Ian Hunter continues to rock against the dying of the light. Now 85 years old and still wearing his rock’n’roll attitude like a battered badge of honour, the ex-Mott The Hoople frontman casts a weathered eye over the madness that surrounds him. ‘Am I the last man standing? Seriously…’ he barks on “Everybody’s Crazy But Me”, a pounding, Stones-ish rocker that provides the perfect framework for his eternally delinquent voice.
Surrounded for the second time by a cast of legends, including the late Jeff Beck and Taylor Hawkins,Hunter vents his spleen with heroic disdain on tracks including “Fiction”, “Kettle Of Fish” and “Weed” – ‘Humans are stupid, expensive to breed, so let them smoke weed’. But then, accompanied by Lucinda Williams, he dives into “What Would I Do Without You”, a plain-spoken love song full of tender emotional riches. He’s still the ultimate dude – young or old.
The second act to Hunter’s 2023 album “Defiance Part 1” once again finds him collaborating with his many disciples and friends: Queen’s Brian May, Def Leppard’s Joe Elliott, Johnny Depp, and the late Jeff Beck and Taylor Hawkins, among them. At 84, the former Mott the Hoople frontman isn’t out to change the rulebook: “Defiance Part 2: Fiction” continues along the path Hunter has charted since the late ’60s with brimming confidence.
DEFIANCE PART 2: FICTION. AVAILABLE EVERYWHERE NOW.
The Black Crowes’ reunion couldn’t have been more badly timed. Announcing the news in late 2019, the Robinson Brothers, who hadn’t spoken to each other for six years before burying the hatchet, confirmed a continent-straddling 45-date tour of North America, scheduled to kick off the following June. Following the announcement, Chris and Rich Robinson were asked and among other things if there were plans for an album after the tour.
“I don’t know,” Chris told us. “Yeah. Maybe. I definitely think Rich and I will write songs together in our future. I don’t know how, when and where. But if Rich has songs, I’m down to hear them and do what I do. But I don’t think we can do that until we see how this goes.”
The tour was shelved and, given the often fractious and historically fragile nature of the siblings’ relationship, fans could be forgiven for wondering if the band might ever resurface. But, in late July 2021, The Black Crowes finally got the “Shake Your Money Maker” tour under way. Over the course of the next two years they played more than 100 shows. It did go well. And they did record that album.
“Happiness Bastards” is our love letter to rock’n’roll,” said Chris, announcing the news in January this year. “This album is a continuation of our story as a band,” Rich added.
It sounds like both. The Black Crowes’ first album of new material since 2009’s “Before The Frost… Until The Freeze” is an absolute peach. It’s lean, an album of real purpose. Bands usually stretch out and relax as they age, but this collection of songs is fierce. Songs get to the point quickly; no messing around. And they rock.
Opener “Bedside Manners” rattles along like the Faces playing Saturday night at the rowdiest of roadside honky-tonks. “Rats And Clowns” winds into gear quickly before propelling itself along like an out-take from “Highway To Hell”. “Cross Your Fingers” begins with deftly picked acoustic guitar, but by the 40-second mark it’s transformed into a taut rocker, wrapped around the kind of riff that might result if you put Jimmy Page and Joe Perry in a room and told them not to come out until they’d come up with something truly worthwhile.
The ghost of Malcolm Young appears again on “Wanting And Waiting’s” glam-shuffle verses, before the chorus arrives and takes it to the church. “Dirty Cold Sun” struts and swaggers. “Bleed It Dry” is hauled along by the filthiest of overdriven slide guitar riffs, a blues teetering on the edge of chaos and collapse. “Flesh Wound” is genuine power-pop, as if The Replacements have hooked up with Andrew W.K. to cover Cheap Trick. In a bar. During a riot. “Follow The Moon” swoops and swaggers, powered by the slinkiest of riffs, enlightened by a slide guitar worthy of Gregg Allman and lifted towards the heavens by the most celestial of choruses.
Honestly, it’s a miracle. Just when you think you’ve picked your favourite track, along comes another. Only on the lovely “Wilted Rose” – featuring vocals from country star Lainey Wilson – and poignant closer “Kindred Spirit” do the band do their more relaxed, ‘side two of Sticky Fingers’ thing.
You’ve heard all this before. The Stones. Zeppelin. Free. Aerosmith. The Allman Brothers. Etc. But throw in the handclaps, the gospel backing vocals, the Hammond organ, Chris Robinson’s gift for a vocal delivery that’s both ragged and righteous, and an extraordinary amount of enthusiasm, and you’re left with an album that doesn’t land too far short of their first two. It crackles with an electricity that belies the age of those involved (the band formed 40 years ago, do the math), and is a genuine return to form, in an age when many releases described as such are nothing of the sort.
“Happiness Bastards” is the sound of men getting stuff out of their systems, and having a ball as they do so. And for all the plaudits afforded the Robinsons’ post-split, pre-reunion bands, Rich’s The Magpie Salute and the Chris Robinson Brotherhood always felt like stopgaps, however sincere the ambition of those involved. The reunion is proof, if it were needed, that some things are truly more than the sum of their parts.
And therein lies the miracle of “Happiness Bastards“. After all those battles, all that rancour, all that violence, all that arguing over “horrible, stupid shit”, all those years lost to acrimony and bitterness, The Black Crowes sound completely undiminished. And everybody should know it.
For over 20 years, The Decemberists have been one of the most original, daring, and thrilling American rock bands. Their distinctive brand of hyperliterate folk-rock set them apart from the start, releasing nine full-length albums that are unbound by genre and highly ambitious. Now the beloved indie band is back with their first new album in six years, “As It Ever Was, So It Will Be Again” – not only the longest Decemberists album to date (and their first intentional, proper double-LP) but also their most empathetic and accessible, its 13 songs like semaphores of mutual recognition for our fraught times and faint hope.
Reuniting with producer Tucker Martine (R.E.M., Neko Case, Sufjan Stevens) who began working with the band on “The Crane Wife”, the album features R.E.M.’s Mike Mills, The Shins’ James Mercer and Lizzie Ellison on background vocals. This, songwriter Colin Meloy will tell you proudly, is the best Decemberists album and perhaps the ultimate realization of 22 years of work.
In many ways, “As It Ever Was, So It Will Be Again” feels like an aptly titled renewal for The Decemberists. The first full-length release on YABB Records, the band’s own label, after a run of nearly two decades with Capitol. As they were once, here are the Decemberists again, now an independent band empowered by singing stories that sound instantly familiar and convey some bit of hard-won wisdom.
Produced by Chris Coady and written by DIIV (pronounced Dive), “Frog in Boiling Water”, the band’s fourth full-length LP is a collection of snapshots that explores the brutal realities of end-stage capitalism and overwhelming technological advance. Across 10 dark and dazzling tracks, DIIV documents the collapse from various angles with unusual sensitivity and depth of purpose while expanding their grand, hypnotic shoegaze, to create a transportive, sensual work of hope, beauty and renewal.
“Frog In Boiling Water”, produced by Chris Coady, was a four-year process that nearly broke the band before the album was completed. With an aim to push their sound, make a record that challenged them, and treat the band as a democracy for the first time, DIIV began an ambitious journey, both individually and collectively. This journey left their relationships with one another fraying, with the many complex dynamics of family, friendship and finances entangled, coupled with suspicions, resentments, bruised egos and anxious questions. They ultimately found their way through, and the result is 10 songs that mine a new lyrical and musical depth, those two halves mirroring one another inside a reflective and immersive whole. It is a mesmeric testament to enduring, to envisioning anything else on the other side while you remain here, in the slowly heating water of right now.
“Frog in Boiling Water,” both the title and the themes of the record, reference “The Boiling Frog” in Daniel Quinn’s The Story of B. The band explains, “If you drop a frog in a pot of boiling water, it will of course frantically try to clamber out. But if you place it gently in a pot of tepid water and turn the heat on low, the frog will sink into a tranquil stupor, exactly like one of us in a hot bath, and before long, with a smile on its face, it will unresistingly allow itself to be boiled to death.”
“We understand the metaphor to be one about a slow, sick, and overwhelmingly banal collapse of society under end-stage capitalism, the brutal realities we’ve maybe come to accept as normal. That’s the boiling water and we are the frogs. The album is more or less a collection of snapshots from various angles of our modern condition which we think highlights what this collapse looks like and, more particularly, what it feels like.”
Wussy are an American five-piece fronted by songwriters Chuck Cleaver and Lisa Walker & backed by Mark Messerly, Joe Klug & John Erhardt. Bridging the gap between The Band & Sonic Youth, Wussy continue in the tradition of bands with multiple writers & singers. Cleaver & Walker offer radically different perspectives that blend in seamless fashion – usually blanketed inside layers of noise.
Wussy are back with their first LP in six years. The aptly titled “Cincinnati Ohio” – out November 15th on Shake It Records – is the first album from the five-piece since 2018’s “What Heaven Is Like”. Wussy are known among critics and their loyal fanbase for releasing albums of lyrically deft pop songs awash within a blanket of noise – a sound that critic Robert Christgau has described as “merging the Velvet Underground and the Flying Burrito Brothers” (SPIN, 2013). And it seems “Cincinnati Ohio” is no exception – punctuated with many of the familiar Wussy sounds: a jangly mix of electric and acoustic guitars; the duelling lead vocals of Chuck Cleaver and Lisa Walker; Joe Klug and Mark Messerly’s driving rhythm section; and warm rolling waves of pedal steel – this time split between late Wussy guitar player John Erhardt and newest member Travis Talbert. On “Cincinnati Ohio” the band leans heavily into its penchant for cinematic Americana landscapes, drawing stylistic inspiration from influences such as Calexico, Mazzy Star, R.E.M., Sun Volt, and the Mekons (whose Jon Langford painted the album’s cover art). This Midwestern wall-of-sound method clearly works for Wussy, who according to The Ringer, has been “quietly crafting one of the great rock catalogue’s of the decade.”
WUSSY IS Chuck Cleaver – guitar, vocals, piano Lisa Walker – guitar, vocals, synth Mark Messerly – bass, accordion Joe Klug – drums, percussion, synth John Erhardt – pedal steel, guitar (tracks 8, 9) Travis Talbert – pedal steel (tracks 2, 3, 4, 5)
‘Live at Red Rocks 2024’ is available as individual 3LP box-sets for each of the three shows, or as one hand-numbered mega box-set containing them all (limited to /444). This is the second drop in our King Gizz 2024 North America Tour bootleg series. Mixed and mastered from the stems by James Plotkin. Expected to ship mid-February 2025 but hopefully earlier.
King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard ‘Live at Red Rocks 2024’ was recorded when the Aussie psych-rock polymaths rained down on the Red Rocks Amphitheatre for three shows over September 8th & 9th 2024. This Fuzz Club Official Bootleg is the second drop in our ongoing bootleg series where we’ll be attempting to release *ALL 38* shows from the band’s 2024 North American run – with three shows set to drop roughly every month or so.
These boxsets feature the original poster art by Jason Galea, photos from the shows by Maclay Heriot and are mixed and mastered by James Plotkin from the stems provided by the band. Each show is a 3LP set housed in a deluxe box, with each of the LPs included landing on 180g coloured vinyl in its own heavy 350gsm jacket (with 3mm spine) and a poly-lined inner-sleeve. The 3 Shows boxset includes all of the above but with the three individual boxes packed together in one massive, hand-numbered slipcase similar to our previous Red Rocks ’22 and Chicago ’23 bootlegs.
Show 1 Track-List: A1 Daily Blues, A2 The Bitter Boogie, A3 Muddy Water, A4 The Bitter Boogie, B1 Hog Calling Contest, B2 Elbow, B3 The River, C1 Le Risque, C2 Gila Monster, C3 Dragon, D1 Planet B, D2 Stressin’, E1 Gondii, E2 Chang’e, F1 Extinction, F2 Am I In Heaven
Show 2 Track-List: A1 KGLW, A2, East West Link, A3 Anoxia, A4 The Book, B1 Billabong Valley, B2 Plastic Boogie, B3 Tetrachromacy, B4 Let Me Mend The Past, C1 It’s Got Old, C2 Mystery Jack, C3 You Can Be Your Silhouette, D1 God Is Calling Me Back Home, D2 Mirage City, D3 Dirt, E1 Work This Time, E2 Mirage City, E3 Field Of Vision, F1 Sad Pilot, F2 Rats In The Sky, F3 Hot Water
Show 3 Track-List: A1 Perihelion, A2 Motor Spirit, A3 The Great Chain Of Being, B1 Flamethrower, B2 Wah Wah, B3 Road Train, C1 Antartica, C2 Ambergris, C3 Trapdoor, C4 Black Tooth, D1 People Vultures, D2 Mr. Beat, D3 Raw Feel, E1 Flight b741, E2 Welcome To An Altered Future, E3 Theia, E4 Gilgamesh, F1 Set, F2 Float Along – Fill Your Lungs
Cassandra Jenkins is quite simply one of the best songwriter-storytellers currently making music. Hers is a specific and singular corner of the Great American Songwriters, artists like David Berman, Adrianne Lenker, Jeff Tweedy and Sufjan Stevens. They’re artists connected by a sense of immediacy, not just in the writing – which is precise, evocative, brutal at times, pitch-back funny right when you need it – but by their delivery, by the way they sing with an immersive, total belief that carries you through their songs. These are the artists and songs that sneak up and really live with us forever, and on “My Light, My Destroyer”, Jenkins joins their ranks.
What’s most remarkable about “My Light, My Destroyer” is it captures an artist at an exciting leap in her evolution. So much about the album feels of-a-kind with its predecessors; field recordings and found sound permeate, narrative songwriting crashes into heady, swirling compositions. Jenkins sings with what can only be described as a power- whisper (think Sufjan Stevens, Annie Lennox, Margo Timmins or YHF-era Tweedy), her vocals up close and intimate but subtly confrontational. But it all feels bigger here, more finely honed, bolder and richer than her previous work and than her peers.
Born and raised in New York City, Jenkins has been touring and performing since she was a child, self-releasing her early recordings before releasing breakthrough “An Overview on Phenomenal Nature” in 2021. On “My Light, My Destroyer“, many of the songs are devoted to specific feelings, and to really getting inside those feelings as opposed to getting inside a narrative arc. Lead single “Only One” is one example, as Jenkins’s asserts that a moment, or a song, can be wholly myopic; it can embody a singular feeling, and provides no answers.
Songs like “Devotion”, “Delphinium Blue”, “Clams Casino”, “Echo”, and “Only One“, speak to the liberating quality of focused observation, even to the point of disillusionment. “There’s this idea about disillusionment that I’ve held onto,” she says. “I really appreciate disillusionment as a process to discover new, unexpected outcomes. We let go of expectations this way. Expectations hold us back. It’s easy to focus on jadedness or disappointment but I actually see it more as freedom.”
Jon Anderson continues to impress with his latest album, showcasing his talent and creativity after over five decades in the music industry. The standout track “Once Upon A Dream” is a progressive masterpiece that will surely become a fan favourite. The Band Geeks prove to be a fitting replacement for the legendary band Yes, delivering stellar performances throughout the album.
It’s almost 20 years to the month when Jon Anderson played his last show as a member of Yes. Perhaps it’s that “release” from a formal band structure that has led to the wide ranging solo path he has taken since then. His discography shows two “full” solo albums (2011’s “Survival” and “Other Stories” – consisting of songs finished up from ideas submitted from a variety of people – and 1000 Hands: ChapterOne – the completion of an album started 30 years earlier) since then.
There have also been a large number of one off releases, ranging from the 20 minute epic “Open” to an atypical political rant called “Go Screw Yourself”! Of course there were also collaborations with some unknown as well as better known artists (Anderson/ Wakeman, Anderson Ponty Band, Anderson RabinWakeman, Yes featuring ARW etc) but I think it’s fair to say that none of those added a substantial, great album to his discography.
The Band Geeks, is led by Richie Castellano was initially a podcast line-up, and they became an online band producing a series of cover versions, sometimes supplemented by special guests. A full cover version of the “Close To The Edge” album, as well as 1990s Rabin era favourite “The Calling“, demonstrated they had the Yes-chops to tour as Anderson’s backing band playing the most complex Yes Music. Now, as the 2024 JA / BG tour comes to a close, we, perhaps surprisingly, get a brand-new studio album. I say “perhaps surprisingly” because interviews with Jon would suggest many projects begin but few end (Chagall … Zamran … 1000 Hands Part 2 etc). He also hinted in previous interviews that while solo albums of the past have deliberately avoided potential Yes territory, in this case he placed no such restrictions on the creative process. So now we have a full album ready to roll and, as a Yes Geek, I’m excited to hear what this ‘True’ holds…
“True Messenger” starts the album with picked 12-string guitar and some strong multitracked vocals. As instruments join, it’s a classic Rickenbacker/ Squire and some vintage Hammond organ along with stacked multitracked vocals. What’s clear is that this music is energetic, intricate and … well, it sounds like Yes Music. I’ll explain what I mean by that: this sounds like a band working together to contribute to the vision of music that Jon has. That’s different from say, “Survival…” which was Jon adding his aspects to other people’s music. The closing sections of “True Messenger” manage to capture elements of classic prog / modern prog and … well even past Yes glories and blend it into something new. It’s an exciting track to kick things off with, with lots of shifts and complexity to let the listener know what they can expect ahead.
In that context, it made total sense to have “Shine On” as the album’s first single. The choral vocal intro breaks into a section which could be out of any 1990s/2000s Anderson Yes album, with a nice addition some excellent percussion. I keep finding my mind moving to “The Ladder” – to me that album has always been a great combination of taking the elements of Yes Music Past, adding some fresh aspects, but not pushing it too far out of the comfort zone. That’s probably the closest sonic comparison for “True”.
“Counties and Countries” starts with an epic and triumphant instrumental intro. There seems to be a real synergy between Anderson and the Band Geeks members. I should say that Jon Anderson is sounding strong on this album. The ARW live recording shows how as the years progressed so his vocals have retained their range, if sounding understandably a bit softer and gentler than the past. The production and mixing here are such that his voice is the centerpiece of the album, in, say, the ending of this track: “You’ve got a beautiful day today”. The frantic Moog solo and the ending of this almost 10-minute epic are just superb!
The next track, “Build Me An Ocean,” takes a twist into the territory of a piano-led balance. A beautiful song, with nylon and steel string guitars (including a fantastic solo), the Band Geeks add amazing choral harmonies and counterpoints. It’s a breather before we jump to the energetic “Still A Friend.” These two songs have very positive affirming lyrics, and while they are still in Anderson-style, it’s accessible! “Make It Right” continues the journey, and is a massive vocal showcase. I feel parallels to Turn of the Century in places, such as the slow build-up, how the guitar enters (and even its tone). I understand that Realization is Part Two of the preceding track and is a fun acoustic song with lots of percussion. Jon really sounds like he’s enjoying himself on this one!
The penultimate track is the 17-minute epic “Once Upon A Dream” – and it’s here we go full-on prog! All the stops are out and it’s a great one! Drawing comparisons to the Yes catalogue I’d once again mention the sound and energy of “The Ladder”, with the light and shade of the very best of the “Keys To Ascension” studio tracks. Lyrically we’re in mystical Jon territory with even some sly nods to past Yes song titles, as well as some musical linkages in various guitar and keys tones, and even some finger cymbals in the mid-section that are very Awaken-like.
At this point I should give a shout out to the individual musicians involved in this album. I suppose there is a danger that in the presence of a prog legend like Jon, the musicians end up being anonymous. If that was the case it would be a gross disservice because, compared to the previously mentioned Survival and 100 Hands, the Band Geeks sound like a fully integrated and operational actual band. Richie Castellano stands out as a versatile musician, excelling on both bass and guitar, with a style that effortlessly blends technical skill and creative flair – oh, and he also plays keyboards and sings on top of co-writing a lot of the material. In him, Anderson has found a foil who can harness exactly what Jon is aiming for… and more – his contributions are integral, adding depth and complexity to the band’s sound. Andy Ascolese, the band’s drummer, provides a powerful rhythmic foundation, his dynamic drumming propelling the music with precision and energy. Meanwhile, Andy Graziano takes many of the lead guitar passages – his style is original but yet more than just a copy of. Robert Kipp, on the Hammond organ, brings a classic Yes Album, soulful element to the mix, which compliments Christopher Clark who adds layers of keyboard textures – together they enhance the band’s sound with a modern yet timeless atmosphere. When you mix all of this together, you get a cohesive and vibrant sonic experience that bridges the past and the future. Does it sound like the band we know and love? Yes!
Back to “Once Upon A Dream” – it’s got a spectacular ending with all of the players getting their chance to shine. In my opinion this song has a very strong possibility of ending up in my 2024 Top 10 prog tracks and I believe it would work incredibly well in a live context!
It’s understandable that a close of album gear-shift is what’s needed after that extravaganza, and what we get is a beautiful ballad / tribute from Jon to his wife Janee! The song “Thank God” is a simple thank you to his partner. We know that Jon has had various medical issues already mentioned and his tribute is: “Thank God I’m here, thank God I’m home, thank God you’re in my life”! The Band Geeks pitch the backing perfectly – orchestral and subtle is just what’s needed, yet playing is powerful.
When this album was announced, I have to admit to being a bit nervous. Sure The Band Geeks credentials were unquestionable and they shown they could play great Yes covers… but that didn’t necessarily guarantee a great album! However, the combination exceeded my expectations by quite some way. I know fans of “Olias” will immediately flame me, but I’m going to say this is quite simply the best (and my favourite) Jon Anderson solo album!.
Maybe that comparison is poor because it is a band album. Either way, who cares – the album places everything we love about Jon into a musical collaboration with musicians who are in sympathy and understand just what is needed. To me, the whole “is it / is it not Yes?” question is totally spurious when you are handed an album like this from a legend like Anderson. ‘True” is a brilliant album from one of the most important voices in Prog history and only further cements his legendary status as one of Prog’s ‘True’ pioneers.
With Welsh traditional music flourishing in experimental arrangements and settings thanks to artists such as Cerys Hafana and Lleuwen, Peiriant’s second album (its title means returning) adds to that thrilling sense of motion. Rose Linn-Pearl’s folk fiddle melodies twist and lock with the post-rock-influenced guitars and drones, played by her bandmate and husband, Dan, conjuring up the sublime, jagged landscapes of their home in the Bannau Brycheiniog of mid-Wales. Mellifluous tracks like “Llethr” (Slope) and “Cân Idris” (Idris’s Song) sit side-by-side with the compelling, twitchy textures of “Gors” (Swamp) and “Carreg” (Stone).
Peiriant (pronounced pie-ree-ant) is a Welsh word for a machine or an engine, a fittingly eerie name for the atmospheric duo of violinist Rose and sound artist Dan Linn-Pearl. A couple who returned to their native Wales in recent years, and co-founded the Nawr concert series in Swansea and Hay-on-Wye (alongside free improvising harpist and Richard Dawson collaborator Rhodri Davies), their second album, “Dychwelyd” (pronounced Duh-ch-wel-id – returning), explores the idea of going back to a source in sound, marrying folk textures and techniques with shimmery, modulated guitars and post-rock drones.
Living in the mountainous Bannau Brycheiniog, through which the rivers Wye and Usk flow, Peiriant make music that is anchored to that landscape, revelling in its drama and delicacy, frills and fissures. Opener “Taflu Dŵr” (Throwing Water) begins with Rose hacking at her strings before her notes build to a cascade, her violin bursts sounding like the sprays of a river careering into the sea.
Then come her folk-evoking fiddle melodies, giving a human dimension to tracks such as “Carreg” (Stone) and “Llethr” (Slope). They scrape and fight in the former against Dan’s subaquatic pulses, conveying a mighty power. In the latter, they soar blissfully above subtler, iridescent electronics, suggesting a kite in gentle flight.
These are not long tracks. Out of eight of them, only the throbbing “Toriad-Agoriad” (Cut-Opening) and the quivering “Gors” (Swamp) are over four minutes long. Nevertheless, all act as portals to places that sound primeval and profound, building towards the blissful finale, “Llwyfan Dir” (Plateau). A moment on top of the world with violin and guitar pedals working together, its summery sheen brings an almost Balearic glisten to the idea of folk music, lighting it up like a beacon.
The Cure may have ended 2024 by seeing in goth winter with a magnum opus, but it was NewDad who laid the table with spiderwebs and cracked crockery on this aching dose of glorious gloom, gossamer dream-pop and hazy shoegaze. ‘Madra’ is Irish for ‘dog’ – and this one is purebred.
The Irish alt / rock collective NewDad released their debut album, MADRA on Fair Youth / Atlantic. An album awash with spiralling guitars and a hypnotic bassline, singer/guitarist Julie Dawson finds inspiration in TV show Euphoria, as she ruminates on the destructive relationship of characters, Rue and Jules: a storyline that she herself gravitated towards.
“Madra” is an 11-song, guitar-stacked visceral outing, as singer/guitarist Julie Dawson embarks on a journey of self-exploration, self-sabotage, and reflection. Soaked in dysfunction, “Madra” searches for solace in pain, tackling themes of bullying (‘Where I Go’), self-medication/depression (‘Madra’, ‘Let Go’), destruction (‘Change My Mind’, ‘White Ribbons’), co-dependency (‘Nosebleed’) and resistance (‘Nightmares’). The album artwork, photographed by Irish creative, Joshua Gordon, shows a broken doll that serves as a metaphor for the album’s themes of fragility and vulnerability.
The album finds NewDad reconnect with their musical roots, digging deep into the shoegaze/rock sonics that soundtracked their formative years (the band cite Pixies, The Cure and Slowdive as some of their biggest early influences), together with glimmers of indie/pop that harks back to their earlier material: ‘Waves EP’ (2021) and ‘Banshee EP’ (2022). Written in their home city of Galway, Ireland, before the band moved to London this year, and recorded at the legendry Rockfield Studios (Black Sabbath, Queen), the album has been produced by NewDad’s long-time collaborator Chris Ryan (Just Mustard) and mixed by Alan Moulder (The Smashing Pumpkins, Nine Inch Nails, Wet Leg). Bound together by Julie’s ghostly vocal – a vessel for her weighty, introspective songwriting – “Madra” firmly marks NewDad as one of Ireland’s most promising debut guitar bands.
The Fat Angel Sings 