First out of the box this week is the self-titled debut from 86TVs – a supergroup comprising Maccabees alumni Hugo and Felix White, their brother Will White and drummer Jamie Morrison of Stereophonics. This is the sound of a band with nothing to prove, yet conversely with everything to prove, if only to themselves. For if you’ve done it all – topping charts, selling out multiple nights at Alexandra Palace, headlining festivals, winning awards – you really need to believe in what you’re doing to commit to starting all over again from scratch. Joy and escapism spark from every moment, from the rousing yet tender four-way vocal harmonies to songs that span the spectrum from ragged post-punk to skeletal introspection. An exciting new era is rapidly gathering momentum.
For nearly two decades, American Aquarium have pushed towards that rare form of rock-and-roll that’s revelatory in every sense. On The Fear of Standing Still, they embody that dynamic with more intensity than ever before, endlessly matching their gritty breed of country-rock with JB Barham’s bravest and most incisive songwriting to date. His lyrics reflect on matters both personal and sociocultural: the complexity of Southern identity, the intersection of generational trauma and the dismantling of reproductive rights. In a departure from the stripped-down subtlety of 2022’s Chicamacomico, a largely acoustic rumination on grief, the band’s tenth studio album piles on plenty of explosive riffs and hard-charging rhythms, bringing a visceral energy to the most nuanced and poetic of lyrics.
Heaven Born and Ever Bright is the third studio album by British rock band Cardiacs, originally released in 1992 – just before the label, Rough Trade, went bust. It was produced by band-leader Tim Smith, engineered by David Murder and mixed by both. Cardiacs were one of Britain’s leading cult rock bands, and their sound folded in genres including art rock, progressive rock, art punk, post-punk, jazz, psychedelia and heavy metal (as well as elements of circus, baroque pop, medieval music, nursery rhymes and sea shanties), all of which was topped by Smith’s anarchic vocals and impressionistic lyrics.
Blues Pills unveil their fourth studio album, Birthday, which was being recorded at the time lead singer Elin Larsson discovered she was pregnant and which is marked by her journey to motherhood, infusing the music with profound emotion. Written in just a few weeks in Sweden’s serene countryside and produced by Grammy-nominated Freddy Alexander, the album captures Blues Pills’ raw energy and magnetic charisma in its purest and most honest form. Birthday symbolises not just a musical evolution but also the deep bond between bandmates, evident in their unwavering support for Elin during this transformative time.
Essentially the project of Willem Smit (working with co-producer and collaborator Casper van der Lans) on record and as a live band, Personal Trainer showed a facility for blending DIY indie-pop exuberance with experiment on their 2022 debut, Big Love Blanket. Now signed to Bella Union, Willem returns re-energised with Still Willing, a multi-faceted album of shining contrasts and spry melodies, bursting arrangements and subliminal sounds, playful lyrics and self-reflection: in short, a pop album executed with dynamism, vim and charm.
Our release of the week comes from the legendary Van Morrison. “When I was a young boy back in Orangefield, I used to look out my classroom window and dream.” The very special album Live at Orangefield is a celebration of his formative years, giving us vivid access to his past. But it’s much more than that. The energy and drive, the poetic reinvention Morrison brings to his recollections stand out against the ravages of time. His is a voice of exhilaration and dance as well as poignancy and romance. In August 2014, Van Morrison returned to perform three shows as a fond farewell to his alma mater as it prepared to close its doors for the final time.
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