Hifi Sean & David McAlmont "Daylight" (2024)

Daylight

release date: 16. aug 2024

format: digital (12 x File, FLAC)

[vurdering: 4 / 5] [3,90]

producer: Hifi Sean

selskab: Plastique Recordings - nationalitet: England, UK

Udvalgte numre: 1. "Daylight" - 2. "Sun Come Up" - 3. "Coalition" - 4. "You Are My" - 5. "Meantime" - 7. "Sad Banger" - 8. "USB - USC" - 9. "Summery"

2. samarbejdsalbum fra elektroniske kunstner Hifi Sean og soul- og vocal jazz-sanger David McAlmont som efterfølger til det roste Happy Ending (sep. 2022). Debuten præsenterede os ligeledes for tolv sange, men hvor det albums samlede spilletid sneg sig op på knap en time (56 min.), afslører denne nye samling mere traditionelle spillelængder, der får udgivelsen til at lande på lige under 40 minutter. Det første udspil favnede dristige, eksperimenterende og stilistiske toner med plads nok til Hifi Sean's flair for kompositionsmæssig mangfoldighed; ikke desto mindre var slutresultatet en blanding af elektronisk house møder pop-soul iblandet disco-bidder og moderne synthpop - altsammen flot holdt sammen af især McAlmonts undervurderede blændende vokal, og det føltes stadig som et sammenhængende album.

Daylight fortsætter som en varm sommerbrise, og det ser også ud til netop at have været duoens intention. Ifølge deres Bandcamp-profil er albummet det første af to 'søskende'-albums - den anden er Twilight, som tiltænkes udgivet i starten af 2025. I mellemtiden er dette første kapitel en ret stærk og særdeles fin opfølger til en flot debut. Det handler om den lyse og varme side ved tingene, og duoen cementerer kun deres værd. Med den musikalske partner Hifi Sean er det en fornøjelse at være vidne til, hvordan McAlmont træder i karakter med det, han virker skæbnebestemt til: at synge, synge, synge, og når han får muligheden, fejler han aldrig.

Daylight er en varm og anbefalelsesværdig lytteoplevelse.

[ The Guardian, The Line of Best Fit 4 / 5 stjerner ]

Hifi Sean & David McAlmont "Happy Ending" (2022)

Happy Ending

release date: Sep. 23, 2022

format: digital (12 x File, FLAC)

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

producer: Hifi Sean

label: Plastique Recordings - nationality: England, UK

Track highlights: 1. "Happy Ending" - 2. "The Fever" - 3. "Beautiful" - 5. "All in the World" - 6. "Diamond Dust" - 7. "The Skin I'm In" - 8. "Maybe" - 10. "Real Thoughts in Real Time"

Studio album debut by a duo who appears to have been working together for a few years. The album was released as double vinyl album in Sep. 2022 and on cd and for digital download via bandcamp on Feb 3. 2023. Hifi Sean (aka Sean Dickson) is a producer and composer and McAlmont - apart from being an art historian (a degree he took in 2016) - simply possesses one of Britain's finest voices. Their first single release was "Bunker to Bunker" (Jun. 2020), but McAlmont collaborated with Hifi Sean on the track "Like Josephine Baker" appearing on Sean's 2016 solo album Ft.. During 2022 they have released a number of singles that have all been included on this one

McAlmont has made it his thing doing collaborations. I guess, he just needs to work with a strong musical composer and arranger, as his own strengths are as songwriter and vocalist. He became an international star working with Bernard Butler on their two albums The Sound of McAlmont & Butler (1995) and on Bring It Back (2002), and then he has made collaborative releases from time to time, typically with a pianist and composer: the albums The Glare (2009) with Michael Nyman, under the name of David McAlmont & Michael Nyman, Smokehouse E.P. (2011) with Guy Davies, released under their band name Fingersnap, and The Last Bohemians (2019) with Alex Webb under the name of McAlmont & Webb.

Happy Ending is a fine soul-fueled combo of house, electro-pop and neo-soul with bits of disco and jazz, and despite the huge combo of styles, it works more than ordinarily well, I think, and primarily thanks to the vocal performances by McAlmont, who shines nicely on most of the tracks but also thanks to Sean Dickson's arranger/producer skills. Happy Endings is such a warm and lovely album.

[ The Line of Best Fit👍, Mojo 4 / 5, MusicOMH 4,5 / 5, The Guardian👎 3 / 5 stars ]

Arcade Fire "Everything Now" (2017)

Everything Now
release date: Jul. 28, 2017
format: cd
[album rate: 3 / 5] [2,92]
producer: Arcade Fire and various
label: Columbia - nationality: Canada

Track highlights: 2. "Everything Now" - 4. "Creature Comfort" - 5. "Peter Pan" - 7. "Infinite Content" - 11. "Put Your Money on Me"

5th studio album by Arcade Fire is self-produced by the band with various co-producers on selected tracks sees the band on their perhaps most radical stylistic change. Reflektor had the band try on disco and alt. dance on a number of tracks, but with this, the band has completely moved into a new territory of dance-oriented music.The title track is extended in 3 songs: track 1 "Everything_Now (Continued)", with an underscore continue track 13 "Everything Now (Continued)" without the underscore and plays with the media as to underline what is proposed in the two track titles "Infinite Content" (#7) and "Infinite_Content" (#8) - the whole album is meant to play indefinitely.
It's not that it's bad, 'cause the production sound is there - it's more so a question about what they contribute with. Yes, they can play whatever they feel like, but going synthpop on the dancefloor means that you should add something to the genre - new danceable tunes. But this is just all so ever cute without that thangg. Where are the more than just interesting songs? The title song has been playing on my radio for months, and I'm so tired of that tune. It never was a great one after all, but that's how the music business works these days. Some tracks are cheesy, some have indie pop potential ('Peter Pan', 'Infinite Content'), some sound as drawn after other successful dance songs by New Order ('Creature Comfort'), Daft Punk / Chemical Brothers ('Signs of Life', 'Electric Blue').
Looking down the Arcade Fire path, I see greatness in the wilderness, but I no longer have strong expectations about this band for the future. They jumped right onto the big scene, and perhaps too soon to be able to navigate and continue in what would have been a natural progression.
The album cover is made in numerous editions with different colours and titles in native languages.
This is not really recommended.
[ 👍allmusic.com, Q Magazine, The Guardian 3 / 5, Rolling Stone 4 / 5 stars ]

Roxy Music "Manifesto" (1979)

Manifesto
release date: Mar. 1, 1979
format: vinyl (reissue) / cd (2015 remaster)
[album rate: 4 / 5] [3,78]
producer: Roxy Music
label: Polydor Records - nationality: England, UK

Track highlights: A) 2. "Trash" - 3. "Angel Eyes" - 4. "Still Falls the Rain" - 5. "Stronger Through the Years" - - B) 1. "Ain't That So" - 3. "Dance Away" - 4. "Spin Me Round"

6th studio album by Roxy Music originally released by E.G. in the UK, Polydor in Europe and by Atco Records for the North American market. The album is the band's first after having reunited in '78 and after a period where Bryan Ferry released three solo albums. Manifesto follows the release of the band's fifth: Siren from 1975 after which Ferry released three solo albums Let's Stick Together (1976), In Your Mind (1977), and The Bride Stripped Bare (1978). The band credited on Manifesto are reduced to four members: Bryan Ferry, Phil Manzanera, Andy Mackay, and Paul Thompson - the latter left the band in 1980.
Musically, the band has taken a bolder move with a stronger dancefloor appeal by including elements from a world of disco and funk. Critics weren't exactly overwhelmed by the new Roxy Music; however, the album performed more than well, peaking at number #7 in the UK and reaching number #23 in the US - their best-ever charting album on the Billboard 200.
In retrospect, I think of it as one the band's better albums, and I guess the big difference is when, and for what reasons, you fell for this band's music. Personally, I didn't really know of the period before this, which I only discovered after falling for this, the successor Flesh + Blood (May 1980), and their grand finale: Avalon (May 1982), and imho, those three albums represent the band's very best.
This is classic Roxy Music and a most recommended album.
[ allmusic.com 3 / 5, Rolling Stone 3,5 / 5, Pitchfork 7,5 / 10, Smash Hits 4 / 5 stars ]

Pink Project "Hypnotized" (1983) (single)

Hypnotized, 7'' single
release date: 1983
format: vinyl (BR 50307)
[single rate: 2,5 / 5] [2,38]
producer: Salvatore Annunziata
label: Baby Records - nationality: Italy

Tracklist: A) "Hypnotized" - - B) "Hypnotized" (Instrumental)

Single release by Italian duo Pink Project consisting of Luciano Ninzatti and Stefano Pulga. The title track is taken from its second mini-album Split (1983).

Lou Reed "The Bells" (1979)

The Bells
release date: Apr. 1979
format: digital
[album rate: 3 / 5] [2,92]
producer: Lou Reed
label: Arista Records - nationality: USA

9th studio album by newly deseased Lou Reed (Oct. 27, 2013) follows the release of the double live album Live: Take No Prisoners (Nov. 1978). The mid-70s found Lou Reed moving away from glam rock, now making music primarily in a adult rock and pop / rock style with a certain art rock profile. With The Bells he expands his stylistic universe by incorporating disco and funk. I never really liked this album that much and find it more of one of his misses of another transition period. Alledgedly, Reed himself has spoken fondly about it and actually has picked this as a personal favourite. Well, could it be that he (says he) likes it only because critics have seen it as a minor work of his? That would be SO much in the spirit of Lou Reed. Anyway, on most albums you'll see Lou as songwriter of all his songs but for this, most songs are composed in a collaboration with either Nils Lofgren (tracks #1, #4, and #6), Michael Fonfara (tracks #2 and #3), Marty Fogel (tracks #2 and #9), Ellard Boles (tracks #2 and #8), or Don Cherry (track #7). At worst, everything sounds a wee bit like an imitation of Bruce Springsteen but it's nevertheless an actual studio album by the great Lou Reed. It's not intentionally, nor in the light of this album that I choose to remember Lou Reed but I guess it also represents his many faces. He couldn't be framed in, and as an artist, he surely never stood grounded in the same spot but always kept renewing himself - searching for that new ingredient to color his sound. RIP Lewis Allan Reed.
Not recommended.
[ allmusic.com 4 / 5 stars ]

Boney M "Oceans of Fantasy" (1979)

Oceans of Fantasy
release date: Sep. 21, 1979
format: vinyl
[album rate: 2,5 / 5] [2,66]
producer: Frank Farian
label: Atlantic Records - nationality: (West) Germany

4th studio album by Boney M originally released on Hansa.

Earth, Wind & Fire "I Am" (1979)

I Am
release date: Jun. 9, 1979
format: vinyl
[album rate: 4 / 5] [3,86]
producer: Maurice White
label: ARC - nationality: USA

Track highlights: 1. "In the Stone" (4 / 5) - 2. "Can't Let Go" - 3. "After the Love Has Gone" - 5. "Boogie Wonderland (feat. The Emotions)" (5 / 5) - 6. "Star" - 9. "You and I"

9th studio album by Earth, Wind & Fire originally released by Columbia Records and American Recording Company (ARC).
I believe my brother handed me this as a Christmas present back '79, as he knew I listened to Boney M.

[ allmusic.com 3 / 5, MusicHound 4 / 5 stars ]

~ ~ ~

This post is part of MyMusicJourney, which enlists key releases that have shaped my musical taste when growing up and until age 14. Most of these releases come from my parents' and / or my older brother's collection.

Boney M "Nightflight to Venus" (1978)

Nightflight to Venus
release date: Jul. 28, 1978
format: vinyl (UK) / digital
[album rate: 3 / 5] [2,82]
producer: Frank Farian
label: Atlantic - nationality: (West) Germany

3rd studio album by Boney M originally released on Hansa International.

I believe, as a 13 year-old, I purchased this back in '78 and subsequently got hold of the Love for Sale album.

~ ~ ~

This post is part of MyMusicJourney, which enlists key releases that have shaped my musical taste when growing up and until age 14. Most of these releases come from my parents' and / or my older brother's collection.

Boney M "Love for Sale" (1977)

Love for Sale
release date: May 2, 1977
format: vinyl
[album rate: 3 / 5] [2,78]
producer: Frank Farian
label: Hansa International - nationality: (West) Germany

2nd studio album by German disco band Boney M consisting of the four members Liz Mitchell and Marcia Barrett from Jamaica, Maizie Williams from Montserrat (in the Caribbean) and Bobby Farrell from Aruba (also in the Caribbean). German producer and singer / songwriter Frank Farian (aka Franz Reuther) used the moniker Boney M for a single release in '74, which only featured himself, but he then decided to a have a dance group to front the 'band' for TV transmissions - he hired an initial group of dancers, which went through various incarnations for the following years until Feb. '76 when the four steady (dance and performance) members basically became Boney M.
I do believe that I puchassed the sucessor Nightflight to Venus (Jul. 1978) in '78 and subsequently got hold of this one, which came with a large poster - a wider version of the front photo, which I had on my wall for the following 3-5 years.

Not recommended.

Gloria Gaynor "Glorious" (1977)

Glorious
release date: 1977
format: vinyl
[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,38]
producer: Gregg Diamond, Joe Beck
label: Polydor - nationality: USA

4th studio album by Gloria Gaynor.

"Radio-Active - 20 Electric Hits" (1980)

Radio-Active - 20 Electric Hits (compilation)
release date: 1980
format: vinyl (RTL 2049)
[album rate: 3 / 5]
producer: various
label: Ronco - nationality: England, UK

Compilation album of various artists released on British low-budget label, Ronco.
The album is a bit of a strange collection - some great tracks but mixed with songs of too different artists, e.g. Gillan, Genesis, Black Sabbath together with Robert Palmer, Ottowan, Kelly Marie, UB40 and XTC, OMD and Gary Numan... The common denominator being the UK and with some bonds to the establisment of an electronic / synth style, I guess.