Album review overview: Robben Ford, Chicago Soul Jazz Collective 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.
Club d’Elf – Loon & Thrush
Grab the water pipe, fold yourself into a lotus position and put on this new album by Club d’Elf, which opens with a rendition of Grateful Dead’s ‘Bird Song’, the start of an hour-long trip that only the group around bassist Mike Rivard can really deliver. That bass is, as expected, once again prominent on this new album: deep and pulsing, clearly rooted in dub, while instruments float above it in fragments of melody, Eastern influences and electronics that are sometimes barely recognisable as such. The tracks flow into each other as if they are part of one long improvisation, in which every musician knows exactly when to add something, and especially when not to. Music as hypnotic, psychedelic slide show that was so popular in the heyday of the Grateful Dead. At the same time, Club d’Elf sounds a fair bit funkier than the Dead. Just listen to the groove of the title track or ‘Left Hand of Clyde’, which leans much more towards seventies fusion. Larry Coryell’s The Eleventh House revisited. The band is not done with Jerry Garcia’s work either, as his ‘New Speedway Boogie’ also receives a tasty makeover. Pass that pipe again. (Jeroen Mulder) (8/10) (Face Pelt Records)
Wasted Youth Club – Shared Whining
On this new mini album, the Dutch Psy-Punk’n Roll band, as they describe their music themselves, takes a slightly different musical direction than on their debut album “Consequences” released in 2024. More layering, more psychedelic influences, especially audible in the fuzz-drenched guitar work, and a subtle sixties rock and roll vibe. The five short tracks on “Shared Whining” are played raw, restless and full of energy and deal with everyday frustrations. The album title “Shared Whining” reflects the themes of collective discontent explored in the five songs. A fine mini album that will appeal to fans of similar acts such as Parquet Courts and Ty Segall, as well as anyone who enjoys energetic punk rock and roll. The album is available to stream on platforms such as Spotify and Apple Music and is released in a limited edition of only 50 copies by the record label Le Cèpe Records. (Ad Keepers) (7/10) (Le Cèpe Records)
A Different Thread – Over Again
A Different Thread is an Americana folk band with its own sound. The lyrics on their third album deal with life experiences (life in a van, love across oceans), the environment and themes of justice. Vocally, the songs are well balanced, both the individual voices and the harmonies of Alicia Best and Robert Jackson are excellent. Their singing is gospel-like and clearly intelligible. The songs are easy to listen to, but the (sometimes emotional) lyrics come through the positive tone less strongly. The flow of the music is calm, and the electric guitar playing adds a bit more bite. The instruments are well balanced, as is Alicia’s subtle percussion work. The album has the feeling of relaxed music around a campfire. Due to the calm flow of the songs, my attention drifts. But the cello and violin in ‘Columbine’ manage to move me, as it deals with yet another ‘school shooting’. “Over Again” is an album for lovers of calm music (Esther Kessel) (7/10) (Same Cloth Records)
Chicago Soul Jazz Collective – No Wind & No Rain
“No Wind & No Rain” is the fourth album by this seven-piece ensemble from the Windy City. The group has been delivering an energetic mix of jazz, blues, soul, funk and gospel for years. Perhaps the ever-present wind in Chicago is the reason the city produces so many outstanding horn sections. The opening ‘The Laughing Heart’ immediately hits the mark: a catchy groove and a wonderful saxophone solo by founder, composer and bandleader John Fournier, before guitarist Larry Bown Jr. gets his moment. From the very first minute, the Chicago Soul Jazz Collective storms through the speakers. Dee Alexander’s powerful, raw vocals are impossible to ignore. Not everything is played and sung at hurricane force; quite the opposite. In ‘Message to a Child’ Alexander shows she can sing beautifully in a restrained way as well. Here her voice makes the real difference: in dynamics, timbre, range and phrasing she lifts the track to a higher level. The band itself is at its best in the funkier sections, such as the closing instrumental ‘A Groove for Ramsey’, a tribute to jazz legend Ramsey Lewis, who passed away in 2022. Closing track? Not quite, because the final notes belong to the flugelhorn in an ‘interlude’, an instrumental break that is not really a break and actually ensures that “No Wind & No Rain” still arrives on land like a spent hurricane, reduced to a strong breeze. That could and should have been different. (Jeroen Mulder) (7/10) (Calligram Records)
Robben Ford – Two Shades of Blue
At 74 years old, Robben Ford is no newcomer on the front line of skilled guitarists. Perhaps not widely known to the general public on his own merit, but within the scene, guitar lovers know exactly how to find him. As shown by his long list of guest appearances with artists such as Walter Trout, Bill Evans, Jimmy Nail and Edgar Winter. But back to this album “Two Shades of Blue”. It has a clear production, sounds fresh through the speakers and above all features a fine role for the Hammond B3. Ford has been making albums for 50 years now, yet here he still serves a varied musical dish that moves between blues, jazz fusion and rock. While I personally cannot quite place the cover of ‘Jealous Guy’, others may find it refreshing. ‘Perfect Illusion’ carries an involuntary sense of hope. In ‘Two Shades of Blue, ’ the prominent role of the Hammond B3 comes through nicely. In the final three instrumental tracks, the focus shifts more towards fusion, with Ford also using different bass, keyboard and drum players. A fine album that deserves to be listened to. (Bart van de Sande) (8/10) (Provogue Records)
