At the point where the Covid-19 pandemic was about to smother the world, Albert Piccolo – masquerading as blues musician Little Albert – released the genuinely excellent ‘Swamp King’. Since it featured some superb power trio based sounds with influences from Gary Moore, Jimi Hendrix and Robin Trower, the album genuinely represented the kind of thing that most blues/rock enthusiasts would love, but from a promotional perspective, the timing couldn’t have been worse. With much bigger things at stake, at least socially, it became one of the year’s many “lost” recordings in many ways.
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ROBIN GUTHRIE – Astoria EP
The follow up to Robin Guthrie’s ‘Atlas’ EP (released in July 2024), ‘Astoria’ presents four more very laid back instrumental pieces which not only show off the one-time Cocteau Twins’ composer and guitarist’s talents, but really add new depth to his solo work. Three of its four tracks aren’t especially immediate, but in time, all of the musical sketches will feel as essential as anything from Eno’s classic years, or those fantastic discs by Jansen Barbieri Karn.
HOPE IS A LIE – Hope Is A Lie
By naming their band Hope Is A Lie, there’s no disguising the fact that this Finnish trio veer towards the darker side of the musical spectrum. That said, this self-titled debut isn’t your run of the mill doom fest. Its best material takes a world of heavy riffs and works them in a slow, but prog-infused manner, creating a more cerebral brand of post metal. The core sound is less Sabbath and Sleep, and more in keeping with a slower and heavier Haven, without the scratchy vocals and with an obviously Scandinavian flair.
ROPE TRICK – Red Tide EP
Rope Trick’s 2017 release ‘Red Tape’ shared some great riffs, but its DIY production sound and some decidedly iffy vocals made it the kind of listen that would only appeal to the more committed stoner rock fan. Nevertheless, looking beyond the obvious flaws, Rope Trick’s semi lo-fi world of stoner grooves and garage rock crunch had an obvious potential.
SUN ATOMS – Everything Forever
On their 2021 LP ‘Let There Be Light’, alternative rock band Sun Atoms shared some great music. That record’s quieter and more downbeat moments blended elements of goth pop with a very retro guitar twang, often falling somewhere between the classic, introspective songwriting of Leonard Cohen and the more contemporary moods of Tindersticks. When approaching busier sounds, the material mixed light electronica with spoken word passages. With other moments utilising muted trumpets and very retro sounding backing vocals, the album created a pleasingly varied listening experience.