Album review overview: Penelope Trappes, Maisie Peters and more

Dozens of new albums arrive at Maxazine’s editorial staff every week. There are too many to listen to, 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.

Distant Birds – Vol. 1 & Vol. 2

Distant Birds is the project of keyboardist Chris Abrahams and bassist David Symes. The latter does not appear to have had a great deal to do, and yet that repetitive bass line is a crucial element in the four compositions on this album. Together with drummer Evan Manell, the bass forms the pulsating foundation beneath the improvisations, especially in the opening track “Drill”, which feels like the soundtrack to a crime film from the 1970s. The almost nostalgic sound of the Fender Rhodes, the Moog synthesiser and the Hammond organ certainly contributes to this ‘seventies atmosphere’. But in addition to a wide array of keyboards, Abrahams and Symes have also invited trumpeter Ellen Kirkwood and saxophonist Matt Ottignon. The deep tones of Ottignon’s baritone saxophone in particular are a fine addition. At their core, the four compositions on this album are fairly simple. Their strength lies in repetition, while Abrahams, Ottignon and Kirkwood continuously add layers in a highly subtle and precisely measured way. A short theme played by the horns, a sustained Hammond chord, a shift of a few notes in the bass line, a fill on the snare drum: everything is kept very small, but sufficient to keep the four tracks compelling, which is impressive when you consider that each piece demands between fifteen and twenty minutes of your time. Almost without noticing, you are drawn into the music in search of those subtle accents. Distant Birds guarantees delicious vintage vibes throughout. (Jeroen Mulder) (8/10) (Earshift Music)

Eddie Kold Band ft Larry ‘Doc’ Watkins – Blues In My Heart

Ever since his first visit to Chicago, German singer and guitarist Eddie Kold has devoted his career to Chicago blues. Jorg Fennekold, as he is known on official documents, visited the various clubs and saw the legends perform: Eddie Clearwater, Magic Slim, Junior Wells and Fenton Robinson, to name but a few. That first visit in 1986 was not the last, and he still regularly returns to the birthplace of this urban blues style. Back home in Germany, he founded the Eddie Kold Band, with which he has toured extensively throughout Germany and the rest of Europe. Since 2004, Virginia-born singer Larry ‘Doc’ Watkins has been part of the band. The other permanent members are Klaus Brunschede (bass), Christian Wubben (drums) and Lucas Diehl (keyboards, piano). In December 2025, the band’s third album was released, entitled “Blues In My Heart”. It contains thirteen tracks, eleven of which are original compositions. The two covers are “Further On Up The Road”, known from artists such as Bobby Bland, Eric Clapton and Freddie King, and “Last Two Dollars”, made famous by Johnnie Taylor. The opening track, “Around Three Or Four”, a beautiful ballad, immediately sets the tone. It is a well-constructed song that serves as an appetiser and arouses curiosity about the rest of the album. With a fine mix of slow and uptempo songs, the listener is treated to a more than excellent selection of music. The foundation is unmistakably Chicago blues, but Eddie Kold is not afraid to venture into soul and funk. This certainly benefits the variety. Tracks that deserve special mention, in my view, are the already mentioned “Last Two Dollars”, featuring guest vocalist Honeydrew Melon Davenport, the ballad “Burnin’ Outta Control”, in which Kold excels on guitar, and the slow blues “Lovesick Blues”, where he is equally impressive. For lovers of well-crafted music, and of good blues in particular, “Blues In My Heart” is an absolute recommendation. Superb. (Eric Campfens) (8/10) (L+R Records)

Natural Rhythm – Altin Sencalar

Summer is approaching, and Latin jazz records begin to appear at a rate proportional to the amount of masculine sweat trickling from bare torsos, whether the world is waiting for them or not. The same generally applies to many lightweight summer releases that hardly deserve the label of jazz. How different things are with “Natural Rhythm” by trombonist Altin Sencalar. No contrived afrobeat or pseudo-Cuban kitsch, just excellent salsa, thanks to the rhythms laid down by Alex Acuña on percussion. The art then lies in preserving space within the melodies and arrangements so that those rhythms remain tangible rather than being swallowed up by the bombast of the horn section. Brass has a natural tendency to dominate, especially when it comes to the full sound that Sencalar draws from his own trombone. It can then become heavy and cumbersome, whereas salsa should remain light-footed. The arrangements are spot on in this respect, something that is particularly evident in the more restrained pieces such as “Lament” and the rumba “Reflection”. An excellent album that fully lives up to its title. Even so, gentlemen, your shirts may remain on. (Jeroen Mulder) (8/10) (Posi-Tone Records)

Penelope Trappes – Opvs Novum: A Requiem Reworked

With her new release “Opvs Novum: A Requiem Reworked”, Penelope Trappes brings together several artists to create a new interpretation of her earlier 2025 album “A Requiem”. The project comfortably transcends the concept of a conventional remix album. Rather than simply reworking existing tracks, the original album is reshaped and emotionally deepened through ten distinct artistic perspectives. Where the original felt sparse, ritualistic and introspective, these reinterpretations expand the emotional scope of the material. Desolate soundscapes and gothic tension alternate with devotional melancholy that grows into something almost hymn-like. As a result, the album continually moves between sacred lamentation and avant-garde electronics. The tracks become ghostly mirrors in which grief is reflected through industrial pulses, floating ambient textures and dreamy pop influences. “Opvs Novum: A Requiem Reworked” thus sounds like an imaginary meeting between Hildegard von Bingen and the later Scott Walker, with centuries of musical development filling the space between them. At certain moments, however, the album could have benefited from a little more dynamic variation, as the consistently subdued atmosphere can occasionally feel somewhat distant. Nevertheless, this remains an intriguing and immersive listening experience that reveals its full power, especially through a good pair of headphones. (Bart van de Sande) (7/10) (One Little Independent Records)

Maisie Peters – Florescence

On “Florescence”, Maisie Peters takes a clear step forward in her development as a pop artist, further deepening her recognisable blend of direct melodies and personal storytelling. The album feels like a phase in which she relies less on youthful impulsiveness and more on controlled songwriting and thematic coherence. The production is clear and expansive, with a strong emphasis on piano, layered guitars and subtle electronic accents that keep Peters’ voice at the centre without overshadowing it. In songs such as “The Last One” and “Bloom Again”, it becomes clear how she connects everyday observations to broader emotional arcs, with small lyrical details adding extra depth to the songs. What stands out is the way “Florescence” balances light and darkness. Some tracks have an airy, almost playful tone, while others are more introspective and look back on relationships and choices that have left their mark. This interplay ensures that the album never becomes one-dimensional, but instead radiates a sense of growth and reflection. Vocally, Peters sounds more self-assured than on her earlier work and more often dares to leave space within the arrangements, increasing the emotional impact. “Florescence” is not a radical break from her earlier style, but rather a refinement of it, in which Maisie Peters demonstrates that she is establishing an increasingly solid position within modern pop music. (William Brown) (8/10) (Gingerbread Man Records)