Album review overview: Stray Kids, Sugar Ray 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.

Sugar Ray And The Bluetones – Blues From Sibculo

Raymond Norcia, better known as Sugar Ray, has been active in the blues scene for over 50 years. Since 1979, he has led his own band, Sugar Ray And The Bluetones. In the 1990s, he spent seven years as the voice of Roomful of Blues. With both his own band and as a supporting musician for artists such as J. Geils, Roomful of Blues, Pinetop Perkins, and Otis Grand, among others, he appears on more than fifty albums. Drummer Neil Gouvin, who has played with Ray in various bands since high school, and bassist Michael ‘Mudcat’ Ward have been with the Bluetones from the start. Ronnie Earl and Monster Mike Welch have been the band’s guitarists over the years. During their European tour in April this year, the band spent a few days in Bo Brocken’s studio in Sibculo, Overijssel. Over three days, this was the domain of Ray, Neil, Michael, and the renowned guitarist Rusty Zinn. Four musicians with their instruments, and Bo Brocken and Harm van Essen behind the controls. The result is remarkable. The album “Blues From Sibculo” contains ten tracks, recorded purely and honestly without overdubs or manipulation. It’s as if you are witnessing a recording session in the old Chess studios in Chicago. We hear five original tracks and five covers. They are ten gems, distinguished by their apparent simplicity, purity, and the evident joy the musicians experienced during their time in Sibculo. The solid and swinging bass and drums give Ray vocals and harmonica and Rusty on guitar every opportunity to do their work. Ray has a pleasant, clear voice, and his harmonica sound is full and compelling, making every track believable. Rusty Zinn is a guitarist of exceptional class, sometimes fierce and raw, other times relaxed. Tracks that deserve special mention include the lively opener ‘No More Chances’, the enjoyable boogie ‘Rusty Nail’, and the classic T-Bone Walker track ‘Mean Old World’ with excellent guitar work from Rusty. I’m not someone for year-end lists, but if I were to make one, “Blues From Sibculo” would rank highly, probably at the very top. A delightful album. (Eric Campfens) (9/10) (Natural Records)

Alex Ventling – Wavemakers

Pianist and composer Alex Ventling was born in New Zealand but has lived and worked in Europe for many years, taking a fascinating journey that began in Basel and took him through the Jazz Masters Program to Copenhagen, Berlin, and Trondheim. This rich training is reflected in his music: we hear classical training, improvisation techniques, and pure jazz in the nine compositions on “Wavemakers”. Due to the variety of styles, the album is hard to classify. These are soundscapes, sometimes even meditative, with a keen ear for detail. Ventling collaborates on this album with Tuva Halse (violin), Amund Stenøien (vibraphone), and August Glännestrand (drums), a quartet perfectly in sync and effortlessly riding the waves Ventling composes, consisting of complex textures and rhythmic quirks. At times, the waves ripple gently, but at key moments, we hear the depths, especially when violin and vibraphone take the lead. “Wavemakers” is not a classic jazz album but feels closer to a soundtrack experience. Take the triptych ‘Trondheim’, the third-largest city in Norway and now Ventling’s home. We mentally follow the Nidelva, past the warehouses, pause at the Nidaros Cathedral, visit Stiftsgården and Sverresborg: Ventling succeeds in creating a true musical portrait. The violin and vibraphone provide the real magic in this portrait. The album highlight is ‘Omaha’, thanks to the vocals of Sissel Vera Pettersen. The lyrical singing is enriching: in our opinion, vocals on more tracks could have been a beautiful addition. (Jeroen Mulder) (8/10) (Particular Recordings Collective)

Triskelyon – Maelstrom Of Chaos

Triskelyon is a solo studio project of Canadian guitarist Geoff Waye, who plays in Category VI. Waye began Triskelyon in 2021, and “Maelstrom Of Chaos” is the fourth album from Triskelyon. Faithfully, Geoff Waye releases a new Triskelyon album every year. Waye writes all the tracks and, of course, plays guitar on the album. The lineup varies per track, which hardly affects the music but does impact the vocals. A few vocalists deserve mention, though not all, as this is a short review. First, Liv Jagrell (Liv Sin), Pete Healey from Marshall Law, who impresses with his high notes, and fellow Category VI member Amanda Jackman also appear on the album. Triskelyon plays raw thrash that strongly reminds me of the first album by compatriots Voivod, “War and Pain”. It all sounds very rough and unpolished. The production is also crude. Honestly, even after many listens, I still cannot get a full grasp of this album. Is it modern? Retro? Blackened thrash? I’ll call it punk/thrash. Despite “Maelstrom Of Chaos” varying in quality, due to the many musicians involved, it remains enjoyable. The best track is the opener, ‘Of Dust And Divination’, sung by Liv Jagrell. The Peter Schilling cover of ‘Major Tom’ is also noteworthy. Slightly odd, but enjoyable, much like the album as a whole. (Ad Keepers) (7/10) (Moribund Records)

Mario – Glad You Came

After a six-year hiatus, American singer Mario returns with his sixth studio album, his first release on a major label since 2009. Under the guidance of producer and songwriter James Fauntleroy, Mario has created an intimate album that blends his love for classic soul with modern production. The album evokes the spirit of Marvin Gaye and Michael Jackson while adding a contemporary layer. The single ‘Space’ reached the top 20 of the Adult R&B Songs chart, while ‘Keep Going (Aaaaahhhhh)’ gave Mario his first top 10 hit in twenty years. The title track is a seductive slow jam, showcasing Mario’s vocal depth. Tracks such as ‘You 101’ and ‘Selfish’ demonstrate his ability to express vulnerability and romantic doubt, comparing love to academic dedication. Production by BNYX and Fauntleroy’s songwriting elevate the album. Mario proves that after two decades, he remains relevant and can compete with the new generation of R&B artists. The album feels both personal and universal, full of rich melodies and emotional depth. (Elodie Renard) (7/10) (Epic Records)

Stray Kids – HOP

The K-pop group Stray Kids closes 2024 with their first official mixtape since their 2018 debut, an ambitious project centring on their love of hip-hop. Earlier this year, the group released the successful album “Ate” and now continues with their interpretation of the genre under the name SKZHOP HIPTAPE. The mixtape opens with ‘Walkin On Water’, a track heavily inspired by ’90s hip-hop with modern noise elements characteristic of the group. The eight members each get space to showcase their individual talents in solo tracks, ranging from Bang Chan’s sensual ‘Railway’ to Lee Know’s cheerful ‘Youth’ with an ’80s vibe. Changbin’s ‘Ultra’ impresses with hard-hitting production, while Felix gives a dark twist to the Beast and the Belle story in ‘Unfair’. Group tracks such as ‘Bounce Back’ and the collaboration with Tablo of Epik High on ‘U’ demonstrate their versatility across styles. Production is consistently strong, although some tracks feel generic. A solid release showing the group’s versatility, though it remains to be seen if this project stands out from their previous work. (Norman van den Wildenberg) (7/10) (JYP Entertainment)