This self-titled debut album may well be the most out-and-out pop record I have written about on these pages this year but, as is so often the case with pop I love both new and old, it arrives from the hand of an artist with a broader range of musical reference in her armoury. Even the front cover points to a deconstructionist approach, with Hannah’s face printed, ripped up and re-assembled in a way that reflects the methodology of the music. And yet, still we have ended up with an album not just front but absolutely fully loaded with electro leaning, propulsive bangers. It is just that the option to listen deep is equally as valid as putting this on whilst doing the washing up. Take ‘Another Twilight,’ if you do not hear that pulsating disco intro and immediately think of Lipps Inc (other than you are probably a lot younger than me) be sure to go and check out ‘Funky Town’ next, but laced with the melancholia of a chorus that sings “it’s all over baby and I don’t mind, in decline, I take my time” this is actually the better track. ‘Replica’ is similarly poptastic, it reminds a little of Future Islands at their punchiest but for all the connections one might be inclined to draw, this music is watermarked with Hannah’s individualistic brush strokes. There is the ache of the personal too, with Lew referring to this track specifically in stating “when you have true love in your life it’s easier to name false love and this song is largely about recognizing a fraudulent love, heartbreaking as it is.”
Hannah Lew’s creative path has long threaded through some of the most distinctive corners of the American independent music world, first as a member of Grass Widow and later with Cold Beat, before arriving at a moment that feels wholly her own. Her new self‑titled album for Night School Records marks the first time she has stepped forward under her own name, embracing a vivid strain of pop that walks the line between depth and feel-good release. Written and shaped between her home in Richmond, California and sessions at The Best House in Oakland with Maryam Qudus, the record draws energy from a circle of West Coast collaborators who help bring its bright contours into focus. ‘Damaged Melody’ is a notable example of this, the way an initial conveyor belt of wide-open industrial electronics suddenly explodes with showers of falling space dust and urgent rhythm is sheer sonic splendour. The album opens with ‘Time Wasted’ and it is here where subtle echoes of her previous musical adventures can be heard. There is definitely an element of the post punk to the bass line that drives this pot boiler along but nevertheless, it is the expanding synth scape that dominates all the way.
Though echoes of her earlier projects remain, the album moves with a clarity of intention that signals a fresh chapter, foregrounding a vocal approach that highlights the emotional tension woven through her melodies. In fact, that unsettled stress is twisted into focus on ‘Move In Silence’ which mentions a war outside, just out of view. Hannah takes the metaphor further when talking about the track, saying that this is “a wartime album” which sadly, is literally true today. No wonder the follow up song, ‘Distance Of The Moon,’ seems to give rise to thoughts of escape into the stars. It heralds the arrival of the albums darkest detour, right at the close, where the rough textures of minor key guitars suddenly push to the forefront. She resists the opportunity to push distortion even further on closer ‘The Clock’ which has the structure of a Jesus And Mary Chain epic minus the feedback. This was indisputably the right choice, for although the songs balance buoyancy with unease, capturing a sense of wonder even as they reflect the fractured moment in which they were made, a pop aesthetic prevails throughout. With mastering by Sarah Register sharpening every detail, this collection presents Lew as an artist confidently carving out new territory while acknowledging the lineage that brought her here. More than that though, it is an album overflowing with potential for continued space explorations of a thrilling nature waiting for us in the future. What a great beginning.
Volume five of our 2026 new music releases series ‘Fresh Juice’ opens with the welcome return of Tom Waits alongside Massive Attack before embarking on a journey incorporating new sounds in Psych Pop, Garage Rock, Electro Pop, Folk, Soul, Americana and Singer-Songwriter before ending on one of the greatest Blue Note Jazz tracks released this year that would surely have stood tall in their rich catalogue in any year. Which could also be said for everything on here as we continue our mission to prove that there are still plenty of visceral audio thrills to be found going forward.
Tracks – Fruit Tree Records – Fresh Juice 2026 Vol. 5
It can sometimes feel that an artist stating they were aiming for a warm analogue sound has lost its impact with chronic overuse. There is actually an important ideal at the roots of an ambition like that, but such is the ubiquity of the claim it has almost become shorthand for non-electronic music. But if the meaning is lost to some then please allow me to point you in the direction of this new sophomore release by East London singer-songwriter Ella Clayton. Yes, she has declared the natural live sound of musicians playing together in a room, vibing off each other and responding to feelings in the moment as her intent, but you know from the very first listen that she also understood what this meant in practice. There is a looseness to the grooves, not an everybody must get stoned lethargy but a connectedness, like the music is untethered and free to flow exactly how the main narrator wishes to steer it. There are stops, moments where the emoting is given space to be felt just as there are fevered flourishes of exhilaration and vigour. I mean the recipe is almost so basic that there is a danger in over intellectualisation; the simple rule for realising that warm analogue sound is just play your music, feel it, live it, breathe it and if you are good at what you do, the magic will appear. By ensuring all the rhythm tracks were laid down live, Ella Clayton guaranteed she had the best natural canvas to unlock precisely what her music needed to do.
Essentially what I am describing is a soulfulness and within her singer-songwriter template, Ella surely has moved into a soul-folk lane that is not always so easy to access. And if real soul is to be attained in music it helps if the artist is pouring something of themselves into the grooves, which it seems Ella actually is as the singer herself confides with this assessment. “This record is a journey through longing and self-interrogation, the search for something or someone outside of myself to tell me who I am and what I want. I hope that people recognise themselves in these snapshots from my life and take comfort in the shared experience.” Opener ‘Please Me’ wastes no time in making a case for Ella as soul diva, the tumbling dice of the vocal raining down at the end of each verse tells us we are in the realms of tracks possessing a heart wrenching, late sixties southern soul distinction. The lyric is holding out for something real as it also does on ‘Mouth Said Money,’ about a manager whose promises never transposed to real life, demonstrating too that Ella has range that can meet with grungier flavours. She even stretches her voice to its boundaries, happy for some imperfections to shine. Let it be noted here though that there is no lack of light, hope and even amusement amidst the frustrations expressed. The title track especially, whilst set up as a meditation on longing and the search for companionship, still manages to tell the story of a first date that went comically wrong.
“I trace the lines of the Dolomites and you curse the day I was born” Ella sings on ‘Dolomites,’ a track that begins as an icy waltz before erupting into an explosion of frustration at the denial of a space to be alone, brilliantly executed it is too. ‘Ripples In Bedsheets’ is the folkiest sound we have heard thus far, and the weight of the lyric welcomes a dynamic string arrangement, again all for the good of the song but I come back again to that Clayton voice as the centrepiece of all that is profound in these numbers. She is fearless in her letting go, even on a more becalmed number such as this, when Ella goes route one and lets her voice convey the feeling, she really soars. ‘I Miss Strangers’ can be added to the overflowing well of 2020’s songs inspired by lockdown and the absence of fresh human interaction, but it earns its place at the table with a nice boxed in guitar hook and a lyric born out of genuine distress. ‘Rain All Day’ mournfully misses someone lost with a more forgiving thought, gorgeously demonstrating too the power in a well written middle eight. Expanding her range further still, there is a soothing country lilt to ‘October Trip’ before ‘Seagull Song’ arrives with the easy lift of a sea breeze until ‘Tell Me Something’ brings a little sombre violin to the table. It transpires that this tranquil three song suite is tactfully sequenced as a set up for the return of Ella’s lolling, soulful folk free form truth seeking on spectacular extended finale ‘As You Are.’ Before playing out to the most satisfying of closing instrumental breaks, we hear Ella celebrating the warmth of love, platonic as much as romantic, felt with the most intensity in moments of mundane everyday life. It is a fine place to end because firstly, you are hungry for more but secondly, it cleverly wraps the essence of deferential respect for the unexpected tangents in life as mirrored by the unplanned diversions heard in this music. So, I come back to where we started, by admiring how Ella Clayton is effortlessly attaining an honest integrity to her work that many declare an ambition for but far fewer actually realise. The sound on ‘Could It Be You?’ is music creation that is wholly uninhibited to be what it feels, that is free to be true.
ESYA is the name of a new project from Savages bassist Ayşe Hassan launching with this debut album, ‘Chasing Desire,’ a work that revs with the energy of the new whilst building on the experience of the past. After three exploratory EPs and the dissolution of Savages, Hassan uses this record to rebuild her musical identity from the ground up, merging her silken‑force bass work with synths, electronics, and programmed beats that map the contours of a turbulent personal period. The album also captures a return to Hassan’s DIY roots despite years spent touring the world, as she learns an entirely new setup in pursuit of a sound that projects honest vulnerability and a potency for self‑invention. It is so much more than an audio vehicle too for surrounding the release, Hassan is staging a series of ‘Chasing Desire’exhibitions across the UK, inviting listeners into the machinery of the album; from private listening stations to hands‑on synth experimentation, even offering space for visitors to record their own “Desire Transmission,” a growing archive of confessions that will feed into a future ESYA release.
The album begins with ‘Fallen,’ the deep throb of a heavy synth bedrock evoking an imposing, urban landscape where the pulse of human life is fighting against the darkness where “the sun has disappeared.” Ayşe sings with a pain that will pierce you and this is an opening more than hinting at the trauma we might encounter on the journey ahead. But there is a flip side to this, because for all the intensity of the electronic sound there is still something quite warm here. This is electronica rising from other planets, swirling in a melange of molten lava and bursting with colour; in other words, there is beauty emanating from this chilling terrain pointing to brief flashes of clarity amidst the uncertainty. ‘Take My All’ has a touch of chaos that somehow manages to hold together, which might have been exactly the effect Hassan was seeking. She remembers it like this. “Because I was still learning, I decided to embrace the imperfections. I love music where there is that awkwardness and tension and something that’s not right but that I can resonate with.” And she was determined to hit her post-Savages phase with fearlessness, retaining the bass from her past life but otherwise diving into previously untested waters, even singing was a step in a new direction. One thing Brian Eno used to do to shake a band up in the studio was get them all to swap instruments, I sense a similar approach has resulted in some refreshingly bold sounds and textures on ‘Chasing Desire.’
The blank canvass approach and its freedom to explore ideas really inject these tracks with added depth and variety. Something like ‘Wandering’ wrong foots, beginning in broken down ballad territory, before the icy grind of industrial sound pushes the pace into a metronomic space, even though Hassan holds down the personal, whisper in the ear aspect of emoting, leading to an unexpected mix of the frosty and personable. The singing voice Ayşe has uncorked for ESYA is a less than conventional instrument too. She literally plays it like an audio tool on certain tunes, mixing the vocal in a way that marries it to the instrumentation rather than leading it. But then on the title track, with its repeated “I don’t want to be a lover” refrain, she really pushes the character in her delivery to the forefront, properly owning the space as a lead vocalist and allowing every atom of vulnerability and fallibility to bleed through. ‘Heaven’ is easily one of the most accessible tunes to be found here and a major stand-out track for sure. The collision of a cut that is daring you not to dance to it and a lyric about the anxiety of retreating from a difficult situation make for an abrasive yet exhilarating combination. It is like Donna Summer’s ‘I Feel Love’ was produced by Scott Walker (yes that good). A similar effect is heard on ‘Lullaby’ which is anything but berceuse, more like a ghost in the machine. These contrasts co-exist to perfection all the way across ‘Chasing Desires,’ one never threatening to overwhelm the other, a satisfying fusion of tension and release. This is a work overflowing with wonder at the endless possibilities in experimental music and considering the raw material Ayşe Hassan is collecting to move the ESYA endeavour forward, this promises to be a vehicle we would be wise to keep an eye on.
New music from Tom Waits seemed to have totally dried up after his wonderful 2011 album ‘Bad As Me’ so anything fresh from the man was always going to grab some attention. Massive Attack too have been quiet since 2020 but here they are, both working together, on a song with subject matter that could not be any less a cause for celebration. Instead, these musical heavy weights are reacting in audio to the devastating emphasis our modern world has placed on waging war and disregarding the precious nature of human existence. At least they are picking up the baton visionaries like Bob Dylan previously carried in reacting to the horrors of the present time in song but typically for these artists, there is no sugar coating the terror of the situation. Luckily, Tom has not limited his resurrection to this one track, a twelve inch single of the release will follow that also has a new and exclusive Waits b-side entitled ‘The Fly.’ The man himself says this. “One day many years ago, I accepted an invitation from Massive Attack to collaborate. Their long release delay never worried me. Today, as in all of mankind’s yesterdays, guarantees this type of song will never go out of style. Man’s folly of fiascos is a feast for the flies. Hence, the b-side of Massive Attack’s upcoming 12 inch features my appreciation for the winged nuisance.” You can get yourself a copy of the record via this link: https://amzn.to/4sKPA7N
Johanna Samuels – White Limousine
Johanna Samuels has kicked off her next chapter with ‘White Limousine,’ a crisp, beautifully measured single marking her arrival on the Odd Man Out label. It is the first taste of a new album currently being readied for release, though specifics are still to come. If this track is any indication, Samuels is gearing up to deliver a record that will be getting a lot of the right kind of attention. For now, get going in this ‘White Limousine’ and enjoy an excursion that takes in suspence and an aching longing all wrapped up in warm hazy sounds that find room for sun-drenched guitar solos, yearning vocals and a Mercury Rev ‘Deserters Songs’ style eeriness. The video is pretty spectacular too, especially that fading in and out radio signal effect. Keep an eye out for the album, I am sure to be on it here at Fruit Tree Records upon arrival but for now you can download the single via this link: https://amzn.to/4tYcgCD
Parlor Greens – Eat Your Greens
This is a scorching live in the studio version of the lead track from the Parlor Green’s new sophomore album ‘Emeralds.’ The nuts and bolts of the band are Tim Carman holding down the beat on drums, Jimmy James who, in a heartbeat, can take us to funky town then back to soul city via his electric guitar and Adam Scone, who can spray paint the room in the most vibrant of moddish colours on that fruity organ and keys. The album is a soul-jazz joyride from start to finish and will be covered in greater depth on these pages very soon but for now, get some of the good stuff down with ‘Eat Your Greens’ and if this one tune is enough to convince, and why wouldn’t it be after all, you can get straight onto the new album via the link right here: https://amzn.to/4cuYXT2
Gorillaz featuring Sparks – The Happy Dictator
For over twenty five years now Gorillaz has proven to be the perfect situation for Damon Albarn to paint his musical visions and realize his bountiful supply of ideas and inspirations. Clearly he needed something fluid and widescreen enough to explore, without boundaries, his open eared approach to music with freedom and rather satisfying mainstream success. His feel for a commercial hook is beyond doubt at this point and the thing I enjoy the most is how he almost smuggles quite mature art-rock into the mainstream through the back door. Of course, Sparks were a band who did the very same thing, blessed as they were with a gift for timeless melody, eye catching presentation and a flare for absurdist, head scratching delivery in the way the Mael brothers performed. And here they are with an outstanding track from new album ‘The Mountain,’ working together and proving that this town actually is big enough for the both of them. You can get the latest release this way: https://amzn.to/41IIYvO
Fruit Bats – The Landfill
Fruit Bats make a welcome return on June 12th with ‘The Landfill’ album, the title track of which is presented here. It is a vibrant full‑band project released via Merge Records. The record finds Eric D. Johnson in a prolific streak following 2025’s intimate ‘Baby Man,’ expanding his palette with renewed energy. ‘The Landfill’ anchors the album’s central metaphor: surveying the future from atop the accumulated layers of personal and cultural history. The accompanying video, directed by longtime collaborator Adam Willis, playfully riffs on cult‑band mythology and the strange double life of an artist both celebrated and obscure. You can pre-order yourself a copy via this link: https://amzn.to/3OtaHO0
SPELLLING featuring Jean Dawson – Ammunition
And finally for this week, some rousing new music from an artist who has long been highly rated on these pages. SPELLLING continues to expand the world of her last album ‘Portrait Of My Heart’ with a new version of ‘Ammunition,’ this time reimagined as a duet with Jean Dawson. The track follows recent remixes featuring Weyes Blood and Turnstile’s Brendan Yates, extending the original album’s collaborative afterlife. Cabral recasts the song’s romantic R&B core into a darker, synth‑lit fairytale, leaning into the outsider sensibilities that define her latest work. It arrives as the release on which it originally appeared continues to draw widespread acclaim, praised for its raw self‑reflection and its bold, genre‑bending emotional clarity. Head to Bandcamp for more on the latest single and the original album is still available for purchase via this link: https://amzn.to/487Kc7l
‘Ocean Cabaret’ is the name of a mysterious, abandoned strip club in Galveston, Texas and the album that has taken its name for a title sounds very apt. In the same way that you would imagine the location feeling alive with the ghosts of salacious encounters, spilled emotions and frustrated desires, so too the music Galvezton presents on this sophomore release is alive with real life residue, the vintage textures shaken down by modern tropes, a sense of style and swagger standing up for the values that modern life can so easily suppress. The heritage behind the musical journey of the creative core in this act, Robert Kuhn, is rich with iconic Americana singer-songwriters, names like Bob Dylan, Townes Van Zandt and Bruce Springsteen, all of whom filtered into the young Kuhn’s subconscious via the tastes of his father. But post pandemic, the Galvezton project has evolved naturally into a territory that the mere troubadour characterisation can no longer contain. This is a helter skelter dive into a cosmic-Americana sound that is dizzy with the heat and punch drunk on ideas and expression. Recorded over the span of 2022 to 2024 at La Izquierda, the album carries a restorative warmth, wrapping you up and steadying the pulse. Kuhn’s voice can fray at the edges, but like some aforementioned primary influences, this vocal facet can lend to a delivery with unfiltered force.
The La Izquierda location in Galveston is significant because it also founded a longboard surf competition and music festival that Kuhn is heavily involved in. There is a grassroots and community focused, non-profit ethos to many of the local projects he is connected to and that humanitarian, social activist energy does bleed into the music; not to mention a certain surfer-dude breezy coastal calm up front as well. You can taste that vibe on ‘Origami,’ the music feeling like it is the ocean waves that are breathing it into life. The echo and the calm that rises up as Kuhn dreams “what if there was a place that we could go to, what if there was a way to get there, what if I surrender?” It reminds me a little of the War On Drugs, the synth textures casting a spell over the track that evokes space and a never-ending horizon mirroring the relentless questions in our narrator’s mind. But it is also raw and organic in its own way, the heavy strum of acoustic guitar and harmonicas that blow in from the margins welding a human touch to the ambience.
The essence of Springsteen in his ‘Nebraska’ mode is tangible, ‘Tonight’ being an example of a fine track built on this classic framework. ‘Me And You’ is so hazy it might only exist in a dream whilst you feel the heat coming from ‘Paved Roads’ so intensely you wonder if your feet are burning. ‘Quint’s Cantina’ on the other hand is pumping with motion, punched piano chords and fuzz guitar decorating Kuhn’s stream of lyrical testimony. All that said though, it might just be that the superb ‘Roll To G Town’ is the hook track enticing a lot of listeners in to check out this album. The song, the sound of one battered man determined to bounce back off the ropes, albeit via a pathway that is no less perilous than from where he came, is alive with attitude, self-deprecation, and verve. It is like Beck has returned to the nineties and decided he has no issue with being a loser after all. And everything is in place, the peacocking groove, and semi-rapped verses that sound like a bar raconteur not too under the influence but well on the way, then a killer sing-along chorus. Great song and to paraphrase the lyric, you too should take your money and roll to the ‘Ocean Cabaret.’ You could do a lot worse than high loading your musical life with this rough little diamond of a new release.
This is a new album that is setting a high bar for anyone pursuing an interest in electronically enhanced, ambient leaning, instrumental music in 2026. Both styles, which lean heavily on found sounds and long form, untethered excursions can so easily descend into tedium for, in much the same way that a primitive painter can argue the apparent amateurishness of their work is a statement in itself, when the structure is unrestricted by a tighter framework the motivation to push for something inspiring and unexpected over route-one indulgence can sometimes be lost. I mention this because at first glance, this album might come across as belonging in a floaty, ambient realm. But I would caution against that sweeping judgement, just as I would say do not listen to this record casually, for built in these deep bubbles that rise into the air before bursting to rain their colourful sonics asunder, are oceans of beauty and exploration. Much like the early Kraftwerk or Tonto’s Expanding Head Band, when the human touch is imprinted tight over subtle, textured music like this, when the playing field has room for both synthesised sound and organic, responsive traditional instrumentation, then whole new worlds of audio delight can be discovered.
‘Hinterlands’ is the third LP from Green‑House and it finds Olive Ardizoni and Michael Flanagan stepping into their fullest, most expansive form yet; a record that feels bigger than two people, brimming with kaleidoscopic guitar lines, bubbling synth tessellations, and an orchestral glow that seems to breathe of its own accord. Sequenced as a journey from sea to mountains to somewhere more abstract and fantastical, it deepens the duo’s long‑running fascination with the meeting point between human nature and the natural world. Their process, layering frequencies and expressions like camouflage, begins with either artist, Ardizoni often gravitating toward melody while Flanagan shapes the harmonic architecture; the magic lies in how their ideas fuse into a single, layered vision, creating a depth far greater than the sum of its parts. Since 2020, through a string of acclaimed releases on the scene‑defining Los Angeles imprint Leaving Records, Green‑House have pursued a curiosity in environments and the emotional resonances they hold. Now, with this latest release arriving on new label home Ghostly International, they unveil a refined evolution of their sound: a fluid, genre‑defying fusion of ambient, folk, synth‑pop, environmental music, IDM, and modern classical that feels both meticulously crafted and tangibly alive.
Of the music Olive Ardizoni says “this record is us letting go a little bit, giving ourselves the freedom to just write and see what happens, to let the music grow naturally. We try to utilize what’s right in front of us, just being in an urban environment and making do with what’s there in order to continue to foster that connection we have to the natural world.” The visual world surrounding ‘Hinterlands’ began with Ardizoni and Scott Tenefrancia capturing tiny scenes from trips through Yosemite and the Inyo National Forest, later enlarged by Flanagan through close‑focus photography that turned droplets of water into miniature viewing portals. The result is an artwork that mirrors the record’s own balancing act between the earthy and the electronic: small universes built from careful layering and imaginative interplay. Green‑House frame this album as a kind of hopeful, free‑flowing electronic pastoral; music shaped by ideas of ecological vibrancy, mutual dependence, and a belief in joy as a radical stance. At a time when environmental collapse and political fatigue colour so much of daily life, the duo suggests that envisioning alternative futures is itself a meaningful gesture. That spirit runs through the tracklist: ‘Dragline Silk’ unfurls with a slow‑burn grandeur reminiscent of Pink Floyd’s progressive rock, though the pair cite Jessica Pratt’s recent work as its spark; the three‑part ‘Hinterland’ suite roams from airy, exploratory passages to more reflective, star‑lit terrain. Later, ‘Under the Oak’ drifts in with a hushed, uncanny stillness, followed by the even softer ‘Bronze Age,’ before ‘Valley Of Blue’ closes the arc in a wistful haze of synthetic strings and oboe, originally nicknamed after a Final Fantasy memory. Flecks of sorrow surface throughout this otherwise luminous record, quiet acknowledgments of the anxieties that shadow our awe, from disappearing coastlines to fragile ecosystems. Green‑House meet those tensions with warmth and clear‑eyed purpose, serving us a musical odyssey that feels both tender and resolute.
This is Volume 2 in our new series sampling some musical treasures in the Fruit Tree Records collected archives that today focuses not on new re-issues, but rather a selection of tunes that have been pulled off the shelves and had the dust blown off them for a deserved revival. There is no greater pleasure than a random grab from decades of record/CD collecting and appreciating music for no other reason than… it is worth hearing again to re-capture its original excitement. Keep the music alive… and if you want to add anything played here to your own collection then track information and purchase links can be found below.
Tracks – Fruit Tree Records – The Fruit Cellar Vol. 2
Romeo Had Juliette (Single Version) – Lou Reed https://amzn.to/41vIKbcLou Reed was not an especially prolific singles artist but all the same, in the final twenty five years of his life he did put out some of his best work and record companies did at least have a punt at some single chart action. 1989’s ‘New York’ has already stood the test of time and a strong case can be made for calling it Lou’s masterpiece. This opening track was tried as a single and even had its own ‘clean’ mix with a much punchier start than the classic warm up and count-in that introduces the full length album version. The deluxe edition that I have taken it from is an essential addition to any Lou Reed collection and lays the groundwork for future excavations of Lou’s archives that I am always eager to hear…more soon please!
Keep In The Dark – Temples https://amzn.to/4tTY8dHTemples ‘Sun Structures’ still stands as the moment where everything aligned for them; the sound, the vision and the mystiqueso over a decade on it remains the record where their neo‑psych ambitions felt the most effortless and the most fully realised.
Love For A Day – Ramsey Lewis https://amzn.to/4tMjFonThis heavenly slice of funky jazz was the closing track on pianist Ramsey’s 1974 ‘Solar Wind’ album which, if you follow the link, can be collected on a superb 2-CD set comprising that and three other Lewis albums from the period; ‘Funky Serenity,’ ‘Golden Hits’ and ‘Sun Goddess’
Sunburnt Virgin Trousers – Knocker Jungle https://amzn.to/3O46pMTKnocker Jungle released their only album of the same name on Ember in 1970. They were two young musicians/songwriters, Tony Coop and Keith Jones who recorded the rare LP with the help of Dave Mattacks on drums (Fairport Convention), Dave Pegg on bass (Fairport Convention), Phil Pickett on keyboards (of Sailor fame), and Tony Cox producing. This particular tune is also available on the three CD progressive jazz set I have directed you to in the link.
Hip (Eponymous) Poor Boy – Jack White https://amzn.to/3QoAcjTTaken from his 2012 album ‘Blunderbuss’ which occupies a pivotal place in White’s canon: it’s widely regarded as his most cohesive and emotionally direct statement not to mention his first solo release after the official break up of the White Stripes. Critics at the time treated it as all the evidence needed to celebrate Jack as a major 21st century artist in his own right, capable of commanding a musical identity definitively his own.
Original Love – Josephine https://amzn.to/3Oi2TyvAlso released in 2012, the debut album from Josephine Oniyama is a soulful, genre‑blending set from a Manchester artist with a striking voice, strong songwriting, and a stylistic range that set her apart from the UK singer‑songwriter field of the time.‘Portrait’ featured musicians such as Seb Rochford and Ed Harcourt (who is soon to make an appearance of his own further down this tracklist) and frustratingly, given the potential on display, preceded a ten year wait for the next Josephine release. Still, at least she is still active and remains a modern soulful writer worth keeping an ear out for.
Sweet Pear – Elvis Costello https://amzn.to/4dIRRN0By the time Elvis released his 1991 album ‘Mighty Like A Rose,’ he was seeing his commercial muscle take a hit in tandem with his artistic facility showing an ever evolving range. His confidence seemed to grow in reaction against all the luddites unable to comprehend how this former new-wave, sharp suited geek could be mixing with classical quartets, jazz legends and songwriting icons of the twentieth century and not only that, holding his own in their company. The fact of the matter is, the lazy argument that he put out too much music for people to keep up with has no credibility because, especially around this time, everything Elvis turned his hand to was worth investigating and investing some time in. ‘Sweet Pear’ is buried away towards the end of its parent album but, enjoyed in isolation, sounds nothing less than a gloriously emotive, dramatic career highlight.
Don’t Ask Why – Neil Finn https://amzn.to/4cw8VU9Much like Mike Scott with the Waterboys or Trent Reznor with Nine Inch Nails, Neil Finn has probably had to reluctantly accept that he is better known, and therefore a far greater commercial proposition, when putting out his songs under the Crowded House name rather than his own. It is a shame things have to be this way for, as can be heard on this track, featured on Neil’s 2001 album ‘One Nil,’ he has made some lovely music alone every bit as good as the classics associated with his famous group.
Born To Be With You – The Chordettes https://amzn.to/4vAYvLOThe Chordettes were an American female vocal quartet from Sheboygan, Wisconsin, best known for close‑harmony pop hits of the 1950s such as ‘Mr. Sandman’ and ‘Lollipop.’ They formed in 1946, originally singing folk material before moving into the barbershop‑influenced pop style that made them famous. This song came out in 1956 on the Cadence Records label and I have taken it from a superb compilation by the ever dependable Ace Records (linked) called ‘The Fabulous Chordettes.’
I’m Leaving – The Tribe https://amzn.to/4vxnqj9This originally came out as a 1966 b-side on the Planet label of a single called ‘The Gamma Goochie.’Original 45s, going on the median price available at Discogs today, are selling for around £70 and I would guess that is down to the raw, garage-leaning riffage and tight energy heard on this track. The band was composed of lead singer, John Neighbor, organist Martin Lee, guitarist, Frank Torpey, Dennis Cowan on bass, and drummer Malcolm Wolfe. I have sourced the track (and linked above) from a superb compilation entitled ‘Planet Beat: From The Shel Talmy Vaults.’
Golden Sands – Paul Weller https://amzn.to/3O22aBuMuch like the catalogue of Elvis Costello, it is an error to pass up the solo work of Paul Weller simply because there is so much of it or because he has a natural tendency to explore sonic avenues previously untouched. He is less like Elvis in as much as there is generally a mod-rooted authenticity and conviction that Weller brings to all his work, like a badge of recognition, and there really are a lot of deep cuts waiting to astound and delight those willing to dig deeper. This little gem comes from a less championed album by the Modfather, arguably because it followed the one-two punch of a brace of all-time classics, but I would argue it makes good on the point I am emphasising here.
She Fell Into My Arms – Ed Harcourt https://amzn.to/4mBgk9yAs promised previously, here is a fine solo cut from an artist who, when reviewing albums, I increasingly seem to mention in a production, behind the scenes context and furthermore, the observations I make on his work are generally laced with high praise. Ed Harcourt makes the current musical landscape a far better place with his contributions but I am of a mind to state that his own work and albums should not be allowed to slide too far from view.
Ella’s Moonshine – Max Jury https://amzn.to/4mzigiHMax Jury was a young piano playing singer-songwriter from Des Moines, Iowa when he released his self-titled debut album, from which this little deep cut is taken, some ten years ago now. It harks back to a golden age of Americana, Soul, Country, Gospel and Blues, whilst stepping boldly into the future driven by his incredible voice. Happily, Max has continued to build on the promise heard here but I do retain my strongest affections for the raw talent on show with this debut.
Time To Cry – Jon Allen https://amzn.to/4tOE7oLHere is another fine writer who taps into an authentic early seventies grain, pulling in credible influences like Elton John and The Faces into his sound, but always making music that plays like it comes from a place of honest expression. He nearly broke through in a big way once when all the DJs with functioning ears picked up on a song of his called ‘Dead Man’s Suit’ but Jon is so much more than a one tune wonder. All his records, which he continues to release to this day, are worth checking out and I put forward ‘Time To Cry’ as my first bit of supportive evidence
Mr Harris – Aimee Mann https://amzn.to/4cPoeHVThe lead track from Aimee’s 1993 ‘Whatever’ album, ‘I Should’ve Known,’ very nearly brought her the widespread exposure her talents continue to warrant. But as always with a writer of her pedigree, it is buried at the deep end of an album where the real hardcore treasure can be found. Such as this, a biting reflection on an age-gap relationship from the perspective of the younger partner.
Misterioso – Thelonious Monk with Milt Jackson https://amzn.to/42ehu0ZAlthough sourced from a Blue Note re-issue of a Milt Jackson album called ‘Wizard Of The Vibes,’ it is observed in the sleevenotes that the 1948 session from which this track is taken was one of the most significant in Thelonious’s career. Gunther Schuller called it a “summation of Monk’s work up to that time, and, in both composition and solo, a wonderous example of his artistic maturity and his awareness of the challenge of discipline and economy.”
Real Life – Joan As Police Woman https://amzn.to/3QalI7fAlthough much of the Joan Wasser focus at the moment is going to be on the twentieth anniversary re-interpretation she is releasing of the classic ‘Real Life’ album, I could not resist going to my library and revisiting the unbelievable emotional intensity of the original album and this song in particular. It gets me every time.
Do you remember the story John Lennon used to tell about meeting Yoko Ono for the first time, where he continued viewing the whole of her 1966 art show because his first encounter was the word ‘yes’ through a magnifying glass, hooking him simply because it said something positive? Well, I kind of felt the same encouragement with the title of this Eggs On Mars record, before even hearing a note of music. After all, the messaging firing out of the US on a daily basis is hardly the most cheering right now so maybe I found it a refreshing reminder that there is plenty of warmth, emotion, and humanity alive in the rolling immensity of the interior West. This collective from Kansas City, Missouri are working in a gently off‑kilter lane of soft psychedelics and vintage flavoured garage pop, theirs is a fragile yet solid grain of Midwestern guitar music that wears its affection for sixties pop classicism and the nineties indie guitar scene proudly out front whilst resisting the pull of pastiche in favour of music that is expressively their own. The band put it very concisely themselves actually, that is Brad Smith on guitar and vocals, Doug Bybee on bass and vocals, Mason Potter on drums and Joel Stratton on guitar and keys; they say that “through our Midwestern lens we try to summon the sound of The Monkees if they were chosen over the Velvet Underground to be Warhol’s Factory band.” Which, as fanciful as that may sound, does kind of nail what is going on here.
Eggs On Mars do have a pop aesthetic, albeit it one that any actual pop pickers of the 2026 hit parades would no doubt describe as retro, alongside a healthy appreciation of audio fineries like lush chord changes and irresistible melodic pathways; they also carve out plenty of breathing room on their sonic palate. Their music feels the vibrations of the living, it responds to the natural contortions of the elements and is sensitive to the rise and fall of the sun, it is almost like they can feel the planet rotating beneath their feet. And having thrown all these ingredients into a kaleidoscopic melting pot, they stir up curdling waves of music that can hum with that very same mesmeric, hazy buzz that the Velvets would loop and evolve to beat their downtown, avant-garde Warhol audience into submission. Ultimately though, the Eggs On Mars fuse all these influences and references into music that, at its core, pays considered respect to the craft of songwriting and when you get stuck in to ‘Good Morning (I Love You),’ it instantly becomes evident that there are some seriously potent songs on this record.
Album opener ‘Inconsistent Cowpoke’ sets the stall out, establishing a high bar from the outset. The verses are melancholy, sung in a weary voice that sounds as beaten down and trod upon as the lyrics suggest, but the chorus offers a glimmer of light and by the songs close, a cloudburst coda brings the welcome taste of relief flying in on a bullet of sharp electric guitar flight, the music holding our hands as it lifts us out of the doldrums. The title track has a springtime promise in its narrators loving relationship contentment, but we are not entering quite the syrupy territory the title suggests, for the song reveals frustration at the humdrum of everyday commitments perpetually bursting the blissful bubble. The guitar solo that plays out the tune is both richly phrased and a little forlorn, whilst found sound in the shape of heavily populated crowd chatter hints at the inspiration behind this number. ‘Be For You’ has a tender piano break which pre-faces a soaring guitar solo taking it to the end; I am summoning up all the music writer energy I can muster not to make a George Harrison comparison here but I have to admit defeat, there is a Beatle-esque splendour to the way an equally rousing song is concluded. The snowdrop piano trills that introduce ‘Couldn’t Write’ do not prepare you for the majesty of major / minor changes that underpin the loved-up joy felt in the lyric. Four songs in and it is becoming clear that Eggs On Mars may not actually peak here, every song pushes the gains of the previous offerings and advances them. And there are a few characteristics emerging, as the ringing jangle of electric guitars chime ‘Couldn’t Write’ to its end, their love of an energised finale is beyond doubt.
‘Shooting Stars’ enters with the most up front rhythmic momentum we have heard thus far and once again, a wonderfully rendered tune is positively launched into space with its incredible chorus line elevation. The spaceman float of the unbound, tuneful guitar lick that closes this song, conjuring visions of its title, clears room for the cavernous echo in the guitar sound that ushers in ‘That’s Alright.’ This is a song that highlights one of the understated strengths within the Eggs On Mars armoury. Each sung chorus begins with a combined vocal of “oooh” and, as restrained and occasionally diffident as they may appear, the singing in this band adds another subtle layer of nuance to these deceptively fragile songs. ‘Takes Time’ enters with their clearest sixties pop guitar riffing yet; still, the necessary vigour found here is more than matched by the bands ability to execute with conviction. ‘And I Know’ perfects the Byrds-y chime to maximum satisfaction (plus un-self-conscious spoken interlude) and ‘Frame To Frame’ sticks to a charming, delicate pace. Finally, ‘I Came Home 2 Find Nothing Had Changed Except Me’ pins a resigned reflection on to a warm guitar line. So, is there anything to dislike here? Not for me. The whole ten-song suite is over and done in 27 minutes and personally, I could happily have stayed for the same distance again. But when you get the job done to perfection as Eggs On Mars have done here, why elaborate for the sake of it? Here’s hoping more ears find their way to this record, and that it soon sheds its under‑the‑radar status to claim the gleaming little treasure spot its quality has already earned.
The heritage behind the musical journey of Robert Kuhn is rich with iconic Americana singer-songwriters, names like Bob Dylan, Townes Van Zandt and Bruce Springsteen all filtering into the young Kuhn’s subconscious via the tastes of his father. But post pandemic, the GALVEZTON project, under which Robert creates his music, has evolved naturally into a territory that the mere troubadour characterisation can no longer contain. This is a helter skelter dive into a cosmic-Americana sound that is dizzy with the heat and punch drunk on ideas and expression. This track, an audio interpretation of bouncing back off the ropes, is from the new GALVEZTON album ‘Ocean Cabaret’ and you can find out more about the LP by heading this way https://www.galvezton.com/
Brother Wallace – Who Do You Love
This very tasty slice of hot buttered soul is taken from Brother Wallace’s debut album ‘Electric Love’, set to be released on the 8th May via ATO Records. The West Point, Georgia-bred singer, pianist, and soul revivalist is about to deliver a whole albums worth of the authentic, pounding and infectious, real-deal music that resoundingly kicks the doors wide open with ‘Who Do You Love.’ A new artist he may be to many, but this is the sound of a talent and a passion that has been slowly boiling for years and is about to overflow with a sonic territorial take over that should ensure the dancefloor is a wonderful place to be in 2026. The album was produced by Dan Taylor of The Heavy and recorded at Peter Gabriel’s studios near Bath, if this is the your first exposure thus far I can confidently predict it will not be your last. Pre-order the album here: https://amzn.to/4cjup6z
Ella Clayton – Please Me
Talking about new music that is authentically emotive, there is some fresh soulful folk just appearing on the horizon that also threatens to grab the attention of listeners with an ear for multiple genre mash ups and honest, heartfelt songwriting. Just taste the way Ella wraps some unforced, passionate soul-bearing around the lyrics of this, the opening track on her forthcoming second album called ‘Could It Be You?’ The record is set for release on April 24th with a launch show taking place at London’s 100 Club. Of the new album Ella says it “is a journey through longing and self-interrogation, the search for something or someone outside of myself to tell me who I am and what I want. I hope that people recognise themselves in these snapshots from my life and take comfort in the shared experience.” Check it out for pre-order here: https://amzn.to/4mnpc2e
Strange Fruit – Monopolar
The electronic / dreamgaze outfit Strange Fruit have just released their ‘Drips’ EP on Gentle Tuesday Recordings from which this hazy psychedelic space trip is taken. Fans of Stereolab, Kraftwerk or Broadcast, not to mention the head spinning loops and distortions of the original Shoegaze movement, are going to find much to love in the work of this Jakarta-based collective. They are futuristic and electro yet their sound still has the audible touch of the human hand to it, which brings the music a heartbeat that allows it to generate all the right kind of responses in our listening brains. And following eleven years of experimentation, the band themselves see this as a big leap forward step thanks to the involvement of world-class producers Hardway Bros. along with Tom Furse and Jonathan Kusuma. Get yourself a copy via this link: https://amzn.to/4mK2KRj
Aja Monet – Elsewhere
In its own way, this is a psychedelic melange as well, albeit with a far more urban, jazzy swagger. Featuring the jazz-soul talents of Meshell Ndegeocello and Georgia Anne Muldrow, this is a tantalising leap into a literary and spiritual space, a place where the consequential poetry of Aja Monet can breathe and let the dreamy, spoken words cast their spell and work their magic. It is not exactly rapping, Aja is far more hypnotic than that as she resists pushing her verses into a rhythmic pattern, more like letting them hang in the air for the mystic music to find a connection to gravitate towards. Either way, the effect is stunning and the forthcoming Aja Monet album, ‘The Color Of Rain,’ promises to be a stunner. Be sure not to miss out by clicking here: https://amzn.to/4sySFHY
Eggs On Mars – Shooting Stars
We finish this week with some liquid sugar in the hands of Eggs On Mars, playing a song from their latest album ‘Good Morning (I Love You).’ They are described as a soft-pop band from Kansas City, Missouri but I would argue there is a flowery melodicism to their music that sails closer to the psych-pop waters, drinking deep from them with good intent to achieve winning results such as this. The album is a collection of love songs infused with melancholia and an advanced facility for head-melting major-minor changes, it is out now via Enigmatic Brunch Records. The band themselves have said “through our midwestern lens we try to summon the sound of the Monkees if they were chosen over the Velvet Underground to be Warhol’s Factory band. We like Harry Nilsson, Foxwarren, and Chris Cohen a lot!” You can get yourself a copy of the album from here: https://eggsonmars.bandcamp.com/album/good-morning-i-love-you
Fruit Tree Records 