What song are you listening to right now? (Page 392 of 392)

Joanne Shaw Taylor - Heavy Soul  (2024)

Looking back, this is the first of Joanne's albums I've bought since 2019's Restless Heart, and hands up, I wouldn't have bought it if I hadn't spotted it on a price deal at my local HMV. Bit of a bold admission since I've followed Joanne's recording career since White Sugar (2009). What did it for me was that while she is maturing as a performer and writer, she seems to be loosing that "intense" edge.

So, not being one to turn down a bargain... This 10 tracker, which includes 3 covers, is once again Kevin Shirley produced (as was 2016's Wild), cementing links with Joe B. Of these covers, for me, Joan Aematrading's All The Way from America is the standout. The other two are Van Morrison's Someone Like You and  Joe Simon's Drowning In A Sea of Love. if there's a stand-out among the original numbers, then Black Magic is it for me.

There's a side on this that shows Joanne isn't afraid to develop herself as an artist, experimenting 7 flirting with other styles, away from her Bluesy safe-ground, and it suits her and because it’s produced by Kevin Shirley , and there’s a raft of the finest session musicians around, it sounds like a million dollars and that's where I stall. It just sounds "overworked and over produced, loosing that "gritty" edge. Taylor is a much better blues and roots musician than a pop artist in my book.

The Cure - Songs of A Lost World  (2024)

Has it really been 16 years since The Cure's last studio album, 4:13 Dream? With their knack of filling out the time between with compilations, live albums and ever "Curaetions" it's hard to realise that the time between studio product seems to be becoming exponential after the usual 4 year gaps. Still, Mr Smith has teased us for several years, and even toured the album last year, a full year before it's emergence.

So, was it worth the wait? well, if you like The Cure's quirky and jangling singles output, then sadly, the answer is NO. However, if you liked the melancholic, sweeping grandeur of Disintegration, Bloodflowers and Pornography, then this is the album for you. This album is the pinnacle of their dark eloquence. Songs of a Lost World feels at times like David Bowie’s own great reflection on mortality, Blackstar, although the Cure take few of the stylistic risks that he did. The album’s eight songs bring sharply potent tales of death (I Can Never Say Goodbye is about the unexpected passing of Smith’s older brother Richard); mortality (the beautiful And Nothing Is Forever); and the difficulty of being in the present moment (All I Ever Am). Smith’s voice is still a remarkable instrument of release after all these years, and his best couplets (“And the birds, falling out of our skies/And the words, falling out of our minds,” from Alone) remain marvels of economy and craft.

Of the deluxe Cd release, the Blue-ray Dolby Atmos edition is well worth attention, if you have the suitable audio set up. That said, the instrumental disc is a bit more of an indulgence piece; the music is sublime but it does lack the punch without Robert Smith's lyrics, though understandably hos voice is an acquired taste. At the end of the day though,Songs.. is a work of wisdom and grace that extends naturally from the moment the Cure took up their instruments in a local church hall all those years ago; and album of acquired wisdom & grace, few artists ever achieve.

Ian Gillan - Cherkazoo & Other Stories. (1993)

Not an overly commercial release, it's a catalogue of outtakes & demos that Ian Gillan recorded on first leaving Deep Purple and originally released (about 20 years later) on his second parting with the band.

It's certainly not the red meat eating, Tarzan howls we expect, for the most part anyway: rather it shows more sides to his vocals, though there's still the usual tongue-in-cheek quips if you listen. There's snatches of familiar works as well as try outs for what became Gillan numbers in the future.

Steve Hogarth - S.P.Q.R.  (2024)

Through the door t'other day; an early Christmas treat.

I'm not getting into the "who's best" argument, but I've long loved Steve "h" Hogarth's vocals with Marillion and his own side projects. This album is the perfect amalgam of both; not only in a live setting, but also acoustic.

This is a show, recorded in Rome, back in February and catches Steve, on stage, behind piano and with Italian band RanestRane, who provided acoustic instrumentation with harp, mandolin, harmonium and tablas. For this show, they were also joined by the Flowing Chords choir.

As expected, most of the songs are from his Marillion tenure, but somewhat "deep-dive" as well as family favourites. And there's also a smattering of covers such as Leonard Cohen's Famous Blue Raincoat and Lorn's Acid Rain.

Overall, a great performance and re-imagining of some classics like Easter and Estonia - always two evocative songs.