I Don't Hear A Single Albums Of The Year 2021 : 81-90

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 81 : The Arthurs - Glass       IDHAS Review

No 82 : Nova Waves - Going The Distance      IDHAS Review

      

No 83 : Kitner - Shake the Spins      IDHAS Review





No 84 : Dutch Tulips - Double Visions      IDHAS Review

No 85 : Anton Barbeau - Oh The Joys We Live For      IDHAS Review

No 86 : The Reflectors - Faster Action      IDHAS Review







No 87 : Keats - The Saturday Night Shocker      IDHAS Review     





No 88 :  Kevin Robertson - Sundown's End      IDHAS Review

No 89 : Vukovar - The Colossalist      IDHAS Review

 

No 90 : Space Cadet - Lion On A Leash      IDHAS Review

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Space Cadet - Lion On A Leash

 

May has been a month of real surprises and this continues into the ultimate day. You would expect an album from Dave Walsh and Matt Hock from The Explosion to be a little errrrr Punkish. Well this debut album from the pair is anything but.

Lion On A Leash is riff driven Pop Rock that has far more in common with Brit Pop and a more melodic version of The Cult. The guitar runs are certainly reminiscent of Billy Duffy. There's a hypnotic vibe to the riffs.

Scream For You is very second half of the 80s, almost Goth, yet Forever For A While is a far more chipper affair, almost anthemic. Bad Luck is comparable to Ian McCulloch fronting a Glam Rock band and Start Running Away has a hook and vocal that just grabs you.

The album concludes with an instrumental that could be a film theme. You can imagine the chase and the tension building. The album is built on killer riffs and guitar runs. The Pop is superb when let loose, but largely it is subdued and that allows those riffs to flourish. Great Stuff!

You can listen to and buy the album here.

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Space Cadet - Lion On A Leash

 

There's been a lot of love expressed for the latest IDHAS Audio Extravaganza after it's return yesterday, fresh from a couple of months absence. One of the most mentioned songs by you has been the third in revelation that is Space Cadet's Bad Luck. It is a hurricane of a song caught between 70's Glam Rock and 80's Indie.

So it makes sense to tell you about the upcoming album that's released on the 26th. The album is straight out of Massachusetts, but sounds much more 80's UK Indie. I suppose people would call it Post Punk now, although in it's heyday, no one ever mentioned that term. The genre term is reflective and tells you nothing about the music.

Lion On A Leash is a Guitar Riff led Rock album in which the Pop is fighting to get out. The Guitar Sound is very Billy Duffy and I keep thinking of The Cult, although these guys are far more melodic than The Cult could ever be. They are not even a happy version of The Cult, so it is probably the riffs that direct me that way.

There are a lot of influences around, all of them seem to be in the UK Indie scene. Having said that Lose Control ventures into Space Rock and almost Modern Prog. The closing Instrumental, Slo, heads toward something almost Coheed And Cambria.

Having said that Forever For A While is stomping Pop whilst If Only is a Bass driven joy and then there's Bad Luck, an absolute killer of a single, a song should cue for the next party, whenever that is. The biggest compliment that I can give the album is that there's nothing around like it at the moment.

The Guitar runs are hypnotic, hooks are held on to until you can't get them out of your head. Just when you think you've sussed Space Cadet out, they offer up something completely surprising. It'll be interesting to hear what the direction the next album takes, but this is a splendid debut in a time when the guitar isn't as important as it should be.

You can pre-order the album and get the three embedded tracks now here.

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