Author: misterstory

Posted in Album of the Month, New Tunes

JULY: Kevin Morby – Oh My God

Posted on by misterstory

Welcome to ‘Oh My God’ by Kevin Morby. This apparently is his 5th album. Described by some as a secular Gospel Rock album. I’d never heard of Mr Morby until I googled best albums of the year 2019 (so far) and he kept popping up on everyone’s lists. I was going to Barcelona for a week with work and I like to take new albums on trips like that. If the albums work for you then they always remind you of the place and time which I love. I always take new tracks / albums on holidays for this reason too.

My route into this album was relatively easy. I always like Dylan’s gospel phase … and I’ve grown to … at least respect Leonard Cohen, through the good work of my wife Stacey. The influences on this album are obvious but for me never over powering and Kevin (hee hee) always makes it sound like his own (there’s even a little Father John Misty and Lou Reed in there too).

This album has some of the best writing I’ve heard in a while. Each track is a memorable tune. Some more than others naturally but I love this album from start to finish and could find a place in many different types of mix tapes for all the tracks. Lyrically I find this album strong as an ox. I think the sequence of tracks is close to perfect … and the instrumentation is right up my street. Bongo’s and Congos? Tick. Church Organ? Tick tick tick. Listen to Hail Mary – best organ use since Rolling Stone by Dylan? Layers of brass? Oh yes. Harps? Yes. It’s mostly guitar and piano driven but the above instruments make this sound rich and demanding of a closer listen.

I have no idea how you guys will receive this … but Oh My God. I love it.

Posted in Album of the Month, New Tunes

March: Crushing by Julia Jacklin

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I can’t pretend that I had even heard of Julia Jacklin until a month ago but Crushing makes me feel like I know her intimately.  I often pick an album from Metacritic’s highest scored new albums and commit to spending some real time with it. This year, I have found 3 albums in this way that I adore and considered for AOTM. I have decided to go with Crushing by Julia Jacklin as I find it the most emotionally connecting of the three. The instrumentation, production and arrangements take a back seat to hauntingly powerful yet understated lyrics. There are more upbeat moments on the album than the opening track that I’ve linked above but they are still melancholy and moody in their atmosphere.

This is the kind of album that makes me reconsider actions, words and relationships from my past. I find it rare that an album makes me feel as much as this album does and I love it for this.

The opening track is called ‘Body’ and is a beautifully written remembering of a difficult relationship captured in a 5 minute track of simplistic beauty. The story telling is compelling and affecting and paints pictures that you connect with instantly (or at least I do). Following this track the word ‘body’ appears in more than half of the remaining tracks and marks and openness and intimacy that makes me feel like I might just love Julia.

I don’t want to say much more than I have other than that I hope you connect with this in the same way that I have.

Posted in Album of the Month, New Tunes

Tuung – Songs You Make at Night

Posted on by misterstory

I offer a belated welcome to November my dear Brothers and a further welcome to ‘Songs You Make at Night’ by Tuung.

I know Brother David has a soft spot for a bit of Tuung, I don’t think Guy is familiar and I am not sure of Nolan’s history with the band but it was his post of ABOP on this blog that alerted me to the fact that this new album existed. I knew it was coming as they released Flatland earlier in the year and my wife and son loved it.  I was looking forward to it as I do with all Tuung albums but I will be totally honest, they usually fit into the ‘nice to listen to’ rather than ‘have to / love to listen to’. They are ‘nice’ albums, they go well with a Sunday roast with company that you’re unsure of (musically speaking). Almost nobody would actively dislike it. However, I think this album takes them across that ‘nice to listen to’ threshold into something else. I think this is my favourite Tuung album (heart) and I think it may be their best (head) too.

So what do you get? Folktronica. A term that makes my skin crawl so best to get it out the way early. Over successive albums they have become slowly more ‘tronica’ but only in their instrumentation. The tunes are still folksy but in an unmistakably Tuung way. There aren’t many (any?) bands that sound like Tuung. I have found a couple but they turned out to be Tuung side projects.

I find this album enchanting. Its a slice of calm and prettiness that I always find welcoming. It’s got all the lyrical quirkiness that I love (‘Crow’ is a lovely example). It’s got the bleeps and squelches accompanying the acoustic guitars and occasional woodwind that still sit so comfortably together. It’s more upbeat moments like Dark Heart that manage to feel part of the whole and not jarring.

The thing that made me choose this is that it is 11 strong tracks. The stand out tracks change each time you listen to it. I would like to think that this make it accessible  and enjoyable for all.  It won’t end up on may best of lists as i don’t think its breaking new ground but for me, its one of the albums that will come with me into 2019 and beyond.

Posted in Album of the Month, New Tunes

August – The Internet ‘Hive Mind’

Posted on by misterstory

Welcome brothers. Happy August, happy Summer. Please may I introduce ‘The Internet’

Why have I only just come across these guys?  I had not heard of ‘The Internet’ until Wednesday. I reviewed my Spotify ‘listened to in 2018’ folder where I keep all of the new music I am listening to and from which I then chose to buy the best of. Each album that I loved and considered for AOTM I then qualified-out for one reason or the other.

I considered Tove Stryke ‘Sway’, pure unadulterated Scandi-Pop. I decided no as it is only really a mini-album of 8 tracks, one of which is a demo-cover so 7 tracks really. They’re all perfect 3 minute pop songs but I talked myself out of it when I realised the main reason I love it is that my son can’t not dance when it’s on so it’s getting a lot of air-time in Casa Story. My other thought was the new Yo Lo Tengo, which I love, but good god is it a ‘me’ album which I am also sure means it’s not a brothers album. It’s a bit dense, noodly and by a million miles not their best so it seemed an odd choice. I also considered the new Twin Shadow and a few others but my heart was not in them and I could not 100% ‘stand behind’ them.

So I started looking for new music reviews that excited me and found ‘Hive Mind’ by the Internet. There are lots of facts and figures that I could copy and paste about these guys … but I won’t as it means nothing to me. What does mean something is that I put this on to road-test it and feel immediately in-love with it. Where has music like this been? It’s probably there but just not been in my world. Between Weds evening and now (Friday lunch time) I think I’ve listened to this at least 12 times, start to finish. I love it.

This ticks so many boxes for me. The groove, the beat, lovely vocals, strong lyrics, humour and a ‘proper’ 13 track-album. You’ll hear lots of things in this album. David, lots of lovely nods to much of what we spent much time playing back in the day of 90’s R&B/Pop. They seem to have distilled all the best, most credible elements of mainstream R&B and blended them into something that feels referential as well as fresh.

I’ve been waiting a long time for something to grab me like Lucy Pearl did and while this doesn’t have the obvious bangers like ‘Dance Tonite’ or ‘Don’t Mess With My Man’ the beautiful, luscious soundscape is there.

Some albums are summer albums, some winter albums. Some music is morning music, some night music. Background music vs. headphone tracks. This feels universal to me. So far, I find it to be a stunner and hope you enjoy living with it to.

Have a look at their vids on YouTube as it reveals more about them and made me fall even deeper for them.

Happy Hive Mind.