Last Dinosaurs "KYORYU" (2024)

KYORYU

release date: May 21, 2024

format: digital (13 x File, FLAC)

[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,42]

producer: Last Dinosaurs, Oscar Dawson & Scott Horscroft

label: Nettwerk - nationality: Australia

Track highlights: 1. "Keys to Your Civic" - 3. "Self-Serving Human Being" - 4. "Paranoia Paradise" (feat. Glaze) - 5. "14 Occasions" - 6. "Wait Your Turn" - 10. "Afterlife"

5th full-length studio or a compilation (?) album by Australian dream pop and indie pop quartet Last Dinosaurs following 1½ years after From Mexico with Love (Oct. 2022), which again followed Yumeno Garden (Oct. 2018). Since their 2022 album, the band released two EPs, RYU (Nov. 2023) and KYO (Apr. 2024), and the tracks from these two actually constitute KYORYU, basically reducing the album to a compilation, but then this has become a quite common promotion procedure - regardless, what you may think of it. But it means that the first five tracks are identical to KYU, and tracks #7-13 are all taken from RYO. The digital issue (from the band's bandcamp site) comes with one extra track (track #6), and the total running time clocks in at 49 minutes.

It's all fine melodic indie / dream pop focusing on harmony-driven arrangements. At times it's a bit too slick, a bit too sugary. For my taste. I find, there's a turn towards K-Pop music on this, but it's nevertheless nicely executed. I just don't suspect, it's an album I will return to that regularly. I simply miss more edge, and a bolder original sound.

Jan Johansson "Jazz på svenska" (1964)

Jazz på svenska

release date: 1964 (HELP-030)

format: vinyl (2013 reissue)

[album rate: 4 / 5] [4,16]

producer: (rec. by Oluf Swembel)

label: Heptagon Records - nationality: Sweden

Studio album by Jan Johansson originally released on Swedish label Megafon is Johansson's third album and it's no less than the best sold Swedish jazz album ever. The album consists Johansson's arrangements of Swedish folk songs, which are characterised by minimalist instrumentation with Johansson on piano accompanied by Georg Ridel on double bass. The abum count twelve compositions with a total playing time of approx. 34 minutes. The 2013 vinyl reissue is based on remastering of the original tape recordings and have been made by Jens and Anders Johansson, who are also founders of Heptagon Records and sons of legendary Jan Johansson.

This album is a must-have in any collection of jazz, and if you think Getz / Gilberto is one of the best jazz albums from '64, you really need to know this one.