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Music Music Reviews Some Great Stuff I've Heard Recently

2024 Album Of the Year: Neil Cowley Trio ‘Entity’

Cover of Entity by Neil Cowley Trio, featuring the faces of each band member melded together on a dark blue background and with a blue-ish tint.

Going back a good few years I’ve done an end of year playlist/article of my favourite music of the year. This was in the slightly pretentious frame of mind that people would care or want to read about the music I listened to and liked. Odd, I know. But then so is having my own website.

2024 is a bit different. I haven’t written about music very much at all this year and yet Last FM (yes, I do still use it) tells me that I’ve listened to 1412 albums this year. That’s a lot of albums.

Standing head and shoulders above all other music I’ve heard this year is Entity by Neil Cowley Trio. I’ve linked to it from Spotify below but I’d urge you to go and find it wherever and however you listen to music and give your ears a beautiful period of time as a special gift.

You can buy the record direct from the band here: https://neilcowleytrio.bandcamp.com/album/entity

Sometimes music is special because of brilliance. Sometimes it is special because of exceptional composition. At other times it is the energy or vibe that comes out of the speakers as you listen which grabs and holds attention. Some bands have the capacity to be playful. Others have a talent for a tone and timbre which is almost majestic in its sombre resonance. Once described as ‘jazz for people who like Radiohead’ – which definitely placed them firmly in my wheelhouse, Neil Cowley Trio were, from the beginning of 2009, my favourite band until they went on hiatus in 2017. They were a special band, with the piano of Neil Cowley seeming to chime perfectly with the rhythm section of Rex Horan and Evan Jenkins whether they were going for a rambunctious cacophony or a or a maudlin sense of melancholy. Cowley’s humour was never far from the surface and through a series of increasingly intricate albums and complimentary art and video projects culminating in Spacebound Apes they stayed at the top of the tree for a prolonged period. And then they went away, and it was very sad (at least for me!).

It got to the point where I had given up hope of ever listening to new music from the guys as a trio. And then, lo! There was news of Entity and great excitement ensued.

When a band comes back from a long layoff, like a footballer recovered from a cruciate ligament injury there are questions: will they still be as quick, as lithe, as powerful as they used to be? Will the heights that might have been open to them in the past now seem distant false hopes in the rear-view mirror of history? On rare occasions, a reuniting after a hiatus brings something better than what came before. But it is all too rare. And so pressing play on Entity brings with it a sense of risk as well as the possibility of ultimately gratifying reward.

Having given the game away with the title of my post you’ll have guessed by now which way it went for me. As Marble fades up and into view there’s an immediate sense that all is well with the world. I don’t know how he does it but Neil has this recognisable tonal and rhythmic quality to his playing that as soon as the percussive, haunting chordal melody sets off the listener familiar with the band’s catalogue knows they are ‘back’. And then Rex comes in with a gorgeous picked bass part beginning in the high register, before Evan’s toms herald the synergy of the band returning to their rightful place at the heart of the British jazz scene. All within the first two minutes of the album.

I have to tell you that even by this stage I knew that Entity and I were going to be good friends. Having been slightly concerned that it would be a kind of uber disappointment the sense of relief was palpable. I was feeling all of this as the marbles skittered along in a series of off-kilter triplets and semi-arpeggios before returning to the kind of chorus-esque harmonious figure Cowley has been writing for decades but which always sound fresh and always sound like him.

Those Claws showcases a haunting atmosphere, ably augmented by the beautiful mix from Ethan Johns. An emotional listen indeed. V&A harks back to the days of Spacebound Apes with echoey synths giving extra room to the depth and resonance of the acoustic trio in the foreground. The playful Father Daughter gives something of a palette cleanse whilst losing none of the hold of depth and power that the album builds and maintains throughout. Broad reminds of one of my favourite songs of all time in Clumsy Couple from long, long ago, whilst Adam Alphabet sounds like the kind of song which has enough languid drive on record to be something which could be built with real power in the live arena. Similarly with later album highlight Shoop we’re shown that the band have lost nothing of their previous penchant for marrying the pithy with the profound. By the time of closer Entity we’re in the realms of Grace one of the band’s most famed songs of yore, being given the full band treatment.

Having named around three quarters of the songs here it should be clear that this is an album which doesn’t so much have highlights as which holds together as a coherent and beautiful whole. In these days of uncertainty it is a gift of beauty and wonder that the band have given to those who will listen to Entity. Whether the band would like their work to be described as comforting I have no idea, but that’s how I find it as I listen. In this changing world some things do indeed remain the same and one of the things that has remained the same, in spite of the odds and plentiful circumstances mitigating against the prospect is that Neil Cowley Trio remain a vital and delightful act. I have written before about them being, somewhat hyperbolically, the best band in the world. I’m yet to be dissuaded, in spite of knowing full well how subjective and perhaps foolish that claim might be.

Buy the album, devour the album, gift the album (I have), luxuriate in it, tell people about it, go and see the band live. I’ve been of the view for some time that there is something full of grace and mercy in the way music can soothe, salve, challenge, encourage and send people forth in to the lives they live determined to be and do better, kinder and more generously. Perhaps it comes from the place of having a faith and seeing what beautiful art can do to impact and effect people, often regardless of the initial intentions of those who created it, particularly whether God has any heft in their minds, process and creativity. All I’ll say is that this music draws me onwards to something better and greater in a way which other music does not, and for that I am very grateful indeed.

Entity is my album of the year. I hope you love it as much as I do.

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Music Reviews Some Great Stuff I've Heard Recently

Off To the Luna ‘The Pond, The Fire and the Macrocasm’ EP Review

We live in times which can feel heavy, almost oppressive. We know, instantaneously and in an ongoing sense, more about what is going on around us, both near at hand and all around the world than any group of people in history ever has. People, us, have always been, throughout history, just as we are now. It’s just that these days we know more about how each of us are, what we do, what we think and why we do and think those things. There’s so much information and data around to process and assimilate, a lot of it pointing to things either getting worse, or the future at the very least being far from certain. It’s a lot. Beauty can seem a distant dream.

There is plenty of good, plenty of hope, plenty of joy, of course. That stuff doesn’t get so much publicity, or to the forefront of minds, or to the point of shaping hearts and lives so often though. As I get older I find it hard to fathom why. Where beauty is found, we can enjoy it, share it and encourage others to find it too. That seems like a good way to live.

Music has so often spoken of something divine to me. Plenty of it that has has by no means had a faith-based or Christian undertone. I say this as someone who themselves is a Christian. Where there is tangible, lasting beauty I find God is never far away. For me at least music draws me to God in a way that most other things do not. I know it doesn’t work that way for everyone. There’s something deeply inspiring about hearing quality music which at one point didn’t exist and then through the spark of creativity of individuals or groups came into being. That’s before skills of arranging, production, engineering, mixing and mastering are added to the pot. Music connects us to something beyond ourselves, for the moments we listen and in the memories we hold having done so. I’m so thankful for it. For many years I wrote reviews for various magazines and websites, as well as this one. As I did a lot of it was to seek to encourage people who had worked incredibly hard and delivered something beautiful in the hope that more would hear. Music reviews can often seem little more than a marketing exercise which serves artist, record label/management company. There is scope to be naive enough to think that writing about a great record or a developing artist is a good thing to do in and of itself in the hope that even one set of ears and one heart are stirred to new love and joy because of hearing a set of songs. I am that naive.

With that in mind, I want to introduce you to Off to the Luna. In late 2023 an email popped into my inbox out of the blue from Matis, Santiago and Simon who make up the band. They were releasing the second single from the project, Suspiro Del Pajero. Would I listen? Their PR write-up noted that they purveyed a cinematic, piano-driven stream of jazz. This is right up my street so I pressed play, not knowing what to quite expect.

When you do, as I hope you will, you’ll encounter an enigmatic, gradually unfurling whirl of beauty as the synergy between the neo-classical piano, keening washes of strings and percussion which seems like a distant ship coming into shore radiate a perfect symmetry. It builds but never explodes, reaching a perfect point of crescendo before falling away at the last. I was hooked on first listen.

The previous single, which makes up the EP’s opening track, is To Explore Or To Lose the Way Although coming to it later, I was again bowled over. Here, the piano is stronger, more dynamic and the song builds from a purposeful start by way of a ricocheting drum part into a wholly satisfying climax as, again, the trio are in perfect synergy with one another. Each note, whether in the pared-down sections or in the beautifully bold climax is perfectly placed. The mix is stunning. It is hard to describe how beautiful this song is.

I’m hooked, there’s beauty teeming throughout these two songs. As I said earlier, for me this is where music points me to a deeper well, something beyond the here and now, the everyday. It might seem grandiose. It probably even seems silly to some who might read this. But that’s the beauty of life and the subjective elements of how music can impact us, the aspects we can view it from, the perspectives different of us can take on the same combination of notes, chords and melodies. When we hear things we can be instantly transported to the first time we did, or the time we last heard something like it, the places we were in, the people who were with us, even the sights and smells of that time. I think we can also similarly look forwards in the dark days of autumn and winter when I first heard these songs to the possibility of a better future. You might disagree, but it does me some good!

After these first two songs I was sold on Off to the Luna. The delight was that the other three tracks on this, their debut EP, add still further to the delights on offer.

Night Fable begins gently before caterwauling through deliciously cinematic sections which are akin to the best Neil Cowley Trio or others like Portico Quartet or Gogo Penguin bring to the table. At just under 8 minutes it is somewhat of an epic. Even this is surpassed by the following Boreal which for the first time includes vocal melodies, which augment piano, picked strings and washes of cymbals, with another drum part which is akin to a pushy drum n bass drive. As with much here, the song builds and builds and builds to a wholly satisfying height. Closing track Shiv’ah feels darker and bolder in tone. Synths and processed drums building to the resolution of a suitably funereal (in the right sense) melodic piano driven conclusion. Melodically and structurally this song moves around much more, never staying in one progression for long, rising and falling in volume, and with real beauty in the bass parts. The song and the EP conclude in an echo-laden and thought-provoking way which in spite of what one assumes the song is about, leaves the listener hoping that far from the end, this is only the beginning for Off to the Luna

I make no claim to be a real writer. I write about music (and other things) at largely random moments when the mood takes me and mostly because something I’ve heard or seen has mattered enough to me that I want other people to know about it. This is what happened here. This EP moved me to the extent that, somewhat rarely for me in these days of a never-ending deluge new music to hear and where music has seemingly succumbed to being something we consume and dispose of rather than returning to again and again over a period of years, I keep returning to it and finding new beauty, new possibility. Having promised the band I would write about it I am sorry it took so long, but I hope that as you hear the record you will have a similar experience to me.

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Music Reviews Some Great Stuff I've Heard Recently

My Favourite New (or Nearly-New) Music of 2023

I don’t listen to as much new or nearly new music as I used to. However, when I came to try and put together an annual playlist I found it quite easy to come up with a huge range of music that was released either in 2023 or very recently which had really floated my boat this year. The genres range from heavy rock, via emo, ambient, various shades of jazz, singer-songwriter and folk all the way to a solitary Christian song (or at least a solitary one not written by me. I was a bit cheeky and included one of mine) so if it starts off in the wrong lane for you keep scrolling down and you’re bound to find something which is at least interesting and might even be enthralling.

Even throwing this together quite quickly I am reminded that music is vital and can be really life-giving. I’m also reminded that independent musicians (and the venues they play in and the ecosystems of family and business they develop) should be supported. Culture is important. The arts are important. All the more in times of crisis – real or imagined, political, military, religious or environmental – music can stir the heart and mind to action and hope like almost nothing else. There is more to life than what gets played endlessly on loops in every public place. Seek out beautiful music. I’ve always been convinced that God is at the heart of everything creative that is beautiful. It helps if the creators know that God is why they’re doing something, but even for those who don’t, even for those who would be appalled to consider that God had inspired them (least of all because they think God doesn’t exist) there’s something wonderful about music and creativity which leaves me certain that God has a hand in it somewhere.

Enjoy the playlist. Check out the albums the songs I’ve listed come from. If it is within your compass to do so buy the albums the songs come from as this really helps artists to keep going. Most of all, listen with open ears and hearts and enjoy.

Have a great Christmas 2023.

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Music Reviews Some Great Stuff I've Heard Recently

I’ve loved all sorts of music in 2019. I’ve not been able to write about as much of it as I would’ve liked – life is quite different in my world to how it was  a few years ago and writing about music has never paid a single bill of mine – but music has given me joy at times this year, comfort at others and often accompanied me in times of stress and pressure. I’ve made quite a long playlist with songs from albums of mine that were particular favourites, but a list longer than 10 albums takes too long to read, so in that vein, here’s my top 10 of the year

Her Name is Calla ‘Animal Choir’

Sadly, this is the final album from the majestic Her Name is Calla. I have no doubt that they’re the best band that most people who claim to like music that falls into lazy categories like Post-Rock, Indie, Alternative and so on have never heard of. They’re truly a great band and this is their best album, a marvellous coda on a fine and, so far, grossly underappreciated career.

Shalosh ‘Onwards and Upwards’

I love me a good piano trio. Shalosh are an exceptional piano trio, particularly if you like your jazz trio’s to have rock leanings too. Which I very much do. So there you go.

Rymden ‘Reflections and Odysseys’

Another jazz trio, this time on the excellent Jazzland Recordings from Scandinavia, this one came as a pleasant surprise to me as I knew nothing about it when I pressed play. Enegetic, playful and muscular. This is high-quality stuff.

Son of Cloud ‘Son of Cloud’

Some albums are quick listens, the kind that you know are good, even excellent, but that don’t stay with you for weeks, months, perhaps even years afterwards. The self-titled album from Son of Cloud isn’t like that. It’s the best singer-songwriter album I heard this year by a million miles. A thing of true beauty and power, with some great songs and a thread of narrative to the album that will stay with you long after you’ve finished listening. More people should know about this album. Many, many more.

Flight Brigade ‘Chased By Wolves’

Indie rock bands who forefront guitars seem to be an endangered species in 2019. I love Flight Brigade because everything about them, their sound and their songs are impeccable and timeless. Their songs stay with you and their show is one of the best you’ll see from a band of any stature in the contemporary scene. Don’t miss them in 2020.

Pedro the Lion ‘Phoenix’

Listen to this, listen to “Quietest Friend” and then come back and tell me that the genius of David Bazan hasn’t grown with the resurrection of his awesome band Pedro the Lion. One of the greatest songwriters of this or any other era, full stop. And when he rocks, it’s extremely satisfying. Oh for a visit to the UK in 2020.

Portico Quartet ‘Memory Streams’

Probably the best live band in the UK right now, this newest record from Portico Quartet is among the most cohesive and potent of their career, even rivalling ‘Isla’ for power and emotion. Some of my favourite moments of this year have been watching them play, too.

Telefon Tel Aviv ‘Dreams Are Not Enough’

I have such a strong connection with the music of TTA. It has been with me through some of the best moments of my life, as well as some of the hardest. To find Josh coming back with the first new album under this name for a very long time this year was a joy tinged with sorrow as to what was lost and a hope that the great music of that past could be matched. I didn’t dream he could surpass the beauty of previuou records, but he pulled it off. A great album.

Hammock ‘Silencia’ and ‘Undercurrents’

Hammock are absolutely at the top of the game as regards ambient music and they only cemented that position and reputation in 2019. Not only did they complete a recent trilogy of albums with the beauty of “Silencia” but they released a monthly series of longer-form pieces named “Undercurrents” throughout the year too. Do seek that one out.

Sugarfoot ‘In the Clearing’

A glorious slice of country rock from Norway to close out the top 10. It will make you smile, no doubts at all.

And to finish things off, here’s the longer playlist:

Have a fantastic Christmas and a great start to 2020.

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Music Reviews Some Great Stuff I've Heard Recently

Shalosh “Onwards and Upwards”

I’m listening to a cover of ‘Take On Me’ (don’t tell me you don’t know which song I’m talking about) and I feel myself being transported. Music used to make me feel like all the time. Not so much these days. I’m getting old. And now I find that what is doing it for me in my mid-thirties is a ridiculously thunderous drum solo in a jazz trio version of an 80s classic. We do all become our parents eventually after all.

I’ve written often about not having enough time to write about all the music I get sent to review. It piles up in my inbox and around my office, accusingly. And then there’s the music that I find out about the way everyone else does. On this occasion, I discovered Shalosh through a magazine advert. So pre-internet. They looked enigmatic in their photo and the sparse, carefully chosen description drew me in, promising songs which built in intensity (check!) and passion (check!) to a tumultuous conclusion (check! or I might have invented that last one myself).

So off I toddle to my streaming provider of choice (so millennial) and I press play, before picking my jaw off the floor a few minutes later. What a sound. Shalosh are newly-signed to ACT Music and their new record ‘Onwards and Upwards’ is quite simply the best jazz trio album I have heard in many a long year. I’m not going to go on and on and on about it, just implore you to listen to it. And then listen to it again.

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Music Reviews Uncategorized

My albums of the year for 2016

2016 was a great year for music. The world and his/her wife seems to be posting lists of favourite albums of the year, so I thought I’d dash out a list. I’m doing this quickly, in no particular order (apart from a couple which I’ll make very obvious). If you want to keep up with what albums I’m liking a lot, I review a lot of them for Drowned in Sound. You can find my list of articles for that fine website by clicking on this sentence. What interests me as I look at my very handy Last FM profile, which tells me how much I’ve listened to each album over the course of the year (or most of them anyway, it doesn’t log vinyl plays, naturally) is that some of my favourite albums are definitely not my most-listened-to. Some albums take only a listen or two to lodge themselves firmly in your memory bank. Others, as I’ve looked back over the past year, have seemed vital at one point or other but not stayed with me. Perhaps a symptom of short attention span on my part, or perhaps a sign that there’s just too much music to be listened to for it to be properly taken in and appreciated. According to the August Last FM, I ‘scrobbled’ all or part of 1109 albums in the last 365 days. Think about that. That’s listening to all or part of just under 3 distinct albums a day, every day for a whole year. Surely that’s not healthy. Music, art, it’s not meant to be so disposable. Apologies to the artists whose creations I have failed to properly spend time with this year.

All that said, there have been some absolute belters this year. I’m not limiting myself to albums released in 2016, just to things I’ve heard and enjoyed this year. Here goes.

Neil Cowley Trio – Spacebound Apes. The undoubted number one album in my household this year. A fantastic piece of work showing everything that is so spectacular and criminally underrated about this wonderful band. Of all the items on this list, this is the one that you should drop everything and check out immediately. It will make your life better. There is not a better live act in the world today. The show at Union Chapel in the autumn was as spellbinding as ever.

Yorkston/Thorne/Khan – Everything Sacred  – a hugely ambitious, emotional, beautifully realised record. Cross-cultural, a multi-textured palette, everything you could possibly hope for. An alt-folk masterpiece.

Losers – How To Ruin Other People’s Futures – One of the most exciting bands in the world finally realises its full potential. A heavy, synth-tastic exploration of desolation.

Brian McSweeney – As the Bluebird – Brian McSweeney, former frontman of Seven Day Jesus and Matthew (the best rock band you’ve never heard (of)) returns with a lovely, folk-leaning record which exhibits his exceptional songwriting and vocal prowess to the full.

Willam Ryan Fritch – New Words For Old Wounds and Ill Tides – It takes a lot to get me in the right place for modern or contemporary classical music, but William Ryan Fritch carries me far away into a place where only this music matters and, really, isn’t that the point of it all?

Motorpsycho – Here Be Monsters – vying with Neil Cowley Trio for the crown of best live act on the planet, Norway’s Motorpsycho returned with what, for them at least, was a somewhat restrained affair. If you don’t know this band, you really should. Each iteration, each release, is so wildly different, creative. Sometimes heavy, sometimes soulful, sometimes introspective, at others entirely unhinged. There isn’t a more interesting band active at the moment. Here’s hoping they continue forever!

House of Heroes – Colors – a concept album that actually remembers to focus on high-quality songcraft. House of Heroes are the band that proves that existing outside of the Christian music ghetto is good for artistic development once and for all. The production and mix here is spot on, too.

Lettuce – Crush – Everyone needs a glorious slice of funk every now and again.

Thrice – To Be Everywhere Is To Be Nowhere – s blistering return. I won’t say return to form. Their form never dipped.

Andy Gullahorn – Fault Lines – The most potent accoustic/singer-songwriter album you could ever hope to hear. These are songs you can believe in, that you can live. I have no idea why Andy Gullahorn isn’t one of the most famous musicians on the planet. This album has been good to and for me this year.

Heron Oblivion – Heron Oblivion – a really satisfying, intensely heavy and challenging listen, harking back to the time when rock music was intelligent first and commercial second.

Lisa Hannigan – At Swim – Lisa Hannigan’s solo output continues to dwarf that of her erstwhile bandmate Damien Rice. She just gets better and better. This album feels like the one where she has worked out who she is and what she wants to sound like. Gorgeous production, a really nice mix, but that would be nothing without stellar songs, which this album has from start to finish.

The Lees of Memory – Unnecessary Evil – This band are vital. This is a fantastic album that passed by virtually unnoticed. John Davis is a gem of a songwriter.

Switchfoot – Where The Light Shines Through – Switchfoot feel comfortable in their own skins these days. This is a glossy, widescreen pop record, but Jon Foreman continues to pen some of the strongest, most biting lyrics in the scene. The band’s talent for allying those poetic challenges with cinematic pop melodies continues unabated.

Sandra McCracken – God’s Highway – Sandra McCracken grows with each release. So much soul, so much depth. Each lyric seems hard-won, to come from the deepest place imaginable. In turn, each collection of her songs become a resource for the hurting, the broken and the seeking.

Matthew Zigenis – Overflow – a creative, original-sounding worship album. I finally found one. These songs could be sung in any Church in the world and  they sound great on this album. Wonders will never cease. (obviously, one has to be creative enough to replace the splendid synth work with, you know, Gladys on the piano or Bob on the guitar if that will truly work, but it could work. Why not try some of these songs in your Church? Go on, I dare you).

Monomyth – Exo – I love this band. They stunned me in front of approximately 5 people in a small village near Milton Keynes in 2015, but I still contend that they should be loved by thousands. Instrumental post-rock, with hammond organs and fabulous moments of utter chaos. It takes some time to get going, but you always know the destination, and when it gets there…Well, there can be barely anything more musically satisfying. What’s not to love?

Albert Af Ekenstam – Ashes – another contender for best singer-songwriter album of the year. There’s a closeness to the vocal placing on this record that just makes the whole thing feel intimate and all the more special. Lovely songs.

David Bazan – Blanco – Some time ago, David Bazan was ranked somewhere in the late 30s (I think) by a noted magazine in a list of the greatest living songwriters. The ones who were above him in that list must be pretty flipping great. Blanco is another example of a master craftsman presenting not just his talent, but the whole of himself, his inner life, his dialogues on matters temporal and spiritual. One can only wish more communicators did their jobs with the consistency and openness that Bazan does. This side-step into synth territory could have been a mis-step, but instead it merely goes to show that whatever the sonic palette, Bazan is a songwriter to be treasured and learned from.

The Seraphim Project  – Journeys and Destinations – To disclose fully, I have friends in this band. If anything, though, that makes me pre-disposed to be harsher in my estimation of this album. So when I say that it is a stunning, emotive piece of post-rock, take it from me that this is one record you don’t want to miss. The bits when it gets loud are great.

New Dog – Teeth Marks – I was sent this album by New Dog (Anar Badalov) completely out of the blue. No idea what to expect. It could have been awful. Fabulously it was not. A hushed, deep, searching acoustic singer-songwriter record of the finest kind. I wish Anar was known and loved by myriad, myriad people. Why don’t you become one such lover of his fine work?

Tigercub – Abstract Figures In the Dark – I saw this band opening for Royal Blood when both acts had released only one single. We all know what happened next for Royal Blood. With this album, Tigercub show that they are destined for the same stratospheric levels of success, if not surpassing that of their Brightonian brethren.

Asylums – Killer Brain Waves –  a really fun, heavy, punky rock record from Southend. Those don’t come along too often

Silver Snakes – Saboteur – This is a heavy, blistering even, intricate and demanding rock record, the kind that is rarely made anymore, it seems. Might be too challenging for some. See what you make of it.

Audrey Assad – Inheritance – Unusually for me, a hymns record slips into my list. This one gets in if for no other reason than for the mind-bendingly good version of Holy, Holy, Holy contained herein. Seriously, even if your faith is long latent, forgotten in childhood, I defy you to listen to that song and remain unmoved.

Espen Eriksen Trio – Never Ending January – aside from Spacebound Apes, this was the jazz trio record I returned to the most this year. It’s understated, but intensely melodic and memorable. A jazz record with hooks you can hum along to. Whatever next

Chris James – Space In the Clouds (EP) – That voice, the one that made Stateless an absolutely crucial Ninja Tune act what seems like many moons ago, it’s back, making its’ first showing on this glorious 5 track opening gambit. The songs give James’s vocal room to breathe, but they also contain enough guts to lead this EP straight to the realms of glory. I’m looking forward very much to a full-length album, hopefully before too long.

So, there we are. What a lot of albums. It’s a diverse list. And I didn’t even mention Radiohead. Hopefully you’ll find something diverting, even something to love, here. 2017 is already looking like a good year. If I might point you in the direction of releases from Army of Bones and Jim Rogers, both forthcoming and undoubtedly worthy of your attention for starters…Have a great 2017, both musical and otherwise.

Did I miss something glaring in my list? Why don’t you let me know? If I had any time I’d make a playlist, but I don’t, so you’ll have to spend some time researching any albums you’ve not heard. Happy hunting!

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Music Music Reviews

Never for Nothing: Mirrors Album Review

Many thanks to Geoff Howlett of Never for Nothing for this review of my new album, Mirrors.

————–

HAYDON SPENCELEY : Mirrors.   (http://haydonspenceley.bandcamp.com/album/mirrors)

Long time NFN contributor, Haydon Spenceley returns with his third solo album. He says; “For a long time I wasn’t going to make another album, and then all these songs started pouring out. Then we convened a great bunch of people across the Atlantic Ocean over the best part of a year and made this, Mirrors, a collection of songs that says a lot about who and where I am as I enter a new season in life.” As well as his solo work, Haydon has also experimented as a band member, with groups like Freeslave and Ghost Tree. This 7 track mini album sees further musical progression, and certain influences making a play. “Come Undone” is a cross between U2 and Duran Duran, as one friend commented, and has a definite 80’s feel about it. ‘Friends for Life’ is more Manic Street Preachers, and well produced. “(We Are Born to) Rise”, is a medium paced plodder of a song, while ‘Beyond the End’ enters into the realms of 70’s progressive rock. My favourite song has to be the guitar driven sound of the title track. A little bit of punk, and a little Billy Idol snarl as Haydon sings “Listen as the Earth cries out”. ‘Interlude’ is an instrumental piece, which I sounds a little out of place with the other tracks, but on its own would be fine for personal meditation. Finally, ‘Gloria’ sees Pink Floyd meet the Beatles’ Magical Mystery Tour. Lots of FX on the vocals and some visionary sounds, as the song lyrics “search for God”. Ably assisted by some great musicians, Haydon manages to musically keep you guessing where he’s going next. Some very interesting songs on this album that should satisfy many tastes.   8/10.