If anyone complains to us that “there’s no good music about any more … not since <insert name of briefly popular band> split”, we’re going to perform drastic dental surgery with this CD, which is both excellent and new. (Why do people say that about music? No-one ever says, “There’s no good paintings any more, […]
Israel Nash: Lifted
We don’t know much about Mr Nash, but his music lands perfectly formed and ideal for summer. It’s apparently the Texas-based singer’s fifth album, and it’s — as only critics ever say — a slab of feel-good 60s/70s hippy Americana all ‘bout peace and love. There are no real standouts but it’s a consistently good […]
Vincent Peirani: Living Being II – Night Walker
This is one of those albums that is so out there it’s hard to get a handle on. You don’t believe us? Try thinking of Stairway To Heaven played on an accordion, and if that gives you pause for thought, we’ve not even mentioned it segueing into Kashmir. Peirani, (38), is an is an award-winning […]
Treetop Flyers: Treetop Flyers
Treetop Flyers are from London and won the Glastonbury Festival emerging talent competition in 2011. They don’t rush: their debut album The Mountain Moves came out in 2013 and now this, in 2018. The music is dreamy 60s mellow country rock with some psychedelia thrown in, though opener* Flea Drops, an instrumental, has slide or […]
Ray LaMontagne: Part Of The Light
We’ve not heard much of LaMontagne — who was famously inspired to write music after waking up one morning to the radio playing a Stephen Stills song — since his debut Trouble, which was folk-based reflections on life and death. It sold 500,000 copies but we guess his subsequent albums did less well: his second […]
Neil Young: The Visitor
Young’s 39th album is another partly political one, this time with an electric band. It’s typical Young at his loosest, a little sprawling and all over the shop but still good. Clearly Trump gets some stick (“I’m living with a game show host / Who has to brag and boast” but he addresses other topics, […]
Blitzen Trapper: Wild and Reckless
A friend in the States introduced us to Blitzen Trapper’s debut album. We gave him Mumford and Sons’ debut in return and for some years we’ve thought he got the better end of the deal. Blitzen Trapper were worthy if not dull, and their second album did little to change our mind. But this is […]
Jim White: Waffles, Triangles and Jesus
White’s story is an interesting one (not that he might agree): influenced in his childhood by gospel music, he has reportedly been a comedian, a fashion model, a boxer, a preacher, a professional surfer and a New York cab driver. He attended film school at New York University but then entered a “deep hole of […]
