Blood red sky

Warner Emery - The Cockroach (2026) **

Nominated by: KS

Music club: Wander to Wozza's

Playlist addition: Coloured Glass

I know I will be alone in my opinions of this performer, these songs, and this album. This is okay - we all have our own musical taste. Spoiler alert - GK will love this album (as does KS obviously), but this is not to mine.

Solo acoustic guitar with harmonica can be a beautiful combination in the right hands. Neil Young, Al Stewart, Bob Dylan are three artists who can transform a room with their voice, their playing, their brilliant songs, vibe and sheer force of their presence. Neil Young can be hilarious as a solo acoustic performer.

That's a heady list, but the comparison with Emery is forced upon me by his choices. The thing is, though, that he doesn't have the voice, the variety of songs, skills, or sheer force of his presence to carry him through a whole album. 

One word - whistling. Unless you are going for a Roger Whittaker vibe, or unless you're John Lennon - I'd advise against whistling. Maybe Emery could have got away with it once, but multiple times? No sirree.

Are there any positives? Well, yes there are. He gets points for downhome chutzpah, bravado, daring do, and the cover to the album is superb. A couple of the songs have potential to advance from the Maori strum approach and become something more.

Ultimately though, and while I can't help but admire my fellow members enjoyment of this kind of music, it's just not my cup of tea, chaps.

That's just the way it is

Bruce Hornsby and the Range  - The Way It Is (1986) ***

Nominated by: GK

Music club: Wander to Wozza's

Playlist addition: The Way It Is

I am well aware of GK's enjoyment of this album - he has waxed lyrical about its merits on a few occasions over the decades.

I admire Bruce Hornsby's abilities as well, but not enough to ever buy any of his albums. That said, there is a lot to like about Bruce - his distinctive vocal style, his way with the ivories, and his association with The Grateful Dead.

This was his debut, way, way back in 1986, led by and dominated by the title track which is a classic that I never get tired of hearing. It's a very impressive debut with the band already as tight as a drum.

The first side is particularly strong with the great opener - On the Western Skyline to the title track. Mandolin Rain is another really strong song on that side. I kinda lose a bit of focus as side two plays out (the last three songs particularly).

Although there is a sameness about some of the songs: The Long Race, Down the Road Tonight, there aren't any skippers, and given it's a mid-eighties album/production, it holds up pretty well in 2026.

Promises

Hemi Hemingway - Wings of Desire (2026) ***

Nominated by: KS

Music club: Wander to Wozza's

Playlist addition: (To Be) Without You

When I started listening to this album I wasn't sure if it was a long-lost gem from the 1980s, or a retro attempt to recreate the 1980s. That big sound, those eighties synths, the gated drum sound, the big vocal style - all the eighties touch points.

I lost track of those touch points, but here's the biggies I noticed off the bat: Rick Astley; The Thompson Twins; Chris Isaak; The Cure; INXS; Icehouse; Flock of Seagulls; Kajagoogoo; OMD; Pet Shop Boys; Marlon Williams; Lawrence Arabia; 80's Bowie; Depeche Mode; Gary Numan; Flight of the Conchords doing the eighties; No Man; and others (even hints of Tim Finn on Long Distance Lover). The guy's a magpie!

If you put that lot into a blender you'd get Wings of Desire, but, and here's the thing - Hemi sounds like a new thing, somehow. Somehow, he doesn't sound nostalgic for that period of music - more like, it's a period that has inspired him. I like that.

There is nothing here I dislike. In fact, I like a lot of eighties synth-pop. Yes, even some of those highly processed synth/drum sounds. They were/are so catchy!

My favourites were (To Be) Without You and the title track (generally lead off songs are often the strongest song on the album I find). No Future No Future No Future is also a successful final song with that heavier Depeche Mode style.

The negatives: it doesn't all work (6 April '13 was an early skipper), and by the third listen the novelty value was starting to wear off. Usually, albums get better on repeat listens but for me the strong songs stood out more and the weaker ones became more obvious. Plus, those synths and drum sounds began to wear me down a tad. So, it started out a four-star effort and ended up as a three-star one.

Minor quibbles, largely. For the most part, this remains a lot of fun in a guilty pleasure/karaoke kind of way, although I wouldn't shell out my hard-earned pay teaching Year 10 on it.

Regardless - thanks for the intro KS - Hemi is a guy I'd never heard of before. Always good to try out new things.

Wide river to cross

Mavis Staples and Levon Helm - Carry Me Home (2022) ****

Nominated by: GK

Music club: Wander to Wozza's

Playlist addition: You Gotta Serve Somebody

Although released in 2022, the sessions were from 2011, just before Levon's death. The billing is a bit cheeky, too, in that Levon drums, but only sings on one song - he helps out on The Weight and although he is recognisable, he sounds very frail. His drumming isn't diminished though. His unique style is captured well throughout.

That leaves the heavy lifting, vocal-wise, to Mavis, who can carry a tune! Ha ha. Faint praise! She is a bit of a force of nature and like Levon's drumming, she has a powerful style that suits the spirited (in more ways than one) songs.

Before reading the backstory to their record, I admit that I was waiting in anticipation for Levon to start singing. In his prime he had a superb vocal delivery. Sadly, he wasn't healthy enough it seems.  

The thing I like about the set is that it's a live-in-the-studio affair. I don't know why more acts don't do this. Slade Alive and Tom Waits' Nighthawks at the Diner are two of my all-time favourites that take this approach. You get the ambience and the tight band performance, as well as quality control via the studio. It sounds like the Mavis and Levon, and their bands, had a whale of a time during the recording.

Compare the 'live' version of Dylan's You Gotta Serve Somebody with her studio version. The live one is vibrant with a funky groove; everyone playing superbly in sync with that groove. The other is limp and flat in comparison.

Apart from that song, which is my clear standout, I do find myself especially enjoying the aforesaid The Weight, This Is My Country, Trouble in Mind, Hand Writing on the Wall, and You Got to Move.

Of the others - When I Go Away is very poignant and a trifle hard to listen to, given the recent event for GK. Plus, on subsequent listens, I skipped their version of The Lighthouse Family's I Wish I Knew... and the acapella song Farther Along.  

For the most part, a great selection from GK that follows the War album nicely.

Saved me

Jenny Morris - Shiver (1989) ***

Nominated by: KS

Music club: Wander to Wozza's

Playlist addition: She Has To be Loved

I can appreciate a lot of things about Jenny Morris. There's her voice for starters - she has such a rich tone and texture to her vocal style. She's definitely got a unique sound, with one minor, innsy winnsy, caveat and this is a me problem. I really don't like that vocal tick some females have where they sing in a raspy guttural way from the throat. It's that sound that June Carter has when singing Jackson with Johnny and Jenny has two moments on the album where she sings in that way. I. Don't. Like. It.

[Sorry - had to get that off my chest. I feel better now].

Her songwriting is another strength. Although the producer Andrew Farriss (on loan from INXS) has a hand in three of the songs, mainly it's Jenny's songs that dominate. A third strength is having a big hit and She Has To Be Loved was a great single. It's easily the best song on the album but Aotearoa and Saved Me aren't too far behind.

Having said that, although I appreciate and admire her abilities, I was never a big fan. For me, the eighties production tropes got in the way then and they do now - so that's a factor that I still find hard to get past. Another me problem.

On the plus side, it's a very NZ-centric album with Land Of The Long White Cloud AND Aotearoa appearing on the track listing. It's also widely held up as her best album, so - respect!

Great choice from KS, and the album does get better with age, Its sounded awesome in the car stereo on the commute this week.

Before I fall to pieces

Razorlight - Razorlight (2006) ***

Nominated by: GK

Music club: Wander to Wozza's

Playlist addition: Back to the Start.

This was Razorlight's second album, mostly known for the big hit America at the time. When this came out it fell between a few stools for my kids. Keegan was 22 and had left home some years ago, Adam was starting University and playing in a Heavy Metal band, but Jade (15) and Samantha (18) were teenagers and this was a band on their radar. So I heard it via them.

Like a lot of British bands, you can tell a lot about the band and their sound from their clothes and haircuts. Check out these four jack the lads - stretch black skinny pants, trendy loafer style shoes, black jackets (yes, I'm aware it's a black and white photo but I bet their clothes are black), T-shirt under the jacket. Haircuts - rock star models apart from one.

What do I take from all this? An attempt to stylise them as indie rock gods with shortish, sharp, snappy songs. That prediction holds true as they sound like a lot of other indie guitar bands of the late 1990s to early 2000s like Hard Fi, Embrace, Kaiser Chiefs and The Kooks. I bought albums by all of those bands, but, back in the day, Razorlight remained my daughters' band (like Franz Ferdinand, and The Libertines).

There was that, plus they tended to sing about things other than life in England (which I prefer). America's lyrics are telling - it seems Johnny Borrell grew up dreaming of other places, like America. Hence the name check for Kings of Leon (Pop Song 2006 betrays their Kings of Leon influence - I had to check Spotify to see if I'd strayed into one of their albums). Los Angeles Waltz is another paean to the home of the free. I get it, but I'm not that fussed with bands like U2 and Razorlight immersing themselves in American culture. There's something off about Bono wearing a cowboy hat.  

All of which makes me wonder about the appeal for GK. Unless he came to them much later, I'm pretty sure he would also have come across them thanks to his own teenage children. This doesn't sound like his kind of thing somehow.

All of the above is preamble - there is a lot to like about the band's approach. I'm a big fan of guitar based indie bands, These guys sound committed to the task and they certainly are a cut above other indie guitar bands of the time. Even though GK suggested avoiding the three live tracks I actually enjoyed them more than the studio versions - they sound tougher, more granular, more a band.

Highlights for me were (the genuinely thrilling) Back to the Start and America is such an ear worm. It doesn't exactly dominate the album, but it's deffo the catchiest song on offer.

Dialling a prayer

Straitjacket Fits - Straitjacket Fits (1998) ***

Nominated by: KS

Music club: Wander to Wozza's

Playlist addition: Down in Splendour

Listening to this compilation of NZ's Straitjacket Fits, I was again reminded of my Beatles/VU theory - that all post sixties pop music can be traced back to two potential influences - either The Beatles influence or The Velvet Underground influence. This holds especially true for the Dunedin bands of the eighties and nineties.

Straitjacket Fits sit comfortably in the Beatles' camp in my humble opinion. The lead singer Shayne Carter has listened closely to John Lennon's vocal style and remains faithful to this inspiration, the vocal harmonies are fab, a real strength of the band, and the jagged guitar sounds are Helter Skelter McCartney like at times. Dialling a Prayer would be exhibit A as far as that White Album Beatles' sound goes.

Key moments apart from Dialling a Prayer, Burn It Up has a terrific guitar riff, Down in Splendour is a glorious pop song (Melt is my favourite studio album), She Speeds is a classic NZ song.

It's not all great though - Headwind takes an old rock'n'roll beat and mind melds it with eighties Dunedin alt rock but it's off putting for me. The cacophonous side of the band sits uneasily against the pop side on the compilation, Let It Blow after Down in Splendour being an example.

All up, the band remain another fascinating example of how a Flying Nun band revolves around one central character to create a distinctive sound. Shayne Carter's vocals create the crucial point of difference to distinguish the band from The Chills say.

The band had a brief 15 minutes of fame and flamed out but they remain an important component of the Dunedin scene (maan). Good choice to kickstart our AOTW again, KS!