Words by Jonathan Stout
When not doing freelance writing, Jonathan Stout is heavily involved in the NKY and Cincinnati music scenes as the Marketing Manager for Kentucky based venue The Southgate House Revival and founder of DIY Recording label Lo Fi City Recordings. He’s also an active musician, performing and recording with Sleepy Drums, Mutt Fuzz, Burnt Cabins and gewgaw.
Although the faucet has not yet been turned on full blast, the amount of quality new releases has certainly picked up within the last couple months. With that being said, I will kick things off by talking about Heard Noises (Acid Jazz Records), the newest album by actor/musician, Matt Berry. Little known to many Americans (who commonly know him for his performance of Laszlo Cravensworth on What We Do In the Shadows), Berry has been releasing music for basically as long as he’s been acting. And these aren’t the simple works of an actor moonlighting, these are sprawling, heady works that stand on their own, within the context of his acting or without. His newest offering, Heard Noises, is no exception, delivering 14 fresh tracks that pop with incredibly mixed instrumentation, that could easily soundtrack a 60s acid freakout comedy, or maybe even a classic Bond film. The kind of stuff that’s great music for entertaining, but still lends itself to hidden treasures that can be found with deep headphone listening. And did I mention how much these songs GROOVE? Heard Noises is a tremendous offering, mixing inspired arrangements, psychedelic experimentation and vintage orchestral pop together to create a work that only increases in quality from repeated listens.
All Seeing Dolls, the new project featuring Anton Newcombe of The Brian Jonestown Massacre with Dot Allison, emerged with their debut release, Parallel (A Recordings), in February. Although I sincerely doubt that any BJM fan would be disappointed by this release, these compositions really do tap into the slower, spacey, melancholy of the BJM musical spectrum, which hasn’t been indulged by Newcombe to this extent for quite awhile. In this way, many of these tracks bring to mind the BJM album Methodrone, although Parallel is still much slower, melodic and acoustic based. These songs create a very specific atmosphere, like stumbling into a dark, incense filled opium den or dimly lit New York coffee folk hub of the 60s. Also, as Dot takes most of the lead vocal duties, it’s easy at times to compare some of the compositions to Mazzy Star, as her vocals weave around gentle guitar chord strums in a way similar to Hope Sandoval. It will be interesting to see if this project has longevity or will be limited, but I actually really enjoy hearing Anton take a backseat, or supportive role, in a band. For someone who has often been labeled a control freak, this might be a sign of personal growth. No matter what it is – I’m interested to see where it goes!
Rosa Bordallo returned with her second solo offering, Isidro, in January and I’ll be damned if it’s not one of my first favorite albums of the year. Sonically speaking, it’s incredible what she’s able to achieve over the 10 songs and succinct 32 minute runtime, blending together contemporary indie psych, 90s shoegaze and slacker rock. Although this isn’t a huge pop recording, there is still a noted attention to detail, with just the right guitar effect here, the perfect synth splash at the right time there and beautifully sung, thought provoking lyrics throughout. I was unfamiliar with this artist before this release hit my inbox, but they’ve certainly got my interest now!
Long running experimental act The Legendary Pink Dots returned with So Lonely In Heaven (Metropolis Records) in January and it’s remarkable how consistent they still sound next to some of their strongest past material. It’s astounding that a group can still sound so inspired, mysterious and heady 45 years into their career. Granted, Edward Ka-Spel may be the only original member at this point, and bringing in a revolving cast of younger musicians can’t hurt, but with that being said, these songs don’t sound like a modernized version of the band- rather it sounds pretty darn consistent with the general sound they’ve worked hard to develop over time. Every release I’ve ever heard is unique in the way that they quickly define a very tangible, and often unsettling, immersive dimension for the listener- filled with obscure samples and found sound, pulsing synth, haunting lyrical depictions and reverb soaked guitar. Because of this, they’ve always existed in parallel to goth, electronic/trance and psych rock without ever fully belonging to any of these definitions. So Lonely In Heaven continues in this mesmerizing tradition, with 12 songs that pull and submerge the listener deep into their world.
Grecian space psych masters Naxatras returned with their new album, V (Evening Star Records), in February. V takes the listener on an imaginative journey, and with almost every song passing the 5 minute mark, one can most certainly expect some intricate prog arrangements here. This is not to say that these compositions drag on, but instead build, twist and turn. There are nods to latter day Pink Floyd, metal flourishes, bass driven grooves, trance inducing synth solos, mysterious Eastern melodies and more. It might be too slick of a sound for some listeners, and this album certainly does have some sonic glossy sheen, but the compositions are so thrillingly presented, it’s hard to imagine them any other way.