Single Reviews: 2 August 2024: Why England Slept, Aurélie Barbé, Nebno, Extended Blundering, Alex Zethson
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| Photo by Krišjānis Kazaks |
Why England Slept - House of Pizza
jazz
If you've ever thought that you might benefit from more jauntiness, then look no further than "House of Pizza" the jovial title track an album by the US alternative group Why England Slept. The Salem duo, who are both members of the pop-punk band Bad Fogelberg, mix jazz, post-punk and new age across the twelve tracks of their debut album, but "House of Pizza" in particular is the kind of half-jazz half-avant-pop hybrid that perks the spirit. It's reminiscent of Penguin Cafe Orchestra in that the players sound over-qualified for the rudimentary phrasings, yet perenially insist on jubulence. Twinkling keys, buttery bass, and sweet piano play out over roving drums. Sure, this track could be the theme song for a kid's TV show, but it could also be the type of music to lift you out of a funk, reminding you not to take anything too seriously.
Aurélie Barbé - L'envol
instrumental
The raison d'etre of French electric harpist Aurélie Barbé seems to hypnotize her audience with paradisical flutters of her strings. The song "L'envol" is taken from her recent EP "Clameurs", and is not only superficially beautiful but possesses a depth of emotion. Their emotion here is elusive and hard to pin down. Playing with ascent and descent, Barbé keeps the listener guessing which way she will go. This journey is often bittersweet, with a hint of sentimentality, but there's hope there too. "Clameurs" follows 2020's album "Terralone, a collection that fused experiments in electro with her classical training. While that album appears haphazard, "L'envol" is focused and full of intention, though one can either zone in or out while listening. The cover art may not scream sophistication, but the music it represents has more than enough to go around.
Nebno - Love Is A Special Thing
alternative
Opening with ominous sound effects and weeping strings, "Love Is A Special Thing", the recent single from Swiss artist Nebno, evolves and undulates during its four minutes, folding in ambient textures, icily cool vocals, profound drum sounds, and cinematic orchestration. This track is ambitious both in its experimentalism but also in its sonic scope. Normally, such a feat, being epic while also obscured by abstractions, is hard to pull off. Nebno does so with pizzaz, crafting a hypermodern listening experience about the mysterious powers of good old-fashioned love.
Extended Blundering - I8
electronic
There's a sagacious cool to "I8", an expansive and environment-shifting new single from Battleboro musician Extended Bludering. Deliberately assembled with a mille-feuille of moods, there's quite a lot going on in this deceptively straightforward tune, from the mechanized drum and textual distortions giving an industrial aesthetic to the fantastically smooth bass lines and daydream-inducing synths. Extended Blundering is the moniker of Sam Miller, a producer who says he "turned heavily towards music for self-expression and for community." That self-expression may need a little refining before it leaves the community and goes global, though the potential for such an occurrence arises when listening.
Alex Zethson - Terrella
neoclassical
There's a superabundance of harmonious notes on "Terrella", an arresting new song from Swedish pianist Alex Zethson. Zethson has his hand in many projects around his habitual Stockholm (Vathres, Yokada, VÖ to name a few), though his solo work has the kind of singular voice you look for when seeking musical comfort and companionship. Indeed, "Terrella" is medicinal in soft felted-piano sound, and warming due to being mixed with analogue tape. While this track will likely rack up streaming numbers on various piano playlists, there's more to it than being purely functional, with Zethson adding heart via spiritually inquisitive melodic arrangements.