Author: Michael

Posted in Album Reviews

Belle and Sebastian – Late Developers (2023)

Posted on by Michael

Belle and Sebastian have quickly followed up their 2022 release, A Bit of Previous with Late Developers released just 7 months later.  “Juliet Naked” comes in immediately as the music starts.  The band sound really confident, far away from awkward teenage glances as Stuart Murdoch sings of “prayers and pills, dusty nights in quivering hotels”.  The sound immediately shifts on “Give a Little Time” where Sarah Martin takes over the vocals with chirpy handclaps and talk that “these are the best days”.

 Martin takes over the vocals again on the funky “When You’re Not With Me” before the Passion Pit like synth track, “I Don’t Know What You See In Me”.  The confidence of earlier songs disappear where Murdoch questions whether he is good enough. Martin and Murdoch then share vocal duties on the 60s folk sound of “Will I Tell You a Secret”.  The album closes with the title track that adds horns and has a bit of a jam feel to start, nice keyboards and a bit of drumming.

Late Developers has a modern flair but includes what has always made Belle and Sebastian a cult favourite, including the album cover.  Sarah Martin shines whenever she steps up to the mic.  Stuart Murdoch adds several classic B&S lyrics like the “I wish I could be content with the football scores” line on “When We Were Very Young”. Cementing his nerdy/cool outsider status even into his 50s.  Late Developers is a full band effort that rivals some of their music from the early 2000s.

8.5/10

Posted in Album Reviews

Weyes Blood – And In The Darkness, Hearts Aglow

Posted on by Michael

The second in a trilogy of albums, And In the Darkness, Hearts Aglow follows up the excellent Titanic Rising.  Hearts Aglow has the feel of a singer-songwriter album from the 70s. “It’s Not Just Me, It’s Everybody” embodies this 70s esthetic, a touch of soulfulness that soothes as it drifts along. Natalie Laura Mering’s voice is strikingly beautiful, it is well showcased on the minimalist “God Turn Me Into A Flower”.  “Hearts Aglow” is highlighted with a Wurlitzer as the soundscape swoops.

“Children Of The Empire” has a brighter sound, with snappy finger snapping in the chorus, it’s a bit more attention grabbing than some of other tracks.  A couple instrumentals appear on the second half including the watery sounds of “In Holy Flux”.  Working with a few different arrangers/producers including Jonathan Rado, all of …Hearts Aglow is quite lovely but often does not really grab the listeners attention as it moves along.  Under the beauty there is often not much there… there.

7/10

Posted in Album Reviews

Bob Dylan – John Wesley Harding

Posted on by Michael

Released just over 55 years ago, Bob Dylan more or less keeps his extraordinary string of albums going with the country tinged John Wesley Harding.  The album cuts back on Dylan’s epic songs and instead sees most tracks clocking in at the 3-minute mark. The title track has a great bit of drumming from Kenneth A. Buttrey.  Along with Charlie McCoy on bass, the album has a minimal feel than the last few records Dylan had released with just “The Ballad of Frankie Lee and Judas Priest” stretching out over 11 verses. The haunting, “As I went Out One Morning” where the protagonist gets taken by the arm by a woman in chains is more typical of the songs Dylan released here.

The most famous song on the album is the original version of “All Along the Watch Tower”, later made more popular by Jimi Hendrix’s stunning version.  The driving acoustic guitar and impassioned vocal are as powerful as the lyric, “there are many here among us/Who feel that life is but a joke”.  “Down Along the Cove” sees Dylan move to piano on a jaunty track before the pedal steel guitar of “I’ll Be Your Baby Tonight” closes out the set. 

This set of Dylan songs does not quite reach the heights of his mid 60s period albums.  The cracked vocals on “Drifter’s Escape” and the bluesy “Dear Landlord” are fine songs that feel like a more laid back Dylan.  In all, this makes John Wesley Harding a little less awe inspiring than what listeners had become used to but one in which Dylan stays ahead of most in the musical pack of that time.

8.5/10

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Favourite Albums of 2022

Posted on by Michael

5. Tears for Fears – The Tipping Point: The duo of Roland Orzabal and Curt Smith returned in 2022 in a big way. A new album, planned tour (that unfortunately had to be cancelled), and numerous TV appearances. The centrepiece of the year was The Tipping Point. The light electronics mixed with traditional instruments on tracks such as “The Master Plan” for both a mature and bright sounding pop album.

4. Lightning Seeds – See You In The Stars: Ian Broudie returned to his Lightning Seeds moniker for the first time in well over 10 years. The result was a terrific pop album bursting with sunny melodies and scratchy vocals. Tracks such as single “Great To Be Alive” reminded listeners of how positive life can be regardless of the news. It was the album many of us didn’t know we needed until we did.

3. Wet Leg – Wet Leg: In many ways, this feels like a 2021 album as four singles were released a year ago. Since then, Wet Leg has taken the indie rock world by storm with sold out shows and appearances on nearly everyone’s year end list. The duo still managed to save the blasts of “Ur Mom” and “Angelica” for 2022 along with several strong album tracks.

2. Liam Gallagher – C’mon You Know: Right from the first moments of the 60s like children’s choir opening, Gallagher’s third solo album was an unexpected powerhouse. As his brother Noel notes, Liam has kept 90s rock alive and well with a younger generation eating it up. “Better Days” has the strut of a quality Oasis tune while “Moscow Rules” co-written with Ezra Koenig opened up further depths to his sound. Liam’s quality control rarely let him down here on a terrific set of 2022 rock tunes.

1. Beach House – Once Twice Melody: The eighth album from the Baltimore duo of Victoria Legrand and Alex Scally ran an ambitious 84 minutes with four separate chapters. Highlights include the title track, “Only You Know”, and “Hurts To Love”. While the formula does not stray too far from their atmospheric, indie rock, Beach House manage to explore new vistas of sound. With a lengthier run time, it is easy to submerge in this luxiourously expanded album.