Album review overview: Meshell Ndegeocello, Iron Jinn 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.

Clive Nolan – Song Of The Winter Throne

Clive Nolan has just released the album “Song Of The Winter Throne” (with bonus CD). It tells the medieval Norwegian story of Håkon Håkonsson. His secret birth, his coronation, how he grew into an important king, until the end of his life. A lot happened, and you can hear that reflected in the music. The tracks begin with the narrator. Both his (theatrical) words and those of the singers are included in the lyric booklet. The vocals are partly used as an instrument. The percussion is sometimes slow, but always in the service of the track. The same applies to the sampled sounds and the well-dosed guitar playing. Håkon in particular brings his story vividly to life. The atmosphere changes with the stages of his life. In “Flight of the Birkebeiners”, the orchestral sections become almost frantic. The (layered) vocals are varied, and I would describe the unusual sounds as throat sounds. At times there are many layers in the vocals and music. The mix of progressive rock, classical music and folk is good. “Song Of The Winter Throne” is not just a CD, but a story. This really belongs in the theatre, with the entire cast. (Esther Kessel-Tamerus) (8/10) (WLR -We Låve Rock and Oskar Records)

Track Dogs – Still at the Music

Track Dogs is an interesting combination of two Irishmen, an American and an Englishman. This results in a musical conversation in which different sounds come together and find each other. The band moves between Americana, folk and Tex-Mex, without pretensions. With “Still at the Music”, Track Dogs will not immediately turn the world upside down, but that does not seem to be the aim either. The focus in each song is clearly on the pleasure of making music. The album therefore deserves several spins, or streams, whatever is your pleasure. The songs give a ‘not much going on, head held high’ feeling, with the use of trumpet, banjo, ukulele and cajón, among other instruments, providing sufficient variation. The four-part vocal harmonies of the band members also give the whole an extra depth and warmth. The music has something sunny about it, allowing you to reflect on things you may encounter in life without being overwhelmed by heavy sounds. After all, one does not necessarily have to exclude the other. The fact that Track Dogs are still making music with the same passion after twenty years is an important strength of this album. “Still at the Music” is convincing evidence of that. (Bart van de Sande) (7/10) (Mondegreen Records)

Gisela Horat – Trio Solo

The Swiss pianist and composer Gisela Horat has been active in jazz for quite some time. She does so as a solo artist and as part of Trio, together with bassist Simon Iten and drummer Samuel Büttiker. This immediately explains the title of this work: “Trio Solo” comprises the seventh Trio album and “Solo” the fourth solo album. The same pieces in two different performances. What the two records also have in common is the courage to experiment, and Horat goes quite far in this. For example, by altering the piano sound by placing felt, cymbals and seashells directly on the strings. We prefer the Trio work; somehow Horat sounds more confident when she has a solid rhythm section behind her. A fine highlight is “Leben”, which she has already recorded several times, each time in a different version. The piece has been evolving for twenty years. And that is exactly what Horat does: allowing the music to grow along with her, adapting the restrained, almost minimalist jazz to the moment each time. A piece is never played in the same way twice. Everything is therefore a snapshot. So do we hear the best that Horat has to offer on “Trio Solo”? At the moment of recording, yes.

Iron Jinn – Zeitgeist On The Run

“Zeitgeist On The Run” is the first album on which the band Iron Jinn consists of five people. The music has developed further as a result. The vocals and music are unusual and regularly psychedelic. You can already hear that in the opening track “Sayonara”. Between the repetitive, sometimes calmer flow in “Residuum Strut”, you hear some nice details. These have clearly been woven in with care. The following tracks are also unpredictable. Perhaps the most unusual is “The Futurist”, with jazz influences, cellos and much more. The words about technological ‘progress’ sound embittered. The ‘quotations’ from Oppenheimer and Plato sound sultry, while vocals and music remain in balance. This will not be music for most people to clear their heads after a busy (working) day. The timbre and pronunciation of the vocals are somewhat less accessible, but they do fit the distinctive style of the music. This is something for lovers of unusual vocals and (distorted) music. The more often you listen, the more you discover. You do have to give yourself the chance to get to know and appreciate “Zeitgeist On The Run”. (Esther Kessel-Tamerus) (7/10) (Suburban Records)

Meshell Ndegeocello – Synonym

With “Synonym”, Meshell Ndegeocello delivers her third record for Blue Note, following “No More Water: The Gospel of James Baldwin” from 2024. It is a collection of covers performed as duets, each time with a guest of the same gender, as an expression of liberation in the broadest sense. Together with producers David Gamson and Abe Rounds, she gives the fifteen songs a cohesive sound carried by her bass playing. This often results in surprising interpretations. “I Knew You Were Waiting (For Me)” with Cynthia Erivo opens warmly and accessibly, while “I Got You, Babe” with ANOHNI is given a jazzy treatment thanks to organ and saxophone. Brandi Carlile adds a soulful glow and “The Closer I Get to You” opts for an electronic approach with Destin Conrad and Moses Sumney. “With God On Our Side”, with Bill Callahan and Chris Thile, brings the record to a solemn close, although the song sounds less like Ndegeocello herself. The extensive guest list can be overwhelming, but Ndegeocello’s direction remains visible. A refined record that gives familiar songs a new face without damaging them. (Elodie Renard) (8/10) (Blue Note Records)