Jesu & Sun Kil Moon "Jesu / Sun Kil Moon" (2016)

Jesu / Sun Kil Moon

release date: Jan. 21, 2016

format: digital (10 x File, MP3)

[album rate: 3 / 5] [3,06]

producer: Mark Kozelek & Justin Broadrick

label: Caldo Verde Records - nationality: USA / England, UK

Track highlights: 1. "Good Morning My Love" - 3. "Last Night I Rocked the Room Like Elvis and Had Them Laughing Like Richard Pryor" - 4. "Father's Day" - 9. "Exodus" - 10. "Beautiful You"

Collaborative project between British musician Justin Broadrick under his stage name, Jesu, and American artist Mark Kozelek under his stage name, Sun Kil Moon. The album is like Kozelek's collaboration Perils From the Sea (2013) with electronic musician Jimmy LaValle released on Kozelek's label Caldo Verde. Jesu emerged in 2003 as a trio after the break-up (2002) of the British industrial and metal band, Godflesh, but from day one it was Broadrick's idea and from 2007 Jesu has been a one-man project. Similarly, Sun Kil Moon was originally a band formed from the remnants of the Red House Painters (disbanded in 2001), which after a few years became Mark Kozelek's solo project. Kozelek and Broadrick have already been close acquaintances for several years, beginning when Kozelek reportedly contacted Broadrick back in 2007 about releasing music with Jesu on Kozelek's label Caldo Verde, which lead to the release of the Opiate Sun (2009) ep, which is also the first release from Jesu as a solo project, and later also the full-length album Ascension (2011). Kozelek also named his 2013 covers album Like Rats after the Godflesh song of the same name (the track is featured as the second cut on the album).

Stylistically, it's quite an original mix of shoegaze, noise rock and alt. folk, which is in no way surprising when you consider Broadrick and Kozelek's musical career. These are mainly compositions with lyrics and music by Kozelek and Broadrick, and with individual guest appearances from various vocalists, which include Will Oldham (better known as Bonnie 'Prince' Billy, featured on "Fragile"), Rachel Ann Goswell of shoegaze band Slowdive ("Father's Day", "Exodus" and "Beautiful You"), and Isaac Brock of Modest Mouse ("Beautiful You").

Apart from a single track where he also plays acoustic guitar, Kozelek is solely credited as vocalist, while Broadrick is featured as multi-instrumentalist. And it is also the latter's characteristic wall of sound, which forms the background for the music on Jesu / Sun Kil Moon, while Kozelek, with his characteristic vocals in the foreground, creates a form of traditional musical structure and acts as a counterpoint to the electric discharges, even if he occasionally indulges inspired by the wall of noise and almost manically spits out the words. However, it is Kozelek's stories that carry the tracks forward, while Broadrick's soundscape in a way represents the noise that Kozelek talks about.

It's Kozelek's more self-experienced short stories that press forward. The form is diary-like notes, or fan letter readings like on track #3, about what he does, who he runs into, and what they said and did in momentary glimpses that fill out the lyrics. In this way, Kozelek demonstrates the path he is on as a songwriter in terms of the narrative. To the astonishment and irritation of some - and to the delight of others - because it is indisputable that Mark Kozelek is a storyteller with something on his mind, even when he tells about apparently insignificant incidents.

All in all, it's an exciting constellation, albeit also a demanding album that doesn't reach the same artistic heights as Kozelek's collaboration with Jimmy LaValle.

[ allmusic.com, Drowned in Sound 3,5 / 5, Uncut 4 / 5 stars ]

Lingua Ignota "Caligula" (2019)

Caligula

release date: Jul. 19, 2019

format: digital (11 x File, FLAC)

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

producer: Kristin Hayter

label: Profound Lore - nationality: USA

Track highlights: 2. "Do You Doubt Me Traitor" - 4. "May Failure Be Your Noose" - 5. "Fragrant Is My Many Flower'd Crown" - 9. "Spite Alone Holds Me Aloft"

3rd studio album by Lingua Ignota follows two years after her self-released international breakthrough All Bitches Die. The album is released on Profound Lore and features Kristin Hayter as songwriter, composer, instrumentalist, singer, photographer, and as producer, just as was the case on her two previous albums.

With this, Hayter refers to the dark time as partner in a long-lasting violent relationship, which she uses here to direct the general focus on. Central to the tracks are motifs such as (violent) revenge in the form of satanic brutal forces. Or perhaps rather: the prince of darkness himself as the righteous (?) avenger of violence against women. The brutality is drawn out through all eleven tracks, which have a total running time of 66 minutes, but in a refined way, where Hayter performs in slow ceremonial lamentation as well as extreme experimental noise-metal - and with throat singing, where her screams take on the form of apocalyptic dimensions.

The album garnered good reviews and ended up on several lists including the year's best albums, and Hayter herself has been highlighted as one of today's most remarkable musicians.

It's difficult to point to outstanding or especially distinguished tracks on Caligula because the compositions offer such unique melodic structures that it makes just as much sense to compare them with parts of classical works. Hayter mixes styles and genres like a painter mixes colors. There is classical or neoclassical music, folk - as in traditional folk music - you'll find metal - as in industrial metal and there is experimental noise metal and more nuanced darkwave. The album is her most complex work to date, which is not only either gentle or brutal. In places it's calm, quiet, soothing and elaborated. And it contains beautiful passages, yet it's mostly black on black. It's music formulated in capital letters BLACK. And, like her two previous albums, it's still quite fascinating. Even for someone who doesn't care much for death metal or related styles like black metal. I don't care about Slipknot, Korn, Metallica, Iron Maiden, etc., but Hayter is as attractive as car headlights to a deer: Scary, fascinating, and something that you deep down just know you should stay far far away from, yet you're gravitated towards it. I'm not a fan, but I can easily sense quality underneath a disturbing surface.

[ Footnote: and yes, Hayter actually has "Caligula" tattooed across her chest ]

Recommended? For a listen or two: Definitely! For multiple full spins: No way!

[ bandcamp ]

[ 👎Gaffa.dk 6 / 6, PopMatters 4,5 / 5, Soundvenue 5 / 6, Pitchfork, The Guardian 4 / 5, 👍Blabbermouth 3,5 / 5 stars ]

Kraftwerk "Die Mensch-Maschine" (1978)

2009 remaster

Die Mensch-Maschine

release date: May 19, 1978

format: cd (2009 remaster)

[album rate: 4 / 5] [3,88]

producer: Ralf Hütter, Florian Schneider

label: Kling Klang / EMI - nationality: Germany

Track highlights: 1. "Die Roboter" (4 / 5) - 2. "Spacelab" - 3. "Metropolis" - 4. "Das Modell" (5 / 5) (officiel video) - 5. "Neonlicht"

7. studio album by Kraftwerk following one year after Trans Europa Express and it's like that produced by the two co-leaders of the band, Ralf Hütter and Florian Schneider.

Musically, the album falls closely in the same style as the '77 album with the addition of more danceable rhythms - especially heard on tracks #1, #2, and #4. Possibly, the biggest difference is that the balance of power - or at least the composer credits between the two founders appears to have changed. The music is now no longer solely credited Hütter and Schneider, as has been the case on all of the previous six albums. Percussionist Karl Bartos is here for the first time credited as a co-composer, and even on all six tracks, three of which solely with Hütter. Schneider, on the other hand, is only credited as co-composer on three tracks, and then Hütter stands alone as songwriter on all tracks except "Das Modell", which is co-written by Emil Schult. The fourth and final member of the band, Wolfgang Flür, is only credited 'elektronisches schlagzeug' ['electronic percussion'].

The album received generally positive reviews and reached a fine 12th position on the German albums chart list and went to number #9 in the UK, as the band's second best-charting album here. Three singles were released from the album, with track #1 as the first single, reaching number #25 on the national chart list, followed by track #4, which didn't chart, and finally track #5, which again didn't make it to the charts. "Das Modell" was reissued again in '81 as B-side to the versioned single "Computerlove" and was by then often chosen over the A-side by UK radio stations, after which EMI issued the single with "The Model" on the cover listed as A-side, although it was the same recordings with "Computerlove" on the A-side, but now the single reached number #7 in Germany, number #4 in Ireland, and going all the way to number #1 in the UK - as the first and only single by the band ('74's "Autobahn" is the closest competitor as the best-selling single at No. #11).

"The Model" from '81 was probably the first time I really took notice of the band and I especially remember the excellent music video that was made to promote the reissue, but I only got to know of the album during the late eighties without being terribly impressed back then. The strict synthpop was definitely not my favourite genre - I needed a clearer connection to new wave and / or post-punk to accept the music, and therefore Kraftwerk and artists like Tangerine Dream, Electric Light Orchestra and Brian Eno were typical examples of music I opted out on, while instead, I was much more excited about Orchestral Manouevres in the Dark, Human League, New Order, and German band Ideal when they combined synth with new wave and post-punk. After the turn of the millennium, I rediscovered Kraftwerk. It's not music I've listened to intensively but still find fascinating - especially considering all the artists they've inspired over several decades since their start in the 70s. Kraftwerk has exerted a great influence on the British 'second wave' with artists such as Human League, Gary Numan, Pet Shop Boys, New Order, Depeche Mode, Duran Duran, OMD - on the development of the hip hop genre - and again during the late eighties and early nineties they have inspired the industrial rock genre and especially an entire techno scene, not to mention post-rock artists of the 90s, and when more comtemporary artists after 2010 find a starting point for their music, it's not seldom in combination with one or more of the aforementioned styles AND basic synthpop and electronic performers, making Kraftwerk one of the most influential bands ever.

Die Mensch-Maschine is well-produced, it has fine touches for strong pop-melodies and it may not sit as the band's most interesting release, but it's worth much more than just to know of.

Recommended.

org. cover
l-r: Bartos, Hütter,
Schneider, Flür

Ane Brun "Songs 2003-2013" (2013)

Songs 2003-2013

release date: Jun 3, 2013

format: digital (32 x File, MP3)

[album rate: 4 / 5] [3,78]

producer: Ane Brun, various

label: Balloon Ranger Recordings - nationality: Norway

First compilation album by Ane Brun, released to celebrate her first decade in music. The album was exclusively issued in Europe in 2-disc cd format, and eventually as digital download album via her bandcamp profile. The album contains songs from all of her studio albums, live recordings as well as various covers, international hit songs as well as obscure covers all of which includes "The Dancer" by PJ Harvey, "True Colors" by Tom Kelly & Billy Steinberg, "Big in Japan" by Alphaville, "Lift Me" by Norwegian band Madrugada, "Don't Give Up" by Peter Gabriel, "Alfonsina y el mar" by Argentinian composer Ariel Ramirez, "Neighborhood #1 (Tunnels)" by Arcade Fire, and "Feel Good" by Anthony Newley and Leslie Bricusse. These are scattered all over the album but really, it doesn't change much that the songs are covers 'cause what's so special about Ane Brun and her way of covering other artists is her ability to make songs her own. In that respect, she reminds me a bit of Cat Power, who is perhaps more notoriously a cover's artist but who doesn't possess a vocal instrument that equals the qualities of Ane Brun's impressiveness.

Songs 2003-2013 is strong collection of songs, and a nice way to celebrate her time in the limelight. Later this year, she would go on and release another fine 2-disc album of 20 songs titled Rarities containing more obscure recordings of nearly only cover versions, or: 'only' cause those that are not actual covers are Brun covering herself.

Recommended.

Kraftwerk "Trans Europa Express" (1977)

2009 cover

Trans Europa Express

release date: Mar. 1977

format: cd (2009 remaster)

[album rate: 4,5 / 5] [4,28]

producer: Ralf Hütter, Florian Schneider

label: Kling Klang / EMI - nationality: Germany

Track highlights: 1. "Europa Endlos" (4,5 / 5) - 2. "Spiegelsaal" (4,5 / 5) - 3. "Schaufensterpuppen" - 4. "Trans Europa Express" (5 / 5) (live) - 5. "Metall auf Metall" - 6. "Abzug" - 7. "Franz Schubert"

6th studio album by Kraftwerk following Radio-Aktivität (Oct. 1975) is the band's second album in their most classic and longest-lasting line-up. Ralf Hütter and Florian Schneider, who are credited the majority of the tracks are both credited on vocals, synthesizers and 'electronics'. Additionally, Hütter plays on 'Vako Orchestron' and 'synthanorma sequences', while Schneider also handles vocoders and 'votrax'. Apart from the two 'band leaders', the two remaining members are percussionists Wolfgang Flür and Karl Bartos, who are solely credited 'electronic percussion'.

At first, the album sounds much like a close progression from the '75 album, but new electronic instruments add completely new possibilities and sound bits to the band's electronic soundscape. With the use of especially sequencers, vocoders and electric percussion, the band once again marks itself out as musical avant-garde and perhaps takes a larger leap in the electronic genre than the one you find from Autobahn (1974) to the predecessor. Kraftwerk has now moved away from the small electronic quirks we find on the '75 album, and instead they have in a way focused the musical expression - made it more rigorous without simplifying - and at the same time they have created the band's most coherent album to date.

The highlighted tracks above are seven out of eight from an album with no fillers - last composition is the 47 seconds "Endlos Endlos", which basically only serve to resume the album's main theme and melody from track #1, so that the album ends the way it starts. In fact, there are fluid transitions between many of the tracks, even though they appear as distinctively different compositions.

Trans Europa Express was (as the second of the band's classic albums) released in both a German version and in a versioned English album with translated song titles and lyrics titled Trans Europe Express. The album landed at number #32 in Germany, but peaked at number #2 in France, and as number #8 in Italy. Two selected tracks: the 4th and 3th tracks, respectively, were released as singles without charting.

The album was released to generally positive reviews, but over the years it status has heightened to one of modern music's most significant cornerstones. In retrospect, it has achieved finer status than Autobahn and is naturally included in countless lists of the best albums of all time, e.g. "The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time" (Rolling Stone), "The 100 Greatest Albums Ever Made" (Mojo), "Top 100 Albums of All Time" (NME), "The 50 Best Albums of the 70s" (Q Magazine), "The 20 Most Influential Albums" (The Times), etc. etc. - just as the album is naturally found in "1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die".

The album has been released in several first editions with different front covers. The first German and some European editions came with a black and white cover with Hütter and Schneider flanked by Bartos and Flür (original Kling Klang / EMI releases), and a (second) colored cover with Schneider and Hütter on the right of the picture (Capitol editions) released in the UK, Scandinavia, and in the Netherlands, and with Kraftwerk's own 2009 remastered edition, the album was launched with a brand new cover without the four band members.

Trans Europa Express is possibly Kraftwerk's finest and greatest achievement. Autobahn, with its groundbreaking form, upholds a very special positions, and Die Mensch-Maschine and Computerwelt have their obvious individual strengths, but both lack a tiny bits in absolute coherency, which the band's brilliant 77 album contains.

Personally, I didn't listen to the album until sometime in the 80s, and unfortunately only after becoming acquainted with bands and artists who have clearly been heavily inspired by Kraftwerk and this very album. Imho, the album is of huge importance for the musical heritage - for the development of synthpop, new romantic, and other related styles. It's hard to imagine the distinctive sound of many artists from diverse styles without thinking of Trans Europa Express. When not counted among my top three favourites from 1977, the album is only absent because of the fact that I wasn't exactly enthusiastic about the electronic genre until much later. Back then, I focused on punk rock and post punk during this period, and here are three albums with three of my biggest favorites from the time: The Ramones, The Clash, and The Jam - artists I listened to far more than the brilliant German band. By detours I discovered Kraftwerk's music and the band's enormous musical influence - and it's for that reason alone I pay tribute to the band and this album. Another note of interest, is the colossal difference in sound production quality when comparing releases by the aforementioned punk bands to that of Kraftwerk releases from the same period. In this way, Kraftwerk stands out as a band from an almost distant future. The album is also demanding to listen to if you subsequently listen to (perhaps) more popular releases from bands such as Human League, Devo, Yellow Magic Orchestra, New Order, Depeche Mode, Per Shop Boys, and then it even seems obvious to compare with much later releases from artists like The Orb, Sigur Rós, Mogwai, The Chemical Brothers, etc.

Highly recommended.

[ allmusic.com, Rolling Stone, Mojo, Q Magazine, Uncut 5 / 5 stars ]

    

1977 org. cover
l-r: Bartos, Schneider
Hütter, Flür

 

1977 UK cover
l-r: Flür, Bartos
Schneider, Hütter

Note the two founders of Kraftwerk, Hútter and Schneider
are in grey suits, while the two newcomers, Flür and Bartos - by the way
not credited one single track - are dressed in black suits.

Morrissey "I Am Not a Dog on a Chain" (2020)

I Am Not a Dog on a Chain
release date: Mar. 20, 2020
format: digital (11 x File, FLAC)
[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,66]
producer: Joe Chiccarelli
label: Étienne / BMG - nationality: England, UK

Track highlights: 1. "Jim Jim Falls" - 2. "Love Is on Its Way Out" - 3. "Bobby, Don't You Think They Know?" - 5. "What Kind of People Live in These Houses?" (4 / 5) - 6. "Knockabout World" - 9. "The Truth About Ruth" - 11. "The Secret of Music"

13th studio album by Morrissey is the collection of eleven tracks with a duration at just below 50 mins, and it follows less than a year after his so far least favourable studio release, the covers' album California Son (2019) - and once again with producer Joe Chiccarelli.

Musically, it's a return to form with songs written and composed with either guitarist Jesse Tobias or multi-instrumentalist Gustavo Manzur, and the compositions are in the traditional pop / rock / indie pop style that is associated with his music as solo artist. Sometimes he adds elements from alt. rock, chamber pop or synthpop, and it's the small stylistic differences that mark each of his so far thirteen studio albums. As usual, there's also room for sing-a-long pop songs - here, the fine "What Kind of People Live in These Houses" and pompous ballads like "The Truth About Ruth".

The album falls closely in the neighbourhood of the fine World Peace Is None of Your Business (2014) and distances itself from his most recent album of own material, the lesser Low in High School (2017). Basically, it's surprising how relevant the lyrics appear and the general quality he throws at us - also seen in the light of his last two albums proved, and which, to me, signalled he had come to the end of his musical career - but here he once again demonstrates his ability to return with significant music.

Personally, I must confess that I thought he had passed into anonymity - especially after tasteless political statements, but this is a rather fine collection of songs.

[ allmusic.com 3,5 / 5, NME 3 / 5, The Telegraph 4 / 5 stars ]

Lightning Bug "October Sky" (2019)

October Sky

release date: Sep. 6, 2019

format: digital

[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,54]

producer: Lightning Bug

label: selvudgivet - nationality: USA

2nd studio album by Lightning Bug is like the debut Floaters (2015) self-released and may be found on bandcamp. The band consists of songwriter and vocalist Audrey Kang, who also handles bass and drums, Kevin Copeland on guitar, and with Logan Miley on synthesizer and as sound engineer.

Stylistically, Lightning Bug lands somewhere in an indie pop sphere with a distinct shoegaze / dream pop touch, which brings to mind artists such as My Bloody Valentine, Cocteau Twins, and Flaming Lips without being a mere copy.

October Sky is quite an exciting and original release.

Underworld "Drift Series 1 - Sampler Edition" (2019)

Drift Series 1 - Sampler Edition

release date: Nov. 1, 2019

format: digital (10 x File, FLAC)

[album rate: 4 / 5] [3,94]

producer: Rick Smith

label: Smith Hyde Productions - nationality: Wales, UK

Track highlights: 1. "Appleshine" - 2. "This Must Be Drum Street" - 3. "Listen to Their No" - 4. "Border Country" - 6. "Schiphol Test" - 7. "Brilliant Yes That Would Be" - 9. "Imagine a Box" - 10. "Custard Speedtalk"

[ 40 tracks playlist ]

10th studio album by Underworld following three years after Barbara Barbara, We Face a Shining Future (Mar. 2016) is much more than 'just' another studio album. Actually, Karl Hyde and Rick Smith has produced the album on the basis of their one-year project named "DRIFT", initiated Nov. 2018 through Oct. 2019, which saw the duo release new videos and new tracks each week as free-downloads via Underworld's official website. The result was released simultaneously with this one-disc outtake from no less than a 40 tracks digital album, or: a 5 cd + 1 DVD box-set of nearly 6 hours new music. The 'Sampler Edition' is a fine coherent collection of some of the tracks, which for the occasion has been edited to fit a one-cd format of approx. 57 minutes.

With this, Hyde and Smith more than anything demonstrate they're alive and kicking. The entire 40 tracks Drift Series 1 is actually a splendid and most impressive release, but to think of that as their tenth studio album appears too overwhelming if not somewhat contradictory.

Stylewise, the duo investigates various stylistic corners of house, trance, downtempo, techno - and with a the delicate use of progressiveness that has come to shape (nearly) all of their previous albums from Dubnobasswithmyheadman (1994) and via subtle variations up until present day.

Highly recommended.

[ Mojo, Q Magazine, Uncut 4 / 5, UnderTheRadar 8 / 10, PopMatters, The Music, Clash 9 / 10 stars ]

Cornershop "England Is a Garden" (2020)

England Is a Garden

release date: Mar. 6, 2020

format: cd

[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,64]

producer: Tjinder Singh

label: Ample Play Records - nationality: England, UK

Track highlights: 1. "St Marie Under Canon" (4 / 5) - 2. "Slingshot" - 3. "No Rock Save in Roll" - 4. "Everywhere That Wog Army Roam" - 6. "Highly Amplified" - 10. "I'm a Wooden Soldier" - 11. "One Uncareful Lady Owner"

9th studio album by Cornershop following five years after Hold on It's Easy (2015) is the band's first album with new songs in eight years as the 2015-album presented acoustic versions of songs from the debut album Hold on It Hurts (1994) making Urban Turban - The Singhles Club (2012) their so far most recent album with new material.

The band primarily consists of the two founding members: vocalist, multi-insrumentalist, songwriter and composer Tjinder Singh and multi-instrumentalist and vocalist Ben Ayres. The two are here supported by the two guitarists Adam Blake and Pete Downing, bassist James Milne, drummer Nick Simms and percussionist Peter Bengry. Also former keyboardist of the band Anthony Saffrey, guitarist Duncan Whyte and keyboardist Alan Gregson participate on the album, and the official line-up remains a bit of an uncertain issue. When visiting the band's Facebook-account the band photo consists of only Singh and Ayres, and it seems the two represent the band and invite various stable musicians to assist when recording new songs and also to make up the band while touring.

England Is a Garden has been released to mostly positive reviews, and it appears to be a collection of songs that more or less sum up most of their career. It's a nice return to the more simple fusion of indie pop, rock & roll with bits of traditional Indian folklore world-music that you also find on the band's 1997 breakthrough album, and it's basically a nice coherent release with good vibes and some fine lyrics.

Recommended.

[ allmusic.com 4,5 / 5, The Independent, 👉The Guardian 4 / 5, musicOMH, NME 3 / 5 stars ]

The Fratellis "In Your Own Sweet Time" (2018)

In Your Own Sweet Time
release date: Mar. 16, 2018
format: vinyl (LTD. orange vinyl) / digital (11 x File, FLAC)
[album rate: 4 / 5] [3,90]
producer: Tony Hoffer
label: Cooking Vinyl - nationality: Scotland, UK

Track highlights: 1. "Stand Up Tragedy" (4 / 5) (Jon Fratelli solo acoustic) - 2. "Starcrossed Losers" - 6. "I've Been Blind" - 7. "Laughing Gas" (Jon Fratelli solo acoustic)

5th studio album by Scottish trio The Fratellis following the 2015 album Eyes Wide, Tongue Tied with music exclusively composed by vocalist and guitarist Jon Fratelli (aka John Paul Lawler) who is also credited as keyboardist.
Where the 2015 album revealed a more laid-back and less garage rock-styled collection of songs, this new album brings back the prolific energy of the debut, which may coincide with the fact that they have brought back the producer of their debut album, Tony Hoffer, who also produced their 2015 album.
I easily find it the band's second-best album, much alongside We Need Medicine from 2013, but this has more of the original simplicity that characterised the band's first studio album, and then there's a stronger glam rock sensation that makes you understand the importance of one Marc Bolan.
[ 👎allmusic.com 3 / 5, 👍PopMatters, Spill Magazine 3,5 / 5, Express 4 / 5 stars ]

2018 Favourite releases: 1. Jon Hopkins Singularity - 2. The Fratellis In Your Own Sweet Time - 3. Robyn Honey

The National "I Am Easy to Find" (2019)

I Am Easy to Find

release date: May 17, 2019
format: cd (4AD0154CD)
[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,52]
producer: The National, Mike Mills
label: 4AD Records - nationality: USA

Track highlights: 1. "You Had Your Soul With You" - 2. "Quiet Light" - 5. "The Pull of You" - 10. "Not In Kansas" - 11. "So Far So Fast" - 14. "Rylan"
[ a short film "I Am Easy to Find" directed by producer Mike Mills ]

8th studio album by The National following the acclaimed Sleep Well Beast from 2017 follows closely with the same formula as the successor.
What appears as the most poignant new change to a rather strict soundscape is an inclusion of several featuring (female) vocalists including Gail Ann Dorsey (5 tracks), Lisa Hannigan (4 tracks), Kate Stables (3 tracks), Mina Tindle (1 track), and Sharon Van Etten (1 track). The album contains 17 tracks and has a running time just above 63 mins.
The National sounds like no other act around, and they play as a strong and well-balanced entity without adding much new to an already established sound and compositions, primarily by lyricist(s) Matt Berninger and / or Carin Besser together with composer(s) Aaron Dessner and / or Bryce Dessner that touch on the usual subjects about identity and (love) relations.
It's not bad. It's quite fine, and really not surprising in any way.
[ 👍allmusic.com 3,5 / 5, The Guardian, Mojo, NME, Q Magazine, Rolling Stone 4 / 5 stars ]

Heligoland "Pitcher, Flask & Foxy Moxie" (2005)

Pitcher, Flask & Foxy Moxie

release date: Jan. 1, 2006

format: digital (9 x File, MP3)

[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,54]

producer: Tim Friese-Greene

label: self-released (bandcamp) - nationality: England, UK

Track highlights: 1. "Wedding Feast" - 3. "Black Girl" - 5. "The War, Stupid" (4 / 5) - 7. "Down to Zero" - 8. "3 Stills"

2nd full-length album by project-band Heligoland (aka Tim Friese-Greene) following Heligoland (Jan. 2000). Friese-Greene was co-composer of most of the music in Talk Talk where he and Mark Hollis were the musical wizards behind a great portion of what later became labelled post rock. With Friese-Greene's heavy legacy in mind, it's actually not difficult to hear similar soundscape in his music by Heligoland, and with this he delivers another criminally overlooked collection of fine alternative music.

Magazine "The Correct Use of Soap" (1980)

The Correct Use of Soap
release date: May 2, 1980
format: cd (2001 remaster)
[album rate: 4 / 5] [3,88]
producer: Martin Hannett
label: Virgin / Universal Music - nationality: England, UK

Track highlights: 1. "Because You're Frightened" (4 / 5) - 2. "Model Worker" - 3. "I'm a Party" - 4. "You Never Knew Me" - 7. "Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin)" - 8. "Sweetheart Contract" - 10. "A Song From Under the Floorboards" (5 / 5)

3rd studio album by Manchester quintet Magazine originally released by Virgin is the band's only album to be produced by Martin Hannett, and it's the last to feature guitarist John McGeoch, who would leave the band after this. Fact is, two other acts had sought his expertise - together with both bassist Barry Adamson and keyboardist Dave Formula, McGeoch also took part in the early formation of Visage, and he already was engaged with Siouxsie and the Banshees for the recordings on the album Kaleidoscope earlier in 1980, and from the Summer of '80 he became a stable member of the more guitar-fuelled The Banshees while continuing as full-time member of Visage, and you may say that Magazine ended up losing a key member.
Without being the most obvious post-punk band, Magazine has been recognised as one of the most original and defining acts of the post-punk era. On The Correct Use of Soap the band consists of lead vocalist Howard Devoto (formerly punk rock band The Buzzcocks), guitarist John McGeoch, bassist Barry Adamson (former stand-in with The Buzzcocks), keyboardist Dave Formula (aka David Tomlinson), and drummer John Doyle. The band's style is a blend of genres and styles where post-punk is the easiest label when no other really suffice. They are known for a highly original rhythm section with avantgardist bass and drum-lines, and both bassist Adamson, keyboardist Formula and guitarist McGeoch have all gained artistic acclaim for their contributions, and on top of this vocalist Devoto surely has his own distinct sound. There's hardly any links to the punk rock era here but somehow this band works in its own dimension of art rock, new wave and avant-garde building on elements from soul, synthpop and... who-knows-what?!
The album peaked at number #25 on the UK albums chart list but both band and album were met by critical acclaim without reaching top popularity.
From a contemporary perspective this very album hasn't aged as much as most other releases from the 1980s, and Adamson, Formula and McGeoch have all rightfully been hailed among the most influential British musicians of modern ages.
[ allmusic.com 4,5 / 5, 👍Uncut 4 / 5 stars ]

Sun Kil Moon "Universal Themes" (2016)

Universal Themes

release date: Jun. 2, 2015

format: digital

[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,68]

producer: Mark Kozelek

label: Caldo Verde - nationality: USA

Track highlights: 1. "The Possum" - 2. "Birds of Flims" - 4. "Cry Me a River Williamsburg Sleeve Tattoo Blues" - 6. "Garden of Lavender" - 7. "Ali / Spinks 2" - 8. "This Is My First Day and I'm Indian and I Work at a Gas Station"

7th studio album from Mark Kozelek's solo project Sun Kil Moon following a little over one year after the critically acclaimed Benji (Feb. 2014). Musically, it is somewhat in the same vein as his other recent albums, although, there's a new bearing of compositions with a more informal tone. This approach consists of several passages of spoken word and compositions consisting of more complex arrangements, where parts of songs sound like single tracks that together form a whole. The album features a reunion with Sonic Youth drummer Steve Shelley, who also appeared on Benji, and who here is only other musician besides Kozelek on all tracks. There are quiet semi-classical tracks, compositions where Kozelek mostly dwells on pure narration, tracks with a more distinct folk feel, and more uptempo sequences that remind us of his former heydays with Red House Painters. And then there are abrupt shifts from distorted electric guitar to acoustic passages and vice-versa, as well as passages that mostly sound like studio improvs.

The album consists of 8 compositions of relatively long playing length with the shortest track ("Ali / Spinks 2") at 6:45 minutes, and the longest ("Garden of Lavender") running for more than 10 minutes, and a total playing length of 60 minutes. Kozelek seems long ago to have given up on the idea of ​​reaching a greater audience and he basically sounds like someone who only releases music for his own pleasure - which is a super nice premise, and in that way, Universal Themes is so unlike anything else. I like Kozelek's weird universe, his acoustic guitar sound, his melancholic and occasionally devilish expression where he sounds like a distant cousin of Black Francis.

Universal Themes is not an album with ear hooks but with distinctive songs about colourful people from Kozelek's life. It's narrations of meetings with family members and short and long stories about daily life - life and death. There are also the usual references to the sport of boxing, specific boxers (Ali / Spinks) and it all needs to be taken in at full length and preferably just attentively listened to.

Recommended.

The front cover image, as on the latest album, is a photo by Mark Kozelek.

[ allmusic.com, Mojo, Q Magazine, Spin, NME 4 / 5 stars ]

Papir "VI" (2019)

VI

release date: May 10, 2019

format: digital (4 x File, FLAC)

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

producer: Lars Lundholm [rec.]; Troels Bech [mast.]; Papir [mix.]

label: Stickman Records - nationality: Denmark

Tracklist: 1. "VI.I" - 2. "VI.II" - 3. "VI.III" - 4. "VI.IV"

6th studio album by Papir following two years after V is like that recorded by Lars Lundholm and released on Stickman. The trio remains unchanged with guitarist Niklas Sørensen, bassist Christian Clausen, and drummer Christoffer Christensen.

VI are four untitled tracks with a total running time at just under 40 mins. and stylewise, Papir explores their new-found original blend of post-rock, space rock and prog rock with hints of this and that but still held together on their own musical path.

VI also continue a new fine level demonstrating individual qualities as well as insight in musical realisation. My only 'complaint' is the end-track, which to me sounds like something they composed earlier with too much improvisation and too much unorganised space rock, whereas the first three all appear more contemporary and better arranged. That said, this new distillation is still more than a worthwhile listen.

Small recommendation.

[ bandcamp ]

[ Musikreviews.de 13 / 15, SputnikMusik 3,7 / 5 stars ]

Robbie Robertson "Sinematic" (2019)

Sinematic
release date: Sep. 20, 2019
format: digital (13 x File, FLAC)
[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,58]
producer: Robbie Robertson
label: UMe (Universal Music Enterprises) - nationality: USA

Track highlights: 1. "I Hear You Paint Houses" (feat. Van Morrison) - 2. "Once Were Brothers" - 3. "Dead End Kid" - 4. "Hardwired" - 7. "Shanghai Blues"

6th studio album by Robbie Robertson released 8½ years after How to Become Clairvoyant from 2011 is a nice return from a man who has never exactly been renowned for releasing an abundance of new studio material. The actual foundation to the album here is probably with some persuassion from Robertson's 'Cinematic' friend Martin Scorsese, for whom Robertson composed the title track "I Hear You Paint Houses" and the closing track "Remembrance", both for Scorsese's TV movie "The Irishman". The Scorsese-Robertson friendship was initiated with Scorsese's 1978 film "The Last Waltz" - which many critics have on their top list of the best concert / music films of all time - the epic music by The Band. Since then, Robertson has contributed with musical scores to several films by Scorsese, which includes "Ragging Bull" (1980), "The King of Comedy" (1983), "The Color of Money" (1986), and Robertson is also credited as a musical -producer on these plus several other films by Scorsese in addition to being credited music-producer for other directors and especially from the early 80s to the present day. Most recently, Robertson is seen as music producer on "The Irishman", which in a way says a great deal about his professional commitment as an artist, who is linked to film art and who only rarely deals with the release of his own studio albums.

The title of the album is of course a play on words with the term 'Cinematic', as a word used with reference to film art, and when you know that the album here is purely sound based, then a 'sound motion' release rightly described as a 'Cinematic' experience. Simultaneously, the quality of music is pointed out as something that activates inner images while listening.

Sinematic is Robertson at his most playful and, I dare say, at his most original expression for several years. His 2011 album gave an experience of sparse originality, which in a way was also seen with his second solo album, Storyville back in 1991. On this his sixth studio album, and at the age of 76, Robbie turns up with one of his most sincere albums and with unusual amounts of freshness and vitality.

It may not be among his very best, but it's certainly more than just a decent collection of new tracks to recommend.

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

Kraftwerk "Radio-Aktivität" (1975)

Radio-Aktivität

release date: Oct. 1975

format: cd (1986 reissue)

[album rate: 4 / 5] [3,98]

producer: Ralf Hütter, Florian Schneider

label: Kling Klang / EMI - nationality: Germany

Track highlights: 2. "Radioaktivität" (4,5 / 5) - 3. "Radioland" - 4. "Ätherwellen" - 8. "Antenne" - 12. "Ohm Sweet Ohm" (4 / 5)

5th studio album by Kraftwerk and the band's second album on the compilation Der Katalog (2009) following one year after Autobahn. Here the band is for the first time a permanent quartet with the two primary composers and musicians Ralf Hütter and Florian Schneider, again together with percussionist Wolfgang Flür - who also played on the predecessor, as well as new percussionist Karl Bartos. Emil Schult is songwriter of more than half of the songs and he is also credited the artwork of the album, but still not credited as an official member. The album runs just under 38 minutes and it's the band's first to be simultaneously released in an original German version as well as a versioned English edition with English song titles mainly for English-speaking countries, but also for release in the Netherlands and in Scandinavia - where the album was released as Radio-Activity.

Once again, the band has managed to take another leap further into the electronic genre. You'll find only a few overlaps with Autobahn and additionally, the album here is more stringent with electric percussion pads, vocoders, and a stronger pop profile with melodic choruses, in addition to a number of experimental traits, which tend towards modern glitch pop with what some have condescendingly called 'blip-blop music' - with reference to sounds simulating radios and electronic instruments. Between more traditional compositions at three to six minutes duration, shorter compositions from 14 seconds to just over one minute are interspersed, as small breaks with different sound sequences. It's a new and ground-breaking way of making music, which has inspired artists then and now. English band Orchestral Manouevres in the Dark have especially on their Dazzle Ships (1983) included some of the same sound loops and fun quirks found on Radio-Aktivität.

The album was met by lukewarm reviews and didn't perform to well commercially on a national scale, where it peaked at number #22, but the album went to number #4 in Austria and simply topped the albums chart in France. Contemporary reviewers were skeptical - probably because it's so different, but retrospective reviews attest to the album's status as yet another of the band's seminal releases.

Personally, I can easily hear OMD's huge inspiration, but because I first listened intensively to OMD, it's somewhat difficult to see Kraftwerk's music as better. It's obvious though, that the British band stole with hands and claws, but they didn't just copy, and that's ultimately what musicians do when they help push boundaries and create their own sound. Radio-Aktivität is a proof of the band's innovative style and is not a complete album without twists and turns, where in particular the slightly outdated instruments used distinguish the album from later releases, but it's nevertheless so beautifully produced and thoroughly new in form and sound that it surpasses much else of contemporary releases.

Highly recommended.

[ allmusic.com, Mojo, Q Magazine, Uncut 4 / 5, Spin 4,5 / 5 stars ]

Dead Can Dance "The Serpent's Egg" (1988)

The Serpent's Egg

release date: Oct. 24, 1988

format: cd (2008 remaster)

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

producer: Brendan Perry, Lisa Gerrard, John A. Rivers

label: 4AD Records - nationality: Australia

Track highlights: 1. "The Host of Seraphim" (4,5 / 5) (live 2018) - 3. "Severance" (live) - 4. "The Writing on My Father's Hand" - 5. "In the Kingdom of the Blind the One-Eyed Are Kings" - 6. "Chant of the Paladin" - 7. "Song of Sophia" - 10. "Ullyses"

4th studio album by Dead Can Dance follows 15 months after Within the Realm of a Dying Sun and is like their recent two albums produced mainly by the duo and in collaboration with John A. Rivers on four tracks. All songs are credited Brendan Perry and Lisa Gerrard with the former singing lead vocals on three songs (tracks #3, #5, and #10), whereas Gerrard once again proves her stunning vocal on the remainders. The album consists of ten songs with a relatively short total running time at around 36 minutes.

Compared to the predecessor, The Serpent's Egg is also experimental, less electronically-founded and even more stripped to the bone regarding the musical arrangements. On this, not only Gerrard lives up to her almost usual brilliant vocal standard but Perry also delivers some of his best performances. The album is without fillers and it showcases the duo's originality and capability to keep renewing itself as front runners withtin an alt. rock sphere bonded to classical works and to no particular dominating style, which in itself is so rare.

The album is no less than a timeless classic and highly recommended.

[ 👍allmusic.com 4 / 5 stars ]

Lingua Ignota "All Bitches Die" (2017)

original cover

All Bitches Die

release date: Jun 7, 2017

format: digital (4 x File, FLAC)

[album rate: 3 / 5] [2,98]

producer: Kristin Hayter

label: selvudgivet - nationality: USA

Track highlights: 1. "Woe to All (On the Day of My Wrath)" - 2. "All Bitches Die (Bitches All Die Here)"

2nd studio album by American Lingua Ignota [meaning 'unknown language'], as the moniker of Kristin Hayter. She debuted on bandcamp with the album Let the Evil of His Own Lips Cover Him in Feb. 2017 and only five months later she's then ready with this album, which was also released via her bandcamp-profile, but this time to overwhelming international interest. She soon became associated with the record label Profound Lore, who re-issued this one with a new cover in 2018. The album consists of only four compositions of varying length from 5½ to 15 minutes and with a total running time of just over 42 minutes.

Musically speaking, it's based on a mixture of dark - or rather: absolute black noise metal with elements from classical music and a clear inspiration from industrial rock. Hayter's own life story as a victim in a long violent relationship lays a great foundation for her musical and lyrical universe. She is a classically trained musician and is credited the entire performance alone as songwriter, composer, sound engineer, producer, photographer, instrumentalist, and vocalist. Her expression balances on the extremely brutal, and she experiments with the use of pure noise, just as the use of her vocal reflects a similar approach. She possesses an excellent singing voice, which can be soft, finely tuned and sometimes terrifyingly distorted as bestial death screams and disturbing throat singing.

There is no doubt that Hayter is an original. The queen of darkness, Diamanda Galás, is closest as an inspiration and related artist, but Hayter is not only concerned with performance and singing, as a primary instrument. The compositions have both qualities from ambient and classical compositions, which make it both neoclassical works and experimental noise rock.

All Bitches Die is a fierce acquaintance. You probably have to have a certain fondness for Galás or black metal to find this beautiful. To my ears it's more fascinating than ordinary black metal, death metal, or related styles, but it's also too extreme a musical expression for me to just think it's really cool.

Disturbing. Fascinating. And at the same time, too much brutality.

[ SputnikMusic 4 / 5 stars ]

2018 reissue on Profound Lore

Fatboy Slim "You've Come a Long Way, Baby" (1998)

You've Come a Long Way, Baby

release date: Oct. 1998

format: cd / digital (2008 2cd 10th Anniversary Edition)

[album rate: 4 / 5] [4,08]

producer: Fatboy Slim

label: Skint Records - nationality: England, UK

Track highlights: 1. "Right Here, Right Now" (4,5 / 5) - 2. "The Rockafeller Skank" - 4. "Gangster Tripping" - 5. "Build It Up - Tear It Down" - 9. "Praise You" (4,5 / 5) - 11. "Acid 8000"

2nd studio album by Fatboy Slim following his fine debut Better Living Through Chemistry from '96 is like that released on Skint and produced by Fatboy Slim (aka Norman Cook). The title is taken from the American cigarette brand Virgina Slims, which was sold (to women as target group) in the 1960s and 70s using the slogan "You've Come a Long Way, Baby" - the title here then is used with reference to the cover and the official video for track #1 as an ironic statement about the human race.

Despite being crafted almost only using heavy sampling, the album is very much of a whole, building on hooks, catchy phrases and small bits from this and that, primarily soul and funk artists, but the common denominator is something original within the big beat style of electronica.

The album spawned four single releases and they all peaked in top 10 on the UK singles chart list. In order, the songs selected for single releases were tracks #2, 4, 9, and 1 with the first two preceding the album release and the last two issued in '99. The third single, "Praise You" (Jan. '99) followed by an official video creation that was work of geniality performed the best peaking at #1 in many countries world-wide including the UK, Scotland, Iceland, and it peaked at #2 in the US on the Alternative Songs list. The last single also performed quite well peaking at #1 on the UK Indie list (#2 overall) and furthermore, the video for "Praise You" won three major awards at the 1999 MTV Video Awards, and in 2000 it was voted #1 of the 100 best music videos ever released in an MTV anniversary poll. The album peaked at #1 in the UK, and it has sold more than 3 mio. copies worldwide and is enlisted in "1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die".

The album is undoubtedly Fatboy Slim's best and most coherent album. In 2008, a 2-disc 10th Anniversary Commemorative Edition with 10 bonus tracks was issued on Skint.

Highly recommendable.

[ allmusic.com, Select 5 / 5, 👍NME, Muzik, Q Magazine, Spin 4 / 5, 👎Rolling Stone 3 / 5 stars ]

1998 Favourite releases: 1. Grant Lee Buffalo Jubilee - 2. Mark Hollis Mark Hollis - 3. Fatboy Slim You've Come a Long Way, Baby