Rainer – Water
Watch the video For Nocturn below
This is the debut album from Rainer. That it sounds far too mature, assured and confident to be a debut album is perhaps no surprise. Both of the bands’ members have been around the block several times in acts which met with varying degrees of success. The joys of success and the challenges of supposed failure have done nothing, it seems, but hone the talents and heighten the drive of Nic Nell and Rebekah Raa. On this record, Nell’s glitchy yet confident production and beats (see ‘Trouble’ and ‘Leave’) for particular key examples, are augmented by vocals from Raa which sound completely in control, even through dynamic shifts, beautiful layering and harmonies, and great use of different vocal tones. The field of indie-pop is a crowded one, but there are elements to Rainer’s approach, not least their strong sense of song craft, that should stand them in good stead. I can think of no greater compliment to pay them that, at times, this debut album sounded like a more focused Imogen Heap. I have no idea whether they’ll see it that way, but there we go. It will be interesting to see how things develop for them in the months and years to come. The flecks of glockenspiel, clarinet and other instruments not normally associated with this genre which appear throughout the album suggest that there is major scope for the development of a wider and even more enticing sonic palette on future releases. For now, though, this is a fine introduction to an intriguing new (to me) act.
The Weather Station – Loyalty
Do you love Joni Mitchell? What about Leonard Cohen? Perhaps the recent re-emergance of Linda Perhacs on Asthmatic Kitty has got you really excited. Maybe the folk work of people like Holly Williams has captivated you. Well, to that august list of deceptively gentle sounding titanic songwriters we can add the name of Tamara Lindemann, aka The Weather Station. “Loyalty” her new album is a beautiful folk release, one of the best of 2015. Recorded with members of Feist’s band, the combination of gentle strumming and careful augmentation (banjo, piano, organ, brushed drums) do their job wonderfully in supporting The Weather Station’s primary asset, Lindemann’s crystal clear vocal. Equal parts smoothly relaxing, yet urgently exploring lyrical themes of suffering and sorrow, the eleven tracks of “Loyalty’s” duration can slide by seemingly in a lilting moment, but engage with them and you’ll find a purposefully beating heart within. ‘Floodplain’ moves melodically and harmonically in unexpected directions, while ‘Shy Women’ makes splendid use of subtle changes in time signature to bring its effect firmly home. Those are my highlights, but this is an album best taken as a whole. If you’re looking for some new folk in your life, this is the record for you.
Anthony Strong – On a Clear Day
Watch the video for the title track below
And now for something yet completely different. And yet, the voice and chilled piano stylings of jazz man Anthony Strong feel so comfortingly familiar that you feel like he, and his new album “On a Clear Day” have been part of your life forever. Anthony has a clear voice, seemingly from a bygone era when jazz was the most prominent of popular music forms. The title track of this album (video above) has an effortless groove which will draw you in. You will not escape it. The horns and flutes may grab the attention, but it’s the floating arpeggios and the ease with which Strong crests the melodic highs and reaches in to his boots for their depths which will impress most.
His takes on jazz standards ‘Whatever Lola Wants’ and ‘As Time Goes By’ show that he truly has the chops you need to make a dent in this most crowded of areas, while strong and intricate arrangements bring life to tracks which would otherwise run the risk of sounding tired and dated. And so the album progresses. Strong’s vocals fantastic throughout, a solid collection of songs, and an inventive band giving just the right amount of light and shade throughout.
And this is the pitfall for this kind of album. This is not a genre where it is easy to come up with a “new” way of showcasing your wares. It really has all been done before. As such, it is unlikely that this will be a life-changing album, unless this is your introduction to smooth vocal jazz. But it is a very fine album, and provides Anthony Strong with an opportunity to gain the attention at home which he richly deserves, and which has already been coming his way in spades in Europe. What’s not to love about a good old-fashioned jazz crooner after all? Go on, dig in and enjoy a smooth bank holiday Monday.