Hifi Sean & David McAlmont "Twilight" (2025)

vinyl cover

Twilight

udgivet: 14. feb. 2025

format: vinyl (blue dusk vinyl) / digital (12 x File, FLAC)

[vurdering: 4 / 5] [3,86]

producer: Hifi Sean

selskab: Plastique Recordings - nationalitet: England, UK

Udvalgte numre: 1. "The Comedown" - 2. "Twilight" - 3. "Uptown / Downtown" - 4. "Driftaway" - 5. "Sorry I Made You Cry" - 6. "Goodbye Drama Queen" - 7. "Equinox's Children" - 8. "High with You" - 10. "Star"

3. album i træk fra samarbejdsprojektet mellem Hifi Sean & David McAlmont lander blot et halvt år efter Daylight (aug. 2024), og ligesom de to foregående udgivelser er dette produceret af Hifi Sean (aka Sean Dickson) og udgivet på Dicksons selskab, Plastique Recordings. Twilight er ikke overraskende alene en opfølger, men bør måske snarere ses som andet kapitel til det, der blev påbegyndt med duoens 2024-album. På duoens Bandcamp-side lyder det: "Twilight er en køretur gennem natten på tolv numre fra skumring til daggry, med alle øjeblikkene indimellem."

David McAlmont har mange gange bevist sine vokalevner i diverse samarbejdsprojekter - fx på to fine albums som McAlmont & Butler (med Bernard Butler), David McAlmont & Michael Nyman, i Fingersnap (med Guy Davies), McAlmont & Webb (med Alex Webb), og på sin solodebut McAlmont, som grundlæggende var bearbejdninger af numre fra det hedengangne duo-projekt Thieves, som McAlmont kortvarigt var halvdelen af sammen med Saul Freeman. At han nu arbejder sammen med Hifi Sean på tredje album i træk siger en del for aldrig tidligere er McAlmont blevet sammen med nogen anden kunstner i så lang tid, hvilket tydeligt skinner igennem som et livsdueligt projekt. Tre fuldlængde albums på blot tre år er efterhånden ret sjældent nu om dage, og Happy Ending (sep. 2022), Daylight og nu senest: Twilight er tre forskellige udspil, selvom de er i familie. Hvor forgængeren var uptempo og ubekymret dansabel, så fremstår dette album som den mørke tvillinge. Det er stadig neo-soul og house, der er det solide fundament, men tilstedeværelsen af jazzede 'blue notes' og melankoli er her i fuldt flor, og synthpop-inspirationen har transformeret sig til noget, der er mere velegnet til timerne efter midnat. Hifi Sean sørger for at skabe natlige scenarier, der udgør det perfekte lydtapet til McAlmont's delikate fraseringer.

Jeg håber virkelig, at McAlmont endelig har fundet sin musikalske partner til mange år fremover, for parret ser ud til at besidde en udviklet fornemmelse for, hvordan man skaber fantastisk musik sammen. Twilight er modsætningen / bagsiden af noget andet, hvor Daylight er det, der er ansigtet udadtil, og som pænt og skinnende tager imod. De to albums er markant forskellige, men stort set lige gode. Albummet her, er endnu et varmt anbefalet album fra en stærk duo.

[ Mojo, Record Collector, The Arts Desk 4 / 5, 👎Uncut 3 / 5 stjerner ]

Hifi Sean & David McAlmont "Daylight" (2024)

Daylight

release date: 16. aug 2024

format: vinyl / 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 ]

Brittany Howard "What Now" (2024)

What Now

release date: Feb. 9, 2024

format: digital (12 x File, FLAC)

[album rate: 4 / 5] [3,82]

producer: Brittany Howard, Shawn Everett

label: Island - nationality: USA

Track highlights: 1. "Earth Sign" - 2. "I Don't" - 3. "What Now" - 4. "Red Flags" - 5. "To Be Still" - 8. "Prove It to You" - 9. "Samson" - 11. "Power to Undo" - 12. "Every Color in Blue"

2nd solo album by Brittany Howard is the more than four year old follow-up to Jaime (Sep. 2019). Bassist Zac Cockrell of Alabama Shakes is credited on this, just as he featured on her solo debut, which also counts drummer Nate Smith as recurring musician. The album was generally made with only a handful of performers, which include the two keyboardists, Lloyd Buchanan and Paul Horton, and aside from these four only guitarist Brad Williams and trumpeter Rod McGaha feature on two songs each.

What Now is showcasing all the various styles Howard seems influenced by, but under her guidance it never feels as too many styles have been involved. Actually, to me, this is a bit like echoing how Prince used to arrange songs with that little detail that this is ever so much better. What Now simply appears as Brittany Howard's best release in her post-Alabama Shakes period. Now why doesn't she release music more often?! Ah well, better have a great album than one with only a few good songs, and this one is a most delightful release despite containing songs about negative aspects of life such as climate changes, global crisis, and political climate / turmoil of her home country, and then: these are appropriate subjects to address at the current time, so better deal with what's at stake. And thanks to Howard's musicality, she manages to wrap her songs up in great music and ultimately, simply hands us one of this year's best albums.

This is highly recommended and one to pay attention to.

[ allmusic.com Mojo, NME 4 / 5, 👍Pitchfork 8,3 / 10, Uncut 4,5 / 5, The Guardian 5 / 5 stars ]

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 ]

Gregory Porter "All Rise" (2020)

All Rise

release date: Aug. 28, 2020
format: 2 lp vinyl (gatefold, pink vinyl) / digital (16 x File, FLAC - Deluxe)
[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,54]
producer: Kamau Kenyatta, Troy Miller, Gregory Porter
label: Blue Note / Decca Records - nationality: USA

6th studio album by Gregory Porter is originally released on Blue Note and Verve in the US and on Blue Note / Decca in the EU. The album comes in many formats and in at least two versions as far as track numbers concern. The various cd versions contain 13 tracks as does the European - traditional and pink vinyl - 2 lp editions, but it also comes in a Dutch 3 lp version and a cassette edition both containing two bonus tracks, and it also comes as a 16 tracks digital Deluxe album (Qobuz). This rises a bit of a negative aspect about his releases, I think, 'cause with a running time at just over one hour, the thirteen tracks could be fitted on a normal 1-disc issue, and fifteen tracks would then be "the excuse" to release the Deluxe edition as a double album - though only on vinyl - but it has become a bit of a habit that Porter's album's are released as standard double albums despite not running that long. Three tracks on each side of the vinyl issue results in short playing times at approx. 15 mins. It's hardly compressed adding one or two tracks to each side.
Another thing is the cover art.... and let's just get straight to the point: Porter's front covers have never been about art, or attempts at making great art work, but let's be frank, it has never been this poor, and a triangle with the title alone would even be an improvement.
That bit aside, and speaking entirely of the musical qualities, All Rise is yet another strong evidence of Porter's composer and vocal qualities that simply makes him the king of contemporary vocal jazz. Gregory Porter has relaunched jazz as an everlasting and very modern genre by adding stylistic elements from contemporary popular music - be it funk, pop, or soul. It's remarkable how this man is able to write and compose songs of near classic status over and over again, and that's perhaps where this new collection may feel like an exercise in treading water.
Recommended.

Kele "2042" (2019)

2042

release date: Nov. 8, 2019

format: digital (16 x File, FLAC)

[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,62]

producer: Gethin Pearson

label: Kola / !K7 - nationality: England, UK

Track highlights: 1. "Jungle Bunny" - 3. "Let England Burn" - 4. "St. Kaepernick Wept" - 6. "My Business" - 7. "Ceiling Games" - 9. "Between Me and My Maker" - 13. "Catching Feelings" - 16. "Backburner"

4th studio release by Kele, who once again have returned to stand by his first name only, in contrast to Fatherland (Oct. 2017), which was released under the name Kele Okereke. There has now been room for a total of sixteen tracks and a total playing length of 61 minutes. The album follows four months after he and the band Bloc Party released the live album Silent Alarm Live (Jul. 2019) recorded during the band's European tour in 2018.

Stylistically, he's back in dance mode with an uptempo release using various electronic styles as alt. dance, neo-soul, funk, and disco mixed with indie pop, and a sound which isn't far from that of Bloc Party. Furthermore, he's more political than heard before, and the title apparently alludes to a collection of tracks revolving around an image of England in the year 2042. The album received fine reviews in the UK but didn't chart on the albums chart.

2042 is another fine example of Kele's musical skills, where he picks from all sorts of genres and styles to produce his own personal mix. In that way, stylistically and in terms of form, the album reminds me somewhat of his solo debut The Boxer (2010), without speaking of mere recycling. At times in the past, he hasn't always been able to hit the target with his releases but with 2042, I think he's back on track and the album simply appears to be his best and clearly most exciting album since his exiting debut and is therefore worthy of a recommendation.

[ NME, DIY 4 / 5 stars ]

James Blake "Assume Form" (2019)

Assume Form
release date: Jan. 18, 2019
format: cd
[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,65]
producer: James Blake, Dominic Maker
label: Polydor Records - nationality: England, UK

Track highlights: 1. "Assume Form" (4 / 5) - 2. "Mile High" (feat. Metro Boomin & Travis Scott) - 5. "Barefoot in the Park" (feat. Rosalía) - 6. "Can't Believe the Way We Flow" - 8. "Where's the Catch?" (feat. André 3000) - 9. "I'll Come Too" (4 / 5)

4th studio album by British electronic artist James Blake takes on a new style by incorporating rap on top of his explorations into alt. r&b, art pop and ambient pop. The album consists of 12 tracks with an average playing time from 3-5 minutes and a total running time at just over 48 mins.
The album has [already] been met by critical acclaim, and I do think of it as his easily far best album. Normally, rap is not a genre I turn to, and frankly, most often simply avoid, however, this offers a different approach [than 'the Drake, the West, the Wayne and the-what-have-we-that-sounds-the-same-kind-of-boring-contemporary-rap-thing'] with an obvious more trap rap style but also in a liquid combination with Blake's usual electronic approach makes it something other than "just" [contemporary] rap. It's also alt. r&b and neo-soul taken into a mild ambient synthpop kind of sound that just works altogether as something quite extraordinary. It's such a warm and pleasant soundscape.
Assume Form is not only Blake's best effort, it's also one of the best albums of 2019 and as such highly recommended.

EDIT Dec. 2019:
The album started out as my absolute favourite of the year back in Jan. 2019, and passing through Spring and Summer it remained at the top. Then a couple of things happened: the album began a natural wear and a couple of other releases kept pushing on. Assume Form is a mighty fine and almost extremely coherent album - what I discovered though, is a sensation of it being too polished. 'Over-produced' is a word that kept popping up, which doesn't do a much good - neither generally nor in the case here. The album still remains one of the releases of 2019 that I have played the most throughout the year, but others keep it from the absolute top, and over time, it just doesn't feel that impressive.
Still a mighty recommended album.
[ allmusic.com 3,5 / 5, 👍The Guardian 4 / 5, The Daily Telegraph, The Independent, NME 5 / 5 stars ]

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.

Brittany Howard "Jaime" (2019)

Jaime [debut]
release date: Sep. 20, 2019
format: digital (11 x File, FLAC)
[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,55]
producer: Brittany Howard
label: ATO Records - nationality:

Track highlights: 2. "He Loves Me" (live session) - 3. "Georgia" - 4. "Stay High" (live session) - 6. "Short and Sweet" - 7. "13th Century Metal" (live session) - 9. "Goat Head" - 10. "Presence"

Studio solo debut album by Alabama Shakes front-figure, Brittany Howard. Well, actually she made the full-length album work already in Sep. 2015 under the moniker of Thunderbitch, which was more of a musical project, where Jaime should be regarded as her actual solo debut. Howard is in complete control as she has written and composed all tracks and also produced it.
In Alabama Shakes the music is a tight mixture of warm and energetic r&b, blues rock, and soul, which also is a mixture you will find here, but on top of that this is much more complex in terms of styles. She blends all that with jazz rock, hip hop, contemporary r&b, and art pop to make her own conglomerate of styles and genres and succeeding without sounding forced or too varied.
Jaime has been met by critical acclaim and it peaked at number #13 on the US Billboard 200 and topping the US Americana / Folk albums chart list.
The musical arrangements and stylistic complexity immediately had me thinking of St. Vincent, but it's rather unfair to point at comparisons 'cause Howard only proves her artistic originality and worth, which pays tribute to the American heritage of great artists of jazz, soul, r&b as well as a great variety of modern performers of pop music.
Recommended.
[ allmusic.com, The Guardian, Rolling Stone 4 / 5 stars ]

Gregory Porter "Take Me to the Alley" (2016)

Take Me to the Alley
release date: May 6, 2016
format: 2 lp vinyl (gatefold) / cd
[album rate: 4 / 5] [3,92]
producer: Gregory Porter and Kamau Kenyatta
label: Blue Note Records - nationality: USA

Track highlights: A) 1. "Holding On" - 2. "Don’t Lose Your Steam" - 3. "Take Me to the Alley" - - B) 2. "Consequence of Love" - - C) 2. "In Heaven" - 3. "Insanity" - - D) 1. "Don't Be a Fool" - 2. "Fan the Flames"

4th studio album by Gregory Porter is released as a double gatefold vinyl lp containing 12 tracks with three compositions on each side and a total running time at just above 51 mins. The cd release comes in various issues where most contain 13 or 14 tracks. Porter has already established himself as a shining star and a renewer of jazz, and he obviously likes to work with familiar collaborators. Producer Kenyatta has taken part as either producer, engineer or studio musician on all his albums and many others are old friends found on his previous albums, including Chip Crawford, Aaron James, Emanuel Harrold, Keyon Harrold, Yosuke Sato, Tivon Pennicott and Ondrej Pivec.
Porter has successfully relaunched the jazz genre into popular music by combining it with soul and rhythm & blues and this is also what he does on this with the continued style found on his two previous fine albums, Liquid Spirit from 2013 and Be Good from 2012.
The album has, like Porter's other albums, been met by international acclaim, and it's really no big surprise. You may argue that the album doesn't provide much new other than repeat the formula he delivered on his 2013 album, where he brought his jazz and pop soul combo into popular music territory, but it's not a mere reproduction of the blueprint to success rather than a display of musical ingenuity. He sings like a prodigy and he has written and composed the majority of the tracks - why shouldn't he be allowed to dwell on what he does better than anyone else. Porter is a gift - and not just to jazz, but to the world of popular music.
A highly recommended album.
[ allmusic.com 3,5 / 5, 👍The Guardian, The Telegraph 4 / 5, AllAboutJazz, PopMatters 4,5 / 5 stars ]

Little Simz "Grey Area" (2019)

Grey Area
release date: Mar. 1, 2019
format: digital (10 x File, MP3)
[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,72]
producer: Inflo [aka Dean "Inflo 1st" Josiah, aka Dean Cover]
label: Age 101 Music - nationality: England, UK

Track highlights: 1. "Offence" - 2. "Boss" - 3. "Selfish" (feat. Cleo Sol) - 5. "Venom" - 6. "101 FM" - 7. "Pressure" (feat. Little Dragon) - 8. "Therapy"

3rd studio album by Little Simz [aka Simbi Ajikawo] following 2 years after Stillness in Wonderland (Dec. 2016) on her own independent label Age 101 Music.

Her sophomore 2016 release came out to fine reviews but failed to attract a bigger crowd - bassically like her debut A Curious Tale of Trials + Persons (2015), which had been hailed as the new big thing, but as much as these releases didn't attract a broader public attention, then all of a sudden with Grey Area everyone now knows about Little Simz.

I didn't know of her until I came across this one by chance, and my initial thought was "yet another artist of conscious hip hop", I must admit - 'cause it's a genre, I mostly consider obsolete. "Conscious"? I don't get the term. When is contemporary hip hop NOT about social engagement anyway?! More interestingly, this is UK hip hop with bonds to grime and warm neo-soul with a blunt use of drum and bass. And musically, this is normally not a preferred genre of mine, as I find a lot of so-called contemporary rap and hip hop too generic building on the same well-known formulas, but Simz just makes her own original blend. Securely, she sings soulfully, she raps with speed and a sneer that doesn't let any angry grime rapper have a say, and she skilfully drops her points.

Grey Area came out to critical acclaim, and the album topped the Official Hip Hop and R&B Albums Chart Top 40-list as well as on the Official Independent Albums-list in the UK. The album was also nominated the Mercury Prize in 2019.

She may not have as many believers as West, Drake, Ocean, or Lamar but imho, she links better with Lauryn Hill and ultimately has more to offer than most other and better known contemporary hip hop artists, and she rightfully deserves more recognition.

Recommended.

[ allmusic.com 4,5 / 5, Q, The Observer, 👍The Guardian 4 / 5, NME 5 / 5 stars ]

Amy Winehouse "Frank" (2003)

original cover

Frank [debut]
release date: Oct. 20, 2003
format: 2 cd (2008 reissue - Deluxe Edition)
[album rate: 4 / 5] [3,94]
producer: Gordon Williams; Salaam Remi
label: Universal Island - nationality: England, UK

Track highlights: Disc 1) 1. "Intro / Stronger Than Me" - 2. "You Sent Me Flying" - 3. "Know You Now" - 4. "Fuck Me Pumps" - 5. "I Heard Love Is Blind" - 7. "(There Is) No Greater Love" (aol live session) - 8. "In My Bed" - 9. "Take the Box" - 11. "What Is It About Men?" - 12. "Help Yourself" - 13. "Amy Amy Amy / Outro" - 'Brother' (hidden track) / 'Mr Magic (Through the Smoke)' (hidden track)
Disc 2) 1. "Take the Box" (Original Demo) - 2. "You Sent Me Flying" (Original Demo) - 3. "I Heard Love Is Blind" (Original Demo) - 4. "Someone to Watch Over Me" (Original Demo) - 5. "What Is It" (Original Demo) - 6. "Teach Me Tonight" (live) (Hootenanny) - 9. "Stronger Than Me" (live) (Later with Jools Holland) - 10. "I Heard Love Is Blind" (Live at the Concorde, Brighton) - 11. "Take the Box" (Live at the Concorde, Brighton) - 12. "In My Bed" (Live at the Concorde, Brighton) - 13. "Mr Magic" (Janice Long Session) - 14. "(There Is) No Greater Love" (Janice Long Session)

Studio album debut by Amy (Jade) Winehouse (born Sep. 1983 in Southgate, London) originally released on Island Records is made with several producers where the two main forces are Gordon Williams (aka Commissioner Gordon) and Salaam Remi (aka The Chameleon), who are both credited as producers of six of the standard album's thirteen compositions either alone or together. Winehouse herself, Matt Rowe, Jimmy Hogarth and Jony Rockstar are all credited as co-producers.
Stylistically, the album represents a huge mix of styles and genres with vocal jazz, rhythm & blues, and soul at the core of most compositions, although, it's difficult not also to mention pop soul and neo-soul and perhaps the all-American standards of the 1950s and 60s as one of the major inspirational sources. Additionally, the album title both refers to Winehouse's lyrics as well as hinting at one of her childhood idols: Frank Sinatra.
Winehouse has written the majority of the lyrics and composed the songs in collaboration with either Salaam Remi (5 songs), Gordon Williams (3 songs), and Donovan Jackson (3 songs) plus a variety of others. The album also contains two classic jazz compositions (tracks #6 and #7). The Deluxe Edition contains a Bonus disc of 18 additional songs - consisting of B-sides, live recordings and extended mixes of songs from the album.
The album went as high as to number #13 on the UK charts, and although, none of the four single releases from the album made it any higher than #57 on the national singles chart, the album was nominated the Mercury Prize in 2004 and Winehouse was awarded the Ivor Novello Award for her songwriting and she was nominated British Female Solo Artist and British Urban Act at the Brit Awards also in 2004.
Following Winehouse's death, the album re-entered the albums chart and went to number #3.
Frank is the fine and yet somewhat incoherent debut by one of Britain's most talented songwriters and vocalists of the modern era. Winehouse sings with ease and so much soul that it's a thrill - despite, production-wise, being a bit messy, as if the people in charge were unable to decide whether it was made for the vast pop masses or for lovers of vocal jazz. Winehouse herself was left dissatisfied about the album production, which she among other things described "a shambles made by idiots". You really have to grant her that the included demos on the Bonus Disc support her by revealing the strength of several songs appear to have been over-produced beyond recognition. E.g. the brilliant demo recording of "You Sent Me Flying" has completely lost the strong tenderness and vocal power of the original, and the same quality may also be said about all the other four demos. Perhaps, too many chefs were involved in the making of her debut? They simply had no idea of the kind of magic they were holding in their hands, so they felt forced to re-arrange and produce raw material into something else. Unfortunately.
That said, Frank is still a very very fine debut by Amy Winehouse.
Highly recommended.
[ allmusic.com, The Guardian 4 / 5, PopMatters 3,5 / 5, Rolling Stone 2,5 / 5 stars ]

2008 2-Disc
Deluxe Edition

Outkast "Speakerboxxx / The Love Below" (2003)

Speakerboxxx / The Love Below
release date: Sep. 23, 2003
format: 2 cd
[album rate: 4 / 5] [3,86]
producer: André 3000, Big Boi [Outkast]
label: Arista - nationality: USA

Track highlights: Disc 1: 2. "Ghetto Musick" - 5. "The Way You Move" (feat. Sleepy Brown) - 9. "Church" - 13. "Knowing" - 16. "Reset" (feat. Khujo & Cee Lo Green) - - Disc 2: 4. "Happy Valentine's Day" - 5. "Spread" - 7. "Prototype" - 9. "Hey Ya!" (5 / 5) - 10. "Roses"

5th studio album by Outkast originally released by LaFace Records is like the predecessor Stankonia a release where André 3000 [André Benjamin] and Big Boi [Antwan Patton] has taken increasingly more control. The album is the band's most ambitious to date - released as a double disc cd with two hours and 14 mins. playing time. Unable to agree on which musical shape or direction to settle for led the duo to the decision to release two albums as one, where André and Big Boi would have the final say for their own disc on the double release. Big Boi is credited as songwriter on the majority of the songs on disc 1, labelled "Speakerboxxx", and André 3000 as songwriter on the songs on disc 2, "The Love Below".
The "Speakerboxxx" disc is the genre-wise most hip hop-styled collection and perhaps the disc where Outkast sounds the most like themselves keeping to known ingredients and continuing from where the left on Stankonia, although, with Outkast you know they explore and incorporate a great deal. They also use a lot of sampling, which is done very nicely. On "The Love Below" they thread on new territories, experiment and expand the genre further than before by implementing jazz and funk. André 3000 takes the band into the discotheque, and with songs like "Hey Ya!" and "Roses" they enter the charts everywhere, but it's also the most diverse and most experimental disc on the album.
The album is the band's best-selling album to date topping the US Billboard 200 list but also selling Diamond (which is 10 x Platinum; the album actually sold 11 x Platinum in the US alone: more than 11 million copies), and it received wide-spread acclaim and won three Grammy Awards, including Album of the Year; and it's enlisted on numerous best of lists, including "1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die" as the second by the band.
The album was my first with the band, and for some time, I thought of it as their best, but after becoming familiar with their earlier albums and style, I think of it as a fine but rather peculiar and difficult great achievement.
Highly recommended.
[ allmusic.com 4,5 / 5, Blender, The Guardian 5 / 5, NME, Rolling Stone 4 / 5 stars ]

David McAlmont "A Little Communication" (1998)

A Little Communication
release date: Oct. 12, 1998
format: cd
[album rate: 4 / 5] [3,85]
producer: Tommy D
label: Hut Recordings - nationality: England, UK

Track highlights: 2. "A Little Communication" - 4. "Honey" - 5. "Who Loves You?" - 6. "The Train" - 7. "Love & Madness" - 8. "It's Enough" - 9. "Sorry"

2nd solo album by David McAlmont released four years following his fine debut album McAlmont - here produced by Tommy D (aka Tom Asher Danvers). Since the debut, McAlmont released the acclaimed McAlmont & Butler collaboration album The Sound of... McAlmont & Butler (1995), which may have influenced McAlmont to record an album of slower and more jazz-influenced material than one will find on his dance-pop debut. This is quite different from his first solo release, and if he hadn't made the album with Bernard Butler, many would find it hard to tell this is the same guy, who gave us uptempo pop-songs like "Either" and "It's Always This Way".
Stylistically, it's slow pop soul ballads with a strong vocal jazz tone, and the songs are almost the opposite of the multi-layered compositions you'll associate with his first album out but which also characterises his McAlmont & Butler collaboration material.
As was the case with the debut where McAlmont worked with Saul Freeman, McAlmont has written the songs in collaboration with various musical composers featuring especially Graham Kearns who is co-writer on four songs and who plays guitar on three compositions. Gary Clark and Peter Gordeno are both credited for musical score on two songs each, and also Guy Davies contributes as composer of one song and is credited as keyboardist on half of the album's ten tracks. Aside from producing the album, Tommy D is credited for keyboards and programming as well as for mixing an album, which shows us a new side to McAlmont's talent. I remember listening to the album at a local record store back in '98 or '99 and my rejection of the album as I found it too soft and for lyrically displaying too much Christian appraisal - in other words, my preconception stood so much in the way that I just couldn't appreciate it for what it is... Another decade later I returned to the album after having heard his fine 2005 album, and I was surprised how I could have rejected it then.
The album is a very delicate but beautiful collection of slow ballad-like pop soul and modern vocal-jazz compositions that once again demonstrate what a gifted vocalist, David McAlmont truly is. It's also an album where the highs are more than ordinarily hard to pin out 'cause McAlmont shines here, there - practically all over the album. To me, this outshines both of his collaboration albums with Bernard Butler (the second followed this album in 2002) but unfortunately, it's nearly an unknown release to the public.
Highly recommended.

Bloc Party "Hymns" (2016)

Hymns
release date: Jan. 29, 2016
format: cd (LTD.)
[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,58]
producer: Tim Bran and Roy Kerr
label: Infectious Music - nationality: England, UK

Track highlights: 1. "The Love Within" - 2. "Only He Can Heal Me" (live) - 5. "Fortress" - 6. "Different Drugs" - 7. "Into the Earth" (4 / 5) (live) - 8. "My True Name" - 9. "Virtue" - 10. "Exes"

5th full-length studio album by London-founded Bloc Party is the band's first album in 3½ years and it has been made with a new producer-duo of Bran / Kerr, who are both associated with the dance scene. Four from 2012 (also released after a long hiatus) was the last album in the original formation. Since then, drummer Matt Tong left the band in 2013 and in early 2015 also bassist Gordon Moakes left the band, which for a short time was reduced to a duo consisting only of singer Kele Okereke and guitarist Russell Lissack, who went on to record this album using drum programming and with performances by studio musicians. After recording the album, however, the band announced its new line-up after recording the album in Aug. 2015 with the addition of two new members: American bassist (and multi-instrumentalist) Justin Harris, who also plays bass on the album as session musician, and British drummer Louise Bartle, who was only 21 when she joined the band.
The Limited Deluxe Edition contains an additional four tracks.
More than three years means a lot of change - especially if one considers how this band has always been altering its sound in a matter of months. My initial verdict - well, never mind that 'cause I already knew it would take more than one listen with a new Bloc Party album. Let's just say, I wasn't overwhelmed, but, and that's really the bottom line: it's way better than my initial verdict told me. Stylistically, it's hard to pin out, but to narrow things in, it's indietronica, synth pop and alt. dance-like, but what's really new is that it's also neo-soul. Drums and guitars have been reduced considerably. It seems evident that Lissack and Kele have rehearsed on synths to make a more electronic-sounding album than ever before, and in a way it does share similarities with Kele's solo works - e.g. his fine full-length solo Boxer from 2010. Having said that, it still comes out as a more laid back album with focus on songwriting. Lissacks roaring guitar is gone - here it's mostly rhythm guitar and basic drum- and bass-lines with synths and keyboards supporting Kele's songs. Despite not reaching the level of the predecessor, it's still a worthwhile and fine album.
[ allmusic.com, Mojo, Q Magazine 3 / 5, NME, The Guardian 4 / 5 stars ]

Don't quite agree but... 👉[ Bloc Party – all the albums ranked, worst to best (NME) ]

McAlmont & Butler "The Sound of... McAlmont & Butler" (1995)

The Sound of... McAlmont & Butler [debut]
release date: Nov. 27, 1995
format: box-set (2 lp vinyl + 2 cd + 1 dvd) (2015 remaster)
[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,54]
producer: Bernard Butler
label: hut Recordings - nationality: England, UK

Track highlights: 1. "Yes (Full Version)" (4 / 5) (live) - 4. "Although" - 6. "Disappointment / Interval" - 9. "How About You" - 12. "You Do"

Collaboration debut by McAlmont & Butler by the project-band of David McAlmont and Bernard Butler (ex-guitarist of Suede). McAlmont is songwriter and vocalist and Butler guitarist and keyboardist, and he has arranged, composed and produced the album.
After McAlmont's overlooked but great debut, McAlmont (1994), he found together with Butler on this project, which was received with mostly positive reviews and peaking at number #33 on the UK albums chart list. The album features a huge blend of genres and styles of pop / rock, art pop, r&b and neo-soul in a Dusty Springfield-kind of way. I do think that the huge mix of styles and what at times feels like a multi-layered sound are what keeps this from being a truly great pop album. The great "Yes" was quite a big hit, reaching number #8 on the national singles charts and together with "Disappointment" and "You Do" (second single from the album peaking at number #17) they are the finest tracks on what at a first glance may appear as a somewhat varied album, but after accustomising to the layered sound, it does resonate as a fine coherent album with strong bonds to productions of the '60s.
The duo, however, soon split after this release and individually they went back to pursue their solo careers; however, in 2001 they came back together again to release the sophomore Bring It Back (2002).
The 2015 remastered boxset on Edsel is a mighty fine issue which also includes a 12'' maxi single, the original album on cd with a bonus cd, a dvd containing music videos, live recordings, an interview, as well as a nice book.
[ allmusic.com 3 / 5, The Guardian 5 / 5 stars ]

Outkast "Aquemini" (1998)

Aquemini
release date: Sep. 29, 1998
format: cd
[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,68]
producer: Outkast, Organized Noize, Mr. DJ, Donny Mathis
label: LaFace - nationality: USA

Track highlights: 2. "Return of the 'G' " - 3. "Rosa Parks" - 4. "Skew It on the Bar-B" (feat. Raekwon) - 5. "Aquemini" - 8. "West Savannah" - 11. "Mamacita" - 12. "SpottieOttieDopaliscious" - 15. "Liberation"

3rd studio album by Outkast is an album controlled more by the duo of André Benjamin and Antwan Patton as primary producers and as arrangers of album concept and songs, which has been recorded with a wide range of featuring artists, who has also had influence on the writing process.
Stylistically, the duo experiments more with its style and incorporates all sorts of instruments on an album that maybe referred to as southern hip hop and conscious hip hop but also pays more attention on neo-soul than previously.
I didn't get to listen to the album before discovering their perhaps most wide-spread success with Speakerboxxx / The Love Below from 2003 and the acclaimed follow-up to this one, Stankonia from 2000, but I simply feel that "Aquemini" is the duo's best and best balanced album ever. Speakerboxxx... is the bolder move into popular music with its fusion of contemporary r&b, neo-soul and hip hop but also points in so many directions that you had absolutely no idea of where they'd go from there on. On the 2000 album they try to be more hardcore, but in essence that is also a fine album, though.
Recommended.
[ allmusic.com, Q Magazine 5 / 5, Spin 4,5 / 5, Uncut, Rolling Stone 4 / 5 stars ]

Terence Trent D'arby "Wildcard!" (2001)

Wildcard!
release date: Oct. 11, 2001
format: cd (2002 reissue)
[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,36]
producer: Sananda Maitreya [aka Terence Trent D'Arby]
label: Sananda Records - nationality: USA

Track highlights: 1. "O Divina" - 5. "SRR-636" - 7. "Suga Free" - 8. "What Shall I Do?" (4 / 5) - 9. "Testify" - 12. "Ev'rythang" - 16. "Goodbye Diane"

5th studio album by Terence Trent D'Arby, or: Sananda Maitreya as he has now changed his name to. The album is also filed as "Terence Trent D'Arby's Wildcard!" and "Sananda Maitreya's Wildcard!" or even as "Terence Trent D'Arby's / Sananda Maitreya's Wildcard!". And I do understand the various titles involved. Fact is, the album cover comes in (at least) two different versions. On Sananda Maitreya's official homepage the album is referred to as "Wildcard! - The Jokers Edition" (a 2002 reissue). However, all editions of the album contain a small circle with both "his" names in it: the "Joker"[!].
Anyway, the music is fine, almost as usual. The hard rock element he has excelled in on the predecessor Vibrator from 1995 is completely absent, instead it's a more mellow and soulful neo-soul release consisting of 19 tracks. It has been released on several labels: Rock On, Universal and D'Arby / Sananda's own label Sananda Records. Both the 2001/2002 releases contain 19 tracks but doesn't have identical tracklisting. The version I have come to know is the reissue containing the fine "What Shall I do?", and two other tracks omitted from the original album version. The original release was an album by Terence Trent D'Arby produced by Sananda Maitreya, which hints to TTD's decision to officially have his name changed to Sananda Francesco Maitreya. Since this, Sananda has released another 6 studio albums, none of which I have come across but will look into. Since 2002 Sananda lives in Milan, Italy.
Wildcard! may not be a masterpiece but it surely deserves much more recognition.
[ allmusic.com 4 / 5 stars ]

<  show covers >

org. cover, 2001

inlay showing
both names

Terence Trent D'arby "Vibrator" (1995)

Vibrator
release date: Jun. 1, 1995
format: digital
[album rate: 2,5 / 5] [2,27]
producer: Terence Trent D'Arby
label: Columbia Records - nationality: USA

Track highlights: 3. "Holding on to You" (3,5 / 5) - 6. "We Don't Have That Much Time Together" - 8. "If You Go Before Me"

4th studio album by Terence Trent D'Arby continue its style from Symphony or Damn (1993), only it doesn't contain compositions on the same high level. It sounds and feels much like leftovers from his previous work. Together with Neither Fish Nor Flesh from '89, I find this his least interesting album, and the one that makes me think of Prince the most, and I'm not a fan of his. This is only just mediocre. This is one huge blend of styles: funk, soul , pop / rock, r&b, well even jazz is represented here making it fusion jazz rock. It seems he's almost trying to embrace all styles and genres, which can only lead to the style of... confusion [!].
[ allmusic.com 2,5 / 5, Select 1 / 5 stars ]

Terence Trent D'Arby "Symphony or Damn" (1993)

Symphony or Damn
release date: May 11, 1993
format: cd
[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,68]
producer: Terence Trent D'Arby
label: Columbia Records - nationality: USA

Track highlights: 2. "She Kissed Me" (4,5 / 5) (live - live) - 3. "Do You Love Me Like You Say?" - 4. "Baby Let Me Share My Love" (4 / 5) - 5. "Delicate" (feat. Des'ree) (4 / 5) - 6. "Neon Messiah" - 7. "Penelope Please" - 12. "Are You Happy?" - 14. "I Still Love You"

3rd studio album by Terence Trent D'Arby is a fine return to form. The style is closer to his great debut album, but also has a more hard rock profile, which makes me think of Lenny Kravitz as a younger (and lesser gifted) admirer of his.
D'Arby's struggles with an image of being over-ambitious doesn't come easy with tracks #1-9 labelled "Part I - Confrontation", and tracks #10-16: "Part II - Reconciliation". However, once again D'Arby shows his great musical skills by being credited as musical arranger, for handling lead and background vocals, as instrumentalist playing bass, clavinet, drums, acoustic and electric guitars, keyboards, percussion, for making drum programming, horn and string arrangements, sound effects, AND for producing the album. Aside from that he has composed all music on the album. Yes, he is enormously gifted, and (sadly) he points to that himself, BUT this is a fine album almost parring his great debut. I didn't come across this album until after 2005, but it really doesn't sound like being produced in '93. It has a big and vivid sound, and considering the seemingly absent attention that was attributed the album, it surprises me how good it is. It's a recommended, almost essential r&b album of the 1990s.
[ allmusic.com 4,5 / 5 stars ]