Feb 12, 2024

 

Best of the Week

The Pineapple Thief - It Leads to This

2024   8 tracks   (40:50)

Another terrific album by The Pineapple Thief with Bruce Soord and Gavin Harrison driving the writing bus and sound production. Ever since TPT became a collaborative effort between Soord and Harrison, the band has a distinct focused sound that is no longer just a Bruce Soord album with a bunch of guys. It’s helped them deliver a quality progressive rock album while Soord gets to stretch his solo work into a separate vehicle. This roars a little more as demonstrated by the songs “Rubicon” and “All That’s Left”. “Now It’s Yours” sounds like something out of the Steve Wilson school of alternative rock. I can already see that this album is going to be on my top ten list for 2024.  A+

Jane Weaver - The Silver Globe

2014   10 tracks   (47:02)

Though she has been recording since the mid-90’s, Jane Weaver is a new name to me. She has been described as psychedelic folk, electronica, alternative rock, acoustic artist, and probably others, there is a reason for this - she is all of those categories. A great soaring voice with the backdrop of an unfathomable array of music sources, she uses simple melodies with complicated arrangements that is breathtaking. No, you don’t know what she will throw at you next which is both exhilarating and refreshing.  A

Ghost - 13 Commandments

2023   13 tracks   (1:02:13)

Normally, a heavy metal gothic rock band from Sweden would sound like any other Swedish band of similar ilk, but Ghost is different. Some of their songs have the same captivating catchiness of a band like Toto. The song “Spillways” should be an all time hit. Not far from the mark are the songs “Square Hammer”, “Mary on a Cross”, and “Rats”. There is heaviness with power guitar chords and pounding rhythms, but there is also quality songwriting effort. A big and welcome surprise. A-

Squirrel Flower - Tomorrow’s Fire

2023  10 tracks  (34:18)

Squirrel Flower is the artist name of Ella Williams who plays a dense fuzz guitar laden form of folk music. A capable writer and singer, she has created a number of solid tunes that are compelling and impactful. It is a total wonderment that her soft delicate vocals pairs so well with the near hard-core garage rock instruments. It is hard to pick a standout cut because they are all solid in their own right. What a problem to have. A

Interesting Finds

New Model Army - Unbroken

2024  11 tracks  (45:15)

A strong album by the Irish rockers. They stick to the formula that has worked well over the years; strong drumming, passionate singing, straight forward rock. The songs still cover topics that are important to them, from “I Did Nothing Wrong” (rallying against UK oppression), “Legend” (family), and “Do You Really Want to Go There?” (corporate monitoring). Justin Sullivan never had the prettiest singing voice, but nobody listens to NMA for their robust singing anyway.  B

Palehound - Eye on the Bat

2023   10 tracks   (29:11)

Palehound is fronted by singer songwriter and guitarist El Kempner who knows how to write smart insightful songs and bang them out with gritty effect. It is a form of indie alternative rock she calls journal rock that takes simple subjects without any tricks, just straight forward guitar based rock. Her voice may not be the most beautiful, but it has character. A decent release that may not have the killer hit, just a set of nice tunes. B-

Bachelor - Doomin’ Sun

2021   10 tracks   (33:30)

Bachelor is made up of El Kempner (Palehound) and Melina Duterte (Jay Som). The album has the same feel as Palehound’s Eye on the Bat mentioned earlier making comparisons easier. This album is more expansive in using studio tricks to bring out more of the song. The duets are terrific. The songs are a little spottier, lower lows and higher highs. “Stay in the Car” is a great tune, probably the most Pixie sounding song since the early Pixies. “Sand Angel” just kind of made me scratch my head.  B

Japanese Breakfast - Jubilee

2021   10 tracks   (37:03)

I picked this album because of the fascination in Michelle Zauner’s story and growing reputation in the art rock landscape. It turns out the synthesizer and brass horn emphasis plus the soft pop timbre of the music is not appealing to me at all. I can recognize the musical skill and intricate pop melody nature of the work, but it just isn’t for me. I think I will pass on all future releases.  D

Mercury Rev - Strange Attractor

2008   11 tracks   (40:23)

Mercury Rev stands in a unique place in the ambient space rock arena. Oh sure, there are copious amounts of synthesizer sourced soundscapes. But throw in some bass and electric guitar and outworldly percussion and you have a totally different musical experience. Most of it is very good, even with its mixture of melody heavy songs such as “In My Heart, A Strange Attractor” and not so melodic songs like “Love Is Pure”. B

Lau - The Bell That Never Rang

2015   6 tracks   (44:00)

This has some lovely moments to savor, starting with “First Homecoming” and the last track, “Ghosts”. Described as a Celtic Folk band, it is more than that. The bass drum beats, soaring fiddle notes, and Irish vocals all scream folk, but some of the driving moments allows for wandering into other realms. However, the title track is mystifying, a seventeen minute meandering instrumental without a focused point could have well been left off. Everything else is good to great, so just skip it.  B

Various Artists - Tell Everybody!

2023   12 tracks   (44:22)

A collection of modern blues songs by a number of blues and rock artists from the small record label Easy Eye Sound. Co-ordinated by Dan Auerbach of the Black Keys, he has assembled some artists that are well known (Black Keys, Gabe Carter, Glenn Schwartz) and a number of lesser known but should be known (R.L. Boyce, Robert Finley, Leo Welch). These are well recorded (though a couple in mono for some reason) and worth a listen. Not exactly playlist material, just good drinkin’ music. B-

Forgettable

Night Beats - Rajan (Cold remote recording of psychedelic pop featuring squeaky vocals)

Crooked Still - Some Strange Country (Allison Krauss lite)

Genghis Tron - Dead Mountain Mouth (Unfortunate scream fest)

Jan 29, 2024

 

Best of the Week

Lindstrom - Everyone Else is a Stranger

2023  4 tracks  (37:000

Most of the time electronic nu-disco dance music is innocuously similar because it's all about the beat, not the melody. Here, the beat takes a back seat to the melody yielding a better listening experience. These songs are much longer, thus allowing time to shift and adjust musical lines. The first song is “Syreen” and it’s a good basic rhythmic song that sets the tone of the whole album. “Nightswim” has a hook that sounds a lot like Joe Jackson’s “Steppin’ Out”. “The Rind” adds a little spaciness to the bouncing rhythms. The last, “Everybody Else is a Stranger” brings it all together with choral vocals, symphonic sounds, and various solos. Excellent source material for the player.  A-

Allah-Las - Zuma 85

2023  13 tracks  (47:32)

This is Allah-Las fifth album after a four year absence from the last. The intentional sound of the band is mid-fi, not quite lo-fi. Stylistically, they are part surf rock, jangle pop, and moody psychedelic rock with the songs landing somewhere on one of those descriptors. “Jelly” is pop, “Hadal Zone” more psych rock, and the solid “Right on Time” more surf rock. I like “Fontaine” too for its shoegaze and terrific harmonies to the backdrop of fuzz guitars. It’s a fun enjoyable album.  A-

KT Tunstall - Wax

2018  11 tracks  (41:42)

When a performer shoots out of the gate with great success, such as KT Tunstall did, you wonder how much is left in the tank for future releases. It appears KT has an infinite reservoir of pop creativity. The songs are catchy, her voice still rocks, and the producers know how to make the most of her work. The first four tracks, “Little Red Thread”, “Human Being”, “The River”, and “The Mountain”, are all killers. The rest of the album ranges from decent to really good. Everything except a couple are all up tempo rockers. Maybe she hasn’t “progressed” to a new level of music, but so what? What was once good is still good.  A-

Interesting Finds

King Creosote - I DES

2023  10 tracks  (1:22:48)

It is reported that King Creosote has released around a hundred albums though mostly through his small recording company. Once in a while, we get trinkets, the last trinket being Astronaut Meets Appleman some six years ago. But, they are great trinkets. The new album has ten tracks which I would say are eight songs, a long lament that rings in at thirteen minutes, and a 36-minute drone. The eight songs are what we all expect from KC, rich flowing melodies about life, love, and friendship, with the occasional oddity (“Love is a Curse”) thrown in. “Blue Marbled Elm Trees” is a great tune that seems to be his overall life lesson statement. On the other end of the spectrum is “Burial Bleak” that focuses on death and how useless it is to think we can cheat it. Gee, where does Kenny go on the next album after those heady topics? The lament (“Please Come Back I Will Listen, I Will Behave, I Will Toe The Line”) sounds like a person who lost someone close. The final cut, “Drone in B#”, is the lengthy series of chord progressions subtly staggered. Background music? If this is the last we see of King Creosote, it is an odd ending.  B

Kordhell - A Million Ways to Murder

2023  15 tracks  (31:44)

At first listen, I thought any comment was destined for the Forgettable list. The pounding DJ hip-hop treated vocals with overly distorted bass designed to use car amplifiers in order to turn them into dust is prevalent and usually without much originality. But I caught myself moving to the music and even tagging music destined for my player. It ain’t all bad and I’ve definitely heard worse. The 15 tracks breezes by in a tidy sub-32 minute set. Nothing overstays its welcome. I’m not a fan of titles like “A Million Ways to Murder” and “Shoot to Kill”, we have too much violence culture without adding to it, but I’m not the morality police. C-

Wolf Alice - Blue Weekend

2021  11 tracks  (40:11)

This English rock group, often labeled as alternative indie, won much acclaim for this album. The music is not overly dense and the tempo tends to be at shoegaze level. More often than not, the songs are worthwhile and enjoyable. My first run through generated a combination of interested and perplexed. More reflection is needed on this album and maybe the newer release that is available.  B?

Nine Inch Nails - Add Violence

2017  5 tracks  (27:13)

Nine Inch Nails deserves its own category rather than call it industrial rock, nu metal, alternative metal, electro rock, whatever. Nobody copies or does anything close to Trent Reznor. The music always has an edge and this edition is no different. Sometimes sounding like the tense soundtrack from the Batman movies, he screams and plays angst with heart-throbbing visceral machine noise. I don’t know if any acoustic instruments are used (maybe drums?) certainly doesn’t seem like it. This, being an EP, gives us four regulation length tracks and the finale (“The Background World”) runs almost twelve minutes. The problem is the last track that starts in a good groove but gradually deteriorates (intentionally) into random noise, making the last half nearly unlistenable. Why? Well, enjoy the first four tunes and call it a day. B-

Cass McCombs - Mangy Love

2016  12 tracks  (59:17)

This middle of the road mid-tempo pop with Cass providing the basic guitar and sultry vocals. Yawn! The songs are soft and pretty, except for “Rancid Girl” which is just pointless. I understand McCombs made an impact in the early 2000’s with his first releases, but this is better than Sominex. D

Jon Durant, Stephan Thelen - Crossings

2021  7 tracks  (1:05:42)

Both Durant and Thelen are guitarists and play a contemporary style of music similar to Terje Rypdal played for ECM. The music is minimalist, airy, with a light jazz component. Though primarily guitarists, they add in many sound treatments and basic electric keyboards to enrichen the numbers that are typically 7-10 minutes long. More relaxing than energizing, it’s great for an evening of light listening.  B

White Moth Black Butterfly - Atone

2017  11 tracks  (37:48)

Usually KScope records acts are interesting and dynamic. This is the rare exception. The brand of alternative pop is built on deep production and simple pop melodies. Lots of it is beautifully done but filled with empty calories. It just doesn’t stir the senses. C-

Storm Corrosion - Storm Corrosion

2012  6 tracks  (47:52)

A collaboration by Steven Wilson and Mikael Akerfedt (Opeth) would seem to be a sure fire winner. Got to say, it’s a bit of a disappointment. Part of the disappointment is knowing these two put out great prog rock. There are some good moments, but it seems like they are often working to build up a moment and then just let it go down the drain. The production is as good as anything Wilson has done. The three pieces running about ten minutes lead to nowhere and lay there like dead ducks. What can you say? It was a bad day at the office for Wilson and Akerfedt.  C-

Tesseract - Polaris

2015  9 tracks  (46:40)

Tesseract was one of the early influencers of djent progressive metal, the abrupt and varied changes in tempo of the music. They often sound a lot like Haken in these moments of rhythm changes. It puts a lot more of the onus on the bass and drum players to deliver the right sound. This is a solid effort without much in the way of lulls. The band had gone through a number of changes by this point, including the main vocalists, but you can’t tell it based on the delivery of very polished material. B+

Being Dead - When Horses Would Run

2023  13 tracks  (35:58)

Cute and quirky, Being Dead brings the surf music vibe along with a humorous bent. What they do right is harmonize the three vocalists and match it up with the ratatatat guitar strums in a highly echoed space. Nothing serious unless you’re worried about buffalos (“Last Living Buffalo”, whether God reads his own Bible (“God vs. Bible”), and if a trip to Payless is important (“Muriel’s Big Day Off”). The only thing is that cute wears off eventually. Keep that in mind. Meanwhile, just enjoy the knockout harmonies which are the star of the show. B

Paul Gilbert - Werewolves of Portland

2021  10 tracks  (47:46)

Guitar virtuoso Paul Gilbert wrote, arranged, recorded, and played all the instruments on this album as a project to do during Covid shutdown. His musicianship is definitely not in question. The only question is whether he can make a compelling work ala Joe Satriani or other great guitar master. I found many of his songs sounding similar, a lot of the riffs done and redone, and many songs main theme meanders in tempo and melody. He can sure play, no doubt. I just not really much on his work as a composer. C-

Suzi Quatro, KT Tunstall - Face to Face

2023  10 tracks  (32:06)

The meeting between two forces in rock should produce exceptional results. Quatro and Tunstall are a generation apart but are of the same cloth. All the songs are credited to both artists, but it is possible to figure out who wrote what. This is a good album, not great. There isn’t a bad song on the record and they sing together well, however it does lack a great tune. I liked “Shine a Light”, “Scars”, “Truth as My Weapon”, and “The Ladies’ Room” the best. It seems like the music doesn’t have Tunstall’s fire which is why her songs work. B

Forgettable

Illenium - Fallen Embers (The DJ genre is overrun by mediocre songwriting talent - case in point)

CHVRCHES - Love is Dead (Very generic unoriginal synth-pop dance and disco music)

The Pineapple Thief - The Soord Sessions 1-4 (Bruce Soord unplugged, not TPT)

Oxbow - Fuckfest (Too experimental for musical enjoyment)

Geese - 3D Country (Country-fied rock/pop/soul with lounge singer vocals)

Claud - Supermodels (Standard pop, average songs)

Jan 21, 2024

 Best of the Week

Katherine Priddy - The Eternal Rocks Beneath

2021  10 tracks  (41:19)

Anyone that thinks folk music doesn’t have a place in modern music should be required to listen to this album. Blessed with a flawless soft voice and nimble guitar playing hands, each tune sounds like it was delivered directly from God’s angels. Occasional stringed accompaniment adorns most tracks, but the beauty is in its simplicity. The song writing is good, but I’m willing to bet it will only get better just because her youth is still a factor.

Neutral Milk Hotel - In the Aeroplane Over the Sea

1998  11 tracks  (39:51)

One of the many Elephant 6 recording groups, this release developed a cult following over the years for good reason. The songs, led by Jeff Magnum, are simply recorded using a variety of instruments (including a singing saw in the title track) and are captivatingly earthy and real. The genuine character carries through with the funny and irrelevant lyrics in tandem with the lo-fi nature of the recording. This recording all but disappeared until the Internet and Magnum’s withdrawal from public view made it bigger than life, being touted by many prominent bands as an influence in their own music. It’s great and deserves recognition as one of the best albums in rock history. A+

Interesting Finds

Charlie Cunningham - Frame

2023  12 tracks  (40:59)

It may go under the moniker of indie folk, but these songs done with simple arrangements and done delicately are beautiful from start to finish. Cunningham uses his soft voiced vocals and equally soft guitar (and occasional piano) to create songs so delicate they could be broken with a stiff breeze. There are atmospheric treatments in the form of airy keyboards to give just enough support to round out the tunes. Despite the low energy, the songs aren’t boring. Just relaxing. B

Sarah Jarosz - Undercurrent

2016  11 tracks  (36:22)

I’ve had the song “Green Lights” on my player for a long time and finally listened to the album it came from. I should have listened a long time ago. Sarah Jarosz is a young phenom in the folk arts, in all the talents - singing, songwriting, and as a musician with guitars and mandolins. Each song is quality and varies from traditional folk to new country and everything in between. It probably was too much to ask that any of the songs match the sheer beauty and tenderness of “Green Lights”, but there are some tasty nuggets and everything is listenable. B+

Fish - A Feast of Consequences

2013  11 tracks  (1:06:55)

Another album with a track having a long residence on my player and finally listening to the full album. According to a Fish aficionado (pun intended), this album is one of the better post 2000 albums that abandoned his musical ties with the music he made with Marillion and approached a pop/alternative rock direction. Similar to the shift Peter Gabriel made from his Genesis sounding early albums, the shift sometimes worked and other times didn’t. Fish filled his songs with the sound of his voice and left little room for instrumental expression, which is needed to make alternative and progressive rock work. For that reason, there is a level of plainness despite the quality production. This could have been so much better. C

Royksopp - Profound Mysteries III

2022  10 tracks  (1:00:37)

The group Royksopp is a duo from Norway, the austere Tromso area far up north, which probably is one of the reasons the electronic music has a certain starkness. Even so, there are some really good heavy rhythm cuts and very serene female guest vocalists that makes parts captivating. They can get stuck in a rut, repeating sounds and patterns from song to song. It is a mixed bag, but it is attractive throughout.  B-

Delerium - Mythologie

2016  12 tracks  (1:03:57)

Known for making infectious new-age electronic pop and ambient house music, the Vancouver based duo also has a knack for picking excellent supporting (usually female) vocalists to round out the mid-tempo songs. Without the vocalists, the music would come off a little plain. Often during a song, the melody would often wane until they sneak in a shift in key or accenting instrumental segment. The signature spacial chords, deep bass notes, and high key vocals rule every song. It pays to sprinkle these songs in with a high energy rock song list for a welcome change of pace.  B

 

Frost* - Experiments in Mass Appeal

2008  9 tracks  (56:50)

Stuck for well-crafted alternative rock? Frost is the great elixir for the Everything-Sounds-The-Same blues. The blend of musical sounds they make sound timeless, it’s impossible to figure out which decade it comes from. Nothing is totally linear, you can’t expect them to be predictable on any given song, right? Only the last cut, the 15-minute “Wonderland” song needs some sizable editing due to the lengthy spoken word at the very beginning that goes on for many minutes before becoming a real song. Outside of that one cut (well, maybe the 1:07 You/I), it is grand stuff.  B+

Elbow - Asleep in the Back

2001  12 tracks  (1:01:47)

The first Elbow album has a lot of elements found in Radiohead like the penchant for great melody lines with unconventional rock presentation. Add in some Peter Gabriel style vocals and you have music a little more accessible to a general audience. They are not mainstream at all. The britpop sound is less strident than a metal pop and walls of guitars are substituted with more delicate organ, drums, and acoustic guitars. Not a hit machine, but lots to look over the long haul. B+

Bjorn Riis - Lullabies in a Car Crash

2016  6 tracks  (51:28)

This is a little boring. Bjorn Riis is the guitarist for Airbag, the Norwegian prog rock band with steller songs like “Machines and Men”. Sounding similarly, the music relies on a common crutch, the use of standard chord progressions we all know without a meaningful amount of variation between songs. Listening to it doesn’t turn you off, it just doesn’t turn you on. It’s as average as you can get.  C

Forgettable

Fontaines D.C. - Skinty Fla go deo (Disappointing brooding dreck)

Beach House - Teen Dream (boring pop rock, couldn’t get into it)

Clark - Sus Dog (Interesting electro-pop but lacks any musical sense)

Liars - The Apple Drop (Avant Garde rock with toneless vocals)

Jan 12, 2023

Best of the Week

Yo La Tengo - I Can Hear the Heart Beating As One (25th Anniversary Deluxe Edition)

2022  22 tracks  (1:50:32)

Yes, this was released in 1997 when Yo La Tengo found their footing that would blaze a path for the next twenty-five years and beyond. Most label them as an alternative rock or indie pop band, but there is no one label that can describe how they lay down basic pop lines with a minimal set of instruments and use the studio like an artist palette. They don’t get stuck in a predictable pattern, each song is not just an extension of adjoining songs. They sound like they are a different band from cut to cut. Which is why you can listen to the (original) 16-cut album and not tire of listening to it. Even with the ten-minute bizarro “Spec Bebop” track.  There are six additional cuts to the anniversary edition, four of which are alternate takes of “Autumn Sweater”. This could be a rock classic.  A+

Skating Polly - Chaos County Line

2023  18 tracks  (1:07:30)

It would be easy to dismiss Skating Polly as a base level girls band with the cutesy vocals and the lyrical focus on boys/relationships, but that’s a mistake. There is true pop craftsmanship (or is it craftsthemship now?) taking place. The song structures are not simple A-B-A-B patterns, much more sophisticated than that. They are still young and much of that comes through, but they have been at this for a dozen years and have developed their musical chops tremendously. Stylistically, they do float around a bit, but there really isn’t a stinker on this 18 cut tracklist. It kicks serious butt all the way through. A-

Ghostwoman - Hindsight is 50/50

2023  10 tracks  (41:07)

If there is such a genre as psychedelic pop shoegaze (psych-gaze?) this would be it. The ghostly vocals and piercing over-fuzzed guitars is an intoxicating combination which Evan Uschenko uses to great effect. Occasionally, he pulls the guitar back a little bit to give the mid-60’s The Ventures vibe. It’s a blast to listen to. A-

Robyn Hitchcock - Shufflemania!

2022  10 tracks  (37:50)

Unlike the relaxing Life After Infinity, Hitchcock is at his usual playful self with the set of irrepressible tunes and lovely singing he has been known for. He’s always been a great lyricist which has not changed here one bit. The songs are fun, lively, and enjoyable. May he never change. A-

Interesting Finds

Tomahawk - Tomahawk

2001  13 tracks  (41:41)

Debut album by Mike Patton (Mr. Bungle, Faith No More) based supergroup that formed and plays for a while, goes into hiatus, and then returns when they aren’t working with their home groups and other projects. They have been playing this form of alternative metal and grunge music for twenty years now, often playing with Melvins and Tool. Their rough-around-the-edges metal pop sound is appealing even if the vocals are less than great (or even good) with the Wolfman Jack/John Kay singing. Mike Paton, the singer, intentionally uses this form of singing despite having a tremendous vocal range. Still, that doesn’t detract from the basic appeal with many of the songs inventive and intriguing.  B

Faith No More - Album of the Year

1997  12 tracks  (43:13)

Not sure what people were looking for when this album came out, but they weren’t very happy with it and I don’t know why. There are some songs on here that are excellent. The legendary Mike Patton was the lead singer by now (see above Tomahawk capsule in this segment) and it showcases his range of vocal delivery. Pitchfork compared this album to a used condom (“sure, the ride was fun while it lasted, but what remains is just plain icky. And you definitely don’t want it in your CD player”). That’s unfortunate because it can easily be mistaken for a Foo Fighters album. It is far from perfect, but there is plenty of meat to chew on. B+

Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit - Reunions

2020  10 tracks  (41:13)

A nice set of tracks in a southern rock Americana style by this former Drive By Truckers member. The songs all have a certain amount of hooks characteristic of country or folk music which adds a lot of sameness to the set, almost to the point of you’re asking yourself, didn’t I just hear that? The vocals are pleasant and they play in a relaxed style. Nothing really wrong with it, just a little repetitive. C

Vince Clarke - Songs of Silence

2023  10 tracks  (42:45)

Known for his work with the duo Erasure and early work with OMD, Clarke produces a relaxing synth record using simple patterns augmented by brief punctuated sound effects. It’s soothing, not energetic. Not great playlist material, but there is nothing wrong to put this whole record in a dimly lighted room and let it ease the day’s stresses from your body.  C

David Holmes, Raven Violet - Blind On A Galloping Horse

2023  14 tracks  (1:14:36)

David Holmes, a DJ and film soundtrack composer, does music that could be described as electro pop - electronic based music with lots of programming. Raven Violet provides a soft airy voice to the songs. Many of the songs are given pithy titles like “You Will Know Me by the Smell of Onions” and “Tyranny of the Talentless” as well as the title track. The music is fine and mostly enjoyable. Good rhythmic background music.  B-

Hector Tellez Jr. - The Great Unknown

2023  12 tracks  (43:52)

Good on you if you had a Cuban national become someone to look at in the future for blues based rock n roll on your bingo card. Tellez was able to rope two rock icons in Krist Novoselic and Peter Buck to help on his first US release. After growing up listening to US and UK rock - and lots of Muddy Waters - Tellez was able to secure a leave of Cuba where he knew playing salsa and covers was not his lot in life and made the jump to Nashville. His fluid guitar playing and resounding vocals, almost entirely in English, has the talent to be a major player. If anything, his vocals are too perfect as rock tends to favor vocals with some rough edges. A couple of the songs could be better, but for a first release this is a nice start. B

Beartooth - The Surface

2023  11 tracks  (37:32)

Brutally hard rock or metalcore or metalpop, whatever you want to call it, has its moments. The music features many of the same elements as a Disturbed or Fall Out Boys without resorting to growling throat singing. Make no mistake, there are plenty of near scream level vocals, but at least the lyrics are still decipherable. The songs are a little ordinary, using common constructs found in many bands. A little more imagination would go a long way.  C

Robyn Hitchcock - Life After Infinity

2023  11 tracks  (37:20)

Known for his bouncy pop act, Robyn Hitchcock decides to go mostly acoustic and leave the vocals behind in this set of relaxing and contemplative work. This would have found a home in the old Windham Hill records family many years ago. They are all very lovely and touching, sometimes a welcome change to the fast and furious life and music that dominates the landscape. B

The Veils - …And Out of the Void Came Love

2023  15 tracks  (56:39)

The Veils are essentially Finn Andrews with whomever he finds to play the songs he writes and sings. In general, it is an alt-rock band with spooky psychedelic backdrops, pop music on quaaludes. The dreary dreamy tone doesn’t overpower the good pop sense that is evident. The songs are well-structured and inventive albeit with a few clinkers to skip. It has some of the production level one would have expected from a David Bowie album but is more likable. Towards the end of the album, I was fatigued by the schtick and the cuteness of the production.  B-