The eighth release in i-94 Records’ Detroit covers series is an absolute belter. On this 2023 7”, rock ‘n’ soul duo The BellRays take The Temptations’ classic ‘Ball of Confusion’ and shake it up rather dramatically. Coupled with their self-penned (and previously unreleased) ‘I Fall Down’, it results in a fiery double whammy that’s a great showcase for a massively underrated act.
Dany Laj & The Looks’ fourth album ‘Ten Easy Pieces’ was a masterpiece of pop-rock goodness. One listen to the They Might Be Giants inspired single ‘Don’t Keep Me Guessin’’ was enough to reel in a prospective audience with the catchiest hook of 2021, but the record’s musical gold ran far deeper. Between the energised harmonies of ‘Smoke In The Sun’, the almost Beatle-esque ‘In Other Words’, and the new wave throw back ‘Pick It Up’, the album darted effortlessly between some fairly disparate styles, but Laj’s strong gifts for a melody always acted as the glue holding everything together. Even with ‘Don’t Keep Me Guessin’’ towering above a couple of the album’s lesser cuts, it managed to be one of the year’s best long players.