A combination of new and returning artists provide the material and inspiration for this
August 2024 DaveCromwellWrites music review. The discovery process of what’s being newly released is often a random one, with the direct outreach approach often the most effective. Whatever way music finds its way into one’s sphere, an appreciation of what is being heard is always the deciding factor. Four new recordings now serve as the subject matter for this current detailed audio breakdown.
The trusted recording label
Sunday Records has been growing it’s presence here on this site, with more than a few of their releases showing up in recent times. So recent in fact, that last months notification (and featured track inclusion) of that labels recent “
Beautiful Noise” compilation most-likely served as catalyst for another of their artists to reach out.
The Proctors are a
C86 /
Sarah Records influenced indie pop band on the aforementioned label who recently released their latest album “
Snowdrops and Hot Air Balloons.” A dedicated listen and analytical thought flow commences straight ahead.
Jangly, open-note guitar chords, rising bass, synth pads and a steady drum thump introduce “
Summer Begins.” A bright-flute synth melody enters and seemingly merges into celestial background voices. Male fronted vocals with female harmonies at appropriate moments implore you to “
be kind to yourself and don’t, don’t stop believing” and to “
just go, go on feeling.” It’s a lovely throwback that lifts the spirits with rallying cries to not “
torture yourself” and how “
tears try in the morning sun.” Curiously, the hook concludes with the lyrical phrase “
summer’s just begun,” and not the song title. In fact, no where in the song do those two words appear together. It hardly matters as the song bounces along on a joyful breeze while cautioning that “t
he world is full of broken hearts,” and how “
everybody plays their part.” A positive outlook in the face of temporary trouble is the primary theme here, as “
memories will fade” and “
soon the sun will rise, erasing yesterday.”
Listen to this sweet song here:
Rising out of a distant ambient mist that slowly reveals to be icy synths and churning guitars, “
Silhouettes” soon morphs into a full on bass guitar and drums driven four-chord progression. Things go quieter for opening lyrics indicating that “
guilty tears won’t set me free.” It’s about love – or more accurately about relationships and how when you “
step inside,” it can lead to “
sweet sensations – and then lies.” A gorgeous male-female vocal harmony is then featured, and brings to mind the seamless beauty of
The Raveonettes. The poignant lyrics state “
it’s not a sin or crime, it’s just our sentimental point of view.” In search of a “
remedy . . . to cure what poisoned you and me.”
Deeper track “
Crystalline Part 2” jumps out at a brisk pace with chiming guitar chords in a descending progression, melodic driving bass and a wonderful tambourine strike on each 4 beat. Clever lyrical metaphors focus on stringed instruments, where “
your voice is like violins” and “
bells on your guitar” ultimately “
kill me with your string machine.” It’s all wonderfully wrapped in this rising step dual-harmony appeal that asks “
so why d’you do this now - take me to that Shangri-La? Please don’t do this now, put my head inside a dream.”
The whole album serves up one exhilarating track after another, making for a delightfully pleasurable listen.
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New music from
Philadelphia's Patetico Recordings is always a cause for celebration as well as a deep dive review. Label boss and primary musical creative force
Tom Lugo is back with his band
Heliocentric Overdrive and their latest single "
Unnecessary." Two years ago a full review of their debut EP “
Weightless” was given the
CromwellWrites treatment on this site. In between then and now other
Patetico releases have gotten their deserved analysis here as well. The time now has come to dig into this new release, and uncover it’s audio and lyrical essence.
The track opens with a touch of feedback before immediately launching into a downward driving progression of glorious sludge. It’s rhythmic force brings to mind those grinding gears on the abrasive half of
Ringo Deathstarr’s “Tambourine Girl.” However, rather than launching into a contrasting perky pop segment (as RD does), this cut holds the rhythm but opens space for rough delivered lyrics. Presented in clipped spoken word cadence, the opening lines “
Got an invitation - but you ain’t gonna go - got no time for parties - rather be alone” emphasize isolation over social interaction. Piercing sonic bursts from guitars ride over top of the low rumble stomp churned out by bass and drums. It’s a gritty affair that falls firmly in the heavy stoner-rock category. As if onetime same day festival headliners
Mbv and
Tool (quite a dividing line among attendees at that time) came together to produce this one song. A second lyrical couplet sheds further light on this internal struggle, stating “
they say time is money - got none of my own - step up to the altar - I’ll bleed to get my own.” As the thunderous instruments continue charge forward, a chanting vocal repeats the sentiment “
all this time – wasted away.” There’s even a subtle similarity to this tracks coda end-out and the
Beatles maniacal “
Helter Skelter.”
Check out this torrid new song right here:
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Every once in a while something totally unexpected comes out of left field and winds up in the message box. Such is the case of indie artist
Ronaldo Vivo Jr. from the
Philippines, who puts out music under the moniker obidya himig. Internet translators indicate that second word means “melody” which is an appropriate designation for this music. However, those melodies often come buried in the dreamgaze murk many of us weaned on
My Bloody Valentine (and others) have come to know and love so well. The recently released album “
Other Seasons” now receives a close listen and descriptive reactions to these recorded soundwaves.
Opening track “
Footsteps” takes it’s cues from the aforementioned
mbv’s “
Loveless” by bringing together the essential elements of two-chord slog, crisp live-sounding drumming and unintelligible lyrics buried under layers of guitar sludge and pile-driving bass. Lyrical hook “
glow like embers do” is merely suggested, and how could
Kevin Shields not love this? He’s spawned a whole generation of acolytes, perhaps more than even
The Velvet Underground once did. Liner notes indicate this solo-studio artist played all the instruments, so props in particular from this writer for getting the
Colm Ó Cíosóig drumming down perfectly. Follow-up cut “
River” goes even deeper down the loveless well with a slow crawling wash of ambient bliss. There’s a touch of
Ringo Deathstarr here as well, especially in the guitar effects and romantic style vocals. The single line “
see me under” becomes a repeated hook in this psychedelic trip.
“
Olivia” is a brief (a mere 1:24) exercise in deep bass notes, rough charging guitars and enthusiastically matched drumming. The single word title line appears in a chanting cadence, floating inside of the mix. “
Bless Me” is closer to the lo-fi, alt-indie acoustic guitar driven living room recordings described in the liner notes. No percussion at all, an accordion-like sound serves as the only other instrument is this ode to a “
sweet and long love.” “
Sun” changes course somewhat, bringing to mind the casual, laconic groove of
J. Mascic’s
Dinosaur Jr. “
Close your eyes and see the sun inside your mind” is even sung with a hint of
J’s lazy boy drawl.
There’s even bits of chill out trip hop with the one minute, twenty two second “
Waiting.” Or a touch of
pre-loveless mbv on the “
Isn’t Anything” styled “
Crystal Tears.” More dreamily romantic vibes are felt on the
Ringo Deathstarr/Dinosaur Jr hybrid “
Hollow Colored Evening.” Additionally, “
Purple Sea” propels along via active drumming and a see-sawing melody. Final entry “
Hallway Lung” serves up an under two minute instrumental of muted guitar strums and back-and-forth floating synth textures.
Check out this weird and wonderful recording here:
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One more new to this site recording artist that recently released music is
Alaska-raised,
Washington State-based singer-songwriter/guitarist
Mark Ward. His latest power-pop album “
Let ‘Er Rip” is a tour de force of time-honored indie rock song craft. Taking cues from the initial pop “British Invasion” through the decades of similarly styled rock that followed delivers potent results. Combining singalong hook melodies with lyrics that run the gamut from serious to lighthearted, a descriptive focus on representative tracks follow below.
A crisp snare drum roll leads off the album’s opening track and first single “
I’ve Been Around.” Chiming power pop guitars and paired bass patterns roll out the four chord progression with
80’s indie rock flair. Conjuring up
The Records classic jangle pop track “
Starry Eyes,” upbeat audio is countered by more sobering lyrical content. Recounting a brief bar encounter and one night stand, the aftermath is anything but happily ever after. When “
the band was playin your favorite song” and they were “
dancing and singing and getting along, “
morning light” brings a realization “
it was just one night.” The chorus hits hard though, as the track’s title line is all that’s needed, accompanied by euphoric harmonies and melodic guitar lines. Mark delivers subsequent verses with that
Dave Edmunds subtle twang in his voice, while readily admitting “
I’m not sayin’ I’m some kind of saint.”
Check out this catchy pub rock track here:
Follow up cut “
Kiss Me Kiss Me Kate” doubles down on the
Lowe/Edumnds Rockpile vibe, with it’s uptempo groove and sharp corner accents (special mention to the album’s drummer
Dylan Mandel for his excellent work). Flipping the script on the previous song, the subject matter is one of a potential future together with someone giving “
a sign you could be mine.” It’s a joyous ride packed in under three minutes with a lovely chorus and a touch of “it’s now or never” sentiment.
It’s a fully Merseybeat immersion on the brief (under 2 minutes!) “
Love Me Once Again.” Of course
The Beatles influence is there, but also perhaps a bit of
Gerry and The Pacemakers,
Herman’s Hermits or even
Freddy and The Dreamers. It recreates the innocent charm of falling in love with that genres subtle flair, “
when tomorrow comes around, we’ll be more than friends.”
There are many more inspired, finely crafted tracks on this album, well worth a listen. Check it out right here:
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