The Besnard Lakes Are The Ghost Nation. The Besnard Lakes

De Canadese band The Besnard Lakes bouwt langzaam maar gestaag aan een fascinerend oeuvre en voegt met het zeer melodieuze en bedwelmend mooie The Besnard Lakes Are The Ghost Nation een volgend prachtalbum toe aan dit oeuvre.

Ik ben de afgelopen drie jaar enorm verslingerd geraakt aan The Besnard Lakes Are The Last Of The Great Thunderstorm Warnings van de Canadese band The Besnard Lakes. De band uit Montreal schotelt de luisteraar op dit album een wonderschone maar ook avontuurlijke luistertrip van 70 minuten voor. Ook op het deze week verschenen The Besnard Lakes Are The Ghost Nation is de muziek van de Canadese band weer prachtig. Het is wederom muziek die prima kan worden omschreven als psychedelica of neo-psychedelica, maar het kan meerdere kanten op. Gemene deler is het zeer melodieuze karakter van de muziek van The Besnard Lakes in zowel de muziek als de zang. Het levert wederom een prachtalbum op.

Ik heb op deze website al een aantal keren stil gestaan bij het werk van de Canadese band The Besnard Lakes. De band debuteerde in 2003, maar ik maakte voor het eerst kennis met de muziek van The Besnard Lakes toen in 2007 het fascinerende The Besnard Lakes Are The Dark Horse verscheen. Ook met The Besnard Lakes Are the Roaring Night (2010), Until In Excess, Imperceptible UFO (2013), A Coliseum Complex Museum (2016) en The Besnard Lakes Are The Last Of The Great Thunderstorm Warnings (2021) maakten de Canadezen flink wat indruk. 

Ik was aan het begin van 2021 al behoorlijk positief over het laatstgenoemde album, maar mijn liefde voor het album groeide pas veel later. Met de kennis van nu vind ik The Besnard Lakes Are The Last Of The Great Thunderstorm Warnings een van de onbetwiste meesterwerken van de afgelopen jaren. De mix van neo-psychedelica en psychedelica, aangelengd met flarden hardrock, postrock en progrock is goed voor een 70 minuten durende luistertrip, die me ook na talloze keren horen nog niet verveeld. 

Alle reden dus om heel nieuwsgierig te zijn naar het nieuwe album van de Canadese band, dat na een stilte van ruim vier jaar is verschenen. Ondanks de misschien wel wat te hooggespannen verwachtingen had The Besnard Lakes Are The Ghost Nation maar heel weinig tijd nodig om me te betoveren en overrompelen. De band uit Montreal komt na de 70 minuten van The Besnard Lakes Are The Last Of The Great Thunderstorm Warnings met ‘slechts’ 45 minuten muziek op de proppen, maar het is 45 minuten heel goed. 

Centraal thema op het nieuwe album van de Canadese band is nationale identiteit, wat gezien de wens van Donald Trump om Canada in te lijven als 51e staat een heel actueel thema is. De band heeft er echter geen zwaar politiek album van gemaakt en combineert de wat donkere ondertoon in de teksten met wonderschone muziek. The Besnard Lakes Are The Ghost Nation is nog wat melodieuzer dan de vorige albums van The Besnard Lakes en betovert continu met wonderschone melodieën. 

In muzikaal opzicht past de muziek van de Canadezen ook dit keer uitstekend in hokjes als psychedelica en neo-psychedelica, maar andere invloeden worden ook dit keer niet geschuwd, waardoor ook liefhebbers van progrock en postrock gecharmeerd zullen zijn van de muziek van The Besnard Lakes. 

Ook op haar nieuwe album strooit de band driftig met bedwelmende geluidstapijten waarvoor zowel keyboards als gitaren worden ingezet. Het klinkt allemaal heerlijk zweverig en dromerig en dit wordt versterkt door de zang van Jace Lasek en Olga Goreas, die ook tekenden voor de prachtige productie van het album. 

Het is allemaal zo bedwelmend mooi dat het album nauwelijks te vangen is in woorden, al doet het het Britse Rough Trade een aardige poging: “Unique among their furrowed brow peers, The Besnard Lakes are unafraid to marry textured, questing headphone sonics to the honeyed pleasure of radio hits past: the rapture of My Bloody Valentine entwined with the romance of Fleetwood Mac. Imagine dreamy Beach House riding Led Zeppelin dynamics, with unabashedly androgynous vocal harmonies; a melodic yet mountainous sound world”. 

Ik heb er eigenlijk weinig aan toe te voegen, buiten het feit dat ik The Besnard Lakes Are The Ghost Nation inmiddels al wel durf uit te roepen tot het beste album van The Besnard Lakes tot dusver, wat gezien de vorige albums een prestatie van formaat is.

Erwin Zijleman

 

Je kunt The Besnard Lakes Are The Ghost Nation.hier luisteren en bestellen:

https://thebesnardlakes.bandcamp.com/album/the-besnard-lakes-are-the-ghost-nation 

2025 week 13. 10 singles

Not a week, if not a day goes by that the news does not surprise me or even shocks me. Being surprised to be surprised again, to the point where I feel like not wanting to learn more. And that is when things start getting dangerous. Ignorance is far from bliss, as it will bring many very nasty surprises as many voters are starting to notice in democracies around the world. So, I keep following the news, just like I keep on the look out for new singles to point you to. Here are another ten of them. Enjoy!

Lies (Something You Can Do). The Hard Quartet

Until today I passed the option by to write on The Hard Quartet, an alternative rock supergroup consisting of  Emmett Kelly, Stephen Malkmus, Matt Sweeney, and Jim White. Lies (Something You Can Do) deserves a spot though. The song is a nice ramshackle affair, where everyone playing seems to be doing something totally on his own. Over it Emmett Kelly sings the vocal melody, keeping things together quite nicely. The further I go into the song the more it shows how it all fits together. Who keeps the rhythm in Lies (Something You Can Do)? The drums mostly roll away. The bass follows its own melody and the guitars are all over the place and yet it all fits somehow. There are even successful backing vocals doing oohs and aahs. From interesting listening slowly Lies (Something You Can Do) moves into good and that surprised me no little after the start of the song.

Hopeful. Micha

For weeks now Radio 2 dj Jan Willem Roodbeen is pushing a singer from Zwolle called Micha. And now the station has made it its song of the week. What is it all about? I come to a simple conclusion. A typical singer-songwriter song as there are many and then some more. We hear an acoustic guitar, that is subtly picked, over which a voice with a strong rasp in it sings with a melancholy tone. Done right, this is the kind of song that can touch a person's heart straight away. It must have happened to Roodbeen, not to me though. Hopeful is a beautiful song, no doubt there, but not more than that. In my ears it misses that little extra element of stardust that makes a ballad shine. You will all have your own example. In the meantime do enjoy Hopeful because it certainly is worthwhile listening to.

No Known Known. I Am Oak

I Am Oak returns to the blog with another single. Album 'Time Drifts' is just around the corner. No Known Known is a fine representative of that album, should you have a desire to learn about what to expect of I Am Oak. The single is a slow ballad, with a hint of mystery created by the way voice and instruments were recorded. There seems to be so much open space in which both categories can settle that there is more than enough space left for the mystery. The basis of this song is the acoustic guitar that is sparsely strummed. There's one section in which a keyboard and strings join the guitar, just like more voices are let in. All Thijs Kuijken it seems to my ears. The small additions are the stardust that I missed in the review right above this one. That may have to do with experience, as Kuijken is active as musician is his third decade and Micha just debuted. It could be of choice as well of course. Choose your battle, I'd say because both are beautiful songs in their own right, but I do have my preference as you've just learned.

Happy Birthday. Black Country, New Road

Just over a month ago I reviewed 'Besties', Black Country, New Road's previous single. As you may recall it was one of the weirdest musical experiences I've encountered during the days of this blog. It did not stop me from listening to Happy Birthday. Sure, the song does not take a straight line from point a to b either, as it makes a few detours here and there. Not to mention the lyrics where the singer claims to be dead already, "as you can see by the patch on my hand". Where 'Besties' totally derailed my ears and brain, Happy Birthday does the absolute opposite. The song is stimulating and invigorating. Yes, here it is easy to accept the detours, the change in tempo and some esoteric interludes. Again nothing is what it seems, but at least everything is in its place. The result is a musical adventure that is worth taking, like a hiking trail that may have some danger but also leads to the most beautiful of panoramas. Happy Birthday is that kind of song. Album 'Forever Howlong' is released on 4 April.

Ancient Light. I'm With Her

The name I'm With Her did not ring any bells with me and cannot be found on this blog. Single Ancient Light landed well in these ears within the first seconds. Clicking on the link I read the names Sarah Jarosz, Aoife O'Donovan and Sara Watkins. Look for those names on this blog and you'll find multiple reviews. Mostly by Erwin Zijleman and where Sarah Jarosz in concerned by yours truly. The trio has already worked together, I learned and is about to release its second album, 'White And Clear And Blue' on May 9th, Judging from Ancient Light, we are bound for an acoustic folk album with acoustic guitars, a banjo and violin. Above all, the three sing together in a heavenly way. It's quite clear that you do not have to be siblings to sing together perfectly. Jarosz, O'Donovan and Watkins certainly weave in and out of each other's melody in a both charming and perfect way. A very nice song Ancient Light is.

Careful. Personality Cult

Personality Cult is from Durham in North Carolina and started when Ben Carr started to create music on his own. This led to a first, self-titled LP, but from there transitioned into a band. That band is about to release its second album, 'Dilated' (2 May), third in total. On the basis of Careful we can expect a punkrocking album filled with fast-paced songs. All but careful I'd say, as Personality Cult really goes for it with an aim to make audiences wild. The charm, in as far as a song like Careful has any of course, is that the band manages to bring in many nice and interesting twists and accents into the whole. If it wasn't so loud and fast, one could even call it subtle. Careful has some great breaks, interesting chord changes and vocal melodies. Once listening past the speed, you will hear loads of musicality the members of Personality Cult have in them.

Sangria (demo). Vera Ellen

Not all albums from 2023 come by on a regular basis any more, but 'Ideal Home Noises' is one of them. So, when Vera Ellen releases a new song, I certainly prick up my ears. The effort is paid back in full, as Sangria (demo) is one of these typical Vera Ellen songs. She is able to set the strangest of moods in her songs and is able to make the weirdest of twists in her lyrics and still I follow her any which way her wind blows me. This song does not seem to go anywhere. It's sort of slacker dragging its feet along. But just wait for it. With an apparently simple musical twist Vera Ellen changes the mood by changing her voice in the chorus. And that is where the adventure starts. I simply love how she does this and Sangria (demo) is no exception to her rule. It's a song that she already played live on her 2024 tour and may be the first of what is to come at a still unknown point in time. For one, I can't wait to hear more.

No One Like You. Girl With A Hawk 

Although Girl With A Hawk is only on this blog for a few years, the Boston band is there very regularly and No One Like You is no exception. It sounds a lot like many songs that I've heard ever since the late 70s and yet it immediately touches the right musical strings in my brain. Linda Viens' voice does that Blondie thing, although she has a far better voice than Debbie Harry. At the same time No One Like You is a streamlined song. Nothing jumps across the fence. It's like the perfect guy with all his hair's in place, not a single one sticking out. The band is a tight unit, playing almost like a monolith, tightly sealed in the song's context. Not even the warm organ or the guitar solo escapes it. And yet it totally works. The melody is so compelling. It's the kind of song I want to put on again and again.

Calliope. The Underground Youth

Calliope is a daughter of Zeus and one of the muses, of eloquence and epic poetry. (Thank you Wikipedia.) Coincidentally, I read today an interview with Stephen Fry because of his new book 'Odyssey', in which he states that Homer's epic novel announced the end of the Gods in ancient Greece. There was no need for them any longer. The Underground Youth finds itself on WoNoBlog for the second time with a slow, bare and empty song from its upcoming album 'Décollage', released on 4 April. Calliope is present in the female voice that meanders in the background almost throughout the song in a heavenly way. Décollage is as much song as atmosphere. The singer sings with a dark voice, taking his time in his phrasing, as the song gives him all the time he needs. The band's "explosion" comes as a surprise but takes the song to the next level. Calliope is as interesting as it is good.

Hamelin. King Garcia

Instrumental post rock/metal band King Garcia is on the blog for the second time as well, see The Underground Youth above. After 'Sweat', that surprised me no little with a saxophone as a lead instrument, it's Hamelin's turn, the title track of the upcoming album, released on 18 April. Again, there are many familiar elements in the song's structure and approach, in the metal sense. There's is nothing like it though because of Alex Orfanos' contributions on trumpet and clarinet. This makes for such a surprising band sound. It brings in immediate references to traditional Greek folk music, regardless of the onslaught of the metal style playing guitar, bass and drums. It works for me though. If the lead instrument had been another guitar or voice, the effect would not have been half of what it is now. Where usually I am quite soon fed up with instrumental music, I would be surprised if 'Hamelin' will not go down well.

Wout de Natris - van der Borght

2025, week 10. 10 singles

At a time the world receives one big surprise after another, nearly on a daily basis, except for golf days, and the post 1945 world order is torn apart, it is time for new music. There are an exceptional number of new names in the singles' section this week. It cannot be more than a diversion from world politics unfortunately. The day that a respected, rather conservative magazine like 'The Economist' compares a president of a friendly(?) nation to Don Corleone, something is really, disturbingly wrong. Let's focus on the songs anyway. Enjoy this new selection.

AAAAH! POM

Until today the title 'AAAAH' was taken. The fantastic debut single of The Hague band Taymir, long since gone, had the exclusive rights as far as I was concerned. Luckily this can remain the case, as POM has only named its EP AAAH! and not one of the songs. The songs are about wanting to shout AAAAH! So, I do not have to choose and can simply praise the songs on the EP. POM can be found on this blog for several years. First with its singles and then with that great fun album 'We Were Girls Together' and then some more singles. The trend you find there is that POM is a band with a sound that is fairly unique due to the voice of singer Liza van As. She blends something girlish with maturity. The band provides her with a modern, alternative rock sound, while the vocal and musical melody provides the songs with a pop feel that makes the music irresistible. Take 'A Craving'. The songs rocks, loud even, contains almost more energy than anyone can handle, but creates the urge that makes me want to sing along for the whole of the way. The song is one of POM's best and it already has a few of those for a young band. With 'We Were Girls Together', my #5 album of 2023, POM set a standard for itself. The only thing to complain about concerning AAAAH! is that it's not a full album but only a four song EP. 'Nough said.

Gratitude feat. Robin Lane. Adam Sherman

There are times that a song is just nice to listen to. Gratitude is one of them. Adam Sherman knows how to write a song somewhere between different genres, not unlike Tom Petty could and The Beatles set the standard for. Not to forget where it all came together in a brilliant mix: The Traveling Willburies! Gratitude has a nice rhythm and the electric guitars provide some nice licks, strokes and twangs at the right moment. Over the music Adam Sherman sings with a somewhat aged voice. The song is a 100% duet with Robin Lane, who we met on this blog exactly two years ago with her own album 'Dirt Road To Heaven'. Sometimes a song is just nice to listen to. Let me leave it at that.

Sweat. King Garcia

King Garcia is from the original Athens in Greece, a town that can look back on thousands of years of history and the place where a form of democracy started about 2500 years ago. The band consists of Alex Orfanos – Trumpet & Clarinet, Kamil Kamieniecki – Drums, Kornilios Kiriakidis – Bass and Kostas Konstantinidis – Guitar. Yes, you've read right, it starts with a trumpet and clarinet player. There's no singer and you may hear a more traditional Greek instrument along the way as well. King Garcia formed in 2019 with all members bringing in a lot of experience from their respective musical past. They play their own brand of progrock with several musical climaxes in one song. Sweat starts off with a dry drum sound, not unlike Therapy's in the 1990s after which a dark riff kicks in and the song develops from there into highs and lows, light and dark, but often with traditional Greek rebetico elements woven into the hardrock. Very much worthwhile the listen to Sweat is. I love how important the drums are in this song. And you can guess what the lead instrument is, right? Album 'Hamelin' is out on 18 April.

Left Of The Dealer. Ocean Alley

From the Northern Beaches of Sydney comes another new name to this blog, Ocean Alley. This six member surfer dudes band seems even more popular in New Zealand than in Australia, its home country. To me the band is totally new, despite it started in 2011 already and releasing records since 2013. Left Of The Dealer is a super relaxed song with a lot of Creedence Clearwater Revival influences seeping into the rhythm and rhythm guitar. In the singing a little psychedelia seeps in. On the one hand the song is upbeat but due to the singing of Baden Donegal the song has a downbeat element as well. But then listen to that ooh ooh in the chorus and the sun comes from behind the clouds immediately. Left Of The Dealer may not be the best song I've ever heard but it provides Ocean Alley with a great introduction to this listener for whatever comes next.

Bardo or Heaven? Will Stratton

Will Stratton released his album Points Of Origin two days ago on this day of posting. Bardo Or Heaven? is one of the singles coming from the album. The song is a sophisticated singer-songwriter song aimed at the more serious music lover. Where the song starts with a fairly straightforward arrangement, Stratton allows for more and more instruments to come in, until there is a near cacophony of woodwinds, and horns when the song, abruptly, ends. The start is drums, bass, guitar and a piano that is the most present instrument, there. It gives Stratton the option to sing with his soft voice over it all. Slowly but surely other instruments come in. At first, accompanying but in the end they kick Will Stratton out of the song. We don't need you any more, singer, they seem to say. Bardo Or heaven? is a listening experience in more than one sense.

Sanctuary.  Rebekka Karijord & Roomful of Teeth

How to describe Sanctuary? My musical ear and experience tell me new age. As the music is more a composition, a modern composition than a song, but at the same time the song has some resemblance to Enya's 'Orinico Flow'. Where that was a song with atmospherics, Sanctuary is atmospherics with the rudimental traces of a song hidden in it. Rebekka Karijord is a Norwegian composer, living in Stockholm, Sweden's capital. She has composed numerous filmscores and music for performances, but also solo records. Her upcoming record, 'The Bell Tower' (25 April), is a collaboration with the vocal group Roomful of Teeth. The singing takes place over swaths of electronic music and a crackling sound, in which the song disappears and comes back to. The melody is carried by the voices. This is straight 'Kairos' material. If I have to compare it to anyone else, Norwegian singer Susanna is the only one coming to mind, besides the already mentioned Enya. Intriguing is the right word to describe Sanctuary.

Anywhere The Wind. Supersister

A new song by Supersister? That ought to be a surprise but with its drummer living down my street, it's not. (My band Sweetwood even performed once with Léon Klaasse at our local street party.) So much for me thumping my chest. Supersister and I go back for over half a century, when I got a compilation album with Dutch artists containing 'She Was Naked', that outrageous single for more than the title only. By the time I had money to buy albums Supersister was long something of the past. For a few years the band is back on the road, with songwriter, singer and keyboardist Robert Jan Stips as the only original member, former Golden Earring bassist Rinus Gerritsen and Klaasse on drums. Anywhere The Wind is a dreamy song. Stips sounds as if he is still in the early 1970s where his singing is concerned. The most distinguishing instruments is the grand piano he plays, letting wide ranging notes escape from it. A dark synth takes care of the bottom line. What to expect from a band over fifty years down the line? Well, a song like Anywhere The Wind is the right answer.

Back To Your Heart. Robin Jackson

Another new name on the blog this week is Robin Jackson. The Portland, Oregon singer-songwriter had to make up with someone and came up with Back To Your Heart. It doesn't say whether he succeeded but a person could be quite pleasantly surprised when someone writes a song like Back To Your Heart. Jackson sings with a modest tone striking the right tone when asking for forgiveness. The song has two parts, the quiet first three quarters and the more upbeat final quarter where the beat comes in and lyrics are superfluous. "li-li-li" seems enough here, suggesting a happy ending? I guess so. This song is for fans of e.g. James Blunt's hit 'You're Beautiful'. Album 'Silver Lining' is out already.

Spades. Vundabar

And, yes, another new name on the blog. How is it possible to have so many on one day? Vundabar is a Boston band that has not reached me through one of the three record companies or pr agencies from that town/region. Even that is possible. Brandon Hagen (guitar, vocals), Drew McDonald (drums) and Zack Abramo (bass) form Vundabar, which is a take on the German word Wunderbar I suppose. (Remember that great Tenpole Tudor single from the early 80s?) Spades is an alternative rock song, with a little of the doom and gloom sound of the early 80s because of the way Brandon Hagen sings. The music is far more eclectic though, if dark. Where the early 80 postpunk bands were afraid of the bomb, Vundabar musical sets it off. There's postpunk galore here but with an energy and big sound bands then could not even dream of. Album 'Surgery And Pleasure' is out.

Dime. Serebii

How else can we end this week then with another new name. New Zealander Serebii (Callum Mower) presents a track that any lover of singer-songwriter music will recognise as Nick Drake influenced. The bio speaks of a jazzy track and that is the sort of arrangement Nick Drake's producer Joe Boyd laid underneath his voice and acoustic guitar. Serebii does not just copy. For that the sound of Dime is far too modern. The basis of the single is Mower and his (I presume) acoustic guitar. From there the story starts. His voice is treated, unlike the live version on You Tube which is more organic. All through the song other instruments join in, only to disappear again just as abruptly, while that guitar is plucked all throughout. Album 'Díme' is out on 28 March.

Wout de Natris - van der Borght

 

III. Neànder

III, Neànder's thirds album, is nearly instrumental. I have a far harder time to find words for such an album, then when a band has a singer. Not that that I tend to study the lyrics always, there are far more melodies involved to follow and wrap my ears and mind around. Enter III.

First, let me state that III is a great rocking album. Perhaps Teutonic is a good description as the sound at times is massive. Metal influences are present, just like classic rock, postrock and symphonic/prog rock. There are even some ballad like sequences. Rock in its many guises is what goes around the clock from three unwards.

This starts with the sound of a mighty bass. It is very, very present as the cement of Neànder's sound. I'd be surprised if live my stomach would not vibrate to the sound. Underneath that sonic thunderstorm is the drumming of newby Flo Häuser. He's all over the place filling all the small holes his colleagues leave for him. The three guitarists Jan Korbach, Michael Zolkiewicz, and Patrick Zahn do the rest. From metal's absolute deep end to the high lead sounds. Besides that, there's someone playing a keyboard regularly as well and some strings.

What surprises me a lot, is that Neànder gets the melodies so easily in its songs. No matter how thick its sound becomes, after laying the foundation, a melody comes out in full bloom and I'm in. This is exceptional, believe me. It makes each song another adventure. Although loud, rocking sounds are the mainstay of III, there are very quiet interludes, that remind me of the acoustic guitar album of Atem (Jan Korbach).

I will not resort to comparisons but fans of all the different forms of rock I mentioned before will find points of reference and recognition on III. Which is quite okay, as no man is an island. Neànder holds places for its own favourites in rock music and then brings the members' individual skills to it's music and sound, with some quite surprising and melodic results. The Berlin based band rocks hard. That is the most important conclusion here.

Wout de Natris - van der Borght

You can listen to and order III here:

https://throughloverec.bandcamp.com/album/iii

2024, week 46. 10 singles

In front of my window it is again greyish, dry and little wind. The remaining leaves are slowly falling from the tress by their own accord as autumn storms are not here so far this year. A few more days and they will be gone and lay on the pavements and in the gardens. With all the other stuff going on in this world, the weather's greyness matches all else. It is hard to see some light these days it seems. Things are changing extremely fast and masks and gloves come of. Luckily, we still have music. It is becoming less and less a consolation or distraction though.

The Back Of The Beyond. JC Miller

To me JC Miller came out of nowhere. Yet since a couple of months he's cranking out one nice country/folk rock songs after the other and all are pretty nice and good. The Back Of The Beyond is no different. Having made a career out of writing music for commercials, he now produces music that makes more of an impression on me. Expect an acoustic guitar/dobro, a banjo, a lap or pedal steel and an easy going rhythm that does not go fast but gets rider and horse through the desert. This song is like the chugging freight train in the video, with JC Miller sounding like he's ready for a drink after a long, thirsty day. It is surprising how a song that sounds like as if there are another thousands to replace it, makes an instant impression based on that rhythm and little solo notes coming from the three, very different kind of guitars. When is the album coming? Not much more and we'll have enough singles for one.

Closing Time. Remy van Kesteren feat. Cape Sleep

Remy van Kasteren in the past years found his way into my inbox with instrumental harp, modern classical music. In other words, not exactly my cup of tea. Today you do find him on the blog, in a collaboration with Kim Janssen, a.k.a. Cape Sleep since this year. Together they work on an old track Van Kesteren was unable to finish himself. There was always something missing and that something was a lot it seems. Together they created a song in the style of Patrick Watson, where the harp is one of the instruments. Present but not overly so. Strings and percussion play a role and not to forget Kim Janssen's voice. The result is a nice alternative ballad that touches the right strings with me.

Nothing Would Change. The Linda Lindas

The Linda Linda's is a punk band from L.A. and with Nothing Would Change announced the release of its sophomore album 'No Problem', which released on 11 October. Nothing Would Change is a perfect punk pop single. The song has a golden melody and all the strength it needs. In Lucia del Garza the band has a singer that has that female innocence in her voice while not giving an inch on the punk front. The result is a song that fits in a long line of songs from The Go-Go's, The Bangles and 'Walking On Sunshine'. While at the same time running with the big boys as well. The list of the band's support slots is endless. If the other songs on 'No Problem' are as nice as Nothing Would Change, the support slots will be replaced by headlining shows pretty soon. This is good, period.

Lowdown, parts i and ii. Michael Kiwanuga

Michael Kiwanuga entered my life when I had to find a third album in those buy three for two offers. I had heard the name and read about his reputation. That was it. It turned out to be the best buy of the three. That was quite some time ago when 'Kiwanuga' entered my home. Finally, there's a new song and one that resonates immediately. Lowdown has this ultra relaxed atmosphere. Filled with a warm sound all over and that soulful voice. Lowdown has the mood that fits the title. But then, just start listening to that warm Hammond, that weird guitar solo. The song moves fairly predictably, beautiful but not surprising. That is kept for part ii, when the sound, not the mood, changes. This is pure Pink Floyd, with a guitar solo that could have been played by David Gilmour. If this is the quality of the new album, 'Small Changes', count me in, game on.

Ultra. Neànder

And another instrumental guitar band from Germany finds its way to this blog (and one without Nick DiSalvo in it). It does feature Jan Korbach, see 'Concrete Adem' on this blog in 2022. Ultra knows a few moods Neànder share with the listener. Underneath it all is a very firm rhythm section as tough as a hardrock, metal band should have. The intro doesn't give anything away though. A piano intro with keyboard (effect) underneath, giving the piano a lot of sustain. Then the band kicks in, full force with a tough chord progression. From there melody and power combat for the first position. This ends in a draw, I'd say, making the song far more interesting to listen to. The loud riff is replaced by melodic playing and shredding. No matter how tough Ultra is, there's enough going on to keep the song interesting and good. If anything, I'm interested in hearing more and that more is there already. Album 'III' was released on 9 November.

The Line (Redux) feat. Marissa Nadler. Vera Sola

Vera Sola, Dan Aykroyd's daughter, debuted on this blog this spring with thanks to Erwin Zijleman. She already is releasing a new EP called 'Ghostmaker'. The Line (Redux) is the single. The word redux made me want to check and yes, 'The Line' is a tough alternative rocker on her album 'Peacemaker'. Here it isn't. As it were, The Line (Redux) is a ghost version of the original. This version is acoustic and thanks to the singing with Marissa Nadler a modern version of The Andrew Sisters. Although it is a more serious song and the orchestra is missing, the harmony singing matches. I liked 'The Line' as it is an interesting rock song. I like the redux version better. It has more mystery and stands out far more. Vera Sola's voice stands out more as well. It is always a bit weird to hear a totally different version of a song, so soon after the original and not on the 10, 25, 50 year anniversary edition. In this case it is a good decision, as it adds to what already is. The strangest thing is, that, so I found in an old email, had I not have to rehearse with my own band due to an unexpected gig, I would have seen Vera Sola play live in 2019 together with a Dutch band. Without ever having heard of her at the time.

Dangomushi. Mei Semones

Mei Semones debuted on this blog with (the singles of) her EP 'Kabatomushi EP'. This EP now knows a vinyl release with on the b-side her previous EP 'Tsukino'. With her new single she, again, does everything different from what the average singer-songwriter around the world does. Were it not that I recently had the pleasure of having a Japanese singer-songwriter playing in my own living room in October. It sounded different than usual as well, despite it being a girl with a guitar. Mei Semones, a Brooklyn based artist from Japanese descent, sets herself apart through on the one side the arrangement of her songs and on the other the way she uses these instruments. It sounds different. Yes, there is bossa nova in the rhythm of her song(s) but there is so much more. It's just where the story starts. Also Dangomushi holds all this adventure in the way notes glide, smooth playing ends abruptly in stop-start notes before it all starts flowing again. Next, the way instruments are played changes and so the song changes a little at the time. In my EP review I compared Semones to Steely Dan. Not the music as such but the approach to and effect of both artist's music. Dangomushi shows that I was not far of the mark.

Strand EP. Aursjoen

Ria Aursjoen made her debut on this blog as a solo artist with her single 'Nytár' in early October. Today the member of San Francisco band Octavian Winters returns with her debut EP Strand. She takes the mood of her single to greater depths. She creates atmospheric moods with the help of synthesizers making me think of the music of Clannad and Enya around 1990. Celtic in other words. Her voice is not. I place that more in a gothic sort of music. Aursjoen's music is electronic in nature and that gives it its own vibe. Everything else has to subject itself to the electronic source of the instruments. To create this sound, she worked with producer William Faith (The Bellwether Syndicate, Faith and the Muse). The result is that all songs hover somewhere between direct and mystery. From the tough guitar opening of 'Apollo' to the soft floating of 'Lilypad'. The influences here go right back to the 1980s synth bands that scored a few hits at the time, like A Flock of Seagulls, Nik Kershaw or Thomas Dolby. Ria Aursjoen has picked up what she needs to create her own musical universe that fits her voice and gives the listener an experience to slowly undergo and submerge in.

Sister. Arthur Ahbez & The Flaming Ahbez

More music from New Zealand. I had never heard of Arthur Ahbez & The Flaming Ahbez. I read that Ahbez is around musically since 1987. INXS' big year in music to name one. With Sister I get a strong Love vibe. This is very, very 60s and eclectic. Just like Arthur Lee's band from the 60s. Combine this with a Rickenbacker (then) Jim McGuinn style and you come close to what Sister sounds like. Ahbez c.s. throw in a dozen moods changes into a few minutes. It is almost too hard to follow rationally. It's best to just go with the flow and let the band take you where it wants to go. I promise you, you will get there as well. Sister has nothing to do with 2024 and everything with the second half of the 60s. There's even a little The Monkees thrown in for good measure. People used to take trips at the time that were far out and groovy, a description that does right to Sister. Album 'Arthur Ahbez & The Flaming Ahbez' is out since last week.

Big D*** Energy. Lambrini Girls

Lambrini Girls, the Brighton duo (and a mighty drummer I suppose), returns to WoNoBlog with an aggressive punk song. I'd almost say Amyl and The Sniffers on steroids. The D*** in D***Energy as the label advertises it, most likely to avoid conservative filters, stands for dick of course. Phoebe Lunny (vocals/guitar) and Lilly Macieira (bass) have a message to share and do not hesitate to do so. What an energy is unleashed in this song. I have a hard time to conceive how they cope live should all Lambini Girls' songs be like this. They do build in a musical breather into the second half of the song before it all stops. And then things go at it full force once again. There's no way this song gets played on a radio anywhere in the world is my guess. It should be played in the home of every punk rock lover though. Things do not get much closer to the real thing of nearly 50 years ago. What a storm!

Wout de Natris - van der Borght

2024. Week 39, 10 singles 2

Still catching up, here's another batch of recent singles and EPs for you. We are going around the globe alright once again. You will find a few countries of origin that are quite exceptional on this blog. Curious? Go on and enjoy the selection.

Doggerland EP. Office Dog

New Zealand is at the other end of the world from me. I feel privileged to have heard so many good records coming out of the country in the past years. All thanks to that record shop cum record label, Flying Nun. Recently the roster was expanded with the band Office Dog. After two singles, reviewed in 2023 and 2024, the band returns with its EP Doggerland. It turns out that the name refers to what is now called the Doggerbank in the North Sea, a place where fishermen at times bring up the bones of mammoths and other extinct animals that lived there, when the North Sea's waterlevel was far lower and Britain was attached to the mainland of Europe. Most likely how it got populated in the first place. So much for the history lesson.

Office Dog is Kane Strang, already on the blog in 2016, with drummer Mitchell Innes and bassist Rassani Tolovaa. The trio releases an EP somewhere between alternative pop and dreampop with a fuzzy edge here and there, making the songs just this little rougher than what the two descriptions merit. The songs were produced by De Stevens (Marlin’s Dreaming), which makes sense listening to Doggerland, as Marlin's Dreaming is another band walking the thin line between those types of music. The song with the biggest inner contrast is 'Dump No Waste, Floats To The Sea'. The soft, dreamy opening stands in sharp contrast with the sound explosion near the end. It's the kind of inner anger I feel when a minister says we need another commission to investigate how bad pollution really is, in the meanwhile kicking the can down the road some more, making things worse. Office Dog captured that feeling quite well. With seven songs, I'd say Doggerland is more a mini album than an EP, but who cares. Its place in this post is well deserved either way.

Sooner Or Later. Soft Skies Inc

By the time I started to wonder whether I was listening to an instrumental track, the singer kicks in, with a double tracked, husky vocal. The rock song has a strong foundation but with recognisable pop overtones. There's an 80s vibe that has me singing 'Love Will Tear Me Apart' in Paul Young's version in my mind. That synth plays a nice variation on the melody for the whole of the song. Ryan and Martin Rex played together in the band Lockgroove in the 90s and make a comeback under the name Soft Skies Inc. The combination of dreamy singing and that stark groove works quite well. That rhythm just goes on and on, with no rest for the listener. No, Sooner Or Later is not an earth-shattering experience but fans of this music at the time will find a nice addition to their private discotheque or, to put it in a more modern way, playlist.

Bad Xerox. Cheap Cassettes

Beware, people. Listening to Bad Xerox means listening to some good old-fashioned rock like they used to play it a long time ago. Looking at a picture of Cheap Cassettes they were around at the time of cassettes and old-fashioned rock when it was very new. Bad Xerox is the kind of song that starts to rock in second 1 and only stops in the final second, at 2 minutes and 27 seconds in this particular case. Drums, bass, two guitars and two lead vocals do the trick. The vocal melody is golden and instantly singable. The guitar solo to the point and so nice. The Seattle band does everything right in Bad Xerox. That copy must really have been bad to inspire such a good song. Rock and roll!

Mistakes Become You. Night Court

Do coincidences exist or is it fate? Fact is that Cheap Cassettes and Night Court figured in a singles post together before, on 21 April 2022 with 'Malnutrition' and 'Titanic'. The Vancouver band returns with the single Mistakes Become You. Emilor (drums and vocals), Dave-O (guitar/vocals) and Jiffy (bass/vocals) return to the blog with a pop oriented alternative rock song. The band really focused on the melodies, without dropping the punk attitude in its approach. It is not afraid to bring some volume, while at the same time putting effort into the arrangement of Mistakes Become You. I'm reminded of The Beths a few times, while Night Court keeps its own fully. There's a nice keyboard entering the mix here and there, adding an extra sound and layer to the song. This is the first of seventeen songs to be released later this year under the title $hit Machine.

Knots E.P. W.Y. Huang

In April 2012, during the first months of this blog, I reviewed a mini album called 'Mannequins' by the band Monstercat from Singapore. The mini album made a great impression on me. An album followed but after that silence and Monstercat receded into memories. Until I received a message from Bandcamp. The website has an everlasting memory it seems, as 12 years later it alerted me to an album by W.Y. Huang. Who? W.Y. Huang is one of Monstercat's former members, who released an EP called Knots. Of course I gave it a listen and here we are in 2024. Gone is the rock, revealing the dreamy ballads that were caught within Monstercat's music as well. The album opens with a few soft piano chords, followed by multitracked oohs. W.Y. Huang shows himself from a very vulnerable position, changing to a gospel choir responding him in the very short, introductory song 'No Answers'. It does set the mood for Knots in the right way. 'Life Just Lately' has this great laidback feeling. The kind of song that can put everybody at rest for a short while. With his soft voice Huang sings in a whispery way. All the instruments honour his voice. If you like 'Life Just Lately', this mini album is right for you alright.

Lessons. David Luning

What stands out most on Lessons for me are two things: David Luning's rough voice and a great harmonica solo played by bassist Ben Dubin. With a whole bathroom of reverb on it, the instrument sounds so nice on Luning's single, that announced his already released same titled album. The song falls into a singer-songwriter and country rock combination category. The electric guitar plays a supportive role with a nice riff that is played over all chords. I believe that's called ostinato. David Luning and band set a great mood in the song. It has a hint of darkness and desolation. I can hear the wind sweeping through some isolated desert town where usually things do not turn out well. With that lone harmonica coming from somewhere in the town. Lessons is a strong song by a singer with a great voice for this genre.

Marisol. John Surge & The Haymakers

Listening to Marisol a few little hatches in my brain opened. Where had I heard this sound before? It has been a while, that much was for sure. The first thing coming to mind was Flaco Jimenez' accordion playing, but there was more. In the rhythm it was when a song title came to me 'Mendocino' and then Sir Douglas Quintet. One of two hits the band had here in NL. Then I recognised the organ, that's Augie Myers style of course. Reading the bio on Marisol it was all explained. While recording the song John Surge & the Haymakers kept asking themselves "what would Doug Sahm have done"? Well, recording Marisol like this, may well have been the right answer. Marisol plays Sahm's Tex-Mex style music to a t. It is so positive in sound and rocks in all the right places, with that Mexican vibe for the whole of the way. I had nearly forgotten about this kind of music, so thank you for putting it back in my mind.

Playboy. The Roamers

With Playboy we remain in country rock territory. A little tougher and more direct than both previous songs. The Roamers are rocking with the country element more in the style of singing than in the way the music is presented. The Roamers are a new band filled with veterans of the L.A. music scene. Singer and bassist Matt Rice had written Playboy a decade ago but only now had the right circumstance to record it. The guitars around him are nice and dirty in one. They are everywhere. There's at least two rhythm parts and one soloing. Brian Whelan plays them all and all other instruments you're hearing on Playboy, with the exception of the drums, played by Luke Adams and bass. The self-titled album is out since 20 September, so if you like this kind of music, I'd check it out.

Mystery Of Love. Soap & Skin

Soap & Skin is Austrian artist Anja Plaschg. Her forthcoming album 'Torso' is her fourth with a host of EPs and singles on the side. Yet, you will not find her on this blog, except in a review of a David Bowie tribute review from 2018. With Mystery Of  Love her place here is well deserved. Soap & Skin has released a beautiful and slightly sad ballad. Anja Plaschg plays the piano and sings with a lot of space on her voice. The clear piano notes find their way to my heart quite fast. In the first chorus strings come in, a cello and violin, in a short instrumental interlude following it there are even horns to be heard. Slowly but surely an intricate arrangement unfolds itself. Agnes Obel may be a reference for this music, but I have the impression Soap & Skin reaches far deeper. There's a lot going on here but mainly below the surface. The mystery of the title is caught in the music as well. The ending of Mystery Of Love is as refined as it is clear. Sheer beauty it is.

Burned To The Ground. Tides From Nebula

Set the clock to rock, hard. Tides From Nebula is a Polish post rock band that is on route to release its new and self-produced album, 'Instant Rewards', on 8 November. As this is a new band for this blog, some extra information is justified. The band formed in 2008 in Warsaw and consists of Maciej Karbowski (guitar and keyboards), Przemek Węgłowski (bass and keyboards) and Tomasz Stołowski (drums). 'Instant Rewards' is the first self-produced album and recorded in the bands own studio. The result is a monumental single of over seven minutes. The song has two faces. One a softer and electronic side, led by keyboards. It is quite dreamy in the intro. Slowly Tides From Nebula lets electronic pulses come in that play the same sequence, over and over, over the lead melody. When the band comes in, it is pounding, as if battering the gates of a Medieval castle. The lead guitar shreds everything to pieces. The sound is huge but there's still room for a melody in all the onslaught of rock. This sequence is departed for another softer part, repeating the atmosphere of the start but in a far more nervous way. The wolves are lurking around the battered gate it seems. I am usually not one for instrumental tracks but Burned To The Ground is monumental, as I already wrote. What a song!

Wout de Natris - van der Borght