Waterfahl – Sharp Flats
An album of 11 songs about the residents of 11 flats in a block is an interesting concept to hang an album on, and one that intrigues greatly. Musically these tales of disparate characters (a refugee, a party animal, a shy man obsessing over the single mother downstairs etc) are framed by what the artists call Nordicana, a blend of Americana traditions with Nordic noir style. There is certainly a melancholy at work in the music as much as the lyrics but to my ears there is a great deal more diversity at work with smoky club jazz rubbing shoulder with country vibes, 60’s beat pop and pop-folk. An interesting and creative way to make an album, check it out.
Kid Kin – Kid Kin EP
Kid Kin, aka Peter Lloyd, has become a master of creating atmospheric, evocative and soaring instrumental music seamlessly blending analogue instrumentation with electronica. This latest EP release is a well judged piece of work that manages to capture the imagination even without the hook of lyrics and vocal melody lines. Intelligent, balanced and imaginative, this is another cracking release from this master producer.
Cracked Machine – The Call of the Void
Devizes based outfit Cracked Machine have conjured an enormous slab of pulsating, pounding psychedelic stoner rock, the sort of thing that would have lulled Nordic gods to sleep but roused the mortal dead. This is their second album and it is a real monster, showing a real understanding in song dynamics and how to capture and hold the listener, again without the use of lyrics and vocal melodies. Here, the riff is storyteller and chief motivator, and these are epic riffs indeed. The songs weave in and out, flowing with the ferocity of an alpine avalanche, full of murderous power yet also managing a deft beauty. Clever stuff.
The Unwise Monkey 