Something a little different is coming to I Don't Hear A Single over the weekend. IDHAS is noted for its coverage of new music, but we are often asked about reissues of Archive material. So for the next couple of days we take a break from the new to review some recent releases of music that has been released before.
We intend to do features like this occasionally, but only when there is time, which isn't that often.
.................................
The collaboration of Marc Jonson and Ramirez Exposure is an intriguing one. A mix of generations and different continents has resulted in this fine album. Jonson could lovingly be called a veteran, now residing in Plainfield New Jersey, Victor Ramirez in Valencia and noted for the splendid Ramirez Exposure.
One a respected solo artist whose songs have been notably covered, the other one of the new breed of Power Poppers. This isn't the first time they have worked together. Jonson produced Ramirez Exposure's 2017 album, Young Is The New Old and they embarked on two tours together, the second with long time IDHAS hero Richard Lloyd in tow.
This album was released last October, but I am delighted to tell you that Volume 2 is due next month and it is every bit as good. The mix and matching of voices works perfectly and enhances the variety on display. Jonson has a wonderful slight gravel to it complemented perfectly by Ramirez's gentler tone.
The harmonies are splendid, multi tracked for the biggest sound. The material moves effortlessly through the years. Tape Recorder deserved the attention that it received, there is so much within. A top notch Jangle with a wall of Spector-ish sound. Zing Zong is a cracking slab of Psych Pop as a complete alternative.
Tilting At Windmills is stripped down beautifully, Everlys like and The Magic Creek is wonderfully produced and all 1967. Sour Lemonade Sour oozes aches and I Don't Know Your World heads down a Country path, yet remains a jaunty campfire affair.
Rain Rain is pure Bubblegum with a great arrangement, particularly the vocal harmonies. Appears is the ballad, again mastered with ease. There is a real 60s feel to proceedings and the vocal harmonies just completely win you over. I can't wait to tell you about Volume 2/
You can listen to and buy the album here.
..........................................
Richmond Virginia's James Goodson releases this mini album swiftly after his debut album as dazy. Fans of OUTOFBODY (and there were many) will know what to expect and be delighted accordingly. This is great fuzzed up Power Pop, very US 90s.
Melodic yet scuzzy, you can't help thinking that these are songs that you've heard before, but can't quite pin down. You haven't of course and we are at an advanced stage where everything has been done before, but you are left with a comparison to an unintentional magpie.
That isn't to decry the offering, it is really good at what it does and there is a real catchiness to the songs, although all this fuzz can get a little wearing. Always In Between gets a little jangly and is dazy at his most poppy.
Tucked Inside My Head heads into fine Psych Pop and I Know Nothing flirts heavily with UK Glam Rock, so much so that I can't get Chicory Tip's Son Of My Father out of my head. There a couple of Primal Scream like Ooh Ooh Ooh's on different songs. OTHERBODY is a really enjoyable listen, but you can't help wondering where dazy goes next,
You can listen to and buy the album here.
...................................
When I covered Das Phaedrus's second album, Dark Winning here, I mentioned that the Dunedin quartet were not purveyors of the type of music that you would expect from New Zealand. The lead vocal swapping allowed great variety.
However, whereas Dark Winning had a particular crunch, The Stars Are Real has a wonderful darker feel. That isn't to say that you should prepare yourself for a miseryfest, the complexity of the arrangements and that variety would never allow such.
There is the straight ahead such as the cross between IRS and Glasgow 80s Indie that is Photowall and the 60s mix of UK Psych Beat that is Close Me Up with its hypnotic riff. The band can also slow things down to great effect. but there is usually a twist.
Heartless Hinds is a Piano ballad that suddenly turns into something akin to 10CC. Wildflowers has an Acoustic, part Folk, part Country gentleness and Speech even has a Jazz tint that matches the song's chant. Then there is the aforementioned darker material.
The title track is moody and magnificent, s little like Brian Bordello with a band and a bigger budget. Red Gold Avenue is all West Coast moodiness. Casey Wrote has a real Country Twang, again restrained, but the chorus goes all Fleetwood Mac.
For all this atmosphere, the best song here is the slightly chaotic Right Weapon In The Wrong Hands. Riffs come from everywhere, very Indie, absolutely top drawer. The Stars Are Real is incredibly inventive in a way that you would not expect. Top Notch!
You can listen to and buy the album here. It is at Name Your Price, so what have you got to lose?
...........................................................
01 White Reaper - Thorn
02 Mean Sea - Idiota Blanco
03 Local Drags - Heard About It
04 The Minks - Creatures Of Culture
05 Hot Nun - Hey You
06 Slouch - Not Disappointed
07 Inner Circle Club - Doomed
08 The Bouncing Souls - Kenver
09 Popsicko - Nastassja
10 French Alps Tiger - Punch In The Bowl
.....................................
Those who know are aware of how Pop Rock Bennett Wilson Poole can be. But I wonder about others who may be influenced by all the references to Americana and Folk all over the place. Yes there is some of that, but this is essentially a Pop masterpiece.
Even the Americana / Country tinged I Wanna Love You (But I Can't Right Now) is more Traveling Wilburys and morphs into a wonderful 60s Psych Pop solo and onwards to a blisteringly great Guitar extravaganza without losing the Steel Guitar.
That mix of Pop Rock and 60s Psych plays a big part in this second album of theirs. I suppose it has to with the pedigree of the trio. Danny Wilson from Danny And The Champions Of The World, Robin Bennett from The Dreaming Spires and Tony Poole of Starry Eyed And Laughing.
It has been five years since that debut album and as ace as it is, this is even better. It is as though there was more time available to hone the album and Poole's Production is outstanding, big, almost Jeff Lynne like in places without ever suffocating the songs.
Ready To Serve is all 12 String Jangle, channels The Byrds and is a Rickenbacker lover's wet dream. Heart Songs is straight from the 70s with a terrific Bassline yet Tie- Dye T-Shirt starts all Won't Get Fooled Again. I Saw Love is pure Power Pop.
The closing The Sea And The Shore is a wonderful piano ballad with a jaw dropping aching vocal from Poole. Throughout though the variation and combination vocals matches the lyrical depth. That debut took some following. To have bettered it is an even bigger feather in the cap. Wonderful!
You can listen to and buy the album here.
...............................
Listening To This Week is now on its anticipated regular Monday slot. 20 Songs this week, so I'll shut up to give you more chance to listen.
We added "Listening To This Week" to I Don't Hear A Single, it was to allow more single songs to appear here as IDHAS is primarily a home for Album Reviews. The IDHAS 10 Song Mix consists of songs that we discover ourselves.
The addition of something that covered submissions seemed another way to cover tracks as I felt it was impossible to devote Reviews to one song. It was also a way to discover artists that we might have missed and we have. Some of the songs we have published will eventually lead to Album Reviews from the same artists.
So I thought this weekly feature may be the best thing to tell you about these songs. This weekly fayre is solely for submissions, not the usual stuff that we dig out ourselves. This is a fine and varied selection of songs. Please investigate the artists further. All links open in new windows to aid scrolling.
Dead Billionaires - Curb
The Honey Pot - I Love You
Weatherworn - Steer You Wrong
Charming Arson - No one going nowhere
The Cavs - Again
Zennor - Three Wishes (Genie! Genie!)
The Confusions - Killer At The Airport
The Freeloaders - Sick and Tired
French Alps Tiger - Punch In The Bowl
The Bicycats - Except For
Nosebora - Sink Your Teeth In
EG Vines - The Swim
The Great Indoors - Music You Can Play At Home
The Caliph - Piggy-back
Gwyneth The Wolf - Spielberg Is To Blame!
Ransom And The Subset - Sara Kandi
CALLISTO - Surf Blood
.................................
Apparently, it was around 2019, although my memory is sketchy. It seems a lifetime ago and the scene seemed much smaller, although it probably wasn't, it was my scene that was much smaller. I Don't Hear A Single was very Power Pop active then and it was via that scene that my good friend Keith Klingensmith introduced me to The Vapour Trails as he was about to release their debut album on his label, Futureman Records. The band caused a buzz, although from Aberdeen, they sounded more Glasgow and certainly more West Coast of America. The splendid Beth Dobson also picked up on them, a lady much missed in these parts who has gone off to be Vincent Van Gogh whilst keeping her ears intact.
Darrin Lee was also in our sphere via Beth and since then we have also become good friends. His Subjangle and JanglePopHub adventures run parallel to what IDHAS does and we share the same weird and warped sense of humour. Somewhat unfairly, The Vapour Trails gained a reputation for West Coast Jangle and though that was obviously true, it somehow overshadowed all the other musical directions that they were equally adept at. Kevin Robertson's first solo album away from the band, Sundown's End, underlined that point. A great album that revealed many of his hidden talents whilst being incredibly cohesive.
Now we have his third solo album, produced expertly by Nick Bertling, a name you should be more than familiar with now seeing as he seems to have been on some of the most relevant albums of the past 12 months. Magic Spells Abound is again released on Subjangle and Futureman and it is an awesome listen. It is as though, all the stars were aligned to enhance Robertson's growing experience to result in one of the best albums that you will hear this year. This is a Singer Songwriter album of the highest order, equal to those classic 70s albums of the genre. Yes there is some Jangle Pop here, why wouldn't there be? It is what he is noted for after all, but this does feel like an even further departure than that solo debut.
If anything, at times this sounds more Folk at times. That Jangle that is here has been adapted to other genres, magnificently so. Only Autumn Brings compares to those Vapour Trails albums and this even concentrates far more on vocal harmony. Candlestick Morning contrasts a Gentle Psych feel with something more Al Stewart. The Crest Of A Dream is beautifully arranged resulting in a Folk like dream, very Aquarius like 60s. It even gets a little jazzy. Wander On is top notch Power Pop and I suppose that you could call Sunset, Neo Psych or even Prog, it is an outstanding arrangement and has a lovely weeping melancholy about it.
As The Crow Flies takes me back to being young and sitting on a riverbank watching the boats going by, a feeling of being out in the open with the only thing to think about was nothing. The arrangement and vocal just surrounds you/ But the real joy here is Equilibrium Blues, an absolute gem of a song, an absolute monster. Prog in feel with heavy hints of Psych and it is something that will absolute captivate you. I expected Magic Spells Abound to be great, but never a s great as this, I certainly didn't expect the magnificent vocal arrangements, particularly the complexity of them. This is an album that is a testament to the beauty and warmth that music can bring to your heart. I am absolutely gobsmacked by the quality. Album Of The Year material? You bet!
You can listen to and buy the album here or here. The physical releases will not be around for long, so don't delay!
....................................
