Harlequin dream. Boy & Bear

Boy & Bear? Quite a childish name for a band. Even if there is an idea behind the name. That however is not a reason not to listen to the music produced by Boy & Bear and I'm the wiser because of it. Harlequin dream takes us into Midlake country, without copying the Denton, Texas band. Boy & Bear is a little more exquisite, as the music flows just this bit more freely. 'Baker street' era Gerry Rafferty is not far away either. It just goes to show that Boy & Bear made an impression on me without having to make too much of an effort.

Boy & Bear is a band from Sydney, Australia and was formed in 2009 when singer-songwriter Dave Hosking was joined by Killian Gavin. The band expanded with Tim and Jon Hart and Dave Symes joining and released its debut album, 'Moonfire', in 2011, to critical and commercial success. Second album Harlequin dream even made the #1 spot in Australia. All this went by me, living at the other end of the world. Harlequin dream was spotted on my radar last month and drew me in quickly. It happened quite easily: album opener 'Southern sun' opens somewhat hesitatingly. Then it stops altogether. After a short silence an acoustic guitar starts strumming, drums and  one note on an electric piano fall in, after which this simple sounding riff on an electric guitar is played twice. That was the moment Boy & Bear had me. The heavenly singing in the chorus finished it off. I was hooked on Harlequin dream from that moment on and was not disappointed.

Boy & Bear is described as indie folk band and has toured with the likes of Mumford & Sons. Personally I do not hear a lot of that on Harlequin dream. Well, in the first part of the album. Overall I'd say that the band is more at home in a seventies environment. From Crosby & Nash to The Eagles. Soft pop with close harmonies and mostly acoustic with some soft rock overtones, with a few song nearing the top with violins and all. And Midlake. These long sounding keyboards, filling the whole aural space, under which there is a sound rhythm and over which accents and singing is mixed. Yes, there is an odd banjo and a song like 'A moment 's grace' is a bare form of M&S. 'End of the line' is a combination of M&S and Bernie Leadon era The Eagles.

What I like a lot on Harlequin dream is the subtlety of most songs. The sound is full with many instruments striving for prominence. Guitars and drums obviously, but by listening a little bit better a lot more reveals itself enriching the sound of Boy & Bear. That could be an organ, a banjo, concert bells and copper, all within the same song, without a cluttered sound. Loud passages, soft passages all have their moments. Even within the same song. 'Back down the black' is the best example for this. A longish song, over 6 minutes, with longing mood. A lot going on in there.

Let me give one more example of how Boy & Bear does its thing. 'Stranger' start off with a few simple sounding notes of strummed chords. Slowly the songs evolves with a sixties sounding organ and a louder guitar eruption. Final song 'Arrow flight' tops it all off. A slightly psychedelic sounding keyboard gives the song a very distinct flavour, setting it off against all that went before on Harlequin dream. The acoustic guitar against the electric piano at opposites in the soundscape work very well. 'Arrow flight' is the capstone of Harlequin dream. What a lovely and great song!

Over the whole of Harlequin dream a bite is missing. I would have preferred a few songs with an edge to them. This lacking is compensated by the quality of the songs, the voice of Dave Hosking that has a nice edge to it and the way the songs are fleshed out. Boy & Bear compete with 'Antiphon', which I recently named Midlake's best album to date. Harlequin dream comes very close to the quality of 'Antiphon'. And who knows what happens when I listen to it more often?

Boy & Bear is another band that caught my attention recently that I had never heard of. An addition to my collection of bands. Let's see whether our relationship is going to deepen over time. Boy & Bear can be sure that I will check out 'Moonfire' soon.

The final comment has to be on the weirder than weird cover. Just look at it yourself and let yourself be amazed. Very far out, I think.

Wo.

You can listen to 'Southern sun' here.

Scarlet Mae. Scarlet Mae

Vandaag weer eens aandacht voor een tip van een lezer (bedankt Floor). Een behoorlijk onweerstaanbare tip, want sinds ik het debuut van Scarlet Mae heb ontdekt, blijf ik maar luisteren naar deze plaat. Scarlet Mae is een Nederlandse band met de zeer talentvolle zangeres, pianist en songwriter Marije van Rijn als spil. Marije van Rijn is opgeleid als klassiek pianist, maar kiest op het debuut van Scarlet Mae nadrukkelijk voor de pop. Het is pop met heel af en toe een klassiek randje en verder volop invloeden uit met name de folk en de jazz. Bij beluistering van het debuut van Scarlet Mae valt onmiddellijk op dat Marije van Rijn een uitstekende zangeres is en hoor je bovendien dat het een zangeres is die in meerdere genres uit de voeten kan. Het debuut van Scarlet Mae schiet mede hierdoor alle kanten op. Het ene moment verrast de plaat met speelse ritmes en uit de bocht vliegende instrumenten, het volgende moment met jazzy klanken en heel veel blazers, dan weer met intieme pianoklanken of een stemmige akoestische gitaar of juist zwaar aangezette, bijna klassiek aandoende, muziek flink wat strijkers. Op het titelloze debuut van Scarlet Mae klinkt eigenlijk iedere song weer anders, maar twee dingen zijn constant. Aan de ene kant is er steeds weer de sfeervolle en altijd bijzondere instrumentatie (waarin ook de prima ritmesectie fraaie dingen laat horen) en aan de kant wordt iedere song naar een hoger plan getild door de geweldige stem van Marije van Rijn, die ik persoonlijk het mooist vind in de wat meer ingetogen songs, maar eigenlijk nergens verslapt. De tracks die worden gedomineerd door opvallende ritmes en jazzy accenten doen wel wat denken aan de muziek waarmee Kris Berry vorig jaar verraste (Scarlet Mae maakt gebruik van de diensten van dezelfde producer), maar Scarlet Mae staat ook garant voor tijdloze singer-songwriter muziek, of juist voor wat experimentelere songs, die me ondanks de totaal andere stem wel wat doen denken aan de muziek van Kate Bush uit een inmiddels heel ver verleden. Het debuut van Scarlet Mae is een plaat die durft te experimenteren en die zo af en toe tegen de haren in durft te strijken, maar het is ook een plaat die zich als een warme deken om je heen slaat. Je hoort dat er met heel veel plezier muziek is gemaakt en dat plezier werkt aanstekelijk; het debuut van Scarlet Mae is een plaat die je humeur een enorme boost geeft. Marije van Rijn verloochent haar klassieke roots zeker niet, maar ontpopt zich op het debuut van Scarlet Mae als een zangeres die kan excelleren in pop en jazz. Dat doet ze direct op haar debuut al met verve. Het debuut van Scarlet Mae is een heerlijke frisse en avontuurlijke plaat die eigenlijk alleen maar beter en aanstekelijker wordt. Het zoveelste bewijs voor de stelling dat de Nederlandse popmuziek momenteel bloeit.

Erwin Zijleman

Je kunt hier naar 'Direction south' luisteren.

The void. TMGS

Another short review of a new single. TMGS has released a new one and I think that you may want to hear it. The void is somewhat smoother than most songs on 'Rivers and coastlines: the ride', but for the rest all the elements that make up a nice TMGS song are present. The soft voice of Peter Lodiers, the interplay of the guitars and a good thythm. On top of all that, when the trumpets of Bart Raats and Koen van Loon get into the mix, you just know that TMGS' signature sound is there.

The void reminds me more of west coast pop rock of the 70s and very early 80s and less of the desert sound that played an important role on 'Rivers and coastlines: the ride'. Even some Rupert Holmes, which is something of a guilty pleasure. A new direction or an excursion into one of the elements that make up TMGS' sound? Go and have a listen yourself here, with a positive advice from,

Wo.

Fade Away (EP). Best Coast

For some reason or other the songs of Best Coast on its first two albums didn't do much for me. 'Crazy for you' (2010) and 'The only place' (2012) went in one and out the other ear. The more surprising that the new, seven song, EP of Best Coast gripped me and did not let go afterwards. So, do I need to go back to the two previous albums? This may be necessary. Fade away is a punk pop album not unlike several others that were released in the past eight months, but effortlessly aiming for the top position. Bleached, Deap Vally, Big Deal? It looks like they have met their match here.

Best Coast is a duo. Betheny Cosentino is the front woman, playing guitar and singing. Bobb Bruno is her partner in crime, playing guitar also. The duo formed in 2009 in Los Angeles. The sun is never far away on Fade away; in the music. Whatever is fading away, it is not Best Coast, as the music on Fade away is potent. A mix of The Shangri-Las emotions and mood, punkpop in the sturdiness of the music, pure pop in the melodies and the singing of Bethany Cosentino. Nothing but a winning combination.

Musically the EP covers a lot, starting with anything with loud(er) guitars. A nod to California all girl bands The Go-Go's and The Bangles is evident. Fade away is also bedded deeply in music that is coming out of Los Angeles in 2013. A new hot spot in music? Just listen to how songs like 'I wanna know' and 'This lonely morning' play out and you'll know what I mean.

Next to that, the sixties feel to Fade away is so apparent in the way the melodies are presented. It's 'Leader of the pack' all over. An impending sense of doom hangs over the vocals. A mean boyfriend, who should fade away, here, an open heart but a lack of trust there. It is in 'Baby, I'm crying' where the mood on Fade away changes. It becomes even more melancholy, the tempo is down and acoustic guitars and faint country tones find their way into the music of Best Coast. Beautiful notes are played on an old fashioned sounding guitar descending towards the chord change. Fade away opens up. A beautiful butterfly emerges from the hard working caterpillar. Listening closer to the EP again as a whole, I noticed that the mood shifts gradually over the album. The placing of the songs is well thought out. Clearly this concept adds to the quality and impact of Fade away.

The next surprise is 'I don't know how'. The clock is set back something like 44 years. 'To know him is to love him', 'Baby, I love you', 'Like I do', all references that come to mind. Songs released a long time ago in a completely different time and age. The tempo may go up in he second half of 'I don't know how', the late fifties, early sixties flavour is stamped all over this song. It is lyrically that the optimistic times of 1960 is not matched. 'I don't know how' is one large cry of uncertainty and doubt. Lyrically "I don't know how" may be repeated a few times to often, the musical impact is just great. A great finale to Fade away.

Taking Fade away all in, it can either mean two things: Fade away is a nice diversion to the regular output or Best Coast jumped on the punkpop bandwagon coming out of Los Angeles in 2013 and, as far as I'm concerned, caught the lead position straight away. Fade away is a gem of a record, with the right layers and depth to make it a fairly unique record, sets it apart. As far as I'm concerned a giant leap from where the band was before (and I promise to listen once more should I've missed something).

Wo.

You can listen to 'This lonely morning here' here.

She don't want to know (EP). Bon-Bon

Another artist that dropped a hint. In the case of Bon-Bon by introducing herself on Twitter, with a link to a song. Visiting the website and listening to the single 'She don't want to know', brought me to Spotify to listen to the whole EP. And look here, a review.

Bon-Bon is singer-songwriter Sian King, a London based singer who released her first EP recently. Her online released demos led to quite a stir in the U.K., leading to a spot at the last Glastonbury festival. My first impression, listening to the single and title song of She don't want to know, was that I was listening to a new song by Lily Allen. This impression left me circa half way the song, when 'She don't want to know' opened up and expanded from a 00s like pop tune into something much more. This trick is repeated more often on this EP. Bon-Bon positions herself between pop and indie rock. A balancing act that sits well with me, but on the other hand may be too extreme for some listeners.

Coming back to 'She don't want to know'. The singing is the specific way Lily Allen sings. This set me off from really listening at first. On closer inspection I noticed that the guitar is almost rock and roll Stray Cats style, with an organ playing accents on the backbeat in my other ear. These accents make the song rougher than anything Lily Allen has made so far, turning 'She don't want to now' into a rock song all the way.

The single may get most of the attention, there are a few other songs that deserve attention as well. 'Animal' may seem to please a bit less; at first hearing the song. I found that I like it better. 'Animal' goes a bit deeper, is more direct and a true indie rock song. The 80s sounding keyboards, think China Crisis, may put the listener off track here, but listen to the guitars and you'll know we're in rock territory.

Opener 'Better than you do' is also a song that Bon-Bon can be proud of. This song makes a statement. Full of emotion, building a climax and a few hints at estrangement that show that the listener needs to pay attention. This is not a pop singer introducing herself. Starting with the sound of the guitar that is repeated as an echo. The voice is slightly distorted, the rhythm halted. A prick up my ears kind of song and the right sort of introduction to a new artist (for me). One that dares to go off the beaten path. The easy route would have been to follow, e.g. Lily Allen.

The ballad 'Be alright' that ends She don't wan to know convinces a bit less. Or to rephrase that, it takes a while before the song comes alive. The moment that it does, my opinion changed in favour of 'Be alright'. The band plays the song in a way that carries Sian King's voice all the way, so yes she'll be alright here. That only leaves 'Lois Lane' which just doesn't do much for me and has something in common with 'Billie Jean'. See if you can spot it also. Lois Lane is too light flavoured. It doesn't matter, as Bon-Bon already won me over.

It's too early to really form an opinion, as Bon-Bon's career is only five songs underway, but listening to the five songs on the EP She don't want to know, I have to conclude that here is a singer that may find her way into the spotlights. Looking forward to the full album. And is it me or does Sian King look like the 'Venus' era Mariska Veres? And what am I looking at on the cover? Do I want to know?

Wo.

You can listen to 'She don't want to know' here.