Truth Is A Beautiful Thing. London Grammar

Het Britse trio London Grammar debuteerde al weer bijna vier jaar geleden met het terecht de hemel in geprezen If You Wait.
 
Op haar debuut maakte de band uit Londen indruk met een broeierige instrumentatie vol invloeden uit de triphop, maar het sterkste wapen van de band bleek zangeres Hannah Reid, die If You Wait naar grote hoogten tilde.
 
Het succes van het debuut heeft gezorgd voor een flink budget, waardoor London Grammar voor haar tweede plaat kon beschikken over topproducers als Jon Hopkins (Coldplay), Paul Epworth (Adele, Florence + The Machine) en Greg Kurstin (Adele, Sia). Ze hebben stuk voor stuk goed geluisterd naar het debuut van London Grammar en vervolgens Hannah Reid de hoofdrol gegeven op Truth Is A Beautiful Thing.
 
De instrumentatie van Dan Rothman en Dot Major is ook dit keer prachtig, maar treedt veel minder op de voorgrond. Het is een wijs besluit, want Hannah Reid maakt ook dit keer een onuitwisbare indruk met een stem vol kracht, subtiliteit en emotie.
 
Truth Is A Beautiful Thing opent opvallend ingetogen. Het tempo ligt laag, de instrumentatie is loom en aardedonker, wat prachtig past bij de van melancholie overlopende zang van Hannah Reid.
 
Door het lage tempo moet je, zeker bij eerste beluistering, wel wat moeite doen om bij de les te blijven. De trage en donkere popsongs van London Grammar dringen zich zeker niet onmiddellijk op, maar wanneer het kwartje eenmaal valt, valt het ook hard.
 
Ondanks het feit dat de band voor haar tweede plaat heeft gekozen voor producers van naam en faam en voor producers die niet vies zijn van grootse en meeslepende hits, heeft London Grammar het eigen geluid dat op If You Wait zo mooi vorm kreeg behouden en verder ontwikkeld.
 
De tweede plaat van de Britten bevat wel iets meer invloeden uit de pop, maar het is smaakvolle en eigenzinnige pop. Het is een moedig besluit, want waar London Grammar met een paar stevige stampers makkelijk de wereld zou kunnen veroveren, liggen de lome en donkere klanken voor menigeen waarschijnlijk wat zwaar op de maag. Persoonlijk heb ik echter een steeds groter zwak voor de meer ingetogen songs van London Grammar en het zijn deze songs die domineren op Truth Is A Beautiful Thing.
 
Zeker bij beluistering met de koptelefoon is goed te horen hoe loodzwaar de ritmes zijn, maar ook hoe subtiel de rest van de instrumentatie is (let maar eens op de prachtige gitaarlijnen en de mooie pianoklanken). Het is de perfecte ondergrond voor de weer hemeltergend mooie vocalen van Hannah Reid, die beter doseert dan op het debuut en ook meer emotie en doorleving laat horen. Het is goed voor heel veel kippenvel.
 
Truth Is A Beautiful Thing is ook nog eens een plaat vol ingehouden spanning. Je verwacht dat de ingehouden en zich langzaam voortslepende klanken ieder moment tot uitbarsting komen, maar dat gebeurt uiteindelijk 50 minuten niet (op de luxe editie van de plaat zelfs ruim een uur niet).
 
Waar If You Wait met louter superlatieven werd onthaald, zijn de reacties dit keer gemengd. Persoonlijk vind ik Truth Is A Beautiful Thing niet alleen een waardig opvolger van het prachtdebuut maar bovendien een stap vooruit.

Erwin Zijleman

Je kunt hier luisteren naar 'Truth Is A Beautiful Thing':

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UPcPtd3k-Qg

Resurgam. Fink

Someone on a mission Fink seems to be. His second album in 2017 sees the light of day and both are memorable. So it is possible to produce more than one album a year and be consistent after all.

This spring Fink released an album filled with self-penned blues songs, that was favourably reviewed on this blog. (Read on here if you like to find out more: http://wonomagazine.blogspot.nl/2017/03/finks-sunday-night-blues-club-vol-1-fink.html) Now Resurgam, which does not necessarily mean a giant leap between styles. The album is freer as Fink does not pin himself down to one idiom.

Where the two albums meet, is the atmosphere and the down to basics production. 'Resurgam' is also the name of the song the album opens with. It is the musical equivalent of an uprising. They all start small with more and more people latching on until its a surge, a wave that pushes away everything in front of it. In 'Resurgam' Fink adds instrument after instrument, playing with ever more gusto. The strong point of the song is that there is no rush, no hurry. The song moves forward as an unstoppable force, in one pace, dark and brooding but ever hopeful of the positive ending. "I will rise up, I will rise again". No matter how many times it takes. All 8.35 minutes of the song are used to make the point.

My introduction to Fink was somewhere in the 00s, where, I think my ex-colleague and erstwhile WoNo Magazine contributor Inge pointed me to the album 'Biscuits For Breakfast'. I lost sight of Fink later on, until I received his blues album earlier this year. Also the second album of this year is to my taste.

Resurgam mixes several musical styles. The basis could be called blues, without using the standard blues idiom, let alone the 12 bar blues. In feel certainly the essence of the blues is present in a song like 'Day 22'. From there Fink starts his work, with rhythm, electronics and traditional instruments. So it can be that I hear an influence from Massive Attack and triphop. The addition of an electric guitar, live drums and bass, makes the song far more energetic, while keeping the triphop atmosphere. The result can be heard in a song like 'Cracks Appear', as far as I'm concerned one of the flagships of Resurgam.

Fin Greenall totally surprises me when everything is stripped away and there's just a piano and a voice. The mildly rough voice of Greenall brings 'Word To The Wise' totally alive. The kind of ballad that cuts through everything to catch the listener at his most vulnerable. A few strings that enter the song late, make the point that was already made, stand out some more.

Resurgam keeps impressing me from this moment on. Whether it is an acoustic guitar that is in the lead ('Not Everything Was Better In The Past'), electronics and beats ('The Determined Cut') or an electric guitar ('Godhead') the compositions stand out. The songs on the album mostly have been stripped to the bone it seems, after which only what was really necessary was put back in place, allowing the listener to hear the bare essence of Resurgam and Fink.

With his new album Fink impresses me. I am truly curious how our relationship is going to develop over the coming months. For now the album is on the longlist for my end of year list.

Wo.

You can listen to 'Cracks appear' here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zy31vJQPPk0

Death Goldbloom. Tim Claridge

Some time before the holidays I received an email from two artists who are connected. Only for me personally and no one else. Both announced new work and I did not have the time to review either before I left. 'Undici' by Bongley Dead was reviewed last week. Now I'm making amends to Tim Claridge.

Those following this blog will have seen the name of this Vancouver, Canada based artist pop up in different guises. This is the first time under his own name. The album is named after his former (?) band. Just to confuse the world some more.

Death Goldbloom is different from what Claridge has released before. The album is basically a solo effort. Tim Claridge, an acoustic guitar and some keyboards, not necessarily unpowered. An electric guitar does show up here and there. This creates a solemn album. Now that is nothing new. All his albums are solemn. What is new is that he can totally convince in such a bare environment.

First there is his voice. Here is a singer, with a capitol S who can vary easily between his higher and lower register. Secondly there is the guitar meister. This man can play guitar in different styles in a great and majestic way. Thirdly Tim Claridge writes great songs, blues infused, with hellhounds on his tail. Darkness and the devil are never far away. Finally the combination of the three spells talented.

When some slide guitar enters the whole thing goes up one notch further. I can imagine Mark Lanegan sing 'Long Time Comin'' one of these days. Now that would be a great way to get Tim's name out there. Chris Isaak might be a candidate for 'Placebo Diablo'.

From this blues we move into some Spanish guitar playing. Now 'Buddhist Casanova' is not something I would have expected to hear on this album. Behind the classical guitar a slide guitar is played, putting things a bit askew. I'm not sure this combination works though.

Death Goldbloom is an album that is top-heavy. I have to admit that I seldom listen to it in one go. When I hear a song like 'Blue Dream' though I am totally back to where I should be with Death Goldbloom. In a day and age where albums do not seem to matter any more for most people this problem is taken away for them. For me, an oldfashioned album appreciator, it is not. This does not mean that I look upon Death Goldbloom negatively. Far from even.

The darkness in several songs is totally convincing. Claridge must be a man who likes to work in the darkness and let that time of the day inspire him. If you listen to 'Torn Apart' I can feel a coldness creeping up on me. And at the same time in my mind I can hear him sing this song with Natalie Ramsay, giving the song a totally different atmosphere as the light and shade would have been balanced. The quality of the song shows that it doesn't take a lot to create a great, impressive song. A voice and an electric guitar, played with total reticence.

As I wrote, it takes patience to find the quality of the songs further on in the album. It pays off though. Tim Claridge's new album contains a whole bunch of great songs. Go over and listen for yourself. And pay something before you download. An artist has to live in order to produce great songs like this.

Wo.

You can (listen to and) buy Death Goldbloom for your preferred price here:

https://timclaridge.bandcamp.com/album/death-goldbloom

Lust For Life. Lana del Rey

Another of the bigger releases during my holidays was Lust For Life. Readers of this blog have noticed that I have a weakness for the voice and music of Lana del Rey. That she has a gracious appearance is a nice addition, but when I listen to her music, there are no pictures involved. With her albums 'Honeymoon' (2015) but especially 'Ultraviolence' (2014) she entered my musical universe. Although, that happened before that with the song 'Ride', that impressed me a lot. The sensual atmosphere is more than a gimmick. Lana del Rey creates a universe of her own, that incorporates the world of Doris Day movies as much as modern R&B. The mix that (the team around) Lana del Rey conjures up is sort of irresistible.

Now there is Lust For Life, Del Rey's third album since breakthrough album 'Born To Die' (2012). The title has nothing to with Iggy Pop's same titled punk album and hit of 1977. Not even in atmosphere or intent. This Lust For Life is enjoyed from a lounge chair with all the time of the world to enjoy this moment. Luxurious food and exotic cocktails within reach.

On Lust For Life Lana del Rey is more aligned to modern dance and R&B than before. In a Lorde sort of way. Cooperation with singers and rappers are a part of this latest album. I notice The Weeknd, but also names that have no meaning for me. A famous name is Stevie Nicks, which is a logical choice. Vocally the ladies certainly are related. Another guest role is filled in by Sean Ono Lennon, who has found his own role in music, by mainly staying in the background. A whole host of co-producers are on the list, with Lana del Rey and Rick Nowels present in all songs. Nowels has a list of productions longer than I can post here. The list of people that are credited for songwriting, the record is 7, producing, a record of 5, and playing instruments is almost like reading the phonebook. How many people are needed to make an album these days?

In the cover photograph Lana Del Rey looks like a country girl, smiling!, in the 60s about to be snapped up by the Beautiful People on the move to San Francisco. No more 1950s chic. Does that mean that the music has changed also?

Taking the whole album in, yes, it has. The edge that Dan Auerbach gave 'Ultraviolence' had been stripped away for a more smooth sound on 'Honeymoon' and this becomes even more so on Lust For Life. For the bigger audience that seems to be a fine choice, for me it is not. I liked that combination a lot. That does not mean that there is nothing to enjoy on Lust For Life. Towards the end of the album the album becomes a blur though. Too much songs that seem to sound the same. The songs become interchangeable as far as I'm concerned.

The Lorde comparison is not such a strange one. Just listen to the song that opens Lust For Life. 'Love' is a very bare song with Lana del Rey's voice floating over the electronic background. "Young and in love", it must be a nice memory for her. For me it seems that with a song like 'Love' Lana del Rey has surrendered something that made her unique.

Something of the mystery returns with the single 'Lust For Life', a collaboration with Canadian singer The Weeknd. It's a song in which the electronic background doesn't hinder me as much as it did with 'Love'. This suits the Lana I want to hear better.

And then enters '13 Beaches'. Lana del Rey shows here that she could sing the right song without anything behind her and still mesmerise me. Again slow beats and electronic sounds enter the song, but I'm o.k. with them here. This is classic Lana alright. Aloof and warm, detached and longing, all these contradictions balled into one voice.

It goes of and on on Lust For Life. My main complaint remains these beats and electronics that have replaced the atmospherics of her previous albums. Lana del Rey steps into the 10s with Lust For Life. Yet again, I can't help noticing that she lost a part of herself in the process. In a beautiful song like 'White Mustang' I'm distracted the whole time time by the horrible fake drums and disturbing percussion and other noises. It's a shame.

Unfortunately things are not going to be alright between this album and me. And I haven't even mentioned the rappers yet, which I'm not going to do. Lust For Life is just not for me. "Bitches" is a word that does not fit Lana del Rey.

Wo.

You can listen to 'Lust For Life' here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eP4eqhWc7sI

This Tall To Ride. Robyn Ludwick

Robyn Ludwick ken ik van haar in 2005 in eigen beheer uitgebrachte debuut en de drie jaar later verschenen opvolger.
 
Op haar debuut For So Long maakte de singer-songwriter uit Texas direct een onuitwisbare indruk. Robyn Ludwick was destijds begin 30, net moeder en had geen makkelijk leven op het Texaanse platteland. Het zorgde voor een doorleefde rootsplaat vol indringende persoonlijke verhalen.
 
De uit een zeer muzikale familie afkomstige singer-songwriter maakte minstens evenveel indruk met het in 2008 verschenen Too Much Desire, dat haar had moeten scharen onder de smaakmakers van de Amerikaanse rootsmuziek.
 
De afgelopen negen jaar hoorde ik eigenlijk niets van Robyn Ludwick, sinds ze een week of wat geleden haar nieuwe plaat aankondigde in de mailbox. This Tall To Ride is inmiddels verschenen en ook dit is weer een prachtplaat.
 
Robyn Ludwick maakt nog steeds alt-country waarin de gitaren af en toe mogen uithalen, waarin de verhalen vooral de donkere zijde van het leven belichten en waarin de singer-songwriter uit Texas imponeert met emotievolle en doorleefde vocalen.
 
Denk aan de platen van Lucinda Williams, het rauwere werk van Allison Moorer, de prachtplaten van Patti Griffin en de platen van Rosanne Cash, om maar eens een aantal namen te noemen. Met het noemen van namen doe je Robyn Ludwick overigens tekort, want de Amerikaanse singer-songwriter maakt ook op haar nieuwe plaat weer diepe indruk met ijzersterke songs, een indringend en broeierig geluid en een stem waarvan je alleen maar kunt houden.
 
Ook This Tall To Ride is weer een donkere plaat, waarop onderwerpen als liefde, seks, drank en drugs centraal staat. Het maakt de songs van Robyn Ludwick een stuk rauwer dan die van frisse, jonge en momenteel razend populaire countryzangeressen als Kacey Musgraves en al haar soortgenoten. De populariteit van deze jonge countryzangeressen uit Nashville zal Robyn Ludwick niet snel evenaren, maar in kwalitatief opzicht kan This Tall To Ride de competitie makkelijk aan.
 
De songs van Robyn Ludwick dringen zich ook dit keer genadeloos op en snijden door de donkere teksten en de doorleefde zang meerdere keren door de ziel. Net als bijvoorbeeld Amanda Pearcy maakt Robyn Ludwick muziek die iets met je doet, of je dat nu wilt of niet.
 
Ook in muzikaal opzicht valt er op This Tall To Ride heel veel te genieten. Robyn Ludwick heeft een aantal prima muzikanten verzameld, die zorgen voor een rauw en broeierig geluid, waarin de gitaren de hoofdrol spelen en meer dan eens zorgen voor gitaarpartijen van een enorme schoonheid.

Ik was Robyn Ludwick eerlijk gezegd wat uit het oog verloren na haar tweede plaat, maar direct bij de eerste noten van haar nieuwe plaat was ik verkocht. This Tall To Ride is sindsdien alleen maar veel beter geworden en behoort absoluut tot de beste rootsplaten die 2017 tot dusver heeft opgeleverd.

Erwin Zijleman

Je kunt This Tall To Ride hier beluisteren en kopen:

https://store.cdbaby.com/cd/robynludwick22