New music

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 01/09/2022 (1156 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

POP/ROCK

The Secret Beach

Songs from the Secret Beach (Victory Pool)

The Secret Beach is the new nom-de-guitare of Winnipeg’s Micah Erenberg, an indie folk/rock singer-songwriter whose previous albums — Poor Mic’s Toe (2016) and Love is Gonna Find You (2019) — showcased an earnest lyrical honesty and understated, almost lo-fi, musical sensibility.

This project retains those qualities but, with a mix by Rob Schnapf (Beck, Elliott Smith), Erenberg’s music on Songs from the Secret Beach sounds just that much brighter while his lyrics are sweetly poetic.

It’s likely that God Is — an immediately striking, plaintive guitar-and-organ tune inspired by Kae Tempest’s brilliant Brand New Ancients project — will get a lot of initial attention, but the other nine songs reflect the depth of purpose and execution that reflect just how far Erenberg has come.

The album-opening title track is a juxtaposition of moods in two parts — it begins as a beat-driven, jauntily melodic Costello-esque tune, with Erenberg expressing his desire for love (a lost love, perhaps) and safe harbour in a near-falsetto voice as an organ swirls in the background. Just when the listener thinks the song is over, a Neil Young-ish coda underscores the idea that “the secret beach” is the haven Erenberg will always long for, as the phrase “I wanna see you again” repeats again and again beneath a sweet guitar solo.

Other tunes, such as Song for My Sister, Promise You or No Time to Lose, explore the notion that we are all striving to be better people while acknowledging, as on the downtempo, contemplative How Can I Find My Way, that the path is not always straightforward. ★★★★ out of five

STREAM THESE: The Secret Beach, God Is, Promise You

— John Kendle

BLUES

Marcus King

Young Blood (American Records/Republic)

Fiery fretboard master Marcus King’s new album Young Blood puts his guitar skills on full display — but it diverges some from his blues-heavy themes of the past.

King goes into high gear immediately on this, scorching his way through the opening tracks including Lie, Lie, Lie, on which he bends and shreds his strings into submission.

Pain is another standout effort. “I used to be a diamond/ Now I’m just a rolled-up dollar bill,” King sings in his trademark throaty voice. The guitar solo is a bit more blues-infused, with a massive amount of overdrive effect and speed.

King has been public about his bouts of depression and says this work is what has been going on inside of him. The lyrics here are deeply personal to King and his emotions.

If there’s a weak spot on Young Blood, it’s that the vocals are tracked much cleaner and quieter than the raucous instrumentals. With King’s abilities on all fronts, this feels like a bit of a disservice to the energy of the artist.

Still, Marcus King on Young Blood serves notice that high-powered blues rock is in good hands. ★★★1/2 out of five

STREAM THESE: Pain; Lie, Lie, Lie

— Ron Harris, The Associated Press

JAZZ

Noah Preminger

Some Other Time (Newvelle Records)

Newvelle Records made a name for itself a few years ago with high-end audio releases of jazz albums on vinyl only. Recently the label has been reissuing some of these earlier albums digitally or in CD mode.

This album was originally recorded and released in 2016, and now has a larger audience potential. Saxophonist Noah Preminger is joined here by guitarist Ben Monder, bassist John Patitucci and drummer Billy Hart.

Without question the concept with Newvelle was to capture the music in high-quality audio that offered both aural and musical excellence. This album is a ballad outing that wins on both fronts. Interpretations of often well-known ballads are beautiful without being merely “jazz lite.” Preminger gives full recognition to the tunes without compromising his frequent full-out arpeggios and soaring riffs.

It takes great talent to tackle old standards like A Ghost of a Chance, Try a Little Tenderness or My Little Brown Book and make them sound fresh in 2022. Guitarist Monder is stellar throughout. He has recorded with many other greats, and is a mainstay in Maria Schneider’s wonderful Jazz Orchestra. His solos here fit the mood perfectly.

Several tracks, including An Alm, or Porcelain are simply lyrical delights, offering interesting solos in a gentle and most endearing way. Other tracks allow the often irrepressible members to stretch the tempo and dig in more deeply. The last track is the title track, Some Other Time. It’s a ballad with poignant words when voice is added, but this instrumental version is lovely. The tune is from a 1944 musical written by Leonard Bernstein with words by Betty Comden and Adolph Green. Preminger shines here with a slowly developed solo that takes off and then ends gently.

This is a beautiful album that demonstrates that jazz can communicate perfectly without being boisterous. ★★★★ out of five

STREAM THESE: My Little Brown Book, Some Other Time

— Keith Black

CLASSICAL

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Piano Concerto No. 9 ‘Jeunehomme’ K.271

Piano Concerto No.18 K.456

Kristian Bezuidenhout, fortepiano

Freiburger Barockorchester

Gottfried von der Goltz, concertmaster (Harmonia Mundi)

Following his spring release of three Beethoven piano concertos, Australia’s versatile keyboard artist Kristian Bezuidenhout, who slips easily between fortepiano, harpsichord and modern piano, launches a brand new series of Mozart piano concertos expected to wrap up in 2024.

His latest release on the Harmonia Mundi label features a pair of works: Piano Concerto No. 9 in E-flat Major, K. 271, a.k.a. the “Jeunehomme,” along with Piano Concerto No. 18 in B-flat Major, K 456, or the “Paradis,” composed for Maria Theresia von Paradis, an accomplished blind singer, composer and virtuoso pianist in Europe at that time.

The Freiburger Barockorchester instils satisfying brightness throughout the first offering, the “Jeunehomme,” underscored by Bezuidenhout’s crisp attack on his fortepiano. His cadenza near the end of the opening Allegro movement becomes an early highlight as a showcase for his technical prowess. A relatively brisk pace for the subsequent Andantino keeps things moving; however, some listeners may prefer a slower, more thoughtful tempo that would allow its melodious themes to breathe. The finale, Rondeau: Presto, likewise hurtles along at breakneck pace, albeit allowing the soloist to once again show off his stylistic bravura.

After the orchestral introduction in the “Paradis,” Bezuidenhout quickly gets down to the matter at hand, bringing to life the opening Allegro vivace’s good-natured themes with only a few darker storm clouds settling in before passing again. A thoughtful Andante un poco sostenuto follows, offering greater dramatic intensity before the Allegro vivace rips out of the gate with the high spirits of youth, with the artist’s controlled, refined touch ensuring every note is clearly, and cleanly in place. ★★★1/2 out of five

STREAM THIS: Piano Concerto No. 9 in E-flat Major, K. 271, ‘Jeunehomme’ performed by Kristian Bezuidenhout with the Freiburger Barockorchester

— Holly Harris