Bruce Springsteen "The Rising" (2002)

The Rising
release date: Jul. 30, 2002
format: cd (2005 reissue)
[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,42]
producer: Brendan O'Brien
label: Sony Music Direct - nationality: USA

Track highlights: 1. "Lonesome Day" - 2. "Into the Fire" - 5. "Countin' on a Miracle" - 8. "Let's Be Friends (Skin to Skin)" - 12. "You're Missing" - 13. "The Rising"

12th studio album by Bruce Springsteen, originally released on Columbia Records, has by now slowed down the production time in between albums, although he released the studio ep Blood Brothers in 1996. As a new tentative he has put his faith entirely in the hands of producer Brendan O'Brien. The album is the first full studio album in 7 years and his first with The E Street Band in 18 years. Stylistically, the album falls somewhere between his more traditional uptempo albums when playing with The E Street Band and his two acoustic solo albums, i.e. an album with focus on his narrating compositions with the addition of a little spark. O'Brien is renowned for his work with Pearl Jam and I can't help thinking that Bruce may just have noted how he'd like a bit of that new alt. rock / Pearl Jam sound here and there [listen to "Countin' on a Miracle" and "The Rising" ].
It's unmistakably Springsteen - a bit going through the motions at times, but it feels like an attempt to restart his artistic journey. Some songs sound like Springsteen reproducing the spirit of Springsteen with the addition of something new: a bit of alt. rock and new dynamics, but overall there are many new facets to the image of the man. It's predominantly singer / songwriter material, but it doesn't pretend to be neither the new follow-up in his "Nebraska"-series, nor an album that follows the blue-prints of "Glory Days" of 'rock & roll' Springsteen. "The River" contains the same wide dynamic including acoustically driven stories and sparkling rock, only that was exactly the "Glory Days"-kind of near big band arrangements with sax, drums, horns and background choruses, whereas this brings it to newer grounds of rock. Since the early 1980's, we have experienced grunge rock and alt. rock and all that U2, Pearl Jam and Neil Young influence have distilled into something else, which is this.
Basically, I find it bettering his most recent releases, also The Ghost of Tom Joad. It's a fine collection of songs, and it simply qualifies as his most honest-to-the-bone and genuinely sounding Springsteen album since Tunnel of Love.
I don't hear particular great hits on an album, which is more of a whole, where the individually sounding tracks combined make up a solid good album.
The album achieved fine reviews and high sales, securing number #1 positions on the album charts lists in both the US and the UK. The Rising is Springsteen's fifth (and so far final) album to be enlisted in "1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die".
[ allmusic.com, Blender, Q Magazine 4 / 5, Rolling Stone, Uncut Magazine 5 / 5 stars ]

The Creatures "Anima Animus" (1999)

Anima Animus

release date: Feb. 15, 1999

format: cd

[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,66]

producer: The Creatures

label: Sioux Records / PIAS - nationality: England, UK

Track highlights: 1. "2nd Floor" (video) - 2. "Disconnected" - 4. "Take Mine" - 5. "Say" - 7. "Prettiest Thing" (live) - 8. "Exterminating Angel" (live) - 9. "Another Planet"

3rd studio album by The Creatures (Siouxsie Sioux and Budgie) released a little more than 9 years following the sophomore Boomerang (Nov. 1989) is issued on the newly established Sioux Records. The album appears to have been more or less ready to be recorded in '96, but after Siouxsie and the Banshees were released from their contract with Polydor, that also had meant a farewell for The Creatures on the label, and the duo were therefore effectively without a record deal and established in '98 the company Sioux Records only for their own releases.

A lot has clearly happened since the duo's most recent album, and although the duo experimented with electronic beats early on, Anima Animus marks a clear transition from a mainly organic sound to more pure electronic-founded music. There are still ties to a strong rhythm section with percussion as the basic structure and the sound of the marimba, but there has also been room for the inclusion of electric guitar - here handled by Psychedelic Fur's tour guitarist Knox Chandler, who also happened to play on the live tour after the album The Rapture (1995) by Siouxsie and the Banshees, just as he's also found on the same band's live album The Seven Year Itch - Live (2003). Despite the use of a vast variety of instrumentation, it's still unmistakable characteristics of The Creatures' musical universe. There is an austerity and simplicity about the compositions - they often contain progressive structures and patterns, and percussion and drums can indicate quite complex patterns, but the overall experience is that of a flow of simplicity. Perhaps because the rhythm section alone takes up a major part of the overall picture, and then there is always room for Sioux's original vocal, which lift and create a harmonic link.

The album came out to positive reviews, but simply missed a larger audience - perhaps also as a result of the band no longer being cared for by the interests of a major record company. The three singles, tracks #1, #5 and #7 were released without charting higher than No. #72 ("Say").

Anima Animus is a quite fine album where Budgie once again is left room to demonstrate his skills as an percussionist equilibrist and where Sioux also impresses with one of her finest vocal performances. PJ Harvey, for example, has included the album on her top-10 list of the best albums of '99.

The album is no less than the very best in the discography of The Creatures.

[ allmusic.com 3 / 5, The Times, Uncut 4 / 5 stars ]

Morrissey "The Youngest Was The Most Loved" (2006), single

The Youngest Was the Most Loved, single
release date: Jun. 27, 2006
format: cd
[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,56]
producer: Tony Visconti
label: Attack Records - nationality: England, UK

Tracklist: 1. "The Youngest Was the Most Loved" (3,5 / 5) - 2. "If You Don't Like Me, Don't Look at Me" (3,5 / 5) - 3. "A Song From Under the Floorboards" (4 / 5) - 4. "Ganglord" (3 / 5)

CD single by Morrissey from his most recent album Ringleader of the Tormentors (Mar. 2006) with enhanced track list (for the American market), as the ordinary single (cd and vinyl) just contains the first two tracks.
The single peaked at number #14 on the national singles chart list. The standard single is somewhat superfluous once you have the album as only track #2 is new but rather anonymous; however, the US version is a fine bargain, especially for the cover song "A Song From Under the Floorboards" originally written by (Manchester-based) post-punk band Magazine and included on its album The Correct Use of Soap from 1980.

Mark Knopfler "Cal" (OST) (1984)

Cal (soundtrack)
release date: Aug. 24, 1984
format: digital
[album rate: 2,5 / 5] [2,35]
producer: Mark Knopfler
label: Vertigo Records - nationality: England, UK

Track highlights: 5. "A Secret Place / Where Will You Go" - 12. "The Long Road"

2nd solo album by Mark Knopfler is another soundtrack album - this time for a movie by Pat O'Connor. Musically, it's in the same style as Local Hero, although, there's less room for electric finger-picking guitar on this, and there's a stronger sense of celtic new age to this.
I really don't like this much. There's too much tin whistle, bagpipes and bold use of keyboards to my liking.
[ allmusic.com 4,5 / 5 stars ]

Hunters & Collectors "The Fireman's Curse" (1983)

The Fireman's Curse

release date: Sep. 5, 1983

format: vinyl / digital

[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,55]

producer: Konrad 'Conny' Plank, Hunters & Collectors

label: Virgin Records - nationality: Australia

Track highlights: 2. "Curse" - 3. "Fish Roar" - 5. "Mr. Right" - 6. "Sway" - 7. "Judas Sheep"

2nd studio album by Hunters & Collectors is recorded and co-produced by Conny Plank in Germany. With this, the septet continues its style with roots in post-punk and its original mix of funk rock and garage rock. The album wasn't exactly met by acclaim, and after this they pursued a style of more general appeal, which in my mind, wasn't the best direction, although they did meet broader success on a national scale.

Blondie "No Exit" (1999)

No Exit
release date: Feb. 23, 1999
format: digital
[album rate: 2,5 / 5] [2,68]
producer: Craig Leon
label: Beyond Records - nationality: USA

Track highlights: 2. "Forgive and Forget" - 3. "Maria" (live)

7th studio album by Blondie released as the band's comeback album 17 years since its so far final album The Hunter (1982). Great expectations were attributed band and album, and a first (and only) fine single, "Maria" (written by Jimmy Destri) helped pave the way for the album, which eventually reached number #3 on the UK album charts list. As with the old classic Blondie hits, they share the signature of Jimmy Destri, and all three singles (tracks #3, #6, and #4) from the album were written or co-written by Destri.
To put it simple: the music here doesn't justify the expectations, and the fine sales around the world are the sheer result of a strong brand. However, with this contribution to the band's legacy it's also hard to release new material and still attract consumers. "Maria" and the second track, "Forgive and Forget" are the only fine songs on a well-produced album, which feature several mediocre and what's worse: several poor compositions almost putting it on level with the 17 year old predecessor The Hunter. This is really nowhere to start a Blondie collection but a must-have for fans - just to complete the collection.
[ allmusic.com, Rolling Stone 2,5 / 5 stars ]

Arctic Monkeys "Favourite Worst Nightmare" (2007)

Favourite Worst Nightmare
release date: Apr. 23, 2007
format: cd
[album rate: 3,5 / 5]

Track highlights: 1. "Brianstorm" (4 / 5) - 2. "Teddy Picker" - 4. "Balaclava" - 5. "Fluorescent Adolescent" (5 / 5) - 6. "Only Ones Who Know" - 9. "If You Were There, Beware"

2nd studio album by Arctic Monkeys is a difficult one after a great debut. It's a somewhat uneven album pointing in many directions, but also with many interesting details. They still play great garage rock and also manages the softer ballads, and the great pop song "Fluorescent Adolescent" stands very much alone, and all in all it only contains 4-5 tracks well-above average, and in that sense it's tiny disappointing. Having said that, I also like their ability to seek out new territory and still holding on to their identity and keeping an uncompromising sound.

Gregory Porter "Issues of Life - Features and Remixes" (2014)

Issues of Life - Features and Remixes (compilation

release date: Sep. 12, 2014

format: digital (12 x File, MP3)

[album rate: 4 / 5]

producer: various

label: Membran - nationality: USA

Compilation album by Gregory Porter is not a best of collection but more of a look back on his career and what lay ahead of his Blue Note debut Liquid Spirit (2013). Yes, he did release two albums before that, and this is not simply emphasising these recordings but it's more of a revisit to his performances with other artists, which count five songs with Zbonics, four songs with David Murray Infinity Quartet, and one song with Paul Zauner's Blue Brass, one song with Opolopo, and one song with Brian Jackson. For those who think Porter is more of a standards vocalist, this selection dwells on his bolder vocal jazz performances with stress on jazz.

Lou Reed "Set the Twilight Reeling" (1996)

Set the Twilight Reeling
release date: Feb. 20, 1996
format: cd
[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,44]
producer: Lou Reed
label: Warner Bros. - nationality: USA

Track highlights: 2. "NYC Man" - 4. "Trade In" - 5. "Hang on to Your Emotions" - 8. "The Proposition" - 11. "Set the Twilight Reeling"

17th studio album by Lou Reed following his longest hiatus in between albums, as it's four years since Magic and Loss. The album is clearly more rock and pop / rock-crafted than the previous three albums that followed New York (1989).
Here, Lou seems determined to make a rock & roll album, but the songs don't come out as the obviously interesting or melodic compositions. To me, this is undoubtedly Lou Reed, but like one is accustomed to, the man doesn't make a lot of great releases in a row, and it appears to be time for a minor miss.
I must grant him, though, that the album has aged better than it sounded to me back in '96, when I wouldn't have handed it more than 3 stars. I think, it's for a mature audience. It's full of emotional songs, dwelling at important things in life that may seem minor at a first glance.
Laurie Anderson, whom he married in 2008, sings backing vocals on track #5.
[ allmusic.com 3 / 5, Rolling Stone 4 / 5 stars ]

Lovebites "Nothing but Joy" (1997)

Nothing but Joy [debut]

release date: Jan. 1997

format: cd (MRCD 3327)

[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,32]

producer: Lovebites

label: Mega Records - nationality: Denmark

Track highlights: 1. "Here Comes My Love" - 2. "Travelling" (4 / 5) - 3. "Love Swims By" - 4. "Better New World" - 7. "Hey, Look Around" - 9. "Promised Land"

Studio album debut by Danish indie pop band Lovebites consisting of Danish-Norwegian lead vocalist Solveig Sandnes, vocalist Sigrún Gudbrandsdóttir, acoustic guitarist Karina FossFenn, bassist Andrew FossFenn, lead guitarist Henrik Olesen (ex-Greene-guitarist and also a member of Olesen-Olesen), and drummer Niclas Tange (ex-Die Kapelle, and ex-The Poets). Initially, the two friends Karina Foss and Kristina Søndergaard teamed up to form the duo Purr after which they made contact with British-born Andrew Fenn (from Excess Bleeding Heart) - Foss and Fenn became a couple and took the surname FossFenn, they then continued as Purr with changing line-ups, Søndergaard left and they continued playing some time with Henrik Olesen (who was still engaged with Greene) on board. Around '95 they expanded with Sandnes and they included Tange to sit in as drummer for a few concerts, and when they signed with Mega in early '96 to release a debut album, he became a permanent member, which settled the current line-up and they changed their name to Lovebites.

Lovebites plays melodic indie pop - perhaps with a stress on pop and with some obvious bonds to British artists like House of Love, Echobelly, Lush, Swedish band The Cardigans, and American names like Mazzy Star, Throwing Muses, and Belly - and in that regard the sound and style may not reflect strong original tones, but still, it works out quite nicely. And especially Solveig Sandnes appears as the band's strongest asset with a strong and lively vocal with a colourful original tone giving great hopes for upcoming releases. Alas, the album would prove to be the only with Sandnes on lead vocal out of a total of three albums by Lovebites.

"Travelling", released as a promo-single in Oct. '96, is the strongest track on an uneven but promising debut. The band was already seen as the next big thing - the album was met by fine national reviews and then as the band was about to sign with a British label for a follow-up, Sandnes decided to leave to pursue a career as solo artist.

Natalie Merchant "Tigerlily" (1995)

Tigerlily [debut]
release date: Jun. 20, 1995
format: cd
[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,42]
producer: Natalie Merchant
label: Elektra Records - nationality: USA

Track highlights: 1. "San Andreas Fault" - 2. "Wonder" - 3. "Beloved Wife" - 4. "River" - 5. "Carnival" - 7. "The Letter"

Studio solo debut by Natalie Merchant is written, performed and produced by Merchant herself. The change from the music by 10,000 Maniacs is hard to find on this, but apparently it wasn't about musical arguments she felt obliged to go solo.
I always found this particular album a bit challenging. Merchant's voice always adds that extra quality to any song, but the strong songs are just missing on this first attempt on her own, or: you may need to adjust expectations hoping for jangly pop tunes of Our Time in Eden (1992) to bolder singer / songwriter material. The track "River", a tribute to actor River Phoenix, is one of just a few great compositions on a strong and personal album that reveals her potential but also stays much in the shade.
[ allmusic.com, Q Magazine 4,5 / 5, Rolling Stone 1,5 / 5 stars ]

Morrissey "Ringleader of the Tormentors" (2006)

Ringleader of the Tormentors
release date: Mar. 20, 2006
format: cd
[album rate: 3 / 5] [3,22]
producer: Tony Visconti
label: Attack Records - nationality: UK

Track highlights: 2. "Dear God Please Help Me" - 3. "You Have Killed Me" - 4. "The Youngest Was the Most Loved" - 8. "I'll Never Be Anybody's Hero Now" - 10. "To Me You Are a Work of Art" - 11. "I Just Want to See the Boy Happy"

8th studio album by Morrissey released on Attack, a sub-label of Sanctuary Records. It features 1970s legendary (Bowie) producer Tony Visconti, and Morrissey's co-writers Boz Boorer and Alain Whyte are both back on the majority of the tracks, but the album is also the last studio album featuring longtime co-writer Alain Whyte, who has been writing music with Morrissey ever since 1990, and who has written music for 6 of the tracks on this album. Five of the tracks were co-written with guitarist Jesse Tobias who would eventually replace Whyte as regular part of Morrissey's backing band.
The style is not that different from his previous albums, although, it may be slightly more orchestrated, which in my mind isn't really an improvement. Morrissey's fragile lyrical output sometimes sounds like a small boat caught in a storm at open sea. The album was Morrissey's third album to top the albums chart list in the UK.
[ allmusic.com, 3 / 5, Rolling Stone 3,5 / 5, Blender 4 / 5, The Guardian 5 / 5 stars ]

The Icicle Works "The Small Price of a Bicycle" (1985)

The Small Price of a Bicycle
release date: Sep. 20, 1985
format: vinyl (207 214) / digital
[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,32]
producer: Wally Brill
label: Virgin Records - nationality: England, UK

Track highlights: 1. "Hollow Horse" - 2. "Perambulator" - 3. "Seven Horses" - 5. "Windfall" (live) - 6. "Assumed Sundown" - 10. "Conscience of Kings"

2nd studio album by The Icicle Works, originally released on Beggars Banquet, introduces a broader and more mainstream sound. The band is still the same trio who founded the band. The album is actually not that far from the style of the debut, but somehow it failed. I think, it was all about sound and style. With this the band placed itself among more traditional artists, and what brought them fame in the first place was being part of the new exiting "what's-going-to-be-of-music-after-punk-scene." And here they kind of say: "we don't want part of that. We're playing pop / rock". Now, it still contains some nice tunes, especially the first two and track 5, but without the jangle pop element and with nice hymn-like ballads like "Rapids" (#4) and lesser songs, I soon lost interest.
Considering the time when everything was moving in all sorts of directions: jangle pop, gothic rock, noise rock and the new synthpop scene with post-punk dissolving into art pop and alt. rock there was little room left for more classic compositions like this. It's just too nicely sounding, altogether; and after this I just didn't pay attention to the music of The Icicle Work, which is kind of hard and sad 'cause Ian McNabb and Co. did know how to make music, and this still proves that, although, it's far from a favourite.
[ 👍allmusic.com 3 / 5 stars ]

The Church "Starfish" (1988)

Starfish
release date: Feb. 16, 1988
format: vinyl / 2 cd (2005 remaster)
[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,54]
producer: Greg Ladanyi, Waddy Wachtel & The Church
label: Arista Records - nationality: Australia

Track highlights: 1. "Destination" - 2. "Under the Milky Way" - 4. "Lost" - 6. "Spark" - 8. "Reptile"

5th studio album by The Church following a little more than two years after Heyday (Nov. '85) and released on Mushroom in Australia and Arista Records for international releases. Apparently, "Starfish" was Kilbey's nickname for Donette Thayer [guitarist in the band Game Theory, 1986-89], with whom he partly formed the music project Hex in '88 and also paired with - while at the same time still pairing with Karin Jansson.

According to Steve Kilbey the recordings for the album were a rather negative experience, where the band had wanted to make an album that sounded more like live recordings - approaching something immediate and present, but Kilbey, who was the only granted access to the producer's room, was informed that they only did what they were hired to do, and instead, the group was left with an album sounding very different from what they had wanted. At yes, the sound is far from live atmosphere and instead it's been created with grandiose and a voluminous sound. Still, the reception of the album was positive among critics and it sold quite well. Starfish landed at number #11 on the Australian charts and entered top 50 at number #41 in the US where it's still seen as the band's commercial breakthrough.

"Under the Milky Way", written by Kilbey and girlfriend Karin Jansson, was released as the first single and quickly became an international hit peaking at No. #2 on the US mainstream singles chart, the Billboard Hot 100. The track earned the band the "Single of the Year" award with the Australian ARIA Music Awards in 1989, and in 2008 the song was voted Best Australian Song of the past twenty years by readers of The Weekend Australian Magazine. "Reptile" followed as the second single and did less well, and the final single from the album "Destination" simply failed to chart, but the album is the only from The Church to achieve Gold status (selling more than 500,000 copies) in USA. Despite the success which followed the album release, Kilbey has criticized it for being lifeless and sterile.

In 2005, the album was released in a remastered version as a 2-disc Deluxe Edition on EMI Music Australia with a bonus CD containing twelve tracks, seven of which are bonus material (released in 1991 on the compilation A Quick Smoke at Spot's: Archives 1986-1990), three are acoustic versions of tracks from the original album, and the last two tracks were previously released as B-side material on the Australian 12'' single Under the Milky Way.

The front cover shows the four band members, top left: Richard Ploog, Steve Kilbey, Marty Wilson-Piper, and Peter Koppes.

[ allmusic.com 4,5 / 5, Rolling Stone 4 / 5 stars ]

The Icicle Works "The Icicle Works" (1984)

The Icicle Works [debut]
release date: Mar. 23, 1984
format: vinyl (V206 187) / cd (1988) / cd (2006 remaster)
[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,58]
producer: Hugh Jones
label: Virgin / Beggars Banquet - nationality: England, UK

Track highlights: 1. "Chop the Tree" - 2. "Love Is a Wonderful Colour" - 4. "As the Dragonfly Flies" - 6. "In the Cauldron of Love" - 9. "Birds Fly (Whisper to a Scream)" (4 / 5)

Studio debut album by Liverpool band The Icicle Works, who at this point were still performing as a trio consisting of primary songwriter Ian McNabb on lead vocals, guitar and keyboards, Chris Layhe on bass and backing vocals, and with Chris Sharrock on drums and percussion.
I recall buying the album back then and finding it truly great. Later on - with the follow-up The Small Price of a Bicycle from '85 I soon tired from McNabb's distinct vocal, and simply because time was against mainstream seeking artists of 'pop / rock' without strong originality.
This album has aged, but it still contains a few fine tracks of the era, and it stands out as the band's finest hour.
The 2006 remaster is released in a 3-disc versions.
[ allmusic.com 4,5 / 5 stars ]

Kashmir "E.A.R." (2013)

E.A.R.
release date: Mar. 18, 2013
format: digital
[album rate: 2,5 / 5] [2,25]
producer: Kashmir
label: Columbia Records / Sony Music - nationality: Denmark

Track highlights: 2. "Piece of the Sun" - 3. "Peace in the Heart" - 4. "Seraphina" - 7. "Purple Heart"

7th studio album by Kashmir. The album's title is apparently an abbreviation for 'Eternally Amplified Restlessness' [!] - whatever that is supposed to suggest! The album marks yet another change of style into more bold dream pop. It also introduces sampling taken from electronic styles. There's a quiet and ambient feel to several songs as heard on chamber pop, art pop releases, making me think of Teitur ("Piece of the Sun") and / or Efterklang, Agnes Obel, or Sigur Rós. As usual, when Kashmir incorporates new styles and genres in its music, it hardly ever sounds original, and neither does this. This is yet another mediocre release from Kashmir.

Kashmir "Trespassers" (2010)

Trespassers
release date: Feb. 1, 2010
format: cd
[album rate: 2 / 5] [2,05]
producer: Kashmir, Andy Wallace, John O'Mahony
label: Columbia Records / Sony Music - nationality: Denmark

Track highlights: 1. "Mouthful of Wasps" (2,5 / 5) - 2. "Intruder" (3 / 5) - 3. "Mantaray"

6th studio album by Kashmir is yet another not so original album release with music strongly inspired by (mostly British) artists like Radiohead, Coldplay and bits of new stylistic elements in its universe taken from post-punk revival artists like Editors and Interpol. The track "Mouthful of Wasps" featuring Oh Land on vocals was played so often on the national radio stations P3 and P4 that I had to turn off my radio - it's simply not a fine song - at the best it's mediocre (this album isn't even that), and that's really a fitting label for this copy-band, but don't say that to a Dane - they are so proud of Kashmir, and Eistrup is such a gifted songwriter (there). The bass, guitar and drum lines are Radiohead-founded to a degree that makes me wonder: WHY not try something else??? And no, I don't mean when you add a piano-sequence from a Coldplay track! That doesn't make it any better.

John Frusciante "To Record Only Water for Ten Days" (2001)

To Record Only Water for Ten Days
release date: Feb. 13, 2001
format: digital
[album rate: 2,5 / 5]

Track highlights: 2. "Someone's" - 3. "The First Season" - 4. "Wind Up Space" - 5. "Away & Anywhere" - 7. "Fallout" - 9. "With No One" - 15. "Moments Have You"

3rd album by John Frusciante. After the debut in '94 he released his second solo album Smile From the Streets You Hold in '97. I haven't heard the album but after reading reviews and Frusciante himself telling that many of the tracks are from the same period as his debut album, I have neglected it - also, Frusciante himself has disowned the album as to poor.

This album is quite different from the debut, and it's said to have been made after a rehab period for his drug addiction. At least the songs seem organized in concordance with traditional songwriting procedures, which is also to say, that they appear as compositions with a start, a middle, and an end. On top of that, they have verses and choruses, and several tracks are rather good songs. The style is neo-psychedelic, indie rock and synthpop with a singer / songwriter touch. 

It's not bad. It's just not really great.
[ allmusic.com 4 / 5, Rolling Stone 3 / 5 stars ]

David Bowie "★[Blackstar]" (2016)

★[Blackstar]
release date: Jan. 8, 2016
format: cd
[album rate: 3 / 5] [2,86]
producer: David Bowie, Tony Visconti
label: ISO Records / Columbia - nationality: England, UK

Tracklist: 1. "★" - 2. " 'Tis a Pity She Was a Whore" - 3. "Lazarus" (4 / 5) - 4. "Sue (Or in a Season of Crime)" - 5. "Girl Loves Me" - 6. "Dollar Days" - 7. "I Can't Give Everything Away"

25th and final studio album by David Bowie released on his 69th birthday, two days before he died Jan. 10. It's a complex, dark, and sinister art rock album, which was met by critical acclaim. Luckily, the album was reviewed by major music magazines and critics prior to his death.
I must say that I haven't been a fan of his for the past 35 years or so, regarding Scary Monsters (And Super Creeps) from 1980 as his last fine album. Let's Dance wasn't and has never been my cup of tea, however, he almost didn't make a poor album in the '70s. And then this. The album is completely new to me. I didn't manage to hear it before all of the first issues was sold-out after his sudden death, but now I got hold of it, and it really sounds like an interesting and fine artistic accomplishment. "Lazarus", with its playing time of more than 6 mins is the finest track. At least so far, but more songs lurk and quirk - in the dark, awaiting to unfold itself. I think it's fine and quite interesting, mind you, however, "great" or "brilliant" are not words, I come to think of. Bowie is Bowie, undoubtedly. Having said that, I'm not staggering in amazement. And although this is by no means boring nor mainstream, and yes, it's surely highly original music - quite so, it's just not something I find on my player. I'm more into... something else.
[ allmusic.com, Rolling Stone, Q Magazine, The Guardian, The Independent 4 / 5 stars ]

Jan Garbarek Group "Twelve Moons" (1993)

Twelve Moons
release date: 1993
format: cd
[album rate: 3,5 / 5]

Track highlight: 1. "Twelve Moons - Pt.1: Winter - Summer; Pt.2: Summer - Winter" - 3. "Brother Wind March" - 10. "Witchi-Tai-To"

Released as 'Jan Garbarek Group' (Jan Garbarek - saxophones, Rainer Brüninghaus - keyboards, Eberhard Weber - bass, Manu Katché - drums, Marilyn Mazur - percussion, Agnes Buen Garnås - vocal, Mari Boine - vocal). This album is from his best period, from early 1980s to late 1990s, I think. It's beautiful modern jazz, jazz fusion and free jazz. Often, I don't find jazz fusion that great but that's mostly really when jazz has been fusioned with rock. On this album there's absolutely no rock styles present but it's really difficult to place in a genre because of the stylistic inputs from normally far apart genres like jazz and traditional folk in an ambient universe that sometimes almost becomes new age. On other Garbarek albums this style is too much present but here it only emphasizes the ambient feel.

Anna von Hausswolff "The Miraculous" (2015)

The Miraculous
release date: Nov. 13, 2015
format: cd
[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,48]
producer: Filip Leyman
label: City Slang - nationality: Sweden

Track highlights: 1. "Discovery" - 3. "Pomperipossa" - 4. "Come Wander With Me / Deliverance" (live) - 6. "An Oath" - 7. "Evocation" (live) - 9. "Stranger"

3rd studio album by Anna von Hausswolff is like the predecessor Ceremony from 2013 produced by Filip Leyman and released on the small independent German label, City Slang.
The Miraculous introduces Anna von Hausswolff more boldly as an experimental darkwave artist than her two previous releases did. At first, she came out as an alternative art pop and chamber pop artist, and then released the darker and more secluded Ceremony, which in a way was a bit of an almost religious hymn-based work with heavy use of the pipe organ, but it didn't contain the multi-faceted shape of art pop, experimental rock and neoclassical darkwave as common denominator. Here, she combines all styles into one melting pot, which both makes it a strong and original orchestrated work and at the same time launches her music through the classical barrier. Most boldly, it sounds inspired by the Dead Can Dance album Spleen and Ideal (1985) but it also makes me think of Mike Oldfield - the progressive patterns of elements taken from progressive rock and classical' music, and Jocelyn Pook - the classical experimental approach, as well as Greek-American neoclassical darkwave icon, Diamanda Galás. There's always the presence of an underlying sinister tone and a sensation of the unpleasant and unexpected next.
A first listen may not reveal obvious hits, and the album may not contain any traditional such, but it may grab you as an emotional journey through hidden layers of both mysterious darkness and utter beauty.
From my perspective, and without being truly great, this is clearly the so far best release by Anna von Hausswolff.
[ allmusic.com 4 / 5 stars ]

Neil Young "Are You Passionate?" (2002)

Are You Passionate?
release date: Apr. 9, 2002
format: cd
[album rate: 2,5 / 5] [2,52]
producer: Neil Young, Booker T. Jones, Duck Dunn, Frank 'Poncho' Sampedro
label: Reprise Records - nationality: Canada

Track highlights: 2. "Mr. Disappointment" (3,5 / 5) - 3. "Differently" - 6. "Are You Passionate?" - 10. "Two Old Friends"

25th studio album by Neil Young is an album where Young plays with the trio Booker T. & the M.G.'s consisting of Booker T. Jones on organ, vibes and vocal, Donald 'Duck' Dunn on bass, and with Steve Potts on drums and percussion. The album is one where Young plays soul music, and very much as usual all tracks are written by Young.
The album sold well but isn't regarded one of his better albums. Still, it made it to number #10 on the US album charts list and to number #24 in the UK. All tracks except track #7 are recorded with Booker T & the M.G.'s, which is a more traditional blues rock song by Neil Young with Crazy Horse. Yes, it does incorporate soul and r&b, but really, Neil, if you plan on making a styled album with another artist, then why this? Well, I really don't like the album that much. He's trying so hard to clone 1960s genuine soul with 1970s electric blues rock, r&b and folk rock using his characteristic soft mellow singing voice as glue, but I don't think he succeeds that well, which he might have done, had he stayed with the soul not trying so hard to mix styles.
I've really tried (hard) to like this album 'cause ya' know it's Neil Young, right. So it should be good. I just can't find the right moment when it sets in. Not one of his memorable releases, and I would say, if you're not a collector or true fan: just skip this one.
[ allmusic.com 2 / 5, Rolling Stone 3,5 / 5 stars ]

Peter Murphy "aLive Just for Love" (2001)

aLive Just for Love (live)

release date: Jul. 24, 2001

format: digital (18 x File, MP3)

[album rate: 2,5 / 5] [2,58]

producer: Peter Murphy

label: Metropolis Records - nationality: England, UK

Live album by Peter Murphy as follow-up to his most recent studio album Cascade (Oct. 1995) is a comprehensive 18 tracks album with a total running length of almost 1½ hour with all songs recorded live at a single performance at the El Rey Theatre, Los Angeles, Nov. 2000.

It's a bit of a long performance - mostly for die-hard fans 'cause the arrangements are to say it politely, extremely scarse. Fact is, Murphy mostly performs only backed by guitarist Peter DiStefano (of Porno for Pyros), at times supported by violinist Hugh Marsh, and by bassist David J on three extra tracks.

The album release, some six years after his most recent studio album may seem odd. And it's most likely not 'just' to fill in the gap in between more regular albums, but more seems manufactured in response to another album: Wild Birds 1985-1995 (2000), a compilation album, which had been released by Murphy's former record company, Beggars Banquet.

The idea of a live album is not that bad but it's a bit on the narrow side to 'just' listen to Murphy's dark vocal with not much else. The song selection is fine as is his performance, but after a few songs, I really yearn for additional instrumentation, which never comes.

Not really recommended.

Ane Brun "A Temporary Dive" (2005)

A Temporary Dive

release date: Feb. 7, 2005

format: cd

[album rate: 4 / 5] [3,92]

producer: Katharina Nuttall & Ane Brun

label: DetErMine Records / V2 - nationality: Norway

Track highlights: 1. "To Let Myself Go" - 2. "Rubber & Soul" - 3. "Balloon Ranger" (Remix version) - 4. "My Lover Will Go" (4 / 5) - 5. "A Temporary Dive" (5 / 5) - 6. "Laid in Earth" - 8. "Where Friend Rhymes With End" - 9. "The Fight Song"

2nd studio album by Ane Brun released nearly two years after her fine debut Spending Time With Morgan from Feb. 2003, is once again a collection of songs solely written and composed by Brun herself, albeit with a single cover, "Lady in Earth" by Henry Purcell.

With the album, Ane Brun fulfills her great potential and gives us an even stronger personal collection of songs that is not only based on an American singer / songwriter tradition but is shaped by Brun's very own expression. It's a huge conglomerate borrowing from older European folk traditions rooted in the Middle Ages and in Nordic ballads and then mixed with folk rock and baroque pop, and in this mix, something new arises - something that would later be named 'neo folk'. The string arrangements are generally turned down, and they're only present on a few tracks, while several songs are only arranged with accompanying acoustic guitar. The title track isn't the only great composition here - in fact, it's hard to point to songs that shouldn't be highlighted as featured songs. It's both an enormously varied and coherent album at the same time. The variation comes in the dosage of an almost locked in emotional expression, where Brun sings painfully and sincerely, and then on the other hand, the individual songs also take form as light-hearted humorous comments. The overall impression is a very strict whole because the instrumentation is nevertheless narrow and seemingly hand-picked or the songs have been cut down to a minimum of accompanying instruments - it's always the acoustic that carries the tracks with Ane Brun's characteristic vibrato and her strumming guitar, which ties it all together ever so nicely.

A Temporary Dive is a nice Nordic release with an international sound and then it's also an album that places Norway at the artistic top, not just in Scandinavia, but in modern popular music.

Highly recommended.

Arctic Monkeys "Brianstorm" (2007) (single)

Brianstorm, 7'' single
release date: Apr. 16, 2007
format: digital
[single rate: 3,5 / 5]

Tracklist: 1. "If You Found This It's Probably Too Late" - 2. "Brianstorm" - 3. "Temptation Greets You Like Your Naughty Friend" (3 / 5) - 4. "What If You Were Right the First Time?" (3 / 5)

Single release from Arctic Monkeys taken from the forthcoming album Favourite Worst Nightmare (2007). It starts off with a track that didn't find its way to the album, and what a great strong burst of energy despite the short playing time of only 1:32 min. "Brianstorm" [not misspelled!] is the albums starter, and is yet another fine track. The two remaining songs are not bad but not on the same level, but it's really a great single with just one song from the album.

The Jezabels "Prisoner" (2011)

Prisoner [debut]
release date: Sep. 16, 2011
format: cd
[album rate: 2,5 / 5] [2,72]
producer: Lachlan Mitchell
label: Play It Again Sam - nationality: Australia

Track highlights: 2. "Endless Summer" (3,5 / 5) (live) - 3. "Long Highway" - 4. "Trycolour" - 5. "Rosebud" - 6. "City Girl" - 13. "Catch Me"

Studio album debut by The Jezabels. The style is unchanged from their 2009 and 2010 eps but the band may just be better at releasing singles and eps 'cause this is a bit inconsistent as it makes room for both strong and mediocre tracks. On the weaker tracks vocalist Hayley Mary sounds like a copy of Lana Del Rey, and sometimes I just hear too much U2 in some of the songs. Having said that, it's still interesting indie pop and dream pop, although, I prefer the sound on some of their previous releases.
[ allmusic.com 3,5 / 5 stars ]

Korallreven "An Album by Korallreven" (2011)

An Album by Korallreven [debut]
release date: Nov. 15, 2011
format: digital
[album rate: 3 / 5] [2,88]
producer: Korallreven
label: Acéphale Records - nationality: Sweden

Track highlights: 1. "As Young as Yesterday" - 3. "The Truest Faith" - 4. "Keep Your Eyes Shut" - 6. "Comin' Closer" - 8. "Honey Mine"

Studio album debut by Swedish synthpop duo, Korallreven, consisting of keyboardist Daniel Tjäder (The Radio Dept.) and vocalist Marcus Joons. The album contains ten compositions of which at least four previously released singles are included (tracks #1, #3, #5, #8).

Musically, it's a long way from the music by The Radio Dept., which may explain why Tjäder would eventually leave that band in 2015 to concentrate on his duo with Joons.

The album was met by positive reviews but also some negative ones. Basically, it's not music of my taste. Once in a while, there's a unique song structure with chorus-lines and verses, but generally, there's simply too much ambient and trance inspiration going on with keyboards doing simple spherical loops and imitations of whale sounds. And then there's a lot of self-reproduction at stake. The first, and also best, track on the album has the verse-line "Sa Sa Samoa", which then is not only the title of the following song but also has some of the same synth structures - only as a bolder work-around instrumental composition. The album contains glimpses of qualities that you will find much better elaborated by The Knife, and the real downside is that there are too many songs that sound like elevator-muzak ("Sa Sa Samoa", "Pago Pago", "A Surf on Endorphins", and "Comin' Down") to my ears.

The Durutti Column "Domo Arigato" (1985) (live)

Domo Arigato (live)
release date: Aug. 1985
format: digital (facd 144)
[album rate: 3,5 / 5]

Live album by The Durutti Column, originally released for the Japanese market only but shortly after released on Factory Records for the home market as well. In 1998, a remastered edition was released with 4 bonus tracks. The album mostly contains tracks from all albums, but it's really more than just a compilation of older songs, as the versions here are like jazz live tracks, played uniquely and with improvisations.
[ allmusic.com 3 / 5 stars ]

1998 Remastered Bonus Tracks Edition

Thåström "Skebokvarnsv. 209" (2005)

Skebokvarnsv. 209
release date: Nov. 16, 2005
format: cd
[album rate: 4 / 5] [3,88]
producer: Niklas Hellberg
label: Sonet / Universal - nationality: Sweden

Track highlights: 1. "Brev till 10:e våningen" - 2. "Söndagmåndagsång" - 3. "Ingen sjunger blues som Jeffrey Lee Pierce" - 4. "Fanfanfan" - 7. "Sönder Boulevard" - 9. "Stjärna som är din" - 11. "Om Black Jim"

5th solo studio album by Thåström released at a point where he is also engaged in recording sessions with the band Sällskapet together with producer Niklas Hellberg and additional musician Pelle Ossler, who contributes here on guitar and banjo.

Musically, this may likely represent the biggest change of style when comparing the long list of albums featuring Thåström - be it with Ebba Grön, Imperiet, Peace, Love & Pitbulls or Sällskapet. This is a collection of singer / songwriter compositions all held in stripped-down arrangements with piano, light percussion and gentle guitar, and where the vocal performance of Thåström is at the centre of his narratives.

Without further comparison it's almost like Springsteen's Nebraska or Leaving Songs by Stuart A. Staples. It's folk rock with elements of jazz and a touch of americana blended with soft and mellow alt. rock / alt. folk, which may be inspired by great story-tellers like Tom Waits, Patti Smith, Leonard Cohen, Neil Young, Van Morrison or Nick Cave. The songs are said to have autobiographical content dwelling at various periods of his youth and at places where he used to live. Like the album title, which refers to his childhood address outside Stockholm, "Sönder Boulevard" is where he used come when living in Copenhagen, and the song "The Haters", well that's with reference to the band that should eventually become Ebba Grön.

The album was both a critical success as well as a commercial hit in Sweden but it also fared well in neighbouring Scandinavian countries. The album was his second #1 solo album in Sweden and the single "Fanfanfan" was his first No. 1 single hit. Also the second and third single releases from the album, "Om Black Jim" and "Sönder Boulevard" peaked at #2 and #12 on the singles chart list respectively. The album secured Thåström a Grammis as "Årets Rockalbum" ('Album of the Year') at the Swedish Grammy Awards.

Knowing about his musical progression over the years moving from post punk via blues rock and synth rock to his most recent engagement in industrial metal and industrial rock this album truly reveals a new side to his many-faceted talent - at least as a complete album release 'cause 'fact is, he has always demonstrated the ability to compose and perform sincere soft ballads - be it with Ebba Grön, with Imperiet or as a solo artist, but never to this extent.

With Skebokvarnsv. 209 Thåström puts himself at the top of the Scandinavian music scene and he also underlines that he possesses what seems to be an eternal creative source that will provide his audience with many great things to come.

A highly welcomed and recommendable listen that puts Thåström on my top-10 list in a year with so many great releases.

Pearl Jam "Yield" (1998)

Yield
release date: Feb. 3, 1998
format: cd
[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,64]
producer: Brendan O'Brien, Pearl Jam
label: Epic Records - nationality: USA

Track highlights: 1. "Brain of J." - 2. "Faithfull" - 4. "Given to Fly" (live) - 5. "Wishlist" - 6. "Pilate" - 9. "MFC" [Mother Fuckin' Car?] - 11. "In Hiding" (live)

5th studio album by Pearl Jam and the fourth consecutive album to be produced with Brendan O'Brien is the return to a more energetic and aggressive style like a combo of Vs. (1993) and Vitalogy (1994).
I hardly noticed the album at the time of its release and have only recently come across it as one of the band's more successful albums.
In a Pearl Jam context the album is quite unique for being a coherent album. I've always found that the band struggled extremely hard in finding the right expression and a unifying sound for their individual albums by putting too much effort in embracing the soft and mellow compositions with clear folk rock references alongside a trademark of being true grunge rockers with fierce attitude and howling guitars, but without succeeding much in either. For once, I find that the compositions go hand in hand on the entire album, despite having both extremes of the energy spectre. The album peaked at number #2 in the US and topped the charts in Australia, New Zealand and in Norway.
Without being really great, I easily find it bettering the band's highly praised debut, and to me, this is simply Pearl Jam's best effort.
[ allmusic.com 2,5 / 5, NME 3,5 / 5, Rolling Stone 4 / 5 stars ]