Johnny Marr – Call The Comet
The brilliantly talented guitarist and serial collaborator returns with his third solo album in five years. But does this sound like the Smiths without Morrissey? The single Hi Hello certainly has that distinct feeling, Marr singing very nicely, but without any standout lines or controversy. Perhaps at the moment that's just as well. Some tracks sound a little like Echo and the Bunnymen. Walk Into The Sea has power and passion, and The Tracers contains Sympathy For the Devil whoops, and Marr has always been obsessed with Keith Richards. But it's a grower, like fine piece of wood. Solid work and his best solo album so far. Out on New Voodoo.
Johnny Marr – The Tracers
Rolling BlackOuts Coastal Fever - Hope Downs
After around five years of releasing very fine EPs, the Melbourne quintet finally bring out their first debut proper, and an impressive one it is. Jangly guitar-pop indie, reminiscent of the Go-Betweens and the 80s, but still a style of their own, finely hewn between the three singers/guitarists Fran Keaney, Tom Russo, and Joe White. All written in the past year, the half-talking style of French Press is another one to explore, but Talking Straight is a signature single. Out on Sub Pop.
Rolling BlackOuts Coastal Fever - Talking Straight
Here Lies Man - You Will Know Nothing
Last year the LA band gained a certain degree of critical acclaim with a self-titled debut that, in a nutshell, sounded like Black Sabbath doing Afrobeat. This follow-up, fronted by vocalist/guitarist/ multi-instrumentalist Marcos Garcia, is no less interesting – offbeat heavy psych-rock sometimes with humorous swearing, and a fuzz style that perhaps runs in parallel with Unknown Mortal Orchestra. Meaty, beaty and bouncy, it's energetic, lively and full of pace changes. Out on RidingEasy Records.
Here Lies Man – Fighting
Sophie – Oil of Every Pearl's Un-Insides
It's hard to pin down or define the work of the Scottish, LA-based singer-songwriter. It's is it clink-clank electronica-erotica or robotic manequin plastic pop cod-opera? At times it reminds of Black Box Recorder or Sophie Ellis-Bextor, with a dash of Alana Del Rey, St Vincent and Lady Gaga. Album opener It's Okay to Cry is soft, silky and sexy, but the next two, Ponyboy and Faceshopping are manic, jerky electronic pop, then Is It Cold In The Water? swirls and warbles in almost Bjork fashion, and then the album at times enters otherworldly territory that might belong in some Kubrick sci-fi film. Fascinating, original and utterly different. Out on Transgressive.
Wilko Johnson - Blow Your Mind
He’s survived cancer, having believed that with little time left did on the hurry-up did an album with Roger Daltrey, but Blow Your Mind is in fact Wilko’s first album of solo new material for over 30 years. It’s upbeat bluesy, pub-friendly fayre that could easily have come from mid-70s Dr Feelgood, with fine work from guests Mick Talbot on keyboards and Steve Weston on harmonica. Naturally it’s full of ups and downs, love and loss, and signficantly, one particular song pertains to pain relief. Out on Chess.
Wilko Johnson - Marijuana
This week's selection is by The Landlord.
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