As is where is

 

Bill Lake and the Right Mistake - As Is Where Is (2017) ****

Nominated by: KS

Music club: Wander to Wozza's

Playlist addition: World Upside Down

Bill Lake is a new one on me. One of the joys of the music club is Kevy's huge knowledge of NZ music. He's come up with a pearler this time out with Bill Lake.

As Is Where Is is one of those albums that quickly allows a listener to relax because we know we are in good hands. Bill's confidence is infectious; it means we can just let the music take over. 

He has a lovely, well worn vocal style - he's lived some (that's important for blues singers), and he brings a quiet gravitas to his songs.

Highlights: first track, Grown Out Of The Blues, has some wonderful harmonica and simple guitar from Bill (I guess - I'm not sure who makes up The Right Mistake). It sets the template for the album well.

Juliet and Romeo adds some additional instruments to great effect. It's recorded well, sung well, and the interesting lyrics make this one a highlight.

Grandma's Music adds some tasteful mandolin which gives it that old time Band feel. I can imagine Levon singing this one.

After that initial salvo and mood setting it's Bill doing what Bill does for a few tracks. Nothing to skip, no duds.

On the downhill now - World Upside Down has a Ry Cooder feel with that vocal and mandolin - always nice to hear, and another highlight. This one sounds like a standard, but it seems Bill wrote it. His best song on this set for me.

Suggestions - Walk In The Park is a cool instrumental but probably would have been better around the halfway mark.

Last song If You Can't Say No is for me the weakest song and not an ideal album closer, but that's just me.

Bottom line - loved listening to this - was excellent company on some cooler/ wet days this week.

Have fun

The Beautiful South - Blue is the Colour (1996) ****

Nominated by: GK

Music club: Wander to Wozza's

Playlist addition: Don't Marry Her

The nineties decade is the least favoured by the three amigos, but there was some great music released between 1990 and 1999. The Beautiful South, a band that emerged from The Housemartins, is a band responsible for some of the brightest songs in the nineties.

After The Housemartins broke up, two members (Paul Heaton - lead singer/main lyricist, and vocalist Dave Hemingway) founded The Beautiful South. Blue is the Colour was their fifth album.

Let's get the rating over with now - four-stars because nearly every track is terrific but Liars' Bar with its Tom Waits style drawl does not work for me. That said, it's their best album for my money and a near five-star classic!  

Thank Paul Heaton's way with words, the strengths of three singers (Jacqui Abbot is a secret weapon), the sympathetic music, and the way the consistent melancholy mood still manages to be uplifting (Have Fun is dealing with material that is the opposite of having fun but it still allows me to nod my head and sway along with some beautiful vocals from Paul and Jacqui and great guitar from Dave Rotheray).

Actually, Nil Fun is also very talented in carrying off the same trick - part of Crowded House's appeal - the melancholy but with a light touch.

This is quality dreamy pop music by some gifted musicians. It also sounds terrific on headphones - great production by somebody.

Favourite tracks: Don't Marry Her; Rotterdam (Or Anywhere); Little Blue; Blackbird on a Wire; Foundations...actually I could list them all except for Liars' Bar.

Lighthouse Family and The Beautiful South! You're on a roll with some great mid-nineties UK pop, GK!

Colin Blunstone

Colin Blunstone - One Year (1971) ****

Nominated by: Tom Jnr

Music club: MNAC

MNAC playlist addition: Say You Don't Mind

As Lew pointed out, when The Zombies died (ho ho ho) Colin eventually embarked on a solo career and One Year was his first album.

Baroque pop. Is it a thing? Discuss. Or just play Misty Roses to unbelievers.

B.P.'s a fusion genre combining pop with elements of classical music and Colin may be seen as a poster boy for how it can be done well.

He's got that beautiful, breathy, close to the microphone, hushed vocal ability and he uses that strength well on One Year (it took a year to record). It has quite a melancholy sound thanks to his vocal style, plus a relationship break-up during that year, which obviously caused some angst.

I've heard One Year a few times over the years but never bought it, I guess because I prefer my melancholy presented in a more uplifting way (I was listening to The Beautiful South's Blue is the Colour just before One Year), but this is a beautiful sounding album, albeit a tad depressing. Clearly it was a labour of love (sorry). 

Although I'll be sticking to the more rock moves of The Zombies, thanks for giving me the chance to revisit this one, Lew.  

Travelling creature

Delaney Davidson and Marlon Williams - Sad But True (2012) **

Nominated by: KS

Music club: Wander to Wozza's

Playlist addition:  Travelling Creature

I struggled with this one. 

Cutting to the chase - it's just not my cup of tea. However, I have decided to just have positive comments in this post without any qualifiers, because I do not want to be a negative Nelly, nor do I want to rain on Kevy's parade. He and GK love this music and good luck to them, I say!

So, the positives:

• Marlon Williams' voice. I actually own a CD of his! He has a great voice. It's impressive and easy to love.
• Track one, Travelling Creature, gave me hope - banjo and old timey music certainly has a place in my collection. Using a pejorative tone, Jacky calls it Hillbilly Music and always tells me to find 'some nice music'.
• Pedal steel guitar. I also love this instrument. It's best use here is on Trail Of Broken Hearts.
• Demon Claws' musical referencing of Rawhide.

As always, it's good to try something out of the comfort zone, so thanks for that Kevy.

Okay, my turn!

Lifted

Lighthouse Family - Greatest Hits (2002) *****

Nominated by: GK

Music club: Wander to Wozza's

Playlist addition:  (I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel To Be) Free

Lighthouse Family were a big deal in the late nineties and early naughties in the UK. I discovered them in 2001 via their video for Free and then bought their album Whatever Gets You Through The Day.

When we moved to the UK I was amazed to find their other albums for very cheap prices in charity shops. Criminal!! We are talking high quality albums here, seemingly chucked away and sold for a quid.

Tunde (his voice is sublime) and songwriter Paul Tucker make a great team and they are definitely stronger together. I bought Tunde's solo album and was a bit disappointed. I don't know what Tucker has done outside of Lighthouse Family. I see they got back together a few years ago for another album. I must catch up with that on Spotify.

The songs on this Greatest Hits compilation are basically all the singles (we're talking HITS) and a few waifs and strays. It all adds up to an essential item. No duds. Tunde even breathes life into Ain't No Sunshine!!

Aside from Tunde, the things I love most about these songs:

• The uplifting, positive, optimistic messages
• The interesting/varied arrangements 
• The infectious beats   

The most important feeling I get from listening to these songs is that I feel good about myself (who I am), and my key life choices (career, friends, life partner). In many ways that's my favourite kind of music: music that makes me feel good about myself.

Look at Beatle songs - no dark depressing corners, instead songs about love (it's all you need). Beach Boys songs - same deal - fun, bright, optimistic songs about ecology, people, love (lower case). I gravitated towards the Lighthouse Family for the same reasons. Take another look at that video for Free.

Bottom line - it's perfect music to start your daily commute and set you up for the day ahead. Five stars all the way GK.

In your favour

Look Blue Go Purple -Compilation (1991) ****

Nominated by: Kevy

Music club: Wander to Wozza's

Playlist addition: Cactus Cat

Cards on the table time - I have a real soft spot for all-female groups (as in all the musicians in the band are female). My favourites: Girls School; The Runaways; Fanny; Marine Girls; and NZ's own - Look Blue Go Purple.

There is something very different about the way all-female bands play and write songs compared to bands with a male component. I love that difference.

Look Blue Go Purple are no exception. Starting with the name - I don't think there is a Flying Nun band with a better name (and the label has some brilliantly named bands), Look Blue Go Purple are stunningly different to other NZ bands.

I don't own this compilation of their EPs (criminally, they never recorded an album) - instead I own the Still Bewitched compilation. I prefer that one because it has the complete EPs in chronological order, plus some live tracks.

Yes, I have OCD tendencies, but having the complete EPs in order allows me/us to trace their development. Instead Compilation mucks up the order so that we have the murky Bewitched songs mixed with the flutey songs on the second EP - LBGPEP2. The more professional sounding This Is This songs bringing up the rear. This is NOT the reason I've gone for 4 stars though.

It's not even the murky production of the Bewitched songs. Michael Stipe on the first REM album Murmur is buried in the mix and nothing he says is clearly articulated. But it sounds great. Bewitched follows the same production template, and those twin LBGP voices make it even more of a guessing game as to the lyrics, but I love it!

It's that flute! It just gets in the way, in my opinion. They are so much better without that blimmin flute. Luckily it's only on a couple of songs and then it's back to the LBGP beat, the reedy organ and the strummed electric guitars. Perfect!

Best song hands down is Cactus Cat but songs like 100 Times, Grace and others (all of the This Is This EP for instance) aren't that far behind, so it doesn't overshadow the compilation.

Great name. Great sound. Great choice Kevy.

Glory of the snow

Clairo - Charm (2024) ***

Nominated by: Tom  

Music club: MNAC

MNAC playlist addition:  Nomad

Clairo has a lovely, effortless delivery. She reminded me of one of my all time favourite singers - Ricky Nelson, in that they both allow the listener to relax and enjoy their company. There are no sharp edges; there is no tension in their voices.

That can also be a problem though - too much pleasant easy sounds can result in good songs floating on by without lingering in the memory.

Therein lies my problem with Charm. It seemed to be, that whenever I started playing this album I'd get about 4 songs in and then lose focus. Before I knew it the record was done. Even mid song I'd sometimes tune out.

It's a beautiful sound, so the lack of focus began to bother me! But it kept happening.

So, in the end I find it really hard to appraise the true worth of this album. First 4 or 5 songs - lovely, rest...not sure.

I feel terrible about this state of affairs because I truly like her voice, but an EP would have been superb. A whole album is a real stretch.

Will I come back to it in time? Probably not, to be fair. But I am really happy Tom put it forward for our enjoyment.

Sorry (feeling shiite).