Bob Dylan - under the red sky

Meaningless anecdote alert, years ago i was visiting my Grandma and she saw the advert for this album in my copy of Billboard. She asked me "Who is that scruffy man?" Back then i didn't really know, but years later i do and finally i have bought this album 24 years after that advert.

"Under the red sky" splits the critics, many called it rather poor. However i've found that that usually means i love the album, and this is no exception. A mysterious and somewhat fun collection of tunes starting with the ridiculous yet infectiously fun "Wiggle wiggle". Much of the album is quite childlike, utilising nursery rhymes and some good production. It doesn't take itself seriously and sounds great to be honest, but if you are like radical man you might not agree. The title track is another excellent track with some lovely organ and an easy laid back groove.

MV : "Mosaic" by Vierance

Modern synthpop.

Hearts Of Oak - New England

"Country shoegaze" is the genre apparently, therefore Hearts Of Oak should score highly with me as they combine two of my favourite things in the musical world so lets see... Well there is certainly a very alt.country feel to much of this, its laid back and rootsy but also often with a vein of menace looming behind proceedings.

"Well lit highway" is a great psychedelic rock track, the vocals very Bob Dylan (albeit before Bob lost his voice) with some tasty wall of noise. Hearts Of Oak have a fairly retro late 60s and early 70s sound in many ways but updated sonically and technically for the now, and it sounds very fine indeed. "Lovers ain't easy" could be a late 60s Dylan song that went missing. "Grey riders" is a very appealing reflective track that stretches off into an effect laden soundscape.

I'm not sure about the "country shoegazer" label but there are elements of both especially on tracks like "Grey riders", but lets not get too hung up about labels. Its really good music, all the description you need really.

MV : "Grey riders" by Hearts Of Oak

Great song off their new album.

Lily Allen - its not me its you

One of the few intelligent faces in modern pop Lily Allen's second album scores with inventive and often highly catchy melodies and witty wordplay. "Everyone's at it" on endemic drug use and "The fear" on the insecurity and emptiness of the vacuous life of a micro-sleb are great tracks and a brilliant way to open proceedings. Some of the other songs are a bit filler-ish or just plain poo but "22" on the fear of getting "past it" is another star track. Star quality album and artist too.