Album review overview: Mac Miller, Ian Siegal and more

Dozens of new albums arrive at Maxazine’s editorial staff every week. There are way too many to listen to them all, let alone review them. It ensures that too many albums are left behind. And that’s a shame. That is why today we post an overview of albums that arrive at the editors in short reviews.

Ian Siegal meets Johnny Mastro – Easy Tiger

Two heavyweights in the blues scene, these two men. Both come from completely different backgrounds and styles. Ian Siegal was born in Fareham, a suburb of Portsmouth in southern England, and has been working with various bands and in different formations for about twenty years. Johnny Mastro is from Geneva, New York, and has been living in New Orleans for many years. Many years ago, both signed with the British Nugene label, where they first met. Plans to collaborate took shape in January of this year when they started writing songs together in Mastro’s living room in New Orleans. The recordings then took place at Big Jon Atkinson’s Bigtone Studios. The gentlemen received support from Smoke (guitar), Chris Davis (drums), and Josh Kerin (drums). Of the thirteen tracks, eleven were written by Siegal and Mastro, either together, alone, or with a co-writer. The two remaining tracks are “Baby You Can Get Your Gun,” known by Earl King, and “I Won’t Cry No More” by Carlos Guitarlos Ayala. The combination of Siegal’s rootsy sound and Mastro’s pounding and rousing work works wonderfully. Those familiar with Siegal’s work know his variety from uptempo rockers to quiet ballads. Mastro, on the other hand, hardly follows this approach. He starts a full throttle and lets the engine idle at the end. Siegal joins in with obvious pleasure and regularly takes over the wheel. From the very first track, “Four On The Floor,” the tempo is set, and that song also demands quite a bit from Ian’s voice, up to the closer, “Oedipuss,” where Ian’s voice and Johnny’s harmonica form a perfect combination. Other tracks that deserve a special mention, in my opinion, are “No Mercy,” with beautiful slide guitar by Ian, the swinging ‘Miss Your Cadillac,’ and the aforementioned cover “I Won’t Cry No More.” An excellent album from these gentlemen. One that will undoubtedly rank high on year-end lists. (Eric Campfens) (8/10) (Continental Records Services)

The Aurora Project – EVOS12

The Dutch prog rock/metal band The Aurora Project will release ‘EVOS12’ on February 21. This is the first part of a two-part concept album. After Dronewars, people in the big cities lost their sense of purpose. The leaders of the new world took advantage of this and widened the gap between themselves and the population. In a city that once valued freedom and equality, Nigel Light struggled to survive in the ruins. Far away, on the moon Welda, a young genius made a discovery that could save his world. “EVOS12” consists of five tracks, including one epic. There are countless unexpected and/or special twists and details. Some songs contain pauses. Vocalist Dennis Binnekade is versatile: both in soft and powerful singing, you hear emotion and/or passion. The (layered) backing vocals are excellent. Everything is well composed and performed, both vocally and instrumentally, including the intros and outros. Heavy riffs, acoustic guitar tones, organ playing, great drumming, unique sounds. There is so much to enjoy! Too much to mention, which is why you should listen to ‘EVOS12’ yourself. (Esther Kessel-Tamerus) (9/10) (FREIA Music)

Alessandro Di Liberto – Punti Di Vista

Also, longing for a holiday? Then consider Sardinia, the Italian island known not only for its idyllic nature but also for an internationally renowned jazz festival: Time in Jazz, organized since 1988 in Berchidda by local legend Paolo Fresu. The island also harbours more jazz treasures, such as composer and pianist Alessandro Di Liberto, who also studied in our country for a while. His ‘Punti Di Vista’ is a musical travel guide to the beautiful island in the Mediterranean. That sea is omnipresent and a source of inspiration, starting with the sea breeze that brings some coolness in ‘Vento di Mare’ or the azure blue reflection of the water in ‘Verde e Azzurro.’ Di Liberto’s piano playing in these tracks is mainly graceful, almost light-footed, accentuated by the melodic saxophone playing of Laura Marras. Notable is the use of synthesizers in ‘Spiaggia di Riso,’ sometimes unnecessary and even disruptive in more classic smooth jazz, but here it works excellently and even enriches the music. However, Sardinia has more to offer: rugged rock formations, wild rivers, and a vibrant cultural life in the island’s cities and villages. This is experienced in “Sulla Torre” (“On the Tower”) and “Riviera di Corallo,” where the tempo picks up under the direction of bassist Sebastiano Dessanay and drummer Roberto Migoni, with Marras particularly taking the spotlight. “Punti Di Vista” is a lively album that makes you long for the versatility of this island. We are booking our trip. Time in Jazz runs from August 8 to 16, and we would be surprised if Alessandro Di Liberto is not one of the performing artists. (Jeroen Mulder) (7/10) (gleAM Records)

Decius – Vol.II (Splendour & Obedience)

In the dark recesses of the modern club scene, Decius emerges like a ghost from the past, but one polished with 21st-century technology. With “Decius Vol. II,” this British supergroup—including Fat White Family’s enfant terrible Lias Saoudi—delivers an album that grinds the spirit of Studio 54 through a digital filter. While L’Impératrice’s “Pulsar” flirted with refined nu-disco last year, Decius goes straight for the jugular with a relentless 4/4 beat that pounds through your skull at a steady 120 BPM. The production is crystal clear as if someone dusted off old disco records’ velvet and replaced it with a chromium suit. The album is a technical marvel, built like a complex Lego puzzle of sequences, samples, and beats. Through a high-quality headset, you can hear every detail, every electronic sigh. But make no mistake—this is no cerebral experiment. This is music that speaks directly to your dancing muscles, bypassing your frontal cortex. Perfect for a summer barbecue or a late-night party, ‘Decius Vol. II’ may not be an artistic revolution, but it is an infectious ode to the timeless power of the dance floor. (Jan Vranken) (7/10) (The Leaf Label)

Mac Miller – Balloonerism

Like a long-hidden treasure from 2014, Mac Miller’s album “Balloonerism” now surfaces—a rapper who passed away in 2018 at just 26 due to an overdose, right when his star was rising. Miller, who started as a teenager in Pittsburgh’s underground scene, evolved from a party rapper into a serious artist blending jazz, soul, and experimental hip-hop into a unique sound. These 14 tracks were recorded in the same fertile period as his mixtape “Faces” and unfold as a testament to an artist in full development. The highlights keep coming, with the hypnotic “DJ’s Chord Organ,” where Miller and SZA complement each other perfectly, and the sublime ‘5 Dollar Pony Rides,’ a track that winds through your speakers like a late-night jazz session. Here, Miller, alongside Thundercat and the Bruner brothers, paints a musical landscape reminiscent of the best moments of The Roots’ “Things Fall Apart.” The fascinating thing is how contemporary the album sounds as if Miller foresaw today’s musical trends. With the production wisdom of his collaborators, he builds a psychedelic soundscape that seamlessly fits into today’s music scene. This is no dusty archive material but a vivid testament to the boundless talent that ultimately earned him a Grammy nomination for his final album, “Swimming.” “Balloonerism” makes us not only mourn the loss of a remarkable artist but also all the future masterpieces we will never hear. (Elodie Renard) (8/10) (Warner Music)