Ty Segall – Harmonizer

Harmonizer is Ty Segall’s first full-length solo record for two years, which is an aeon in the discography of the most relentlessly creative man in garage rock (John Dwyer might want a word about that claim, granted). The last one, First Taste, was pretty experimental in his use of non-guitar instruments. Harmonizer... mate, Harmonizer is a synth album. Could it be? The crown prince of the garage going pop? That would actually be kinda fun but no that’s not what this is. Segall’s synths are as heavy as his guitars, in fact this is the one of the heaviest solo albums he’s ever done. Listen to tunes like Whisper or Pictures or Waxman at a chunky volume and then be sure to pick up the pieces of your brain scattered around the room.

Sturgill Simpson – The Ballad of Dood and Juanita

You already know that Sturgill Simpson does what he wants, there’s no record man can tame him. So here’s the latest brilliant whim from the fella: a narrative concept album about an old west rifle-slinger (Dood), his true western love (Juanita), and his quest to get her back after she’s kidnapped by bandits. It’s slight but it’s a delight. Using many of the same musicians as with his Cuttin’ Grass albums (nothing says rapid travellin’ like a bluegrass group playing double speed), the tunes are filled with clever and creative flourishes. Sturgill’s voice is in typical impassioned form – not gonna spoil the emotional knife twist in the middle but suffice to say that it’ll get ya (though tbh the narrative itself isn’t as important to the listening experience as the experience itself). Then when it comes time for the centrepiece tune Juanita, ol’ Sturgill bows to the best of them with a Spanish guitar solo played by the incomparable Willie Nelson – who’s Red Headed Stranger is the guiding light for Dood & Juanita for sure. It’s highest praise to say that those two country concept albums make a damn fine double bill.

Lorde – Solar Power

Not sure if some reviewers were expecting Melodrama 2.0 with all the pop bangers or what but this definitely isn’t that... it’s not trying to be that. You can tell the reviews which judge the album on what they expected it to be versus those who judge it on what it is. Take the wiser, latter path and you’re in for a summer’s golden treat, full of witty yarns and warm imagery. No surprises that Lorde would be reaching into themes of the weary excesses of celebrity and finding revival in the natural world – Melodrama was the raging Saturday night out whereas Solar Power is the recovery mission to the beach the following day. Guitars are suddenly a staple. It’s tastefully (if cautiously) produced by the ubiquitous Jack Antonoff. And know also that the singles were all goods but the best tunes here are the likes of California, Dominoes, and Fallen Fruit.

Emma-Jean Thackray – Yellow

Seems pretty safe to say that Emma-Jean Thackray has listened to a lot of Alice Coltrane in her life. She may be a white millennial from West Yorkshire but mate music is love and it transcends. Thackray - a multi-instrumentalist, bandleader & producer – was not pulling punches with this vibrant and fresh and spiritual free jazz smorgasbord. It’s a joyous sounding album. Modern but with those nods to the classics of the genre. Quite a few vocal songs in there too, it’s not all astral instrumentals and chants (though those are there too).

LUMP – Animal

Laura Marling and Mike Lindsay each have their own things going on. Marling is a brilliant folk singer capable of heart-wrenching honesty while Lindsay is an expert in the art of getting artsy with electro-freak-folker band Tunng,. This is what happens when they combine forces. Their self-titled first effort in 2018 was pretty cool, it felt like what it was: an enjoyable side-project. This unexpected follow up sees them ramping things up into territory that would excite David Bowie (they even used the same type of harmonizer that Bowie used in the Eno/Berlin days – the influence is glaring) with a smirking sense of the experimental and a very potent social conscience hidden beneath the surrealism. Plus, you know, Marling writes great tunes. These are deceptively funky earworms boosted by the album’s creative cohesion. Plus it’s a unique example of the album credits being part of the album itself... Marling reading them out over the closing tones of Phantom Limb before fading out repeating the phrase: LUMP is the product. So that’s an indication of what you’re in for here.

Death Valley Girls – Street Venom

Wicked cool garage rock tunes are what Death Valley Girls always serve up. The formula has gotten a little more expansive with each release... but this isn’t that because this is a remastering/deluxe edition of their debut album. Latching onto the growing success they’ve had over the last five years by thrusting the originals back into focus. It’s rudimentary in the best way. Pure fire and fury. The drums hit hard and there’s loud distorted guitar throughout. But there’s also a fair bit of variety to the tunes here, like No Reason and Paradise Blues hit very different vibes. Proving that the group’s unique California Doom Boogie sound was there from day one.

Altin Gün – Alem

Probably the best Dutch electro-psych rock band with Turkish and Anatolian folk influences that you’re gonna hear this week. Maybe even all month. This is actually Altin Gün’s second album of the year. And the one before that got nominated for a Best World Music grammy (grammies are stupid as hell, by far the most meaningless major entertainment awards, but point being they’re on the up and up). All the vocalists are of Turkish origin so that’s the standout factor here, that groovy arabic melodic sense but with bouncy keys and synths and drum loops and everything all around ‘em. Chances are you’ve not heard anything quite like this.

William Tyler & Luke Schneider – Understand

One of the finest guitarists and one of the finest pedal steel players within that whole cosmic ambient breezy virtuoso instrumental scene, seems like a pretty sweet combo right? Yes, you would be right. About as natural as it gets. Understand is only a four-song EP, recorded in a single session, but they stretch things out in that beautifully laconic way. Tyler’s music in particular always has that feeling of wide open natural landscapes and this one’s more of the same, but with a few krautrock influences (as had been more evident in some of WT’s more recent solo stuff) and with Schneider adding some delicious weirdness to the mix. This is music to sit on the porch looking for UFO’s with.

Psychedelic Source Records - Nagykörű Sessions

Get this, we’re talking here about a Hungarian rock collective who specialise in dragged out dirty blooze jams and this effort before your bleeding eyes is long and wild and at times a little unhinged and definitely just what you need to visit an altered state free from lockdown fatigue. It’s purely instrumental. The organs in particular are a delight. Rest assured you’ve got plenty of extended electric guitar solos and some killer drum grooves too while the bass is in your face like it oughta be. Funky work... and there’s plenty more where this came from in the PSR bandcamp bank. Like this one, since Nagykörű Sessions isn’t on YouTube at all.

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