Album review overview: Bill Callahan, Stone 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.
Sara Colman and Rebecca Nash – Ribbons Vol. 1
Forget London. The beating heart of the British jazz scene is Birmingham, more precisely, the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire. Singer Sara Colman and pianist Rebecca Nash both studied at this conservatoire. Much of the material on “Ribbons Vol. 1” was created during that period, and with that knowledge, it is difficult to listen to this album entirely without prejudice. Technically, it will undoubtedly be perfect, but does this duo manage to captivate listeners beyond technique? Some pieces are indeed primarily masterclasses in technique, such as “Ribbons – Prologue”, in which Nash pushes boundaries with unusual chords and modulations and the flugelhorn of the seasoned Percy Pursglove occasionally truly falls out of tune. The guest musicians are, however, a welcome addition, such as Iain Ballamy’s tenor saxophone on the opener “Noble Heart” or Steve Banks’s guitar in “Sophie’s Song”, which also features a beautiful, poetic lyric by Colman. Colman’s sometimes deeply philosophical lyrics are more than worthwhile in themselves, yet it is precisely the guest musicians who give this album a friendlier character and make it more than merely a demonstration of skill. (Jeroen Mulder) (7/10) (Stoney Lane Records)
Bill Callahan – My Days of 58
Bill Callahan calls “My Days of 58” a ‘living room record’, and indeed the atmosphere is intimate and infused with the live energy brought by his regular touring band, consisting of guitarist Matt Kinsey, saxophonist Dustin Laurenzi and drummer Jim White. It is his first solo album since 2022’s “YTI⅃AƎЯ” and shows the songwriter at his most candid and unvarnished. Opener “Why Do Men Sing?” is a dry, wry contemplation on mortality, while “The Man I’m Supposed to Be” moves between folk, krautrock and free improvisation. “Stepping Out for Air” is the highlight of the album: a picturesque seven-minute piece about seeking beauty in the dark, driven by brass and an intense sense of redemption. Tracks such as “Lonely City”, “West Texas” and “Highway Born” explore the transition into one’s sixties from a serene, humour-infused perspective. The closing track, “The World Is Still” is ambient and meditative. After three decades, Callahan remains an absolute original. (Norman van den Wildenberg) (8/10) (Drag City)
Stone – Autonomy
“Autonomy” is the second album by this indie rock band from Liverpool. Stone has parted ways with record label Polydor Records, which released its debut album “Fear Life For A Lifetime” (2024). Stone seeks complete artistic freedom, and fortunately, this is reflected not only in the album title but also in the music and lyrics on this record. Themes include authenticity, personal struggle and resistance to commercial pressure. There are, therefore, no radio-friendly tracks to be found on “Autonomy”. What you do hear is a mix of alternative rock, punk and post-punk with raw and angular guitar work played by a band that is not interested in colouring neatly within the lines but is unfiltered, loud and unapologetically real. (Ad Keepers) (7/10) (RCA Records/Nice Swan Records)
Ellas Kapell – Ember
Ellas Kapell is a Swedish quartet consisting of singer Lovisa Jennervall, pianist Manne Skafvenstedt, bassist August Eriksson and drummer Edvin Glänte. On “Ember” they do what this foursome excels at, namely, delivering original interpretations of great jazz classics. The single “How Deep is the Ocean” already offered a fine preview: written in 1932 by Irving Berlin and best known through the rendition by Frank Sinatra. It takes courage to record a completely personal interpretation of such a song. Or “All the Things You Are” by Ella Fitzgerald: in her version, this 1939 piece is a swinging whole with a robust brass section. In Ellas Kapell’s version, you need to listen twice to discover that it is indeed the same song, complete with that wondrously beautiful lyric by Oscar Hammerstein II. One sometimes wonders what can still be done with a song. Take “I Cover the Waterfront”, performed by virtually every jazz great, including Billie Holiday, Sarah Vaughan and Old Blue Eyes. Yet Ellas Kapell succeeds with flying colours. The interpretations are original, with surprising arrangements that, on the one hand, sound very thoughtful, yet also free and playfully unrestrained. We have not even mentioned Jennervall, who with her voice gives the classic repertoire a fresh new guise, allowing these, at first glance, well-worn pieces, to embark on a new life. (Jeroen Mulder) (8/10) (Prophone Records)
Iron & Wine – Hen’s Teeth
“Hen’s Teeth” is the tenth Iron & Wine album, recorded during the same sessions as 2024’s “Light Verse”. Sam Beam describes the album as an unexpected gift: an impossible thing that nevertheless became reality. The ten tracks are wrapped in warm indie folk with touches of Americana and gentle soul, performed by a regular band at Waystation Studio in Laurel Canyon. Folk trio I’m With Her, consisting of Sara Watkins, Aoife O’Donovan and Sarah Jarosz, can be heard on “Robin’s Egg” and “Wait Up”. Particularly noteworthy is the contribution of Beam’s daughter, Arden Beam, who appears for the first time on one of his albums as a harmony and backing vocalist. Opener “Roses” offers the broadest sound on an otherwise relatively restrained record, while “Defiance, Ohio” is light-footed and cheerful in tone. “In Your Ocean” and “Singing Saw” bring a calm, slightly intoxicating atmosphere that gives the album a timeless character. “Hen’s Teeth” does not break new ground for Iron & Wine, but emerges as a warm and coherent addition to Beam’s already rich oeuvre. (Norman van den Wildenberg) (7/10) (Sub Pop)
