Pastures New

Drifting pianos, a righteous sound ceremony, warts and all alt-pop, "mellow, lo-fi, slacker-balearic" and the good old bad old days of slack and crack are back.

I’m throwing this one out in a serious hurry because I’ve got some hustling to do, and let’s face it you’re here for some good music not my soap opera or literary enlightenment.

Oh yeah, the singles round up is back again. I keep telling you that albums are dying, although that seems trivial compared to the fact that so are journalists (more important, right thinking, pull no punches journalism from Carole Cadwalladr), democracy, our earthly life support system and the truth, so to help keep your mind off the apocalypse throw these cool singles into your playlists. You do have playlists, don’t you?

Amble - the places across the water (Home Normal)

Piano music has been a thing for the last three hundred years. It’s an instrument I love in its jazz form, but have been dodging in its classical and solo forms for a few decades, not to mention being quite disparaging about its new electronically augmented pretty dull incarnation this century. I don’t quite know what’s happened the last couple of years, maybe a mellowing with age or growing appreciation encouraged by nurturing my Slow Neoclassical Playlist, but I’m slowly warming to the naked or bikini clad sound of the instrument. Never say never.

Amble, the artistic name of Australian pianist and composer Aaron Gleeson, had only dropped a couple of EP before this delightful album - part of a longer series of piano improvisations recorded in Tbilisi, Georgia, in 2024. The recording is serene and borderline soporific, just what I need at the moment. The playing is pleasingly minimal and melodically ambiguous, always stopping just short of tired old tropes or overly familiar progressions; more focussed on carving out space between the notes and generating atmosphere, something accentuated by the discerning field recordings which are placed nicely back in the mix, subtly hinting at the life outdoors rather than waving the nearest bird song or water source the recorder picked up in your face, like a lot of artists today.

It’s a really lovely listen, and quite the tonic.

Saul Williams meets Carlos Niño & Friends at TreePeople (International Anthem)

Another week and another live album tip, who would have thought? Not me. It does help that Saul Williams, who pretty much single handedly introduced New York’s slam poetry scene to the world around the turn of the century, is front and centre speaking his truths of historical and present day injustice and the decline of everything. Carlos Niño is also no stranger to the blog, having either orchestrated or been involved in so many great jazz and jazz adjacent project the last ten years or so, and when you see Carlos Niño and Friends you know you better check who his mates are - Nate Mercereau and Kamasi Washington amongst others in this case, not bad for a sound ceremony underneath oak and black walnut trees in Coldwater Canyon Park, Los Angeles, on December 18, 2024.

Sound ceremony is the operative phrase by the way. Driving percussion is eschewed in favour of rattles and shakers - everyones got them; the guitar synth, sampler, flute, vibraphone, conch shell and sax players tune into the flora spirits around them, descending through the tree roots to offer apologies to Gaia, but also looking up to get a glimpse of the spirit world portals their ancestors have prised open to witness the most spiritual jazz sound bath since Alice Coltrane’s ashram years. It’s a deep, meaningful listen, pull up a chair.

Modern Nature - The Heat Warps (Bella Union)

When I stumbled on Jack Cooper’s Modern Nature project via the Annual album, I classed it, mainly due to Cooper’s vocals, as alt-pop, which in no way does justice to the thoughtfulness, idiosyncrasies and jazz flirting free spirit of the group. Whatever the genre I’ve kept an eye out for them ever since.

After hibernating in the country whilst starting a family, Jack finally found the bus stop, recruited Tara Cunningham to lend a hand on guitar and vocals, worked on stripping down the sound without sacrificing the message or artistic vision, and only gone and made a genuine alt-pop album. He’s got a few things to say about it as well. Here’s a few of them:

“Every day we’re confronted with a confusing and scary world. Making music and creating things can feel flippant or unnecessary, but my own world view was defined and influenced by art and artists who weren’t afraid to highlight and offer solutions”

“It feels as if being part of a group like Modern Nature and making an album that’s open, optimistic and ambitious is in itself part of the solution.”

“It’s difficult to stay aware of the world around you without becoming despondent, Pharoah makes the case for finding a personal philosophy and trying to live a life that might inspire others or at the very least not hurt them.”

“somewhere in there is a philosophy; a romantic nihilism.”

I wish I had more time to scribble some thoughts about this lovely album but it’s a beautifully crafted, warts and all - not that you’d notice, live album and deserves your attention. Don’t forget the back catalogue as well, you’re in for a treat.

Hussain Bokhari - Possessions (Mood Hut)

Born in Bangkok but calling Vancouver home, Hussain Bokhari has finally come out of his stripped down bedroom studio with an impressively widescreen musical world view. By my count, and just to hit home why buying music you love is so important, he’s probably going to get paid about $10 by Spotify and a $100 by Bandcamp depending on his label deal. This genre fluid album deserves better rewards. His Mood Hut label says:

”This is music for the spaces between cities, between eras, between yourself and the person you were.”

The cool mixtape producing Sparky82 reminded me of my old blog reviews that were of a similar length and style for the first few years, and left this review on the Bandcamp page:

“Lovely all-rounder album on a mellow, lo-fi, slacker-balearic tip. Sounding like a collaboration with Mac De Marco, Horsebeach and Jack-J with a love for wonky wavey synths, stoner vocals and twangy jingly sun drenched guitar. Where's the vinyl?“

I say: “It’s great, check it out.”

Warzou meets DUPPY GUN (Accidental Meetings

Even though it ushered in today’s lyrical slackness, I love 90s dancehall reggae. Unfortunately as with hip hop and soul the JA crew have gone for the money and the genre is now a shamelessly commercial shadow of its former self, so I was heartened to stumble across this EP from the ever great, largely Bandcamp lurking DUPPY GUN and the new to me Warzou.

Thankfully the lads keep it old school, enlisting four top drawer toasters to take us on a trip down memory lane. The riddims are proper hip worriers, the lyrics worth repeating and Warzou takes us on a back to the future trip down jungle memory lane too. Get your pipe out and slap a couple of arses, the good old bad old days of slack and crack are back.

Singles Round Up

When I say “for your playlists” I mean it. The quantity of playlist adds and plays, especially early doors action for new releases can really give algorithms a nudge and make quite a difference to the artists. Make a playlist of all your favourite alternative music and leave it playing whilst you’re at work, as well as listening at home. They’re listening.

Who knew white gospel was a thing, and has a long history - not me, plus the band have a great line in experimental folk and an album on the way. Read review.

Blue eyed soul and affairs of the heart never sounded so good, a simple but effective ear worm that come from and burrows deep. Read review.

I know SFA about classical music to be honest, but I know I prefer neoclassical and what I like, and these brothers from Poland bowled me over with this single. Read review.

Forget the ceremonial intent, this is Balearic folk if ever I heard it, warm, uplifting, Mediterranean primed and feel good. Add it to your (late) summer '25 playlist. There’s no Soundcloud or Bandcamp, but check out the blog post where you can also hear a good snippet. Read review.

Final tip is this oddball, opiated, lo-fi exotica meets hazy dream pop. Read review.

Don’t Forget TSMM’s Playlists and Podcast.

From ambient sound baths and wellness imbuing new age vibes to underground house via jazz, neoclassical, folk, dub and more, the twenty one TSMM playlists and podcast cover a lot of ground, and are updated regularly.

They’re available on Tidal, Apple Music, Amazon, Youtube Music, Youtube, Deezer, Soundcloud and Spotify (if you don’t worry about them not paying most of the artists on the playlists).

Just hit this smartlink to connect to the various services and TSMM profiles.