The Prodigy "The Added Fat EP" (2012) (ep)

The Added Fat EP, ep
release date: Dec. 3, 2012
format: digital
[album rate: 2,5 / 5] [2,46]
producer: Liam Howlett
label: XL Recordings - nationality: England, UK

A 6-track studio ep that was issued on a bonus disc edition of The Fat of the Land (2012). All tracks are just new mixes of hit singles from that album, and they are rather dreadful. It contains two different mixes of "Smack My Bitch Up", two versions of "Breathe", a mix of "Firestarter", and a mix of "Mindfields", none of which are worth... much.
It seems the tracks are only techno and / or industrial versions of some really fine songs, and the only argument here is: money. Look, something new from your favourite hardcore breakbeat heroes, and all you get is the emperor's new clothes.
This is another low release from The Prodigy.

a-ha "Scoundrel Days" (1986)

Scoundrel Days
release date: Oct. 6, 1986
format: cd
[album rate: 2,5 / 5] [2,68]
producer: Alan Tarney, Mags, Pål Waaktaar

label: Warner Bros. - nationality: Norway

2nd studio album by a-ha released one year after the debut - and this time co-produced by Magnus Furuholmen and Pål Waaktaar of the band.
The album contains fine vocal harmonies and well-executed compositions but it doesn't really help me when I find it tedious in the long run. It's hard to tell just what lacks 'cause these guys know how to play their instruments - they are kinda original, aren't they? The "but" part is somewhere in what's not really interesting, "fine fine, yes but... I just don't really find it that good." In the days when they were around I think, I thought of it as "music for girls", mostly. I know that sounds stupid but it must be that it never really appealed to me, so I had to categorise it along with bands like Culture Club and Take That stuff and hearing it some 30 years later doesn't really change my feelings about it - so there you have it.
I can't really recommend this.

Love and Rockets "Seventh Dream of Teenage Heaven" (1985)

org. cover

Seventh Dream of Teenage Heaven [debut]
release date: Oct. 11, 1985
format: cd (2000 remaster)
[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,66]
producer: John A. Rivers, Love and Rockets
label: Beggars Banquet - nationality: England, UK

Track highlights: 1. "If There's a Heaven Above" - 2. "A Private Future" - 3. "The Dog-End of a Day Gone By" - 6. "Haunted When the Minutes Drag" - 7. "Saudade"

Studio debut album by the trio Love and Rockets consisting of Daniel Ash on vocals and guitar, David J on bass and backing vocals, and Kevin Haskins on drums. All three band members formed the band in 1985 after the demise of Bauhaus. Actually, Ash had already formed the project-band, Tones on Tail in '82 together with (Bauhaus roadie) Glenn Campling, with whom Ash had attended art school, and when Bauhaus disbanded in '83, Kevin Haskins joined the two.
The music is rather far from what the three played while in Bauhaus. There's hardly any gothic rock references here at all and instead the band plays a new form of psychedelic rock and alt. rock that would come to be labelled neo-psychedelia. The music is heavily built on Daniel Ash's distorted guitar sound but also by a vast repertoire of instruments, though it's all kept quite simple. There are long almost progressive parts without the tracks seem too long - held together by various passages of simple repetitive loops and bits of choruses here and there. It's a surprisingly strong release.
I used to have the original album on cassette and now is left with a 2000 remaster cd issue of the album containing 6 bonus tracks.
[ allmusic.com 3,5 / 5 stars ]

2000 remaster

Julian Cope "My Nation Underground" (1988)

My Nation Underground
release date: Oct. 1988
format: vinyl / digital
[album rate: 3 / 5] [3,02]
producer: Ron Fair
label: Island Records - nationality: England, UK

Track highlights: 1. "5 O'Clock World" - 3. "Charlotte Anne" - 5. "China Doll"

4th studio album by Julian Cope continues where Saint Julian (Mar. 1987) ended only introducing a bit more neo-psychedelia to stronger orchestrated arrangements of mainstream pop / rock closely related to David Bowie, Suzanne Vega, and Tom Verlaine.

To me, My Nation Underground is without much originality or interest, and in imho it's simply his least interesting album. Although, his very first solo album with Island Records, Saint Julian and this one are his so far commercially best-selling albums, Cope himself apparently has disowned this as no less than an artistic mistake. It's also clear that the successive albums showed a very different side to his talent, and thankfully so.

[ allmusic.com 2 / 5 stars ]

Robbie Robertson "Storyville" (1991)

Storyville
release date: Sep. 30, 1991
format: cd
[album rate: 3 / 5] [3,18]
producer: Robbie Robertson, Gary Gersh, Stephen Hague
label: Geffen Records - nationality: USA

Track highlights: 1. "Night Parade" - 5. "Day of Reckoning (Burnin' for You)" - 8. "Breakin' the Rules" - 10. "Sign of the Rainbow"

2nd solo album by Robbie Robertson following four years after his acclaimed debut.
Stylistically, the album is much more pop / rock-shaped than his '87 album, which paid more attention to americana. The track "Breakin the Rules" was made for the Wim Wenders '91 movie "Until the End of the World", and the song feature all three band members of the Scottish band The Blue Nile: Paul Buchanan, Paul Moore and Robert Bell, and Moore also plays keyboard on three other tracks.
The album sounds like the result of Robertson gathering much of his contemporary inspirational sources: The Blue Nile and their spacious art pop, and the production-sound and arrangements made by U2 on its most recent albums.
I have always felt that the album was too slick - the production and the structure of the songs echo too many familiar songs by others or sound as remakes of other songs by Robertson, thus making it a bit of a bland experience.

Rammstein "Rosenrot" (2005)

Rosenrot
release date: Oct. 28, 2005
format: cd
[album rate: 3 / 5] [2,88]
producer: Jacob Hellner
label: Universal - nationality: Germany

Track highlights: 1. "Benzin" - 2. "Mann gegen Mann" - 3. "Rosenrot"

5th studio album by Rammstein and for the 5th time with Swedish producer Jacob Hellner who is credited as producer solely. It's the band's first studio release on Universal, although, it contains six tracks recorded for but omitted on the previous album Reise, Reise (2004).
The style and compositions are much alike the former album, only this one has even fever good and memorable compositions. Actually, with the material from both albums they could have made one really fine release instead of producing two lesser albums.
Not really recommended and most likely the band's least favourable album to date.
[ allmusic.com 3 / 5 stars ]

Grand Avenue "Place to Fall" (2009)

Place to Fall
release date: Sep. 28, 2009
format: cd
[album rate: 2,5 / 5] [2,58]
producer: Richard Rainey
label: Playground - nationality: Denmark

Track highlights: 2. "Nowhere Now" (live) - 3. "Follow You Down" (3,5 / 5) - 5. "Control" - 9. "Coming Up"

4th and so far final studio album by Grand Avenue, and the second consecutive album to be produced by Richard Rainey. It's the first album after the band's three-album contract with EMI, now released on the independent Scandinavian label, Playground Music. Again, the musical style doesn't reveal a band in progress. These songs could easily have been released with its second album She from 2005. It's indie pop and pop / rock. It's nice, it's well-played, well-produced, and a bit on the polished side, but it doesn't take you anywhere. It's like... 'Yeah?' And? It's a bit boring, and in my mind the band's least interesting album, almost without decent songs, which is a bit of a shame 'cause they are skilled musicians, but frankly, they play without any direction, and what's worse: without a mission. Where are the emotions. What point is there in playing songs that sound as if you had put R.E.M., U2, Travis, and Coldplay in a pot? At this point, I rarely noticed the band was still around, and it's no surprise that it ended on with this. From the start, they seemed to be on a slope, and things weren't getting better. In Denmark the album peaked at #18 on the album charts list. As far as I know, Grand Avenue never officially disbanded but in 2011, Rasmus Walter initiated a more successful solo career when launching his eponymous and critically acclaimed singer / songwriter and pop / rock debut album consisting of songs entirely with Danish lyrics. The cover art is credited Rasmus Walters brother, Anders Walter Hansen.
[ Gaffa.dk 2 / 6 stars ]

The The "Shades of Blue" (1991) (ep)

Shades of Blue, 12'' ep

release date: Feb. 1991

format: vinyl (655796 8)

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

producer: Matt Johnson

label: Epic Records - nationality: England, UK

Tracklist: A) 1. "Jealous of Youth" - 2. "Another Boy Drowning" (Live) - - B) 1. "Solitude" - 2. "Dolphins"

Ep release by The The is a non-album release in between Mind Bomb (Jun. 1989) and Dusk (Jan. 1993). The B-side contains two covers: "Solitude" (originally titled "(In My) Solitude"), a 1934 jazz standard credited Duke Ellington with lyrics by Eddie DeLange and Irving Mills, and the 1966 Fred Neil folk composition "Dolphins" (originally titled "The Dolphins", included on his second album Fred Neil from Dec. 1966 and also released as a single).

Jeffrey Lee Pierce "Wildweed" (1985)

2005 remaster

Wildweed
release date: 1985
format: cd (2005 remaster)
[album rate: 3 / 5] [2,92]
producer: Craig Leon
label: Sympathy For The Record Industry - nationality: USA

Solo studio album debut by The Gun Club frontman and primary composer, Jeffrey Lee Pierce originally released on Statik Records. Here, Pierce on lead guitar, vocals and piano has teamed up with Andy Anderson on drums and John Mackenzie on bass. The style is less noisy, less energetic, and instead a more 'americana' 'blues rock' sound. It's not bad at all, I just find that it lacks direction.

"Red Hot + Blue (A Tribute to Cole Porter)" (1990)

Red Hot + Blue (A Tribute to Cole Porter)
released: Sep. 25, 1990
format: vinyl 2 lp (gatefold - CHR 1799) / cd
[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,68]
producer: various
label: Chrysalis Records - nationality: UK

Track highlights: A) 2. Neville Brothers "In the Still of the Night" (4 / 5) - 3. Sinéad O'Connor "You Do Something to Me" - 4. Salif Keita "Begin the Beguine" (4 / 5) - 5. Fine Young Cannibals "Love for Sale" - - B) 2. Kirsty MacColl & The Pogues "Miss Otis Regrets / Just One of Those Things" - 4. Tom Waits "It's All Right With Me" - - C) 1. U2 "Night and Day" - 2. Les Negresses Vertes "I Love Paris" - - D) 3. Jimmy Somerville "From This Moment On" (4 / 5) - 5. Aztec Camera "Do I Love You"

A double vinyl album of various artists in tribute of Cole Porter. The album was released as focus was high on Aids. The full title is: Red Hot + Blue - A Tribute to Cole Porter to Benefit Aids Research and Relief. The artists represent various styles and genres and the result is a bland experience but it also contains truly great interpretations, and my absolute favourites here are the tracks by The Neville Brothers, Salif Keita, Fine Young Cannibals, Kirsty MacColl & The Pogues, and Jimmy Somerville.

Arctic Monkeys "Leave Before the Lights Come On" (2006) (single)

Leave Before the Lights Come On, 7'' single
release date: Jul. 25, 2006
format: digital
[single rate: 3,5 / 5]

Tracklist: 1. "Leave Before the Lights Come On" (4 / 5) - 2. "Put Your Dukes Up John" (3 / 5) - 3. "Baby I'm Yours"

Single release from Arctic Monkeys. The music is just as energetic and dirty garage rock as their debut. None of these tracks are included on the album debut and are therefore nice to have on this. Alex Turner spurts out songs like... no one else. The two first tracks are fierce edgy songs and "Baby I'm Yours" is a fine violin-supported ballad, which also feels genuine.

Red Hot Chili Peppers "Blood Sugar Sex Magik" (1991)

Blood Sugar Sex Magik

release date: Sep. 24, 1991

format: 2 lp vinyl (gatefold)

[album rate: 4 / 5] [4,12]

producer: Rick Rubin

label: Warner Bros. - nationality: USA

5th studio album by Red Hot Chili Peppers following two years after Mother's Milk (Aug. 1989) is the band's first after signing with Warner and the second to feature new guitarist John Frusciante and drummer Chad Smith.

Blood Sugar Sex Magik introduces a new sound of the band. Like Mother's Milk was a turn away from the psychedelic and funky acid-rock into something with a stronger heavy rock profile, Blood Sugar Sex Magik is yet again a move in a new direction. On this, they still play as a tight energetic unit, but where the predecessor was in a way more focussing on old school rock with a heavy metal influence, this appears as a conglomorate of psychedelic rock, funk rock, and punk rock with room for other stylistic influences and melody-based compositions but held together in an original soundscape of their very own.

The album was met by critical acclaim, overwhelming sales numbers and it basically sky-rocketed the band from theatre concerts to stadium arenas. Apparently, the success was more than Frusciante had ever wanted and he found it more than difficult to come to terms with the fact that the tight unit he had only just entered now was about to be promoted as a major act. Disillusioned, following the release and still well into a promotion tour, Frusciante eventually left the band in early '92 and was subsequently replaced by Arik Marshall for the rest of the tour.

The album is enlisted in "1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die". In retrospect (as of 2015), Blood Sugar Sex Magik remains the band's best album.

[ allmusic.com, Mojo 5 / 5, Rolling Stone, Q Magazine, Select 4 / 5 stars ]

Lars H.U.G. "Kiss & Hug From a Happy Boy" (1996)

Kiss & Hug From a Happy Boy
release date: May 5, 1996
format: cd
[album rate: 3 / 5] [3,48]
producer: Peter Mark & Lars Hugh Uno Grammy (aka Lars H.U.G.)
label: EMI-Medley - nationality: Denmark

Track highlights: 1. "Thanksgiving Man" - 2. "Love Against Sex" - 3. "Backwards" - 5. "Waterfall" - 6. "Happy Boy" - 8. "Colorfull Love"

5th studio album by Lars H.U.G. released four years after his most recent studio album, Blidt over dig is a more subdued ballad-like pop album with a distinct jazz influence only containing compositions by H.U.G. himself. The backing band on the album is called Once Around the Park consisting of Rune Funch on guitars, Anders Christensen on bass, Nikolaj Torp on Hammond Organ and piano, and with Michael Finding on drums.
I believe, it's H.U.G.'s first album without both Hilmer Hassig and Finn Verwohlt in any parts involving the album making. The track "Backwards" feature a duet with Swedish vocalist Lisa Ekdahl. Best faring single from the album is the single "Waterfall". The album is not bad, but I have always felt that it lacks really strong songs.
The album was generally met by positive reviews but after the album, H.U.G. retired from music. He now wanted to dedicate his life fully to his artistic role as a painter. Actually, I recall him stating that he believed his career in music was over with.

Steve Kilbey "The Slow Crack" (1987)

The Slow Crack
release date: 1987 (December?)
format: digital (1989 reissue)
[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,42]
producer: Steve Kilbey
label: Rough Trade Records - nationality: Australia

Track highlights: 1. "Transaction" - 3. "Woman With Reason" - 4. "A Favourite Pack of Lies" - 5. "Something That Means Something" - 8. "Ariel Sings"

3rd solo album by Steve Kilbey is like his two previous albums produced by Kilbey himself. The album saw its first national release limited to a vinyl edition on Red Eye Records in late '87, but that album comes without four tracks recorded in '89 (tracks #1, #3, #7, and #11). The song "A Favorite Pack of Lies" clearly features parts of the music from the instrumental track "The Dawn Poems" which is found on the precursor, Earthed (1987), and which perhaps may be seen as a kind of draft for this track with added lyrics. Like the predecessor, this one was recorded, mixed, produced, written, and composed by Kilbey with minor assistance, and again (girlfriend) Karin Jansson is credited as a co-writer on some tracks. Incidentally, the '89 reissue (this one) starts with the track "Transaction", which features Donette Thayer - with whom Kilbey formed the band Hex in '88 - on guitar, and this extended release consists of twelve tracks with a total length of 46 minutes.

At this particular stage of his career, Kilbey is in a fairly productive phase. Together with the other members of The Church, he has thus been behind the studio album Heyday (Nov. '85), his solo debut Unearthed (Jan. 1986), the instrumental successor Earthed (May '87) issued alongside a book of the same name consisting of poetry and essays, and then this album from late '87, after which he was once again ready with a bunch of new songs for The Church with whom he recorded the critically acclaimed Starfish - recorded in '87 and released Feb. '88.

Stylistically, this is more in the same realm as his solo debut and it ties in nicely with releases with The Church. It's alt. rock, indie pop and it both contains jangle pop and elements of neo-psychedelia. Most of the compositions are uptempo tracks with a normal song structure, and the way I hear this album, it sounds more like a kind of 'forgotten' release by The Church - or, it's the kind of material that could easily have been intended for compositions with the band.

Bruce Springsteen "Lucky Town" (1992)

Lucky Town
release date: Mar. 31, 1992
format: cd (2005 reissue)
[album rate: 3 / 5] [3,08]
producer: Bruce Springsteen, Jon Landau, Chuck Plotkin
label: Sony Music Direct, Japan - nationality: USA

Track highlights: 1. "Better Days" - 2. "Lucky Town" - 4. "If I Should Fall Behind" - 5. "Leap of Faith" - 8. "Book of Dreams"

10th studio album by Bruce Springsteen originally issued by Columbia Records and released simultaneously with the album Human Touch.
[ allmusic.com 3 / 5, and Rolling Stone 4 / 5 stars ]

Bruce Springsteen "Human Touch" (1992)

Human Touch
release date: Mar. 31, 1992
format: cd (2005 reissue)
[album rate: 3 / 5] [3,16]
producer: Bruce Springsteen, Jon Landau, Chuck Plotkin, Roy Bittan
label: Sony Music Direct, Japan - nationality: USA

Track highlights: 1. "Human Touch" - 4. "Cross My Heart" - 7. "Roll of the Dice" - 9. "All or Nothin' at All" - 10. "Man's Job"

9th studio album by Bruce Springsteen originally released by Columbia Records. Instead of releasing a double album Springsteen released the album simultaneously with the album Lucky Town. Human Touch was recorded between Sep. 1989 and Mar. 1991, and was initially intended to be released in 1990. Apparently, Springsteen delayed the deadline on more than one occasion, as he wanted one more track on the album. "Living Proof" was to be be recorded for the album, but he ended up writing enough songs for another album. He then postponed the release and ended up with two albums instead of just the one.
The album received mixed reviews. Generally, this is considered the more mainstream uptempo 'pop / rock' album of the two, whereas Lucky Town is more singer / songwriter and folk rock-oriented. The title track was the only song that had a considerable airplay on the radio stations, which may explain some people's idea that this album is the better of the two. On the other hand, other critics suggest this is the shallow one and Lucky Town the more artistically driven, and better...
I think, the two albums are very much on the same level, and just think of them as one and the same, and for once Springsteen hasn't written a bunch of great and memorable tracks, and furthermore, it seems he has no real idea of direction: should he go for another Tunnel of Love production or a more stripped down sound?? He ends up releasing what he has written and recorded. I think he could have done better by releasing a double album and re-ordering the set-list to fit an uptempo disc and a more folk-based one, or he could have done without two albums and perhaps recorded one good album instead of the two near mediocre ones we are left with.
Not really recommendable.
[ allmusic.com 2 / 5, Rolling Stone 4 / 5 stars ]

Blur "The Magic Whip" (2015)

The Magic Whip
release date: Apr. 27, 2015
format: cd
[album rate: 3 / 5] [3,22]
producer: Stephen Street, Graham Coxon, Damon Albarn
label: Parlophone - nationality: England, UK

Track highlights: 1. "Lonesome Street" - 4. "Ice Cream Man" - 5. "Thought I Was a Spaceman" - 6. "I Broadcast" (live on later) - 10. "Pyongyang"

8th and so far final studio album by Blur released 12 years after the predecessor Think Tank (2003) also marks a return to Stephen Street in the producer chair as well as a reunion of the original quartet.
Stylistically, the album doesn't stick out in pure experimentation, as it might have done had it been an entirely Albarn-led project. This time Graham Coxon and producer Street have held the style on a leash, which makes it a more cohenrent release than the band's last two studio albums: 13 (1999) and Think Tank (2003). It contains dub, jazz and electronic bits, which builds on the same material as Albarn's 2014 album Everyday Robots, but on an overall level it feels more in family with the artsy britpop Blur came to represent after Parklife.
The album is the sixth consecutive Blur album to enter the albums chart list in Britain as number #1, and in general, the album was met by quite positive reviews. I just don't find it that great. Perhaps time will tell if it's in fact one of their better, but so far I'm not truly convinced. I think of it, as more than just a solid release and far from a lesser album, which has fine moments, but where Albarn and Coxon agreed on getting everything back together by having Street producing again - "just like he used to. We gotta have that!" - in order to make ends meet again, and by that they have made a brand new album using all their brilliant contemporary and accumulated skills and put down a record that fits ever so nicely... somewhere in the past.
[ allmusic.com, Q Magazine, Rolling Stone, The Guardian 4 / 5 stars ]

Zucchero & The Randy Jackson Band "do." (1985)

Zucchero & The Randy Jackson Band

release date: Mar. 8, 1985
format: digital (reissue)
[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,42]
producer: Corrado Rustici
label: Polydor - nationality: Italy

Tracklist: 1. "Donne" - 2. "Stasera se un uomo..." - 3. "Ti farò morire" - 4. "Per una delusione in più" - 5. "Tu mi piaci come questa birra" - 6. "Un piccolo aiuto" - 7. "Jimmy Jimmy" - 8. "Oh Stevie" - 9. "Quasi quasi"

2nd studio album by Zucchero following two years after the debut Un po' di Zucchero is released as a collaboration which also is its title: 'Zucchero & The Randy Jackson Band'. All songs have lyrics by either Mogol (aka Giulio Rapetti Mogol) (5 tracks) or by Alberto Salerno (4 tracks) and all compositions are with music by Zucchero. Randy Jackson is here merely credited on bass, and he would go on to be a much asked for studio musician - he is also Zucchero's co-arranger and bassist on the successor.
Already here, Zucchero sounds very much like he does on much later albums. Compared to his '83 debut album, the style has been altered from a folk-oriented singer / songwriter style to a more spacious and essentially blues-inspired style. The track "Donne" sounds much like a sketch to his later hit "Senza una donna". Listening to this today, I cannot help thinking that Paul Young must have listened to this as his albums comes very close to much of the same smooth pop soul sound.

Note: front cover is Randy Jackson holding baby girl Irene Fornaciari, daughter of Angela Figliè and Zucchero.

The Undertones "The Sin of Pride" (1983)

The Sin of Pride

release date: Mar. 7, 1983

format: vinyl / cd (1994 reissue)

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

producer: Mike Hedges and The Undertones

label: Ardeck, EMI / Dojo Limited - nationality:

Track highlights: A) 1. "Got to Have You Back" (4,5 / 5) - 2. "Valentine's Treatment" - 5. "Untouchable" - "Bye Bye Baby Blue" - - B) 1. "Conscious" - 2. "Chain of Love" (4,5 / 5) - 4. "The Love Parade" - 5. "Save Me" - 6. "The Sin of Pride" - *14. "You Stand so Close (But You're Never There)" - *15. "Turning Blue" - *16. "Like That" - *18. "Window Shopping for New Clothes"

*Bonus track on 1994 cd reissue

4th and final studio album by The Undertones in its original line-up, not counting subsequent releases after the band's reformation in 1999. The Sin of Pride follows two years after Positive Touch (May 1981) and with this the band continue its turn towards a more mainstream sound and style initited with the predecessor with stronger focus on a Northern soul element. The standard vinyl album comes with 12 tracks with a total running time just under 40 mins. As is the case with the '81 album, the 1994 expanded cd issue comes with several fine bonus tracks and it extends the running time with another 22 minutes.

The album was regarded as a bit of a failure peaking at number #46 on the UK albums chart list as the weakest studio album by the band, and the three chosen singles from the album, tracks #B4, #A1, and #B2 came in as #97, #82, and #104 on the singles chart - needles say, not to much success. Tensions within the band hadn't made things easier over the course of the last two albums, so the end result was near evident. Alledgedly, Feargal Sharkey stood much alone in requesting a bolder soul-fueled style, and with the O'Neill brothers as the main songwriters seing more potential in a power pop-style, a split was inevitable. The band already broke up few months after the album release and Sharkey initiated a short but quite succesful solo career, while the remainders continued in the succesful quintet That Petrol Emotion with a new lead vocalist.

The Sin of Pride is like a second chapter to Positive Touch but it appears more coherent with an overall common sound and style, and then it contains two abosolute great pop soul classics that the general public simply wasn't up for when it came out, but they are songs that rightfully gained much more recognition in the aftermath, and perhaps especially after Sharkey's solo debut Feargal Sharkey (Nov. 1985), which reeks more of the Northern soul.

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

Best of 2015:Mellemblond "Fra et sted" (2015)

Fra et sted
release date: Apr. 20, 2015
format: vinyl (Mellem 02 lp) / digital (10 x File, FLAC)
[album rate: 4 / 5] [4,12]
producer: Mads Brinch Nielsen
label: Mellemblond (self-released) - nationality: Denmark

Track highlights: 1. "Fra et sted" - 2. "Ryster" (4,5 / 5) - 3. "Ned i et hul" (4 / 5) - 5. "Glimtvis" - 6. "Jeg må le" - 7. "Nord" - 8. "Til ilden" (4,5 / 5) - 9. "Barfodet"

[ SoundCloud playlist ] [ full album ]

3rd studio album by Mellemblond (aka Kristoffer Munck Mortensen) following two years after the album Lysvågen has so far only been released on vinyl, for streaming through various services, and for digital download as a self-released album.

Not only has the album been established with a strong production sound balancing the style somewhere between garage rock, neo-psychedelia and singer / songwriter, but it also contains a number of truly great songs, which makes this music-project one of the most interesting Danish acts at the moment. This is not yet another artist simply copying styles and movements on the international music scene. Instead, it's highly original with reminiscences of, or a unique conglomerate of psychedelic rock of the late 60s, swamp rock of the early 70s and folk rock in a 60s / 70s / 80s kind-of-style.

I really enjoy this album, which I initially only purchased for digital download. The streaming and download sound quality was, however, for the first years limited to mp3-format in 320kbps. I really missed having the opportunity to be able to purchase a cd with liner notes and listening to high-end sound quality, but I guess, that's how things are to be for the time being. Artists who have little backup from a record label need to fund everything themselves and quite naturally they (have to) choose what makes things go around, and then most consumers are satisfied with Spotyfie and bApple Music services... as well as a Sönos [mono !] speaker that goes well with the furniture... [ffs!!]. Fortunately, the album also comes in vinyl format, and that is the right choice.

On previous releases Mortensen provided great tracks and quite original lyrics, but here it just seems like he really has found his feet as a more comfortable songwriter and on top of that also showcases an ability of composing simple, elegant and truly sincere music cut to the bone.

Fra et sted sums up the past six decades of folk rock and psychedelic rock with bonds to the best songwriting talents combined with a quality stamp as warranty of Danish poetry. It's truly remarkable and easily the so far best album from this gifted artist. It also happens to be my absolute favourite of 2015, a rare verdict when comparing to international releases but this is already an all-time favourite and naturally a highly recommended album.

[ Gaffa.dk 5 / 6, Undertoner 4,5 / 6 stars ]

//--- EDIT 2021:

As of 2021 the album has been made available in FLAC-format (Qobuz.com + bandcamp.com). ---//

2015 Favourite releases: 1. Mellemblond Fra et sted - 2. Paul Weller Saturns Pattern - 3. Alabama Shakes Sound & Color