It would be in bad taste to ignore 'the last' song by The Beatles that came out at the start of the month. Of course, even saying this phrase is silly and by this point the whole idea sounds like Paul McCartney's vanity project. Famously recorded by Lennon as a demo in the late 70s and hated by George Harrison (who refused to work on it for the third part of the Anthology series), it has finally come alive due to McCartney's dedication and the ability of AI to separate the voice from the piano. And... everything that needs to be said about it is that "Now And Then" is a bloody good song, touching and magical in that effortless way that only John Lennon could pull off. I rate it above "Free As A Bird" but a little below "Real Love".
Charles Bissell has finally released his first new single from the upcoming album. "Old Death" came under the Car Colors moniker, and at this point, there are so many thoughts in my head that I do not even know what to say. After all, it has been 20 years of snippets and false hopes... So what do we have here? Almost exactly what you would expect: a meticulous indie rock concoction that feels a lot like Meadowlands on steroids. It sounds emotional, euphoric and tinkered with to absolute death. To the point where there is barely any breathing space left. To the point where there is no warmth and I grope desperately for a discernible tune. I have listened to this for a dozen times now over the last week, and the song's melodic substance still eludes me. I do enjoy the intensity as well as all those bells and whistles and horns, but mostly I just wish things had worked out differently for the Wrens. Still, good to have him back. The b-sides are very lovely.
The comeback I had been looking forward to the most, however, was Marnie Stern's first album in 10 years. And The Comeback Kid is all I ever wanted from her: intricate, intensely tuneful math rock. The melodies twist and turn and sometimes wriggle ecstatically out of your hands - so that you want to hear them again and again, just to capture the brilliance that proves elusive and endlessly intriguing. "Believing And Seeing", Nested", "Earth Eater"... The tricks she does with her guitar are pure magic, still. For me, a top ten album from 2023.
Guided By Voices' third album this year, Nowhere To Go But Up, features an untypical cover but a sound you instantly recognise. I would say this is their second best from 2023, slightly behind Welshpool Frillies but ahead of La La Land. What distinguishes this particular LP is a very wholesome, consistent sound that brings to mind some of their albums from the early 2000s. Basically, power pop with a thrilling indie-rock edge. If you have any time for Robert Pollard, you will love this.
Since I have given at least ten years of my life to The Theatre of the Absurd and Samuel Beckett in particular, I could not miss the new album by Madness. Theatre of the Absurd Presents C'est La Vie is a concept album full of music hall, convivial atmosphere and melodies that sometimes feel like second-rate Kinks. Good, but never quite convincing. A little laboured. The opening title song is magnificent, and there are scattered bits and pieces that I enjoy, but overall I need a little more subtlety.
Ever since I heard A Larum (still in my heavy rotation), Johnny Flynn has been special to me. His voice and his folk melodies seem timeless, but there is a fear that his latest collaboration with Robert Macfarlane will disappear completely unnoticed. A shame, because The Moon Also Rises is one of his best. The songwriting is clever, whether he does upbeat stuff ("Uncanny Valley"), ballads ("Song With No Name", "Year-Long Winter") or folk anthems ("River, Mountain and Love"). This is folk music with charm and meat on its bones.
Songs of the month:
Marnie Stern - "Nested"
The Beatles - "Now And Then"
Bill Ryder-Jones - "If Tomorrow Starts Without Me"
Johnny Flynn - "Song With No Name"
Madness - "Theatre of the Absurd"
Guided by Voices - "The Race Is On, The King Is Dead"
