The wonderful “Not Strong Enough” by supergroup boygenius enjoys a second week at #1 on my latest Top 30 chart, while “Rescued” by the Foo Fighters moves into second place. The exuberant “1982” by Dutch rock band Morgendust enters the top 10 in its 11th week on the chart.
There were at at least seven songs I wanted to add this week, but unfortunately had to limit them to only three, as I didn’t want to drop any other songs off. Two of them – “Psychos”, by American singer-songwriter, musician, and teen movie actress Jenny Lewis, and “Spellbinding” by Chicago alt-rock band The Smashing Pumpkins – took a while to grow on me. I’ve never been a huge fan of The Smashing Pumpkins, mainly because of front man Billy Corgan’s nasally and shrill vocal style I often found grating, though I have liked some of their songs. “Spellbinding” is from their monumental 33-track album Atum: A Rock Opera in Three Acts, released on May 5th. The third debut, entering at #30, is “The Narcissist” by legendary Brit-pop band Blur, their first new music in eight years, since their 2015 album The Magic Whip. The song is from their forthcoming ninth album The Ballad of Darren, scheduled for release on July 21.
I must say that it’s heartening for an old man like me to see artists over 50, including Dave Grohl, Billy Corgan, Damon Albarn, Bootie Brown, Dave Gahan & Martin Gore of Depeche Mode, the Leto brothers, and the guys of Morgendust, still putting out great music.
NOT STRONG ENOUGH – boygenius (1)
RESCUED – Foo Fighters (4)
EAT YOUR YOUNG – Hozier (2)
KID – The Revivalists (3)
GO DOWN RIVER – The Heavy Heavy (6)
DUMMY – Portugal. The Man (5)
ESSENCE – Refeci & Shimmer Johnson (8)
RESCUE ME – Dirty Heads (9)
LEAVING – Au Gres (10)
1982 – Morgendust (12)
PAID OFF – Oli Barton & the Movement (7)
THOSE EYES – New West (15)
WHY – Future Theory (17)
IN MY HEAD – Mike Shinoda & Kailee Morgue (16)
THE WAY – Manchester Orchestra (14)
HELLO – GROUPLOVE (19)
PINEAPPLE SUNRISE – Beach Weather (20)
NEW GOLD – Gorillaz, Tame Impala & Bootie Brown (13)
MARRY ANOTHER MAN – Wise John (22)
EMPTY NEST – Silversun Pickups (21)
THE PERFECT PAIR – beabadoobee (11)
WE’RE ALL GONNA DIE – Joy Oladokun & Noah Kahan (23)
Hailing from the North Wales city of Wrexham are Jonny Ash, an energetic and talented four-piece who make an expansive, hard-driving and melodic style of indie rock. Comprised of brothers Callum (lead vocals, guitar) and Dan Gaughran (bass), Peter Roberts (lead guitar) and recent addition Lewis on drums, their dynamic sound is strongly influenced by some of their favorite acts like The Stone Roses, Thin Lizzy, Oasis, The Beatles and Jimi Hendrix. In fact, Callum’s vocals are reminiscent of Liam Gallagher’s at times.
Formed in 2021, they’ve released several outstanding singles, one of which, “Disco” (a song sounding nothing like typical disco, but with the same BPM as disco music) I reviewed in February 2022, as well as a fantastic EP Did You Get Involved? this past January. Now they’re back with their latest single “Call The Hive“, released today via Bryn Rock Records.
The song opens with a gnarly jagged riff accompanied by a throbbing bass groove, which is soon joined by sharp percussion and emphatic drumbeats as Callum coolly croons the lyrics filled with bee references: “I’ve been seeing too much out there lately. All the swarms they are gathering daily. Have I been stung by you only vaguely. Call the hive.” The music explodes in the choruses with a barrage of terrific bluesy guitars, heavy bass and tumultuous drums, Callum’s vocals growing more impassioned as he wails “Why did the bee never tell the fly, the honey tastes better than the shit outside?” It’s a brazen, deeply satisfying banger of a tune, and I can’t get enough of it!
As for the song’s meaning, Callum told me “It’s kind of open to interpretation, as there’s no particular thing it’s meant to be about“. That said, he liked my take, which is that it seems to be about a woman who plays games to get what she wants. The singer basically tells her to stop using him, and to instead ‘call the hive’ to try and get what she needs: “She screams there’s no buzz, there’s no nectar. But she needs it just to resurrect her. Sweet just like the shot of honey bees in the summer. Call the hive. So am I the bee or am I the keeper?/
Listen for yourself and come up with your own interpretation.
Today I’m pleased to showcase the enchanting collaborative single “Illuminate“, by Irish singer-songwriter and electronic music producer BENJAMYN (aka Ben Hogan) and Irish singer-songwriter Brí (aka Briana Horan). I’ve previously featured Brí twice on this blog, whereas BENJAMYN is new to me.
For a bit of background on the two artists, both of whom are based in Dublin, BENJAMYN is a multi-instrumentalist who’s been performing since he was a child, experimenting with musical genres ranging from indie rock and acoustic folk to funk and hip-hop to create his own distinctive blend of indie, dance, and electronica. His songs have received coverage from radio stations, blogs and playlists across Ireland and beyond, and he’s played numerous shows around Dublin since launching his music project in 2018. This past February he released his marvelous debut album FLOW to both critical and fan acclaim.
Bríis a lovely and talented singer-songwriter with the voice of an angel, creating hauntingly beautiful and emotionally compelling indie pop with folk and electronic overtones. In the summer of 2019, she began dropping a series of singles that culminated in the release of her excellent debut album Hide, in October 2021. Her music has garnered radio airplay and received high praise from numerous music writers, me included (I wrote about two of her singles, “More Than” and “Time”, which you can read by clicking on the ‘Related’ links at the end of this post.) She’s performed at Beatvyne’s Music X Tech Experience, Whelan’s Ones to Watch, The Ruby Sessions, and headlined The Sound House in Dublin and Spirit Store in Dundalk.
Released through BlueTide Music, “Illuminate” was co-written and recorded virtually by BENJAMYN and Brí, produced by BENJAMYN (who also created the striking artwork for the single), mixed by Michael Heffernan and mastered by Peter Montgomery. About their first collaboration together, Brí commented “I heard the early beginnings of Ben’s beat on Instagram. I was so compelled to write a song to it that I messaged him straight away; luckily he was up for a co-write. Both of us were going through our own ‘uphill battle’ at the time. ‘Illuminate’ fueled us to overcome those struggles and we hope it does the same for you.” BENJAMYN added “I was buzzing to work with Brí on this track. It all came about so naturally after she heard an earlier version of the beat, and when we spoke I knew she would be perfect for it. Once we started writing the song together it really came into its own. I think we both felt the same vibe from the beginning, and I leveraged our ideas with the production as best I could. I can’t wait for people to hear it and feel like they’re lighting up.”
The song is gorgeous, featuring an intricate mix of shimmery and skittering percussive synths layered over a deep, pulsating synth bass beat, creating a captivating atmospheric soundscape that conveys feelings of enlightenment, of emerging from darkness into the glorious light.
The lyrics speak to addressing our challenges head-on, learning to overcome them, or at least accept them and not allow them to defeat us, in order to live a brighter existence. I like how Brí sings the first two verses, with BENJAMYN joining her at the end of the second verse “Shedding my skin, it’s paper thin, body twitching, I’m itching. Problem, it’s time to fix it. I’m reaching in, I’m healing all of my feelings. Feeling good, good. Pick myself up off the floor, I can do what I want.“, then singing the third verse: “I’m fighting on an uphill battle, but my wounds are only small and shallow. I move with greater purpose filling me, my shine is light a starlight shimmering. If I could take the world into this fight, and turn all of the darkness into light. Then maybe they would stop prohibiting, and we could all begin envisioning a brighter way.” He’s a fine singer too, and his warm vocals complement Brí’s lilting ethereal vocals quite nicely.
On June 7, I made the two-hour drive to Los Angeles to attend a concert at The Novo, featuring two acts I love – lovelytheband and Beach Weather – along with opening act Ava Maybee. Headlined by L.A.-based indie pop-rock band lovelytheband, the tour is officially titled the “if we’re being honest tour” after their new album of the same name, and included supporting acts Beach Weather and Ava Maybee. It was the second night of the tour, and a thrill for me to be able to see both lovelytheband and Beach Weather at the same show. Discovering Ava Maybee was a wonderful surprise and the icing on the cake, so to speak.
Located downtown near the LA Convention Center, Crypto.com arena (home of basketball teams LA Clippers, LA Lakers and LA Sparks, and hockey team LA Kings), Microsoft Theater and Grammy Museum, The Novo is a terrific venue that’s perfect for small to mid-sized concert events. This was my second time seeing a concert there, the first being electro/dream pop band Cannons last September. I like that they have balcony seating, as this old man can no longer tolerate standing for three-plus hours.
The concert kicked off around 7:40 pm when Ava Maybee and her band began their set, immediately getting everyone into a good mood with their soulful brand of indie pop inspired by some of her favorite artists such as Amy Winehouse, Janis Joplin, Sam Cooke, Carole King, Leon Bridges and Adele. I wasn’t previously familiar with Ava or her music, but liked it right from the start. Born Ava Cardoso-Smith and based in Los Angeles, she’s been singing and performing since the age of five. Her father is Chad Smith, drummer for the Red Hot Chili Peppers, and her mother is Trisha Cardoso, currently President and Chief Giving Officer at The Chuck Lorre Family Foundation. Ava has sung the national anthem at Lakers and Dodgers games, and performed at numerous charity events. She was also a contestant on season 20 of American Idol, making it to the top 14 before being eliminated.
Ava Maybee & her band
She’s released a series of great singles since 2020, one of which, “Colors”, has garnered over 7.3 million streams on Spotify alone! Dressed in knee-high white boots and red leggings, Ava exuding the confidence and poise of a seasoned performer as she worked the stage, engaging with the audience between songs and playfully interacting with her back-up band, all of whom were excellent musicians. They played their songs “Lay Low”, “Mood Swings”, “Puke”, “See Me Now” and their newest single “Limerence”, as well as a lively rendition of the Police classic “Roxanne”, then finishing with “Colors”, a portion of which I was able to film. We’ve all been to concerts where we suffered through an opening act we either didn’t care about or enjoy, but Ava Maybee was both terrific and immensely enjoyable.
After a short break, Beach Weather took to the stage around 8:30 pm, opening their set with the sultry “Swoon”, from their 2016 EP What A Drag. Though the alternative pop-rock trio formed in 2015, I didn’t learn about them until last summer when I heard their gorgeous song “Sex, Drugs, Etc.”. The song was originally recorded in 2016, and included on their first EP Chit Chat, but wasn’t released as a single back then, and largely went unnoticed. I loved it at first listen, and they’ve since become one of my favorite bands. I love every single song of theirs, which is not something I can say about very many artists or bands.
Sean Silverman, Nick Santino & Reeve Powers of Beach Weather
After dropping What a Drag and a third EP Basement Sessions, the band went on hiatus at the end of 2017 as the three members – singer/guitarist Nick Santino, bassist Reeve Powers, and guitarist Sean Silverman – relocated to different cities and began focusing on their own careers and families. Fortunately for us, they reunited in late 2021, and recorded their debut album Pineapple Sunrise, which they released this past March. In the meantime, “Sex, Drugs, Etc.” went viral on TikTok and became a huge hit on alternative radio, going all the way to #1 on the Billboard Alternative Airplay chart, where it’s remained in the top 10 for more than 40 weeks. It’s also spent nearly six months on my Weekly Top 30, three of them at #1, and ended up at #3 on my 100 Best Songs of 2022 list. “Trouble With This Bed”, the second single from Pineapple Sunrise, also spent five months on my chart earlier this year, three of them at #1. The title track recently began what I’m sure will be an extended run on my chart.
OK, now back to the show! Beach Weather played a total of 10 songs, two from Chit Chat, two from What A Drag, and six from Pineapple Sunrise (though “Sex, Drugs, Etc.” is featured on both Chit Chat and Pineapple Sunrise). They had a simple stage setup, with two orange curtains as backdrops and round orange rugs for each of the three band members. They were also joined by a keyboardist and drummer, whose names I unfortunately can’t recall. The guys exuded a cool, casual demeanor on stage; Nick was engaging and playful, while an animated Sean made theatric gestures with his guitar and Reeve exuded a sexy, low-key swagger as he played bass. They sounded great, and I would have loved for them to play 10 more songs!
Here’s their performance of “Trouble With This Bed”:
Beach Weather Setlist:
Swoon
Chit Chat
Unlovable
Pineapple Sunrise
High and Driving
Silent Type
Hard Feelings
Rebel Sun
Trouble With This Bed
Sex, Drugs, Etc.
After Ava Maybee and Beach Weather’s sets and before lovelytheband took the stage, I went over to their merchandise booths and briefly met Ava, telling her how much I enjoyed her set. Her father Chad was standing nearby talking with some people but, unfortunately, I didn’t get a chance to meet him. I did, however meet Beach Weather bassist Reeve Powers, who I ran into again the following morning in the lobby of our hotel, where both I and Beach Weather were staying.
After a more lengthy intermission, headline act lovelytheband appeared on stage to thunderous applause, opening their set with “if we’re being honest”, the title track of their latest album. For a bit of background, the Los Angeles-based band formed in 2016, and consists of vocalist Mitchy Collins, guitarist Jordan Greenwald, and drummer Sam Price. They’re best known for their 2018 debut single and monster hit “broken”, which spent nine weeks at #1 on Billboard‘s Alternative chart, as well as reaching #1 on the Adult Top 40 chart and #29 on the Hot 100. It ended up as the #1 song of 2018 on the Alternative chart, and was my favorite song that year as well.
They’ve released three studio albums – finding it hard to smile in 2018, conversations with myself about you in 2020, and if we’re being honest, which dropped June 2nd – as well as numerous singles and EPs. (The titles of all their songs and albums, as well as their band name, are in lower case.) As evidenced by their album titles, a lot of their songs touch on relationship issues, heartache, depression and anxiety, though many are presented in a pleasing, rather upbeat manner.
Sam Price, Mitchy Collins & Jordan Greenwald of lovelytheband
The engaging frontman Mitchy Collins, wearing his signature sleeveless shirt and shorts, proceeded to acknowledge Beach Weather and Ava Maybee, and introduce his bandmates. They were joined on stage by another guitarist, who’s name I didn’t catch.
Throughout their set, which included 16 songs from their three albums, he frequently spoke to the audience, sharing his thoughts on some of their songs as well as his struggles with mental health and depression. Two thirds of the way into their set, he appeared alone on stage to give a deeply moving acoustic performance of their heart-wrenching “i should be happy”, which speaks to feeling unhappy and dissatisfied, despite achieving all the things he’d hoped for. The song strongly resonated with me, as I’ve sadly experienced similar feelings myself throughout my life.
They finished their set with “i can’t love”, then walked off stage, though we knew they’d be back, because they hadn’t yet played their signature song “broken”. Sure enough, they returned to play the lively “make you feel pretty”, from finding it hard to smile, then closed with a rousing performance of “broken”. It was a great finish to a spectacular performance and concert.
lovelytheband Setlist:
if we’re being honest
always been you
buzzcut
coachella
make me wanna die
i’m sorry
sad goodbyes
loneliness for love
superfly
these are my friends
i should be happy (Mitchy Collins solo)
2 drinks away
sail away
i can’t love
Encore:
make you feel pretty
broken
The tour continues through the end of June. Click here for more tour info and tickets.
For those who may be unaware, boygenius is an American indie rock supergroup comprised of three incredibly talented female singer-songwriters – Julien Baker, Phoebe Bridgers, and Lucy Dacus, each of whom are successful artists in their own right. Their beautiful single “Not Strong Enough”, from their debut album The Record which was released on March 31st, takes over the #1 spot on my Weekly Top 30.
In an interview for Rolling Stone, Phoebe elaborated on the meaning behind the song’s Sheryl Crow-inspired lyrics: “The two wolves inside us can be self-hatred and self-aggrandizing. Being like, ‘I’m not strong enough to show up for you. I can’t be the partner that you want me to be.’ But also being like, ‘I’m too fucked up. I’m unknowable in some deep way!’ Self-hatred is a god complex sometimes, where you think you’re the most fucked-up person who’s ever lived. Straight up, you’re not. And it can make people behave really selfishly, and I love each of our interpretations of that concept.”
Besides their intelligent songwriting and outstanding musicianship, a prominent component of boygenius’ wonderful music are the three ladies’ distinctive vocals and gorgeous harmonies. For “Not Strong Enough”, Bridgers sings the first verse, Baker the second, and Dacus leads the chant in the song’s bridge: “Always an angel, never a god”, with all three singing the exuberant choruses.
The delightful video, shot by the three members of boygenius and edited by Phoebe’s younger brother Jackson Bridgers, shows the three having fun and enjoying each other’s company in various locations around Los Angeles, including the Santa Monica Pier and Getty Villa in Malibu, one of two campuses of the J. Paul Getty Museum.
And here’s a charming video of boygenius breaking down the meaning of “Not Strong Enough”, which shows their strong camaraderie and love for each other:
NOT STRONG ENOUGH – boygenius (2)
EAT YOUR YOUNG – Hozier (1)
KID – The Revivalists (3)
RESCUED – Foo Fighters (7)
DUMMY – Portugal. The Man (5)
GO DOWN RIVER – The Heavy Heavy (6)
PAID OFF – Oli Barton & the Movement (4)
ESSENCE – Refeci & Shimmer Johnson (10)
RESCUE ME – Dirty Heads (12)
LEAVING – Au Gres (13)
THE PERFECT PAIR – beabadoobee (9)
1982 – Morgendust (14)
NEW GOLD – Gorillaz, Tame Impala & Bootie Brown (8)
THE WAY – Manchester Orchestra (15)
THOSE EYES – New West (16)
IN MY HEAD – Mike Shinoda & Kailee Morgue (19)
WHY – Future Theory (20)
GHOSTS AGAIN – Depeche Mode (11)
HELLO – GROUPLOVE (22)
PINEAPPLE SUNRISE – Beach Weather (24)
EMPTY NEST – Silversun Pickups (23)
MARRY ANOTHER MAN – Wise John (25)
WE’RE ALL GONNA DIE – Joy Oladokun & Noah Kahan (26)
This June seems to be shaping up as “United Kingdom Artists Month”, as the last three artists I’ve written about are British, with several more in the coming weeks. Today I bring you a fourth – Chief Springs, a fine indie rock band based in Leicester and London. Originally formed in 2018 as a two-piece by Josh Coyne and Scott Dillon, they eventually grew to become a five-piece with the addition of Sam Crosby-Browne, Dale Bradfield and Tommy Jordan. Together, they make a pleasing style of melodic rock fashioned with elements of alternative, post-rock, and dream pop, and featuring lush guitars, beautiful arrangements, intelligent lyrics and Josh’s vibrant baritone vocals.
They’ve been releasing music since 2020, beginning with their lovely single “Tupelo”, which they followed a year later with a three-song EP 00. In February 2022, they dropped a single “Long Game (Agave)”, followed two weeks later with “La Cienega”, named after the famous boulevard running through western L.A. and West Hollywood. I first learned about Chief Springs through my being a guest moderator of the British online music program Fresh on the Net, in which “La Cienega” was an entry that week. The beautiful song was one of my top five picks out of 170 entries, and I liked it so much, it spent three months on my Weekly Top 30, and ranks #76 on my 100 Best Songs of 2022 list.
Now they return with a marvelous new EP Time to Take Time, featuring four excellent songs they wrote and recorded between this past winter and early spring. Produced and mixed by their frequent collaborator Jamie Ward, the EP features accompanying vocals from singer-songwriter and musician Courtney Askey on selected tracks. Josh told me the songs on the EP “explore people’s experiences of being lied to, being told what to do with their body, accepting what’s gone is gone and moving home.”
Opening track “Elastic” touches on all the conflicting and sometimes incorrect news we’re fed, leaving us confused, disoriented, and not knowing what’s truth or fiction: “All of the things you ought to know, are no longer showing / Because the posters in the window, they serve as proof of how far they can stretch this elastic truth. All of the stories rearrange you / How far can they stretch this elastic truth?A time to take time to take time.” The instrumentation is impeccable and honest, with gorgeous jangly guitars bathed in shimmer, accompanied by a deep bass groove and real drums that lend rich textures to the track.
“House Money” speaks to accepting the hand you’ve been dealt and realizing you can move forward: “Things have changed. Somehow strangely liberating. And the house, it always wins, and everything that was, now can end. The house, it always wind, and everything to be can now begin.” A vibrant mix of intricate guitars are layered over a lush bassline and thumping groove.
And on the lovely and sweet “Upping“, Josh croons to a loved one of his devotion and willingness to go anywhere, so long as it’s with her: “Well I could move off this rock with you, build a house on the moon. Make a state upon that star too, wait for the space plants to bloom. Well I could fill a new home with you down on the bed of the sea. Forge a life under ocean blue, cheap but it’s harder to breath.If I’m to do nothing, it’ll be with you. Don’t see it as running, but a thing to do.” As always, the lush guitar work and Josh’s vocals are both achingly beautiful.
The topically relevant “Saddened Sick” calls out those who aim to control or interfere with our bodily autonomy, telling us what we can or cannot do with our lives: “Who makes the call for someone else? Now how am I supposed to believe that these are your decisions to make? And where do we begin, the hope is where it lives. Original sin, but you couldn’t write it if you tried.” The crisp percussion and jangly guitars are simply wonderful, and Josh and Courtney’s harmonies sublime.
Chief Springs have really outdone themselves with the creation of this exquisite little EP. Time to Take Time is not only a beautiful feast for the ears, it’s meaningful lyrics give us lots to think about. Great work guys!
There are some musicians and bands who possess such uniquely distinctive styles or singing voices, they sound like no one else, making their music immediately identifiable as only theirs. London, England-based singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Art Block falls into this esteemed category on the strength of his affecting vocals that are so heartfelt and steeped in emotion, they have the power to take our breath away as we try and swallow the huge lump in our throats that forms after listening to him sing.
The brilliant and prolific artist creates a haunting brand of alternative folk, characterized by stirring melodies, captivating arrangements and gorgeous instrumentation built around his poetic, deeply moving lyrics. He’s been writing and recording beautiful music for nearly a decade, and has released an impressive amount of it since early 2015. I’ve previously written about him and his music four times on this blog, including his enchanting single “The Basement” (his most successful single, which has been streamed over 350,000 times on Spotify alone) in late 2019 and, most recently, last September when I reviewed his stunning White Horses EP. The title track “White Horses” went all the way to #1 on my Weekly Top 30 chart last December.
Art Block has stayed busy in 2023, dropping a single “Vilnius” in February, then his first full-length album Stones and Fire in March, followed by Tiger EP, the subject of today’s review, at the end of April. Featuring four tracks, including “Vilnius” and an alternate version of “White Horses”, the EP was produced, recorded and mixed by William Robertson and mastered by John Webber. For the recording, Art played all instruments except for drums, which were played by Raphael Bouchara.
The title track “Tiger” opens with a strummed acoustic guitar, accompanied by mysterious airy synths and sounds taken from the streets of Cairo as Art begins to sing, with a strong tremolo effect in his voice, “A plain heart that cuts through all the acerbic dust.” As the song unfolds, the melody gradually swells and instrumentals expand with beautiful guitars, heavier synths and more intense percussion, all of which culminate into a dramatic crescendo. Like the music, the lyrics become more forceful too, with Art Block passionately lamenting of his pain and sorrow over having been left abandoned in a relationship: “A silence that kills, insatiable rips my tongue. A tiger has ripped my lungs, unable to breathe. A figure of speech, crawling through arctic veins. You left me when I needed a friend. A quarrelsome mind, and we don’t see we’re spinning all around as if it’s meant to be.”
“Vilnius” was inspired by Art’s visit to the Lithuanian capital last October, where he engaged with the Chromatikon artist collective who participated in a series of concerts intended to revive the old Jewish music of the Vilnius ghetto lost during Nazi occupation. Vilnius holds a special place in his heart, as he spent a year there as a volunteer for Voluntary Service Overseas after Lithuania’s independence from the Soviet Union. The lyrics seem to be told from the perspective of a young Jewish man witnessing the fall of Vilnius and Lithuania to the Nazis: “A Hebrew song, an old man’s lungs. Hold on my Vilnius. I see a cage and hold my rage. Hold on my Vilnius. I was meant to be playing C. Oh what a scene. Wasn’t yet an orphan. We were meant to meet in the dying streets but I forgot your number.” Art’s delicate acoustic guitar notes, accompanied by sparkling atmospheric synths and gentle drumbeats, create a melancholy but beautiful soundscape for his emotive, heartfelt vocals.
“White Horses (Alternate version)” is the same version that appears on Stones and Fire, and to my ears sounds very close to the original. For this alternate version, Art’s added some pretty guitar notes and more drawn-out string synths, as well as a drum machine beat, all of which add subtle textures to the original piano-driven track, making it even more gorgeous than ever. He says the song “was inspired by a beautiful place in England, but also by the attack in Mariupol, Ukraine which was in the news, where I imagined I was going through the devastation there. Perhaps ‘White Horses’ is a metaphor for something else, greater, perhaps mystical or mysterious? The place I visited in England certainly had a mystical feel even though the White Horse itself etched into a hill was not ancient.”
The final track “New Dawn” is a haunting piano ballad about struggling with inner demons and self-doubt that keep him from living a fuller and happier life: “I want to know when life will change, so I can reach out for a new day. Tired of manifesting, tired of love, I have a hole in my heart oh my God. I was always fighting with my thoughts, trying to find peace amid the wars. I was overthinking life, I was overcome with strife.” Art’s echoed vocals have an interesting lo-fi feel, backed by a vintage-sounding piano and Raphael’s skillful measured drums.
Tiger EP is wonderful, serving up eleven and a half minutes of auditory bliss that transports us to dreamy, faraway places. Art Block is a uniquely gifted artist who never fails to deliver exceptional music that’s deeply impactful, sonically beautiful and intensely thought-provoking.
Hozier‘s provocative “Eat Your Young” remains at #1 for a second week, while “Not Strong Enough” by boygenius moves into second place. “The Perfect Pair” by Filipino-English singer-songwriter beabadoobee and “Essence” by Danish producer-composer Refeci and Canadian-American singer-songwriter Shimmer Johnson enter the top 10. Two songs make their debut this week: “Stuck” by L.A.-based alt-rock band 30 Seconds to Mars, now a duo consisting of the ageless Leto brothers Jared and Shannon, at #29. Their first new music in five years, the song is the lead single from their forthcoming sixth studio album, It’s the End of the World but It’s a Beautiful Day, due for release on September 15. Entering at #30 is the wonderful “Puppet Show” by another L.A.-based artist Beck Black, which I reviewed two weeks ago.
EAT YOUR YOUNG – Hozier (1)
NOT STRONG ENOUGH – boygenius (3)
KID – The Revivalists (2)
PAID OFF – Oli Barton & the Movement (4)
DUMMY – Portugal. The Man (6)
GO DOWN RIVER – The Heavy Heavy (7)
RESCUED – Foo Fighters (10)
NEW GOLD – Gorillaz, Tame Impala & Bootie Brown (5)
THE PERFECT PAIR – beabadoobee (11)
ESSENCE – Refeci & Shimmer Johnson (12)
GHOSTS AGAIN – Depeche Mode (8)
RESCUE ME – Dirty Heads (16)
LEAVING – Au Gres (17)
1982 – Morgendust (15)
THE WAY – Manchester Orchestra (18)
THOSE EYES – New West (19)
THE WALK HOME – Young the Giant (9)
FLOWERS – Miley Cyrus (13)
IN MY HEAD – Mike Shinoda & Kailee Morgue (20)
WHY – Future Theory (21)
WOLF – Yeah Yeah Yeahs (14)
HELLO – GROUPLOVE (24)
EMPTY NEST – Silversun Pickups (25)
PINEAPPLE SUNRISE – Beach Weather (26)
MARRY ANOTHER MAN – Wise John (27)
WE’RE ALL GONNA DIE – Joy Oladokun & Noah Kahan (28)
One of the brightest spots on the British music scene today is Callum Pitt, a thoughtful and immensely-talented singer-songwriter based in Newcastle Upon Tyne. Inspired by such esteemed artists as Elliott Smith, Julien Baker, Adrianne Lenker, Sufjan Stevens, The War on Drugs and Fleet Foxes, he creates, in his own words, “indie-folk with a grand, orchestral, chamber pop sensibility plus an alt-rock edge”. I say that’s a pretty accurate description of his beautiful music, which is characterized by lush harmonies, captivating melodies, and honest, meaningful lyrics touching on subjects like depression, anxiety, and social and political unrest, expressed through his emotive pleasing vocals that nevertheless manage to instill feelings of optimism and unity.
Since 2017, Callum has released an impressive number of singles as well as a four-track EP Poisoned Reveries in 2019. His second single “Least He’s Happy” has been streamed more than two million times on Spotify, with several other singles garnering well over 100,000 streams. He’s also earned accolades such as the Alan Hull Songwriting Award in 2019, and the Fender Player Plus competition in 2021. I love his music, and have previously written about four of his songs, two of which – “Fault Lines” and “Mayfly” – made my Weekly Top 30 chart, with “Fault Lines” ranking #84 on my 100 Best Songs of 2020 list, and “Mayfly”, which peaked at #8 earlier this year, guaranteed to rank even higher on my 100 Best Songs of 2023 list. (You can read some of my previous reviews by clicking on the ‘Related’ links at the end of this post.)
Photo by Daniel Stark
Now Callum has just dropped his long-awaited debut album In The Balance, and it’s a real stunner! The culmination of nearly three years of work, the album’s nine songs were informed by a number of events that prompted him to explore questions of existentialism and fate, including a vehicle accident that could have killed his parents and brother, a close friend almost dying of a drug overdose after leaving a party at his house, and the death by suicide of a childhood friend. Remarkably, he wrote and recorded the album while also working at a job and studying for his masters degree in Occupational Therapy.
He wrote the album in his bedroom, using only a nylon-string guitar and cheap 90s keyboard. He then took his demos to the studio, where he worked with long-time producer John Martindale to turn them into rich recordings, featuring a string quartet, and trumpets by James Leonard Hewiston and saxophone by Alex Saxon. Callum sang lead vocals and played acoustic and electric guitars and keyboards, Luke Elgie played bass, Gavin Christie played drums, and John Martindale played percussion, with Ada Francis and Jodie Nicholson on backing vocals
The album kicks off with “I Feel a God and Devil in This Room“, in which Callum explores how both good and evil are present in human experiences more than in otherworldly realms like heaven or hell, and that we should embrace our lives here and now, rather than wait for a theoretically better afterlife: “I feel alone, but I feel in my bones tonight, something bigger moving like a tidal wave, a wilting bouquet, on fire. I feel a God and devil in this room.” The song is enchanting, opening with delicate guitar, piano and strings, then gradually building to a dramatic crescendo with added saxophone, heavier percussion and gorgeous harmonies. The lovely video, filmed and produced by Gareth Williams, features Mia Fuller dancing to the song in an empty church.
“Black Holes in the Sky” addresses the aforementioned close friend that almost died from an overdose of acid after leaving a party at Callum’s house, and was thankfully saved by a passing dog walker at dawn: “You left our party, the last one to go / I heard that a stranger found you laid down, blue in the lips and frost upon your clothes on the edge of town.” The song starts off with an almost gospel-like feel, but transitions into a stirring anthem, with emphatic piano keys, bold guitar notes and blaring trumpets. On the hauntingly beautiful and contemplative “Crow“, Callum speaks of his struggles with depression and anxiety: “There’s something in the leaves reminding me there’s no light without dark.” His piano and guitar work are particularly stunning here.
“Fraction of a Second” was inspired by a night in 2019, in which Callum was reminded of how a change of a mere second of time could have resulted in a life-altering outcome. Minutes after he waved goodbye to his brother and parents as they left his house, a fire engine hit the back edge of their car. They were all unharmed, but had their car been in the engine’s path a fraction of a second later – if he’d said one more word to them at the doorstep – it would have slammed directly into the drivers’ side. Musically, the song has a melancholy yet hopeful feel, and features a buoyant drumbeat overlain with delicate sweeping synths, beautifully-strummed guitar notes, lovely piano keys and vibrant strings. As always, Callum’s smooth vocals are comforting and warm as he sings of his gratitude that his family safely survived the crash: “And I don’t know what I’d do, if that truck had taken all of you, I think the moon may disappear. But a fraction of a second kept you here.”
On the piano-driven “More Than This“, Callum touches on the impermanence of life and worldly beauty: “And no one ever said there would be more than this, but I feel it turning golden in the fall. Everything must go, it’s an angel in the snow. And I will never ask for more.” The moving video was directed by Sel MacLean and filmed by Ross Marshall, and shows Callum singing the song in an empty theater as he watches a couple, played by Igor Tavares and Laura Alise do an interpretive dance.
One of my favorite songs on the album, “Mayfly” is essentially about adulthood, and speaks to Callum’s feelings of apprehension over the responsibilities he’ll face as a potential parent, fearing he might not be up to the task: “I don’t deserve the love that I am shown, but someday I will. ‘Cause I, I need time, so I can be, who you need me to be. So hold out please.” Musically, the song has a lively, upbeat melody that contrasts with the poignant lyrics. I love the perfect melding of acoustic guitar notes and delicate piano chords in the verses, and how the drums become more intense in the choruses, accompanied by glorious exuberant riffs and swirling keyboards. Callum’s smooth vocals are both comforting and heartfelt, backed by Ada and Jodie’s lovely harmonies, and Alex’s bold saxophone in the final chorus is wonderful.
On “Moths and Butterflies”, Callum speaks to the value of expressing one’s emotions in a society where the expectation is for men and boys to suppress their feelings. Though still essentially a folk song, it has more of a rock vibe, with heavier guitars and drums, especially in the bridge. The enchanting “Uncanny Moon” features delicate guitar notes, stirring strings and gorgeous soaring harmonies.
Album closer “The Will of the River” is a beautiful, cinematic anthem in the vein of Sam Fender’s “Seventeen Going Under”, which means I love it! The combination of gentle acoustic guitar notes with more resonant jangly chords and fuzz-coated gnarly riffs, layered over an exuberant stomping groove, make for an exceptionally impactful track. The poignant lyrics speak of the childhood friend who took his own life, leaving him wondering if there might have been something he could have done to prevent it: “I’m so sorry for how we drifted, maybe I knew you too soon. It’s darker now. You’re now away, but my memories are so clear. We move at the will of the river, but you’re ringing in my ear.”
I’m not sure what more I can say about In The Balance, other that to state with confidence that it’s a gorgeous little masterpiece. Mr. Pitt and company have gifted us an impressive, flawlessly-crafted work, for which they should be quite proud.
After having written about music for nearly eight years, I’ve come to the conclusion that, while trends come and go, music of high quality will always speak for itself and have a following, no matter the genre. Many have written of the death of rock, and while it’s largely been absent from the ridiculous Billboard Hot 100 (which, because it now relies primarily on streaming stats, is heavily weighted to formula pop, hip hop and bro-country), it’s undeniable that rock is still very much alive and loved by millions of fans.
Case in point is British rock act The Petal Falls, the music project of Kent-based singer-songwriter Keith Leahy. I’ve previously reviewed two of his singles “I Won’t Be There”, in August 2021, and “Somebody To Love Me”, in April 2022 (you can read them by clicking on the “Related” links at the end of this post). To briefly reiterate some of what I previously detailed about The Petal Falls’ unfortunate history, Leahy formed the band in the mid 1990s as a performance platform for his music. Consisting of Leahy, who sings vocals as well as plays guitar and keyboards, and four other musicians – Robert Harpum (guitar), Dave Richards (guitar), Marius Ryndziewicz (bass) and Robin Tucker (drums) – they signed with a mid-tier music label in the hopes it would lead to greater success, but it instead resulted in their ultimate undoing. The label stifled their creativity and stalled their career for several years, leading to a great deal of frustration among band members and their eventual demise, without ever being given the opportunity to publicly release any of their impressive output of songs.
Thankfully, their outstanding music catalog eventually became available for release, and Keith jumped at the opportunity to re-master the original recordings into four albums, with help of friend and producer-engineer-drummer John King. The first of those albums, Workin All Night Workin All Day, was released in July 2020 to positive fan and critical response, an amazing feat for an act that had long been given up for dead. Though their songs were recorded nearly 30 years ago and feature an 80s vibe reminiscent of music by such artists as Whitesnake, John Mellencamp and Bruce Springsteen, among others, they still strongly resonate today, garnering over 1.2 million streams on Spotify alone. That first album’s success inspired Keith to resurrect The Petal Falls as a solo project, recording and releasing new music in collaboration with King. They followed with a second album All These Years in September 2021, then a third Everything About You in September 2022.
Now he returns with “Obsession“, the lead single from his fourth album The Rhythm Train, due for release this coming October. For the recording of “Obsession” Keith played guitar and keyboards and sang lead vocals, Robert Harpum played guitar, Martin Corder played bass and Robin Tucker played drums. Backing vocals were sung by Avril Davis and Tracy Tucker, with added guitar by Barry Kitchin and keyboards by Lee Tucker. The track was mastered by John King.
The song is an intense and brooding rocker about a passionate and reckless affair and the burning obsession it breeds. I know from personal experience how easy it is to fall under someone’s thrall, willing to cast all rationality and caution aside in the pursuit of their attention and, hopefully, love. To drive home their message, The Petal Falls unleashes a torrent of searing riffs, pulse-pounding bass and thunderous drums, creating a powerful and darkly sensual soundscape. The combination of three guitarists working their magic results in a rich and contrasting tapestry of shimmery chiming notes, spine-tingling psychedelic runs and grinding buzzsaw riffs. Keith’s arresting vocals are brimming with passion as he wails “I’d jump off a mountain, if I thought you’d stop and stare. I’d swim a raging river, if I knew you would be there. You can beat me, beat me to despair. You can love me, I don’t really care. You’re my obsession!“
The dark, beautifully-filmed video brings the song’s lyrics to life with sizzling scenes of a sexy woman dominating her willing subject.
ECLECTIC MUSIC LOVER 