Take good care of it (The Verlaines)

The Verlaines - Bird Dog (1987) *****

Nominated by: KS

Music club: Wander to Wozza's

Playlist addition: Just Mum

When I think of Flying Nun bands I instantly think of The Verlaines. They are synonymous. Hand in glove. Get me?

Their early albums, and Bird Dog was their second, capture everything that was glorious about NZ indie stuff released on the iconic Flying Nun label. I'm talking about complicated music that sounds simple and effortless. That is quite a trick. Amateur hour this is not, but it still has that unpretentious whiff about it. Sums up Nu Zild in many ways.

The vocals by main man Graeme Downs always remind me a bit of Chills main man Martin Phillipps - same vaguely erudite delivery; same thoughtful lyrics that reward repeat listens. There are depths to these dudes, maan.

Speaking of resonances, the guitar often reminds me of early REM and there's also a hint of The Cure about proceedings. Still, the combined sounds are entirely Verlaines. The busy drum sound is something peculiar to them. It's of the time and suits their style.

Bird Dog never puts a foot wrong and constantly surprises. The first couple of times I heard Slow Sad Love Song I couldn't quite believe what I was hearing. It builds extraordinarily and ends in a orgiastic howl. It's not indulgent in the slightest though and is a clear stand out although it's difficult to listen to in the same way as John Lennon/ Plastic Ono Band is a demanding album to listen to. Both share a kind of cathartic primal scream quality.

The rest of the album has many highlights, I've nominated Just Mum as my playlist addition, but it could just have easily 3 or 4 others.

A five-star classic - no duds, no skippers. All killer, no filler!

A red head albino

The Delines - Mr. Luck & Ms. Doom (2025) **

Nominated by: GK

Music club: Wander to Wozza's

Playlist addition: Mr. Luck & Ms. Doom

As I have mentioned before: I'm a daaay person. The Delines trade in doom and depression and there will be audience for this low life world view (it's a reality for many - I get that) but it can be depressing subject matter over the course of a whole album. 

The darkness left me cold: missing persons, missing teeth and missing fingers; pimps and darkness; abandoned people in life's margins. And poor Lorraine (she cops it on this album). Not a lot of light at the end of the Deline tunnel.

Enough already! 

Although, musically, I had a lot to admire. The genre is either alt country (her voice positions them here) or Americana (the music is a folk/country/tex-mex hybrid). Genres that appeal to me generally, although I'm more of a country rock kind of guy. The brass is used judiciously throughout, and the pace is easy on the ear, albeit mournful on occasion. 

It also has an excellent cover.

I can't think of too much to say really. GK loves this stuff and good on him! I'm sure he won't mind if I sit this one out.

Tell my sister

Kate & Anna McGarrigle - Kate & Anna McGarrigle (1976) ****

Nominated by: Lewis

Music club: MNAC

MNAC playlist addition: Foolish Me

These two Canadian sisters really started with a high bar album back in the mid-seventies. I remember at the time, reading about this album in Sounds and there was quite the hullabaloo around it - I think because of the association with Loudon Wainwright III (then husband to Kate), producer Joe Boyd and Lowell George's involvement as well as the gentle harmonies from the siblings.

Mid-seventies though I was locked into heavy metal, Beatles pop, blues rock etc - so it's only now - 50 years later that I'm listening to this for the first time. I can now appreciate the nuances.  

Speaking of 'locked in' - their voices don't appear to be locked in like the Everly's, but they offset each other's voices perfectly throughout most of the songs. I'm a sucker for harmony and there is something about siblings.

Standouts for me are Anna's beautiful Heart Like a Wheel - covered by Linda Ronstadt and many others, Complainte pour Ste-Catherine, Foolish You (sounds effortless), Swimming Song killed me every time, and Talk To Me of Mendocino has some lovely harmonising going on.

Actually, 'lovely' sums up the album well. As a whole it covers a lot of ground expertly - country, folk, rock and whatever Complainte is (jaunty Canadian/Cajun rock?). 

Pretty remarkable that this was their debut!

Hey thank you

The Stereo Bus - Brand New (1999) *****

Nominated by: Kevy

Music club: Wander to Wozza's

Playlist addition: Birthday

After successive listens, my initial reaction to this album still stands! OH HELL YES!!! By the time four tracks have sped by I'm having one of those rare musical epiphanies - these guys are the bizness. New Zealand's Big Star!! All distorted guitars, ripper choruses and full on power pop commitment. 

Then they turn all shoe-gazey on us for the second half, starting with Brand New and my interest remains high despite the sound still being derivative. Gadzooks! Main man David Yetton clearly has some Kevin Shields stuff in his collection. 

Why haven't I heard this before? It's great. A five-star classic for me Kevy - no duds, no skippers - just one terrific song after another the last track is the weakest, but still a goodie). Actually, I'm hard pressed to choose a highlight. It came down to either Birthday or Nova Scotia. 

I'm off to explore how to grab a physical copy of this and to listen to their earlier album and The Jean Paul Sartre Experience - a band I've heard of, but I've not previously heard any of their material.

Loved this one! Exciting to come across a new album and subsequent rabbit hole to head down. Chur bro!

Do something

Macy Gray - On How Life Is (1999) ***

Nominated by: GK

Music club: Wander to Wozza's

Playlist addition: Caligula

This was Macy Gray's debut album and it was a big deal back in 1999. It's pretty remarkable that it was her first effort - she's one of those artists that seems fully formed right from the start. Maybe she'd been performing for years without recording anything - not sure.

Obviously, her distinctive vocal style is her biggest asset, but the jazz infused style is not one I generally gravitate towards. Billie Holiday style vocals are usually a turn off for me, but Macy adds some nice rough textures in a more R'n'B/soul style that I quite like.

One of the main appeals of On How Life Is lies in the nineties post hip-hop R'n'B production ticks. Boyz II Men and PM Dawn utilised this approach with a lot of success and their sound hooked me in during the nineties. That's the reason I've opted for Caligula - it's a loopy song but for some reason it's the one I kept going back to for repeat listens.

The big hit from the album was I Try, but it's overfamiliarity meant I tended to skip it. The one song I'm not that keen on is the Prince like Sex-O-Matic Venus Freak. It's a jarring presence on an otherwise cohesive album. The sexed up Prince role doesn't seem to work for her (as it doesn't work for Prince on many of his songs).

Aside from all that, I actually enjoyed listening to the album as a whole. I never bought a copy (as I've said - the female jazz vocal genre has never been my jam), but I'm glad I have had the introduction 25 years later. Chur GK.

Urges

Thomas Dolby - The Golden Age of Wireless (1982) ***

Nominated by: Tom  

Music club: MNAC

MNAC playlist addition: Airwaves

In 1982 I was at Teacher's Training College in Auckland. For the only time in my life, I spent the year living alone nearby in a flat that my parents owned. It was a great year - I worked at Marbecks Records in my holidays (took my pay in records), and spent time doing teaching practicums in Hastings (NZ was at the FIFA World Cup and I stayed with a Scottish family) and Kerikeri (on a farm). Idyllic!

I was aware of Thomas Dolby of course, thanks to She Blinded Me With Science. It was hard to ignore - along with the radio coverage, the music video was all over TV's Radio With Pictures. 

There was a lot of late seventies/ early eighties synth-pop that I'd enjoyed (and bought) such as Frankie Goes To Hollywood, Yazoo, A-ha, Thompson Twins, Tears For Fears, Devo, New Order, Gary Numan, and even The Buggles. Blinded Me With Science though didn't do it for me.

Having listened to his parent album 43 years later, I wish I could report otherwise - that I now love The Golden Age of Wireless, that I totally reverse my aversion to drum machines, and eighties production techniques. But, to thine own self be true.

Rather than dwell on what I still don't get, here is some good news: I enjoyed Airwaves, and his singing in general has appeal. At times he reminded me of Robyn Hitchcock who I love.

Aside from the self-indulgence I mentioned earlier, I'm not nostalgic for the eighties, so, while I can appreciate the appeal for those who may be, and while it was good to briefly revisit 1982 in my head, The Golden Age of Wireless is not really my cup of tea.

Thanks for sharing this one Tom. I'm keen to hear/read what Alex and Tom Jr make of it.

Elemental

Fly My Pretties      Elemental (2025) *** 

Nominated by: KS

Music club: Wander to Wozza's

Playlist addition: Share Your Luv

To this point, Fly My Pretties have flown under the radar for me (see what I did there). I guess because their profile isn't as strong as other Kiwi bands working in the same soul groove streams, or maybe the lower profile's because of the huge number of musicians involved - hard to establish momentum. 

So, Elemental is my first FMP album (although I've also had a listen to a selection of their popular songs on Spotify). 

I was kind of surprised how it was all a bit underwhelming initially, and the music is a bit overcooked. Maybe that's a natural thing when you involve so many people in the process. The reason I like a lot of Fat Freddy's Drop and L.A.B material is because they sound comparatively organic/ natural. 

Elemental took a while to get going for me, but it gradually built some momentum (today's word) with Aie (track 4). From then on it sounded pleasant and even old skool at times: Take My Hand is pretty cliched with a load of aphorisms strung together, and See Me Flying had me thinking of Bunny Walters, of all people.

The lack of a clear focus on a lead singer becomes an issue as the album progresses. Each time I put it on, I wondered if Spotify had moved to shuffle of other bands/genres. Red Flags, for instance, sounds like smooth jazz. Elsewhere I hear soul, chill, R'n'B, even pop. 

Speaking of which, Share Your Luv is a nice modern pop song, but apart from that one, nothing much got its hooks in me.

That said, although they are not quite my cup of tea, I'm glad I finally got to hear Fly My Pretties.