It’s been a busy last week or so, and although I have been listening too and reading about music, I have not had a chance to jot anything down. Here are what others are saying about albums I have enjoyed. Please add these sites to your reading lists, RSS feeds, sidebars, bookmarks etc.
Swansea Sound – Twentieth Century
“Consequently, this album has a pretty well-defined target demographic. And not one that has been algorithmically compiled either. It’s for the disillusioned but still vaguely optimistic 50-Something former Indie Kid. (the smart teenagers of 1983-1989. Followers of labels like Postcard, 53rd and a 3rd, Sarah, Subway.. K and Fierce). It is wider than that though and takes in Punk-era followers of Buzzcocks and TV Personalities and Peel-listeners fond of the naïve and scathing in post punk from the early ’80s. (People like me basically, who at the time were a bit sneery about twee/jangly preferring Goff/Anarcho).
Twentieth Century is a quite brilliant album. It combines great tunes and smart, funny lyrics. It covers a lot of subjects and styles but not in a mannered or predictable way. There are still a couple of Boy-meets-Girl songs -but they have a clever twist.”
Via Louder Than War
“Twentieth Century takes listeners on a nostalgic journey, evoking the spirit of late 70s garage punk and 90’s scruffy jangly pop. The album’s creation during lockdown, with songs exchanged virtually between Cardiff and Kent, adds a modern twist to these classic influences. The result is a sound that resonates with those who grew up with analog music.”
Twentieth Century is out now via Skep Wax.
Echo Ladies – Lilies
“In Lilies Echo Ladies certainly haven’t reinvented the wheel but, by god, they have evolved it. The seismic shift in production values from Pink Noise to Lilies hits you immediately. The attention to quality control and songwriting is apparent throughout. Never losing your attention for a moment. My biggest takeaway from Lilies is that Echo ladies haven’t forgotten who they are and have leant into what we love about their sound and amplified it. This album shows a band who have honed their skills and are loving every minute of playing for us. If you loved Pink Noise, you are in for an absolute treat.”
The theme of confrontation and confidence is carried through the last three tracks. “Awake” solidifies the ideas of “Coming Home”, expressing them more bluntly: “don’t be a coward”. “Strangers” and “Funeral” share similar concepts of bouncing back, for instance the lyrics “freaking out for whatever reasons, but I will be stronger one day”, and “there’s so many things I should have done, I should have said, we’ll keep marching on”. These lines encapsulate the mood of the album; experiencing pain, and yet standing against it and fighting.
Via The Scene
Lilies is out now via Gazehop Records and Rama Lama Records.
Die Zärtlichkeit – Heimweh Meisterwerke
“Sounding uniquely ‘jangly Germanic’ in the same manner as many of the acts on the 1990’s Marsh Marigold label did, Cologne-based foursome Die Zärtlichkeit finally confirm their obvious jangle-pop credentials with this simply superlative Heimweh Meisterwerke album that flirts with and ultimately masters, several of the genre’s more beautiful nuances.”
Via Janglepophub
Here is another review from the German site MuzikExpress. Not sure if they were totally sold or something has got lost in the google translation!
Heimweh Meisterwerke is out now via Tapete Records.
Records I Like 