Morrissey "Make-Up Is a Lie" (2026)

Make-Up Is a Lie

udgivet: 6. mar. 2026

format: digital (12 x File, MP3)

[vurdering: 3,5 / 5] [3,55]

producer: Joe Chiccarelli

selskab: Sire Records - nationalitet: England, UK

Udvalgte numre: 1. "You're Right, It's Time" - 2. "Make-Up Is a Lie" - 3. "Notre-Dame" - 4. "Amazona" - 8. "The Night Pop Dropped" - 9. "Kerching Kerching" - 10. "Lester Bangs"

14. studiealbum fra Morrissey udgivet hele 6 år efter hans seneste album I Am Not a Dog on a Chain (mar. 2020) er hans nu femte album i træk med producer Joe Chicarelli. Den samme kontinuitet ses ikke hvad angår pladeselskab og medlemmer i backing bandet. Morrissey har været på mange forskellige selskaber i årenes løb. Sidst var det Étienne, underselskab til mægtige BMG, der udgav tre albums fra 2017-2020, og før det var det Harvest, hvor han efter sigende bandt sig til en 2-albums kontrakt, men som kun manifesterede sig i World Peace Is None of Your Business (2014) - og før det Decca / Polydor, Sanctuary (under BMG), Island Records, RCA, Parlophone og: His Masters Voice - så jo, han har bestemt været omkring, kan man vist roligt sige. I 2022 var et album med titlen Bonfire of Teenagers rygtet på trapperne - det skulle være indspillet og produceret, men Capitol Records ønskede ikke længere at udgive det. Året senere forlød det så at et nyt album, Without Music the World Dies snart blev udgivet, men også det strandede - blev delvist genindspillet som albummet her, hvilket forklarer noget af den lange tid mellem hans seneste udgivelser. Lidt i samme boldgade er historierne om de musikalske partnerskaber, som han nødvendigvis har måttet indgå i, selvom han har holdt fast i ret faste komponister. Morrissey spiller ikke selv et instrument og har derfor ofte fundet sammen med skiftende guitarister, som hovedkomponister, såvel som bærende musikere på øvrige pladser. Gennem næsten alle årene har han lavet musik sammen med guitaristen Boz Boorer. Tidligere har multi-instrumentalist Alain Whyte har også været at finde som gennemgående komponist, og i de senere år har han fundet det nødvendige musikalske partnerskab i guitaristen Jesse Tobias. Whyte er her krediteret som komponist på tre numre, Tobias på to, hvilket også gælder den ofte benyttede tangentspiller Gustavo Manzur - både Whyte og Manzur medvirker i øvrigt blot på to numre hver, mens ny tangentspiller Camilla Grey er krediteret fire af numrene, ligesom hun står for programmering samt håndteringen af keyboards på alle numre. Ny guitarist Carmen Vandenberg har ligeledes fået en fremtrædende plads sammen med Tobias, og på trommer ses nu Brendan Buckley, der tilsyneladende har taget over fra Matt Walker. Nok har udskiftningen af centrale musikere været gennemgående hos Morrissey, men det musikalske udtryk har han alligevel bemærkelsesværdigt holdt godt fast i. Jeg tænker, hvis man ikke var vild med The Smiths eller ikke har syntes specielt meget om tidlig Morrissey, så er han nok bare svær at forene sig med - også på denne seneste udgivelse, for han lyder umiskendeligt som den 'gamle' Morrissey, hvilket jeg synes er en kvalitet i sig selv. En enkelt cover har sneget sig med på albummet: "Amazona" (nummer #4), skrevet af Bryan Ferry og Phil Manzanera - et nummer, der stammer fra Roxy Music-albummet Stranded (nov. 1973).

Sangmæssigt bevæger Morrissey sig som vanligt på grænserne af noget social-politisk og noget tidsmæssigt generaliserende eller stigmatiserende. Der er stort set altid sange med om grådighed, liv og død og skæve personligheder, som man ikke altid lige kan placere, men som på fascinerende vis alligevel bliver levendegjort i Morrissey's leg med rim og ord. I sangen "Lester Bangs" tager Morrissey os med tilbage til den virkelighed, der klæbede sig til den kendte og konfrontatoriske musikkritiker Bangs, med fokus på hans skarpe pen, der placerede kunstnere på den rigtige eller forkerte side - uden at Morrissey berører samme Bangs' fortrydelse over tidligere at have sympatiseret med kunstnere, der delte racistiske synspunkter, og som til sidst blev optaget af anti-rascistiske bevægelser... Sangen kan nogen måske se som Steven Morrissey i en slags ny erkendelse eller blot en henvisning til, hvordan medier og massebevægelser har det med at placere medansvar og rigtigte / forkerte holdninger - Morrissey synes at nøjes med at udpensle synet af den åh-så-roste anmelder, der udøvede sin magt og bestemte skæbner på vejen mod karriere eller forglemmelse - på den måde viser sangen også noget af den tvetydighed som næsten altid er en fast bestanddel i Morrissey's tekstlige univers. På albummet høres det tydeligt i "The Night Pop Dropped", som er en sang uden henvisninger, der angiver hvem eller hvad 'Pop' dækker over, og i titelnummeret kan Make-up referere til en bogstavlig brug af make-up, som skjuler det reelle udtryk, eller det kan ses som en mere generel kommentar via henvisningen til Paris, hvor 'hendes' skønhed er symbolsk, med deraf følgen: hvad impliceres underliggende? Morrissey taler her om både en eksplosion og en gravsten, men det forbliver skjult i tågerne. Alligevel er det som om, han ønsker at sige mere end blot noget antydet, og man kan lægge meget i tolkninger og skjulte referencer, men faktum er, at musikken endnu en gang fremstår levende, selvom der måske er genoptagelser af tidligere elementer i meget af musikken.

Jeg synes faktisk, han formår at bevare en vedkommendhed. Musikken lever, sangene er om end noget tvetydige, fulde af personlighed og ikke mindst: en iørefaldenhed, hvis man naturligvis som udgangspunkt overhovedet kan holde af (tidlig) Morrissey.

Anbefalet.

[ Rolling Stone 2,5 / 5, 👎The Guardian 2 / 5, Pitchfork 6,1 / 10, 👍Uncut, PopMatters 3,5 / 5, Mojo 4 / 5 stjerner ]

Paul Weller "Find El Dorado" (2025)

Find El Dorado

udgivet: 25. jul. 2025

format: digital (15 x File, FLAC)

[vurdering: 3,5 / 5] [3,58]

producer: Steve Cradock

selskab: Parlophone - nationalitet: England, UK

Udvalgte numre: 1. "Handouts in the Rain" - 2. "Small Town Talk" - 3. "El Dorado" - 4. "White Line Fever" - 8. "Where There’s Smoke, There’s Fire" - 11. "Lawdy Rolla" - 12. "Nobody's Fool" - 15. "Clive's Song"

18. studiealbum fra Paul Weller udkommer blot et enkelt år efter 'fødselsdagsalbummet' 66 (maj 2024). Som regel er Weller en kunstner, der udgiver albums med egne sange og kompositioner, og dette er en af de sjældne lejligheder, hvor han har fortolket andre kunstnere. Det er således kun hans andet coveralbum - det første var Studio 150 (2004). Albummet her er blevet modtaget med anmelderros, hvilket efterhånden er normen for Weller på dette senere stadie af en lang glorværdig karriere, der startede med trioen The Jam og bandets new wave- og punk-prægede debut In the City (1977).

The Jam var sprængfyldt med hvid energi, og selvom bandets seks fuldlængde studiealbums afslører stor variation og en gennemgående stilistisk udvikling, betød begrænsningerne i bandets lydbillede, at Weller endte med at måtte søge i nye retninger. Han startede det i begyndelsen ganske succesfulde projekt The Style Council i '83 - et band der bød på jazz-influeret pop-soul og sophisti-pop. Projektet viste sig måske som en endnu mere snæver affære, så fra '92 påbegyndte Weller sin lange og hyldede solokarriere som en af sin generations mest elskede britiske sangskrivere.

Weller's attende album afslører en kunstner, der har været hele paletten rundt inden for moderne rock - ofte knyttet til ældre genrer som soul og r&b, og tit stemplet som britpop, hvilket er en stil han ofte nævnes som én af ophavsfigurerne til. I de senere år har han fundet sin egen musikalske bryg: en blanding inspireret af mange stilarter, men som mest af alt lyder som ingen andre. Det er også dét, han forsøger sig med her, selvom de originale sange stammer fra vidt forskellige genrer. Så vidt jeg ved, er det ikke veldokumenterede eller vidtbesungne klassikere, han fortolker her, hvilket man kunne argumentere for kunne gøre det lettere at arrangere sangene præcis, som man lyster.

Som nævnt har albummet høstet positive anmeldelser, men for mig er det ikke en umiddelbar genistreg på højde med hans seneste seks udgivelser. I mine øjne skal man faktisk helt tilbage i Weller's bagkatalog til albummet Sonik Kicks fra 2012 for at finde et album, der ikke rigtig imponerer. Find El Dorado er dog milevidt fra middelmådigheden på netop 2012-albummet - faktisk minder det mere om en markant forbedret udgave af Studio 150, som ikke var specielt beundringsværdigt. Måske fungerer Weller's covernumre bare bedre, når han spiller live?

Personligt er jeg ikke enig i, at det er en af hans bedre udgivelser. Det er rigtig fint og mere end bare 'Okay'. Men ikke fantastisk. Måske forventer jeg bare mere af en type som Paul Weller, og måske var forlæggene bare ikke stærke nok. Men at påstå, at Weller her tilfører glemt materiale så meget ekstra, stemmer ikke helt overens med min smag for denne nye samling. Det er dog uden tvivl Paul Weller's absolut bedste coveralbum, men det siger så ikke så meget, da det andet ikke var synderligt mindeværdigt.

Find El Dorado er ikke desto mindre et solidt album, og måske vil jeg med tiden holde mere af det. Lige nu føles det dog en smule overvurderet, men stadig som et album fyldt med virkelig god musik, og måske især fordi Weller er en kunstner, der leverer velstrukturerede arrangementer og forstår sig på at få hvert ord til at tælle. Han er også nået til et punkt i sin karriere og i sit liv, hvor han ser ud til at forstå betydningen af 'less is more' ved at fremhæve nuancer med inderlighed i næsten enhver sang, så den lyder skarp og vital. På den måde har albummet unægteligt sine øjeblikke, og samlet set rangerer det som mere end blot et album på det jævne.

Anbefalet.

[ allmusic.com, Record Collector, Mojo 4 / 5, 👍Classic Rock Magazine 3,5 / 5 stjerner ]

Sinéad O'Connor "I'm Not Bossy I'm the Boss" (2014)

I'm Not Bossy I'm the Boss

udgivet: 11. aug. 2014

format: digital (15 x File, FLAC) (Deluxe udgave)

[vurdering: 3,5 / 5] [3,54]

producer: John Reynolds

selskab: Nettwerk - nationalitet: Irland

Udvalgte numre: 1. "How About I Be Me" - 2. "Dense Water Deeper Down" - 4. "Your Green Jacket" - 5. "The Vishnu Room" - 6. "The Voice of My Doctor" - 9. "8 Good Reasons" - 10. "Take Me to Church" - 11. "Where Have You Been?"

10. og sidste studiealbum fra Sinéad O'Connor udkom 2½ år efter How About I Be Me (And You Be You)? (feb. 2012). De ordinære digitale udgivelser samt cd- og vinylversioner omfatter 12 numre, mens en digital og cd-'Limited Deluxe' udgave tilføjer yderligere tre numre til sætlisten og forlænger den samlede spilletid fra 41 til 50 minutter. Som det var tilfældet med O'Connor's fine 2012-album, er dette produceret af John Reynolds, der også spiller trommer og keyboards og derudover står for programmering og mixing af albummet. Han er O'Connor's første eksmand og har medvirket på størstedelen af hendes albums og her er han samtidig medkomponist på mere end halvdelen af sangene. Guitaristen Graham Kearns er krediteret som medkomponist på fem sange. Guitaristen Justin Adams har været med til at skrive to numre – han spillede i øvrigt også på hendes album fra 2012 samt på Gospel Oak-ep’en (1997), men Reynolds er det eneste tilbagevendende navn fra hendes tidligste albums, som medvirker her, idet han optræder som O'Connors eneste faste instrumentalist gennem hele hendes karriere. Desuden er Sean Kuti krediteret for saxofon på et album, der også har Brian Eno på keyboards, ligesom han var det på 2012-albummet.

Stilmæssigt følger albummet rock-energien fra forgængeren, og på mange måder føles det meget som en slags andet kapitel til det. Der er naturligvis O'Connors nye, markante persona, som får dette album til at skille sig ud i hele hendes diskografi. Til albummet er hun blevet stylet som en slags ny Joan Jett-inspireret dominatrix, hvilket både tjener til at skabe distance til hendes eget liv og ikke helt formår at distancere sig som noget forceret, eller i bedste fald: et nyt kostume til at repræsentere et nyt image, som føles nødvendigt for at kunne skabe den rette afstand – et skjold. Musikalsk fortsætter albummet blandingen med enkelte bløde ballader og en overvægt af energiske rocknumre. Det er blevet mere tydeligt, at O'Connor ikke længere besidder samme fabelagtige vokal-instrument, som hun i sin tid vandt stor berømmelse for. Alder og rygning (?) har tæret på stemmebåndene, hvilket nødvendigvis giver et andet udtryk. Det er ikke fordi hendes vokalpræstation efter normale standarder er dårlig eller særlig begrænset, det er blot blevet tydeligt, at der er sket en forandring og der ses en begrænsning. Når det er sagt, er albummet langt fra et af hendes ringere. Det er faktisk som om, hun her har genfundet nogle af sine oprindelige styrker, hvilket også præger det forrige album, og som kunne have tjent karrieren godt fremover. Nogle kritikere ser albummet som endnu et skridt opad med mere nerve og bedre arrangementer og bedre produktion sammenlignet med det, der på en måde blev hendes 'comeback'-album i 2012. Enkelte fremhæver albummet som en slags svanesang og betoner, at det lykkes hende at afstå fra tekster om sine egne livserfaringer. Dette sidste mener jeg snarere er et spørgsmål om stil og en overforenkling, for albummet er fyldt til randen med sange, der ligeså let kunne ses som værende rent selvbiografiske, som mange af hendes tidligere sange. I stedet kunne man argumentere, at hendes evner som sangskriver er blevet forfinet, hvilket ikke er det samme som at sige, at hendes udgangspunkt og kilde til sange har ændret sig. I privatlivet synes O'Connor at fortsat sine kampe med tilværelsen og med parforhold. I 2006 fødte hun sønnen Yeshua – faren, Frank Bonadio, og O'Connor gik angiveligt fra hinanden i 2007. I 2010 blev O'Connor så gift med Steve Cooney – parret skulle være gået fra hinanden i starten af 2011, og i slutningen af samme år blev hun så gift med terapeuten Barry Herridge i Las Vegas – et ægteskab, der vist kun varede en enkelt uge.

To numre fra albummet blev udvalgt som singler: "Take Me to Church" (jul. 2014) som promoveringssingle efterfulgt af "8 Good Reasons" (okt. 2014), hvoraf ingen af disse gjorde det store indtryk på hitlisterne. I'm Not Bossy, I'm the Boss er et fint og solidt album at afslutte en strålende karriere med, selvom det blev en uforudset tidlig afslutning. Hendes sidste år ser ud til at have været overskygget af personlige vanskeligheder, hvilket også forklarer, hvorfor en opfølger til netop dette album aldrig blev indspillet. I 2017 ændrede O'Connor sit navn til Magda Davitt, da hun eksplicit ønskede at frigøre sig fra 'patriarkalske slavenavne', og et år senere konverterede hun til islam og antog navnet Shuhada' Sadaqat.

O'Connor gik bort i juli 2023 efter en periode med ustabilt helbred. Hun talte åbent om psykisk sygdom, og hun var i en periode inde og ude af hospitalet efter udgivelsen af netop dette album, ligesom hun kæmpede mod sin afhængighed af cannabis. I 2022 var O'Connor åbenhjertig omkring et nyt mentalt lavpunkt, efter hendes søn Shane havde begået selvmord, og hun blev igen indlagt med psykiske udfordringer. O'Connors død i 2023 i en alder af 56 år blev alligevel erklæret som værende begrundet ved naturlige årsager.

I noterne til de fleste af hendes albums har O'Connor ofte rettet opmærksomheden mod andre – ægtemænd, folk, religioner – men på I'm Not Bossy, I'm the Boss dedikerer O'Connor albummet til sig selv. Hun udgav selvbiografien "Rememberings" i 2021, som er hendes kritikerroste memoirer. Albummet her er måske ikke blandt hendes top 5-albums, men mindre kan også gøre det, og det er bestemt et i rækken, man bør kende. Efter min mening, og ud af hendes i alt 10 studiealbums, placerer dette sig komfortabelt som hendes sjettebedste.

Anbefalet.

[ 👍allmusic.com 3,5 / 5, 👉Pitchfork 7,3 / 10, Mojo 4 / 5, The Guardian, Slant 3 / 5 stjerner ]

Kings of Leon "Can We Please Have Fun" (2024)

Can We Please Have Fun

udgivet: 10. maj 2024

format: cd (2 cd) (Limited udgave)

[vurdering: 3,5 / 5] [3,66]

producer: Kid Harpoon

selskab: LoveTap Records / Polydor - nationalitet: USA

Udvalgte numre: Disc 1) 1. "Ballerina Radio" - 2. "Rainbow Ball" - 4. "Mustang" (live fra the Tonight Show) - 5. "Actual Daydream" - 6. "Split Screen" - 9. "M Television"

Disc 2 - Live at Wrexham) 1. "Crawl" - 4. "On Call" - 5. "Find Me" - 6."Pyro" [ officielt live uddrag ]

9. studiealbum fra Kings of Leon udkommer tre år efter When You See Yourself (mar. 2021), og det er bandets første med den britiske producer Kid Harpoon. Han har tidligere arbejdet med Harry Styles og er især blevet hyldet som sangskriver for sit omfattende arbejde på Styles' album Harry's House (2022). Den eksklusive 2-disc udgave er udstyret med den walisiske titel Gawn Ni Hwyl Plîs, med henvisning til live-numrene fra en koncert i Wrexham, Wales, optaget på Racecourse Ground d. 27. og 28. maj 2023.

Mit gæt er, at et stort flertal af KOL-fans ser Harry Styles' musik som mere end blot en slags omvej fra bandets velkendte lydbillede, men jeg er efterhånden nået til den erkendelse, at dette band ser sig selv i et andet lys, end jeg intuitivt ville gøre. Arbejdet med producere som Angelo Petraglia & Jacquire King fik nok flere til at acceptere bandet som en naturlig del af den alternative rock-scene, men med skiftet til Markus Dravs på to på hinanden følgende albums står det, efter min mening, tydeligere, at bandet har andre ønsker end kun at repræsentere den mere stilrene rock. Kid Harpoon (alias Thomas Edward Percy Hull) kan måske ses som en britisk-stilet 'partner in crime' til Dravs - snævert set, naturligvis. Men i virkeligheden er KOL et af de bands - ikke ulig The Killers - der står med ét ben begravet dybt i beskidt rock-mudder og det andet i klæbrig candy-floss. KOL startede som et ren-dyrket psykedelisk rockband og oplevede derefter international berømmelse, da de hoppede på pop-toget, og lige siden har de stået dér med fødderne plantet på hver side, som frosset i et limbo. Nemme penge og gigantisk berømmelse er svære parametre at afvise, når ens hobby pludselig er ens levevej, og hvorfor i alverden skulle man også det? Koncerten på disc 2 her afspejler på en måde dilemmaet: Koncertgængerne skriger og råber efter hits som "Revelry", "On Call", "Find Me" og "Pyro", og bandet leverer varen. KOL er på vej til at blive det tætteste, man kommer en amerikansk udgave af U2, og de sejler med på denne sejlads, fordi det er alt, de kan gøre. Det ville ikke overraske mig meget, hvis de pludselig lavede en U-vending i den nærmeste fremtid og skabte deres eget Achtung Baby med et-eller-andet prominent producer-navn, for derefter at bruge resten af karrieren på at springe fra trædesten til trædesten for at undgå glemslens tåger - som et andet kendt band.

I mellemtiden er Can We Please Have Fun en solid og herlig samling af melodisk uptempo pop/rock, som bekræfter, hvordan de har fundet deres formel og samtidig har afholdt sig fra tidligere fejltrin som Walls (2016) og Mechanical Bull (2012). Sidstnævnte fremstår i dag som nødvendige forsøg med sukkerholdigt indhold og en formel, der ramte for langt ved siden af skiven. Det er nogenlunde 'kvalitet' som småkager fra Karen Volf eller flødeboller fra Spangsberg. Men jo, det sælger jo godt! (Ikke at det betyder, at det er godt, vel?!)

Anbefalet.

[ allmusic.com, Rolling Stone, The Independent 4 / 5, Clash 3,5 / 5, Mojo, NME 3 / 5 stjerner ]

2-disc Limited Edition

The American Breed "Bend Me, Shape Me" (1967) (single)

Bend Me, Shape Me, 7'' single

udgivet: 1967

format: vinyl (KSS 6)

[vurdering: 4 / 5] [3,78]

producer: Bill Traut

selskab: Stateside - nationalitet: USA

Numre: A) "Bend Me, Shape Me" (4 / 5) (alt. mix) - - B) "Mindrocker"

Single med The American Breed taget fra det bandets kommende andet album Bend Me, Shape Me (feb. 1968). B-siden optræder også på samme album. Selvom titelsangen blev et internationalt hit takket være denne version, er nummeret oprindeligt en sang af den amerikanske sangskriverduo Scott English og Larry Weiss. Omkring et år tidligere blev sangen udgivet første gang af et andet amerikansk band: The Outsiders, og deres version af sangen findes på bandets tredje album In (udgivet feb. 1967 / indspillet i '66). Indimellem disse to udgaver, lavede et andet band den første coverudgave af sangen, og det var pigegruppen The Models med deres eneste (single) udgivelse i 1966 [The Models' version] (udgivet før The Outsiders' album, men indspillet efter). Det er en særpræget oplevelse at lytte til disse tre vidt forskellige versioner af den samme sang, som alle blev udgivet inden for et år. Set i bakspejlet er det mit indtryk, at versionen med The Models fremstår som den mest vovede udgave med sin syrede, psykedeliske og Phil Spector-agtige produktion. I den henseende er The Outsiders' version mere skrabet og en mere ligefrem sang, men det er også den, der fremstår som den reneste rock-udgave holdt i en typisk garage-rock-stil. Og så kom The American Breed og gjorde nummeret til et internationalt hit med en dristigere mainstream-appel. Når man lytter til de to tidligere versioner, virker det til, at The American Breed har lånt noget fra arrangementerne fra begge tidligere indspilninger, omend The American Breed står bag den mest polerede version af de tre. Sangen er senere blevet fortolket af diverse andre kunstnere, men gennem årene er det The American Breed, der er gået over i musikhistorien med den mest udbredte udgave af denne fine sang.

Lige netop denne single var en af mine favoritter, da jeg var 10-14 år gammel. Jeg går ud fra, at min bror må have købt den på et tidligt tidspunkt, før han kastede sig over 70’ernes britiske syrerock.

~ ~ ~

Dette opslag er en del af MyMusicJourney, som lister de vigtigste udgivelser, der har formet min musiksmag gennem min opvækst og frem til 14-årsalderen. De fleste af disse udgivelser stammer fra mine forældres og / eller min storebrors samling.

Paul Weller "66" (2024)

66

udgivet: 24. maj 2024

format: vinyl (Ltd. udgave) (blå vinyl) / digital (12 x File, FLAC)

[vurdering: 4 / 5] [3,98]

producer: Paul Weller

selskab: Polydor - nationalitet: England, UK

Udvalgte numre: 1. "Ship of Fools" - 2. "Flying Fish" - 4. "Nothing" (4 / 5) - 5. "My Best Friend's Coat" - 6. "Rise Up Singing" - 7. "I Woke Up" - 9. "Sleepy Hollow" - 11. "Soul Wandering" (4 / 5)

17. studiealbum fra Paul Weller følger tre år efter den stærkeFat Pop (Volume 1) (maj 2021), og det er - hvis man fokuserer på titlen - måske ikke den forventede Volume 2. Det er dog tæt nok på, for faktum er, at Weller i sandhed har fundet sin musikalske skattekiste de seneste år og simpelthen virker ude af stand til at lave et irrelevant album. '66' har i øvrigt en dobbeltbetydning, idet titlen både refererer til året 1966 - en tid hvor musikken brød igennem med stor styrke rent produktionsmæssigt og i forhold til fyldigere arrangementer, og specifikke soul-hits fra netop det år - og så selvfølgelig til hans nuværende alder. Forside-coveret af Peter Blake (som også lavede coveret til Stanley Road) rammer ganske fint stilen fra netop det år. Albummet udgives dagen før hans 66-års fødselsdag og er Wellers første i en lang række, der ikke har deltagelse af hans nærmeste musikalske åndsfælle: tekniker, producer, multiinstrumentalist og medkomponist Jan 'Stan' Kybert. Albummet byder dog både på faste instrumentalister samt adskillige prominente gæsteoptrædener, som tæller Suggs (aka Graham McPherson fra Madness), Bobby Gillespie (fra Primal Scream), Christophe Vaillant (fra Le SuperHomard), Erland Copper, Steve Cradock, Noel Gallagher, Richard Hawley, Dr. Robert (aka Robert Howard) og Hannah Peel. Hertil har Weller både skrevet og komponeret selv, men han har også fundet matchende melodier med inspiration fra andre sangskrivere eller skrevet sange sammen med forskellige andre. Det bemærkelsesværdige ved dette er en stærk, sammenhængende samling af forskelligartede sange, hvor Weller's vokal sjældent har lydt så ekspressiv.

Albummet kunne lige så godt have heddet 'Volume 2 (66)' eller noget lignende, da det tager stafetten op fra 2021-albummet. Det er ikke strengt taget fra den samme tur i byen, da '21-albummet bød på flere uptempo-sange, mens dette fremstår som en mere afdæmpet udgivelse - måske fulgt af en melankoli over alle de år, der er gået? Nogle numre indeholder et vist strejf af The Style Council, i hvert fald, når vi taler kvalitet i stil med Café Bleu-perioden, hvilket er en nostalgisk tendens, der også høres på hans seneste forgængere. Generelt set er det et velafbalanceret album, der beroliger i blå og disede nuancer af blødhed, som ikke desto mindre stadig byder dig indenfor med den umulige blanding af musikalsk aristokrati og arbejderklasse-appel, og med en stærk sans for stilistisk mangfoldighed uden på nogen måde at miste sammenhængskraften. Oven i det, står melodierne side om side og kalder på lytterens opmærksomhed - det er et album fyldt med stærke sange, som allerede kandiderer til et af hans hovedværker. Imponerende, det er hvad det er, og naturligvis varmt anbefalet.

[ allmusic.com, 👍The Guardian, 4 / 5, Clash 3,5 / 5, Record Collector 5 / 5 stjerner ]

Søren Huss "Vi fik mere end vi kom for" (2024)

Vi fik mere end vi kom for

release date: Apr. 5, 2024

format: cd

[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,58]

producer: Søren Huss & Christian Balvig

label: Universal Music Group - nationality: Denmark

Track highlights: 3. "Sensommerdrøm" - 4. "Et støvet loop i inderste rille" - 5. "Langt ude, langt oppe, langt nede og langt, langt væk" - 7. "Kinddans" - 8. "Lyden af os under ét tag" - 10. "Stoledans"

5th studio album by Søren Huss following 4½ years after Sort & hvid til evig tid (Sep. 2019) is despite the time span an album of a familiar style. His 2019 album was in a way a final statement that his songs are eternally bound to both dark [sort] and light [hvid] sentiments. Some critics had early on directed some criticism to his blue-toned melancholic soundscape and Huss also made attempts in writing positive and lighter songs but he has made it clear that his musical tone is one of many blue notes. In that regard this only follows suit with his previous albums. It's music filled with harmony, light tones and uplifting moments AND it's nevertheless soothing with melancholy.

The musical expression is far from that of Saybia - only the vocal is familiar but that's how Huss primarily comes out on his own. All songs are credited Huss, and his backing band is a mix of stable instrumentalists. Guitarist Lars Skjærbæk has been aboard on the most recent three albums and bassist Morten Jørgensen and drummer Jesper Elnegaard have both been stable musicians on all of Huss' solo albums.

Vi fik mere end vi kom for ['We Got More Than Expected'] is by no means a poor collection of new songs, and in that regard it's a most fitting title in that it's also an excellent description of the album. The title is taken from track #5, which appears as the central song of the album. Huss stays on a safe path - he certainly has visited these roads before and some of the songs could easily be followed by older material without anyone finding it a disturbing change. Huss has never been afraid of narrating about his personal life and about existential crisis. He has found himself in a depressive state, which appears to be central to these ten new songs, and that theme is far from new to fans of his discography. That said, it's a return to his more minimalist songwriting as you'll find it on his first two solo albums. It's still an original sound with influence from folk rock and a whole world of balladry with a subtle touch of jazz. It's music for solitude, for rainy days and for attentive listening, and once you have accustomed and adjusted your expectations, it's like a cleansening bath in Autumn leaves.

[ Gaffa.dk 5 / 6, Politiken, Ekstra Bladet 4 / 6 stars ]

Karen Carpenter "Karen Carpenter" (1996)

Karen Carpenter [debut]

release date: Sep. 11, 1996

format: cd

[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,72]

producer: Phil Ramone

label: A&M Records - nationality: USA

Track highlights: 1. "Lovelines" (4 / 5) - 3. "If I Had You" - 4. "Making Love in the Afternoon" - 5. "If We Try" - 6. "Remember When Lovin' Took All Night" - 9. "Make Believe It's Your First Time" - 11. "Still Crazy After All These Years" - 12. "Last One Singin' the Blues" (bonus track)

Studio debut and only album by Karen Carpenter recorded and mixed in between albums with the Carpenters. In the chronology of the duo, the album stands in between Christmas Portrait (1978) and Made in America (1981), the duo's ninth and tenth albums and recorded at a time when Richard Carpenter went through treatment for substance addiction. With Richard being indisposed, Karen was curious to see if she could do something as a solo artist and A&M Records were in support of the idea. That is, until executives (and brother Richard) listened to the final mix of the album and the management then decided to shelve the album - naturally, to Karen's regret. Alledgedly, they found it missing something. Or: they had their minds up for something else. Karen didn't experience the album release, which wasn't approved of until 1996. In the liner notes, both Richard Carpenter and producer Phil Ramone recount a few of the details about the recordings as well as their wish to see the album released the way it had been mixed in 1980. Track #9 was soon re-recorded but first found its way to the final album by the Carpenters Voice of the Heart (Oct. 1983), and four other songs (tracks #1, #3, #5, and #6) were all included on the thirteenth studio album Lovelines (Oct. 1989), posthumously issued after Karen's passing - Richard had assembled previously unreleased songs for the occasion. Two songs (tracks #8 and #11) later found their way to the compilation album From the Top (1991). All of this documents the weight of this album, although, key people thought otherwise back in the day.

To me, the album is like a rough diamond. It's full of great tracks with Karen's wonderful vocal making everything more delightful. Yes, there are attempts of making this sound more like other contemporary artists as contrary to the Carpenters' unique sound but I think, Ramone did a mighty fine job. Some tracks have a certain otherness - misinterpreted as Karen's detachment, or missing involvement. I think, mainly due to her approach to singing other people's songs. "Lovelines" is up there among the absolute best tracks by the duo, and it's only confusing why record label executives weren't able to see this as pure gold. The only explanation is that they had their minds set on 'something else' than what they already had and this was too close to that.

With Karen Carpenter we're blessed by the existence of unique recordings, although, in 1996 they appear as somewhat out of time. But only somewhat 'cause Karen's vocal will sell sand in the Sahara and everyone should know that.

Recommended.

U2 "Songs of Surrender" (2023)

Songs of Surrender

release date: Mar. 17, 2023

format: digital (40 x File, MP3)

[album rate: 2,5 / 5] [2,72]

producer: The Edge [aka David Evans]

label: Island Records - nationality: Ireland

Album by U2 released as a new studio album, which means it succeeds Songs of Experience (Dec. 2017). The album comes in a standard 16 tracks edition (1 disc cd / 2 lp vinyl), or a 'Deluxe Edition' (4 disc cd / 4 lp vinyl) and a number of special issues. At a first glance it could look like a clever marketing construct as all songs here are newly recorded mostly acoustic versions of old songs - all compiled and put together by The Edge, who has 'invited' Bono to put new vocal arrangements to the recordings. Half of the band didn't have to do anything as Clayton and Mullen Jr. didn't even put any work into this The Edge solo project of utilising old recordings and recorded tracks to re-arrange what appears as a coincidental selection.

Old wine on new bottles? Yes, and no. Firstly, the songs are not really new - people, or at least: fans should be familiar with every single composition. And secondly, other artists have with or without success made this type of re-recordings of a back catalogue; however, in this particular case, I don't really spot ANY improvements, and to issue costly deluxe editions of something like this is difficult to see as anything else than profit thinking. I don't find any great versions - perhaps because I already feel done and over with this once great and innovative band, but bottom line: I just don't like it. For me, this band made its last relevant album back in the year 2009, and before that in 2000, and those albums weren't even close to great. Their last truly remarkable album remains Achtung Baby from 1991.

You've probably noticed how their most recent albums share bonding titles, like a smart marketing scoop of sorts, complete without limitations - you may imagine 'Songs of Wonders', 'Songs of Patience'... 'Lust', 'Greed', 'Profit' - at least there's room for many follow-ups in that category: Songs of Innocence, Songs of Experience, and now a 'Surrender'-version. Who knows, perhaps a fitting title for an upcoming album is 'Songs of Redundance'? Like the other two, this is not recommended.

[ 👍Pitchfork 5.7 / 10, The Guardian, NME 3 / 5 stars ]

Marianne Faithfull "Dangerous Acquaintances" (1981)

Dangerous Acquaintances

release date: Sep. 1, 1981

format: vinyl

[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,56]

producer: Mark Miller Mundy

label: Island Records - nationality: England, UK

Track highlights: 1. "Sweetheart" - 6. "For Beauty's Sake" - 2. "Intrigue"

8th studio album by Marianne Faithfull follows two years after Broken English (Nov. 1979) and it's produced by Mark Mundy, who also stood behind the production odf the predecessor, although, the album here showcases a different sound.

[ allmusic.com 3 / 5, Record Mirror 4 / 5 stars ]

Eddie Vedder "Earthling" (2022)

Earthling

release date: Feb. 11, 2022

format: digital (13 x File, FLAC)

[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,58]

producer: Andrew Watt

label: Seattle Surf Co. / Republic Records - nationality: USA

Track highlights: 1. "Invincible" (live) - 2. "Power of Right" - 3. "Long Way" - 4. "Brother the Cloud" - 6. "The Dark" - 9. "Rose of Jericho" - 10. "Try" - 11. "Picture" - 13. "On My Way"

3rd solo album from Eddie Vedder released nearly 11 full years following Ukulele Songs (May 2011) and two years after Pearl Jam's latest Gigaton (Mar. 2020). Bearing the span of years in between solo-releases it may seem a little sought after to make comparisons, and you may better look at the latest works by Pearl Jam, or: just not compare at all! It's nevertheless interesting to focus on who, he has chosen to co-operate with, and here you find former Red Hot Chili Peppers guitarist Josh Klinghofer as co-composer on all 13 tracks - as many recall, he substituted John Frusciante in Red Hot Chili Peppers in 2009, only to be sacrifised (sat free) in 2020 when the very same Frusciante returned, thus participating on Unlimited Love (Apr. 2020). Apart from Klinghofer all tracks are credited Vedder and producer Andrew Watt (aka Andrew Wotman), who is also creditered as multi-instrumentalist - mostly on bass and guitar. Red Hot Chili Peppers' drummer Chad Smith is credited as co-composer on seven songs and he plays on nine. A small army of acclaimed artists partecipate on the individual tracks, e.g. Stevie Wonder on jews harp on "Try", Elton John as co-composer and vocalist on "Picture", where you allso find drummer Abe Laboriel Jr. (from Paul McCartney's touring band) and keyboardist Benmont Tench (from Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers) on Hammond organ, and on the Beatles-inspired "Mrs. Mills" we find... Ringo Starr on drums.

Once again, Vedder sings the way he does, and it's with a vocal with a clear structure and sound, which has its very own spot in the great American rock-history. On Earthling he delivers as vocalist on melodic tunes in the popular end of pop / rock - at least compared to his contributions with Pearl Jam, who embraces a harder and bolder alt. rock than found here. In that way, it's Vedder in a safe melodic rock-context for warranting an equilibrium of ballads and sheer amounts of juvenile smartness, as if to demonstrate there's still a spark in his musical foundation. The album conatins a few uptempo energetic tracks with a clear taste of Pearl Jam, you'll find melodic heartland rock and soft ballads, and in between it songs and pieces which is there to balance it all. Elton John immitates Elvis Costello on a decent track, although it's all heard before, and that's basically a notion you'll remind yourself of when Vedder builds as much as he does on his own back catalog with apparent inspiration from Springsteen, Tom Petty, The Beatles, U2 and from the great immitators: The Killers.

Overall, the album is quite nicely produced and sewn together, and it doesn't stir up any stylistic conventions. Vedder sings in a way that no panties are left dry, securing that all (real) men rock along. It may touch on predictable and not highly original, but on the other hand, when Pearl Jam are perfectly content in copying themselves over and over again, Vedder might as well just deliver as the lightning image of who he should be. I only miss, he had something to say but then again, I also find the pleasure in simply listening to his unique voice just the way it shines so bright. It's dad-rock and it's stadium-rock, and it's well-produced through and through as clever genuine craftsmanship.

[ allmusic.com 4,5 / 5, Rolling Stone 4 / 5, 👍Classic Rock 3,5 / 5, Pitchfork 6.7 / 10, NME 3 / 5 stars ]

Johnny Marr "Fever Dreams Pts 1 - 4" (2022)

Fever Dreams Pts 1 - 4

release date: Feb. 25, 2022

format: digital (16 x File, FLAC)

[album rate: 3 / 5] [3,16]

producer: Johnny Marr & James Doviak

label: BMG - nationality: England, UK

Track highlights: 1. "Spirit Power and Soul" - 2. "Receiver" - 7. "Sensory Street" - 10. "Night and Day" - 14. "Ghoster"

4th solo studio album from former guitarist in The Smiths, Johnny Marr, follows a little more than 3½ years after the album Call the Comet (June 2018). It's made in a collaboration with producer James Doviak, who has featured on Marr's last three albums and is co-producer on all Marr's four solos. Marr and Doviak both featured on the album All for a Reason by the band Haven in 2004 and the two have since worked closely together.

Marr is clearly inspired by the harmony-driven Pop productions of the 1960s - with a preference for Phil Spector's sound universe - and he has released music in a mix combining traits from pop / rock and jangle pop. These signature styles are also some of the most obvious ingredients you meet on this one. The album has already been met by positive reviews, especially from the British Isles, though I'm not entirely convinced. By all means, it's nicely sounding, and it's altogether a well-made production, but it's not exactly highly original, and it's a little hard to point to Marr's distinctiveness on an album that most of all sounds like something his former songwriter colleague Morrissey could have made. It may be a little more uptempo and rock-shaped than what Morrissey usually fabricates, but the vocals, arrangements and even the rhymes sound a lot like from the aforementioned neighbourhood. Admittedly, Marr has not always represented the best vocal performances, but here he succeeds stronger than usual. What you don't get is a personal expression, which could provide us with more than a mix of something that has been made - many times before.

Not really recommended.

[ allmusic.com, The Guardian, Mojo, NME, Clash Music 4 / 5, UnderTheRadar 6.5 / 10 stars ]

Sinéad O'Connor "How About I Be Me (And You Be You)?" (2012)

How About I Be Me (And You Be You)?

release date: Feb. 21, 2012

format: cd

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

producer: John Reynolds

label: One Little Indian - nationality: Ireland

Track highlights: 1. "4th and Vine" - 2. "Reason with Me" - 3. "Old Lady" - 4. "Take Off Your Shoes" - 5. "Back Where You Belong" - 6. "The Wolf Is Getting Married" - 7. "Queen of Denmark" - 9. "I Had a Baby"

9th studio album by Sinéad O'Connor follows 4½ years after the double album Theology (Jun. 2007). Back on this, is producer, drummer and co-composer (and O'Connor's first husband) John Reynolds, and that alone has been some sort of guarantee of a more coherent and better album in the discography of Sinéad O'Connor. The album also welcomes back guitarist Marco Pirroni, who played on O'Connor's first two albums and on Universal Mother.

The album is a return to the music most people will associate with the artist's name. It's pop / rock and it's more uptempo than any of her recent albums - in fact, since her great 1990 international breakthrough. There are no reggae or traditional Irish folk songs here, and for those who thought O'Connor was all over with, this might be something to check out. Lyrically, she hasn't changed one bit, as it's very personal songs about lived life, life as a mother, a lover, and it's also quite private songs about being in love, having babies with someone else, and not knowing where to turn to when life makes you stumble along the way. In that way, not much has changed in O'Connor's lyrical universe, but what's important here, is her ability to turn the songs into catchy melodies, again.

It's a mighty difficult job to try to rank her albums after the first two "wonders". This is defintely one her better attempts in finding back to whatever worked in the beginning of her career. There's a fine balance of soft and hard, uptempo and slow, and in that way the album comes through as a diverse and fulfilling experience. It becomes evident that O'Connor no longer possess the same singing voice, which allowed her to reach extreme high pitches, but there's an underlying force when instead she expresses deeper emotions, whether it's done with a near whisper, a rasp, or by yelling out forcefully.

To me, this was a nice surprise as I didn't expect much - and it's actually a lot. Imo, this is simply her fourth best album overall, which really makes it worthwhile. My personal top 5 by Sinéad O'Connor goes like this: 1) I Do Not Want What I Haven't Got (1990), 2) The Lion and the Cobra, 3) Faith and Courage (2000), and after this one 5) Sean-Nós Nua (2002).

Recommended.

[ 🙂allmusic.com, PopMatters 3,5 / 5, Pitchfork 7,6 / 10, The Guardian 4 / 5, Rolling Stone 3 / 5 stars ]

Sinéad O'Connor "Theology" (2007)

Theology

release date: Jun. 18, 2007

format: 2 cd

[album rate: 3 / 5] [2,77]

producer: Steve Cooney; RonTom

label: Ministry Of Sound - nationality: Ireland

Track highlights: Disc 1 'Dublin Sessions', 1. "Something Beautiful" (live actoustic) - 3. "Out of the Depths" (live acoustic) - 4. "Dark I Am Yet Lovely"

Disc 2, 'London Sessions', 1. "Something Beautiful" - 3. "Out of the Depths" - 4. "33" - 7. "If You Had a Vineyard" - 8. "The Glory of Jah"

8th studio album by Sinéad O'Connor following nearly two years after the reggae-tribute album Throw Down Your Arms (Oct. 2005). The album is a 2-disc cd release with the first disc titled "Dublin Sessions". This is produced by Steve Cooney and co-produced by Graham Bolger and Sinéad O'Connor. Disc 2 is titled "London Sessions" and is produced by RonTom [aka Ronald Tomlinson]. The unusual thing about the 2-disc album format is that both discs almost comes with identical tracklistings. That is, the track order is slightly changed and only two songs are unique, one on each disc, with the major differences being that the "Dublin Sessions" are acoustically arranged songs and the "London Sessions" are more traditionally arranged as soft pop / rock songs. The album is quite lengthy with 90 minutes total running time, and then it basically comes without any memorable songs. It's not so much that the songs are all religious hymns - as I do fancy Van Morrison even when he is most explicitly touching on religion because his music usually is founded on great songs and catchy arrangements, however, this is simply not the case with Theology, which easily comes out as O'Connor's least favourable album to date. If you say plan on adding a release by O'Connor to your music collection, this is simply not where you should look. It should read avoid! Except if you're into say Christian pop / rock music and you're actually in search of soft pop / rock religious hymns. "But you point to track highlights of the album!", you may argue. Agreed, but they're not great. Not any of them, only better compared to the other songs on the album. Perhaps it's actually mediocre and should be granted 2,5 / 5 but I just like O'Connor's singing qualities, and they're still here, somewhere.

Not recommended.

[ allmusic.com 3,5 / 5, 👍Uncut, PopMatters, Slant 3 / 5, 🤯Rolling Stone 1 / 5, Spin 2 / 5 stars ]

Martha Wainwright "Love Will Be Reborn" (2021)

Love Will Be Reborn

release date: Aug. 20, 2021

format: cd

[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,72]

producer: Pierre Marchand

label: Cooking Vinyl - nationality: Canada

Track highlights: 1. "Middle of the Lake" - 2. "Getting Older" - 3. "Love Will Be Reborn" (4 / 5) - 6. "Body and Soul" - 7. "Hole in My Heart" - 9. "Sometimes" - 11. "Falaise de malaise"

5th studio album by Martha Wainwright as follow-up to her 2016 album Goodnight City is with a new producer in the form of Pierre Marchand, who is known for his work with musicians within singer / songwriter and folk music, such as Sarah McLachlan, but also Kate & Anna McGarrigle (Kate is Martha's mother), Rufus Wainwright (Martha's brother), as well as Daniel Lanois and Lhasa de Sela. Nearly five years is a very long time in between releases, and Martha Wainwright has never been the one to spit out albums like others do, but here she is back with 11 of her very own compositions as she last did with Come Home to Mama in 2012. Since 2016, she has gone through a divorce from former musical partner and regular producer Brad Albetta, and she has had to reconcile with the role of a single mother of two, which may also have a significant impact on the musical drought. If nothing else, the existential challenges have been food for several of the new songs, such as the title track, "Getting Older", "Hole in My heart" and "Falais de malaise" are clear examples of.

The cover quite nicely reflects the title with Wainwright sitting as if in a waiting position, ready in her fine dress to turn towards a new love. Musically, there is no revolutionary news, but the music has generally become more subdued with several songs in the singer / songwriter style without a lot of frills in the shape of synths and other electronic equipment. It's occasionally alt-country, it's naked and honest, and the album appears to be her most complete since the more poppier I Know You're Married but I've Got Feelings Too from 2008. She has never been shy about writing openly about her own life, about challenges with parents, family, and especially love - the broken and the new, but the songs here appear as her most mature, where self-reflection has been given more space than before, and where it mostly was an issue of pointing outwards rather than seeing inward. Also, and for once, she sounds more like herself than all possible others.

Recommended.

[ allmusic.com, Gaffa.dk 4 / 5 stars ]

Bill Frisell "Guitar in the Space Age!" (2014)

Guitar in the Space Age!

release date: Oct. 6, 2014

format: digital (14 x File, FLAC)

[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,52]

producer: Lee Townsend

label: Okeh Records - nationality: USA

Studio album by Bill Frisell - his 29th, 30th, 31st, or 32nd, give or take - is in the category of cover albums. It follows the strings-album (violin, viola, cello) Big Sur (Jun. 2013) and it contains fourteen instrumentals, two original Frisell compositions (tracks #6 & #13) and twelve interpretations of popular compositions stemming from the late 1950s to the mid-60s. Several of these were originally surf rock, rock & roll, folk rock, or pop / rock tunes but in Frisell's rearranged versions they have all become jazz-influenced modern standards.

The album is almost naturally critically acclaimed - that's just the way a new Frisell album is met - and it's hard not to understand why Frisell is one of the most valued instrumentalists over the most recent four decades or so. He plays his instrument with an original voice, so to speak. That said, I immediately thought of The Raybeats, who released the album Guitar Beat back in '81, an almost peculiar release at the time with its modernised surf rock instrumentals, completely out of sync with contemporary stylistic waves but at the same time: extremely timeless. And with a selection of popular tunes, Frisell almost replicates that effort. The tunes are very much intact - perhaps a bit too much to my liking, but they still uphold a freshness and universality that cannot be denied. I only wish Frisell would've improvised more on the originals - something that works nicely on his rendition of Ray Davies' "Tired of Waiting for You" - where he gives us that extra layer he often adds to other people's songs 'cause here they mostly shine in their own rights. On the one hand, it makes it perfectly uncomplicated and then it reminds us of what great tunes the originals are. I'm not always in the mood to fully appreciate this collection, but I still find that Frisell just show us, not only what an exquisite instrumentalist he is but also what a fabulous interpretor he also is. I know most of the originals and mostly just think Frisell wants to remind us about these wonders - it's his tribute to that forgotten era of his own youth.

[ allmusic.com, The Guardian 4 / 5, 👍PopMatters 3 / 5 stars ]

Marie Key "Marie Key" (2020)

Marie Key

release date: Oct. 23, 2020

format: digital (11 x File, FLAC)

[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,72]

producer: Andreas Sommer

label: Temper Records - nationality: Demark

Track highlights: 1. "Min tabte ven" - 2. "True Love" - 3. "Tænker på os to" - 4. "Din bar" - 5. "Biler" - 6. "Venner" - 9. "Et kys er ik nok mer" (4 / 5) - 10. "Vi følger hinanden"

5th studio album by Marie Key following a little more than two years after Giganter (Jul. 2018) sees a welcome back to producer Andreas 'Maskinen' Sommer, who is credited as multi-instrumentalist and also as co-composer of six out of a total of eleven songs. The album also sees a few featuring guests, which include Tim Christensen on guitar (track #2), Christoffer Gregersen on vocals (track #6), and Simon Kvamm on vocals (track #9). The album has primarily been issued as a vinyl only album (also available as digital download) but not in cd format, and it appears to be the first release on Key's own label, Temper Records.

As many releases from 2020 the album has been recorded and produced at a time of uncertainty - with reference to global lockdowns and in that regard it may have been delayed as Key probably were prevented to follow it up with a tour.

Marie Key is a way of showing a more stripped down view on an artist, who has taken the country by storm but also experienced a difficult time after two acclaimed albums, although Giganter was a fine album, it just wasn't welcomed by enthusism nor great reviews. And that tendency may have hit this very album even harder as it hasn't been promoted with much fuss and then it basically appears to have near vanished from any public interest, which is more than really strange. Yes, the song "True Love" was a minor national hit but the album failed to enter top 40 and seems to have come out only to be greatly ignored, which is quite sad because it's a fine album on which Key once more showcases her position as a gifted contemporary songwriter of personal and inner conflicts with an obvious broad appeal and always serving her songs with glimpses of hope, despair, and humour, but also has a purposeful sense for a wider target group. It's both simple narratives and modern poetry on a another level than generic pop without substance. Key simple deserves more listeners but may have found the limitations in singing entirely in Danish when everyone's eyes and ears are on a globalised perfect world that is reflected to us via Insta, Tik-Tok, X - the SoMe-poison.

Definitely recommended.

[ Gaffa.dk, Kulturen.nu 4 / 6, 💩Ekstra Bladet 3 / 6 stars ]

Paul Weller "Fat Pop (Volume 1)" (2021)

Fat Pop (Volume 1)

udgivet: 14. maj 2021

format: digital

[vurdering: 4 / 5] [3,76]

producer: Paul Weller & Jan 'Stan' Kybert

selskab: Polydor Records - nationalitet: England, UK

Udvalgte numre: 1. "Cosmic Fringes" - 2. "True (feat. Lia Metcalfe)" - 3. "Fat Pop" - 4. "Shades of Blue" - 5. "Glad Times" (live on Later) - 6. "Cobweb / Connections" - 8. "That Pleasure" - 11. "In Better Times" (4 / 5) (live session)

[ 'special 5-track Fat Pop-performance' ]

16. studiealbum fra Paul Weller udkommer blot 10 måneder efter det glimrende On Sunset (jul. 2020), og igen er det en udgivelse med producer og multi-instrumentalist Jan Kybert. Han arbejdede første gang sammen med Weller på albummet Studio 150 i 2004 og har siden medvirket på de fleste af Weller's studiealbums, enten som musiker eller som medproducer.

Albummet følger fint det musikalske udtryk, man finder på 2020-albummet, uden blot at være en gentagelse. Det virker snarere som om, Weller på sine ældre dage har fundet frem til sit helt eget udtryk med lån fra alle mulige genrer og stilarter, men som ikke desto mindre lyder umiskendeligt som Paul Weller og ingen andre. Det er britisk soul med stærke rødder i 60'ernes gyldne beatmusik, krydret med mod, traditionel amerikansk r&b og lige dele moderne stilarter, der får ham til at lyde som en slags enmands-Gorillaz. Andre gange fornemmer man noget sært velkendt, som på den både smukke og dybfølte "In Better Times", hvor stemningen i sig selv vækker levende mindelser om fine ballader fra The Jam, The Style Council eller fra Weller's tidlige soloudgivelser - og så alligevel fremstår nummeret nyt og personligt.

Endnu en gang placerer Weller sig blandt de ypperste engelske sangskrivere uden at lyde gammeldags eller ude af trit med nutiden.

Anbefalet.

[ allmusic.com, NME 4 / 5, Clash, American Songwriter, musicOMH 3,5 / 5 stjerner ]

Toyah "Minx" (1985)

Minx
release date: Jul. 25, 1985
format: digital
[album rate: 2,5 / 5] [2,72]
producer: Christopher Neil
label: Portrait Records - nationality: England, UK

Track highlights: 1. "Soldier of Fortune, Terrorist of Love" - 2. "Don't Fall in Love (I Said)" - 3. "Soul Passing Through Soul" - 11. "America for Beginners"

Studio solo debut by Toyah Wilcox, although it's also the sixth album credited Toyah. After Love Is the Law (Oct. 1983) the band faced declining sales figures and interest, and most of the band members became engaged in other acts, basically, leaving Wilcox and Joel Bogen alone - once again. Except this time, Toyah Wilcox now signed a contract with CBS subsidiary Portrait as a solo artist. Songwriting duo Wilcox / Bogen is here credited a single song (track #7), while most of the other tracks are credited Wilcox and keyboardist Simon Darlow. The album also feature a total of four covers - songs originally released by Rare Bird (track #4), DATA (track #6), Alice Cooper (track #9), and Latin Quarter (track #11).

Alledgedly, the money men of the label had much to say in terms of details about the sound and style of the album, and also regarding what specific tracks they wanted on an album that appears to have been produced with an American market in mind, i.e. with clear focus on a mainstream style within a pop / rock bubble at a time when synthpop and the contemporary soft version of new wave with toned-down art pop was state-of-the-art. The arrangements show bold use of vocal harmonies, keyboards, and the typical '80s drum sound, as well as the use of strings. Even the front cover highlights a shift towards a different audience in mind with a Toyah Wilcox [in a Sheena Easton / Frida / Tina Turner look-a-like] style and definitely not meant for punk rock associations.

The album actually performed quite well, peaking at number #24 on the national albums chart, and the first single "Don't Fall in Love (I Said)" peaked as number #22. Tracks #3 and #10 were also issued as singles and landed as No. #57 and #93, respectively.

Both musically and stylistically, Toyah simply ceased to appeal to me after Love Is the Law, and this very album just cemented my lack of interest. I believe much of the relatively significant commercial success that she faced after all is largely due to her background as an actor in a number of British films, TV series, and in roles as TV presenter on various BBC-productions. From a musical historical perspective, the band Toyah and soloist Toyah Wilcox released only a few really substantial albums, where Anthem (1981) is the only truly outstanding original.

One year following Minx, Wilcox married guitarist Robert Fripp, and she continued to release solo albums up until '96, after which the pace of new releases slowed considerably. The 2008 album In the Court of the Crimson Queen - paying tribute to husband Fripp's band King Crimson's acclaimed debut In the Court of the Crimson King from 1969 - from the beginning of 2021, is Wilcox's most recent studio album.

Not recommended.

Les Negresses Vertes "Famille nombreuse" (1991)

Famille nombreuse
release date: Nov. 1, 1991
format: vinyl (gatefold) / digital
[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,68]
producer: Sodi & Clive (aka Clive Martin)
label: Delabel / Razzia Disques - nationality: France

Track highlights: 1. "Famille heureuse" - 2. "Perpétuellement vôtre" - 6. "Sous le soleil de Bodega" - 8. "Hou ! Mamma mia..." - 9. "Infidèle cervelle" - 10. "La France a ses dimanches" - 12. "Car c'est un blouze"

2nd studio album by French band Les Negresses Vertes, which here enlists eleven members, although the cover photos only counts ten members. Prior to this, the band featured on the international Cole Porter tribute album Red Hot + Blue from 1990 with their version of "I Love Paris".

Here, the band attempts to continue in the same style from Mlah (1989), but nevertheless with more polished arrangements, which lacks the rebellious streak that caused the band to be compared to Madness and The Pogues. However, the album does succeed in presenting a more common tone, where Mlah pointed in various directions and also reflected music from a sea of ​​styles, and in that regard Familie nombreuse is an album that roughly stays on the same ground throughout. It's original, but in my mind it's missing that extra kick the debut contained. Having said that, the music here is by no means poor, but at times sticks out as slightly uninspired, although I personally find that the album actually improves in the latter half - perhaps simply because these songs share some of the traits from Mlah.

Familie nombreuse [meaning 'large family'] is the band's final with the its front figure, lead vocalist, and one of its major songwriters: Helno Rota, who died of an overdose in '93 (at the age of 29), after which the band's line-up changed considerably. The band continued to release albums up until around 2001, after which they have been less active. However, around 2018 and up to the 30th anniversary of this very album, Les Negresses Vertes (reformed with several of the original members) resumed their live performances, playing tracks from Mlah in particular (see here and here - and here a promotion spot for their tour).

[ 👎allmusic.com 2 / 5 stars, Popdose review ]