Jo Ash : Clouds, single released April 2024

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The new single from composer/performer Jo Ash is a delicate and sombre poem, set to a minimal piano backing. Opening lines ‘….I’m listening to you but your words melt into the road like tar…the harsh air whips my face, I almost feel the cuts it makes….’ set the tone and quietly build atmosphere, as the imagery of nature and time weave through the lyric.

The air of uncertainty resolves into a chorus ‘…..everything moves, and still I walk, and sometimes it stops…then it rises up and I’m asking why it feels like it matters more than it does….’ but the song never departs from the ethereal beauty created by Jo’s vocal and measured keyboard figures. There is a gentle intrusion from haunting synthesiser strings as overall this sparse musical gem hits all the right emotional notes.

https://www.joashmusic.com

Psychic Lemon : The Unheimlich Kingdom, LP released 29 February 2024

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The much anticipated new long player from Cambridge-based psychedelic stalwarts, Psychic Lemon…

  1. Trepanning For Gold The band drill into your head with this brash opener; a repeating three chord hyper-distorted guitar riff and a hypnotic drum pattern enhanced by cymbal clashes. Halfway through the guitar solo ascends into space and drifts off into the ether.
  2. Cognitive Dissidents This sparse intro could be the start of an edgy sixties pop song, but don’t be fooled; the guitar smashes in and the track becomes an inverted twist on Pink Floyd’s Interstellar Overdrive.
  3. National Psycho Geographic Frenetic drumming and doom-laden bass with a siren call from a guitar duelling with itself and eventually unleashing the dark hordes of Mordor.
  4. The Unheimlich Kingdom The band have now reduced to two members but there is no decrease in their creativity as this 21-minute title track clearly shows. Underpinned by a rich and unchanging bass pedal root, the instrumentation subtly evolves at the speed of tectonic plates, pulling in the listener to a weird world of metronomic percussion and guitar strings being tortured and deformed. It is a triumphant achievement; bleak, despairing…..but totally addictive.

http://www.psychiclemon.co.uk

TVAM, Portland Arms, Cambridge, 1 February 2024

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Amethysts opened the show with their spectral and special blend of vocals, electronics and effects laden guitar, and tonight there is the addition of a live drummer. From the flourish and catchy chorus of ‘How It Is’ through the echoing guitar-driven ‘Pressure Makes Diamonds’ and the classy yearning pop of ‘My Love’ it all works beautifully.

TVAM is the musical project of multi-instrumentalist and singer Joe Oxley, his vocals and guitar complemented on stage by extra keyboards and drums. It is a huge, enveloping sound for the whole set after the stately prelude of ‘Future Flesh’ gives way to a wall of dense beats and electronic textures.

Words blend in like another instrument and add an extra dimension to the tracks, many from his most recent LP ‘High Art Lite’. The evening ended with the epic ‘Total Immersion’, continually building in layers and relentlessly brilliant.

https://t-v-a-m.bandcamp.com

https://weareamethysts.bandcamp.com

Jo Ash : Idols, single released February 2024

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The engaging new single from composer/musician Jo Ash muses on the ups and downs of fame, channelling the persona of a lone singer in the spotlight; with her rich vocal telling the story over a lush keyboard and percussive backing. The strong chorus cuts through as the emotional core of the track, ‘….What did she feel when they cried out for more…what did they do when she fell to the floor….and now they’re all gone…could she ever be lonely….’, the catchiness of the music hiding the darker tones within the lyrics.

This thoughtful song is accompanied by a video featuring Jo in multiple studio roles of performance and production as well as a cameo appearance on the wall from the cracked actor himself David Bowie, perhaps the ultimate musical idol?

https://www.joashmusic.com

Yoke : Yeah, EP released December 2023

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Created from notable Cambridge bands (moonstrips, baby seals, model village, doyouthinkhesaurus – all reviewed elsewhere on this site…), Yoke release their debut EP. It is probably unique in that it is an unplayable disc with embedded seeds to be planted (‘..when you have grown tired looking at it…’)

  1. Yeah. The title song rolls some keyboard idling around a tight two chord pulse while the drums make glorious noise throughout. Not sure what the verses are about but no mistaking the chorus,’...Yeah, Yeah, Yeah. Yeah, Yeah..‘.
  2. Game of Crows. This psychedelic onslaught is dark and deep with a killer descending line to the words ‘…. if we take our medicine…’ The spooky organ solo gives way to soaring guitar as this track shows off the band at full power.
  3. Wayne Coyne. Starting off as a pastoral guitar and piano interlude, this enigmatic piece of baroque rock later unleashes waves of anthemic sounds.
  4. Tortoise. This grand finale fuses together musical ideas from the rest of the EP, built around a pounding and ominous slow marching structure. The haunting vocal refrain stays in the mind, as do many moments from this choice collection of spiky art-rock.

https://www.facebook.com/yokemusic

https://oooyokeooo.bandcamp.com/album/yeah-ep

The Unthanks in Winter, Corn Exchange, Cambridge, 19 December 2023

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Katherine Priddy opened the show with her warm and atmospheric songs infusing the wide spaces of the Corn Exchange, delivered by her gentle voice and empathetic guitar work. From ‘Wolf’ to ‘Letters from a Travelling Man’ to the mythical ‘Eurydice’, Katherine brought style and emotion to these subtle vignettes.

The Unthanks were previewing a seasonal suite that will eventually be recorded; an amalgam of classical and folk influences blended by the timeless harmonies of Rachel and Becky Unthank. This mostly continuous performance featured dreamlike renditions of traditional pieces such as ‘The Coventry Carol’ and ‘The Cherry Tree Carol’ interspersed with wintry instrumentals.

The band conjured up snowbound landscapes and distant comforting lights using an array of acoustic instruments and the fluid vocal line-up of this gifted ensemble. Ending with the haunting anthem ‘Tar Barrel In Dale’ and the valedictory ‘Dear Companions’ it was a show to linger long through the Christmas season.

http://www.the-unthanks.com

https://linktr.ee/katherinepriddy

Sophie Ellis-Bextor, Corn Exchange, Cambridge, 29 November 2023

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Seasonal songs, greatest hits and new tracks from latest album ‘HANA’ laced with brio and style by national treasure Sophie Ellis-Bextor was a show not to be missed. Opening act Holiday Sidewinder performed a set of summery electro-pop and managed to quickly reduce the echoing confines of the Corn Exchange to an intimate space with her confiding lyrics on tracks like ‘Leo’ and ‘Casino’.

It was a bit early in the year but Sophie and her band brought the Christmas spirit to a cold evening; ‘Last Christmas’, ‘Merry Christmas Everyone’ and ‘Christmas Wrapping’ all featured but it was the mighty ‘Groovejet (If This Ain’t Love)’ and ‘Get Over You’ that showcased her pop delivery to the max. Covers of ‘Like a Prayer’ and ‘Yes Sir, I Can Boogie ignited the crowd and euro pop belter ‘Hypnotized’ was a real highlight for me.

‘Murder On The Dancefloor’ ended the main set but of course we wanted more – ‘All I Want For Christmas is You’ was followed by an acoustic rendition of the pensive ‘Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas’ sung from one of the theatre boxes, a thoughtful and emotional end to a show that was a celebratory delight.

https://sophieellisbextor.net/

https://www.holidaysidewinder.com/

Chloe Mogg : The Crazy One, LP released September 2023

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The debut album from singer/songwriter/guitarist Chloe Mogg opens with the dark country blues of the title track ‘The Crazy One’, the noisy guitar duelling with Chloe’s bitter words. ‘Permission’ is another strong vocal performance with a great hook ‘…I don’t recall asking for your permission….I was in control all the time, wasn’t I?…’. ‘Bryony’ revels in an atmosphere of sinister nostalgia with an unusual rhythmic pattern while the compact pop of previously released single ‘Heaven Sent You’ revolves round a neat hook and another bold vocal.

‘Better Off’ has the changing dynamics of Chloe’s voice weaving around a stealthy guitar riff to great effect. ‘Understood’ is a key track on the LP, an extended musing pivoting around the anguish of the recurring phrase ‘…..Oh it must be love or something close…. ‘cause I’ve never understood….’ with the song being given plenty of time and space to immerse the listener. There are quieter moments; the acoustically driven ‘Cut Me Off’ and the reflective swirling waltz of ‘The Only One’ all add to the rich emotional depth and musical texture of this impressive debut.

https://www.facebook.com/chloemoggmusic/

emzae : All Those Things I Thought I Knew, LP released 1 Sept 2023

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A summation of her spellbinding single releases and with a temptation of new tracks, this long-player from singer/songwriter/musician emzae finally arrives.

Starting with the up-tempo ‘Overrated’ as a statement of intent then ‘As This Day Fades to Another’ is a punchy and sparse groove, while ‘Strip Lights’ is a mini-movie of alienation over a mellow flow of synthesiser and percussion. ‘Another Lesson Learnt’ shows how she can sustain and develop an idea over a longer time, with a lyric built around the central idea ‘…I want to belong… just like anyone….what do I have if i’m not rushing into the future?…’.

The lush and hypnotic atmosphere of ‘Lucid Dreaming’ takes the listener to another place, even if it is a bit unsettling ‘…going through the motions like I got this in control….balancing personas but I can’t restrict my soul…’ ‘I Guess, Anyway’ is the central track of the album; a rich six minutes of lyrical density and melodic elegance that fully immerses the listener in the swirling waltz, but the self narration of ‘Clairvoyant’ also cuts right to the core. ‘Extraordinary’ and ‘THRIVE’ increase the pace with sharp hook lines and concise pop sensibilities, as does the slinky beats and knowing words of ‘It’s All Cyclical’.

With her deeply personal lyrics and the subtle musical touches that infuse each song ‘All Those Things I Thought I Knew’ is an impressive collection from this electro-pop alchemist.

https://emzaemusic.com/

https://emzae.bandcamp.com/album/all-those-things-i-thought-i-knew

Soloman Smith : Y’dig That !, LP released 1 August 2023

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The new album from singer/songwriter Soloman Smith is full of jazzy and thoughtful tracks, laced with some acerbic social comment but always retaining the sanctity of the groove.

Opener ‘Analog’ bemoans the passing of simpler forms of communication ‘…only reel-to -reel feels real…’ in a dense lyric over a relaxed backing from his band. This is followed by the more insistent ‘System ain’t equal ain’t fair’ using examples from US politics and bringing in some spicy electric guitar from key collaborator Chris Newman. The lightness of touch of ‘Toulouse’ is a pleasure to listen to, with the travelogue lyric woven through with sparkling piano.

‘Nora’ is possibly my favourite on this LP; a simple ballad in waltz time, infused with introspective emotion. ‘The Devil and Mister Leech’ is an upbeat rendition of a macabre local folk tale, before the wistful piano ballad finale ‘The Crooner’s Elegy’.

With this mixture of styles and immersive lyrics along with warm playing and production there is plenty to enjoy on this fine collection of original songs.

solomansmith.com