Kate Nash returns with her classic punchy lyrics for her first album in six years, while US singer Kehlani explores R&B sounds on her fourth record.
– Kate Nash – 9 Sad Symphonies (2024)
Singer-songwriter Kate Nash, known for her punchy melodies and honest lyrics, explores her sombre side in new album 9 Sad Symphonies.
The Foundations singer worked on her ideas over Zoom with Danish producer Frederik Thaae, who she collaborated with on her musical Only Gold.
A few of the songs, including Ray and Misery, explore themes of mental health – something that Nash realised was affecting her fans during live streams over lockdown.
The Covid-19 pandemic has clearly influenced her writing, with the singer admitting that the song Millions Of Heartbeats is “about that point in the pandemic where I had lost my spark for life.”
Despite the subject matter, most of the tracks still sound upbeat and the lyrics, which include gems like ‘You’re just a wasteman’ and ‘The media supports all the far right scum’, are incredibly frank, which is typical of Nash’s songwriting.
The production and lyrics sometimes feel simplistic, but the beauty of Nash’s music is also in its accessibility.
Score: 6/10
(Review by Hannah Roberts)
– Linda Thompson – Proxy Music
Vocal limitations from a long-term illness have brought about this ingeniously-titled album of new songs – the winking reference continued by Thompson re-creating Kari-Ann Moller glamorous cover picture from Roxy Music’s self-titled debut.
The dramatis personae are matched by the quality of the writing, highlighted by a pair of beautiful ballads – Ren Harvieu is heartbreaking on I Used To Be So Pretty while Martha Wainwright, accompanied only by piano, addresses Or Nothing At All to “the apple of my jaundiced eye”.
Brother Rufus appears elsewhere and their father Loudon Wainwright III is on the bill for the launch concert – fittingly, as Those Damn Roches pays tribute to folk dynasties including the McGarrigle-Wainwrights, Waterson Carthy (Eliza Carthy is another guest) and “faraway Thompsons” who “can’t get along except when we’re apart” – that closing song is sung by Linda’s son Teddy, while daughter Kami opens the album with The Solitary Traveller and estranged husband Richard’s guitar is present throughout.
John Grant – opening line: “John Grant took my heart away to Reykjavik” – is sung by Grant himself while Bonnie Lass takes the ‘none more Scots’ approach of enlisting the Proclaimers. Linda Thompson’s own voice may be sadly missed but this is a wonderful album in its concept and execution.
Score: 8/10
(Review by Tom White)
– Kehlani – Crash
Kehlani’s new release embodies modern R&B in a fascinating mix.
Opening with Groove Theory, Kehlani’s airy, smooth vocals carry a light instrumental, using distortion to add an R&B element to the track.
Next 2 U is a loved-up track that reflects their infatuation, infusing Kehlani’s passion about prioritising their partner with a futuristic, R&B backing.
After Hours adds a colourful, lively energy to the mix, with upbeat rhythms and a catchy, repetitive chorus, giving listeners a throwback to the sounds of 2017 Kehlani.
The album’s titular track steals the show, using a heavy instrumental led by rock-inspired guitar riffs to accompany Kehlani’s stellar vocal range and endless riffs, in a unique R&B hit.
Deep uses guitar riffs and distorted vocals to show Kehlani’s experimentation with genres, without straying too far from what they know.
Sucia uses psychedelic sounds and dreamy, light vocals to create a heavy but hypnotic track.
Tears is upbeat, one you can dance to, with a lively backing and light vocals making it a strong summer song that shines on the record.
The album explores romance in a more mature way than Kehlani’s previous releases, with less uncertainty and a sense of strength and confidence across the album.
Score: 7/10
(Review by Carla Feric)
– Until The Ribbon Breaks – Visitor
Until The Ribbon Breaks’ new album breaks boundaries across an alternative, artistic and experimental 10 tracks.
For The Birds opens with synthetic, airy instrumentals, flowing into Carousel, which adopts the same dreamy sound, with an added R&B accompaniment to layer the track – working well to create something new and different.
Strange Times starts abruptly, with husky vocals breaking another soft-sounding instrumental. Sonic sounds create a lively backing to what lyrically could’ve been an emotional interlude, exploring feeling lost in a dreamlike state.
Nature Mother is an R&B track, with a funky, upbeat backing of synthetic and percussive sounds to accompany distorted vocals, making a powerful song.
Human follows this theme, as the album takes a heavier turn, reflecting the group’s experimentation with alternative sound.
Hellofazoo has a soft piano backing to low, calm and emotive vocals, creating a slow tonal shift that leads into the albums’ final track – Everything Else But Rain, which uses distorted vocals and returns the listener to the dreamlike state that the mix began with.
It’s different, it’s enchanting, and the mix of sounds work together in a surprising way creating an engaging and experimental album.
With each track different from the rest, this is an album you can’t stop listening to.
Score: 8/10
(Review by Carla Feric)
