Music reviews

Nickodemus& Maharaj Trio The Maharaj Project Volume 1 (Loop) ★★★★ East meets west in, of all places, New Zealand. Loop founder Mickee Tucker knew the New Zealand agent for Maharaj Trio and was friends with New Yorkbased DJ and remixer Nickodemus, who adds a Buddha Bar-influence on two of the EP’s six tracks – Southern Magnolia and Path Of The Liger. The other four tracks are far more traditional sitar, tabla and sarod – though the sinuous rhythms of Whanganui River suggest they went exploring after their performance at Splore last year. If you are partial to to Indian music, then this is a treat. Can’t wait for Volume 2. – Mike Alexander ★★★ After two decades of sporadic releases and changing line-ups, All Nerve heralds the reformation of 1993’s Last Splash- era line-up. The actual sound of the album is utterly contemporary; the music, slightly less so, but in a surprisingly good way. All Nerve is a classic ‘‘jam band’’ album, with all of the pros and cons that suggests. On the upside, it’s energetic and feels very organic. On the downside, most of the tracks are pretty simple and lacking in dynamics. However, in context, this speaks to a kinder, simpler time for music. A few good tunes, a few rough edges. Classic rock with none of the histrionics. In 2018, the demand for an album like All Nerve is as strong as ever. – James Cardno ★★★ Exploding in 2016 with the critically acclaimed Teens of Denial, the project of Virginia native Will Toledo returns with a reworking and rerecording of his sixth record Twin Fantasy. Toledo always knew he would return to the album with a press release saying he ‘‘never could square his grand ambitions against his mechanical limitations’’. Fantasy presents Toldeo as one of indie rock’s most exciting new songwriters and has the rare ability to be as equally pleasant as it is abrasive or noisy. The vocal work very much lines up the 25-year-old as a likely contender for the next Beck or Rivers Cuomo. He doesn’t stray from audacity either – Beach Life-In-Death sits at an extravagant 13 minutes 19. Twin shows Toledo as a force who clearly hasn’t built his prowess overnight. – Hugh Collins