MOJO PLAYLIST
It’s the month’s best Latin-Smiths, soul-rock and dub-poetics.
1 MARK KNOPFLER’S GUITAR HEROES GOING HOME (THEME FROM LOCAL HERO)
For the Teenage Cancer Trust, Knopfler’s joined by players including Hank Marvin, Clapton, Ringo, Townshend, Duane Eddy, Brian May, David Gilmour, Springsteen, and in his last recording, Jeff Beck (above), for a beauteous reprising of the movie theme.
Find it: YouTube
2 AFRICA EXPRESS FT. IMS PANIC
Live in Mexico in February, Albarn ignites a Latin-ska take on The Smiths’ hit. A tribute to Radio 1’s Steve Wright?
Find it: YouTube
3 HERMANOS GUTIÉRREZ LOW SUN
From new LP Sonido Cósmico, Ecuadorian-Swiss guitar siblings hit an ineffable plateau. Find it: streaming services
4 JESSICA PRATT WORLD ON A STRING
LA singer-songwriter reaches peak loveliness, sung in her silvery, Karen Carpenter timbre. Big sigh.
Find it: streaming services
5 PAUL WELLER SOUL WANDERING
From forthcoming new album 66 (out May 24), Weller weatheredly ponders “the sea, the stars and your love” over gospel-flecked soul-rock.
Find it: streaming services
6 KING HANNAH BIG SWIMMER (FT. SHARON VAN ETTEN)
Liverpool duo and SVE reflect on the real meanings of bathing, as minimal husk gives way to electrified abandon.
Find it: streaming services
7 HAWKWIND THE STARSHIP (ONE LOVE ONE LIFE)
Methuselah-astronaut Dave Brock counsels tranquillity, en route to Galaxy 117.
Find it: Stories From Time And Space (Cherry Red)
8 MICHAEL HEAD & THE RED ELASTIC BAND AMBROSIA
Confiding and low-key, Mick recalls old bandmates, old times, “hair of the dog and then a liquid lunch.”
Find it: streaming services
9 YOUTH FT. ALLEN GINSBERG IRON HORSE (THE ORB’S END HATE REMIX)
Beat poet’s words posthumously collide with the Killing Joke bassist, The Orb dub it up, Siobhan Fahey adds backing vox.
Find it: Cadiz LP/streaming services
10 BROKEN CHANTER YOU’VE GOT TO STOP WORRYING ALL THE TIME
Existential anxiety and Duran Duran-bright guitar, from David MacGregor’s third album.
Find it: streaming services