Short Attention Span Record Reviews June 2021

BALKAN TAKSIM – Disko Telegraf
Romanian Ethno-electronica duo raise a storm. Great music to dance to. (8)

BLACK MIDI – Cavalcade
Weirder and noisier than the rest of the British post-punk bands they’re grouped together with, these guys are more like a mid-90’s math rock combo doing an 80’s King Crimson tribute. (8)

BLACKBERRY SMOKE – You Hear Georgia
The true heirs to Lynyrd Skynyrd and the Allmans are back with another strong effort – they even look more like Skynyrd now, with an expanded 9-person line-up featuring three guitarists plus female back-up singers. (8)

BLOODKIN – Black Market Tango
Unfortunately I just discovered this great band because Danny Hutchens, its driving force, passed away, thanks to a loving tribute by friend and megafan Patterson Hood. A fantastic album of hard rocking but literate Americana, produced by David Barbe (remember Sugar?). (8)

DAVID BOWIE – The Width Of A Circle
My love for Bowie’s “The Man Who Sold The World” is well documented, and this compilation of BBC live radio sessions, alternate mixes, remasters, demos, and singles from 1970 is marketed as a companion piece to last year’s alternate title/cover re-release. A lot of it is non-essential, not that this will stop the obsessive fans of course. (7)

CIRITH UNGOL – Half Past Human
True heavy metal that’s as ugly as the guys who make it. As with every Cirith Ungol release, the love-or-hate vocals make all the difference. (8)

JOHN HIATT WITH THE JERRY DOUGLAS BAND – Leftover Feelings
Legendary Nashville tunesmith teams up with hot bandleader/producer for bluegrass-leaning Americana collaboration that works fine. (8)

ANTHONY JOSEPH – The Rich Are Only Defeated When Running For Their Lives
Jazz and poetry, coming across like a “made in UK” version of The Last Poets. (8)

LOSCIL – Clara
This ambient electronica record is perfect to listen to while listening to something else, and I mean this in the best possible way. (8)

MDOU MOCTAR – Afrique Victime
2021’s second unlikely guitar hero (the previous one being Yasmin Williams), this self-taught, Niger-based Tuareg lets rip on his left-handed Stratocaster with a fresh take of the desert blues pioneered by Tinariwen. Check out the shredding title track. (8)

MONSTER MAGNET – A Better Dystopia
Covers album focusing on obscure tracks by Hawkwind (of course), Pentagram, Poo-Bah, Dust, The Pretty Things, Table Scraps, The Scientists, Morgen etc. Get yourself an educational ass-kicking. (11)

DAVID JOHN MORRIS – Monastic Love Songs
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8V_hCqO6UQs. (5)

MARIA MULDAUR WITH TUBA SKINNY - Let's Get Happy Together
Remember “Midnight At The Oasis”, a hit from 1973? Apparently Muldaur still records, and this collaboration with a New Orleans band specializing in 1920’s & 1930’s traditional jazz is a riotous romp down Bourbon Street. (7)

PERTURBATOR – Lustful Sacraments
Honestly, I don’t get synthwave in general and Perturbator in particular – this goth electropop thing was not very interesting in the 80’s, and it’s not very interesting today. (6)

DUSTY SPRINGFIELD – The Complete Atlantic Singles 1968–1971
You know, when I was a kid I thought Dusty Springfield and Buffalo Springfield were relatives? True story. So anyway, here’s a batch of recordings that can rival even Aretha’s output on the same label during the same time period. (9)