Pink Chameleons - Harmony

 

It's been a while since we covered a Finnish band and so we remedy that with the Helsinki Trio's second album, Harmony. Although there were hints of Garage Rock and Psych on that fine debut album, this sounds much more in the Psych department. They've made regular appearances on the Listening To This Week Playlist, so let's shout about the splendid album.

It's not weird Psych, more gentle riff driven mesmerising in type. Built around wonderfully hypnotic riffs with more than a touch of mid 80s UK (particularly East Kilbride) Fuzz and distortion. Vocally, it is a little Shoegaze and flirts with Psych Pop at times.

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Those riffs just surround you making you think that you are in the last 60s or Indie 80s at will. There are diversions from the template, particularly the Farfisa driven Black Sky and the big early 70s Pop of the killer single, Sunshine Honey.

But the trio are not afraid of showing their darker Psych side on the likes of Neon Cave and Sleep Through is very very Shoegaze. Ride Into The Mood gets a little Primal Scream and Some Sunny Feeling gets all hippy trippy.

Harmony is an album that hits a groove and just doesn't let go. The real stand out is the wonderful Rhythm Section, it just consumes you, complementing the laidback Psych Riffs and vocal. Harmony is an awesome captivating listen. You don't have to be left field to create Great Psych.

You can listen to and buy the album here. 

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Listening To This Week Playlist

An absolutely belting 30 songs on the first of 5 LTTWs this month. Never more so has the last listed been as great as the first  applied and you have plenty of time to listen to across the week. A reminder that the song order is not about song preference, but how the playlist flows. This weekly playlist is solely for submissions, not the usual stuff that we dig out ourselves. 

All embeds open in new windows to aid scrolling. Links to the artists will also appear on I Don't Hear A Single Social Media sites over the next 24 hours. This will help you to discover more about the artists who appear here. 

Nick Frater - My Heart's In Stereo

The Setting Son - Cul-De-Sac

The Swan Chorus - Blame On You

Ryan Allen - Anxious All The Time

Hooveriii - Westside Pavillion Of Dreams

Transistors - Seagull

Joe Stilwell with Van Nes - Angel Bill

Graydons - High On The Richter Scale.

Soot Sprite - All My Friends Are Depressed

Cupid's Carnival - Life

The Hi-Sides - The Boy

Stella Matteoni - Imposter Syndrome

The Bret Tobias Set - It Begins With A Lean

Real Sickies - Should Have Seen It Coming

Maximillian Thanksalot - Enough

Star Aurora - 21st Century Love

The Real Flowerpots - Storm Shelter

The Real Flower Pots · Storm Shelter

The Open Flames - Drop A Coin

Pan Arcadia - Into The Glass

Forgotten Garden - Five Minutes

Fallenium - Don't Be A Man About It

The Two Seasons - Gallery

The Campbell Apartment - Grudge

Floral Image - Burning 305

Cloud House - Golden Hour

Nik Brinkman - Where Are You Now?

Last Good Thing - Wish You Were

Icarus Phoenix - Poor Sad Indie Everything

Dream Of A Man In A Top Hat - I'm Your Man

Keys - What Flavour?

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Transistors - Everything Will Never Happen Again

 

Transistors are from Canterbury. No not the Prog and Psych one here in England, but New Zealand's South Island. Just as as everything in Canterbury here is not just those two genres, all in New Zealand is not whimpering melancholic Indie and Dream Pop.

This is a trio that will wake up your neighbours. The trio deliver up and at 'em pacy sing along or maybe shout along UK New Wave, not million miles away from the UK New Wave that quite a few from the dying embers of Punk emerged from.

There's a lot in common with the current Power Pop scene. Much noisier than what went before, but just as riff driven, chorus led and catchy, this is not a new album, but the long lost third album from the band. It may sound a little current now, but imagine how it compared to what was around a decade ago.

Unreleased and largely not known about. it is masterly collection of 14 songs defined by attitude and energy. An outlier for what was around when recorded. I've selected my 3 favourite songs, but this is an album to be listened to from start to finish. Don't expect any ballads though.

The band are currently touring in New Zealand which makes us incredibly envious and frustrated at being so far away. These songs will sound even more glorious live. We are not nostalgic in any way, but this is an album that shouldn't have taken so long to release. It finally appeared on Friday.

You can listen to and buy the album here.  Pre-Sales sold the Vinyl out, hopefully Melted Ice Cream will do another batch. It is currently available as a download.

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Nick Frater - OH CONTRAIRE!

 

The Lord Of Pop is back and he's brought many many IDHAS faves to join his regular collaborators. Nick Frater is definitely an extraordinary solo artist, but after well over a decade, he continues to hoover up like minded peers.

There has never been a duff album along the way and as we reach 2025, Croydon's finest seems to have made the BIG sounding album that he has always threatened to unleash. There's always been memorable choruses, a massive melody and harmony count and hook after hook, but the sound here is panoramic.

Frater has never hidden away, but here he proves himself the showman. The vocal is bold and far more upfront, the arrangements are varied and include big string affairs, mellotron and some real rocked up Guitar solos. It does sound a little (wonderfully) 70s at times. There are also songs that you might expect from him if you are familiar with his past such as Seraphim Called and Steal Away.

He's also been great at Lounge Pop and Dreaming Of A Wonderland fits that bill. Goodnight, Goodbye has a string arrangement to die for, a big McCartney Pop closer. but what bursts out most is the joyous bouncing pacy pop and there is plenty of that.

You will have heard the single One Minute and that still sounds as great as it always has, but here it is joined by My Heart's In Stereo, a Jeff Lynne in the 80s sort of races out of the blocks. You'd be tempted to say it is the best Pop song that you will hear this year, but then you hear I Know You Know I Know.

There is certainly a lot of ringing Guitar riffs around, some very Glam Rock, others definitely 70s Pop Rock sounding. The guest list is awesome and I obviously can't list everyone with space restrictions, but you can note them all on the Bandcamp page.

What is most to applaud are that many don't appear on other people's albums so much. Texas's Spyderpop duo Lannie Flowers and Danny Wilkerson, Probyn Gregory, Michael Simmons and Lady Prog herself, Cary Grace. The results are amazing and remind all of the beauty of Melodic Pop. OH CONTRAIRE! is simply splendid.

You can listen to and buy the album here. The album is available on Vinyl, CD and as a download. The album is on the Think Like A Key label and so can be bought here as well as at all good record stores.

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31 Reviews In 31 Days In March

 

March and October are the traditional I Don't Hear A Single 31 in 31 months. There may be days without a review, but overall at least 31 Reviews will be posted over the whole of March. There will also be the five Listening To This Weeks.

February suffered a bit volume wise due to more energy than ever being spent on the Best 100 Albums Of The Previous Year. There was also the dreaded hearing problems which held back reviews. There are some splendid album releases that have March related dates and a few that were released today.

There is also plenty to catch up on that haven't appeared yet. Thank you for your continued support. as ever. This place is artist led and getting them the attention that they deserve. However, we are never short of delight at how this place continues to grow as it approaches 9 years of age.

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Slow Motion Film - Eastman / Untitled # 1 EP

 

Slow Motion Film may not be a name familiar with you, but their past will be. Three quarters of the band are from Stourbridge's Amoeba Teen and that band was beloved here through many appearances on our old Radio Show and that wonderful self titled final album on Big Stir.

The album appeared in our Top 20 in the 100 Best Albums of 2022. The review is here. The album was a real Pop Rock favourite of followers and indeed remains so. The trio follow a slightly different direction, but signs of Amoeba Teen are still there.

This is most notable on The Ba Ba Ba song which has all the Guitar Pop characteristics of their ex band. Be The One also isn't a million miles away, but more rocked up in an 80s Indie sort of way. Both songs work really well, revealing a moving on, but without losing those pop sensabilities. 

It is the other two songs that show the most marked movement. Painting Tattoos is much slower and after beginning life with an ambient soundscape, it still contains some of that. But the Indie Rock envelops a really effective counterbalance and is built on a cracking riff.

How Now (Baby Blue) sounds much more American, West Coast almost. It also could be a slightly mellower Crazy Horse at times with a slightly Country Rock twang to the solo. Different to what has gone before, far more Rock, but underling how varied the trio are now.

This is a great debut EP and a second is currently being recorded. The variety is most welcome and may help a much wider audience to appreciate the talents of these three. Normally, when a key member leaves, the impact lessens, however here the signs are that Slow Motion Film may prove even bigger.

You can listen to and buy the EP here. With Be The One appearing on this week's Listening To This Week, I've gone for embedding the other three songs.

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Listening To This Week Playlist

Delayed and slightly shorter due to an untimely ear infection. A reminder of how important your hearing is. 26 songs this week for your aural delight.

I do hope that you can listen to all the songs across this week. The last listed is as great as the first and you have plenty of time to listen. This weekly playlist is solely for submissions, not the usual stuff that we dig out ourselves. 

All embeds open in new windows to aid scrolling. Links to the artists will also appear on I Don't Hear A Single Social Media sites over the next 24 hours. This will help you to discover more about the artists who appear here. 

Dropkick - Highs And Lows

The Speedways - Visiting Hours

Fib - Mutuals

Slow Motion Film - Be The One

Bird Streets - On The Promenade

Magic Fig - Goodbye Suzy

Brian D'Addario - Till The Morning

Matthew Heller - Machine Gun

Palejoy - Max Payne Au Chocolat

Janus 4-14 - I Never Wanna See You Again

Fuzzysurf - Blaming It On You

Tugboat Captain - Dog Tale

Cabin Beat - Reach Out

Mortimer Nyx - F Girl

Mortimer Nyx · F girl

mikuljonz - Deadbeat Shuffle

Private Lives - Psychic Beat

Keegan Powell - My Maker

Copper Lungs - Broken Beautiful

Roofs - Tomorrow (Live At Sterling Studios)

Roofs · Tomorrow (Live at Stirling Studios)

Giverzz - White Slush

Nervous Bride - You Did It To Yourself Again

Nervous Bride · You Did It To Yourself Again

Delcobras - The Turnaround

Alan Jenkins And The Kettering Vibes - The Diorama Of Wobbly Fact

Poster Club - Circuits

Poster Club · Circuits

Sunnyvale - Mama Tried

Inland Years - Keep Your Eyes On The Road

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