Square wave

The Voidz - Like All Before You (2024) ****

Nominated by: Al

Music club: MNAC

MNAC playlist addition: Prophecy of the Dragon

I was joking with Al that I'd lie about liking this even if I hated it and guess what? I don't have to lie. At all.

This is great! I was a little worried when I saw the album had an Overture and an Outro (could have been very pretentious) but in the context of this album it's very fitting.

This Overture works a bit like Funeral For A Friend before Love Lies Bleeding - i.e. perfectly!

Then it's all on with a mash up of The Killers, Cher (yes Cher), New Order and The Darkness. And it has real songs! And it's hilarious! And it doesn't run out of oomph - in fact the last couple of songs before the Outro are great.

The humour is important to my enjoyment of Like All Before You. I may have this entirely wrong, but it sounds like they are totally having fun and not taking themselves too seriously on these songs. I laughed out loud a few times, in a good way.

Favourite tracks: Square Wave; Prophecy of the Dragon; 7 Horses; All The Same; When Will the Time of These Bastards End.

Even though it's not perfect (not every song is a masterpiece), there's not one song I didn't like or felt the need to skip on repeat listens (and I listened to it a lot this week). I didn't mind the vocal manipulations at all - for me they added some variety and fun to the mix.

I'll have to go back and listen to Virtue now - the album I've previously dissed, and re-examine it (it was an album chosen by Al before I started this blog).

Genuinely loved this record!

Don't ask me twice

Sin City - Another Round (2024) *** 

Nominated by: KS

Music club: Wander to Wozza's

Playlist addition: Mama, Please Let Me In

This is a Kiwi duo/band who appear to have relocated to Aussie to ply their trade. They play a sort of rollicking country rock'n'roll hybrid in a deliberately sloppy old timey way.

Let's get something clear: they aren't Faces. There is no Rod Stewart type handling vocals, nor is there an Ian McLagan directing traffic or Ron Wood on strutting guitar.  

Instead, this Sin City album eventually settles into some pleasant Americana inspired roots rock. But it is inconsistent in its approach. 

Sidewalk Sale is effective because it avoids the strident and has a nice country feel. I'm Your Man is probably the best of the attempts at an early Beatle rockabilly sound (their attempts at Carl Perkins songs spring to mind). She's Got No Heart is the best Graham Parker moment.

Mama, Let Me In is a highlight with its Commander Cody country (I love Commander Cody) and best sloppy rock moment is Candy.

The wonky moments - like Loving Arms don't work for me because they are deliberately aiming for an American vibe with an American voice.

As things go, if I want some rock infused country blues with a Kiwi inflection, I'd prefer to listen to The Desotos. Paul Gurney has a more dominant, realistic voice for this kind of material, and, as a band, they don't sound forced. 

Obvs. this is purely my personal preference, and I realise I'm being a bit critical of Sin City. I don't really mean to. They are a good time band and criticising them seems a bit mean.

Good luck to them in the Aussie bars!

Running in the family

Level 42 - Running In The Family (1987) ***

Nominated by: GK

Music club: Wander to Wozza's

Playlist addition: Running in the Family

Greg quite rightly signed off his Album of the Week choice with 'not expecting five stars but don’t care'. He loves this album (this was not news to me!) and that's great.

Sure enough, although 42 is the answer to "the ultimate question of life, the universe, and everything", it's a three star album for me - pretty fine.

In the eighties I admired and liked the big hit singles well enough, principally Lessons in Love and Running in the Family. They have only grown in stature since then, becoming standouts on eighties compilations. Although, they are very much of their time (1987).

Three other songs were released as singles from this album (To Be with You Again, It's Over, and Children Say) but I don't remember them being too successful in NZ. Nor do I remember them being on the radio.

So, I didn't buy any of them then, nor did I buy any Level 42 albums. Why not?

Well, at the time, their mainstream commercial sound wasn't appealing to me beyond those two singles. Plus, I was knee deep in nappies (Adam's) and trying to keep our family of four afloat at the time, so my eye wasn't on the ball.

Listening to the album now reveals that I didn't miss an awful lot. There are other catchy songs here for sure, but nothing of the class of Lessons in Love and Running In The Family. Next best is Children Say, and those are the first three songs on the album! So, from there on in the album is a mixed bag for me.

Weak tracks: the gloopy ballad It's Over and the ADHDish Fashion Fever are the only two I skipped on repeat listens.

None of this will matter a jot to GK, and nor should it. Mark King remains one of his heroes, and the band is still in existence without me noticing, and even touring next year I see, so...who cares. 

Just my two cents worth.

Home alone

Mousey - The Dreams of Our Mothers' Mothers (2024) *** 

Nominated by: KS

Music club: Wander to Wozza's

Playlist addition: Dog Park

This was an interesting one - an album none of us had heard prior to Kevy's choice as WTWMC album of the week. I was intrigued and the picture I had in my head from Kevy's introduction was perfectly replicated by the style of music here.

I can see her in black boots and hippy chic black flowing things performing at one of Wellington's Cuba Street's trendy coffee places. Loads of tats and piercings!!

Well, at least the music and her songs conjure up this visual imagery for me. She has a tough edged don't-mess-with-me vocal style that I really like on most of the album.

On her best songs (the four listed below) her breathy vocals feel committed and passionate and yet held in check. Restrained power I guess sums it up. Impressive for the most part (I really liked the style of Dog Park).

Of the eight songs, four are a little underwhelming: I'm less inclined to believe her on the quiet stuff - Island of Hope Pt 1 doesn't do it for me. Some of the songs feel a little like demos (first song isn't a great intro - the creeps are out? Yeah...and?) and second song Home Alone needs a rethink IMHO. Worst of all - ES is a mess.

Controversial statement time: she's young (I guess) but the music could do with further honing. At times, it wants to be willfully experimental in a Tom Waits kind of way but doesn't quite pull it off consistently over these 8 songs. 

It also feels quite disparate style wise - IDWGBTY is a Lana Del Rey style delivery which is interesting (I love Lana as you know), and the independent folky style is here at times too. Maybe a weakness? Maybe not?

That said, I get why Kevy is so excited by this emerging NZ talent. This has a lot of potential - would have made a great EP. Be interesting to see how she'll evolve.

Highlights: Dog Park; Opener; Island of Hope Pt 2;  IDWGBTY. All four are stellar efforts that I enjoyed listening to on repeat.

Tell me why

The Mavericks - Trampoline (1998) ***

Nominated by: GK

Music club: Wander to Wozza's

Playlist addition: Dance the Night Away

A few years ago, I bought a copy of this on CD from a charity shop for $1 based on the clever video for their Tex Mex influenced Dance the Night Away - a catchy enough song. I was hoping that the album would match or better that bright song. And it kinda did.

Although that song is the most commercial thing on the album, the first six songs on side one swing by in very enjoyable fashion - with a succession of songs inducing toe tapping, body swaying, head nodding and dad dancing!

Yes, things go pretty well for six songs with a succession of Roy Orbison inspired vocals. I love Roy's vocals, and although I prefer the real thing, Raul Malo (The Mav's main man) has a great country/rock and roll/Tex Mex/pop/Americana voice.

Actually, if you squint, at times it almost sounds like The Traveling Wilburys with some Tijuana Brass drafted in for texture. 

Almost.

I Should Know is a clear example as it blends Beatle sounds into another great horn led mixture of styles. Someone Should Tell Her is another excellent song.  

But then we hit Fool #1 which slows the pace and starts the meh-o-meter ticking. The needle moves into the amber with the instrumental Melbourne Mambo.

After that somewhat pointless instrumental, the album loses focus, wobbles, falls over, and lies on the ground with its legs in the air thanks to Dolores (skipped that one on subsequent plays).

All up, a tale of two halves. First side kicks it and has me enjoying the ride, but then the profusion of styles on side two leaves me on the curbside.

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!