Richard Kapp & the Gowns: Ship

photo: Christian Messner

Austrian chamber pop band Richard Kapp & the Gowns bring back the smooth sound of the 70s on their new album Ship. A bit of jazz, a bit of funk, with band leader Richard Knapp's piano as the core. It is all done in very good taste and it could have been rather faceless, save for the lyrics which can be quite ironic or scathing, with the twist in Magic Cake as the prime example.

The band lists Elton John and Billy Joel as major influences. Rufus Wainwright and Jackson Browne come to mind as well. Ship is not an album that sails unchartered waters, but it does offer a nice trip along the coast, with the crew pointing out familiar landmarks. The few freak waves are good for a giggle, knowing that there is no real danger.

Icarus Phoenix: I Should Have Known the Things You Never Said (Deluxe Edition)

When Drew Danburry shared his hurt about his divorce on the Icarus Phoenix album I Should Have Known the Things You Never Said last year, it was a pretty intense journey. Those ten songs, including the Mother Lights cover In The Blood, were only the tip of the iceberg. In a flurry of creativity the band recorded 40 (!) songs in three days, with producer Jed Jones as a true ally to keep the the momentum going. The subsequent single releases culled from those sessions were proof that maybe that way too many darlings were killed when assembling the original, so Danburry did a 180° and decided to release 37 songs in all for an expanded deluxe edition, using the order in which they were recorded.

Heartbreak is a source for mixed emotions: hurt, anger, grief, and even relief. The latter comes to the fore in the upbeat Solitude. Drewbury keeps his lyrics pretty straightforward mostly, honouring the folk adage that simple words can tell a great story, but he is not afraid to go the opposite route by comparing the break-up as a conflict between Tachykinin vs. Habenula, which will have most listeners reaching for a medical handbook. Self-deprecating humour is also part of the equation, with Poor Sad Indie Everything, Not Misunderstanding Litotes, and the stop-start approach for Live. Give. Lose. Grow., with the music taking short pauses as well, a highlight from the original album.

North Star: new album "Death" on September 12

Dutch electropop band North Star will release their third album Death on September 12. Bass player René Postma and singer Anne-Linn Beekhof have welcomed guitarist Mark Schimmel as a new band member last year and he has written two tracks for the new album. They will play a special release show @ Hedon in their hometown Zwolle. Peter ten Wolde will join them on drums.

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HCTF review of North Star II

The Cords: I'm Not Sad

Scottish sisters Eva and Grace Tedeschi are keeping a brave face on their new single I'm Not Sad, a track from their self-titled album by their duo The Cords. They get the job in less than two minutes, basically a 101 for how to write a jangling pop song with plenty of earworm potential.

John Cale: "Steam on Glass" In New York

On November 2 John Cale will present Steam on Glass @ Lincoln Center in New York:

Cale presents Steam on Glass, exploring noise, improv, and experimentation while tracing his New York City lineage. He showcases his vast repertoire of songs, from the academic experimentation that led to the formation of The Velvet Underground to his multi-genre stepping stones and current works.

Tickets go on sale on September 10.

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