Thistle Sifter: Forever The Optimist

photo: CamilleM

English musician Pete Barnes released two introspective albums with his instrumental project Thistle Sifter, as he was trying to deal with the after effects of a nasty bike accident, but on Forever The Optimist he comes out of shell, only to find out that the outside world has become a dangerous place, where rampant capitalism is depleting all the natural resources. People don't seem to realise that agriculture as one of the main culprits (Ghost Acres). He has been reading a lot and the works of Jay Griffiths, George Monbiot, Omar El Akkad and Siddharth Kara found their way into his compositions, not so much with the actual words, but more like mood boards that were translated into music.

He has a knack for creating soundscapes that are wrapped in neo-classical textures, some of them quite abstract (Weightless), but also going into Depeche Mode meets Mogwai (One Fleeting Glance). The softly tinkling Endling is covered in hiss, from which the choice synth notes can escape to a supposedly better place. Barnes has plenty of reason to be seriously worried, but all is not lost as he wraps up his statement with the soft-spoken title track. It would help if people stopped being so greedy and stupid though. Only then the Anthropocene can become an era that does not end in destruction.

The Darts: Apocalypse

Seattle based garage-rockers The Darts embrace the darkness on their new single Apocalypse, a fast-paced and sometimes chaotic song that was inspired by the medieval Apocalypse Tapestry, which is on display in Angers, France. The song basically wrote itself, according to singer Nicole Laurenne, whose cheesy Farfisa organ offers a bit of relief in the midst of the mayhem. And yes, the current clusterfuck in her country helped too, hence the line "no future, no kings" as a rallying cry throughout the track.

Razorhouse: Shimmer & Burn b/w Jesus Died in Gaza

Chicago based psychedelic blues band Razorhouse take a stand with their new double A-side single Shimmer & Burn b/w Jesus Died in Gaza, pointing their fingers at domestic violence and the genocide in Gaza. They paint with broad strokes, using aural violence as both a means of release and channeling anger. It's an in-your-face one-two punch that leaves the listener reeling, just like Black Sabbath's War Pigs set out to do.

underdown: (Living In) Constant Fear

Can you make anxiety joyous, well sort of? Welsh singer Rhys Underdown can. His new single (Living In) Constant Fear is a hole-in-one piece of baroque pop, with a piano and a saxophone holding hands as they barrel through a little over four minutes of musical bliss. He is a crooner in the guise of a rocker, or vice versa. Either way, this a song that mixes Roxy Music with Rufus Wainwright, which should not work, but it does. Apocalyptic visions are easier to deal with if this is the kind of music it can produce.

Kabasse: "Encore" video

German progressive jazz rock sextet Kabasse have unveiled an animated video for Encore, a track from their forthcoming album About Sitting On Fences: "With all musicians in the same room playing together, the listener gets the role of a fly-on-the-wall, having to focus on the delicate interplay that only happens when the players are in sync and in control of their instrument all the time. Only then does spontaneity add to the end result, because they can use the spaces that they leave open for each other to do their thing. No safety net needed, because they each other's back, creating a rich tapestry of sounds that seems to change with each listen."