Affiliate Links - Enough Light

 

Ontario's Bradley Davis has spent the last decade in the Post Rock excellence of Fresh Snow, so maybe the last thing that you'd expect is the sound of his debut as Affiliate Links. Far from being the Instrumental Sound of Hamilton, Enough Light is more the sound of Indie Glasgow.

This is jaunty Dream Pop at times, think Daniel Wylie or Stephen Duffy and when the pace picks up, it gets very Lilac Time and a little Lightning Seeds. Lyrically , but you may not always notice that due to the sheer joy of the musical arrangements. 

The likes of Recovery Position and Baby's Changing even edge towards Pastoral Psych Pop, even Toytown in the arrangements. Yet Dedicated Organ hints at being a torch song that could be sung by the likes of Marc Almond until the summer Guitar solo.

Despite the base of Dream Pop, the urgency, almost waywardness and fuzz of Walk On Water is a real pleasant surprise. Then there is a completely different feel to the magnificently moody melancholy of  both A Message From Mary and A Message To Anthony which open and close the album respectively.

Hudson News is poptastic and Vestigal Stubs is absolutely hypnotic. Blank Banners is Indie Guitar excellence of the highest order. I really can't express enough how the variety and sound of the album caught me completely by surprise/

The song arrangements and instrumentation are outstanding and the such thought has been put into words that are almost poetry. There is such an array of different musical styles and direction without there ever being a distraction from the quality on show. Highly Recommended as a phrase doesn't do Enough Light Justice,

You can listen to and buy the album here. 

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Elvis Eno - A Startling Realization Of The Obvious

 

There is a lovely story behind the name Elvis Eno, the story is told on the Bandcamp page that I link you to at the end of the review. Thankfully it is not like one of those Facebook Fan Names such as Billy Lynne, Edward McCartney and Sandra Dylan.

Elvis Eno is the alter ego of John Dunbar, he of the fine solo albums and excellent The John Sally Ride. Dunbar has always been a talented Pop Rock songwriter with a sweet vocal that isn't a million miles away from Glenn Tilbrook. That vocal is still present and correct.

However, the songs here seem to be far more experimental, certainly more left field and possibly songs that didn't fit elsewhere. The result may be the best ever album from Dunbar and the most inventive for sure. This is the sound of Pastoral Psych Pop and when the songs are more straight ahead, that Psych Pop seems bursting to get out.

The stand out song is the magnificent Baroque Pop of The Last Time I Saw You which is very much like a Martin Newell song that has had money spent on it. But compare that to More Than A Little While which is a real 80s melodic Post Punk fest.

Getting To Know The Back Of My Hand is very Ooberman with a bit of Ooberon, the band that the Fletts split into. Believe The Liars is wonderful moody with a slight hint of Squeeze, it is haunting. The One Who Won is a wonderful trip and We're Shaped By What Did Not Work is great Wirtz Toytown.

There are nods towards White Album McCartney at times and there are definite Anti Trump in the song titles and lyrics. But the album is jam packed with surprises and unexpected directions. It feels Robyn Hitchcock at times. What A Revelation! You just wish that Dunbar would shout about his material more, he deserves far more than being influential musicians and writers' little secret.

You can listen to and buy the album here.

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The Boys With The Perpetual Nervousness - The Third Wave Of

 

The collaboration between Dropkick's Andrew Taylor and Gonzalo Marcos of El Palacio De Linares reaches a third album. You know that anything with Andrew Taylor in it is gonna be good and to be fair there is a lot with Andrew Taylor in it. 

Through Dropkick, this, solo and his work with The Harmonizers, his warming vocal is always a pleasure to hear and in this and The Harmonizers work, there are differenet directions. The latter was a little more Americana and Country, The Boys With Perpetual Nervousness head towards Big Star at times. 

It is a more polished Big Star, but there is something magical when the material gently rocks out. Look Back is a great example of this, it is still melodic and harmonic but a greater pace and there's also a nice little keyboard addition.

Old Pictures Of Ourselves is very Del Amitri, wonderfully so, whilst In The Right is particularly Posies, again beautifully done.  Isolation is a lovely lovely song with a fine Country Twang and benefits greatly from the addition of Mary Lou Lord and a wonderful Psych Pop like jangle.

Old Ways is beautifully stripped down and aches splendidly whilst Out Of Time jangles along soothingly with an extended instrumental Outro. The album default is unsurprisingly somewhere between Dropkick and latter day Teenage Fanclub and there is something really reassuring about this.

There have been a lot of TFC references around in the past decade, thankfully these have slowed considerably as they were becoming as cliched as XTC mentions. However if one person deserves comparison, it is Taylor. The man is never involved in anything that is less than great and this album is certainly that.

You can listen to and buy the album here and here.

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Mom - Fun 'N Games EP

 

Another band that has previously appeared in an IDHAS Best Of Year are Sweden's Mom. That was in 2020 with their splendid Debut Album, Pleasure Island. You can read the I Don't Hear A Single Review here. Since then there's been an interesting Covers EP and the Two The Beat single.

Now we have an EP and it carries on from where the album left off. Mom specialise in Power Pop that compares with the turn of the 70s US output. They are a little like a lower Fi Rubinoos with songs that are as catchy as catchy can be.

Songs are built on riffs and big hook choruses. To The Beat is included and that is a cross between The Beat and The Knack with a nice twang included. Dreaming is another fine example of the Genre led by a chiming Guitar lead, as mentioned previously very Rubinoos.

Now Until Forever takes the pace down, but works just as well and even edges towards Glam Rock and has a Cars like solo. There's a hell of a lot contained in Cindy's Pool, Stiff Records like in its earlier part, particularly the first Guitar Break Out. The second solo is extended with a much bigger sound and adds a false ending.

The Bandcamp page shows just 4 Tracks, but my copy has 5 with Scary Mary, which was the B Side of the To The Beat Single, included. You won't miss out on that as the two track single is available at Name Your Price. You wouldn't want to miss this as a crackerjack of a song.

The production seems a little bigger on Scary Mary. Yet again the song is all hook, chorus and riff but the solo is positively Rawk out. It reminds me a lot of The Speedways and that is no bad thing. If you like Power Pop, you'll love this and if you don't you'll love it too. 

You can listen to and buy the EP here. You can listen to and download the 2 Track To The Beat Single here. The EP will also be available on 7 Inch Vinyl in October via Snap!! Records in Spain.

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Steve Robinson & Ed Woltil - Shadow Play

 

Last year Steve Robinson released an absolute gem of an album, Swallowing The Sun. The album made the IDHAS Best Of Year and was one of the most popular reviews of 2021. For someone with a reputation as a Folkie, it was a wonderful poptastic surprise. 

The review can be read here. Previously in 2015, a year before I Don't Here A Single began, Steve had released an album with Ed Woltil, Cycle and that was similarly wonderful. Shadow Play is the follow up to that debut album and it is a joyful listen.

This is a heads up really as I've been fortunate to have a pre-release and the album is only released on 21 October. I don't generally like to review albums too early and usually when there are links up to direct readers to one or two songs.

Shadow Play is splendid pastoral melodic guitar pop. The quality is very high. Just as on Swallowing The Sun, Dave Gregory guests on two songs and his playing is as magnificent as ever. There will be a full review nearer the time, so look out for that.

You can read about the duo on their Facebook page @steverobinsonandedwoltil  You can listen to Cycle, the first album here. Steve Robinson's Bandcamp Site can be found here. Ed Woltil's Bandcamp page can be found here.

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Various - We All Shine On : Celebrating The Music Of 1970

 


I think many know my feelings about compilations. I'm not sure what they add to the lives of potential listeners and there are so many of them, most mediocre at best. However this month I am reviewing three, so in a big upping of myself, you can be sure they are good. All three are great and all for very different reasons, but this is the best. I was 7 in 1970 and so most of these songs won't have been on my radar unless I saw them on Top Of The Pops or heard them on the Radio on the odd time I was allowed to have it on. Only Indiana Wants Me and Love Grows fit that bill.

But as I got older, I looked back more and I can now say that I know virtually all of them. The strength of this compilation are primarily the songs, backed up by a great roster and John Borack who knows what he is talking about and John, I too would have loved to see Band Of Gold.Two other things spring to mind. A real sadness at the recent loss of Bobby Sutliff who Jangles up Indiana Wants Me wonderfully and what a coup it is getting Mitch Easter, a man who saved the 80s musically for me. 

As with any compilation, there isn't space to mention all 22 songs, so I apologise to those not included in this verbiage. Suffice to say, every artist and every song merits inclusion. In the words of Young Mr Grace, "You've All Done Very Well"People forget how great Lannie Flowers is when he ventures towards Country and what a twang his version of Walk A Mile In My Shoes is. Share The Land was a surprise and welcome cover and Popdudes always have the knack of doing a song justice.

The Brothers Steve do a wonderful version of Cracklin' Rosie. Fine harmonies and Jeff Whalen's vocal makes it sound as though he is in the room. Thankfully Sweet Caroline was the year before as that is a great song that has become completely done to death in the UK by TV adverts and crowds.It seems ages since I've heard from The Legal Matters and they do a splendid faithful version of What Is Life. My favourite version here is Starbelly's Reflections Of My Life, a fantastic song that the band seem to impossibly add to.

Diamond Hands tackle Lola in fine style with an ace Guitar fest and turn it into Psych Pop. Bill Lloyd's choice of Mama Told Me Not To Come is inspired and he too slips into Psych Pop joy too. I also still think that The Armoires' version of Yellow River suits them perfectly.Love Grows is still one of my favourite songs ever and The Test Pressings handle it in style. It is a song that suits Robbie Rist's vocals naturally. Finally there was a massive surprise at the end. I'd heard a lot about how good The Used Electrics were Live and in particular how Loud.

Well they rip into The Stooges' Loose. It is Wallpaper Stripping and just the right song for closing this special compilation. Well done Borack! Well done Spyderpop! This is one album that you'll listen to again and again and again,

You can buy and listen to the album here and here.

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IDHAS Ten Songs Mix 36

After a Bank Holiday Week break, the IDHAS 10 Songs Mix is back with our current favourite listens. Just under 35 minutes bookended by a great opener and a splendid closer. Ready to mither the five Mixcloud Global Charts that it qualifies for.

The Mixcloud link is below and at the foot of the page is the Mixcloud Player which takes you directly to the music. Thank you for your continued listening. The Mix is certainly more popular than we ever expected.

Here is the playlist of the ten songs this week :

01 The Happy Fits - Cold Turkey

02 Simon Juliff - Stars

03 Phil Thornalley - Hell Bent On Compromise

04 It's Karma Its's Cool = A Gentle Reminder

05 The Shopwindow - Eyes Wide Shut

06 Starter Jackets = Outer Reaches

07 Wooze - Bittersweet Timpani

08 Duncan Sheik - Unaware

09 Blake - Lost Ground

10 Cowboy Curtys - Derailed Train

IDHAS Ten Songs Mix 36

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Day Wave - Pastlife

 

Day Wave is the solo project of Los Angeles's Jackson Phillips. It has been five years since The Days We Have and not too much has changed. Pastlife's core is Dream Pop, at its best when it gets chipper. The vocal is a little like Michael Collins's The Summer Holiday, without the soaring choruses.

This is all pleasant stuff and if you like Dream Pop, you'll find this sort of thing that you like. The album is at its best when it deviates from the template. See You When The End's near benefits from the addition of KennyHoopla who takes the song into a completely different direction.

The title track is great jaunty Glasgow Pop and Before We Knew is built on a great riff and chorus. Great Exceptions is a gentle atmospheric gem and Heart To Rest as a splendid twang. The stand out song is probably Blue.

Blue is moody and magnificent, it creeps along slowly sucking you in. It is great pastoral Psych Pop, not a million miles from The Orgone Box. There is a lot to like here without the album ever really blowing your socks off.

You can find out more about Day Wave here.

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