Terrapin Gun

Great Lakes

Robert Finley

Anton Barbeau

Aarktica (Reissue)

Aarktica

SOYUZ

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TERRAPIN GUN - Transformations, Visions, Incarnations, Ascension
(CD/LP on Infinite Spin Records)

Terrapin Gun is the multi-instrumental duo of Sterling DeWeese and Scott Levine and this is their sophomore release following a reconnect two decades on from a compilation of 1998-2003 recordings. Opening with a song called 'Queasy' signposts your trip, with Levine's decidedly gloomy/doomy vocals floating around an iceberg flow synth backing. Andrew Eldritch fronting Spacemen 3? Perhaps, but there's more to come once you glue your skull back together. (It's companion 'Ultra Queasy' adds a headswiriling touch later on in the trip.) The minimalist terror of 'Sideways' bleeds (I use the term advisedly) into the soporific strum of melancholic head nodder 'Candy Coated Telekinesis.' 'Can't Get Love For Nothing' gets an echoey, wah-wah vocal treatment, adding to an already trippy vibe, and 'Won't Wait For You' imbibes me with a baggy-trousered Happy Mondays Madchester groove.

I'll be dipping into the 'Sugar Bowl' more than my doctor would like, but its sweet melody and vibrato guitar solo is too good to avoid. 'Get Fucked' and 'Holy Operator' wear their Jesus and Mary Chain/Primal Scream influences on their proverbial sleeves - psychedelic garage anyone?  I broke into my whirling dervish happy dance for these before 'Turiya' levitated me to that "fourth state" of consciousness that I typically assume before spinning some Brian Jonestown Massacre. I think I saw Anton Newcombe out of my third eye grooving over in the corner of the room.

As the needle hits the final track, 'Deh Deh Deh' is all I could manage to mumble out of my satisfied mind, which is just as well, because this freaked out Stooges-meets-JAMC mindfuck will need some chill out time to come down from. The pair own up to an affection for Brian Jonestown Massacre, Spacemen 3, and Jesus And Mary Chain with a side order of the Stooges and Pretty Things, so if that floats your boat as much as it does mine, you know what to do. But do it fast, as only 125 LPs and 50 CDs are available.

(Jeff Penczak)

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GREAT LAKES - DON'T SWIM TOO CLOSE
(LP on Happy Happy Birthday To Me)

Ben Crum co-founded Great Lakes over 30 years ago but a move to Athens, Georgia found him falling in with the Elephant 6 crowd, with members of Apples In Stereo, Neutral Milk Hotel, Olivia Tremor Control, Of Montreal, et. al. contributing to the early records. Now based in New York, Great Lakes' eighth album features the steady lineup of Crum on guitar and bass, Suzanne Nienaber on vocals, and drummer Kevin Shea that have been together for about 15 years. Assorted friends continue to contribute keyboards, bass, guitars, and drums, but the whole project seamlessly gels throughout.

We were very excited about their previous release (2022's Contenders) and Don't Swim Too Close justifies our earlier reaction. I have to admit to an agreeable Tom Petty-ish groove to opener 'Another Klaxon Sounds', although its distinctive "oogah" is mercifully omited! 'On The Way Back' revisits the Neil Young and Crazy Horse fuzz-driven guitar workouts I enjoyed on Contenders, and there's a subtle 'I Feel Fine' guitar figure  permeating 'Carry The Message' that also drags a little 'Mr. Soul' riff along for the ride. Add a little wah-wah guitar and Dead-ish jam and we're off to a great (pun intended) start!

Is that 'Seeds and Stems (Again)' peeking out behind the slow nodder 'Like An Open Grave'? Kyle Forester's barrel house piano accompaniment is particularly tasty on this one. The title track is a nice country rocker with a steady toe-tapping beat and smooth vocal backing from Nienaber, while instrumental 'San's Blues' is a nice, slow-burning detour to end Side 1.

Forester propels 'Seeing Through Her' through its slow-dancing-swaying-to-the-music paces, Petty's ghost drops by to add atmosphere to 'The Freer Heart,' and Nienaber's soft vocals, not unlike John Prine and Kris Kristofferson's duets with their respective wives, soothe the sarcastic humour of 'Meant To Fly.' 'Song For The Old Man' is a tender, heartfelt tribute to Crum's late father, reminding me favourably of the similar sentiment in Five Chinese Brothers' 'My Dad's Face' and Mark Kozelek (Sun Kil Moon)'s 'I Love My Dad.'

'Are We Here Accidentally' ends the album on an eloquent, existential note with a gospel-inflected chorus that induces goose pimples and discussion points while you flip the album over and enjoy it all over again.

(Jeff Penczak)

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ROBERT FINLEY - HALLELUJAH! DON'T LET THE DEVIL FOOL YA

(LP/CD/Digital on Easy Eye Sound)

Louisiana bluesman Robert Finley brings the gospel and soul on this ripping album at the ripe age of 71.  He’s still making up for lost time, as he didn’t release his first record until he was 62.  He’s ably assisted by mastermind Dan Auerbach, who released it on his Easy Eye Sound label.  The two have collaborated on three other albums, all of them fine, but none have the raw fire of this one.

Finley’s voice is almost impossibly lowdown and gritty – it’s perfect, almost a caricature out of central vocal casting.  His voice is that of a hard-lived life, full of experience, regrets and wisdom.  Auerbach assembles a crack band – himself on guitar, plus favorites of ours Barrie “Little Barrie” Cadogan also on guitar and Malcolm Catto on drums, plus Tommy Brenneck on bass and Ray Jacildo on keyboards.

This record is all about style, and boy does it have that.  The combination of Finley’s testifying and the band’s funky psychedelic soul-gospel-blues playing create a swampy mood that can’t be beat.  Especially on songs like 'Holy Ghost Party,' 'Can’t Take My Joy,' and 'On the Battlefield.' Finley growls about the spirit of the Lord while the band gets absolutely filthy with wah guitars, groovy organ, punchy horns, snaking grooves, and more giddyap than you can imagine.  I also like the track 'Helping Hand,' in which Finley gives sage advice to a young man to clean up his act and work for the Lord.

Finley’s daughter Christy Johnson provides soulful background vocals.  But unfortunately, she does this by usually repeating almost every line he sings, a technique which loses steam after a couple of songs, though your mileage may vary.  What’s hard to fathom is that the album was recorded from a blank slate in a single day from jams!  They went into the studio with no tunes, no lyrics, nothing.  You would not believe the result. Finley had a history of being able to improvise in street busking, which is indeed how Auerbach discovered him.  But still, all the rest of it fell into place just like that?

Hallelujah!  Don’t Let the Devil Fool Ya is a swampy, smoky gumbo of styles that’ll make you fall to your knees and repent…then get down and boogie.

(Mark Feingold)

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ANTON BARBEAU - THE DARK MYSTERY TEMPLE TRILOGY:

GLITCH WIZARD
(CD on Think Like A Key / Gare Du Nord)
DIG THE LIGHT
(CD on Think Like A Key / Gare Du Nord)
KLAUST!
(Self-released)

The prolific Barbeau's latest releases form "The Dark Mystery Temple Trilogy." Glitch Wizard features top notch support from Dave Gregory (XTC), Donald Ross Skinner (Julian Cope, Love Amongst Ruin), and Andy Metcalfe (The Soft Boys and Barbeau’s Three Minute Tease trio with Soft Boy bandmate Morris Windsor). The opening/title track speaks to cracks in the universe that pull us in different directions that we don’t always immediately understand and can’t always control. Like Dorothy in Oz, it’s a journey we feel we must continue to the finish line, no matter what we encounter along the way.  What happens when the “glitch wizard’ takes over and our future is no longer under our own control? Skinner’s fretwork is particularly tasty here and Sharron Kraus’s “distant vocal” adds a Glitch-in-the-machine spooky vibe.

'Nightcrawler’ is a bit funkier with hints of the Talking Heads big band tickling my grey matter. ‘Sing High’ takes several interesting musical detours of the “kitchen sink” variety with the lyric “I got a letter from my doctor/Telling me to take it slow/I asked him was I getting better/But he didn’t know” particularly schizophrenic and frustrating as anyone who’s received cryptic “advice” from your practitioner can attest.

‘Off The Hook’ is perhaps the album’s spaciest, most ethereal track, with Barbeau deeming Gregory’s wah-wah solo “transcendent, krauty holiness.” Right on, brother! The krautrockin’ finale ‘A Pattern Forming’ is part Georgio Moroder with a soupcon of orgiastic, disco-styled chanting from Karen and Xoxo Eng.

And for those of you sitting cross-legged on the floor with the headphones on and staring at the album cover trying to discover hidden meanings to enhance your musical journey, a special mention of Mexican artist Ocote’s mesmerizing album cover is in order. It’s a mind-melting mind map maze presenting numerous opportunities to rewire your neurological circuitry to avoid those unexpected glitches in life or, having encountered dead ends or “roads under construction” retrace your steps and start again.

The yang to Glitch Wizard’s yin, Barbeau describes Dig The Light as the former’s “Siamese cousin.” Sprinkling a little ‘Moondust Hallelujah’ sets an admittedly melancholic mood but then the rockets’ red glare bursts out of your speakers via stomping fuzzfest ‘Dogstar’ featuring Barry “The Fish” Melton on fireworks guitar. Yes, fucking Barry “The Fish” Melton! And boy does he let his freak flag fly. Sounds like a hit single to me. Check out the video for ultimate freakiness!

If your mind is still floating ten feet outside your skull, ‘Cosmic Mind Awaken’ will settle your heebie jeebies for a soft landing. The title track is poppy brilliance with Barbeau’s groovy synth flourishes pulling you onto the dance floor. ‘Mushroom Madness’ speaks for itself and Ant slips into a bit of a Dylanesque swagger while coaxing ferocious licks of that magic fungi out of his trusty six string. And what a fun guy Ant is!

‘All My Dreams’ is another highlight - a marching beat leads a psychedelic parade through your head as Ant chants the welcome mantra “All my dreams are coming true.” In my musicologist's head ‘I Saw Syd’ seems birthed from a cross between Robyn Hitchcock’s paeon to Nick Drake and Dan Treacy’s revelation of Syd Barrett’s home addy. Though I might be wrong.

Between cosmic minds awakening and mushroom-induced madness getting “High On A Mountain Hill’ seems an appropriate apéritif before we raid the ‘Mahogany Jam Jar’ for a little sweet treat. A bit of a sister to ‘All My Dreams’, it’s quite relaxing and suitable for floating downstream. And in an apparent about-face, we end our trip like a “dog chasing tail” - all wrong-way round with the ‘Hallelujah Sun’ circling back to our ‘Moondust Hallelujah’. And we’re off again on another magic swirling trip with the Captain Ant at the controls!

Which brings us to the concluding part of our trilogy...

Klaust! delivers a krautockin' feast for the ears born of heavy doses of Popul Vuh, Agitation Free, Neu!, and I suspect Faust. Ably wigged out by Todd Parker whose Tadpoles "Destroyed Terrastock" back in 1997, Klaust! (the group) also features Sacramento-based rhythm section Tom Monson (drums) and Jeff Simons (bass), both of whom you may recognise from their previous incarnations as Kenny (see our Kenny vs. Thrust review) and The Maude Squad (Ras!). The title track is a synth-heavy toe-tapper grounded by an unusual piano interlude and backwards synth that remind me very favourably of the delerium Sean Lennon and Les Claypool have succumbed to of late. Quirky, proggy, and fun. Barbeau's giddy synth solo highlights 'Another Dirty Window', 'Walk On The Water' is a soothing ballad that namechecks some of Barbeau's favourite listening pleasures (Kate Bush, Bowie, Dylan, Lennon père, and Macca), and the Taiga synth is in full-on giggly/gurgly mode throughout the perky 'I Give You Love.'

There's another Terrastock connection hidden within 'Everytime Eye' - a brief snippet of a phone message from the late Scott Miller (The Loud Family) which launched a long term professional and personal friendship, and the suave, soulful groove of 'So Many Capes In The Sky' might be a knock against Hollywood's over-reliance on comic book heroes, but bolstered by Su Jordan's accompanying vocalisations it's best to just sit back and enjoy that '70s Gamble-Huff atmosphere.

'Shake That Fucking Tambourine' has a booty-shaking Tom Tom Club ferocity that's irresistibly  repetitive with soundbytes from Stewart Lee dropped in for good measure, and 'In Memoriam' is particularly poignant (and eerie) with phone messages from Miller, Ant's dad, and and a close friend keeping their memories alive. It's one thing to pore over photographs of cherished family and friends who've departed, but something about listening to their voices brings those moments closer to home as if they're sitting in the room with you carrying on a conversation. An achingly touching tribute. Reprising the piano interlude from 'Klaust' is a perfect backdrop.

'An Answer Awaiting Me' brings us to a relaxing landing, Tehilla Nolan returning from 'Klaust' to add a sparkling, angelic vocal that ties things up quite nicely, indeed.

(Jeff Penczak)

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Twenty-five years ago having recently gone deaf in one ear, a teenaged Jon DeRosa took to his 4-track cassette recorder in an attempt to make sense of the sounds he was experiencing. Inspired by a virtual who's who of the Terrascope / Terrastock universe (Hood, Windy & Carl, Low, Stars Of The Lid, Flying Saucer Attack, et. al.) DeRosa created his masterful debut album, presented here in a newly remastered 25th anniversary edition, released on (double) vinyl for the first time.

'Glacia' establishes the album's atmospheric mood immediately recogniseable by fans of his aforementioned inspirations: iceberg-slow ambient textures for which I coined the term "Snorecore." [NB: links and contact info is obsolete.] These days you can find hundreds of tracks on YouTube emulating this intimate, sometimes claustrophobic style, frequently marketed as music for liminal spaces or a cure for insomnia, but DeRosa, et. al. were at the forefront of this rejuvenation of work begun many years earlier by the likes of La Monte Young, who would eventually become DeRosa's teacher!

A somnambulant haze hovers over 'Indie' and upon my first listen a quarter of a century ago I was favourably reminded of the intricate guitar weavings of Vini Reilly and his Durutti Column project. Eerie percussive background sounds add to the unsettling nature of the track, like someone moving furniture around in the room down the hall. A perfect soundtrack for Poe's "Tell-Tale Heart"!

The "pretty" fluttering guitar foundation of 'You Have Cured A Million Ghosts From Roaming In My Head' was selected by Lucy Walker for the soundtrack of her 2013 snowboarding documentary The Crash Reel, suggesting this style of music could be exported into theatres and is not confined to cross-legged headphone listening on living room floors! 'Inebria' imbues a feeling of floating weightlessness, like a diver descending to the bottom of the ocean, William Hurt in a sensory-deprivation tank (Altered States), or an astronaut spacewalking millions of miles above the Earth.

You may notice by now that the tracks feel like they're longer than they actually are - this sense of suspended time permeates the album (and "Snorecore" recordings in general). I'll admit at times it seems like nothing is happening but random noise bursts (without the announcements!), but then along comes 'The Ice (Feels Three Feet Thick Between Us)" and this silence or collection of bits between the bits can signify loss of contact with fellow humans - a state perilously close to consuming us every day.

A more recogniseable guitar introduces 'Welcome Home' making it, perhaps, the most accessible song - hypnotic, melodic, romantic, and certainly welcoming. This is a good place to introduce your friends to DeRosa's oeuvre.

Finally, we arrive at the sci-fi soundtrack-ready 'I Remember Life Above The Surface', a tricky track to get your head around, with numerous sonic detours, distortions, squeaks, atomic bomb explosions, and other manipulated tones that may be the closest DeRosa came to capturing his frustration, anger, and eventual acceptance of his hearing defects. The track is a difficult listen for those of us with unimpaired hearing, yet a credit to DeRosa's compositional skills that he is able to create the beauty that preceded this while suffering through the horrors of partial deafness.

(Jeff Penczak)

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AARKTICA - ECSTATIC LIGHTSONGS
(CD/LP on HanaqPacha)

Twenty-five years on from his foregoing debut, DeRosa released his tenth album, again encouraged from listening to acts like Hood, Talk Talk, and The Durutti Column. Unlike many previous releases, DeRosa sings on most tracks (along with Britt Warner on three) and is accompanied by bass, synth, and cellos to embellish his trademark guitar atmospherics. 'Trick Of The Light' is an elegant opener, majestic in scope yet immersed in pop sensibilities. I found myself humming along with the chorus and enjoyed the waterfall guitar and expansive synth flourishes. Reminded me of M83's 'Outro' theme from the Versailles TV series!

'Why Say Anything?' is a melancholic acoustic gem with a seasonal air - I can almost hear a gentle snowfall tapping against my window with DeRosa's whispered vocals inducing a warm and fuzzy feeling inside. Comparable to Greg Lake's acoustic solo material on Works, this one encourages cuddling up with a loved one. 'Ecstatic Light Transmission' harkens back to "No Solace...", its repetitive guitar line accompanied by subtle synth backing.

Warner's angelic lilt lifts 'Destination Paradise' heavenward in keeping with its lyrical exploration of "cargo cults" awaiting ascension into the next world, and the exquisite guitar interplay between Felt guitarists Maurice Deebank and Lawrence drifted into my head while enjoying 'Laughing In The Rain.'

The digital version includes a stunning version of The Chameleon's 'Second Skin', one of my favourite tracks on their Script Of The Bridge masterpiece mostly in part to the equally etheral  harmonic guitar interplay between Reg Smithies and Dave Fielding. DeRosa slows everything down to a smooth crawl with a suave Bryan Ferry-esque vocal, transforming the original's emotional outburst into a more romantic love song. A perfect ending to a perfect album.  

(Jeff Penczak)

KROK combines a lot of elements, including dreamy jazz, Brazilian styles and Library music, all in diaphanous, soft focus.  Alex Chumak, the composer, arranger, musician and vocalist leader of Soyuz, went through a lot with his bandmates to make this record.  He relocated from his native Belarus to Warsaw when the political situation in his home country and the war in Ukraine became untenable.  Lacking the resources to record in Poland, he went to São Paulo, Brazil and did the majority of the tracks in his friend Sessa’s studio, also doing some warm, Fender Rhodes overdubs in Sven Wunder’s studio in Stockholm.  Recording in Sao Paulo entailed more sacrifices, as Soyuz’s co-founder and Chumak’s creative partner Mikita Arlou had to stay behind due to financial difficulties.

"Krok" means “step” in Belarusian, and the album reflects the many steps Chumak and the band have taken in recent years.  Like all Soyuz releases, it is unabashedly romantic.  Chumak’s soft, gentle vocals and lush string arrangements envelop you in calm and tranquil seas, as if you can feel invisible arms around you.  To these ears, KROK is slightly less Brazilian sounding than previous Soyuz records, and jazzier, though there will probably always be a strong Brazilian element to Chumak’s music.

The previously mentioned Sessa has a new album of his own out, Pequena Vertigem de Amor, which will probably get reviewed in these pages before long. Old friends Chumak and Sessa have frequently collaborated on each other’s work, to the benefit of both. Their music sounds similar, both delightful. I love it that Sessa came to the rescue for Chumak and KROK, and I’m sure one day Chumak will return the favor if he can.

Early KROK standouts include the leadoff and title track, a mission statement that ties in all of Chumak’s romanticism. This is followed by the gorgeous "Lingua Do Mundo," perhaps the album’s best song, featuring a guest vocal appearance by its co-writer, the incomparable Tim Bernardes. Two other back-to-back highlights are the Italian Library style "P7 Blues" and “Voo Livre,” both featuring marvelous vocals by Ciça Góes and Ina. “Voo Livre” especially sounds a little like The Free Design relocated to Rio de Janeiro, under the direction of Alessandro Alessandroni. The instrumental “VCB” has lovely piano, nylon acoustic guitar and arrangement for small string and woodwind ensemble.

KROK may clock in at a brief 27 minutes, but not a moment is wasted. To know that it was borne of the hardship of relocating in the face of political turmoil, and venturing even further away - thousands of miles further - to realize the dream, makes this sweet, romantic, melancholy jazz work one to appreciate and cherish.