Lotte Kestner "Stolen" (2011)

Stolen

release date: Jun. 1, 2011

format: digital (12 x File, FLAC)

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

producer: self-produced

label: self-released - nationality: USA

Track highlights: 2. "Flume" - 5. "Hur jag fick dig att älska mig" - 6. "Fake Empire" - 8. "Let's Go to Bed" - 11. "True Faith"

3rd studio album by Lotte Kestner (aka Anna-Lynne Williams) is often mentioned as her sophomore album to China Mountain (May 2008), but she released China Mountain B-sides in 2009, although, the album is no longer filed on her bandcamp-profile; however, it's been out, and it's now a part of her discography.

Stolen is Kestner's first official covers album, and there's a few. The album is lo-fi, indie folk - and propably recorded by Williams without the use of overdubs and practical editing of tracks. In that regard it's quite coherent, although the original songs stem from very different sources and represent a rather wide stylistic span. You only have to mention some of the artists: Damien Jurado, Bon Iver, Kent, The National, Eels, The Cure, New Order, Interpol. And she even sings in Swedish when covering Kent!

The album nicely 'covers' Kestner's musical universe. It's melancholic and quiet lo-fi folk, where you sense the inspiration from the gloomy side of the post-punk influence but there's something uplifting in Kestner's airy / ethereal vocal.

Amy Winehouse "Lioness: Hidden Treasures" (2011)

Lioness: Hidden Treasures (compilation)
release date: Dec. 6, 2011
format: cd
[album rate: 4 / 5]
producer: Salaam Remi
label: Universal Island - nationality: England, UK

Track highlights: 1. "Our Day Will Come" (5 / 5) - 2. "Between the Cheats" - 3. "Tears Dry" (Original Version) - 4. "Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow? (2011)" - 6. "Valerie ('68 Version)" - 8. "Half Time" - 9. "Wake Up Alone" (Original Recording) - 10. "Best Friends, Right?" - 11. "Body & Soul (duet with Tony Bennett)" - 12. "A Song for You"

Compilation album by Amy Winehouse released posthumously is primarily produced by Salaam Remi, but it also feature two songs (tracks #4 & #6) produced by Mark Ronson.
The album title suggests a collection of well-hidden gems, and it may just be that but it's more of a mixed bag in the sense that it contains a big variety of songs - some that were undoubtedly meant to be prt of a never realised third album, and others that, well, weren't intended to be reeased as is but given the circumstances thankfully were revealed without having to fit in. "Our Day Will Come" and "Between the Cheats" are superb compositions that probably would have been included on that third studio album, but the remaining tracks come to define the album as something else. We find outtakes, demos, and rarities rather than future album songs 'cause Winehouse hadn't found time to compose that many more. Some tracks are alternate recordings, two songs are with other artists - Nas and Tony Bennett respectively, where the latter duet appears to have been her last studio recording, and then a couple of old classics make up the lot before it's all over in just around 45 mins. Apparently, the songs were selected by the producers, Sallam Remi and Mark Ronson, but apparently also with a say from one or two family members.
The album debuted at the top of the charts in the UK as it replicated in Austria, Greece, Portugal, Switzerland, and in The Netherlands. It also became Winehouse's best charting standard album in the US making it to number #5 on the Billboard 200 (Back to Black peaked at #2 when it was re-issued). It spawned two single releases - track #11 "Body and Soul", a duet with Tony Bennett reaching number #40 and "Our Day Will Come" peaking at number #29 on the national singles chart.
Lioness... is an album without obvious fillers or poor songs, and it's more than nice to have these recordings as well, although, the collection appears more as an incomplete glimpse into a treasury, where the voice of Winehouse is the jewel that shines through it all.
Highly recommended.
[ 👍allmusic.com, Spin 4 / 5, Rolling Stone 3,5 / 5, 👎The Guardian, Q Magazine 3 / 5 stars ]

In 2015 "Amy", a British documentary by Asif Kapadia was released to mostly positive reviews, although, the Winehouse family and especially Amy's father Mitch Winehouse rejected the film as biased and misleading. 

EDIT 2025:

The Winehouse foundation (established by the family estate) approved the biopic "Back to Black" directed by Sam Taylor-Johnson and featuring a strong lead role by Marisa Abela was released in 2024, and it shows another - much brighter and less controversial - family drama. Several other documentaries may be found about the life of Amy Winehouse but "Amy" stands out as a genuine attempt of showing the story of her life, as it was portrayed and told by the media, as well as people close to Amy. Now, the 2024 film does come with a fine soundtrack, which works quite nicely on its own terms.

Etta James "The Essential Modern Records Collection" (2011)

The Essential Modern Records Collection (compilation)
release date: Apr. 5, 2011
format: digital
[album rate: 3,5 / 5]
label: Virgin Records - nationality: USA

15 track compilation album by Etta James primarily focusing on the earliest sessions recorded by Etta James for Modern Records between 1955 and 1957, which means that the album is not a normal best of collection trying to embrace all of an artist's career.

The Raveonettes "Raven in the Grave" (2011)

Raven in the Grave

release date: Apr. 4, 2011

format: cd

[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,38]

producer: The Raveonettes

label: Vice Records - nationality: Denmark

Track highlights: 1. "Recharge & Revolt" - 3. "Forget That You're Young" (4 / 5) - 5. "Summer Moon" - 7. "Ignite"

5th studio album by The Raveonettes follows 1½ years after the fine In and Out of Control (Oct. 2009). The album is a relatively short experience with 9 tracks and total playing length under 36 mins., but this has often been the issue with this band's studio albums, so in that respect it doesn't represent a big change. What appears as something new, though, is a bolder dream pop feel in combination with the typical garage rock sound. This doesn't sound all too bad if only the songs were evenly formed to this shape but that's not the case as too many stick out as mere fillers, or what could have been compositions for a soundtrack, e.g. "War in Heaven", "Evil Seeds", and "My Time's Up" - with the abovementioned highlights sticking out as great singles.

All in all, I feel this doesn't really meet the expectations and falls somewhat flat after a strong tendency with the previous albums. "Recharge & Revolt" and "Forget That You're Young" are however standouts that could sell most albums but they stand much alone and only add to the sensation of an incoherent and unfinished album from a great duo.

Not recommended.

[ allmusic.com 4 / 5, 👍Spin 3,5 / 5, Pitchfork 5,7 / 10, 👎Slant 1,5 / 5 stars ]

Ane Brun "It All Starts with One" (2011)

It All Starts with One

release date: Sep. 6, 2011

format: 2 cd (Deluxe)

[album rate: 4 / 5] [3,86]

producer: Tobias Fröberg

label: Balloon Ranger Recordings - nationality: Norway

Track highlights: CD 1) 1. "These Days" (4 / 5) - 2. "Words" (4 / 5) - 4. "Do You Remember" (4,5 / 5) (live at KCRW) - 6. "Lifeline" - 7. "One" - 9. "Oh Love" - 10. "Undertow"

CD 2) 2. "Take It Slow" - 5. "Du gråter så store tåra (English Version)" - 7. "Another World"

5th studio album by Ane Brun following the release of Sketches (Sep. 2008), which presents her acoustic demo versions of her most recent studio album Changing of the Seasons (Mar. 2008). This new album is often mentioned as her sixth studio album - but that's only when adding the demo version album to the list, which I find misleading. She has thus been on a 3½ years hiatus, which also produced the live album Live at Stockholm Concert Hall (2009), and this period was also shadowed by some time off due to reoccurring physical illness. The album was released as a standard CD issue of ten songs and as a 2 CD Deluxe edition with a bonus cd of eight tracks, which includes three covers.

With It All Starts with One Ane Brun continues to impress, both as a songwriter, as musical composer, and as a sublime vocalist. This new album is her third to top the albums chart in Norway, which it replicated in Sweden - a first accomplishment for a Norwegian artist. All in all, It All Starts with One is another fine album from one of the most original voices in all of Scandinavia. She never just seems satisfied as an artist but always comes up with new stylistic variations, and here she both proves her skills with emotional ballads and uptempo art pop but really no matter what style she excels in there's always a width, an amplitude and an enormous depth, making it all the more likeable.

This is one of her best albums and naturally a highly recommended listen.

[ allmusic.com 3,5 / 5, 👍Mojo, The Independent 4 / 5, 👎PopMatters 2,5 / 5 stars ]

Papir "Stundom" (2011)

Stundom

release date: Nov. 28, 2011

format: digital (6 x File, FLAC - Impetus Series 03)

[album rate: 3 / 5] [3,12]

producer: Jonas Munk

label: El Paraiso Records - nationality: Denmark

Tracklist: 1. "Sunday #1" - 2. "Saturday" - 3. "Monday" - 4. "Sunday #2" - 5. "Tuesday #1" - 6. "Tuesday #2"

2nd studio album by Danish instrumental rock-trio Papir is produced by Jonas Munk from the (Danish) band Causa Sui (the artwork is by Jakob Skøtt, drummer of Causa Sui), and the album is released by the label founded by Munk and Skøtt: El Paraiso. Stundum is the follow-up to the one year old debut, and 'stundum' is arcaic Danish corresponding 'occasionally', and all tracks have titles after weekdays. Where the 2010 album contained four tracks and had a total running time just above 30 mins, this one comes with six tracks and a total running time almost touching 80 mins.

Where the debut basically was experimental krautrock, I would argue that this second attempt has a much more apparrent experimental post-rock feel on top of the prog rock foundation, which in my mind makes it a bit more interesting. At times it becomes too jam-oriented - the style takes a fusion rock turn, probably due to studio improvs, but nevertheless, some parts tend to sound like free-associations, and then a new theme is picked up and a forward movement is taking place. It's difficult to sum up, but it's like a fascinating trip, and all you have to do, is to go along, let it unfold and see if it takes you somewhere. Overall, I think it's bettering the debut - only, I wish they would be more focused.

[ bandcamp ]

Eddie Vedder "Ukulele Songs" (2011)

Ukulele Songs
release date: May 31, 2011
format: cd
[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,58]
producer: Adam Kasper and Eddie Vedder
label: Monkeywrench Records - nationality: USA

Track highlights: 1. "Can't Keep" - 2. "Sleeping by Myself" (4 / 5) - 3. "Without You" (4 / 5) (live on Letterman) - 4. "More Than You Know" - 6. "Broken Heart" (4 / 5 ) - 7. "Satellite" - 8. "Longing to Belong" (4 / 5) - 12. "Sleepless Nights" (feat. Glen Hansard) - 13. "Once in a While" - 15. "Tonight You Belong to Me" feat. Chan Marshall (Cat Power)
[ full album ]

2nd solo album by Eddie Vedder is a 16-track album and a really daring release. Many Pearl Jam fans must have stood with mouths wide open listening to this the first time, however, it's much more an album I wished for having listened to the man for the past 2 decades in mostly hard rock grunge rock and alt. rock settings. This is the gentle and more "naked" side to his talent. He has a gorgeous voice and it really suits him to sing these simple songs accompanied only by ukulele, regardless the simpleness, 'cause his voice lifts the songs alone.
[ allmusic.com 3,5 / 5 stars ]

Björk "Biophilia" (2011)

Biophilia
release date: Oct. 7, 2011
format: cd (Deluxe)
[album rate: 3 / 5] [2,98]
producer: Björk
label: Polydor Records - nationality: Iceland

Track highlight: 3. "Crystalline" - 4. "Cosmogony"

7th studio album by Björk who is also credited as producer. Only one track is co-produced by the electronic duo 16bit (track #3), and for the first time around Björk is credited for a vast number of (electronic) instruments and as head of arrangements and the mixing process. The album follows more than four years after Volta (2007) and the album was launched as an "iPad-album", which meant that consumers were able to download the album in a 'Biophilia mother app' with all tracks as individual apps including both sound and vision.
With Biophilia, Björk once again takes decisive choices of sonic texture, which in this case takes her into ambient pop territory with several compositions held in a cappella mood and some with a clear presence of chamber pop and glitch pop - ultimately, making it her so far most experimental studio release.
As usual - one might add - the album was met by critical acclaim and several prize nominations. No hit singles was released with the album, although, it spawned four single releases (tracks #3, #4, #7, and #1). Only "Crystalline" and "Cosmogony" entered the Icelandic singles charts as number #12 and #23 respectively, and no other entries are registered around the world. The album peaked at number #4 in Iceland and in France, as number #9 in Switzerland, but apart from these top-10 entries the album was not a commercial success - basically making it her so far poorest selling studio album; however, music critics seemed to love it.
The album is a highly conceptual one, and may be regarded as Björk's take on environmental issues. After her 2007 album, she had fulfilled her contractual obligations and was in a position of artistic freedom, and free to produce whatever she felt like doing, and this together with her engagement with 'mother nature' as well as a deep financial crisis in all of Iceland gave her the idea to work on this project. You will also notice that she doesn't challenge her voice as on former releases - instead she sings steadily and softly on many of the tracks (some have been recorded earlier), presumably the result of having gone through surgery on her vocal cords. Thus, the album touches on progressive ambient. It's an album rich on sensations and it requires fully attention of the listener, as it also contains interesting details and ideas.
I never enjoyed this much, though, and I basically find it among her least favourable albums - with form over matter as a general complaint, although, one could argue that it may be viewed as a near modern classical work of art, and the idea of the project with music, video and a vision of 'biophilia' represented in all we touch and connect to is anything but mere pretentiousness. However, and knowing that it's a media transgressing release, I focus on the music aspect of the album, and I simply consider Biophilia her least interesting studio album. There you have it!
Not recommended.
[ allmusic.com, The Guardian, Rolling Stone, PopMatters 4 / 5, NME 4,5 / 5 stars ]

Mogwai "Hardcore Will Never Die, But You Will" (2011)

Hardcore Will Never Die, But You Will

release date: Feb. 2, 2011

format: 2 cd (Japan issue)

[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,48]

producer: Paul Savage & Mogwai

label: Rock Action / Hostess Entertainment Unlimited - nationality: Scotland, UK

Track highlights: 1. "White Noise" - 2. "Mexican Grand Prix" - 3. "Rano Pano" - 4. "Death Rays" - 7. "George Square Thatcher Death Party" - 8. "How to Be a Werewolf" - 10. "You're Lionel Richie" - *11. "Slight Domestic"

*bonus track on Japanese issue

7th studio album succeeding a nearly fixed 2½ years period in between albums following The Hawk Is Howling (Sep. 2008), preceeding Rave Tapes (2014), and following their first live album Special Moves (released Aug. 2010). This Japanese issue comes with three bonus tracks - two added to the standard album making it a 10 tracks album of 62 minutes (9 minutes longer than the standard version) and with one extra track on a bonus disc containing a 23 minutes composition.

Compared to the 2008 album this seems like a general improvement. The music may reflect a more dominant quietness than usually with Mogwai, although, it doesn't come through as an ambient soundtrack album - there's just more space on the individual compositions and then it doesn't sound as if they build on any particular period of theirs. In that respect it sounds more like a fresh start combining piano parts with dominance of guitars, and then there's just less room for the ordinary slow / fast, soft / hard-opposites. Instead, the songs come out as more progressive structures, which could be interpreted as a sign of maturity, but which ultimately only proves that Mogwai are still capable of looking forward and evolve.

[ allmusic.com, NME, Drowned in Sound 4 / 5, Rolling Stone 3,5 / 5, 👍Pitchfork 6,6 / 10, PopMatters 3 / 5 stars ]

Tom Waits "Bad as Me" (2011)

Bad as Me
release date: Oct. 24, 2011
format: cd
[album rate: 4 / 5] [4,12]
producer: Tom Waits & Kathleen Brennan
label: ANTI- - nationality: USA

Track highlights: 1. "Chicago" (4 / 5) - 2. "Raised Right Men" (4 / 5) - 3. "Talking at the Same Time" - 4. "Get Lost" (4,5 / 5) - 6. "Pay Me" - 7. "Back in the Crowd" - 8. "Bad as Me" (4,5 / 5) - 10. "Satisfied" (4 / 5) - 12. "Hell Broke Luce" (5 / 5) - 13. "New Year's Eve"

17the studio album by Tom Waits following Real Gone (2004) with seven full years.

What a comeback album! Everyone should own a copy. Much of what makes it so great is Waits ability to combine all the styles he has experimented with over four decades into one harmonious release. Bad as Me contains vocal jazz, electric blues rock, cabaret music with ties to Kurt Weill, and it contains experimental art rock tunes linking to Captain Beefheart - all of this mixed well and thoroughly together into single compositions, as well as being poured over the entire album.

Still, there are quite big differences between the individual tracks and there is of course the special Tom Waits touch to hold it all together. Also, I think this is the first time he really succeeds with his most experimental expression since Swordfishtrombones (1983) and through it manages to create songs of the highest quality.

As of 2018 Bad as Me remains Waits' most recent studio album and should it be his final album, it's definitely a fine work to end an astonishing career.

Highly recommended.

2011 Favourite releases: 1. The Streets Computers and Blues - 2. Tom Waits Bad as Me - 3. Liz Green O, Devotion!

Robin Guthrie "Emeralds" (2011)

Emeralds

release date: May 12, 2011

format: cd

[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,48]

producer: Robin Guthrie

label: Rocket Girl - nationality: Scotland, UK

Track highlights: 1. "Digging for Gold" - 2. "Radiola" - 3. "Wishing" - 8. "Emeralds"

[ full album ]

4th solo album by Robin Guthrie follows "only" 1½ years since the album Carousel (Sep. 2009), which may be a relatively normal period between albums but in the case of Guthrie, who normally has spent years in between solo albums and instead released collaboration albums and worked as producer or featuring artist this is a considerably short amount of time. And it's not that he hasn't issued other material, as he of Feb. 2011 released the collaboration album Bordeaux together with Harold Budd. Well, that album is bettering their previous efforts, although, it's still held in minimalist ambient form but they somehow managed to focus on dynamics within the narrow boundaries of their sound, and this could also easily be said about Emeralds. Guthrie doesn't surprise you with alt. rock nor with swirling distorted guitars as heard in the heydays of the Cocteau Twins. He appears to have found his stand in the corner with delay pedals, echo and chorus effects, and with sparse additional drum programming, just to add some details or diversity. And by doing so, he seems to understand the limitations his approach with ethereal and ambient new age-like style puts on his music. On his earliest albums, and his collaboration works with Harold Budd, there was this "body of sound", which had a start and an end, but where you hardly noticed where one track began and another started - it was like one piece of prolonged slow-motion jump on the moon. Now that has shifted with new angles to the jump. The single tracks stand out, although, it's still all very ethereal and almost done without other instrumentation than earlier, I pressume. But there's an overall sensation of single compositions, which I consider a quality of sorts, and perhaps it's something Guthrie has become more aware of - to make subtle changes in tempo or colour. I like to think so. At least I find his recent music and that of Emeralds to be more intriguing. As said, it's still ambient - it's even touching on new age ground, which from my general perspective isn't something you should aim for, but in this case, it works quite all right.

[ PopMatters 3 / 5 stars ]

The Durutti Column "Chronicle" (2011)

Chronicle
release date: Apr. 30, 2011
format: digital
[album rate: 2,5 / 5]

Tracklist: 1. "Fanfare" - 2. "Synergetic" - 3. "Ananda" - 4. "Accord" - 5. "Time to Lift" - 6. "Anguish of the Text Message" - 7. "What Is It Worth" - 8. "Someone Got Away" - 9. "Jeeves and Wooster" - 10. "Friends" - 11. "Emptyness" - 12. "No More Close to Me" - 13. "Resolution"

22nd studio album release by The Durutti Column issued on Kooky Records and produced by ? [Vini Reilly?]. The style and music here is in the same area as Idiot Savants (2007) and Rebellion (2001), which is to say, a return to ambient dream pop, though, I think, it has some post rock feel, or at least a meditative progressiveness.
The album release comes after Vini Reilly has experienced a heavy degree of misfortune - firstly, his relationship with Poppy Morgan came to an end during the recording process, something he mentions in the liner notes had a huge impact on the finalising of the album, and once the album was put together, he was inflicted by two consecutive minor strokes in late 2010 - another followed in early 2011. The result of this has made it impossible for him to play the guitar, thus it seems unlikely that any new guitar music will be realised from his hands.
The overall experience is not that it's one of his best albums. Some tracks sound like outtakes or rough demos, and I find it hard to rate fully. It's also a typical The Durutti Column album that touches on modern classical.

Robbie Robertson "How to Become Clairvoyant" (2011)

How to Become Clairvoyant
release date: Apr. 5, 2011
format: 2 cd (Deluxe Edition)
[album rate: 2,5 / 5] [2,68]
producer: Marius de Vries and Robbie Robertson
label: Macrobiotic Records - nationality: USA

Track highlights: 1. "Straight Down the Line" - 2. "When the Night Was Young" - 3. "He Don't Live Here No More" - 5. "This Is Where I Get Off" - 6. "Fear of Falling"

5th studio album by Robbie Robertson released more than thirteen years [!] after his most recent studio album Contact From the Underworld of Redboy (1998).

The album doesn't fall far from his previous albums in the sense that this is also a combo of preferred styles, a natural love for rhythm & blues, americana and traditional singer / songwriter folk rock blended with contemporary styles and influences from alt. rock and small dozes of electronic. The album features several guest musicians, e.g. Eric Clapton, Steve Winwood, Trent Reznor, Tom Morello, Robert Randolph, Rocco Deluca, Angela McCluskey, and Taylor Goldsmith. Apparently, the album was initiated from Robertson and Clapton's jam sessions, which grew to the idea of a new album - Clapton features on three of the songs and is co-composer of two and is sole writer of the instrumental "Madame X" (track #8).

Although using bits of electronic elements, How to Become Clairvoyant is not the continued experience with electronica as was initiated most boldly on his fine '98 album - neither is it the return to his other solo releases. In fact, it shares much more with albums produced while playing in The Band. And then the songs with Clapton, well, they simply sound like Clapton featuring Robertson, which means r&b pop / rock in that unmistakably (ordinary) traditional British style of his.

The album is not one of his most spectacular solo efforts - in fact, I find it his least favourable. The songs are solid compositions but all sound like others and older compositions, and Robertson sound as if in doubt of who to lean towards: Clapton or Dylan? And sometimes he even sound like imitating John Mayer.

The album fared more than just well as it actually became Robertson's best charting album on the US Billboard 200 Albums list peaking at #13 (his solo debut is still his best-selling and only Platinum-selling album peaking at #38).

The Deluxe Edition comes with a bonus disc titled 'Deluxe Disc' containing five "songwriter versions", i.e.. demo takes and one outtake from the recording sessions.

Not really recommended.

[ allmusic.com 3 / 5, Rolling Stone 4 / 5 stars ]

PowerSolo "Buzz Human" (2011)

Buzz Human
release date: Feb. 14, 2011
format: digital
[album rate: 3 / 5] [3,18]
producer: Jesper Reginal, The Great Nalna & The Railthin Bros
label: Crunchy Frog - nationality: Denmark

Track highlights: 2. "I Love You But I Hate You" - 9. "Teach You Fun" - 10. "Sensation" - 13. "She Fights Your Boredom With Her Soul"

5th studio album by the duo PowerSolo produced by the producer brothers: Jesper Reginald Petersen and his brother 'The Great Nalna' [Ulrik Petersen] together with the PowerSolo brothers, here credited as The Railthin Bros. This is the first studio album completely without the band's former drummer JC Benz (aka Jens Søndergaard). Credits for drums and percussion are handed the Jeppesen and Petersen brothers (and I actually think that the album lacks good basic drumming). With this, PowerSolo comes out more subdued - perhaps because of the 'missing' drummer? - which could be fine considering the ecstatic turbo-mix they normally produce, but here it's mostly neither this nor that making it a lesser work of art compared to the predecessor, although, the production once again is fine.

I Break Horses "Hearts" (2011)

Hearts [debut]

release date: Aug. 22, 2011

format: digital

[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,33]

producer: Maria Lindén

label: Bella Union - nationality: Sweden

Track highlights: 1. "Winter Beats" - 2. "Hearts" - 3. "Wired" - 5. "Pulse" - 6. "Cancer"

Studio debut album by Swedish duo I Break Horses consisting of composer and multi-instrumentalist Maria Lindén and percussionist Fredrik Balck. Five years earlier, Lindén helped forming the band Friska Viljor in 2006, and shortly after, she also became a member of the band Blackstrap. Fredrik Balck is former member of several bands including Aerospace and the band Strip Music, and after breaking up with these he was included in the trio Pueblo. Around 2009, Lindén came in touch with former Cocteau Twins bassist Simon Raymonde, who is one of the driving forces behind the independent record label Bella Union, and Raymonde offered Lindén to release her music and with Balck, I Break Horses became a reality.

All music is composed by Lindén, who in addition to singing also handles guitar, bass, and keyboards, while Balck is credited as songwriter and percussionist. The album consists of nine tracks and has a total running length of 40 minutes.

Stylistically, it's probably what you could call shoegaze revival deeply inspired by My Bloody Valentine, Slowdive, and Cocteau Twins without much new under the sun. These are original tracks, where the inspiration from classic shoegaze and dream pop is quite evident. The album garnered international attention and received enthusiastic reviews, but also criticism for not being particularly innovative. And yes, the soundscape is familiar and has been trodden many times in the 90s, and in that way Hearts doesn't bring anything new to the table, but the compositions are justified by offering something new to a style you may appreciate.

A somewhat anonymous but exciting start.

[ allmusic.com, Q Magazine, Mojo 3 / 5, Gaffa.dk 4 / 6, Under the Radar 4 / 5 stars ]

Fingersnap "Smokehouse E.P." (2011) (ep)

Smokehouse E.P., ep [debut]
release date: Nov. 13, 2011
format: cd (SR001)
[album rate: 4 / 5] [3,84]
producer: David McAlmont, Guy Davies
label: Siskin Records - nationality: England, UK

Tracklist: 1. "I Wanna Rise" - 2. "Some Kind of Masterpiece" (4 / 5) (rehearsal) - 3. "Mister" (4 / 5) - 4. "The Bishop of New Hampshire"

Studio album debut by Fingersnap is a 4-track cd released on Siskin Records. The band is a collaboration work of David McAlmont on vocals and with Guy Davies handling keyboards and piano. Apparently, Davies and McAlmont first worked together when Davies contributed as keyboard studio musician on McAlmont's album A Little Communication (Oct. 1998).
I nearly always just adore whatever McAlmont releases. He has one of the most fascinating voices of modern soul but really doesn't get the appreciation he deserves. Whether it has to do with his openness about his sexuality, or former (?) religious beliefs, it's really just a pity, 'cause this guy can sing like only few. Unfortunately, nothing else apart from a singles release has come from Fingersnap. A full-length studio album has been rumoured but never materialised.
Highly recommended.

[ Interview on BBC, 2011 ] [ "Tears Dry on Their Own" signing cds ] [ "Blackbirds" live 2012 ]

My own signed copy

"Sexy & Dirty House Music Vol. 1" (2011)

Sexy & Dirty House Music Vol. 1 (compilation)
release date: Oct. 19, 2011
format: digital
[album rate: 3,5 / 5]

Album excerpts: 1. Johny S "Can't Get Enough (Original Mix)" - 5. Chantola "Chicago (I Need You) (Original Mix)" - 8. Johny S "Smooth Operator (Chantola Remix)"

A compilation album of club house. This may be a series in many volumes, but this specific album is surprisingly quite good.

Cliff Martinez "Drive" (OST) (2011)

Drive (soundtrack)
release date: Sep. 27, 2011
format: cd
[album rate: 3 / 5]

Track highlights: 1. Kavinsky & Lovefoxxx "Nightcall" - 2. Desire "Under Your Spell" (4 / 5) - 3. College "A Real Hero (feat. Electric Youth)" (4 / 5) - 4. Riz Ortolani "Oh My Love (feat. Katyna Ranieri)" - 5. Chromatics "Tick of the Clock" - 6. Cliff Martinez "Rubber Head" - 7. Cliff Martinez "I Drive" - 14. Cliff Martinez "Hammer" - 19. Cliff Martinez "Bride of Deluxe"

Original Soundtrack album made for the fine full length feature film "Drive" (2011) directed by Nicolas Winding Refn. This is a fine soundtrack, only, I wish they would have made it as a 2-disc release, or in two versions. The thing is, Cliff Martinez is a great composer of film music BUT the first 5 tracks are of other artists doing their electronic synth pop as "normal" pop music, and they are fine tracks. The remaining 14 tracks are Martinez' own film score, which are totally different in style, and what makes it a difficult listen. His music is instrumental ambient progressive electronic (no pop) close to modern classical.
[ film trailer ]

Blondie "Panic of Girls" (2011)

Panic of Girls
release date: Jun. 1, 2011
format: digital
[album rate: 3 / 5] [3,08]
producer: Jeff Saltzman
label: Five Seven / EMI - nationality: USA

Track highlights: 1. "D-Day" - 2. "What I Heard" (live) (better performance) - 3. "Mother" - 8. "Sunday Smile"

9th studio album by Blondie. This doesn't feel like the usual comeback albums. The previous album Curse of Blondie was a decent album, but that was released in 2003, so once again the band tries to fuel a comeback. I actually think they succeed rather well with this, although, I have seen and heard Deborah Harry sing live, and... well, she never had a great singing voice in the first place, but at least she was able to hit most notes in the past, but the new millennium does not provide her with much luck. It isn't too noticeable on the album so what the heck. This is a fine pop / rock album with at least a few fine songs.
[ allmusic.com 3,5 / 5, Rolling Stone 3 / 5 stars ]

Bombino "Agadez" (2011)

Agadez [debut]

release date: Mar. 2011

format: cd

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

producer: Ron Wyman

label: Cumbancha Discovery - nationality: Niger

Track highlights: 1. "Ahoulaghuine Akaline (I Greet My Country)" - 3. "Adounia (Life)" - 4. "Kammou Taliat (You, My Beloved)" - 8. "Assalam Felawan (Peace to You)" - 9. "Tebsakh Dalet (A Green Acacia)"

International debut by Omara 'Bombino' Moctar (aka Goumar Almoctar) following some appearances on local recordings as well as the album Agamgama 2004 (2010). Bombino was born in Niger and fled with his father and grandmother to Algeria when he was ten, where he initated his musicial upbringing before returning to Niger in '97 and his professional career started. When the Tuareg Rebellion erupted in 2007 he moved to Burkina Faso until the conflict settled in 2010 and he once again returned to his homeland.

The album here appears more laidback and with bolder meandering compositions than the successor Nomad from 2013. This means also, there is more room for Bombino the guitar instrumentalist, which can be both nice and enchanting but also less structured with traits of improvisation.

I didn't come around to this one before listening to his fine 2013 album, and I think that have me prefer the other to this, although, Agadez surely has its moments. It's more of a simple structured album with less emphasis on the arrangements - but to say is a lesser album is a hard verdict, it's more like I'm more into his later albums, which also bridge to traditional Western strucuring of compositions. That said, I think Bombino is a wonderful and original guitarist and vocalist.