So far, 2015 has been a brilliant year for albums. Top of my list so far, though is Bjork’s Vulnicura and you can read my review over at God Is In the TV). She’s just unveiled an absolutely stunning video for the album’s opening track ‘Stonemilker.’
Take the time to watch yet another groundbreaking video from Bjork – this time utilising 360° virtual reality. Shot on a beach in Iceland, it is something really quite special.
…and if you still haven’t heard Vulnicura, you know what to do.
Bhi Bhiman -‘Rhythm & Reason.’ (BooCoo Music/Thirty Tigers)
If the idea of anyone being a soulfully subversive singer seems a bit of an odd idea, let’s start by considering that this album is equal parts Richard Pryor and Curtis Mayfield. That’s the black humour of Pryor, the soul of Mayfield and the social observations of both. While concept albums are nothing new, there’s a theme running through the album, as Bhiman draws on his own upbringing as the son of immigrants for the album.
The album starts off with the delightfully catchy shuffle of ‘Moving to Brussels.’ Unusually for a song, it’s been described as an immigrant’s Dear John letter to his former dictator (as you have probably guessed, we are not in indie-by-numbers territory here). ‘There Goes The Neighborhood’ tackles the so-called ‘white flight’ concept -‘And the white House turns to grey/and the black won’t wash away’ he sings, ironically but beautifully with his warm tenor.
Much like with Marvin Gaye’s What’s Goin’ On, Bhiman understands the idea that you can deal with pretty serious topics, but you can put these across in a musical way, and his way adds music and humour (did I mention the humour? Seriously, it’s an important factor here). So he describes being interrogated by a jealous lover as being waterboarded – ‘Waterboarded (In Love).’ And the observation in ‘Bread and Butter that ‘Everyone wants to be a star – no-one wants to know the chords’ is pretty profound on many levels: we can take it as doing the groundwork for making progress and gaining recognition in life or a snipe at the talent show light entertainment malaise that makes up Saturday night TV.
Perhaps the strongest song here is ‘Up In Arms.’ Written about the fall from grace of Black Panther Huey Newton, the track ends with a gunshot. It’s not sensationalist, it’s not there to shock, but it is a very distinctive final note. And with police brutality coming under the spotlight once again (yet again) in the US, it’s particularly appropriate.
Most artists can show proficiency at at least one or two things, but the fact is that on this evidence Bhiman is equally strong as a singer, lyricist and guitar player. Like Richard Thompson strong. And while the aforementioned Pryor and Mayfield have their imprints on this record, it’s an impressive feat that it recalls the great soul albums of the 1970s from the likes of Messrs. Wonder, Hayes and Gaye – and of course, Mayfield, in its execution.
Where does this fit in in 2015’s musical world? Part of the many strengths is that there aren’t many records out there that combine this level of musicality with the observations and humour. Maybe there haven’t been in a while. But safe to say this is one of the most original albums you will hear this year.
****1/2
Rhythm & Reason is out now on BooCoo Music/Thirty Tigers
Having been quite impressed when I first heard Yukon Blonde back in 2010, the five-piece Canadian band are now set to release their third album, the Dylan-referencing On Blonde on June 15 (Blonde on Blonde? Oh, please yourself) on Dine Alone/Caroline.
The album tracklisting is as follows:
1.Confused
2. Make U Mine
3. Como
4. I Wanna Be Your Man
5. Saturday Night
6. Hannah
7. You Broke The Law
8. Starvation
9. Favourite People
10. Jezebel
…and you can hear three tracks from the album below, featuring the band’s way with a tune, a chorus and drawing on their love of The Cure, The Strokes and the Yeah Yeah Yeahs:
Today marks Tom Robinson’s 65th birthday. He’s shortly to release his first solo album in nearly twenty years ,Only The Now. Guests appearances on the new album include Billy Bragg, Martin Carthy, Lisa Knapp, Sir Ian McKellen, TV Smith and Nitin Sawhney.
The first single to be taken from the album is ‘Don’t Jump, Don’t Fall.’ Released today, it’s a poignant and utterly believable story of a teenage boy going off the rails. It is hoped the single will raise awareness and funds for CALM (The Campaign Against Living Miserably) dedicated to preventing male suicide in the UK. Having battled depression himself at various points in his life, CALM is a charity close to Tom’s heart. It runs a confidential and anonymous national helpline and web chat service for men who are down and in need of support, and relies largely on public donations to keep the helpline open and the campaign going.
More about CALM can be found here
I don’t normally post the entire lyrics to songs on the blog, but this is a) a very good song (how do I know it has touched me? When I popped out I was still singing it) and b) it’s a very worthwhile cause. So please: read the lyrics and listen to the song.
‘Don’t Jump, Don’t Fall’
I still remember first meeting you when
You were a small blond kid about nine or ten
Your mother went missing and your father drank
For your first real home you had an aunt to thank
You came to stay when you were still quite young
You had mischievous eyes and a razorsharp tongue
Life has its interludes and this was one
As we’d pretend for the weekend you were our son
We used to pick you up when you were feeling blue
Take you out to the movies & the circus too
But nothing’s forever and it couldn’t last
We had our own baby, and the moment passed
If you felt betrayed, boy, you hid it well
But when I think back now I feel guilty as hell
You hit the bottle when you hit your teens
Became runaway jailbait for chicken queens
Don’t jump, don’t fall
There’s a world of love out there & you can have it all
I must admit it must’ve seemed like fun
The kinda life you lived when you were on the run
The tricks you turned, and the drugs you’d done
As you scraped the barrel with your lowlife chums
You were always so certain you’d never see thirty.
When you called collect to talk drunk & dirty
A restless aching deep within
And the pain of inhabiting a human skin
Don’t jump, don’t fall
There’s a world of love out there, and you could have it all
Don’t jump, don’t fall
Standing on that balcony, your back against a wall
You must have been shaking with a terrible dread
As you climbed unsteady from your unmade bed.
Did you feel relief or did you just feel numb
To know your moment had finally come
When you left the flat on that final night.
Did you lock the door, did you leave the light
Did you think of her, did you think of me
Or did you simply think you were about to be free
The alcohol raging round your veins
The black depression pouring down like rain
I pray to God by every holy name,
My own sweet children never know that pain
Don’t jump, don’t fall
There’s a world of love out there, you could have had it all
Don’t jump, don’t fall
Standing on that balcony, your back against a wall
Words & Music by Tom Robinson.
Tourdates can be found here