I Don't Hear A Single Albums Of The Year 2024 : 61-70

 

For the last eight years We have compiled annual Best Of 's  because these posts seem so popular and the aim of this Blog is to get exposure (and Sales) for the artists. A reminder that anything reviewed on I Don't Hear A Single is highly recommended. A reminder that only new albums are included among these 100.

Narrowing things down to this 100 has been really difficult. The 100 albums are posted in reverse batches of 10. For each album, A song is embedded from the album and a link is provided to the IDHAS Review where you can find further details and how to listen or buy the album.

61 Dan Miraldi - Ulysses      IDHAS Review

62 Ian St. George - Emergency Index      IDHAS Review

63 The Phase Problem - The Power Of Positive Thinking      IDHAS Review

64 ahem - Avoider      IDHAS Review

65 The Shop Window - Daysdream     IDHAS Review

66 The Violet Twilight - Above The Clouds       IDHAS Review

67 Mark & The Clouds - Machines Can't Hear You      IDHAS Review

68 Raised On TV - Make Time To Make Time      IDHAS Review

69 The Real Numbers - Thank You      IDHAS Review

  

70 Spiral Heads - 'Til I'm Dead     IDHAS Review

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Mark & The Clouds - Machines Can't Hear You

 

A Marco Magnani album is always something to look forward to and the fourth Mark & The Clouds album doesn't disappoint. The man will always be a master at Psych Pop, but just as on the previous album, Waves (IDHAS Review here), he is not afraid in venturing further afield.

There is even more roads taken here, indeed the magnificent Graves For You And Me is pure Jangle Pop. Swearing At The Moon is another surprise. mid 60s UK Beat that isn't a million miles away from Merseybeat and the genre is nailed.

Heart At The Speed Of Sound is great Cotton Mather like Psych Pop, but like that band, Magnani gets pretty close to Power Pop. There is enough here to suggest that a new career in Pop Rock might be in order, but the album is no way about that.

Two Minds In My Head could be Lindisfarne, The World Is Falling is Getting It Together In The Country Classic Rock and In The Blink Of An Eye is akin to Prog Folk with a wonderful acoustic guitar slant. Underground is wonderful Folk with a mesmerising melancholic Baroque arrangement.

Special mention has to go to three other songs, The splendid Swinging Sixties Brass arrangement and weeping Guitar on Soul Of Nature. The more straight ahead altogether now arrangement on The World Id Falling which shows how refreshing Classic Rock can be, it's not all about old men thinking the are on the us West Coast. Finally there is the epic 11 minutes of The Age Of Clowns which is an absolute Prog masterpiece. 

Magnani suits the Trio format and there are lots of guests to embellish the material further. The Guitar strength is a given, but more applause should be given to the vocals, a weakness too often in this type of material. I can also not think of a better match than Mark & The Clouds and Ian Button's top notch Gare Du Nord label.

You can listen to and buy the album here.

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Mark & The Clouds - Live At The Betsey Trotwood

We don't generally cover too many Live albums on I Don't Hear A Single. It's just a matter of available time really, so we save what we do cover to the occasional Live Sessions format. But we make an exception with Mark And The Clouds, partly due to the lack of being able to watch much over the past couple of years.

But mainly because these three are one of the best Psych Pop Power Trios and their last album, Waves, impressed us so much that it was in the IDHAS Best Of Year. What Waves did was introduce a much deeper side to the band. You can read the review here. 

The variance on Waves is fully demonstrated in the Live setting. 8 of the 9 Tracks are from that album and underline the strength of the release. They also fully reveal what a fine guitarist Marco Magnani is and how well the Trio click.

No One Makes A Sound goes into Cream territory and You Wanna Put Me Down is great sweaty UK Beat.  Waves almost becomes Lindisfarne and In The Big Crowd is great Pop Rock with a twang. The non Waves song is a fine cover of All Or Nothing sung by Bassist John O'Sullivan.

The stand out is the Psych Pop of You And Me In Space, a fine opener. The main difference here is that without the likes of the studio album's Brass arrangements etc, the songs sound more earthy, a little bit different and translate beautifully to the live show,

My one regret is that the magnificent Psych of Somebody Else isn't present. It is a mind blowing affair and I urge you to listen to it on the Waves album which is also on Bandcamp/ However, Mark And The Clouds underline how gripping the Power Trio format can be when it concentrates on the songs, not the technical ability.

You can listen to and buy the album here.

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I Don't Hear A Single Albums Of The Year 2021 : 31-40

It's been difficult to get these choices down to 100. I'm also not a believer in saying one album is better than another. Most of the time you are comparing Apples To Oranges. I'm not a List person, I just think what's the point?

However, for the last few years I have compiled annual Best Of 's  because these posts seem so popular and the aim of this Blog is to get exposure (and Sales) for the artists. There is no meaning or judgement on an album that is Number 1, Number 100 or not on the list. Anything that I review on here, mention on Social Media or play on the Radio Show is as highly recommended.

There are few rules. All albums have to have been reviewed on IDHAS. Reissues and Live Albums are not included. Previously unreleased albums are included, but Best Of's are not. For each album, I've posted a song from it and a link to the IDHAS Review where you can find further details and how to listen or buy the album. 

No 31 : A.M. Slingers - A.M. Slingers    IDHAS Review

No 32 : The Gold Needles - What's Tomorrow Ever Done For You        IDHAS Review





No 33 : The Junior League - Bridge And Tunnel     IDHAS Review

No 34 : Iain Hornal - Fly Away Home          IDHAS Review

      

No 35 : Ex Norwegian And Friends - Sing Jimmy Campbell     IDHAS Review

No 36 : Peter Hall - Light The Stars      IDHAS Review


  


No 37 : Mark & The Clouds - Waves      IDHAS Review

No 38 :  The Legal Matters - Chapter Three    IDHAS Review

  

No 39 : Byron Rimes - Byron Rimes Greatest Hits   IDHAS Review 

 
No 40 : Steve Robinson - Swallowing The Sun       IDHAS Review

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Mark & The Clouds - Waves

 

I love what Marco Magnani does. Mark & The Clouds are a trio that master Psych Pop that veers heavily towards Pop. For their third album that reputation is enhanced. The general feel is still very trippy UFO club, but on the slower numbers, they venture into Prog and Classic Rock.

Free Me Now is very Moody Blues, Promised Land is a delightful song that verges on Easy Listening and includes a cracking Brass interlude. Heavy Drops Of Rain could be something from the Manchester to Brit Pop interlude. It really is a corker.

Devotees will want plenty of the gentle Psych Pop that the trio are noted for and there's plenty here with the likes of You And Me In Space and Heavy Drops Of Rain. But Waves contains far more variation. The Brass Arrangements are wonderful and at times unexpected.

Winter Song is almost Folk. You Wanna Put Me Down is a classic slice of UK Beat and No One Makes A Sound heads for 70's Pop Rock territory. You could imagine Peace Not Religion on an Al Stewart album. The Same Old Dream is very Modern Prog.

The obligatory big closer is present and wow what a finish. Somebody Else is a mind blowing Psych offering demonstrating what Mark And The Clouds are best at. The instrumental last couple of minutes is the reason that I love Psych Pop. Truly wonderful!

I would have been more than happy with 15 songs of Psych Pop and there is a lot of Pop here. But there are so many surprises on offer that Waves caught me unaware. If you've always felt that the genre is all backward guitar and flower power solos, then take a chance with this splendid listen.

You can listen to and buy the album here. You can find out more about Mark & The Clouds here.

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