James Dean Bradfield – Even In Exile
This second solo album by the Manic Street Preachers frontman is passionate collection of tribute songs that trace the story of the life and death of Chilean poet-singer-activist Victor Jara, who was murdered by the Pinochet regime. Setting words written specifically for the album by poet and playwright Patrick Jones, the style is punchy and direct, mixing prog, rock and psych, echoes of everything from Rush and Pink Floyd, John Cale to Nico, mixing the personal and the biographical, it's very literal at times, but also a powerful engaging, emotional dip into history that has resonances in the present, as well as making some Welsh parallels. Out on MontyRay.
James Dean Bradfield – Without Knowing The End (Joan's Song)
Biffy Clyro – A Celebration of Endings
Although the title might appear otherwise, the Scottish rock trio's ninth album is not Covid themed, as it was recorded before the world changed but it's still studded with screaming anger, and that offers its better moments than some of the more mainstream tracks that could be regarded as stadium rock ballads, or indie medium-standard settings, such as Space, or the safe, American-style rock Tiny Indoor Fireworks. It's better when less comfortable, such on Weird Leisure, where there's confusion, anger and unease about human behaviour, or End Of, full of fat bass, spiky guitar and rage over the end of a relationship. Out on 14th Floor.
Biffy Clyro – End Of
Kiesza – Crave
The Canadian pop star second album is full of palpable joy and relief, coming after a six-year hiatus since 2014's Sound of a Women following a very serious car accident in 2017 when in an Uber taxi, and was in danger of brain injury. Thankfully she has now recovered, and this is hands-in-the-air-like-you-just-don't-care commercial pop that veers between cliche and sugary overdose (such as Love Never Dies) and genuine uplifting ecstasy, particularly the title track, as well as All Of The Feelings, and opener Run Renegade. Life-affirming in an 80s bright lights and big hair full-on pop sort of way. Out on Zebra Spirit Tribe.
Kiesza – Crave
Idris Ackamoor and the Pyramids – Shaman!
The 69-year-old bandleader and saxophonist Idris Ackamoor's third in trilogy of albums since 2016’s We Be All Africans and 2018’s An Angel Fell is infectious, clever, Afro-funk and free jazz that mixes the personal and political, from When Will I See You Again about shootings in the US to the title track about a failed affair, The Last Slave Ship (about the Clotilda in 1860), and other tracks such as the complex, morphing Theme For Cecil, or Virgin in which the music itself dominates with his firey sax style and many exclamations. Energetic to the last. Out on Strut.
Idris Ackamoor and the Pyramids: Shaman!
Nubya Garcia – Source
Another excellent sax star in this current new albumselection, and part of the rich London scene that interweaves with her Nubya Garcia's mixes reggae, African and other styles inspired by her family history, as well as contemporary Shabaka Hutchings and her other bands, Maisha and Nérija. Before Us: In Demerara and Caura honours her parents’ respective home villages in Guyana and Trinidad, he plays over reggae rhythms on the title track, and hits a Columbian groove on La Cumbia Me Está Llamando and a more languid feel on Pace. A class act with many very gifted guests such as trumpeter Ms Maurice. Out on Concord Jazz.
Nubya Garcia – Before Us: In Demerara & Caura ft. Ms MAURICE
Oscar Jerome – Breathe Deep
South London’s Norwich born 27-year-old singer-songwriter and jazz guitarist releases his highly-anticipated debut album A member of Afrobeat collective Kokoroko and collaborator with everyone from Shabaka Hutchings to Moses Boyd and Yussef Dayes, he's also supported Kamasi Washington on tour. Smooth, soulful, folky work, with a gentle voice, there are Latin-American influences, as dash of Lee Scratch Perry, and the great Grant Green about his style. Guests include several from Ezra Collective, Sons of Kemet and Maisha, as well as Timeless, a lovely duet with Lianne La Havas. Out on Caroline International.
Oscar Jerome – Joy Is You
Burna Boy – Twice as Tall
Nigerian singer and songwriter Damini Ebunoluwa Ogulu fifth album begins with a long excerpt of Pat Boone singing a song called Twice as Tall, taken from the 1959 film Journey to the Centre of the Earth. Irony then is in no shortage on this album with that first song, Level Up, including Youssou N'Dour and Burna Boy launching into a mix of R&B, dancehall, roots reggae, hip hop and dub, with another track featuring and named after hip hop group Naughty By Nature, and Real Life with Stormzy. But his strength is to fuse, rather mischieviously and playfully, traditional African styles with contemporary, making vocoder effects a little more interesting than most. Out on Atlantic.
Burna Boy – Wonderful
Alula Down – Postcards from Godley Moor, Summer 2020
Partners Kate Gathercole and Mark Waters, members of Herefordshire’s Weirdshire collective who, in the normal scheme of things, put on folk, psychedelic and experimental live nights, release the the first of four seasonal albums, with accompanying postcard liner notes and artwork, exploring their relationship to land around them in the Covid-19 pandemic. Exquisite, evocative, ethereal, sometimes ghostly, beautiful sounds with lo-fi approach from their shed-based home studio, The Radar Station, also with a collage of local field recordings, traditional and new original songs, and semi-improvised instrumentals. Self-released, and available on Bandcamp.
Alula Down – Bring Me Demons
Duckwrth – SuperGood
The LA-based rapper Jared Lee known offers deceptively easy sounding work that is complex and rather clever under the bonnet. This is west coast driving summer nights with soft synths, funky guitar and loungey thrumming basslines and smooth switches of pace with lyrics that casually mention current crises but also bring a positively leisurely feel. Echoing the likes of Anderson .Paak, key tracks include Super Bounce, featuring Earthgang and Find A Way. Out on Republic Records.
Duckwrth – Coming Closer ft. G.L.A.M and Julia Romana
This week's selection is by The Landlord.
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