Footballhead - Overthinking Everything

New album from Chicago five piece via Tiny Engines

Hailing from Chicago and helmed by singer/songwriter Ryan Nolen, they are a band that sound like the child of those emo renowned bands Blink 182 and Jimmy Eat World. Those bands while loud and brash, as they grew into maturity became accomplished composers of songs that spoke to the masses as well as the marginalised from which their popularity flourished.

Overthinking Everything is that same sort of beginnings of something, a band with a strong unified sound that would not be out of place on the MTV cycle in the late 1990s before the Y2K scare crippled us. 

Short bursts of adrenaline and energy abound from opener 'Rug' and follow up 'Snowball'. The message is clear these are guys who dream of days by the beach but driving along them rather than sunbathing they may well be cruising. 

As with all young male adults these are people searching for meaning, but most importantly using the conduit of guitar rock music to be heard. Nolen grew up in Western Chicago suburbs before relocating to Palm Springs, California in his teen years. He is assisted by Adam Siska, Liam Burns, snow ellet and Robbie Kuntz to make the sound bigger.

The thing to remember about Blink's music is that they were a pop band with earworm hooks and riffs coupled with an unquenchable desire to succeed, Nolen shares some of that freedom and enthusiasm on this short running half hour album that contains a lucky thirteen nuggets.

Full of bombast and ambition, small tales of struggles and hopes, this feels like the start of the journey and a band to watch out for on the festival circuit this summer where the word of mouth will follow.

Overthinking Everything is out from Tiny Engines on Friday 1st March

Staunch Honey - David Nance

 

New album from Nebraskan rocker David Nance from Trouble In Mind Records

David Nance turned many heads in 2019 with his last album, Peace and Slightly Pulverized, which was highly acclaimed with his fuzzy and bristling guitar rock.

Nance returns with his fifth studio album Staunch Honey, which he recorded the majority of at his Omaha home with assistance from longtime bandmates Jim Schroeder (guitar) and Kevin Donohue (drums), making this a recorded at home master due to the Covid-19 crisis.

A culmination of two years hard work, Nance recorded and reworked the album three times over, Nance has weaved a manic and sonic clash of mood and emotion from raging guitars to squealing feedback which was so prevlant on 'Pulverized..' to a more mellower form of songwriting fitting for a late night drive or hang at home.

This is never more apparent than on track 2, 'The Dark, My Love and I' a rocker of supreme intensity but goes hand in hand with the gentler 'Save Me Some Tears' and 'Gentle Traitor'.

Fans of Neil Young will love this album full of earthiness, there is a real connection to the land and how important music is to Nance comes through the speakers in all its feedback glory.

Nance continues to impress with his intelligent and provoking guitar rock, a few years back there was a renaissance of guitar led music with Nance and his group leading the charge along with contemporaries such as Rayland Baxter. Some groups still exist such as recent release by The Big Easy can attest to but in this year of isolation and introspection it is good and pleasing to see an artist willing to just let his hair down.

Staunch Honey is out on Friday 13th November from Trouble In Mind Records

Pynch 'Somebody Else'

'Life is strange but at least I get paid' 

The new single from Pynch band is out July 6th from Speedy Wunderground.

A subtle political piece where the message is 'somebody else' the times have caused you to act and feel like someone else, when you are without the routine of everyday life, when it is taken away from you what do you become.

While this has a driving hum to it, there is a melancholy

'I just want to feel something real' - is the rallying cry after the lyrics go back and forth from defiance to being unassured, being uncertain about what you want is the only certain thing in this life currently.

This song is a distant relative of 'Born To Run' and that thread of uncertainty that runs through Springsteen's work or about the individual putting themselves front and centre in his own narrative in reaction to the oppressive society around him.

The video is a kaleidoscope of imagery from walks and activity during the lockdown period mainly in May 2020, so this is a time capsule piece featuring walks across fields, cycling without chains on your bike, harking back to a period of innocence ending on a journey at the lido this mythical place you used to attend when younger and more carefree.

Somebody Else is out on 6th July as a single.

Lithics 'Tower of Age'

Hailing from Portland, Oregon; the third album from Lithics is out now from Trouble in Mind records

Reminiscent of other noted North East American bands from the Seattle and Portland areas, the band seem to have harnessed their driving guitar sound to create this sonic soundscape of invention and minimalism; hooks that revolve around circular motion you get the sense that this album is communicating a sense of disenchantment but also a wonder at this weirdness. 

Songs range from the incessant 'Beat Fall' to 'A Highly Textured Ceiling' which is at times short but stubby.  This album will either make you angry or you will find the rhythm to tap along to; they sound like a band who can jam but find the sound when they are cut loose from the strangulation of melody and would instead prefer to find their own way through the uncertainty.

An album which will have something for everyone ranging from lead single 'Hands' to the ear worm churning of 'Twisting Vine', this band has crafted an album to breakthrough.

Tower of Age is out now from Trouble in Mind records

My thanks to One Beat PR for the opportunity to review.

Doomshakalaka

The debut album from former Hot Club De Paris frontman Paul Rafferty via Moshi Moshi records

Rafferty has constructed a collection of ten songs that work as both a great piece of work but also a piece of archive material as he looks back on his life in and around music starting with the album opener 'One Last Saturday Night' a song he originally wrote in 2011 about the feeling of possibility and invincibility that would come with a weekend night out as he refers to.

 

‘James Asleep’ is one of those driving melodies reminiscent of other Liverpudlian bands with a jingle jangle guitar with a bassline to match. The bass may be a bit sombre but the prevailing mood is one of hope and happiness by the end.

Befittingly, the album is of this era, with tracks such as 'This Is War (And I'm So Bored)' about negative thought and having to cope with them in this difficult time for everyone and this is backed up by the final track of the album 'Black Balloons'.

As Rafferty states in an exclusive interview, the process of the album was to describe a tough time, an album that is as much for himself than for others, but the universal appeal of this work speaks large.

All in all this album is one of genuine passion, of recalling past glories not for yearning but for embracing those memories as a moment of expression and how it expresses you.

Doomshakalaka is out from Moshi Moshi Records on 5th June

My thanks to One Beat PR for the review opportunity.

Spice 'All My Best Shit'

The new single release from Californian band, Spice, this is a rip-roaring piece of grungy, fast adrenaline rock.

This is a song as much about anger and how to express it compared to sitting upon your emotions. In this day and age of mental awareness and being expressive about feelings, this is a guitar-driven indie rock song seeking to be heard amidst this pandemic of epic proportions.

The single 'All My Best Shit' is released ahead of the self-titled album out on July 21st from DAIS records.

The album is a nine track 30-minute cut of sonic infusion sparking discussion about co-existing with spikes of loud and soft, short and long but yet full of sparky punch and authority in this world of unrest.

The group comprise of Ross Farrar (vocals) and Jake Casarotti (drums) from the band Ceremony, along with Cody Sullivan (bass), Ian Simpson (guitar) and Victoria Skudlarek (violin) the band have honed a sound from the Bay Area pedigree full of modernity and anthemic yearning.

Spice is out from DAIS records on July 21st

Melenas - Dias Raros

The long awaited mainstream release by Spanish four-piece Melenas is released by Trouble in Mind on Friday 8th May.

A bracing shot of adrenaline for the senses following a long period of docileness, this is a winning formula for fans of indie rock music.

For the band this is a step in the direction of more mainstream awareness across Europe following a long period of admiration in their native Spain.

From album opener 'Primer Tiempo' the intent is clear and what resonates most for the first time listener is to hear the tightness and unity of the group, the level of musicianship on display is a wonder to behold. 

There is a hum an energy that thrusts through the album from the indie-pop jangle of the album opener to 'Los Alemanes', but there is also opportunity for melody and slower moments on this swelling work.

The waltz of album closer 'Vals' is testament to this as is the gorgeous 'Ciencia Ficcion' that offers a chance for the band to engage with melancholic content with great cascading voices coupling with guitar waves.

This is a punk album for indie fans, and an indie sounding album for the stubborn punk fan.  The band hail from Pamplona, a region of Spain most famous for people being chased by bulls through the streets.  In this case, Melenas take the bull by the horns announcing themselves to the world and created a foundation full of influences both musically and culturally in a space full of promise and bursting verve.

Dias Roras is released by Trouble in Mind records, and the first label outside of Spain to release Melenas to the world.

Nothing's Lost - Prints In The Snow

Debut album out now from Yorkshire four piece, Prints in the Snow

Formed in 2010 by the pair, Laurie Armitt and Catherine Preston, they were joined by music journalist David Simpson on drums and by former Hermit Crabs guitarist Mark Waudby. This album was released in 2019 on the band's bandcamp page and still available.

From the opening track 'Waiting for the Feeling' there is an energy that permeates from this band, a tightness of their collective spirit coming through the ether. The drive of that album opener is in stark contrast to the next two tracks, 'To Be Home Again' and 'Sleep' where the sombre reflectiveness washes over the listener, which continues in the little gem 'For Grace'

There is a power to this four piece that radiates throughout the nine track album, with pieces reminiscing of lost opportunites, past glories and fading chances, which comes from the ages of the group in their more mature years.

There is a yearning in these songs, reminiscent of Mike Scott and the Waterboys, music which is very much British and makes you think this is a lost soundtrack to some fabled lost Lindsey Anderson kitchen sink drama from the early 1960s or that renaissance of British film in the late 1980s.

Yet you still get the rock of 'Desdemona' a song of requited love, this is an album as much about love and the love of music and not an angry political album. That is followed by 'Be Still My Heart' a lovely track that recalls the gushing work of Richard Hawley or Billy Bragg - a song with a tag line that pulls on your ear to nuzzle into your memory slipstream.

An album by music lovers for music lovers in all its faded glory, during this period of self-isolation it is an album that befits this prolonged period of reflection and contemplation; a small minor masterpiece ripe for a larger audience.

Follow Prints In The Snow on Twitter @printsinthesnow.

Read my interview with David Simpson here for his book 'The Last Champions'

Es - Less of Everything

First full length album from quartet Es from Upset The Rhythm in April 2020

Es are less a band and more a manifesto - lets be loud, lets be proud - a virtual coolness of pop friction, prickly in their composition but deliberate in their conviction.

The band are a four-piece, Maria Cecilia Tedemalm (vocals), Katy Cotterell (bass), Tamsin M. Leach (drums) and Flora Watters (keyboards) made noise in 2016 with their debut EP 'Object Relations' released on La Vida Es Un Mus label, they have become a prominent member of the underground DIY music scene since 2017

In the form of Tedemalm, the band have a vital front person who can be the focal point for the group. The band are as much about attitude and this is backed up by the dynamic of being relentless in this album - this is an emotional journey that carries you through the scale of nuance to complex; and while other DIY groups may sound cold there is a welcoming nature to this band. Es are ones to watch.

Less of Everything is out from Upset The Rhythm on April 3rd.

My thanks to One Beat PR for the review opportunity.

FACS Interview

FACS release their third album on 27th March from Trouble in Mind records, I had the pleasure of interviewing Brian Case, guitarist of the band and a Chicago native. Read my review of VOID MOMENTS here

• What is the history of FACS and what is he MO of the group?

FACS formed out of the ashes of Disappears, no real trajectory or mission in mind just wanted to continue making music in relatively the same direction we were headed with Disappears. In that regard, there was no real MO other than letting things play out as they happen and not forcing any ideas into a certain box. That said, we like playing with limitations and having self-imposed constraints.

• How did the three of you come together?

We've all been friends for almost 20 years at this point, mostly through our various bands playing together over the years and community spaces like Empty Bottle and the Rainbo Club. We've all been working musicians that whole time so it was easy to connect and use our shared interests/experiences to make something together.

• How long was the recording process for this album?

Three days to track, I think it was about three days mixing as well but we weren't there for that part.

• Do you go in with an idea of what you want to record or does it come together when you start in the studio?

We try and leave room for both. It's nice to go in and get warmed up with what you know, ideas with some structure or familiarity, but we like to leave as much time to experiment and get uncomfortable or out of our zone. They're equally important in our process.

• What did you listen to when you were growing up?

It was just what I had access to, my parent's record collection, mostly radio. By the time I was a teenager I was almost exclusively listening to whatever Dischord Records was releasing, mixtapes by friends, The Smiths, Sonic Youth.

• What do you listen to nowadays?

It's all over the place, I'm as curious as ever but I'm still as much influenced by my initial sources as I ever was. Today I listened to Wayne Phoenix, Alternative TV, Shabaka and the Ancestors, The Native Cats, Alabaster Deplume, and Fugazi (so far).

• What is your hope for the album now the power of touring has been restricted?

I just want people to listen to it, hopefully in one sitting with no distractions. We don't really have an agenda other than making music and challenging what we think it is we do. Even touring, which we love, is not the priority, it's moving forward and making something unexpected or unknown.

• How do you see the music industry changing due to Covid-19? Are you worried as recording artists?

I'm hoping C-19 changes everything, the whole world. We all need to wake up and look at what we do day to day and figure out how to make things sustainable for the future. In this country there's a lot that needs to be broken down and rebuilt, the music industry included. I hope this forced self isolation is the first step in people looking outside of their own immediate field of vision for a way to move the world forward. We're the virus.

• Chicago Deep Pan or New York slice?

Chicago Deep Dish is trash, disgusting. New York slice is supreme. That said I will never live anywhere else, I firmly believe Chicago is the best city in the world, NYC being a close second.

Go seek out merch and material from FACS bandcamp page here.
Void Moments is out now on all formats

My thanks as always to One Beat PR for the review opportunity.

FACS - Void Moments

Chicago trio, FACS, release 27th March by Trouble in Mind records

The trio comprise of Brian Case (guitarist), Noah Leger (drummer) and Alianna Kalaba (bassist) - the two men were in Disappears before the dissolution of that band an they made a 2017 debut entitled Negative Houses. The addition of Kalaba led to 2018's Lifelike.

They return with Void Moments, perhaps there most accessible album thus far - featuring songs that are less oblique and open to interpretation yet still featuring the darkness of their roots.

The album is full of these clashes - light and darkness, beauty and harshness, deafening din and softness - none more so encapsulated than in lead single 'Teenage Hive' and the follow up 'Casual Indifference'

There is a hypnotic quality to the compositions starting with opener 'Boy' a track that is both pulsating and full of flow, one thing this album could never be accused of would be lacking in energy which is infectious and careens through the seven tracks on the album.

'Teenage Hive' is one of those such infectious tracks, a riveting bassline and guitar thrash running through the core of the track that creates this sonic surge, no wonder it was the lead single.

'Casual Indifference' is the epitome of this brutal post-punk music and perhaps the standout of the album - a combination of art rock (see Activity release also) and emo shoegaze, it has a hook on you that will not let go.

FACS are a band who are searching for answers in this messy world, trying to make sense of their place and what purpose if any does this type of industrial heavy rock music have anymore.

Yet the musicianship of the trio really comes to the fore, a tightness as a group that cannot be matched plus there is a certain kind of joy coming through the airwaves in their unity together to create this unique soundscape.

Void Moments is out on 27th March from Trouble In Mind records and the bandcamp website.

My thanks to One Beat PR for the review opportunity.

Activity - Unmask Whoever

Debut album from New York four piece available from Western Vinyl on 27th March 

Formed a year ago in NYC, Activity, the four piece comprise of Travis Johnson (vocals), Steve Levine (drummer), Zoe Browne (bassist) and Jess Rees (guitarist)

Attention to this avant garde foursome came about with the release of lead single 'Calls Your Name' with a corresponding video that is both hypnotic and unsettling.

Yet this band have made music that while being harsh on the exterior and the sort of unrelenting indie rock powered by bass lines, there is an accessibility that comes to the surface once you listen to the album.

The hypnotic power of the lead single is matched by second track 'Earth Angel' - embracing the power of the individual and bringing that to the fore with lyrical themes of paranoia clashing with the current fragility of the person in this mad mad world.


'Nude Prince' the last single before the album release is one of those stay with you songs that is both pulsating and mesmeric, bringing a throbbing art rock beat to the party - the perfect marriage of aloof lyrics and synth beauty.

The band are this finally balanced four piece of two males and two females, an avant garde rallying call to arms from the conventions of indie rock to mark this new breed of current dystopia - paranoid lyrics and flawed humanity in musical form.

A band who are an amalgam of various forms have created an album inspired by literature, music and current events to make an album that is wholly unique and coherent. At times subtle and radiant, proud but buoyant this is a work that will be spoken of for end of years lists.

Unmask Whoever is released from Western Vinyl on all formats from March 27th.

My thanks to One Beat PR for the review opportunity.

The Springfields 'Singles 1986-1991'

A Greatest Hits compilation of famous Boston band The Springfields 

out on 15th November from Slumberland Records

There are few more renowned names in indie-pop history as Ric Menck and Paul Chastain, who together helped path a road for pop music to take a guitar route which started around the corner from Fenway Park.


This would be a band who most likely have been under the radar for many, yet for lovers of stellar songwriting such as The Byrds and The Hollies, this is an album for those in love with songs.  From the gorgeousness of 'Sunflowers' to the appropriately enough wonder of 'Wonder', this is a band whose legacy carries on from such bands as Major Murphy and Lawn.

On the album are perfect little nuggets of pop and rock mixed together; so do not be put off by the November release date and bring some sunshine into your life.

A must for fans of Graham Nash and Matthew Sweet, The Springfield are a band who are ripe for a rebirth and perhaps this collection of singles will help reward new listeners and bring a smile to old fans.

Singles 1986-1991 is out from Slumberland Records on 15th November.
Slumberland Records are a Californian based indie label who released the album Used To Yesterday by Smokescreens - an under the radar classic

My thanks to One Beat PR for the review opportunity.

Pendant 'Through A Coil'

Debut album out on 8th November from Tiny Engines

Pendant is the solo project of Oakland based musician, Christopher Adams, a collaborator of many strings most recently with Never Young.

Following the dissolution of that band in early 2018, Adams started writing material and it soon become clear it was a venture that he had to share as a solo passion.

“In the past, my default strategy was to love something and then share it with others,” said Adams. “I needed another level of fulfillment. And that was to follow the notion of taking all my favorite ideas and dedicating them to my own music.”

Adams started writing material for his one man band in 2016 and released a four track EP, then it grew from 2018 onwards as he wanted to play every instrument and write every word of the album moving forward.

The album Through A Coil is a work of ambition primarily but one that befits the DIY nature of its genesis, moments of introspection collide with rollicking rock ear-catchiness from the title track to lead single 'Rubber Band' fittingly a song about finding your identity in one's self.  The album is full of this candid openness as Adams' explores his psyche in going it alone on this album. 


This pursuit for identity is key to the album and is a discovery for those who will come across it, again it marks another great addition to the Tiny Engines label.

Tender and personal, Pendant has made an album that can stand along other recent lo-fi works by Rayland Baxter, another who went solo on a project to make their best work to date.

Through A Coil is released by Tiny Engines on 8th November.
My thanks to them for the review opportunity.

Somos - Prison on a Hill

The third feature length album from Boston's Somos hails their return to the Tiny Engines label 

For fans of rock music with pop sensibilities there are many a flavour for you to sample in recent years; from present day stars Chvrches, The 1975 and Cigarettes After Sex to the more renowned Jimmy Eat World and Blink 182; the collison of rock and pop is there for all.

Yet rock music has been taking on a political slant of late, away from the personal subject matter there is now a roar of defiance to the current and frustrating political climate, where ambivalence is above ambition, you need only look at the recent work of Ezra Furman and Jim James as evidence of this.

Somos hail from Boston and with Prison on a Hill they have crafted a work that is of cross-over potential; full of driving guitars riffs, gliding electro synth and anthemic sounds.

They have taken a view of the world and are commenting on it strongly, from 'Mediterranean' which comments on the rise of far-right movement in Europe, 'Iron Heel' they examine an authoritarian rule in a post-fascism world.  The best political songs are those that are not overtly political from the outset, when you only know after the fact do those songs gain greater credence in their seriousness.

Stand out single 'Untraceable Past' shows the pop song as rock anthem, both infectious and blissful - you need only look at British contemporary Mystery Jets whose most recent work is also a political statement of Britain in this Brexit age.

Throughout the album the passion comes across in the songs, the lead vocalist Michael Fiorentino gives authority to the songs helped by bandmates, Phil Haggerty (sadly deceased in August at the age of 28) and Justin Hahn on guitar. This trio embodies the spirit of this slow building movement and are standing at the junction of pop and rock making noise and being heard.

The track 'Young Believers' serves as the embodiment of Somos' ethos and following Haggerty's premature passing carries extra weight and resonance; the band will return stronger no doubt but hopefully this album will find a home in people's hearts as such works come along rarely. This combination of three minute art form with classic indie sound.

Prison on a Hill is out now from Tiny Engines
My thanks to Will Miller (Tiny Engines) for the review opportunity.

Calvin Johnson 'A Wonderful Beast'

The new album from Calvin Johnson, is as much a collaboration as a solo album. Recorded at the Audio Eagle Studio in Nashville, Tennessee, Johnson with producer Patrick Carney and chief engineer Marc Whitmore, used the motif 'Rock and Roll will Never Die' as a premise honoring the electric guitar, modern synthesizer and trap drum kit circulating around the chords of A, C and Dm. The results is a creation unlike any rock and roll album before.

The name Carney may well be familiar to musos, as one half of Ohio's rambunctious The Black Keys, a band who were built around not setting itself limits by its own mere limitations of two musicians performing.

Johnson has released an album which is an amalgamation of invention and creation, one bursting with promise looking towards the future as well as being respectful of the past and where they have come from.

His drawl is reminiscent of early Johnny Cash and yet there is a vibrancy to the work, he may not sound infused when singing 'Kiss Me Sweetly' but there is a resilience coursing through the album

Smokescreens 'Used to Yesterday'

New album 'Used To Yesterday' out now from Slumberland Records

Hailing originally from New Zealand, the duo of Chris Rosi and Corey Cunningham recruited Jon Greene when they moved to Los Angeles in 2011. After the passing of Greene, the pair re-grouped with Brice Bradley (drums) and Jenny Moffett (bass) that allowed Cunningham to switch to lead guitar and keyboards.

After constant touring throughout last year and recording at Primitive Ears in North Hollywood, the band ended up with the 10 tracks that appear on Used to Yesterday. The result is an ear-worm worthy album of riffs and power pop; that embraces both the kiwi summer zeal with the energy and warmth forever paramount to California.

A sea of guitars hit you from the outset of 'Someone New' the album opener followed quickly by the title track. However, this is not a band rashly flailing on guitars, there are melodic structures and good composition in their songwriting such as 'Waiting for Summer'

There is a rich vein of stylish quality coming out of the speakers even on a hideaway track such as 'Buddy' which culminates in riffs reminiscent of The Velvet Underground. Much like contemporaries such as Major Murphy and Lawn, there is an acknowledgement to the late 1960s Laurel Canyon songwriting; this emblematic on the album closer 'Falling Down' both anthemic and joyous.

How befitting to hear an album end on a high as if Smokescreens are signing off victorious from their efforts; coupled with another gorgeous album cover (a growing theme of this year's releases), the great year of unheralded gems from across the pond continue

Follow the band on Twitter here

Smokescreens 'Used to Yesterday' is out now from Slumberland Records.
My thanks to One Beat PR for the review opportunity.

Kevin Krauter 'Toss Up'

Debut album release from Kevin Krauter, Toss Up is released from Bayonet Records

Indiana native Kevin Krauter has built up a loyal following in his home state, and whilst the music has slowly gathered a wave of momentum; Krauter is releasing his debut album and the result is Toss Up.

Toss Up proudly wears a wide range of influences from 60s flower pop, 80s yacht rock and upto the modern day indie rock.  There is a shimmer to the music that is both transcendent and illuminating; full of good will and a smoothness that is rarely heard in music recently.

From the ear worm radio friendly 'Suddenly' to the chilled out 'Keep Falling in Love' there is a confidence in the music that permeates from the earphones and yet there is a richness in the complexity of the production; a mixture of rhythmic intricacies and bold melodic artistry.

Krauter has composed an album that is full of lushness and beauty, one that should be shared by all at poolsides, equally aspirational and ambitious it is one of the better albums to come from America in recent times one that is easy on the ear that slowly penetrates your memory and consciousness.

Toss Up is released from Bayonet Records on 13th July.
My thanks to One Beat PR for the opportunity to review.

Jim James - Uniform Distortion

Jim James, the angelic voice of My Morning Jacket, has ventured into areas his band would not have been renowned for when together. Following on from the politically conscious 'Eternally Even' from 2016; James returns with the new album Uniform Distortion.

Whereas, the previous album was a comment within an election year, the new album is more of a reaction to the Trump presidency - an album of anger and looking back.  In the press release for the album, James has mentioned how in the world today 'my head feels like it is exploding with the amount of information we are forced to consume on a daily basis and how that information is so DISTORTED'

Having listened to other American albums from such luminaries as Ezra Furman, there is a general anger simmering in American musicians about how their lives are being governed by a man who distorts his own way of thinking on a regular basis changing the narrative to suit his needs and wants; and thrusting it upon his people.

Whilst James' first album was one of meditation closer to that of MMJ releases, the further he goes down a solo career the more relevant to today's world he is becoming. Whereas MMJ albums would play like psychedelic work from another dimension full of hipster bohemia; James is certainly more of a rock and roll performer currently - in the same vein as Neil Young.

From title opener with its scratching hook 'Just A Fool' to the vitriolic 'Yes to Everything'; James is trying to make sense of the world and of his own place in the world - the latter track being more about regret and remorse than anything else.

There are still moments of lushness such as 'Throwback' a sonic blast of euphoria reminiscent of the best moments of MMJ with soaring backing vocals embracing the hook line, 'When we were young' before rocking out akin to Neil Young at his most bombastic.

Because of Trump, perhaps this is where rock music has to be on this permanent Eddie Vedder type show of angst. A reflective strain of songwriting in reaction to the nature of the world with a slight resignation to the belief that MAGA can happen in this first term of a loose cannon presidency.

From the rock out nature of 'Out of Time' and 'You Get To Rome', there remains an energy throughout the album that rivals many the qualities of a band of four or five. James wants to be heard on this record and heard loud and clear.

However, you cannot discount the voice of James one of those rare instruments in today's music scene that deserves the praise showered upon him, a voice that is full of soul, gravitas and power.

Uniform Distortion is out from ATO Records on 29th June.

New Music 2nd May 2018

Following on from last week where I got to bear witness to the excellent album launch by Night Flowers, this week has led me to some other brand new releases of videos. And rather than post them all individually, here is a round-up of the best of them.

CAGEWORK 'Simmer'

The alter ego of Samuel Bedford, Cagework, shares a live session of debut single Simmer, in a video shot by Matt Martin.

Cagework plays solo on a near-raucous track which shows off his raw talent and relatable content.

Live shows coming across London and 23rd May at Rough Trade East

KADEEM TYRELL 'Focus'

Staying in South London but with a different musical bent, a new video for Tyrell by Kirx. Taken from new EP 'Feels', the new single is a throwback to early 1990s British RnB or nu-soul, an intelligent soulful record.  The video is a mature one also taking the record's content seriously.

KEVIN KRAUTER 'Keep Falling In Love'

Crossing the Atlantic, the new single from Krauter shows of his evocative ambient soundscape which comes from a huge range of influences.  His debut album Toss Up is out from Bayonet Records on 13th July.

Thank you for reading, please share with other music lovers out there.