Wilder Maker 'Male Models'

 

Latest album from New York band, Wilder Maker, out 29th July from Western Vinyl

The new album from trio Wilder Maker features an eclectic list of guest vocalists, combining with the sun-kissed soulful dripping indie rock that is on offer. Guests range from Adam Duritz (Counting Crows), Katie Von Schleicher and Felicia Douglass who each lend their vocals to another heartfelt folk laden composition married with Gabriel Birnbaum's insular narrative laden lyrics.

Male Models' inspiration is as eclectic as the sound it carries with influences ranging from novels to basketball and Thin Lizzy to positivity. The band comprises of frontman Birnbaum with long time collaborators Nick Jost and Sean Mullins, with the album being recorded live over several days. The overriding impression you get from the first listen is that this is an album for a vinyl listening party, something you put on in the background but every now and then you have to stop in your tracks because you are hearing something fresh, invigorating and hypnotic.

Birnbaum admits, 'I've been keeping an ever-expanding playlist of songs that I never want to skip. I wanted to make a record that sounded like a playlist in this way; it became a kind of songwriting challenge for me.'

The album succeeds in bringing that effervescence to your speakers with a balance of jam inspired soul and funk with pulsating indie rock that is reminiscent say of We Are Scientists but this really reminded me of a band called Video Age and their album 'Pleasure Line' while that had hints of yacht rock in it, that album and Male Models shares a strange sounding DNA and both had a summer release.

Latest release 'Static' is one of those such tracks featuring vocals by VV Lightbody; a jaunty jam of funk that marries summery vocals with a neat bassline.

'Silver Car' is a personal favourite of the band themselves and that features Katie Von Schleicher guesting and the album has these moments of calm amidst the fevered excitement elsewhere such as ballad 'Surfers Trace' which is sun-kissed and elegiac.

Following the global pandemic, there is a real sense that this big world did become a lot smaller as we all had to experience the change to our daily lives and routines. It forced us to reach out to those we may not ordinarily make contact with and provide support to those in less fortunate positions but also the chance for collaboration. 

Male Models is indicative of this sea change as music is made across zoom calls and ideas are shared frequently across continents and nations - the finished product fills you with a great sense of joy and pride that perhaps the good in humanity will win out as wars and corruption still appear in our society. This album speaks to the good in people and the light that shines in us all.

Male Models is out from Western Vinyl on 29th July.

My thanks to One Beat PR for the review opportunity.

Ken Lussey - The Stockholm Run

 

Superb new thriller by Ken Lussey out now via Arachnid Press

Prolific Ken Lussey has been busy with his series involving MI-11 Captain Bob Sutherland in three books to date, all of which I have had the pleasure of reviewing for this blog.

    Eyes Turned Skywards - NextToTheAisle: Eyes Turned Skywards

    Bloody Orkney - NextToTheAisle: Bloody Orkney - Ken Lussey

Capt. Sutherland returns again with his inspirational partner Monique Dubois and this time as with any burgeoning franchise, the character has outgrown his native land and its now time to see the world. With the war still blazing in mainland Europe, Bob and Monique are asked to do a covert operation posing as a married couple and head for Stockholm, where they must take delivery of a message from the Abwehr (a group fighting against the Nazis within Germany). However, nothing runs smoothly during wartime and Monique ends up being taken away leaving Bob alone in a city with little or nobody to trust. Working in the secret business you have to keep your wits about you.

Lussey as always writes with a real clarity and conciseness, his style is matter of fact but he is helped by a keen eye for period detail painting a wonderful picture of war-torn Stockholm due to his intense research; Lussey loves writing about new places from the architecture, to the fashion of the time. He takes care to share the opulence in the Grand Hotel so it shines forth from the page.

Sutherland remains a character of great integrity and humility; he is overcoming his own shortfalls in both his relationship with Monique and his character as an officer, Monique questions whether Bob has the strength to shoot somebody if need be. 

Written with a pleasing dependability a returning series provides, The Stockholm Run is a must for fans of World War 2 history and lore. A faithful imagining of fictional work set amidst history changing before their eyes.

The Stockholm Run is out on all formats from Arachnid Press now.

My thanks to the author for sharing with me his work and the opportunity to review.

Tino 'Interpreting Clouds'

 

New album from Tino 'interpreting clouds' out today from Sound As Language 

Santino Gonzalez is a multidisciplinary artist from Los Lunas, New Mexico and covers a wide spectrum of artistic faculties which he incorporates into his work from painting to photography to this new album of material released from sound as language on 15th July

Bringing together a wealth of influence from the everyday social situations Tino finds himself passing from day to day; ranging from the history of the UFO sightings in the state to the stillness of time. Gonzalez has created an album indebted to the work of the king of ambient music, Brian Eno yet has crafted an album identifiable as something wholly unique.

The album is punctuated by pockets of radio static and home recordings created a collage of sound clash that is mysterious and improvisational, take for instance the track 'From the Sky' which takes microphones picking up static mixed with an electronic ambience to create something whole and spellbinding.

interpreting clouds (SAL out 15th July from sound as language.

Thank you to them for the review opportunity.

Adwaith - Bato Mato

 

Welsh trio return with 2nd album 'BATO MATO' via Libertino Records

The Welsh language scene has had a boom in recent times, with many like Gwenno at the forefront and in 2018, a three piece from Carmarthen released their debut 'Melyn' which won the Welsh Mercury music prize and put them in the mainstream consciousness due to their mixture of pop and punk sensibilites in their core.

While that debut was very much a piece about growing up in small town Wales, the sophomore piece - work on which had already begun in 2019 before the world became gripped by coronavirus - took a turn when the band found themselves on the Trans-Siberian Express in the cold city of Ulan-Ude. The sense of batten down the hatches survivalist mentality on the foreboding deserted streets, leant a sense of wow this is real life for the three young women.

The three piece are Hollie Singer (vocals, guitar), Gwenllian Anthony (bass, keys) and Heledd Owen (drums); and this album is very much about confronting the messy future and where you find yourself in the early 20s of your life.

Incorporating the influence of fellow trailblazer Gwenno, the band embrace the sound of Siouxsie and the Banshees and fellow girl band The Breeders. You do not have to be a Welsh language speaker to embrace the broad palette of styles and substance on display here. 

This album is very much a band coming to terms with success and being aware of their own growth as people and a group. While the album was made in a close knit feel of community in Wales, rejoining with debut album producer Steffan Pringle, this is an album that reaches for a global audience that this big world is attainable and the reach of music and language together is unlimited.

From the fuzzy feeback of 'Yn y Swn' to the opus quality of 'ETO' this album is not merely one for connoisseurs but for those willing to try something new; you need only listen to a composition like 'Cwympo' to applaud a band who are making big strides in their capabilities and reach or 'Lan y Mor' which evokes feelings of summer bliss.

Bato Mato is out on July 1st on all platforms via Libertino Records.

My thanks to One Beat PR for the review opportunity.