Track-by-track reviews of full-length albums and a new video release provide the creative focus for this month of March springtime DCW Feature. Previously covered artists from trusted recording labels have released brand new work that justify attentive listening, followed by deep dive analysis. With the literary details of this review now fully completed, one is encouraged to read along and experience the sights and sounds of these musical artists latest creations.
North Carolina based singer-songwriter Chris Church is no stranger to this websites musical realm. When first introduced by the inimitable label Big Stir Records, the album “Darling Please” garnered a glowing review here. That was followed up a year or so later with a full analysis of the brilliant “Radio Transient.” Now Chris is back with a brand new album “Obsolete Path” which is once again released on the Big Stir label. Exploring the elements of power pop, Americana, hard rock and new wave, a proper listen and analysis of the music created follows below.
You can’t help but set the correct thematic direction by opening your album with it’s title track. Surrounding that proposition with boldly strummed, resonant acoustic guitar chords serve the stated lyrics well. The defiance of concrete and sensible decision making (“refusing to do the math”) is a fork in the road wisdom choice for those who’ve lived enough decades to recognize it. The albums first single release “Sit Down” trades the acoustic for some big time electric guitar work. The drums are loud and forceful and hooky riffs abound all around. Chris adds a processed sheen to his vocals as he ruminates about being “older” and “out of the frame” as a veteran journeyman rocker surveying the current music landscape. The ultimate rebellion in stating “I’m not going anywhere” sits well next to the catchy repeated title line vocal harmony.
Check out this super fun video created by Lori Franklin, featuring Brian Beaver (drums), Lindsay Murray (backing vocals) and some cool mini-instruments!
It’s hard not to think of classic era Fleetwood Mac when listening to what Chris already admits is “perhaps the Lindsey Buckingham-iest song [he’s] ever written” with the reverse-logic romantic “I Don't Wanna Be There.” In fact, with such a prominent, driving bass line, perhaps it’s actually John McVie who deserves some credit as well. The clever lyrical turn is that no matter how enticing a locale, it’s not worth being there without the one you love along as well. Fourth track (and follow-up single) “She Looks Good in Black” is one of those titles that’s so good, you wonder if it came first and the rest of the song then built around it. A slice of almost-country meets Americana, the lyrics make you chuckle. “I had to let go of her hand, She left to see a satanic band, The devil’s got me beat again” is how the opening strains go. Her knowing “exactly what to wear” (along with the obvious black clothing there was “dead flowers in her long dark hair”). Ultimately hoping “she had a real good time” and that at the very least “the evil was sublime” the track itself is a riff and harmony loaded toe-tapper.
There’s a wonderful balance on the lyrically caustic, musically angular alty-rocker (and focus track) “Life On A Trampoline.” The instrumental motion (a churning back and forth) suggests the up and down movements of that bouncing device. However, the lyrics come down hard on those always “saying the same thing,” who’ll “say anything” because “you’re just dying just to be heard” and “live to be seen.” In the end “it’s all the same – no matter what you think you mean – you’re saying the same thing” (over and over). The first co-written track (with his wife Lori Franklin) “Running Right Back to You” emphasizes big electrified power chords, pummel-hard drumming and prominent bass guitar. Sweet harmonies lace the title line chorus, while new-to-this-writer word “limerance” (it means “obsessive infatuation”) provides an opportunity for vocabulary expansion. Bonus points for the heavy metal guitar solo towards the end.
The only non-newly written track comes just-past the albums midpoint with initially penned 20 years ago “Tell Me what You Really Are.” Initially acoustic guitar, singer-songwriter driven, the full band comes in on the second verse and remains throughout. A love song in it’s purest sense, although written from a second meeting years later point of view. Once again, a sinewy electric guitar solo just past the bridge adds musical weight to it all. Old western twang is the order of the day on country-tinged “The Great Divide.” The overall vibe is Glenn Frey fronted Eagles, easy-groove California rock and roll. Even the harmonies roll in like a long lost relative to mega hit “Take It Easy.” A noticeable descending bass guitar line stands out the title explained lyrics “even if it’s the great divide, I’m on your side.”
Another Church/Franklin ("Chanklin?") co-write comes via the first-wave 80’s era computer fascination “I’m a Machine.” The fidgety interplay between bundle-of-nerves guitar chords, bass and drums suggests what a band like The Police did in that time period. This couplet “nothing is too far, nothing is lame, slaying and ghosting, re-earning the shame” sums up the overall lyrical turmoil. The albums third co-write (with celebrated musician Bill Lloyd) “Vice Versa” opens with a gentle mandolin breeze. That quickly morphs into busy prog forms, emphasizing angular guitar figures, tom-heavy drums and counter-melody bass. A song about universal changes summed up with these lyrics “the seasons flow and time is running in a circle (and vice versa).” The gentle mandolin returns for a brief coda, complete with at-that-recording-time incidental studio chatter.
A lumbering noisy guitar and drums stoner-rock progression serves late album (and longest) track “Like A Sucker.” Instrumentally similar to those maniacal live-in-the-studio jams Neil Young & Crazy Horse get up to, the vocal delivery is more contentious. Vowing to be “fooled for the last time,” and not be “just another sucker.” Choosing to close out the album the way it started, the acoustic guitar driven “What Are We Talking About?” is a musically sparse, lyrically focused rumination on – everything. Questions for the universe, delivered with sincerity and perhaps a glimmer of hope for the future.
The album is out via CD and Streaming worldwide on March 28, and can be ordered here at Big Stir Records
Two previous reviews on this site of Chris Church can be found here: “Radio Transient” and “Darling Please.” Which also qualified for each of those particular year's annual DCW Best Of.
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It was less than a year ago when this site did a thorough review the Julian Shah-Tayler (a/k/a The Singularity Music) brilliant recreation/tribute album of David Bowie’s “Diamond Dogs” on it’s 50th Anniversary. The previous year his full-length record of original songs titled “Elysium” was dissected via studious listen and analysis, as well as follow-up single “Fall Apart” six months later. Now Julian is back with a brand new album of all original songs with the curious title “Honne/Tatemae.” Those Japanese words emphasize the duality of life, with the former revealing our true feelings and desires, and the later being what we choose to display in public. A complete track-by-track review of each songs essential offering follows below.
Opening with the album’s brief introductory title track, ambient backward loops rise slowly from the mist as Julian delivers poetic spoken word musings. He states: “In the Isthmus between birth and death, let us illuminate the world with the dance of our brief candle.” That merges into the next (and first full length) track “ForEva,” which initially floats into focus on fluttering wings before stronger percussion, synths and violins provide classical music vibes. Julian’s well-honed Bowie-esque vocals always stand out, while a very active bass guitar powers it all forward. Positive idealism shines through on it’s chorus: “If it takes forever and a day, we’ll watch this world burn away. If it takes forever and a day, you are still my destiny.” Listen here:
A uniquely processed harsh-slap percussion track, prominent bass, metallic-stringed acoustic guitar and an extended note melody serves up third entry “Sufferation.” Vocals are delivered with that romantic croon the aforementioned Mr. B (along with acolytes like Cy Curnin of The Fixx) have done for years. Julian puts his unique touch by adding original ambiance on line endings (“through nowhere,” “life mare,” “foreverywhere,” “this love affair”) and on the dreamy chorus. “We’re lucid in our daydreams, suffocate in moonbeams - our separation . . . dislocated through our sufferation.”
Fourth entry “Malicious Intent” adds buzzing synth behind previously established high production values focused on quick keyboard stabs matched to sharp percussion and violin textures. A scathing warning at a “second rate mediocrity” who “started a war” to “make it stop” before this reciprocal “intent” will be forced to “burn it all down.”
Check out this Darwin Meiners mixed, Kaiber AI video for this song here:
A mechanized robotic undercurrent shares space with sheering guitars on fifth track “Bleed.” Although static in it’s forward progression, there are touches of electric funk (in that way Kraftwerk sometimes does). Especially on the chorus, which goes “Cause I don’t want to see you bleed no no no, don’t want to see you bleed.” A studio recording allows for creating vocal arrangements, which at times finds the singer taking alternating lines, approximating a duet with oneself.
Just past the records midpoint is the tom tom drums driven, slower burn groove “Turn To Stone.” Julian’s vocals are much less Bowie-styled, but instead closer to Simon LeBon in pitch, register and phrasing. In particular when going to falsetto on bridge sections that go “and those colors turn to grey, and these words have nothing to say.” The chorus “In the dead of night on the long way home, you suffocate and turn to stone” approximates the aforementioned SB’s mid-range. A lovely ambient change towards the end features unique keyboard textures, acoustic guitar and original repeated vocalizing on the words “You ARE.”
As previously mentioned, a detailed review of initial single (and this album’s seventh track) “Fall Apart” was presented here on this site at the end of 2023. Read all about (and listen to) this classic 80’s style keyboard-synths driven song of heartbreak right here.
Mysterious vibrations and plucking dulcimer sound usher in eighth entry “Fisk.” Open space allows vocal phrasing to flourish, while classical violins provide necessary emphasis. The chorus dabbles in electro-funk, with poetic lines “of all the fish in the sea, the biggest is me,” and “of all the birds in the sky I swoop and I dive.” Essential repeated line “I’ll turn the pressure on” leads everything out to it’s ultimate conclusion.
Angular synth figures dance in mathematical sequence on the cleverly titled “Buds an the Bes.” As suspected, that title gets fleshed out to it’s universally understood meaning on a chorus that states “Before you get down on your knees - How do the birds and the bees?” The answer to that comes in the form of two more questions, “Do they sing when they sting? Do you still sing?” An unanticipated distorted electric guitar enters the fray, counter-balancing the prior electronic rhythms.
The albums penultimate track comes with the creatively vocalized “This Charming Life.” Rolling out stylized “do do do do do’s” (sounding like otherworldly children), a David Sylvian-esque instrumental groove moves everything forward. Julian frequently moves his voice into a falsetto register, both solo and harmonized with himself. “You know I can light up the sky with fire,” stands out as essential repeated sentiment.
Julian brings in heavyweight Bowie-band instrumentalists Mike Garson and Carmine Rojas, as well as the prolific David J for final (and albums longest) song “Lights Out.” Moody and piano sprinkled, a busy calypso-like percussive and rhythmic undercurrent is just one of numerous unpredictable elements. Garson’s jazzy piano and the overall willingness to expand traditional song structures is reminiscent of Bowie’s own later period work. David J is a master at dropping in a simple, yet so effective standout bassline (like the one that powered “So Alive” via it’s catchy-hook end-out on that hit). Busier bass guitar segments may also be the result of Carmine Rojas’ inclusion. This post-apocalyptic story turns on it’s hook “after all the love is gone, will the last one on this world, please turn the lights out?” Doubling down on this sentiment, Julian concludes with the spoken word narration “we will be erased like a face drawn in sand on the edge of the sea.”
Previous DCW Features on this artist can be found here, here and here.
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A recent notification that one of Sunday Records finest bands The Proctors had put out a new video was certainly motivation to investigate. It was only last August when this site reviewed a number of tracks from their most recent album “Snowdrops and Hot Air Balloons.” Revisiting one of the standout songs from that album, a full video treatment is now given to “You and me and the sea.” A new opportunity to give full attention to both this recording and it’s fresh imagery inspires the words below.
As the band is shown walking around world-famous “Brighton Palace Pier” (an English amusement park with similar historical qualities as Brooklyn’s Coney Island or New Jersey’s Asbury Park) the songs opening strains chime into focus. Female background vocals are the first voices heard, gently singing about how “it’s just a reflection in the water.” Shots of the band playing their guitars are intertwined with footage of the ocean, seagulls and carnival rides. Male lead vocals seek out a “rescue remedy” for “broken hearts.” Poetic seaside lyrics continue as “castles in the sand built by hearts of stone that could not understand” are remedied by an offer to “close your eyes and take my hand.”
Capturing the adventurous joy of a day at the beach and arcades with your friends (or in this case, your band), emotional feelings are also present too. The heart-tugging pre-chorus bridge displays this perfectly with the lines “we listen to that song, it felt like we belonged, something felt so right that day how could it all gone wrong?” When that chorus hits, its title-line simplicity is all that is really needed. However, a second line (and repeat from the intro) “it’s just a reflection in the water” acknowledges how these memorable moments are often fleeting and ephemeral. Just past the mid-point allows for a layered acoustic, electric and bass guitar instrumental segment. Footage of the band in front of the Pier’s many sights (graffiti walled walkways, telephone booths) and attractions (mini-duck games, exotic ceramic cats, the crazy mouse ride, merry-go-rounds) add fun to this guitar, synth and vocal hooky composition.
Check out this wonderful song and video here:
Follow The Proctors via their Social Media on Facebook and Instagram
Friends old and new plus their independent labels provide the incentive for this months extensive DaveCromwellWrites reviews. The artists covered here have provided ample amounts of inspiration, allowing sentences to flicker and discharge from a rewarding listening experience. Newer, still-emerging artists creating work that fascinates find their way into this month's feature as well. With some of the tracks out now, fuller length releases are expected within the next few weeks.
Returning to the DCW fold is an artist and musician who’s previous full-length album received a detailed review at the end of 2021. Nick Frater is now back with his twelfth studio album titled "Oh Contraire!" While possessing the talent and skill to write, perform, record, mix and produce his own work here (masterfully one would add) additional musicians for select enhancement are also included. The sheer weight and detail of all the instruments used (and played mostly by Nick) is an eye opener, yet all sounds necessary on the final output. Guest guitarists play essential leads and licks, and the array of drummers and bass players used all make indispensable contributions. With that we dive into a detailed track by track review of this new album.
The album opens with the brief minute and a half “Fanfare” showcasing a number of instruments featured throughout the entire record. Opening piano chords are quickly met with French Horn and lush strings wrapped in a melancholy forward march. Once the percussion arrives you can’t help notice a “Sgt. Peppers” influence. That segues into the album’s first full vocal track “My Heart’s In Stereo.” A chugging straightforward rocker, guitars featured prominently on this no-frills, concise (once again) under two and a half minute offering. “Call up the radio, wake up the world” is Nick’s opening salvo. Desiring a “song with the name of a girl,” it fast progresses to a background vocal enhanced change into the repeated song title line. Moving on to “calling in favors and falling in line” eventually gives way to “eyes are telescopes as we search horizon skies.” Notable sonic additions like oddball synth twiddles in places add to the overall fun.
Third entry “I Know You Know I Know” comes with an official video release that plays on vintage video game imagery. With the words “Welcome to Teletext” showing in simple pixel writing on the screen, a full-on powerpop song commences. While intro verses leading with “Love is a line,” and “Love is a time” set the stage, it’s the first change “Happenstance will find yourself a second chance” that drives home it’s rhythmic cadence. When the hook chorus with all those “I know’s” emerge, one can’t help think about songwriter Gregg Alexander’s explanation as to why he included multiples of those same words on Sophie Ellis Bextor’s smash hit “Murder On The Dance Floor.” Having been told you should never repeat words, he defiantly did the opposite (and proved them all wrong). Nick appears to be successfully taking the same tactic here. The video amusingly poses the question “more cowbell?” at the exact moment that famed percussion instrument is being employed. All good pop songs needs a smokin’ guitar solo and one emerges here at the 2:10 mark of this perfect 3 minute instant classic.
Check it out here:
A booming drum intro and descending electric guitar progression leads in next cut “Song For The One Eyed City.” Vocals commence stating “there’s no trouble” and “no bother,” that there’s “no worry” and even “no money” as key reference points. “No telling as I’ve heard it allll (in pure Beatles elongation) tonight.” The immediate change is magnificent as the lyrics “on the hill” draws the same emotional impact as The Kinks “it’s your life” segment in their classic “Tired of Waiting for You.”
There’s a near doo-wop vibe in the progression and background voices on next cut “Final Reminder.” Once again eschewing the songwriting “rule” of not repeating words, Nick doubles down with repeated “yes I know’s” and “yet again’s” for hooky rhythmic balance. A seemingly sad song about being reminded of someone you lost, is kept afloat by it’s driving melodic guitar hook. With vintage telephone sounds introducing “Seraphim Called” (seems appropriate) a classic “stroll” progression gets right underway. Those familiar 10CC/Supertramp reverberated electric piano chords serve as primary instrumental force behind Nick’s questions-to-the-universe vocals. A tasty repeating electric guitar melody riff emerges just past the midway point, adding grit to the proceedings. Running behind that is a distant “celestial” pad of seemingly “angelic ahhhs” and locked-on-rhythm drumming. One more alternately descending/rising guitar figure emerges later on within the mix as well.
“One Minute” also comes with a video treatment for this instantly appealing pop song. Opening with the image of that little girl staring into a TV screen from iconic 1982 film “Poltergeist” who famously says "They're here" (and cleverly displaying the labels logo on there). Quickly moving to another room where vintage 80’s stereo equipment and shelves of vinyl albums are showcased as the song kicks into gear. As one might expect, Nick himself (with his band) shows up on a TV playing in an elaborately wallpapered “grandma’s” living room. Professors explaining scientific equations appear, as do a group of 4 men looking into a bag with a small cute cat in it, which suddenly morphs into a giant feline killer! The song itself is a forward charging guitar chugger that ponders the passage of time as each minute goes by. The essential vocal hook goes “Godspeed my deadbeats - could it be we’re in luck again?”
Check out this fun video (and song) here:
A twangy guitar riff sets the initial tone for mid-tempo groove “Steal Away.” With a sentiment centered around making time for yourself, the lines “I know – said it all before – I think it’s time to smile” ring true. Clever wordplay on the chorus rhymes the album’s title word with common household appliance “Frigidaire.” Additional points given for the buzzing and clinking percussion instruments running throughout. “All Roads Lead To Home” is a McCartney-esque piano ballad in that “Long and Winding Road” form. 60’s style castanets add a Phil Spector vibe to the production as do steady synth/string section running throughout. The universal sentiment “I guess it’s now or never – been way too long” as always, rings true.
“Welcome to Hollywood – welcome to looking good” are the opening sugar processed vocal lines of “Dreaming Of A Wonderland.” The vocal production and lyrics themselves seem to both be celebrating the joys artificial pursuits. References to “Xanadu” and “Shangri La” drive home the quest for beautiful imaginary places. An ear-tickling tambourine-focused percussion track and well-placed guitar riffs add counterpoint to the overall vocal smoothness. The ultimate reveal is this “wonderland” is actually about becoming a big time arena rock star. Welcome to the show, indeed. If you write song titled “Goodnight, Goodbye” it only makes sense to end your album with it. One more piano ballad, this time enhanced by what sounds like real violins and such. “This lullaby will send you on your way” serves as the perfect close out to this meticulously detailed record.
Héctor Caolo Alvarez runs indie label 3 Robots Records which focuses on music delivering ambient, ethereal, dreamgaze, pop, electronic, and psychedelic styles. Many of their releases have been reviewed here on this site over the past few years. Always producing high quality material, the output delivered is never disappointing. A new release by the project Sueño con Belugas (Spanish language meaning “I dream of Belugas” - which are white whales) shows the band exploring interesting new directions. Two tracks are currently available, and will be included on an upcoming fuller release “Ataque con rayos electrónicos EP” (“Attack with electronic rays”).
First single release “Velocidad” (“Speed” in English) comes with a full video treatment, which (as often does) enhances the overall listening experience. With gently strummed guitar chords shifting from major to minor, the image of an eye (up close) is overlaid with floating effects and band members at their instruments. The lovely voice of María López (Malow) begins, singing in Spanish “Cielos yo me quedo” which translates to “Heavens, I'm staying.” Hector’s chiming guitar work fills the audio field and is impressive, since his previous work reviewed here emphasized his bass playing. The rhythm section of drums and bass guitar are fully locked in, providing accents and emphasis on the vocal story being told. All about those Cielos/Heavens, and not wanting to leave, but to stay and laugh. The vocals continue to rise with intensity and emotion as overall meaning reveals a pursuit of truth, of my and in your “Velocidad” (speed). The tracks final two minutes is an epic instrumental sequence of two synchronized guitars, powerful bass and drums (with an ambient coda for good measure).
Check out this emotionally dreamy song and video here:
A second track released from the EP is the introspective, slide guitar infused "Mil Recuerdos" (A Thousand Memories). Slowly strummed acoustics and extended note slide guitars conjures up the sensation of floating on a lazy river. Hector takes the lead vocals this time, calling out to the universe with lines “Hola como haz estado” (Hello, how have you been?) Malow returns to provide backing vocals on the essential line “Tu y yo mil recuerdos” ( You and I, a thousand memories).
Follow Sueño con Belugas and 3 Robots Records on their Social Media - Facebook - Instagram - TwitterX
A number of previous DCW features on Hector and his various collaborations can be found here, here, here, here and here.
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Good friends of this site the Kool Kat Musik label has been dedicating their energies towards spreading melodic pop music from around the world. They’ve marketed thousands of releases by bands and artists including over 160 releases under their own label imprint. The label has now announced an upcoming release, “Snowy Chloe” by the power pop band Bur. The album drops in full on February 28, with an advance listen inspiring a review taster down below.
Featured track “From The Top” kicks off with an ascending four chord progression via brightly toned electric guitar. Bass and drums join in after the initial pass through, leading into a steady revolving verse progression. Tandem voices in reedy, mid-range register evoke a power-pop urgency that is timelessly familiar. With well placed background vocal “ahhh’s” and quick-turn rhythmic accents, the spirit of MerseyBeat pioneers like The Beatles, Gerry and the Pacemakers and such can be felt throughout. Clocking in at a brisk under two and a half minutes, musical hooks are abundant. The opening rise chord sequence is mirrored via bold single note guitar riffs a minute in. The songs title eventually appears as a reference point for “where you should start.” More sinewy guitar riffs make their way into the mix, along with waves of cascading voices. The overall sensation is one of fast paced exuberance wrapped in pure pop joy.
Another full circle around the sun and a new year commences full of hope and promise for the days ahead. With that comes new recorded music from both trusted and previously unheard sources. Equal emphasis on both noisy experimental rock and more traditional singer-songwriter contributions occupy this early 2025 DaveCromwellWrites Feature. Plunge forward into these audio creations and the words inspired by them.
The motivating force of Philadelphia-based Patetico Recordings chief Tom Lugo offers a nearly endless stream of new music discovery. Having reviewed numerous releases of that labels various collaborations, prior full-length album by “From the ashes” Stellarscope stands out as a highlight. That pairing of Tom and drummer Bob Forman are now back with a new EP “All That Remains.” Written and performed entirely by the pair, Tom produced, mixed and mastered everything at their two studios in Middletown and Havertown, PA. The Cromwell force now digs into each track in search of it’s sonic core.
Opening track “As I Lay Dying” is introduced by a harsh buzzing riff that sounds like a swarm of bees. It’s urgent pace is soon shattered by a lumbering drum pattern that commences at seemingly half speed. It’s a deep, hammering pulse that creates a solid foundation for the “bees” swirling above. As drum fills intro an even deeper, slithering bass guitar line, Tom’s ethereal vocals begin and further amplify the mood. One minute in and a driving chorus is reached, combining walls of sheering guitars, voices and an overall sense of urgency. As the next verse progresses, those live-in-the-studio drums are a welcome change from much of the carefully digitize percussion heard lately. The bass guitar riffing is fast and furious, creating a subtle bouncing movement throughout. The pace quickens halfway through with a rising progression before reaching it’s crescendo and intro-mirroring fadeout.
Follow up cut “All There Is” builds off of multi-layered, downward stroked distorted guitar chords in that revered MBV style. Rough and tumble snare-roll heavy drumming also taps into the Colm Ó Cíosóig bag of rhythm for a pleasantly noisy trip in to the void. Tom’s sneering vocals sound as if delivered through a tin can, but that’s ok (in fact – perfect). Soaring musical passages glide through the middle as drums bash away to 747 jet engine guitars. Third entry “Some Other Day” keeps the buzzing guitar out front, with some unexpected chord selections in its progression. With the drumming still on the busier side, new elements such as clacking stick sounds enter the fray. Vocals are somewhat more intelligible, with references to “voices in my head” and the songs title line clear enough. Warbling effect runs parallel through some of this, adding a subtle, unsettling element. Halfway through, things align a bit more as a traditional guitar melody emerges over top of downward driving chords. Quick cut stop-start rhythms feature in the final verse, while the sludge takes over to its conclusion.
Next track “Devour all” captures Kevin Shields pitch-bend guitar chord churn on it’s opening flurry before low booming drums rumble in underneath. A sheering swarm of quick-strum rising guitars soon give way to single note melody lines as Tom’s vocals appear in a whispered, floating style. The chorus is big and bold, resembling the heavier output of a band like The Sisters Of Mercy. Headphone listening makes you aware of how well produced this wall of sound actually is. The separation of instruments is fully on display making for the perfect balance of controlled chaos.
A dramatic single pounding drum thump leads the way into final cut “Consumed.” With alternating cymbal crashes for emphasis, center melody guitar-churn flows forward, as fluid bass throbs throughout it all. Vocals are softer and near buried at some points, while harmony-doubled in other places. There’s an almost orchestral feel to the rising guitars, soaring above the heavier clatter below. While momentary quieter plateaus set up subsequent verses, a full force sonic assault “consumes” the tracks final minute.
Check out this blistering new EP here:
Follow Stellarscope and Patetico Recordings on their Website and Social Media
Mutual friends and associated bands are the frequent pathway to discovering new music groups. Such is the case with New York City based female rockers Killdeer. Having grown up in musical families that stamped early influences on them, these four women write, record and perform live music combining punk, pop, and alternative into an appealing garage-rock sound. With three EP’s already under their belt, the band has now released a new single “Generic Break Up Song.” The DCW audio-scope turns it’s focus on sorting out this songs contribution to the rock music canon of anti-love songs.
Descending guitar note phrasing opens the track with alternating textures, before climbing back up the scale to start the downward spiral again. Cymbals woosh and bass guitar enters space before everything momentarily comes to a halt. That’s when the drums kick in and a chugging rock n’ roll progression takes off fully. The motion reverses to an upward rhythm, then another split-second halt before vocals commence with playful solo voice and harmony coated follow ups. As the song title implies, this isn’t a new story, but one of time honored tradition. “Seemed so fine” starts thing off solo before “boy I must have been blind” comes layered in harmonies, as trouble is revealed as “a storm rolled in – grabbed a bottle of gin – where’d our love go?”
You can’t help but chuckle at the cheeky lyrics “you walked away – saiiiiid you’d stay” (in full harmony) “now I’m broken wing – busted feather – thought we were forever!” One can’t help recalling the similar romantic angst referenced in Cameron Crowe’s feature directorial debut “Say Anything” and the still hilarious song “Joe Lies.”
However, Killdeer brings the guitar crunch, and drum pounding gets heavy on lines (thought we were) “forever together!” Quick-turn drum breaks and single cymbal accents are impressively built into the songs structure as are those multi-voiced harmonies. An anticipated fuzzy guitar solo hits just after the midpoint, accompanied by a driving melody-echoing bass pattern. The band is now in full charge forward mode, with slashing guitar chords, fluid bass and pummeling drums. One more pass through the “master of deception” and “you’re nothing but trouble” lyrical put-down, because “its plain to see, you were never meant for me.”
Friend to this site Phil Wilson has had a number of his brilliant The Raft albums reviewed here with much deserved accolades. His ability to compose, produce and perform songs with such a beautiful quality has always been impressive. Much of that production also included the lush placement of dreamy female vocalist who’s contributions lifted the track to ethereal heights. Now Phil is back with a more stripped down project called Indigo Twinn that is a duo partnership with vocalist Claire O’Neill. The four song EP “Someone Else” (titled after it’s lead off track) features Ms O’Neill as equal contributor with songwriting and featured vocalist on all four cuts.
The record opens with the aforementioned O'Neill/Wilson dual penned title track “Someone Else.” Gentle three-quarter time guitar chords lead the way with a lovely jangle. Claire’s clear, straight-forward vocals commence with a gentle sincerity and we’re on our way. The first chord change soon hits as the lyrics implore you to “come down and wash by the water,” and to “wipe the tears from your eyes – and cry.” Comparisons to the legendary band The Sundays once again come to mind (having made mention of that in some of The Raft’s earlier work). Claire take the emotion further with hook lines “cry like a baby – wish you were someone else.” After a minute and half, drums and bass join in giving everything a fuller band feel. The production is impeccable as is everything else leading to the songs emotional denouement.
Follow up cut “Supergirl” is the first of two solo written songs from Ms O’Neill here. Against a four chord acoustic guitar progression, lyrics question “why does it always seem to be that you’re on my right side, but not on my good side?” The bridge change comes on bolder with the lines “but you get wiser, when I get nicer” ultimately leading to “I’ll be eager to be your supergirl.” Fuller instruments once again enter the mix, with special mention to J Pedro on bass (+ entire EP production) and Paul Keelan on drums, playing brilliantly throughout. Along with Phil’s nuanced guitar work, there’s a strings sound of sorts adding one more dreamy sonic element.
The second solo penned track by Claire “Come Away” reduces the chord structure by half, with only two needed for it’s impact. Phil layers melodic electric guitar tones over top, while vocals implore you to “leave all your monsters” and “come away with me.” Vocals are doubled at key junctures, with harmonies placed for emphasis. “So let’s review the situation” begins a dramatic midsection that comes with well-placed “Ahh Ahh” backing vocals. It all builds to an emotional peak of voices and instrumental sections, until the final coda floats away on a cloud.
Final entry serves up the Phil written, sentimental and heart-tugging “Sarah.” With deeper bass notes marking out a counter-melody pattern against jangly finger-picked guitar, Claire delivers the vocals with equal aplomb. “Look behind our heel walking, didn’t mean that much to me back then” is how the innocent lines begin. The single word title is given it’s gravitas by repeating it with differing vocal emphasis and varying background enhancements. The story captures an innocence of place and time through everyday living, where the simplest things can become magical from a looking-back point of view.
It was exciting news to hear that frequent contributor to this site Andres Alfonso Lugo
was back with a new 8 track album “DRONINGUITARFEEDBACKS,” under his Los Dientes Hundidos en la Garganta name (the teeth sunk in the throat). Recorded at his Where are we going studio lab in Baltimore, MD, Andrés plays all the guitars, drums, programmed drums (with a little help from his AI friends), percussion, loops, and everything else. It is an experimental tour-de-force that garners an essential track-by-track reaction below.
The 54 second opening snippet sounds like a field recording of an outdoor jam percussionists often entertain themselves with. That launches into the 5 minute “Cosmicomics” which emphasizes motorik drumming and unnatural sounding wind-wooshing seemingly pumped down echo-heavy tunnels. Expanding track lengths, the 9 minute “Trantor Yuba” takes the initial drum-circle conga-fueled percussive elements and lays the groundwork for extended guitar drone over top. The patterns are consistent, yet move organically in subtle changing directions. A distant siren emerges as the piece slowly fades out.
Snare drum makes a prominent appearance on the six and a half minute dream-gazey meditation “Onoe Matsusuke.” Low end textures (sounding like cello’s) share space with higher-pitched ambient explorations. Moody floating movements are held together by way of the simple drum beat that fades in and out of focus. Pushing the sonic lengths further, an over 10 minute “Kebra Nagast” goes full-on slow, introspective dreamscape, emphasizing the twilight moments that exist somewhere between heaven and earth. A single drum thump appears at intervals throughout its continuous shimmering audio field.
Bandcamp featured track “Bene Gesserit” (the albums longest entry at over 11 minutes) emerges with full-throttle force. While the droning elements hover above everything, mad-crazy jazz-style drumming thunders, rolls and ride cymbals with frenetic energy. Droning elements slowly change patterns, marking out a recurring melody (of sorts). The combination of longer held ambient textures with the hold-on-for-your-life roller-coaster ride drumming creates a uniquely fascinating soundscape.
“Bezdomni” features an electronic hand-clapping like percussion, ominous long-held ambient backdrop and wailing voices that sound like what you might hear in a jungle. A subtle melodic movement emerges, adding another element to lock on to, between those recurring vocal outbursts. Final entry “Omni Poetics” leans into a rapid paced single snare drum shot, long held center drone and horror-style voices placed wide in the left and right channels (heard on headphones). It’s a fitting way to end this hallucinogenic album.
The final month of 2024 offers an opportunity to highlight the best works presented over the whole year. For this music site, its annual “Best Of” collection celebrates the most significant artists written about since the beginning of this time period. Studio recorded music and video continued to dominate the bulk of analysis, with a significant return to detailed live show coverage included as well. Compiled here in monthly chronological order is the “2024 DaveCromwellWrites Best New Music Reviews and Live Show Coverage.”
As Sophie Ellis Bextor commenced her first ever American tour here in the year 2024, she worked her way across the northern cities (and a few Canadian as well) with triumphant results. Those of us in the southern regions of the country wondered if we would eventually get our chance to experience this glorious show. That concern was alleviated when we spotted an announcement in August that she was coming to Orlando, Florida. Having moved to Florida from New York a year ago, my daughter and I felt a twinge of “FOMO” following Sophie’s tour on Social Media. Now we had our chance to see her perform live at last, and quickly snapped up tickets. The fact that the show wasn’t going to happen till November didn’t matter, and actually gave us something to look forward to.
The show was at a storied Orlando concert venue that opened in 1963 (one of the cities oldest) now called The Plaza Live. Like many theaters spanning that timeframe, it went from a cinema, to a theatre space and finally the current music venue. Having already mapped out our route there and prepared what to bring in advance, the day of the show was problem-free and smooth sailing. On arrival (a bit early) we chatted awhile with those fans camped out in front hours before entry time who *have to be in the very front!* I’ve always found that location is not really the best spot for overall sound quality. Yes, you are *as close to the performer* as you can be, but you’re also often just under the stage monitors that provide the vocals and overall sound. A few rows back (which is where we wound up) is always the best for perfectly balanced audio.
Choosing to spend the time between sound check (which we heard snippets of from outside) and when they started letting people in (was around 7:30 pm-ish) my daughter Heather and I headed off to find a good place to eat. Since Heather loves Japanese culture, the second she spotted a restaurant to her liking we headed in. The Kyoto 5 Colonial Sushi & Grill was the right choice and we spent the leisurely pre-show hours dining like like connoisseurs of fine Asian dining.
Arriving back at the venue, the crowd was starting to grow and the line to get in getting longer. As someone who has a long history with Sophie, first as moderator of her official website and message board back when that was a thing (pre Instagram and all that) we have communicated from time to time. Discovering she was coming to Orlando, I reached out to see if we could meet once again, however briefly. The last time was over 14 years ago (!) at an event meticulously chronicled by this writer here.
Heather being a life-long fan (with her dad having been playing Sophie’s music to her since she was a very young child) would certainly be thrilled at the prospects. To my utter gratitude Sophie wrote back and said “let’s make it happen!” With all intentions well and good, my experience has been these things never happen *all that* smoothly, but we proceeded with confidence. The ticket venue rep handed us our comps (even though we had already bought tickets) as this was the only way to get access to some kind of “after show” access. I was hoping for the traditional sticker pass that gets you through the gatekeepers, but settled for a handwritten note on the comp ticket.
Meanwhile a beautiful moon had risen over the venue, adding another sign that this was to be a glorious experience.
Fellow fan friends on the internet from points far and wide (it’s wonderful how this connects us all) were almost as excited for our attendance at this show as we were.
The warmup act for the night was a popular local DJ calling himself Hulian who got the crowd movin’ n’ groovin’ and all warmed up for the main event. Special mention has to go to his clever “re-appropriation” of an iconic soft-drink logo to his own name.
With his set completed, the anticipation for Sophie’s appearance was buzzing through the crowd with electricity. I observed how the crew efficiently set up the equipment and silently tested out their tunings and audio levels. The drums were already set up, and both lead tech Josh and Jackson himself came out in the dim lighting to sit behind the set and make sure everything was right. Suddenly the lights changed and out came the full band, and then Sophie herself. The crowd burst with excitement as she launched into her now traditional opener “Crying At The Discotheque.”
Sophie dazzled instantly with her purple frock trimmed with feathery plumes at the sleeves and skirt line. The band starts the show wearing those now famous animal masks first introduced during her Kitchen Disco shows. As the crowd of adoring fans sing along, you can really notice how bass and drums sound so much fuller during a live show. It's one more reason why you need to be there.
The second song (met with delighted squeals and applause) was her first completely solo single release "Take Me Home." Having received the blessing and permission from original songwriters Bob Etsy and Michelle Aller, Sophie added lyrics and have made this song her own (sorry Cher). Masks now off the band, the leggy, glamorous stars joyfully slinks her way through it all.
As Sophie has been known to do throughout this tour, she engages with the audience of whatever particular city she is in, talking about some of the interesting things unique to their area.
Her mention of Orlando's very first "theme park" - the now personally beloved Gatorland - even impressed iconic "gator queen" Savannah Boan.
Next up was the ever popular fourth and final single from her debut solo album "Read My Lips" - the uplifting "Music Gets The Best Of Me." Co-writing this one with the perfect-match-for-her-at-that-time songwriting team of Gregg Alexander (who's big hit with his band The New Radicals "You Get What You Give" is still played frequently on Alternative Rock channels) and Matt Rowe, is still one of her best. Of note on this particular live performance is how much joy you can see in Sophie's face when singing this one. She's literally beaming at points when dancing along with it. Also noted is how the bass and drums really stand out (again, the benefits of being there live).
Next Sophie played one of the most popular tracks from her third album, 2007's "Trip The Light Fantastic," with the playful "Me and My Imagination." This came by way of of selection from her now famous "wheel spin" where songs are listed on her spinner. Wherever it lands is the song she will play. It's a fun way to keep each live performance unique to that night.
The song is a product of her at-that-time collaborations with hitmaker/vocalist Hannah Robinson and Producer/songwriter Matt Prime. Having reached top 20 on the UK Singles Chart, the chorus lyrics ask "try to keep me entertained," This particular live performance emphasizes keyboard chords between Sophie's verse lines.
After playing a spirited version of her song "Hypnotized," an early highlight of the night was when Sophie and her guitarist Pablo stepping out front for a heartfelt acoustic version of "Youngblood." Calling it "the most romantic song she's ever written" the lyrics are touching and the performance equally breathtaking. Originally appearing as the lead single off her fifth studio album "Wanderlust," it served as the beginning of her co-songwriting and production partnership with musician Ed Harcourt. It served as a “comeback success” of sorts for Sophie as it was her first single to enter the UK Singles Chart since 2011's “Bittersweet.” It peaked at No. 34 on the UK Singles Chart (spending three weeks there) and at No. 3 on the UK Indie Chart, making it her fifteenth best-selling song in her home country.
As Sophie scurries off stage, the band begins playing an instrumental version of Hana's "Hearing In Colour." The diva soon returned in a costume change from her purple outfit to a sleeveless yellow mini dress to complete the vocals on this synesthesia themed song. That lead to her launching into this next song.
"Ready For Your Love" came out of a 2024 collaboration with award-winning electropop German DJ and producer Felix Jaehn.
Returning to give the "wheel spin" another go, Sophie landed on this next song, much to the delight of the captivated audience.
The wheel selected the best song from her troubled (and transitional) second album "Shoot From The Hip" with the single "Mixed Up World." A particular favorite of Heather's (and one would assume most young women) the final foray with songwriting team Alexander and Rowe emphasizes resilience over confusion, reminding oneself to "remember you're a real tough girl."
Next up was a wonderful Sophie leading sing-along rendition of "Get Over You." Who can resists the sheer joy of vocalizing those "Ai Yi Yi Yi" segments.
Reaching the "medley" portion of the show, the highlight of course is Sophie's first ever hit song "Groovejet (If This Ain't Love)." Created out of a collaboration with DJ Cristiano Spiller, who himself sampled his contribution from the Vince Montana Jr. and Ronnie Walker written and Carol Williams sung Salsoul Orchestra song "Love Is You." Sophie penned all the lyrics, with subtle enhancements from co-writer Rob Davis.
The back half of the performance features funky guitar strumming, Ciaran's electric piano melodies and a heavy emphasis on percussion. The hits just kept on coming now, with the latest single "Freedom Of The Night" followed by a near religious experience via a cover of Madonna's "Like A Prayer." Both wonderfully done with Sophie recreating her video ribbon twirl, and cathedral lighting on the later.
Then it was time for a number from her fourth studio album "Make A Scene'" and it's first single "Heartbreak (Make Me A Dancer)." Initially released as a dual release between Sophie and English production duo The Freemasons (James Wiltshire and Russell Smalls). Songwriting credits were shared equally between all three as well as the inclusion of Richard ("Biffco") Stannard. It was a pretty successful hit for each of the separate artists albums, with some decent play in the USA. Reaching No. 1 on the MTV Dance Chart, it remained there for 13 consecutive weeks.
Of course the most anticipated song was set to close out the main portion of the show. Sophie told the crowd to "do what you will with Murder On The Dancefloor," so Heather and I did, dancing and singing along with everyone else there.
With this celebratory revival and stunning 2024 success for this track first released over 20 years ago, the song became a viral phenomenon after providing the soundtrack for a pivotal scene in Emerald Fennell's film "Saltburn." That lead to it re-charting globally and marked Sophie's first entry on the US Billboard Hot 100. The track now has over 800 million streams across all digital streaming platforms. Co-writer Gregg Alexander has said that he's reconnected with Sophie after the song's recent success, and that he realizes things worked out as they were meant to be. He's happy that new people are discovering the song and is content with riding the rollercoaster of the song's new popularity.
With the band now back in their animal masks, Sophie leads the crowd in a final sing-back-to-her celebration. At the songs conclusion they all wave goodbye and head off the stage. Most of us are pretty confident there will be an encore, but we clap and chant to bring her back all the same.
Not to be disappointed, Sophie and her band came back out on stage and launched into one of her most popular hit songs "Bittersweet." Another dance floor success and third single from "Make A Scene," Adding Hannah Robinson again to the songwriting team (which included the three others who helped shape "Heartbreak") succeeded again in creating a universal theme most anyone could relate to. This performance here tonight continued the sultry dance arm movements and overall joy of the live event.
As the band continued to play, Sophie disappeared once again until we suddenly heard a gasp from the crowd as she appeared in radiant light at the middle of the room. Being helped up onto a riser, she sang an intimate, acoustic guitar accompaniment rendition of her best known song from her original band Theaudience, "A Pessimist Is Never Disappointed."
Taking Sophie back to her very beginning as a recording artist, the Billy (Paul) Reeves penned song serves as an acknowledgment to her earliest days. As the 19 year old lead vocalist (and image) of britpot band Theaudience, this third single release from that bands debut album peaked on the UK Singles Chart at No. 27. Sophie has been performing this song from time-to-time over the years at live shows, and including it here was a perfect touch. Sophie's rendition here is note perfect, including all the “charm” alluded to in these almost too-sophisticated-for-pop music lyrics. Reeves was certainly a gifted songwriter and one wonders what he could have accomplished if he had gone as hard at it as, say someone like Gregg Alexander (or for that matter, Sophie herself) has. Nevertheless, THIS song is still a marvel after all these years, and would have been the perfect lead song to any of the numerous “coming of age” Hollywood movies that have come out over the last 20 years. Coming full circle, it was "Saltburn" that did it for her.
With that the show came to it's conclusion. As previously mentioned, there had been some communications with Sophie about meeting up to speak after the show. However the venue staff were firmly in a get-everyone-out-of-the-venue-asap mode and it took some fast talking from myself to convince them that "no really - Sophie said it was ok to meet us!" Fortunately, the staff member I chose to pitch my appeal to (I tried to pick the most friendly face) said she would investigate. After a nervous moment or two, she came back to say "yes" - the communications chain she began the process through reach the right people and we were quickly escorted over to some chairs near the stage door. As I observed instrument-tech and overall backline provider (and would later discover a surprisingly good wall climber to enter locked out of rooms) Josh Beanz break down the stage equipment, we were told someone would get us to head back.
That someone came in the form of tour manager Dominic, who was a friendly fellow that made sure we made it through the labyrinth of passageways leading to the stars dressing rooms.
Dominic to the right of Jackson there
As we continued to wind through the passageways that lead to our destination, I asked Dominic about all the world traveling he'd been doing lately as tour manager of Sophie and her band. He had a cheerful attitude about it all, and I must admit that getting to visit all those places while working has to be quite an experience. We were sat outside the dressing room door and told to wait for Sophie to appear.
As we waited, taking pictures by the dressing room door signs seemed like a good idea.
Before we knew it, Sophie emerged from said dressing room, walked over to us and said "hello." She had changed out of her performance costume and was now wearing a more casual t-shirt with patterns on it, and an angle length skirt. She still had her stage makeup on and of course looked stunning. After the obligatory 'how are you's' and "good to see you's' I introduced her to my daughter Heather. Sophie was under the impression that she had met Heather before, but this was actually the first time. We both agreed she must have seen her picture on social media and that's how she knew her. Never one to waste an opportunity, I asked if we could take a picture together and of course she agreed. Road Manager extraordinaire Dominic offered to take the photo and we commenced to that.
Happy times with Dad, Daughter and Idol
We continued to chatter about the show, her music and the fun things she puts on social media all the time. For instance Heather wanted to know if she had named the three kittens that were recently born. Sophie said she had not, because other family members had already claimed them, and she wanted to let the new owner name the kitty.
While we continued to talk, the bandleader, bass playing legend and super dad himself, Richard Jones emerged from his dressing room and joined us. The talk became more animated now and I reminded him of a conversation we had 14 years ago, when I first met him in New York (at that pier show with The Freemasons I mentioned earlier). I asked him if she still felt that Paul McCartney was his bass playing role model and he said yes he still was. I saw Paul would be playing at the Corona Festival that Sophie and crew would be at soon and they were excited at the prospect of seeing him play again. Once again not wanted to miss out on a photo op, I asked if we could take a picture with Richard.
We chatted some more and then Dominic asked if we would like a picture with all 4 of us together. Never one to turn down such an opportunity, we commenced to take the best picture of all.
As we chattered on further, Sophie graciously secured tour t-shirts for Heather and I, and we joked about how we would walk side-by-side down the street to display all of the shows. That, if fact is what we did a few days later.
Instagram searches on various Sophie-related hashtags provided surprisingly positive results as well.
Sophie and Richard were so friendly and down-to-earth - No star tripping here. We talked about so many different things in the however-long-it-was (having lost complete track of time) we were allotted. We said our goodbye's as they at least one other meet-up to get to, as well as prepare for a long over six hour drive to Atlanta.
As Dominic helped us navigate our way out of the venue - there was some climbing down off the stage involved - we headed out the venue and found ourselves out behind it. Having to walk all the way around it, we spotted Josh and crew loading up all the equipment into the trailer that is pulled behind the tour bus. Being a serial picture taker, I grabbed a quick snapshot of it.
Which also makes an appearance in Atlanta photo from the next day.
While I curiously watched the hard work that a tour crew must do to get everything securely in their places, none other than Sophie and Richard come strolling out from another exit area (right near to the tour bus) and commence to greet some fans who had waited there after the show to meet her.
Drained as we were from this amazing show and incredible experience afterwards, it was all we could do to stumble to the car and head home.
A truly memorable night with an iconic star who has been accurately described as having "stature that goes beyond the music, and she's now become a British national treasure."
Dave Cromwell has been writing about music since the dawn of the internet age. In addition to the steady flow of features here on this site, he has been a regular contributor to The Deli Magazine (both Print and Web) since 2010. With numerous Print Issue cover features and weekly contributions on the Deli website, scores of artists have received the Cromwell point of view. Along with ongoing contributions to this site and The Deli Magazine, Dave has written for Dingus, My Social List, The Waster and Soma website magazines.
