The Pierce Kingans - Pierce and Love to All The World

Released: 13 Nov 2020
Label: Subjangle
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The Pierce Kingans, from Vancouver, have been one of my favourite new discoveries of this year (found through the brilliant Janglepophub music blog). This is a new compilation featuring the sublime Rona Sessions EP of this year, and a selection of songs from their previous EPs. 

Pierce Kingan has played in other Canadian bands - The Prettys and Psych band The Orange Kyte. His solo material is wonderfully lo-fi, with glorious melodies and unique lyrics.

It opens with 'How Could I Forget' which is a gorgeous and simple love song. Only having one line, its power is in the melody, and it is very moving. The sound is reminiscent of The Everly Brothers and The Beatles.

'So Close' is a beautiful, stripped back ballad. The fragility and intense emotion in the vocals, is remarkable. 'Only Wanted To Be' is another standout here and the layered vocal harmonies are superb. 

Some of the songs here do have a slightly heavier sound too, although still filled with melody. 'It's Bleed Too Long' is upbeat and anthemic, recalling Pixies and early Radiohead. 'Spontaneous Human Busting' reminded me of the most thrash punk side of Nirvana. 'Pray' is eerie, hypnotic and brilliantly weird. 

'Opportunity Opus' is more charming Beatles-inspired guitar pop. Despite having old influences, the music still feels modern and relevant. It stands out against many other artists in the genre.

A wonderful variety of songs, with melodies which will stay with you from first listen. A superbly talented artist, well worth investigating.

Rosie Abbott - Magnified

Released: 2 Oct 2020
Label: _
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Rosie Abbott, a singer-songwriter from Nottingham, UK, is a new discovery for me. I was drawn in when I first heard her single 'Hold On', as part of the Big Stir singles series. The B-side to this - 'I Don't Mean To Block Your Sunlight' is superbly catchy and I found it hard to believe it was only a b-side.

Her album Magnified is a wonderful listen with hints of Baroque pop and more experimental Folk. It opens with 'Magnified' which is a piano driven ballad, with later Beatles vibes. The layered vocal harmonies are very impressive.

'I Confess' is a dark and moody ballad with melancholic lyrics. The theme is regret and reflecting on a past relationship. Musically, it is arranged perfectly with a great guitar solo at the end.

Other highlights include 'Alice Died', which is more upbeat and folky with elements of storytelling. Lyrically, it is heartbreaking - "So sad to see how she'd become as brittle as a flower drying."

'Always Time' is another favourite here, a simple, stripped back song with lovely vocal harmonies. 'Yes' is an intricate, emotional folk song and an acceptance of a marriage proposal. 'The Look in our Eyes' is the most 'pop' song on the album and brilliantly melodic with inventive lyrics. 

A wonderfully accomplished album, especially as Abbott self-recorded this in lockdown. Highly recommended.

    

The Thomas Scott Quintet - Marionette

Released: 22 Nov 2020, Pre-order now
Label: AV8 Records
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Tommy Scott, better known as the singer of Britpop band - Space, releases his debut solo album. It is a beautiful listen, and a modern Baroque pop masterpiece. 

It opens with 'Shadowland' which is wonderfully atmospheric and eerie. The production is highly orchestral with sweeping strings. The guitar work is also superb with some epic guitar solos. His distinct, powerful voice suits the music perfectly.

'She Smokes Oblivious' is a fine example of indie/guitar pop. Its hard to find comparisons, as its so unique, but it brought to mind Echo & The Bunnymen. 

The standout here was 'Crowded World' which again reminded me of Ocean Rain era Bunnymen, with its grandeur. The lyrics express such a sadness and longing. 'Marionette' has some dark lyrics and is divinely orchestrated. It also brought to mind Nick Cave in places.

Other highlights include 'End of the World', a gorgeous ballad. It is highly melodic and perhaps a bit more subtle than most of the songs here. Again, it had classic 60s baroque pop vibes. 'God Made Me Ugly' is more upbeat, anthemic guitar pop and very enjoyable.

It ends on 'Treasure Chest' which is hugely emotional and again beautifully produced. A stunning album, full of powerful songs. A highly recommended listen.

 

Smokescreens - A Strange Dream

Released: 30 Oct 2020
Label: Slumberland Records
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Smokescreens, from L.A, return with their new album and it is their most wonderfully jangly offering so far. It is produced by David Kilgour of New Zealand indie band - The Clean. 

Their sound is very much reminiscent of 80s jangle pop, such as The Go-Betweens and The Bats. There is a slight Velvet Underground and Modern Lovers influence too.

It opens with 'Fork In The Road' which is highly melodic and catchy. 'Working Title' is more of the same. The guitar work is superb and it has that sparkle of jangle bands from the 80s, the Flying Nun label e.t.c. 

'Nighttime Skies' is a stripped back ballad, with some nice vocal harmonies. 'I Want To Know' is sweet and heartfelt, the melodic hooks are still prominent. 

The standout here is the closing song 'I Love Only You', a beautifully sentimental ballad. It strongly brought to mind Jonathan Richman with some of the spoken parts. The chorus is just lovely, making this one of my favourite songs of the year so far.

A really enjoyable listen, full of songs which will stay with you. Highly recommended.

mylittlebrother - Howl

Released: 30 Oct 2020
Label: Big Stir
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mylittlebrother of Cumbria, UK, are back with a new album and their first for renowned Power Pop record label - Big Stir. 

Their sound is very much indie with 90s/mid 00s guitar pop vibes. They reminded me of The Late Pioneers (signed to Subjangle) so if you liked them, or any other melodic indie pop for that matter, this is well worth checking out.

It opens with 'Play Hard', which is gloriously anthemic, reminiscent of British Sea Power and other mid 00s bands. 'Janey' is the standout song here and has hints of Americana. The chorus has some wonderful harmonies and is instantly memorable. I can imagine this getting a lot of radio airplay, here and in the USA. 

'Goldmine' sounds more 70s funk, the chorus is a series of oh's which I wasn't too sure of at first but it is an enjoyable listen.  'Howl' is another favourite here - a catchy love song with a lot of charm and lovely melodies. 'Responsibility' is a simple yet quirky song and will have you singing along.

'Chicago' is epic and quite long at over 5 minutes. The theme is wanting to move away from 'little England' to be with a loved one in Chicago. The song has different sections and reaches an impressive ending, which is heavy and angry in tone. 'Time Of Our Lives' is a big emotional ballad of the highest standard. 

A superb album, full of memorable anthems and great melodies. Highly recommended.

Tugboat Captain - Rut

Released: 16 Oct 2020
Label: Double A-Side Records
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Tugboat Captain, from London, are a fairly new band and this is their debut studio album, although they have had more lo-fi DIY releases before. It is full of memorable and melodic indie pop anthems.

It opens with 'Check Ur Health' which is epic and even has an anthemic singalong towards the end.

'If Tomorrow's Like Today' is the standout here and quite upbeat with melancholic wistful lyrics. It is wonderfully produced and mainly piano driven which is unusual for this sort of music. There are fuzzy guitar solos, trumpets and superb vocal harmonies too. It has a lot of charm and never seems too overcomplicated.

'No Plans (For this Year)' is another highlight and very reminiscent of later Beatles, such as Hey Jude. Again, the production is rather epic.

Other highlights include 'Come Dig Me Out' which is quirky, both lyrically and melodically. It raises issues such as unemployment and behind the upbeat melodies, it is serious and sad. 

'Rut...Waking Hour' starts off as a melodic ballad reminiscent of Elliott Smith. There are lots of changes throughout the song, like with 70s prog. The electronic parts brought to mind ELO. The album ends on 'Day to Day' an anthem about living in poverty with some pretty hard-hitting lyrics.

A superb album, which is unique both in sound, and lyrically. Highly recommended.

Professor Yaffle - Moments of Clarity

Released: 9 Oct 2020
Label: _
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Professor Yaffle, from Liverpool, is back with his third album. I have been aware of him since his debut album (Cosmic Lullabies) which is full of beautiful songs, including 'It Was Always You', 'Sometimes' and a wonderful cover of Michael Head's Newby Street.

His sound is mostly indie but has hints of ambience, electronic, jazz and folk. The new album opens with 'Time To Change', which is laid back and has some lovely melodies with hints of country. 'A Moment of Clarity' is an epic soundscape at over 8 minutes long. The sound is reminiscent of Spiritualized.

Other highlights include 'I Guess That I'll Be Fine', a beautifully melodic love song, with some superb trumpet playing. 'Turning Fear into Ecstasy' is quite moody and has Pink Floyd vibes. It is still chilled out, making this the perfect album for late evening listening. 'You Turned My Light On' is a short but heartfelt ballad, more reminiscent of the songs on the first album. 

My favourite here is 'Sail Away' which has hints of jazz and brought to mind Shack - Hey Mama. It ends on the stripped back 'It's All Over Now', which is very subtle and moving.

A beautifully arranged and orchestrated album, with wonderfully chilled out vibes. Highly recommended.