Country, Americana, Folk, Power Pop, Indie Pop
John Statz is one of the folk troubadours that I’ve been following closely for several years. His latest release is a duo album with another really good singer-songwriter Josh Harty. The album called 12 August came out on Money Wolf Music on 18th of February. It’s very bare and intimate. It was recorded live without overdubs or edits, but it still sounds richer than all those overproduced albums. The song and the musicianship is what matters. This is World of War from 12 August
The month is almost over and I haven’t selected the album of the month. Of course I selected it a few weeks ago in my heart, but I’ve just waited and waited for the right time to write about it. It happens to me. I push aside albums that really matter in hope that one day I actually have the energy and time to write something meaningful about them. In the end, that time never comes and I realise the album I really cared for haven’t even gotten a mention on this blog. So if I haven’t mentioned your album, there’s two possibilities a) I don’t like it b) I like it too much.
Gudrid Hansdottir’s new album or mini-album Taking Ship falls into that b category. This faroese singer/songwriter has released a wonderful album that is easily worth that Album of the Month spot. I’m not sure is it her finest album, because the previous album Beyond the Grey was also very impressive. But Taking Ship is a dazzlingly beautiful album that contains seven wonderful songs. All of them have been favourites at some point, but lately the songs I love the most have been I Had In Mind To Stay (that reminds me of Frida Hyvönen) and that awesome You Blossom Like A Flower duet with Ochre Room’s Lauri Myllymäki. It’s all gorgeous though and this amazing little record works best as a complete work of art. This is the title track Taking Ship.
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Gudrid Hansdottir at Facebook
New self-titled Stereo 8000 album came out on Bone Voyage Recording Company last week. I had really high hopes, because I really loved their previous effort Duel. This new one doesn’t completely reach the level of Duel, but this was not a damn contest anyway. This garage rock couple is still in top form and have again created a really good record. This one below is Magnet, my favourite song from the new album.
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Stereo 8000 at Facebook
More exciting forthcoming releases. The new Nick Waterhouse album Holly is coming out in early march on Innovative Leisure. The debut was mostly great and this first single from the new album, This Is A Game, sounds mighty good to me.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5THw4SZCXEE]
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Nick Waterhouse Website