Opal Mag: Goodbye Lavender

photo: John Stanley

English singer Opal Mag tackles the perennial subject of relationship hassles on her Goodbye Lavender EP, alternating between hazy leftfield soft spoken pop and shoegaze drenched in soundscapes. She describes the implosion of an affair in slow motion with World End, with key lines "I wanna hit where it hurts" and "Kick me when I'm down", wants to be loved again against better judgement in Kiss Me, and contemplates travelling back in time when the shit had not hit the fan in Young Forever.

The songs are the opposite of Joe Jackson's quip that "happy loving couples have no stories". She has plenty of grudges to bear, raging against the dying of what was supposed to last, by way of slacker rock that wants the other party to hurt and quite possibly bleed.

Honey Blonde: European tour dates

Dutch-Cypriot pink-punk band Honey Blonde have added a couple of shows, including ones in Belgium and Cyprus, to promote their self-titled EP: "Semeli Theodosiou, Jade Bogaart, Valentina Charalampous and Eva Burger have an instant rapport, playing fast and loose, in sync with the second wave of riot grrrl sound."

Golden Alphabet: The Cormier Walkdown

Brooklyn based psych folkies Golden Alphabet have their songwriter's back on their The Cormier Walkdown EP, providing a subtle r accompaniment. It is obvious that Tommy Cormier wasn't in a particularly good place when he wrote the three songs, going through angry fits, trying to keep a brave face, but ultimately giving in to despair. Also: God is no help at all, something he has known for quite some time, but being disappointed once again still hurts.

Cormier chose his words wisely and economically, keeping it simple while caught in the midst emotional turmoil. It is a 101 for writing songs that cut to the chase, something that can not be taught in school, but comes from experience and been dealt a bad hand.

Hans Hjelm: The Night Electronic

Swedish composer and guitarist Hans Hjelm started out as an indie rocker, before going into jazz and ending up - for now - as a progressive electronic music explorer. On his new album The Night Electronic he went back to the instrumental tracks from his previous release Into The Night and invited singers Hildur Höglind and Viktor Westerlund to bring their A-game supplying dreamy vocals.

The five tracks deal with human insecurities. Bookended by Mantra and its reversed titled Artnam it is a search for clarity. Anyone who has been lost in thought about what it the meaning of life is, while staring at the sea (Shores) or watching nightfall (Aftersun), can relate to a concept like this. The two CD only reworked bonus tracks of his first album Factory Reset are nice of have, but they take away a bit from the carefully curated flow of the core album.

Ciao Lucifer: Do Do Do

photo: Bibian Bingen

Dutch indie pop duo Ciao Lucifer label themselves proudly as feel-good musicians, but the lyrics dig a little deeper. Their new single Do Do Do is about a guy who has taken the empathy thing a bit too far, shouldering other people's burdens, while the involved party could be better off trying to deal with it and find a solution that will actually solve the problem. Note the use of a bespoke 10-string guitar, which can handle the bass part as well.