is a Belgian artist Lenny Coorevitz working under the name Lenny Lenny. He tricked me alright. The rest of my comments do not change because of this.

Dandelions. Bonnie Kemplay

In his single 'Incantations' Ed O'Brien (Radiohead) plays the same two notes for minutes on end and did not make it here because of this endless repetition. To my surprise the next single on my list starts the same. It made me notice how much of a difference a female voice can make. Bonnie Kempley sings in a way that many 2020s female singers on the verge between folk and indie do. Ms. Kempley does not need a lot of embellishments to make Dandelion come alive, where O'Brien never managed to do so for me with his song. In all its modesty Dandelion lets in a clarinet and a piano and it is enough. Mysterious and mesmerising this single is.

Split. Horace Pinker / The Raging Nathans

A four song EP split evenly between the two bands. A horror for the true audiophile, for where to put a song by two different artists in your discotheque? Under compilations I suppose, but who ever thinks of playing a record form under that? Usually compilations get lost in translation. Anyway, Split deserves a mention here. Both bands are around for about two decades and have a host of records to their name. If you like punkrock the American way, i.e. fast, aggressive with loud and impressive guitars, with a drummer who must have numb arms and legs after each song, that are all anthems you can shout along to, this split single is your thing. Don't expect any subtlety. Just four songs that kick off and end in the exact same way. The bands from Chicago, respectively Dayton blend well together on a side by side divided split single. Punkrock on, I'd say.

The Burden. Oddfellows

In 1994 Chris Pulliam, Mark Ryan, and Mike Throneberry formed a band called Oddfellows in Denton, Texas. That must be at the same time that Slobberbone for a short while tried to conquer international stages. The effort (of both bands) was short lived. In the 32 years that followed the ex-Oddfellows formed "hundreds of bands you will have heard from", or so the bio says. And now they are back, with an extra guitarist Peter Salisbury for those who remember the first period that is. The Burden is a song that propels itself forward from the very first second. It has a 1980s vibe played with guitars. There's no stopping The Burden. The singer is singing with a voice that reminds me a little of David Bowie at his least expressionless. Come to think of it, it's more Iggy Pop is his best Bowie co-penned songs. Oddfellows plays and sings everything on one emotional level and that is a huge part of the attraction of the song. A little synth sound (or guitar effect?) is the only thing escaping it. In December 2024 Oddfellows reformed, to write and record a whole album that will see the light of day somewhere this year.

Wout de Natris - van der Borght