Review of New Album from Graham Gouldman

"Review of New Album from Graham Gouldman"

Review

Graham Gouldman

Album: Modesty Forbids

by Adam Jones, 21/3/2020.

I click on the link and start to listen to the opener Standing Next To Me, without taking notice of the artist name. “Mmmmmm” I think as the song commences, “this is very groovy and thats a nice feel on the drums”. Vocals start and it sounds like a cross between Paul and Ringo from those legends I have loved all my life. Now hes mentioning Ringo and the story appears to be about the songwriter being a bit awestruck working with the great drummer.

I start doing a bit of reading about Mr Gouldman and hit his Facebook page only to discover that it actually is Ringo Star playing drums on the first track!  Wow, what an honour to review this British gentlemans interestingly titled new album Modesty Forbids. He has been active in the music scene as a performer and songwriter since 1965, AND this man was a hit songwriter and member of 10CC! I loved all their hits. Okay so now Im really looking forward to writing this one. Cant call it work.

Thats love right there” we are then told to the tune of a bit of piano swing big band jazz. Im smiling and suddenly life feels fine and my foots a-tapping. All Around The World takes us everywhere with some more nice chords on piano and a Beatley sounding band. This is as enjoyable as Ringos last album which I listened to on repeat when it came out.

Its Not You Its Me rocks on with a tasty acoustic guitar part and some cool, almost dreamy hippy style vocals. Theres a nice variety of songs on this album. I think Graham could write a hit song in his sleep, as the acoustic strums with some more great band sound reminiscent of George in the 70s on What Time Wont Heal.

More luscious keyboards feature in the sadly romantic Different Times. Wake Up Dreamer is the next solid song with the opening guitars sounding like a Crosby Stills Nash and Young track. Oh, and the bridge in this one is simply magic, then Graham reminds us that even though we must accept, that doesnt mean we cant reject”. Yep!

Now Im treated to the Russian Doll instrumental with its majestic and classic melodic stylings. The last 3 tracks treat my ears to more cruisey acoustic folk rock with some beautifully played guitar and perfect harmony backing vocals on the closing track New Star. When all is over, when all is done, only love survives”. Yes. So true. Modesty Forbids is a real gem, that is well worth searching for, and when you find it, give it a good shine!

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Karissa-Light at the End of Darkness

"Karissa-Light at the End of Darkness"

A regular soundslikecafe artist Karissa has recorded a brilliant new single, 2 songs that will capture your imagination with her heartfelt lyrics and delivery. Listen below and find it on the new February playlist.

Based in Young, Karissa divides her time between a young family, running her own business and her recoding career.

She lists her influences as Paramore, Muse, Sia and Lady Gaga. In her own words: “I love making music- it’s that simple. It’s always been part of my life and it’s who I am. I was put on this earth to stroke the keys of a keyboard and singing gives me inner satisfaction. It’s how I can express how the music makes me feel- emotion and passion. It’s been to long since I’ve done a recording and it was so good being back in the studio. I’ve longed for it and I felt like myself again being back in the studio creating music.”

About this track…Light at the End Of Darkness
This piano driven track also features full rhythm section with an up-tempo catchy feel. Karissa’s lyrics speak of passion, frustration and loss but resolve into the positive.
About this track…Utopian Coma

A ballad from Karissa with her signature piano work and vocals augmented by drums, bass and guitar. Reminiscent of anthemic 90’s tracks from artists such as Evanescence and Paramore.
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Eldafyre – Stylist Acoustic Poet

"Eldafyre – Stylist Acoustic Poet"

Soundslikecafe is proud to present our first feature artist for 2020 – Eldafyre

Heres the most recent review

Music review of the album ‘Raw’ by ELDAFYRE

Author: Adam Paul Jones

Lie back in bed with quality headphones wrapped around your head and escape into a meditative state with the grooves from ELDAFYRE’s ‘Raw’, an opus of 7 expansive modern jazz masterpieces. Mind you, I’d have this album, an indulgence for your ears and mind, blasting out of loudspeakers whilst spring cleaning the house!

38 year-old Mark, who hails from the central Victorian country town of Shepparton, and now more likely calls Byron Bay his spiritual home, is ELDAFYRE, with those dreamy and nasally new folky vocal tones reminiscent of Boy and Bear. This is a very fine album featuring sultry saxophones and trumpeting horns, that blend effortlessly with stereophonic keyboards, complimentary guitars and a beautiful dark rhythm section, topping off this modern catchy jazz-rock-funk outing.

 Imagine if an old creative Melbourne songwriter with jazz, blues and folk influences met Steely Dan and Patti Smith’s love-child, well, they would give birth to ELDAFYRE, and this ‘Raw’ album that opens quite naturally with ‘Welcome Around’ – getting that bass guitar popping with some twangy guitar and smooth trumpet before we are introduced to ‘why don’t you come inside?’, an invitation few could refuse, with that voice! As this song progresses I want to get up and dance with my special one and celebrate our love.

We can have ‘Another Wholesome Night’ with what now sounds like Rikki Lee Jones’ backing band, and yes mate, we will “be so kind to see it through”. As we keep dancing, ‘The Evening Came Together’ and we stopped to marvel at the conversation going on between Mr. Trumpet, Mr. Sax and Mr Keyboards. This is ‘Where Connection Bonds’ and we swing together like willows swaying in a warm breeze.

There is so much more to come, including some rock electric chords playing with a sax in ‘Phat Lines Down’, then we are treated to a ‘Long Pause’ (which is anything but), before ending appropriately with yet another work of art, ‘A Last Goodbye’.

Listen up lovers of fine music, do yourself an ELDAFYRE favour….

Describing himself as a ‘Sylist Acoustic Poet’ and with his new album of Dark Smokey Jazz NoirRAW” featured on soundslikecafe we managed to get him sitting on the couch and asked some in depth questions of this aspiring new artist –

  1. Tell us about the moment you decided to become a singer/writer/artist/musician? What did your family/friends have to say about it?

When I was very young I watched ‘the little shop of horrors’ and ‘the lion king’. I got my hands on the soundtrack and used to sing it over and over. The first time anyone becomes a singer is when they first start to sing. For me it was these songs to the walls of an old bungalow in Shepparton. Near the showgrounds. Down a street called Williams rd. My families way of support was to call me names and force me as far away from them as possible.  Then I found myself locked in the car so they couldn’t stop me from singing. They call it hard love.

  1. Who are your early influences?

Brian Transeau. Patti smith. Rodriguez. Melanie Safka. John Butler Trio. Jeff Buckley. Xavier Rudd.

  1. Tell us a little about your writing process, how does a song come along? What gets you going creatively?

Being alone. Where nobody can possibly here a word I’m singing. This happens in quiet spaces with just me and my guitar. Being together in the moment. Finding a ‘jam night’ and making up music in the heat of the moment. Being surrounded by a dancing crowd. I create many unheard songs this way. People tell me I look possessed. I literally have no concept of space and time. When I come out of the creative coma its like I am born again. The song is always complete the first time. If it doesn’t complete itself.. then it gets thrown away.

  1. What is the first record you bought and why?

Offspring – Smash.  It made me jump around the room and forget about school.

  1. What current/new Artists/Bands inspire you and why?

Brian Transeau. True music lovers have an artist they resonate with the most. ‘Movement in still life’ Was a transitional album for my life. Every-time I listen to that album I am transported to walking Melbourne streets. I treasure it. Its my life and blood. Ill never love an album more.

  1. Tell us a little about what a crowd can expect at a live show?

Currently I do only live acoustic poetry sessions at some pretty cool restaurants and cafes. Some magical festivals. Expect music therapy. Expect to be relaxed. Expect to forget about your worries. Most report a deep sense of healing and restoration after my performances.

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‘Eldafyre’is a stylist acoustic poet. Sending out euphoric melancholia infused with the deep passion of love, from all things. Eldafyre grew up in Shepparton and now resides within the northern rivers of NSW or deep in the mountains near Melbourne. With four mastered studio albums we see a vast range of genres. The RAW album was 3 years in the making. Eldafyre wrote every song in one evening. Recreating the same lyrical stories to a dark jazz smokey noir band. Hand selected and collaborated with some of the best session musicians available in Australia. After three years absorbing the creation, a remix was made with an intention to finalize the work of art. Filtered organically with all ego and unwanted material omitted. With influences from Patti Smith, Rodriguez and Melanie Safka. Eldafyre thinks of himself as a storyteller. Telling this story as a studio musician.

Check what it’s all about now-

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Eldafyre New Album RAW

"Eldafyre New Album RAW"

Introducing Eldafyre and his new album RAW, our latest feature artist and album on Soundslikecafe

'Raw' posterweb

‘Eldafyre’is a stylist acoustic poet. Sending out euphoric melancholia infused with the deep passion of love, from all things. Eldafyre grew up in Shepparton and now resides within the northern rivers of NSW or deep in the mountains near Melbourne. With four mastered studio albums we see a vast range of genres. The one you have in your hands was 3 years in the making. Eldafyre wrote every song in one evening. Recreating the same lyrical stories to a dark jazz smokey noir band. Hand selected and collaborated with some of the best session musicians available in Australia. After three years absorbing the creation, a remix was made with an intention to finalize the work of art. Filtered organically with all ego and unwanted material omitted. With influences from Patti Smith, Rodriguez and Melanie Safka. Eldafyre thinks of himself as a storyteller. Telling this story as a studio musician.

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Eldafyre on  his music and live performance – “Expect music therapy. Expect to be relaxed. Expect to forget about your worries. Most report a deep sense of healing and restoration after my performances.”

We think you will be impressed with this record too, and its just the first of more to come from this exciting new artist…

The RAW album has been described as  “DARK JAZZ SMOKEY NOIR”

The Tracklist includes

1- welcome around

2- another wholesome night

3 the evening came together

4 where connection bonds-(checkout the feature video below)

5- what lies down

6 long pause

7 a last goodbye

Check it out now-

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Tim Walker’s Red Velvet Chair

"Tim Walker’s Red Velvet Chair"

After moving back to his hometown of Adelaide earlier this year, ex-Sydney singer-songwriter Tim Walker set to work to record a new album, inspired by a recent trip to Europe. Tim, who began in folk before evolving into a country rock act, is now a prolific soloist doing gigs around Adelaide.

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The first single from the forthcoming album is Red Velvet Chair – a pen portrait of a woman on the rebound and determined to enjoy her ‘freedom’, but also vulnerable at the same time because of it. The song’s narrator invites her to sit down on the ‘red velvet chair’ and collect her thoughts.

The single’s ‘B side’, On The Bridge, will be the opening track on the eventual album, and is a completely different sentiment.  A short, classical prelude to all that is to follow, providing the thematic underpinning of the entire album – a beautiful floating spark of hope and redemption for a world in flux.

Walker’s new album, due for release early in 2020, was recorded in a Grange studio according to a strict plan. A spiritual album with more universal themes than his debut, the album echoes the singer’s recent European trip, where he was struck in particular by the European culture, saturated with centuries of spiritual and religious symbols.

Download or stream:

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Jessie May Kitchen Offers New Single ‘Star Child’.

"Jessie May Kitchen Offers New Single ‘Star Child’."

On the heels of her debut single, Coffee Shop and the follow up Teen Love, Central Coast, NSW singer Jessie May Kitchen has recorded a new song called Star Child.-Out September 27

A sweet and ethereal up-tempo indie pop tune, Star Child is an otherworldly self-monologue, written as a letter from Jessie to the Cosmic Forces of the Universe. Jessie tries to capture the confusion in the meaning of human experience, feelings of isolation towards the physical plane and comfort of knowing that one day it will all make sense. Jessie says, “Every time I start to lose hope or stray from the path, the stars are always there to remind me of who I am and encourage me to never give up.”

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[photo by Tony Mott]

Superb production from ARIA winner Peter Holz accompanies Jessie’s immediately likeable and familiar style.

Jessie-May Kitchen was born in Hobart and grew up on the NSW Central Coast.  She started writing songs at five and performing arts became her escape from a tough family life.

Jessie May Kitchen – Star Child is out September 27 through Foghorn Records / MGM Distribution. 

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Ninth Time Lucky – Take It Slow

"Ninth Time Lucky – Take It Slow"
Ninth Time Lucky is the side project for Perth-based singer-songwriter Minky G. The singer/songwriter usually plays music in jazz/pop domain, but she also has a penchant for sweet and joyful ukulele tunes. Ninth Time Lucky is the outlet for these tunes, which Minky G describes as, “music for people to be happy to.”
Ninth Time Lucky have recorded an EP called Little Dreams, with the track Take It Slow featured on the soundslikecafe playlist this July!
A little bit Vance Joy plus a spoonful of sugar, it’s time to take a break and believe that things are going to work out all right. Ninth Time Lucky is all about songs that are sweet and kind, but sometimes, that’s exactly what we need.
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Another stand-out tune is Half of Me, which was nominated for a WAM Award this year.

“What a little ray of sunshine! Minky G is a songbird we love to hear.”
– Guitar virtuoso Tommy Emmanuel

 

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