There are no two ways about it, Kristin Hersh is a legend. From the earliest days of Throwing Muses, through her varied and lengthy solo career, the singer-songwriter has released some very interesting work. Not all of it of a gold standard, of course – some inconsistency can be expected from a career spanning across decades – but when she’s good, she’s on fire. Such is the case with this sixth release from 50FootWave, comprising six absolute belting slices of alt-rock, all wrapped in a noisy blanket and offset by Hersh’s by now husky tones
VINCENT CARR’S SUMIC – Rekindled
Approaching the writing and recording of his fifth album, Vincent Carr stumbled across that age old problem all artistes face, whether a musician or writer: that potential stumbling block being, in his own words, “how to remain true to yourself, without repeating yourself”. With that in mind, although largely instrumental, ‘Rekindled’ almost feels thematic in its aim to reconnect; it’s music has a slow burning retro style that celebrates a love of things with an old spirit, while simultaneously looking at things afresh.
CHARLOTTE CARPENTER – How Are We Ever To Know? EP
“You’re not my real love…I don’t think I can love no more…”, cries a soft voice, providing the main hook for ‘Last Love’, a number dedicated to moving on, maturing and the realisation that things rarely last for ever. For those familiar with Charlotte Carpenter’s work – and particularly her ‘Fault Line’ EP from 2015 – these stark words will not surprise. The themes of growth, broken relationships and inner strength have so often seemed central to her work, but never more so than on her 2016 release ‘How Are We Ever To Know?’, its questioning title so fitting for the short collection of poignant outpourings.
PENNY FOR THE WORKHOUSE – Sneaky Peekers EP
Penny For The Workhouse have attracted attention by performing a spirited cover of ‘Pick a Pocket’ from Oliver in their live sets. That and their choice of band name should give you at least some idea of where this quirky London band’s main interests lie. Their self-named brand of folk ‘n’ roll is occasionally spiky, sometimes upbeat and has the cheeky charm of a stage school pick-pocket. However, like the kid who learnt their craft at stage school, their performances often seem contrived and try too hard to impress, rather than just tapping into a natural talent. The five tracks on ‘Sneaky Peekers’ – the band’s second release – are lo-fi and hard going, but nothing if not spirited. Not that those high spirits will help at all should Lionel Bart’s estate come knocking – in that instance, they won’t have the Dickensian orphan’s song(s) to fall back on for too long should those guys get wind of the live show…
NIGHTMEN – Fifteen Minutes Of Pain
If you imagine the sounds of proto-punk from 1975 transferred via Sweden, you’ll know almost instinctively how this release from Nightmen sounds. This Scandinavian quartet dish up some really honest and authentic music on this audio love letter to the days of New York Dolls and the Ramones’ debut; the twelve tracks crammed into under half an hour showcases the sounds of leather and sweat, with a little camp trash thrown in for good measure. In short, ‘Fifteen Minutes of Pain’ might be heavy on the recycling, but the energy combined with a knack for hooks and riffs makes it an essential listen.