Uncomfortable Truths. Ali Holder

In every person's life there are moments that he or she is confronted with inconvenient and uncomfortable truths. Oft they are confronting and unpleasant. Handle them well and they are moments of (strong) personal growth.

There however is nothing uncomfortable in Ali Holder's new album. In fact it is most welcome. She shows her strength in convincing ways on Uncomfortable Truths. Yes, I take you as you are, to answer her call in the song 'Take Me As I Am'.

The singer from Austin returns to this blog. I found out I have missed an EP in 2017. Her previous two records were presented on this blog in a positive way. As I have already given away, so is this record. Uncomfortable Truth shows several sides of Ali Holder but most of all her slow singing. She takes her time in a way that befits the temperatures of Texas as I imagine them, here from moderately climed the Netherlands.

The slow way of singing makes that the album itself is of the unhastening kind. Even when the musicians accompanying her kick in the speed and level pedals, like in 'Speak One', Ms. Holder still keeps her own pace. As a singer she simply is not in a hurry. The result is that songs seem to take much longer than they actually do. Like Dutch writer A.F.Th. van der Heijden in his book cycle 'De Tandeloze Tijd' ("toothless time"), she expands time with her way of singing, what he achieves in his slow and languorous writing. At the same time both can be extremely intense. Don't get them wrong.

There are two sides to Uncomfortable Truths. The common denominator is that Ali Holder is the star on her own album, as she should be as a solo artist. Her voice, her melodies are up front. Behind her there are differences. What I call full band songs and songs where musicians accompany her. There's a stark difference in the tone of these songs. In the latter Ali Holder takes the full centre. It is all about her presentation, her extremely pleasant voice and expression. Songs to truly listen to and be moved by more profoundly. The former songs rock (mildly) and reach and touch me far more direct. They make me move along.

In these songs she touches more on alternative country and singer-songwriter. There is nothing original in her music. Elements of Lucinda Williams or Amanda Pearcy, to name two obvious names for me, can be found on the album. There's nothing bad about that. This is a collection of extremely nice songs by a great singer, that I simply love listening to. The way she draws out her words is masterly and the sound of her voice is lovely.

Reading back to what I wrote, brings me to the conclusion that Uncomfortable Truths ought to be the album that makes the name Ali Holder better known over here. You've just read my small contribution to make that happen.

Wo.

You can listen to and buy Uncomfortable Truths here:

https://aliholder.bandcamp.com/album/uncomfortable-truths


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

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

The Social Distancing Tour 2020

Today I like to focus on the music I am making together with my girlfriend once a week. We have called it The Social Distancing Tour, with thanks to our American neighbour for the inspiration of the name. So a little personal thing instead of a review.

When the "intelligent lockdown" hit the Netherlands, we had planned a living room show with Utrecht band Wooden Soldiers. In the weeks before the show, we had already concluded that it would be irresponsible to have between 20 and 30 people in our living room and had decided to push the show forward to somewhere in May. Little did we know!

When the lockdown followed soon after, I suggested to play for our neighbours ourselves from our front garden. They can sit in their own garden, stand in the doorway, or on their balconies, we have seen it happen. Word spread and every week a few friends come as well, but never in such a way that the 1,5 meter distance cannot be kept up. No advertising here, no invites.

We started out "easy". What songs can we do as a duo, singing with an acoustic guitar as accompaniment that we already play with the band? That is about 35% of what we do. From there we started to branch out. What would we like to play? A thousand songs of course but time is limited, although certainly a little less than usual, still there's a limit to what we can learn to play and sing, figure out harmonies, etc., in only a few days.

The result is that we practice together a lot. First we decide on the songs, new and old, relative terms as "new" only sees to our knowing the songs previously, then I start to figure them out how to play on guitar, after which we can start working together. All in all a five day process, with three days of practising together, including just before the show.

So what comes by? My girlfriend loves singing blues, she found out over the past years. So many a blues tune comes by. We are going to be playing non-band blues soon as well. For our Irish neighbours we learned two Irish folk songs, requests come in of which we were able to do a few so far. For Easter we played a song from 'Jesus Christ Superstar', but also did a song from 'Hair'. One of my favourite new ones so far is 'Son Of A Preacher Man', but I also got to play 'Wish You Were Here' an adequate title for an isolated Easter.

On the whole a lot of 60s hits come by. They somehow seem the nicest to play, with The Beatles, who else, leading the pack. Personally I have to say that singing harmonies like Simon & Garfunkel, the Mamas and the Papas, The Byrds, is simply gratifying. Yes, it takes some practising but when it comes together it is one of the pleasures of life. I'm not exaggerating here. 'The Sounds Of Silence' or 'California Dreaming' are a joy to sing (together).

We live in a street where the churn of people is extremely high. Expats, people living in between homes, who only stay for a limited time and are not interested in meeting neighbours. This has changed a little in the past year and now because of the Corona days something really changed. Our weekly show certainly contributed to that. People have met, start to know each other and have a drink together after a show. All on one corner of a car, keeping distance. Something positive is coming out of this crisis.

We have been told that neighbours share the photo's and movie clips they make with friends and family across continents. Australia, U.S., Latin America, Ireland are enjoying our playing as well. A neighbour's sister has started her own version in her front garden in the U.S. after seeing us play.

There's a personal little something musically I run into on a weekly basis. I have noticed how hard it is to keep time playing my guitar. The urge to speed up is tremendous. When playing alone there's no issue. For a singer dependent on me it is. My girlfriend keeps signalling  to me to slow down. Having a drummer in a band is so important for me to have. My own head does not provide a metronome. I had never noticed this so sharply until these weeks. More to learn!

The other side is that we grow as a duo in an enormously fast way. The practising does pay off. Getting a compliment is nice, I won't deny that, but to notice the growth ourselves, is gratifying. Whenever the band is allowed to practice again, there's no way of telling. Who knows?, it may be long time. Hopefully our growth will show in that context as well.

Making music is fun. Playing music is, writing about it is, but making it myself? That is another ballgame. Totally. Seeing the smiling faces, hearing people sing along, we know we have a little share in making sure we all get to the other side of this crisis. Whenever that is. At a minimum three more weeks to go.

We record the sessions for friends living further away. Now I share the link with you. Enjoy it, if you like, with the promise of more to come in the coming weeks. Ice, weather and Corona depending of course.

Wo.

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdVhKpLou2XQyv9-9ZHyJAw

5 Singles

Photo: Darragh O’Carroll MD

Today we focus once again of recently released or to be released singles.

Angel From Montgomery. Elouise
With a cover that is certainly in sign with the times, Elouise comes with a traditional song that is in total detonation with those signs and times. Angel From Montgomery is an as traditional Americana song as they come. That is not the whole story though.

Now there's accents and accents. Elouise's accent is far and wide beyond the southern drawl of Lucinda Williams. It is of a kind that makes me think to be listening to a parody of all things southern. Were it not that Angel From Montgomery is a serious song. The kind Ms. Williams certainly would not mind having on one of her albums. It has that dragging pace, as if everything's going too fast for Elouise while in the end she does keep up with the whole. In fact at the finish line she beats all competition with Angel Of Montgomery. It is such a delightful song.

The "Send me an angle" part is like everything from the Lucinda Williams songbook, but for the rest it is it's superb self.

Reading the information on the single, it turns out the song is recorded in memory of recently deceased singer-songwriter John Prine, who died of Covid-19. What a way to honour someone!

Where Things Belong. Garlands
Every once in a while I can't help wondering why a band or solo artist is not better known or even a star. One of these bands by now is Garlands from Glasgow. Over the past year new songs reach me regularly that all make the mark in powerpop easily and jump over with so much ease.

The world is promised a new release with each month, so I understand. With Where Things Belong the second instalment was sent. Deep dark guitars and bass are hurled out of my speakers. Over it Gordon Harrow sings his pop melody. A melody that adorns the rock lying underneath it. The way the pace holds back and is unleashed again throughout the song is masterly. It is as if all power leaves the song, while coming back as if double.

The play between the dark sound in the music and the pop side of the whole is simply well done. It shows two sides to Garlands in one song. True metal aside, this is a heavy song. The deep end sticks out on all sides and still Where Things Belong can be called a pop song. There are not many bands that get away with this in a successful way. Garlands does. Check the band out as it is building an oeuvre of extremely nice songs.

Zing. Jack Poels
'Blauwe Vear' is nog maar net uit of Jack Poels brengt een nieuwe single uit, gezongen in het Nederlands. Een nummer om iedereen een hart onder de riem te steken in deze Corona tijden. Weliswaar opgenomen vlak voordat wij in onze intelligent lockdown gingen, maar geïnspireerd door beelden uit Italië, dat ons voorging, terwijl "wij" daar nog vrolijk gingen skieën.

In Zing horen we opnieuw een ingetogen Poels, die laat horen dat hij een prima singer-songwriter is. Behalve een tamboerijn horen we alleen gitaren en een mandoline. De vrouwelijke stem is van mw. Baartmans. B.J. begeleidt Jack Poels op gitaar.

Is het meer dan symbolisch de laatste woorden van Zing? "En de wereld draait door." Juist dat programma moet de wereld het zonder doen sinds eind maart. En nee, dat is niet langer dezelfde wereld. Zoals de wereld al voordat Matthijs van Nieuwkerk zijn microfoon aan de wilgen hing niet meer hetzelfde was.

Jack Poels biedt een klein beetje troost voor de momenten dat iemand het even moeilijk heeft met het opgesloten zitten, terwijl doorzetten noodzakelijk is. "Zing, zing". Wat je ook zingt, het helpt. Altijd. Dank, Jack.

Edible Plastic. Personal Trainer
Edible Plastic, perhaps best not to take this too literally, is an extremely short but off-handed crate of noise. It may be that since hearing that great song by The Plan called 'Mon Amour' that I haven't heard a song like this.

Edible Plastic is the a side of what in my youth was called a maxi single, three songs, often containing three hits by one artist on one single. Personal Trainer does it in 2020. Three short songs filled with energy and a somewhat uncontrolled way of playing. Loads of feedback and noise, except in final song 'The Industry'. Still alternative but not noise (at first).

Personal Trainer is the other band of Willem Smit, ex-Palio Speed Super Donkey and (ex?-)Canshaker Pi. His voice is instantly recognisable, the music is less so. It is the even wilder side of Smit that is allowed a release. Don't expect songs that are easily listenable or instant pleasures. They have grown on me, where his former bands were all instant pleasures. Bands that grew and grew, with 'Okay Decay' as a capstone.

In Personal Trainer things are just a little more rough, a little more distorted, a little more bare and essential, noise or no noise. The hand of the master is present. There's no denying there.

Louder Than Hell. Mono Inc.
Listening to the first seconds of Louder Than Hell, I knew, this must be from Germany. In some way this is the kind of metal that is not made in my country. It is dark, loud, fast-paced, Teutonic rock. What it misses is that little fun that needs to be in a song like this. That little something that makes it 97% serious and not 100%. This is a shame as the melody and level of playing is quite alright.

I had never heard of Mono Inc. before, despite it being a big band in Germany. On the road for 20 years and successful there with all its albums. Louder Than Hell is a single from the band's new album, 'The Book Of Fire'. If you like dark hardrock metal with a Teutonic layer, it must be your album. I'm afraid I've enjoyed myself sufficiently with Louder Than Hell.

Wo.


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

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

Silver Tongue. TORRES

TORRES werd aan de kant gezet door haar platenmaatschappij, maar neemt zoete wraak met een album dat van de eerste tot en met de laatste noot imponeert. 

Mackenzie Scott is alweer toe aan haar vierde album onder de naam TORRES en het is een fascinerend album geworden. Stekelige gitaarsongs worden afgewisseld met mysterieuze door synths gedragen songs en altijd is er de indringende stem van Mackenzie Scott. Silver Tongue is een album dat opvalt door een enorme intensiteit, maar het is ook een album dat intrigeert en bezweert. Een jonge PJ Harvey draagt relevant vergelijkingsmateriaal aan, maar TORRES heeft ook een duidelijk eigen geluid en het is een geluid dat geen enkele concessie doet. Een million seller is Silver Tongue niet, maar het is absoluut een van de interessantste albums van het vroege muziekjaar 2020.

TORRES, het alter ego van de Amerikaanse singer-songwriter Mackenzie Scott, debuteerde in 2013 met een titelloos album dat voor geen meter verkocht, maar dat wel diepe indruk maakte op iedereen die het album wel een kans gaf. De uit Macon, Georgia, afkomstige singer-songwriter was in 2013 pas 22 jaar oud, maar maakte op haar debuut muziek die een stuk inventiever, urgenter, intenser, avontuurlijker en indringender was dan die van haar soortgenoten.
 
TORRES werd vanaf dat moment in één adem genoemd met tijdgenoten als Sharon van Etten, Angel Olsen en Waxahatchee, maar haar muziek riep ook nadrukkelijk associaties op met die van PJ Harvey in haar jonge jaren.
 
TORRES kon na haar debuut niet meer stuk bij de critici en een kleine groep muziekliefhebbers en bevestigde in 2015 de belofte van haar debuut met het uitstekende en door de van PJ Harvey bekende Rob Ellis geproduceerde Sprinter. Dit album leverde haar een contract op bij het roemruchte 4AD label, waarna in 2017 het uitstekende en wederom door Rob Ellis geproduceerde Three Futures volgde.
 
Ook het derde album van de Amerikaanse singer-songwriter werd terecht met superlatieven onthaald, maar de verkoop viel wederom tegen, waarna 4AD TORRES al na één album aan de kant schoof. Ze zullen zich bij 4AD nu wel met enige regelmaat afvragen of dit een verstandig besluit was, want de wraak van Mackenzie Scott is zoet, mierzoet. Met Silver Tongue levert de inmiddels vanuit Brooklyn, New York opererende muzikante immers wederom een geweldig album af.
 
Het is een album dat voortborduurt op zijn drie voorgangers, maar dat ook weer een nieuwe kant van TORRES laat horen. Mackenzie Scott produceerde het vierde album van TORRES zelf en heeft knap werk geleverd. Silver Tongue is een buitengewoon avontuurlijk album, waarop van alles gebeurt. Het ene moment neemt atmosferische elektronica het voortouw, maar niet veel later zijn er toch weer opeens de stevige gitaren of nemen bezwerende ritmes de boel over.
 
Silver Tongue staat vol met songs die de geheimen niet direct bij eerste beluistering prijs geven. De songs van TORRES steken bijzonder knap in elkaar en zitten vol verrassende wendingen en dynamiek, waardoor Silver Tongue een spannend album is en blijft.  Het album klinkt net wat zweveriger en ongrijpbaarder dan de vorige albums van de New Yorkse muzikante en dit voorziet het album van een bijzondere sfeer. De muziek van TORRES klinkt op Silver Tongue donker of zelfs dreigend, maar ook spannend en mysterieus.
 
Het is bovendien een intens album, wat alles te maken heeft met de zang op het album. Mackenzie Scott is weer beter gaan zingen en beschikt over een stem die onvoorwaardelijke aandacht opeist. Silver Tongue doet me, mede door de zang en misschien nog wel meer dan zijn voorgangers, denken aan de eerste albums van PJ Harvey, die dezelfde urgentie uitstraalden, maar Mackenzie Scott heeft ook een prachtig eigen geluid.
 
TORRES maakt het je zeker niet altijd makkelijk met haar vierde album dat ingetogen en bijna lieflijke passages binnen enkele seconden kan laten omslaan in rauwe en stekelige muziek. Silver Tongue prikkelt vanaf de eerste noten nadrukkelijk de fantasie en blijft dit doen tot de laatste noten weg ebben. In bijna 35 minuten gebeurt er van alles en grijpt Mackenzie Scott je steeds nadrukkelijker bij de strot met haar bijzondere songs. Silver Tongues is haar beste album tot dusver en het is een album dat echt alle aandacht verdient.

Erwin Zijleman

Je kunt Silver Tongue hier beluisteren en kopen:

https://torrestorrestorres.bandcamp.com/album/silver-tongue


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

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

Among The Faceless Crowd. Ben Bostick

This is going to be a review of little words. Simply because Among The Faceless Crowd is an album that does not set itself apart in any great way. There's no grandstanding, no ultra flashy bits, no nothing. Hold on though, this is meant in a positive way.

Ben Bostick presents himself just who he is, an Americana & country singer who is able to present nice songs that sort of do everything right. Among The Faceless Crowd is the kind of album I want to listen to when I have no need to be challenged, for when the day is done. An album that I only have to listen to and let myself be carried away by songs that go from a to b.

Quite a difference from his previous, second, album, 'Hellfire'. This was a rocking album, where Bostick did not hold back. This album started after he moved with his family from L.A. to Georgia. He started out on his own, playing everything until the point he needed other instruments. The result is an album with singer-songwriter folky songs that are pleasant. As I wrote, quite a step from 'Hellfire'.

So if you are attracted by a singer with lightly rough voice playing soft songs, some just with his guitar, others with a band setting including a warm organ and an electric guitar, Among The Faceless Crowd is your album.

Wo.

You can listen to and buy Among The Faceless Crowd here:

https://benbostick.bandcamp.com/album/among-the-faceless-crowd


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

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