The winter skies are parting and spring is almost upon us. Blooming this week is another edition of My Four, with four more tracks that need your attention. So let me, Mark Sharpley guide you through what I’ve picked for you this week.
NOEL GALLAGHER’S HIGH FLYING BIRDS
There isn’t anybody on the planet who doesn’t know who Noel Gallagher is, and he is back this week with the release of his second solo album, Chasing Yesterday. Following the success of his eponymous debut solo album in 2011, the former Oasis guitarist has been shooting down stories that he would reunite with his former band just in time for festival season. He has hinted that he would gladly do Glastonbury under his current guise, but for now we will just have to sit back and relax with his new offering on the stereo. And that is fine with me. Available on the Sour Mash Records label, this is the video for the single (featuring Johnny Marr, dontcha know…), “Ballad Of The Mighty I”.
STEVEN WILSON
Next up this week is London’s prog rock specialist Steven Wilson and his new album titled, Hand. Cannot. Erase. Many prog rock fans might be familiar with his work with the likes of King Crimson, Yes and Pendulum amongst others. But a lot of music fans will know him best for being the lead singer of Porcupine Tree. This is his fourth solo offering, and it has a female’s perspective theme to it. The album did gain inspiration from the tragic story of Joyce Carol Vincent, whose death went unnoticed by friends and family for three years. Seems a grim subject, but music can explain what happens in more light, given the right artist. Steven Wilson does this well. Available on the KScope Records label, this is the video for, “Perfect Life”.
OF MONTREAL
Psychedelic rock outfit Of Montreal are my third choice this week, with the release of their 13th studio album, Aureate Gloom. The band isn’t of Montreal though, they are of Athens, Georgia who you may be familiar with as the home of R.E.M.. The band was founded in 1996 and the band’s name came from lead singer Kevin Barnes, after a failed relationship between him and a woman “of Montreal”. Allegedly. Barnes was the only member of the band during it’s birth, but they grew and grew and were known as one of the bands in the Elephant 6 Recording Label collective. A true indie label spawning true indie bands, and this lot doesn’t look like quitting any time soon. Available on the Polyvinyl Records label, this is a cut from the album called, “Empyrean Abattoir”.
JESSICA PRATT
Finally this week, it’s the turn of San Francisco songstress Jessica Pratt and her new album, On Your Own Love Again. We have her brother to thank for Jessica’s musical talents, as he gave up playing the guitar and his then 15 year old sister soon took it from his hands. Lots of practice of the T.Rex album, Electric Warrior, and she was recording songs by the age of 16. An introduction to Darker My Love’s guitarist, Tim Presley proved fruitful too as he produced her eponymous debut album. We tip her for further greatness. Available on the Drag City Records label this is a cut from the album called, “Game That I Play”.
That is that for this week. Join me next time as I feature four more tracks you do need to know about. Keep on keeping on…
