It’s been a while, again, so I thought that, as I sit here aand savour a mug of coffee while some long overdue rain soaks the lawn, I’d mumble about what’s been going into my ears lately and things in general. First up, Yann Tiersen – who reached wider recognition when his music soundtracked Amelie some 25 years ago – hails from Brittany and having spent the last couple of summers exploring some of the region (I still have a bottle of cider remaining) it feels like a suitable starting point.
Moving on to some newer things, though…
The War on Drugs – Who’s That
Blondshell – Heart Has To Work So Hard
Last year’s If You Asked for a Picture was a real highlight and that Blondshell is back with another so soon is surprising. More surprising is that Violins is just as bloody good as her previous two records. Nowhere near as fast in following up on their previous great records, however, The War On Drugs’ new song – only five years on from their last record – dropped ‘Who’s That’ early in September and while I’ve only listened to it thirty or so times since it’s only stoked the fires of excitement for their next album.
Placebo – Helen Keller
I was quite surprised to have enjoyed Placebo’s 2022 album Never Let Me Go as much as I did – I’d thought their days of putting out something of such consistent quality had gone by but it turned out to be one of my favourite of the year. While they’ve been busy since re-recording their debut album, they recently dropped this gem which seems to suggest they’ve got more in the tank that produced that late-career gem.
Meanwhile, in the ‘new only to me and nobody else’ section of recent aural delights..
The Tragically Hip – Bobcaygeon
The Hip have come up in a couple of conversations I’ve had with Geoff Stephen – of the immensely enjoyable 1002nd Album podcast – and I’m gutted that it took me this long to getting round to really tuning into them. On the other hand I’m currently experiencing that unrivalled thrill of discovering a great artist for the first time as I plunge further in.
Bloody Orange – Champagne Coast
“How did you find out about that band?”
“I held up my phone to a speaker in a shop so I could Shazam it.”
Never a conversation I had for most of my music-absorbing life but that particular app on my phone shows it’s often the case. I heard this one in a vintage clothes place and got hooked by its vibe and it’s found its way into regular rotation since.
The Beatles – A Day In The Life (Takes 1, 2, 6 & Orchestra)
The Anthology Series can be something of a curate’s egg but when I saw Anthology 2 in a (different) vintage place recently for a fiver it was an easy “yeah, why not?” The cub and I have spent a few car journeys with it since and I there’s something about this version of A Day In The Life, stripped somewhat of its comparatively bombastic final production, that shines a much fresher light on it for me. Given how these are songs that have seemingly become part of our landscape, it’s a real pleasure.
