Album review overview: Aakash Sridhar, Raven 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.
Aakash Sridhar – Revived Emotions
If there must be a downside to this album, it would be about the duration of this debut. In just over half an hour and in six compositions written over the past two years, pianist Aakash Sridhar, originally from India, shows that he is a brilliant musician and an asset to jazz. Brilliant in simplicity, in which he flawlessly captures emotions. The melancholic, for example, in “Sunsets”: it’s the beauty of the sunset, knowing that it will rise again the next morning, bringing new opportunities, new life, and especially new friendships. Friends who bring the music along, like Andrew Getman on guitar in “Reflections of Yesterday” or the closing interplay of the rhythm section on “Stop Chasing”, with leading roles for bassist Andrew Adams and Joshua Ferrel on drums. One of the highlights is “My Home” which he seamlessly blends with the traditional pentatonic tuning of the Hamsadhvani raag. Sridhar brings worlds together in jazz: from Bangalore, the pianist moved to the US, where he now lives in Fort Worth near Dallas. The call of the swan now therefore also sounds in Texas and hopefully far beyond. Listen to “A Spark” where everything comes together: the irrepressible swing and the masterful improvisations of both Getman and Sridhar that we can’t get enough of. Let this album be a spark. (Jeroen Mulder) (9/10) (Independent production)
Billy Nomates – Mary & the Hyenas (OST)
A surprising turn in the story of Billy Nomates: after three albums full of raw post-punk and personal observations, Tor Maries now dives into the world of film music. “Mary & the Hyenas”, the soundtrack for a biopic about feminist pioneer Mary Wollstonecraft, proves to be a revelation – an album where sharp guitar rock seamlessly flows into compelling pop melodies. Maries’ talent for capturing complex emotions in direct, pointed songs comes to perfect fruition in tracks like “Utopian Dreams”, where Wollstonecraft’s fighting spirit resonates in rousing choruses and masterfully built production. The compactly written “We are the Men” cuts through layers of historical patriarchy with surgical precision, while “Fuckboy” – perhaps the album’s highlight – translates 18th-century gender politics into an ice-cold modern idiom. It’s fascinating how Maries, no stranger to social struggle herself, connects with Wollstonecraft’s story. She transforms historical facts and philosophical ideals into catchy pop songs that stick both in the head and hips. This album is not only an excellent soundtrack but also an intelligent bridge between past and present, packaged in accessible but never superficial pop music. (Jan Vranken) (8/10) (Invada Records UK)
Raven – Can’t Take Away The Fire
To celebrate their 50(!)-year anniversary, the Gallagher brothers and drummer Mike Heller release this limited EP. Intended for true fans only. Only 1000 copies will be pressed. Each copy is numbered and signed by the band members. You also get a 50th-anniversary patch that you can sew onto your battle jacket. This collector’s item is only available at the official Raven store and can be pre-ordered now. What’s on this EP? Five new songs, four of which are in the familiar style of thick-wood-planks-sawing that we’ve known from Raven for fifty years. “The Wreckage” is also a new song and has a considerable Black Sabbath vibe, making it personally the best song on this EP for me. Additionally, there are three live bonus tracks, of which “Don’t Need Your Money”, recorded in 1984 in Amsterdam, is the most interesting. For the true fan, this EP is a must-have. If you’re not among the 1000 lucky ones, “Can’t Take Away The Fire” will probably be available to stream via Spotify from February 14. (Ad Keepers) (7/10) (Silver Lining Music)
Voyou – Henri Salvador est un Voyou
Like a lost roadmap through French music history, the album “Henri Salvador est un Voyou” by Thibaud Vanhooland now arrives like a refreshing breeze. It’s as if you’re driving an old Citroën DS through the winding roads of French music tradition, with Voyou as your contemporary guide who breathes new life into Salvador’s spirit in his unique way. Vanhooland, who plays brass and hides behind his artist name Voyou (aptly meaning ‘rascal’), takes us on a musical journey reminiscent of how Django Reinhardt once inspired Salvador – a circle that now comes around wonderfully. Where many tribute albums get lost in nostalgic clichés, Voyou manages to capture the essence of Salvador’s work while leaving his musical fingerprint. From the melancholic “Syracuse” to the other gems from Salvador’s repertoire: each song gets an arrangement that switches between grand orchestral moments and intimate passages. It’s like flipping through an old photo album that suddenly comes to life in colour. This is not a dusty tribute, but a vibrant reinterpretation that underlines the timelessness of Salvador’s work. For those who remember Salvador from “Jardin d’hiver” or other classics: this record is like a warm reunion with an old friend in new clothes. For new listeners, it’s a perfect introduction to the rich oeuvre of one of France’s most versatile artists. An album that looks at the past with respect but moves resolutely forward. (Jan Vranken) (7/10) (Enterprise)
The Night Flight Orchestra – Give us the Moon
On The Night Flight Orchestra’s seventh record, the echo of an era that’s almost half a century behind us resonates. “Give Us The Moon” is a loving tribute to the AOR sound of yesteryear. Still, the question arises as to whether this musical time travel is more than a cleverly executed pastiche in 2025. The sudden loss of guitarist David Andersson in 2022 casts a melancholic shadow over the record, particularly in the emotionally charged “A Paris Point of View”. Yet the band remains faithful to their proven formula: John Lönnmyr’s driving keyboards that could have come straight from a Foreigner session, and Björn Strid’s voice that effortlessly switches between power and pathos, like a northern Lou Gramm. From the disco-tinged “Like The Beating Of A Heart” to the spatial sounds of the title track – everything here is recreated with surgical precision from the great AOR handbook. It’s craftsmanship, certainly, but sometimes so perfectly executed that it almost becomes a theme park experience. For fifty-somethings who spent their youth with REO Speedwagon and Styx in the cassette recorder, this is undoubtedly a feast of recognition. Whether this time capsule will reach a new generation seems less relevant than the pure pleasure with which the band honours their beloved genre. (Anton Dupont) (7/10) (Napalm records)