November's new music at Te Awe
Welcome to this month's picks of the new CDs on our shelves.
I’m Mark, the Music & Film Specialist at Wellington City Libraries. I buy music for the CD & Vinyl collections, and also run the Libraries’ Wellington Music Facebook page. My Music Specialist colleague Sam, and Fiction Specialist (and avid music fan) Neil, join me every month to cast an eye over the new material we have been buying for the music collection at our CBD Te Awe library. We pick out some interesting titles across a range of music genres and try to limit our reviews to a few lines only. Read on to find some new listening!
Water still flows / Ruth, Rich
Sam Says: Having forged an illustrious career with various bands over the years, Nashville musician Rich Ruth turned his sights inwards in 2018, and since then has dedicated himself to composing and producing meditative instrumental music in his home studio. 'Water Still Flows' is his fourth full-length effort since then and stands as his heaviest and most scopious work yet. The low-key ambient elements found in previous albums are minimised, with dense, distorted guitar driven passages taking on a much more central role. This results in a sound that balances the exploratory expansiveness of post-rock and krautrock with nuanced performances that draw from jazz and classical music. Overall, 'Water Still Flows' is a thoroughly immersive work that beckons the listener to get lost within the sheer sonic weight of it all.
Mark Says: Hard to believe this is the 45th anniversary of this band, formed by brothers Jeff and Steve McDonald. Their 8th album is a double-album full of their trademark mix of everything from the Beatles to punk, garage rock, and muscular power pop, that shows why they have endured as a band. A new documentary called 'Born Innocent', and an upcoming memoir, showcase how they became an American institution, influencing everything from the rise of Grunge to the rise of 90s power pop.
Planet of the apes : original motion picture soundtrack
Neil Says: Jerry Goldsmith was one of Hollywood’s most prolific and acclaimed composers of all time. His stellar musical resume includes the likes of the theme music for 'The man from Uncle' T.V. series and 'The Twilight Zone', and films such as 'Alien', the first Star Trek movie and 'The Omen' for which he won an Oscar. The music to the original Planet of the Apes movie is regarded as one of his finest works. It is creepy and dissonant, whilst also retaining powerful muscular chords which perfectly suit the otherworldly dark tone of the movie. Whilst being a mainstream movie soundtrack, Goldsmith was unafraid to experiment and create an avant-garde work, using looped drums put through an echoplex, getting the orchestra to imitate the grunting ape sounds, and using a dazzling array of unusual percussion instruments, not to mention getting the violins to use the chromatic scale. He even wore an ape mask from the film whilst conducting the orchestra for the work! The result is a creepy and powerful soundtrack that is never boring or stale. A great example of the composer’s work.
Sam Says: Formed in 2014, Voice of Baceprot are an all-female metal trio hailing from West Java, Indonesia. After a decade of making a name for themselves (while in the process gaining endorsements from such high-profile names as Slash and Tom Morello), they have finally released their debut album 'Retas' in 2024. The band showcases a diverse mix of elements, with groove driven elements of ‘90s funk-metal/nu-metal combining with the technical instrumental chops of progressive-metal to create an exciting and energising sound. Having faced conservative criticism from within their homeland, there is a strong sense of determination and independence within the music and lyrics (which are sung in both Sundanese and English), making for a potent and incisive listen.
A dream is all we know / Lemon Twigs
Mark Says: The Lemon Twigs follow on from 2023's Everything harmony with more retro-pop. They perfectly recreate the sunshine pop of the 60s, touching on everything from Beach Boys harmonies to the chiming guitars of the Hollies & the Byrds, to McCartney & The Left Banke, with shades of The Bee Gees & The Brady Bunch. Pastoral lyrics grieve over lost loves and autumn reviles, and while the songs mange to be quite lovely on their own terms, it's perhaps all a little too perfect, lacking the modern punch that 80s/90s power-pop added to the classicist 60s sound.
Neil Says: The rise of the ambient spiritual jazz movement expands out into glorious new musical directions in London based Nala Sinephro’s second album. Listening to 'Endlessness' can be a very relaxing and tranquil experience, but underneath the surface is a work of grand scale and expansive complexity. An arpeggio musical motif is used as a recurring musical link, but it is a refrain that is constantly being transformed; sometimes subtly, sometimes more dramatically. Mellow jazz saxophone moments weave around delicate electronic and acoustic elements, as if they were rivers of sound looking for, and eventually joining, a serene lake. A chilled listen with great depths that moves its sound into new and unique directions. Another great instalment to this burgeoning jazz movement.
Sam says: In the space of just three years, The Smile have forged an exciting and prolific career. 'Cutouts' is their second album to be released in 2024 (and their third overall), coming just nine months after the highly acclaimed Wall of Eyes. Featuring Radiohead masterminds Thom Yorke and Johnny Greenwood alongside jazz drummer Tom Skinner, The Smile offers a sound that is aesthetically not too far removed from what one would expect given the collective credentials. In saying that, the overall result is simultaneously looser in feel yet with more technical chops and arrangements than would be typical of Radiohead, with a notable focus on psychedelic/kraut-rock-esque stylings. As with previous albums, there is a wide variety of moods and styles at play here, with the more energetic and mind-bending cuts such as ‘Zero Sum’ being balanced by low-key atmospheric pieces such as the opener ‘Foreign Spies’. The music on Cutouts was recorded at the same time as Wall of Eyes, however this is no mere B-sides album, with a strong and memorable set of songs in its own right. An excellent addition to an already impressive discography.
Didn't I blow your mind? : the sound of Philadelphia soul 1969-1983 - Bell, Thom
Mark says: This sequel to Ace's 2020 compilation Ready or not: Philly soul arrangements & productions 1965-1978, once again highlights the work of Thom Bell, a classically trained arranger who introduced the celeste, the French horn, and the harpsichord to soul music. Compiled by Saint Etienne's Bob Stanley, classic soul cuts from The Delfonics, The Stylistics and The Spinners sit next to lesser known tracks, along with an expanded timeline that also takes in late 70's and 80s quiet storm classics from Lou Rawls, Phyllis Hyman & The O'Jays. Much like how certain (very) limited periods of jazz giant John Coltrane's output formed the entire musical career of musicians who followed, you could easily say that multiple modern band retro-soul bands or projects (like Silk & Sonic) now just exist to replicate one period of Thom Bell's sophisticated Philly soul sound.
Forbidden planet : original MGM soundtrack : electronic music
Neil says: The 1956 film Forbidden Planet is one of the greatest science fiction movies of all time. A landmark pioneering movie in many ways. It redefined what science fiction could be in terms of plot, based on William Shakespeare’s 'The Tempest', and to this day spectacular production and effects. The soundtrack by Bebe and Louis Barron is similarly ground-breaking, being the first film ever to use entirely electronic music. One popular cinematic myth about the soundtrack was that it was done on a theremin, people mistakenly believe analogue synthesisers didn’t exist as the time, when in fact it was done using electronic circuits specially built by Louis Barron himself using ideas from the book Cybernetics: Or control and communications in animal and the machine. Sadly, the soundtrack wasn’t considered for an Academy Award, as it wasn’t considered as a soundtrack or special effects, instead it is credited in the movie as "electronic tonalities". Even now the soundtrack sounds fabulous; strange, otherworldly very approachable and slightly reminiscent of a futurist 1950’s America. A must hear pioneering, visionary work.
The new sound - Greep, Geordie
Sam: Hot on the heels of the shock breakup announcement of modern experimental rock stalwarts Black Midi, frontman Geordie Greep has presented his debut solo offering, entitled 'The New Sound'. For those familiar with Black Midi’s music (particularly their final album Hellfire), this effort will no doubt feel like a logical continuation of his previous work. Free to follow his creative instincts without the compromises that come with creating collaboratively in a group setting, Greep’s idiosyncratic style feels purer and more unfiltered than before. The compositions are mind-bendingly complex, showcasing dense instrumental arrangements and virtuosic performances from numerous session musicians as well as Greep himself. The lyrics and vocals follow a narrative concept that is both bizarre and somewhat disturbing, adding to the sense of overall madness. With elements of progressive rock, jazz fusion, Latin music, old-timey showtunes and countless other flavours, 'The New Sound' is an incredible work that sounds unlike anything else you will hear in 2024.
Mark: As the idea of a 'guilty pleasure' slowly disappeared from the pop-listening lexicon, and the rise of TikTok made hits out of forgotten artists and genres, the smooth 70's/80s West Coast AOR FM music that came to be defined, somewhat loosely, as yacht rock has ridden a 'wave' of rediscovery, much similar to that of Japanese city pop, which itself drew a number of influences from yacht rock. From endless YT & Spotify playlists, to the 2019 BBC documentary that spawned this compilation, to an upcoming HBO 2024 documentary, yacht rock has captured a new generation of fans. This compilation, curated by broadcaster and journalist Katie Puckrik digs deep into the hits and obscurities that defined this period of music. The breezy jazzy pop throws up a fair amount of cheese, but it's impossible to deny just how catchy, slick and melodic these tracks are. If you ever wanted to Sail Away to an island of smooth, sunny, relaxing, vibes with Michael McDonald as your Captain, then this is the compilation for you...
Spaceship to Mars - Perry, Lee
Neil: 'Spaceship to Mars' is the posthumous new release from the much-missed giant of Reggae Lee Scratch Perry. This album is enabled by production maestro Youth, perhaps best known as the iconic bassist of Killing Joke and boasts a whole host of musical guests. The resultant album is of course a dub reggae masterclass, perhaps more upbeat and sunnier that some of his Lee’s other work. That said, the album retains all of Perry’s Dub trademark sonic touches, hypnotic, eccentric, full of effortless sonic magic, and Youth’s production work on the release is pitch perfect. It is rumoured he recorded an astounding two thousand albums, many of which remain unreleased. So hopefully we can expect many more posthumous sonic releases to appear.