Here Comes The Flood: No Ninja Am I: Plenty of Blankets

Sander van Munster project hits the ground running with Next Time Around, the opening track of Plenty of Blankets, the new album by his No Ninja Am I project. Channeling Harry Nilsson (plus a quick reference to the Beatles's Come Together) this is as close as he ever got to being part of the Great American songbook. The hooks, the melody, the arrangements, it's all there. It is followed by the gentle title track, a change of pace about the need to stay close to each other. With this quick one-two Van Munster sets the tone for these new full-length, trying to be an extrovert, but being more comfortable as an introvert.

Van Munster is genuinely worried about the rampant rise of fake news. With Custom Pope he urges the listener to check the facts, like New York Times journalist Michael Barbaro does with his podcast The Daily. It is an album without any weak spots and it's hard to pick a stand-out track, but when push comes to shove it is the sprawling Come Closer - 13 Steps - Good Times (For John), an adventurous amalgam of a '70s inspired songsmith tune giving way to a dreamy bridge for the 13 steps, while being chased by a freak-out guitar, culminating in a Beach Boys sequence. One more then? He added dabs of electronics, plus a hint of jazz and psychedelic pop to Storyline, using tension and release to set the mood for a dreamy tale with his vocals knee-deep in echo.

With his circle of friends lending him a hand to create multi-faceted tapestry the album offers something new after each listen. Disconnect the phone, find a comfy chair and enter a world of light and shade.

Sander van Munster: vocals, guitar, keyboards
Wubbo Siegers: drums
Coen Hamelink: flugelhorn, trumpet
Aram van Munster: shakers, tambourine
Eva van Lier: violin
Gijs van Kerkhoven: bass, electric guitar, percussion