A half dozen weekly fresh picks of tasty new music…
Quasi – Nowheresville
The first welcome return of 2023 is US melodic fuzz maestros Quasi who have a new album, ‘Breaking the Balls Of History,’ arriving on Sub Pop in February preceded in the past week by this typically crunchy taster…
Nicole Cassandra Smit – Wolves
The opening weeks of a new year are often spent soaking up those late discoveries of the previous year lacking the extensive attention they deserved due to December’s prioritising yearly retrospective lists and the like. Nicole Cassandra Smit was one such late find and although her ‘Third In Line’ LP did get immediate album of the year list status with me, it is only now that I am properly catching up with an appreciation of her superb voice, as witnessed here on a live recording from later in 2022…
Beach Bugs – Santa Olala
Why such a deliciously summery sound should be so pleasing in midst of cold wet January I cannot explain, but the sunshine pop and surf guitar echoes of Beach Bugs do indeed make you feel warmer inside, no matter what the reality outside the window…
Wilco – A Lifetime To Find
Only Wilco could tackle the subject of mortality and still manage to put a smile on the face of the listener, even this video from late 2022 has something of the feelgood factor about it. Last years ‘Cruel Country’ album stands as yet another fine release by a band who have never really gone off the boil and this time they sounded out-and-out country, a genre they have forever been associated with but rarely embraced quite so directly before as here…
Nataly Dawn – Over The Moon
Nataly Dawn operates her musical creations with the Pomplamoose duo as a seemingly thriving cottage industry of independent releases on YouTube but for me, where she really excels is on her singer-songwriter solo albums where the combination of a lush voice and her rich melodically driven writing frequently makes for essential listening. This latest offering is taken from the new album ‘Gardenview’ which I strongly recommend…
Camilla George – Journey Across The Sea
From her ‘Ibio-Ibio’ album released later in 2022, this live clip recorded at the Jazz Cafe in London on the album launch night shows just why this superb saxophonist, composer, bandleader and innovator is such an integral part of the current London jazz scene…
Fruit Tree Records 