Author: Michael

Posted in Album Reviews

Dry Cleaning – Secret Love (2025)

Posted on by Michael

Having worked with producer John Parish in the past, for their third full length album, South London’s Dry Cleaning brought in Cate le Bon to help record Secret Love. The band used demos already recorded at Jeff Tweedy’s The Loft studio + a spot in Dublin as a basis for the album. The post punk sound is enhanced by singer Florence Shaw’s mostly talk/sung vocals. This style adds a comically deadpan vibe as she sings that “designing cruise ships is my pastime” and that she “simply must have experiences” on single “Hit My Head All Day”, a track where the the sound of breathing is used as percussion.

The mostly instrumental beds are well played behind Florence with a saxophone added on the very good “Let Me Grow And You’ll See The Fruit” and the bass clarinet that meets, mournful icy synths on “I Need You”.  The 4AD Records band leaves the listener with the light and bright sounds of “Joy”. There’s a lot to like about Secret Love, an album that continues the band’s upward trajectory, a wildly intriguing band.  

8/10

Posted in Album Reviews

The Cars – Move Like This (2011)

Posted on by Michael

Band leader Ric Ocasek of The Cars said it would never happen but in 2010/2011 four-fifths of the original band regrouped to record the final album – Move Like This. Missing bassist/co-vocalist Benjamin Orr who passed away in 2000, the band produced half the tracks on their own and half with producer Jacknife Lee. The snappy, 10 track album takes in many of their hallmark sounds, starting with the plinky plonk keyboard of “Blue Tip”, Ocasek with the spry vocals and catchy chorus.

The drums of David Robinson mix well with the keyboards of Greg Hawkes on “Too Late”,Hawkes later creates a Moby-like soundscape on the dramatic “Take Another Look”. A couple of tracks dip back into the 80s with mixed results, better are the songs that mix modern guitar sounds with their classic Cars’ sound like “It’s Only”. The single “Sad Song” puts the guitars of Elliot Easton up front on a track that sounds like a brighter take on Interpol.  Their 80s swansong Door to Door left the group with a bit of a sour note but Move Like This was a sleek update on their classic guitar/keyboard sound.

7/10

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Davie Bowie – Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps) (1980)

Posted on by Michael

After the experimental Berlin albums, David Bowie welcomed in the 1980s with Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps). Continuing to work with Tony Visconti, the album is bookended with “It’s No Game (No.1)” and “(No. 2)”.  The first is more dissonant, partly sung in Japanese by Michi Hirota, it recalls John Lennon/Yoko Ono collaborations. “Draw the blinds on yesterday/And it’s all so much scarier”.  The second is calmer, less intense, choosing bass over guitar and where there are “no more free steps to heaven”. Reportedly, Bowie spent more time on his lyrics than the previous albums.

“Up The Hill Backwards” features group vocals, including Visconti. Carlos Alomar is still lead guitarist along with Robert Fripp who joins for a few tracks including the “Heroes” sound alike, “Teenage Wildlife” that takes swipes at Gary Numan and the new wave boys trying to follow in his Bowie’s footsteps. Dennis Davis’ drums drive the title track, Bowie’s vocals get pushed into distortion on the chorus.

Two singles dominate the album. The first being the politically charged but dancefloor ready, “Fashion”. Mention of the goon squad and a plea to “listen to me – don’t listen to me”. #1 UK single “Ashes to Ashes” is the centrepiece of the album. Revisiting Major Tom from “Space Oddity”, we find out that  “Ashes to ash and funk to funky/We know Major Tom’s a junkie” as Bowie deadpan sings, “I’m happy, hope you’re happy too”. The extraordinary track cuts through post punk, funk, rock and disco. The album as a whole brings Bowie once again front and centre of the cutting edge of music, ready for the new decade.

9/10

Posted in Album Reviews

The Cars – Door To Door (1987)

Posted on by Michael

The first phase of Boston’s The Cars ended with the release of Door to Door in 1987. Produced by Ric Ocasek, it is the first time the band didn’t use an outside producer, somewhat surprising considering the massive success the band enjoyed with the Robert ‘Mutt’ Lange produced Heartbeat City album.  “Leave Or Stay”, the first track on the album certainly sounds like The Cars.  The drums of David Robinson are back instead of the mostly programmed beats on the last album. Listen closely and the insipid lyrics leave a lot to be desired – “She changed into her silk/I stood there drinking milk”.

Looking back on the band’s history, Door to Door is mostly forgotten and typically ranks at the bottom of the list when publications rank albums by The Cars. Songs like “Double Trouble” and single “Strap Me In” are non-descript 80s rock songs with little personality. Where the album does pull through is when the band sticks to what they are good at – new wave pop songs with Greg Hawkes’ keyboard flashes.

“You Are The Girl” was the biggest hit on the album, peaking at #17 in the US – it has a arpeggio synth lines and solid vocals from Ocasek and Benjamin Orr. “Go Away” could have been on Heartbeat City and the sped up Western tempo of “Everything You Say” is a definite highlight. A terrific pop song with some piano trills to fill in the gaps. While not the complete dud that was expected, Door To Door does sound uninspired and the couple of lows are awful. But when it’s good, it’s solid. Likely for many reasons, the band would break up a few months after the album was released and sadly, the last one to feature Benjamin Orr who passed away from cancer in 2000.

6/10