The Natvral - Tethers

 

Debut album from Kip Berman (The Pains of Being Pure at Heart) Tethers is out April 2nd via Dirty Bingo Records.

Following the disbandment of the band in 2017 after the release of The Echo of Pleasure, Berman found himself at a creative crossroads. Having written about young adult life in New York City with maturity and a fine ear for a tune - Berman found himself at a creative crossroads.

Tethers is the further maturation of Berman as a songwriter in a new guise as The Natvral with an observation of the changes in his life marking this as a self-portrait of sorts. This comes with a move from hipster central Brooklyn to Princeton and the arrival of a new daughter, this new identity as a parent came a shift in how he approached and created music. Instead of constant months of touring, came the writing for himself after bedtime for the children.

Tethers has a raw but earthy sound reminiscent of the Laurel Canyon sound with the swoon of Berman's voice sounding like mid-1970s Bob Dylan or Neil Young. This freedom of writing marks Berman out as a songwriter of great nuance and intellect as those famous troubadours but also in the footsteps of David Crosby and Ron Sexsmith.

 

The album opens with 'Why Don't You Come Out Anymore?' which is both triumphant and reflective of a time when younger they would be out everyday but now as life takes hold and responsibility appears so does the time for friends.

Second single 'New Moon' (track 2) is this soulful ballad again about reflection but of hope springing eternal at the end of day, when you look at the moon and think about the day that has passed and what has been achieved.  

From the emotive nature of 'Sun Blisters' to the yearning of 'Sylvia, the Cup of Youth' which brings to mind the prolific nature of Ryan Adams to the barnstorming 'Alone in London' which ends the album on quite a crescendo.

Tethers is out from Dirty Bingo Records on 2nd April on all formats.

When The Evil Waits - MJ Lee

 

The sixth book in the DI Ridpath series is out now from Canelo Press

Writer MJ Lee is an author of some renown, prolific and intelligent in his depiction of a searing individual who has to combat many obstacles in his day-to-day life as an assistant to the lead coroner of the Manchester region.

Lee, who writes a book a year for Ridpath, seems to reflect the social context of work to his narrative needs. This is no different in When The Evil Waits, as the action takes place over the month of August 2020 so Ridpath and all his colleagues have had to combat the threat of the global coronavirus pandemic. This helps you appreciate that all the action takes place with the police force with face masks on for the protection of all. This relatability to proceedings helps with the visualisation of the action.

In this novel we find Ridpath dealing with the ramifications of the action that ended When The Past Kills, where one key character was left fighting for their life. Ridpath is in a period of grieving, his daughter Eve is not living with him at moment while he recuperates. He has been signed off for work but he still sees his wife Polly in his dreams. So the spectre and question of if he is fit for work has to be asked by his superiors and one definitely has it in for Ridpath throughout the book.

The unity of those who support Ridpath is there for all to see, he is well liked by his peers because he gets results albeit by unfamiliar methods and gut instincts. 

This is another fine entry into the catalogue however, for this reader the depiction of the villain in this instance was not totally well rounded and a bit of a stretch for reality, yet the action in apprehending him was well told and fittingly gripping to the high standard you expect.

Lee also has fun with the depiction of the journalist who is seeking to upend the police force and their reputation all to better her own career forsaking personal relationships at any cost seemingly; this dweller of bottom feeder journalism still exists in the gossip-mongering all lights on internet.

In conclusion, while it may not have reached the heights of previous Ridpath novels like Where The Silence Calls perhaps but it is still better than some television dramas of recent times and with the in vogue Line of Duty back on our screens, sometimes it is better to remove from escapist fare on the visual medium and rejoice in the assured hand of MJ Lee with DI Ridpath for comfort.

When The Evil Waits is out now on all formats from Canelo Press.

My thanks to Canelo for the review opportunity. 

Mint Julep - In A Deep and Dreamless Sleep

New album from husband-wife duo Mint Julep, In a Deep and Dreamless Sleep out 19th March from Western Vinyl

Following on from 2019's sumptuous release Stray Fantasies, the duo of Hollie and Keith Kenniff return with a kaleidoscopic and dreamy shoegaze pop venture that is at times an extension of the previous album and a progression of the creative partnership.

From the album opener 'A Rising Sun' this is not merely an album but a mood piece of contemplation - the sun of the track is breaking through the fuzzy fog we as a listener may find ourselves in as we cope with the mounting pressures of a global pandemic and the stresses upon a person's mental health.

The rich harmonies between the two are on display on track two, 'Black Maps' with its pulsing underlying bassline and gorgeous vocals by Hollie. This track is perhaps the most familiar song structure from the pair, yet as Keith Kenniff explains, 'Our previous material tended to be structured largely in a verse/chorus setting, but these songs are more free flowing and through-composed with a focus on mood and texture.'

The ability to alter your songwriting structure from one means to another allowing the moment or feeling to navigate the song is expressed throughout the album as a shape-shifting quality rarely seen amongst groups. Yet if pandemic has taught us anything, it is that we have to learn to adapt to thrive or move forward in the post-Covid world.

The whole album seems and definitely feels like a construct of work from an alternative dimension or perhaps five minutes into the future; from the ethereal album cover featuring a multi-coloured mysterious shape dwelling near a cave - is it escaping or entering? - to the dreamy mood of psychedelia and imagination which runs the full gamut of spectrums available.

At times sparse but at other times highly emotive, this album has something for everyone and covers a range of mysticism through the use of synthesizers and guitars creating an absorbing ambient collection of romantic dream pop.

In A Deep and Dreamless Sleep is out 19th March from Western Vinyl 

Follow Mint Julep on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook

My thanks to One Beat PR for the review opportunity.