As Days Get Dark is the latest from Arab Strap and it’s a bit of a throw-back. Which is kind of a ridiculous statement as it’s the first album from the Scottish duo in about fifteen years. To my ears, it sounds as if this could have followed hot on the footsteps of 2005’s The Last Romance. Very cool and, if anything, As Days Get Dark feels like it’s got more youthful energy than their previous efforts, but maybe that’s just my mood listening to it.
Sleaford Mods - Mork n Mindy
I think they have six or more albums out at this point, but Sleaford Mods are new to me as of this year. Their latest album, Spare Ribs, is a lot of funky; slightly awkward, overly serious at times, too silly at others and generally easy to love but hard to categorize. There are quite a few good tracks on Spare Ribs, so it was a bit tough to pick one. I went with “Mork n Mindy” for a few reasons, not least of which is the terrific guest vocal performance by Billy Nomates. Her latest, especially “Petrol Fumes”, is great.
Maximo Park - All of Me
“All of Me” is one of a few single-worthy tracks off of Maximo Park’s latest album, Nature Always Wins. It’s good, as are most of their newer tracks, though I have to say, I’m not nearly as into this most recent effort as I have been in previous releases. Maximo Park is still right at the top of the “live bands I’ve never seen” list though, and I am very happy and excited that they have new music out. Now, if only we can get this pandemic business over and done with so I can catch them live, that'd be ace.
Miya Folick - Cost Your Love
I had the great fortune to see Miya Folick in a very small, intimate venue during SXSW (the indoor stage at Cheer Up Charlie’s) and was blown away by her presence, voice and performance. Now, to be completely transparent, her album Premonitions had been on very heavy rotation for me and I see it as one of the top highlights of 2018, so I had high expectations. Which were easily exceeded. If you’ve not heard her, well now’s your chance.
Upcoming Shows
Pinegrove - Rings
Pinegrove’s new album, Skylight, quietly surfaced in my Spotify playlists last week and it’s fantastic, if a bit more alt-country than their previous work. I was curious as to why it was released to such little fanfare, and came across quite a few articles about how their front man, Evan Stephen’s Hall, had come out to admit that he’d been accused of “sexual coercion”. Now, it’s all fairly vague, and while it seems to have been handled in an appropriate manner, I did think twice (more than twice) about posting sharing their new music. To be honest, I’m still not quite sure what I think about it, but, in the end, it came down to the music, and I decided that the music was worth mentioning. If you’re at all interested in what’s been going on with the band, I highly suggest reading Reckoning With Pinegrove by Jenn Pelly.