AND LAST BUT NOT LEAST
GRANT MOON has a rummage down the back of the Prog sofa for the ones that nearly got away…
Glam rock and post-punk collide on Global Identity (Taxi Gauche), the debut solo album from New York-based artist Brion Starr. His art rock flamboyant vocals hit home solid, experimental songwriting clearly harking back to Roxy Music and Warm Jets-era Eno. There’s hints of Syd-psych here and Tom Verlaine’s punky attitude there, but it’s not pastiche – it’s too exciting and convincing for that. Tape-loopy experiment 90 Dresden and droning Dream Cream indicate Starr’s lofty creative intentions.
The Soft Cavalry is the latest project from Rachel Goswell of veteran UK shoegazers Slowdive and her husband, experienced session/touring musician Steve Clarke. Released on Bella Union, their self-titled record shares some of Slowdive’s dream-pop DNA but with elements of Pink Floyd, Mercury Rev and The Blue Nile in here too. It’s a monument of emotion, atmosphere and old-school melody, with walls of synths and reverberating guitars weaving a backdrop for Clarke and Goswell’s heart-on-sleeve performances. It’s a beautiful, considered piece of work and a triumph for Clarke who, with Goswell’s help, struggled hard to muster the confidence to find his artistic voice. The gamble has paid off.
The Ed Palermo Big Band has released some seriously accomplished albums of Zappa and Todd Rundgren music, with King Crimson and Jethro Tull in their repertoire too. A Lousy Day In Harlem (Cuneiform) is a more down-the-line jazz record, with Palermo leading his superior orchestra through beautifully arranged pieces by Ellington, Monk, Coltrane et al, his own compositions fitting in easily among them. Not the case with Donna Zed, the Swiss model/singer/songwriter whose first EP Morphine led to opening slots on Steven Wilson’s 2018 To The Bone tour. The follow-up Surrounding Me (Zamaros Musique) sees her further develop her soulful, leftfield mix of jazz, retro-pop and balladry. It’s an empowering set elevated by Zed’s cool charisma and her engagement with her material. Finally, one that’ll have some retrophiles vaulting over their Genesis vinyl collection for cover! Flying Lotus is the LA artist/producer behind the Brainfeeder label, and he produced Thundercat’s storming recent record Drunk. With Alice and John Coltrane in his genetic and musical lineage, Flamagra (Warp) is his sixth album, a psychedelic, jazz-inflected mix of grooves, hip-hop, soul and pop. Among the guests are Thundercat, Parliament’s George Clinton, and even genius film director and – lately – transcendental meditation guru David Lynch. This is richly imaginative avant-garde music that’s far beyond rock’s ramparts, but well worth venturing out there for.