Pisara ja lammas 2 (2014) ♪♪♪
Absoluuttinnen Nollapiste (Finland)

What do you do when a drop of pure evil hits the earth. Of course, you rely on sheep to solve the problem. Never mind the bizar concept of this story. We already tried to tackle that with our review of ‘Pisara ja lammas 1’ (The Droplet and The Ram 1). After the teethgrinding cliffhanger of the first part we now dive into part 2 of this science fiction adventure taking place in the near future. The drop of Evil has come to Earth so solace has to come from Planeetta Hyvä (planet good). As far as i can gather the story continues that the woman (played by Paula Vesala) flies to this planet to get instructions how to deveat evil. Meanwhile the sheep have to stay awake to prevent evil to overtake the planet. On part 3 of the double album the shepherd (played by Olavi Uusivirta) falls asleep and all seems lost. But then Paula returns and the sheep are stimulated to overtake evil. Alls well that ends well.

At least that is what i make from the tracklist. The story is probably somewhat different but since I lack the required knowledge of Suomi this is what you get. Let’s just stick to the Universal language of music. Just like part one this second part is a tapestry of folkrock, psychedelia, Scandinavian progrock and symphonic intermezzo’s. It is a melting pot that accompanies the different atmospheres and characters on the album. More slow and swooning at the start and more dramatic when we near the climax. With a pipe organ introducing the grand finale when all guitars erupt in the listener. AN again show that they are a master in their own universe.

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Weekend (2014) ♪♪♪
Alice (Italy)

Two years after Samsara Alice returns with a brand new album, entitled ‘Weekend’. It was recorded between September 2013 and September 2014, mainly during the weekends.

Since she started her career as a recording artist in 1972, Alice developed herself as one of the most credible Italian female pop singers. She used to (co-)write most of the material she recorded, until ‘Viaggio in Italia’, a cover album, in 2003. Only two out of the twelve songs from ‘Samsara’ were written by Alice. A ‘Weekend’, again, contains only two songs written by Alice herself, one of them being ‘Da lontano’ (‘From a distance’), b-side of the single ‘Open your eyes’ from 1998… Among the other songs two covers from Claudio Rocchi, one of them being ‘La realtà non esiste più’ (‘Reality no longer exists’), a duet with Franco Battiato that already appeared on his live album ‘Del suo veloce volo’. ‘Tante belle cose’ (‘So many beautiful things’) is a decent cover from a Françoise Hardy song, with Italian lyrics by the same Battiato. ‘Veleni’ (‘Poisons’), also composed by Battiato, is a very stromg song with a beautiful melody and meaningful lyrics. ‘Un po’ d’aria’ (‘A bit of air’) is a again a decent, uplifting cover from the song by Italian indie group Soerba. ‘Viali di solitudine’ (‘Avenues of loneliness’) is a remake of the song that appeared on Alice’s 1986 Park Hotel album. A great song, but did it really needed this remake? Thye original version already was perfect. ‘Christmas’ was written by Paul Buchannan (Blue Nile), a nice song, although Alice’s expression lacks power and convincing when she sings in English. The two real gems on the album are ‘Aspettando mezzanotte’ (‘Waiting for midnight’), one of Alice’s own songs. A beautiful, intimate song with profound, touching lyrics. The other one is the closing track ‘Qualcuno pronuncia il mio nome’ (‘Someone pronounces my name’), written by old friend and collaborator Mino Di Martino.

The songs were recorded and produced meticulously. The sounds is transparent and intimate and, of course, all is facilitating Alice’s still powerful, beautiful voice. In two songs, famous Italian trumpeter Paolo Fresu accompanies Alice. ‘Weekend’ is a nice album, Alice fans will not discover a new sound or direction, they will just be thrilled that the lady is releasing albums more frequently now than in the first decade of this millennium. And although I tend to agree with them, I cannot help but feel a bit disappointed. Disappointed of what might have been; what magnificent album might have released when she would have put more energy in writing more songs herself. And when she would have collaborated with more young artists to put some creativity and ‘edge’ to it all. Maybe next album? Until then, we will have to do with ‘Weekend’…

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Amo (2014) ♪♪♪½
Miguel Bose (Spain)

We had to wait four years for new songs by Miguel. In between we were treated to the obligatory ‘Best of’ and a second duet album with ‘Papitwo’. But here it is, Bose’s twentieth album. All in the name of love. And from the opening track you immediately know this is not a revisit to his previous discodance album ‘Cardio’. For ‘Amo’ Miguel once again gathers up his whole musical spectrum to serve us a complete and tasty dinner. Again working with Lanfranco Ferrario and Massimo Grilli with whom he worked on some of the highlights of his career. From the heart to love, in answer why he took this theme Bose answered that he still is fascinated by love: “I have come to wonder if I've ever really been in love, because each time you get to the idea that true love is there and everything else is just substitutes.” Ever the romantic. Love left its marks on Bose’s heart as we learn from opener ‘Encanto’: “If you are offended / Love comes and defends / And puts the world at your feet / As the lava; it sweeps everything off / He came, he went / Love runs like blood and travels / And leaves you in pain / Revive shadows and anything he survives / No trace or smell.” But it is not a bitter album. Like love and relationship the whole pallette of emotions passes by. From happy uptempo popsongs on the one hand like ‘Si se puede’, an ode to Bebe with ‘un nuevo dia’ and an English song in memory of his father, the famous bullfighter Luis Miguel Dominguín (I miss your face). On the other hand we get the more dark and sinister side of Bose with symphonic and wonderfull tracks like ‘Respirar’ and ‘Los amores dividos’.

“I love everything that is nothing / I love everything that flies / I love every idea and thought / Each trail ends in a desert / I love the strong wind blowing / I love the winter falling slowly / I love that process that converts / The original into something extreme and different.” He sings in the title-song. At the age of 58 Bose tries to stay energetic and keeps trying to explore his musical capabilities. ‘Amo’ is not a new masterpiece nor does it give a completely suprising new twist to Bosé’s career. But for a 20th proof of his artistic abilities it is certainly a succesfull addition to his catalogue.

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Feux d'artifice (2014) ♪♪♪
Calogero (France)

In France Calogero has grown into one of the big household names for quality poprock in the previous decade but from an international point of view he stayed a bit under the radar. Too much sounding like the people he wrote songs for, like Obispo, Florent Pagny and Patrick Fiori, he was unable to generate attention from non-French speaking music fans.  In fact, I just began to notice him when his previous album ‘L’Embellie’ stayed in the charts for numerous weeks. But it was the Circus-project he commenced with Stanislas, Philippe Uminski, Elsa Fourlon and Karen Brunon won me over the craftsmanship that was displayed in the songs. So it was only natural to give Feux d’artifice a closer listen. For this new album, his sixth solo, he finds Dominique A. and Marie Bastide at his side delivering texts together with newcomers Alex Beaupain, Christophe Cirillo and Paul School. He and his brother Gioacchino took care of the music. The collection of twelve songs go from radio friendly poprock to more epic chansons. The lyrics tackle subjects like stepfamilies (Le Monde moderne), gay rights (J’ai le droit aussi), dramas of urban life (Un jour au mauvais endroit) and homeless children (Portrait).

This sounds like any other artist doing the political correct routine but Calogero point of view is not one that wants to change the world but only to tell you his dreams. He is no missionary for a better world but just a painter of one. On the closing title track he takes you into this dream when he sings: “I was standing on the shoulders / Under these giant galaxies / I dreamed of holding out my hands to touch them / they exploded into beautiful flowers / in an arabesque sidereal / To make a bouquet universe / I wanted to pick these stars / it is going to be like fireworks”.

The longing for peace and a better world is most present on single ‘Un jour au mauvais endroit’ written in response to the brutal murder of Kevin and Sofiane in 2012 in Grenoble. A murder that outraged the whole of France at the time. Calogero takes a step back and overlooks what happened from the perspective of Sofiane: “Echirolles central, southern suburb of Grenoble / Sofiane My name, I am 20 years old / Kevin is my friend, we're inseparable / I have a job, I just saw / the evening Villeneuve, big brothers and the kids / The football and boxing / Who was wrong? The reason of the strongest / cross for a look, I'm dead / You my brother, tell me why /ife goes on without me / Tell me why I was there / one day in the wrong place”. With songs like these Calogero sixth album deserves more attention then only the French market.

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Il Padrone Della Festa (2014) ♪♪♪
Fabi, Silvestri & Gazzè (Italy)

Getting three accomplished singer/songwriters together in one studio can go completely wrong. You can create musical monster which is usually marketed as a supergroup, or you can get a product in which each participant sounds like he can’t stand the other one. Succeeded joined efforts are rare but Italian veterans Niccolò Fabi, Daniele Silvestri and Max Gazzé pull it off. Even more ‘Il padrone della festa’ is indeed a feast to listen to. Everyone obviously wanted to take this musical journey in a fresh, bright, curious and playful manor. In mutual harmony twelve songs blossomed with catchy melodies, close harmony choruses, ballads and up tempo songs.

Made in a relaxed and festive atmosphere, and in good company (Paolo Fresu, Roberto Angelini, Adriano Viterbini, Fabio Rondanini Piero Monterisi, Jose Ramon and Caraballo Armas join in). The trio welcomes their friends on electro-acoustic guitars, pianos and keyboards, synthesizers and horns. It is old school Roman popmusic, in genuine Cantatore tradition. It is indeed a feast under the tree, while the summer sun sprinkles it’s last rays over the green fields. It is no suprise this album has been dominating the Italian album charts the past weeks. The perfect cure for your Sunday hangover, relaxed and swinging.

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Dauernd Jetzt (2014) ♪♪♪
Herbert Grönemeyer (Germany)

Steady now…with the album title Herbert sums up what he intended with this album. Because of the four albums he delivered in the 21th century this one is the least adventurous in sound. Grönemeyer sticks to what he’s good at. Well crafted popsongs with a social-critical edge to it. With an emphasiz on a bitter undertone. The edge is obviously in the lyrics and not in the music. A third of the tracks have subcooled and bittersweet ring to it. Grönemeyer is a soldier of the heart on night patrol. The central theme seems to be about the modern digitally connected society that could bring people together but also seems to fuel hate, fear, lack of privacy and shallow emotions and relations. He utters a warning on the grim "uniform"against the "digital dictatorship" and our thoughtless use of social networks: “Defend your limits / you what no one sees / every person needs to survive / Uniform / No one needs a third eye / that never leaves him / if I may hide myself / I will for terrorist / Everything is manageable / because it is so beautiful open / and we run the wire”

"Unser Land" is dedicated to a multi-layered Germany, and ode to connect with each other, a clear statement that we look too much at details of law and economics. Uncle Herbie tells us in a short statement how he sees the grand coalition. "There is all sorts to be here / So a beautiful country - in general / The real devil is in the details / we quickly lose the monotony / We are not doomed to be here / this is our country, yours and mine / It is a complex area / we ironed all scratches smooth /  black, red - stimulating as crispbread”.

Anette Humpe signs for the song ‘Einverstanden’ which differs slightly from the rest of the album in sound: "Dispensing you strange and vague for you / Stay / You're so sexy as an idea.". And together with the blind Mali musicians Amadou & Mariam he focuses on the plight of African refugees on ‘Feuerlight’: "I'm the uninvited guest / Fragmented and silent / My ace in the hole is wet. " As said, ‘Dauernd jetzt’ is nota n experimental album. But with the album Grönemeyer does show his mastership that he is able to muse a social – political relevant album and a capability to reach for us on a philosophical poetic level.

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Migracje (2014) ♪♪♪♪
Mela koteluk (Poland)

Young Polish singer Mela Koteluk debuted in 2012 with her platinum album ‘Spadochron’ (‘Parachute’), which earned her a Fryderyk award in categories ‘New Face of Fonography’ and ‘Author of the Year’. Now Mela is back with her second album, ‘Migracje’ (‘Migrations’).

Her debut album was a low budget production on which we discovered Mela’s intruiging voice, the original songwriting and the innovative electronic touches. This time, Mela and her band could afford a bigger production, that met their ambition to create a unique follow up record. ‘Migracje’ is an album full of contrasts. Contrasts between the many acoustic instruments and the electronic touches, contrasts between the sometimes abstract, minimalistic song structures, and the sometimes rich, multi-layered orchestrations. It all adds up very well, creating a wealth of musical space.

The young, acclaimed producer Marek Dziedzic is responsible for the production of the album, and he really did a great.

Also the lyrics express contrasts; contrasts between everyday life and imagination. In combining reality with an imaginary world they create a new, modern universe.

Tragikomedia:
“Every day and every night, demolishing / Flying glass with my hands / Flying glass with your hands / Between us disaster, temporarily burns us / The question is: who is who / There is a skin / Who is the magnifying glass, looking strife / Neither I nor you”

‘Migracje’ is a different album than Mela’s debut, it is much more layered and the band has a much bigger part in the sound. The songs do not immediately open up to you, their all small gems that take some time and effort to discover. But when you do so, you will be rewarded. ‘Migracje’ is proof of Mela’s originality and courage and confirms her position in the fron league of Polands young and upcoming new artists.

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Pansonica (2014) ♪♪♪
Marlene Kuntz (Italy)

If you want to celebrate you’re 20th anniversary as a band you can release a ‘Best of’ or B-side compilation to mark the occasion. Or you can do what Italian grungerockers Marlene Kuntz did with ‘Pansonica’. Taking seven songs from their vaults that weren ever released before and re-record them into a new album. Expect ‘Donna L’ that was earlier released in a live version included on the EP ‘Come di sdegno’ these are all songs the fans never heard before. The end result is a collection that shows clearly the sound of the early 90s, made of pointy guitars, scratchy sound, unconventional tunings and lyrics spewed angrily on the listener. It is a collection that is not particulary focussed on gaining a new audience and is not moving on the more subtle musical route the band took on their last album. It is raw and without any concessions. Highlight is ‘Ruggine’ which makes you wonder why on earth the band shelved this song. All in all a special gift for the fans that supported the band since mid Nineties.

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Wechselt die beleuchtung (2014) ♪♪♪
Laing (Germany)

Two years ago the female vocal quartet blew us away with a vibrant and alluring mix of hiphop, electronica and accapella vocal acrobatics. Like a modern German version of the Pointer Sisters they made a funky and fun album. We had it on continious replay for weeks so we had high expectations for album number two. Opening track ‘Safari’ still hints to a continuation of their debut but on the tracks that follow you feel this vibe is left. The basic principle is still there: catchy refrains and twinkling verse. Also the tongue in cheek ironic view on the World is still there like on ‘Sei doch bitte wieder gut’ where they take on woman-man relations: "I spilled wine on the carpet and I was not alone / played with your friends, the wax comes from the candlelight / I did not pay the rent, I needed the money urgently for me / I know owe 'you twenty grand / But please be sweet to me again / You do not know how much it hurts when you're mad at me? / I'm not mad at you.” Lead-girl Nicola Rost gets enough space to sing about life as a modern city dweller: "I live anonymously in this big city, Even say no good day to the neighbors / Mama has not taught me, I do not know how to it goes / I'm shy, expectant 'never belong, I see it clear. " Meanwhile her three companions match her vocals in response. Whether canon, choir, background chatter. The girls respond to Nicola with vibrant "Nanananatascha", “Oooops”, “Point, point, point, point” or "Kau kau kau kau gummi".

But the girls seem to have taken a turn from pure electrodance pop to a more German cabaresque approach. Listen to the title track to catch what I mean. The subtle beats and sounds are interesting but somehow you miss the punch. That ‘ungh’ that makes you feel it in your pelvis and makes you bang your head on the melody. It is a good album but just not as ‘fat’ as their debut. Maybe we expected Laing to live up to the Pointer Sisters comparison and come up with a German ‘Yes we can can’ or ‘How long (betcha you gotta chick on the side)’. Not this time ‘round. Maybe in the future.

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Acoustique (2014) ♪♪♪
Bernard Lavilliers (France)

For this new album, Lavilliers rewritten 14 of his own songs as he continually rewrote his life according to his inspiration. And with sometimes suprising results. “Les puristesis” is magnified by a flamenco that transforms the song into a dance of death (that of the child soldier to whom it is promised). Somehow he disconects the songs from their original context and gives them a new meaning. Some  old ones feel darker in the new version like “Le Stéphanois” and “Fensch vallée”. Others like “Les Mains d'or” or “Manila Hotel” lighter. The album also features four duets. The hardest one to grasp is ‘Idees noir’ which is done together with Catherine Ringer. The original song was a hit in 1983 and a duet with Nicoletta. The song is the musical account of Lavillier suffering from a deep depression in after his succes. A depression that made him flee to the port of then Saint-Malo. If you know the original track this new version sounds like a picnic. The essence is still there but the dark veil is lifted. More interesting is the version of ‘Les Barbares’ with rapper Oxmo Puccino. Not due to the fact that both singers grunt and growl their way through the song but due to the killer bass work that can be heard in this version. With this compilation Lavilliers once again shows himself the rebel and took it to change the DNA of his songs. Extra interesting that due to the acoustic setting his voice is even more prominent then before, giving all room for his somber bariton sound. He proofs that in French pop he is an institution in himself. Dark, elusive and always interesting.

Wooooosh.

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Le monde möö (2014) ♪♪♪
Moodoïd (France)

In case you missed it, there is a new psychedelic wave brewing in France. The dreamy scene bubbled up two years ago with Melody’s Echo Chamber aka Melody Prochet and La Femme. It is a colourfull scene which brings back memories of caleidoscopes, lava lamps and liquid slides. Pablo Padovani, the person behind Moodoïd, is the newest exponent of this group, with Prochet on vocals and dedicated producer Kevin Parker behind the mixing desk. With its swirling psychedelic sound, erupting guitar explosions and airy thin vocals Le Monde Möö rockets you into the stratosphere from opener ‘Les Garcons Veulent de la Magie’ (The Boys Want Magic) to closer ‘Les filles font que le temps est jouissif’ (The girls that found time enjoyable). Never mind the zany song titles, you cannot make heads or tales from the lyrics anyway.

This time the magic rollercoaster carpet ride takes you to hedonistic stops like ‘Machine Metal’, the ‘Bongo Bongo Club’ or into ‘Heavy Metal Be Bop 2’ flirting with schizophrenic synth-pop, weird jazz and spaced out white funk. A sort of mash up of old Gong and Magma albums combined with the Dukes of Stratosphere and Stereolab. For fans of a musical twilight zone. Wooooosh.

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Babel (2014) ♪♪♪
Jean Louis Murat (France)

I’ll admit it, over the years Murat created a soft spot in my musical heart. The constant quality and melancholy that speaks from his voice and music is a yearly gift. But we have to stay critical of course, otherwise we wouldn’t be much help to you. Murat’s latest is a double album (twenty titles) made together with the Delano orchestra and recorded in Arizona. The cooperation was made during a joined concert last summer which obviously tasted like more. And after the more introspective ‘Tobbogan’ the folk rock of the orchestra does indeed add something to Murat’s usual signature sound. This is mainly thanks to the trumpet of Julien Quinet that gets all opportunty to wail, woop, twinkle and give garish color to the grey cloak that envelops Murat’s weary head. Because Babel’s imagery is made in crusty black and white, like an Anton Corbijn photo. And to be honest, twenty songs in that manor is a bit much. You need an instrument like a trumpet to break the desolation.

Murat made such lengthy albums before and those aren’t among my favourites. Still the album holds some gems that are worthy to get high in my Murat all time favourite list. ‘Blues de cygne’, ‘Passions triste’ and ‘Chacun vendrait des grives’ are among them. And to show that even Murat is not permanently depressed and also capable of making light song he unexpectedly closes the album with the poppy ‘Camping a la ferme’, including atonal kiddy background vocals. “We saw dinosaurs far of course / but apparently they are very nice / We listen to the roar of volcanoes /we breake it Fouge / in this open air jacuzzi / Cool, super cool /This is camping / camping at the farm”. And so we can happily await Murat’s next step.

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Rzeźba dnia (2014) ♪♪♪♪
Renata Przemyk (Poland)

With Renata’s last album ‘Odjazd’ in mind and her recent semi-acoustic performances this new album took us by surprise. Opener ‘Czas M’ is an uptempo tune build on dance rhythms and electronics. To take things further onto the dancefloor you get festive single ‘Kłamiesz’ and even experiments ino the fashionable realm of dubstep with ‘Raczej’. In the second half we trace elements of hiphop (Dwojedno) and triphop pass by (Co tam niebo) and dark wave (Wilk). The question you might ask after reading this is; has Renata lost her mind or gone completely commercial. The answer is neither. Because in character this is stilla Przemyk album. Experimental yes but she merely investigates the boundries of her own musical universe. With her accordion as fixed value.

Renata sings in her well-known full voice manor,sometimes skipping to hysterical, but she also toys with soft whispering vocals almost like feline purrs, which corresponds to the lyrics discovering femininity in all its variations. For example, the longing for the perfect union (Dwojedno), the investigation into self-consciousness (Raczej) or a reference to the myth of Pygmalion (Rzeźba dnia). As a whole the album is as suprising as accesible. It is almost strange to say, but because this record is more polished than we normally hear from Renata we somehow miss the usual raw abrasive style we came to love and like. But that is about the only downside. Renata imagined herself to be the Sculpture of the day – the title song. Her own day that’s for sure.

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Składam się z ciągłych powtórzeń (2014) ♪♪♪♪
Artur Rojek (Poland)

Let’s start with the conclusion that with this soloalbum Rojek takes a big leap from the shoegaze britpop material he made with Myslovitz and Lenny Valentino at the turn of the century. As artistic director of the OFF festival Artur got a decade of inspiration of new, experimental and underground music that inspired him for this solo debut 13 years after his last phonographic output. Like said ‘Składam się z ciągłych powtórzeń’ is a far cry from the britpop era. It mixes Polish folk with European synthpop and alternative rock. But most of all Rojek shows himself a Polish answer to Thom Yorke or French electro-crooner Christophe without an autistic character. Together with producer Bartek Dziedzic he creates an intimate yet haunting atmosphere without any consescions to anyones taste but hiw own. Just listen to the unlikely hitsingle ‘Beksa’. Dissonant vocal lines, shouts, depressing poetic text, slow rhythms, A memory of his youth when he was bullied and called a crybaby: “Crybaby! I can still hear /and take cover to hide behind / Wrapped in the center of the shadow around the eyes / Fear pushes clenched hands”.

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Brzsak (2014) ♪♪♪♪
Skubas (Poland)

With his debut ‘Wilczełyko' Lublin based guitarist/producer/singer Skubas took Poland by storm sweeping up two Fryderyks in the proces. It took him one year to come up with a follow up to that succes. Together with songwriter Basią 'Flow' Adamczyk he brew 10 new songs for the album Brzask (Dawn). For those of you that caught the single ‘Nie mam dla ciebie miłości’ (I have no love for you) you already will have noticed small changes in the sound. On the debut the emphasis laid mostly on the percussion and acoustic elements. On this second album that shifted to guitar and a more total rock sound. With the vocals of Skubas regularly marked by an enormous reverberation. It is more a psychedelic approach to music considering the more basic predecessor. This may hint towards to coldwave but contrary to country fellowmen Fonetyka Skubas is more influenced by the progrock sound of Steve Wilson and Porcupine Tree. What remains is that Skubas is able to invoke an atmosphere of anxiety and tension. Like he sings on the opening track Diabeł over a sinister drone of bass, drums and guitar: “the devil lives in me / stubbornly hides in anger / on a chain like a dog / runs away from you”.

Skubas has a sinister streak in him with songs that tackle doubt and fear. Kołysanka grasps that in the Lines: “If you knew what awaits you here, can you be like me / Entangled in questions and fears / I also could not sleep.” There is something pagan about the music Skubas makes, like he paints with music a picture of the meadows, marshes, lakes and woods of Poland: “I used to tell you / from dusk until after dawn / As I wandered through the wetlands, marshes / Red-creature / tossed me a somber shadow.” The title song seems to handle about the red eagle that graces the cover, again an artwork by Przemek 'Sainer' Blejzyk. We can safely conclude that Skubas does not disappoint with this second album. He remains on the introspective dark path laid out on his debut but also shows he is capable to create pilars of sound on top of that basis..

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Anima (2014) ♪♪♪♪
Justyna Steczkowska (Poland)

If there is one European artist who really does not care what people expect of her Justyna comes close. In her musical omni-universe she throws pagan themes, esotericism and electronic sound palaces in one experience. That of her own. With Anima she offers a small glimpse into that World, like a magical mirror we can only peak through she lures us in. Witchlike she opens the album with an ode to the earth. Next to that she sighs soft lullabies, sings about death, love, passion, and reaping the joy of life. Electronics shimmers golden under her quotations sometimes accompanied by the sound of the strings Silesian Art Collective. Ethnic and inclusions from Eastern arabic elements give the whole album something cosmopolitan, a somewhat exotic dimension.

Above all there is space to breath. Contrary to her previous album XV Steczkowska chose to keep the production more open, and so giving it an almost ethereal feel. On the album she gets a lot of help from friends. The electro song " Kochankowie Syreny" is produced by Skinny'ego (from Skinny Patrini), ‘Leć’ was recorded with Pati and next to that the Bipolar Bears, Ifi Ude and Katarzyna Nosowska sign for one of the songs. Still, with all these guests, ‘Anima’ is a consistent album, build around Justyna’s crystal voice. Unique in her own kind.

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Una nave in una foresta (2014) ♪♪♪♪♪
Subsonica (Italy)

On their previous album ‘Eden’ (2011) we already noticed a transcendence of sound and a move away from the straight forward electro punk that brought Subsonica their initial fame. Suddenly there was room for a more balanced pop sound. The new album continues on that path and I dare say even perfects it. The album turns decidedly more pop and shows the desire to amalgamate on each level - lexical, music, syntactic - nature and technology, and artificial life. The cover shows an object floating over a field. "A ship in a forest” is what the title means. The forest and human ingenuity, looking for a contact, a balance. A ship in a forest, in Turin dialect, indicates something out of context: nine stories, nine characters estranged and "living in a line of instability. A state between praying and hoping," as the band explains themselves. A vague threat that hovers over the bushes. It can be felt throughout the album. Take for instance the opening title track: a sustained rhythm tied by acoustic and electronic drums, topped by synths and keyboards, light and dark that in the end turn into dance sounds. It is also a feeling of stepping into an uncertain future, of gathering what you learned in the past and not sure what will be ahead: “There will be 'a time, not now / Empty rooms fill of good attendance / and new routes to redraw after our mistakes / without forgetting the one that made us feel good / while the courage glided slowly towards a new oblivion.”

Contemplation, uncertainty and a feeling that life is half over seems the central theme of the album. An artistic presumption of the new society (where nature and technology come together) and the midlife crisis our universe seems to be in, gathered in ten songs. A feeling that our lives are moving into a third stage. Maybe it is not coïncidental the band chose a song about the resurection of Lazarus as their first single (Lazzaro). The album ends with a grand finale, a philosophical conception of ‘Il terzo paradiso’(the Third Heaven): “The first heaven is natural / Of when we were inside the apple. / It is a sign on the sand / Of new humanity / … / Now we enter the third heaven fully integrating / Artificial life in the natural life / it is the work of planetary unity of which we are all the authors. / It is the Third Heaven / At the center of infinity the third circle is formed / What is the essence of the procreative new humanity?”

With ‘Eden’ Subsonica seemed to have closed the book of their career untill then. ‘Una nave in una foresta’ is the definite step forward. There are still hints of the robust electropunk sound deriving from their succesfull 1999 album ‘Microchip emozionalle’. The band themselves moved on since then, into a realm where detail, adult arrangements and the fine art of mature music are the key. And this without losing any sense of urgency and excitement. Subsonica give with ‘Una nave in una foresta’ a perfect calling card of their capacity as a European poprock band and could very well have delivered one of the best albums of this year and their own career.

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La deriva (2014) ♪♪♪
Vetusta Morla (Spain)

Vetusta Morla’s third full studio album ads a new chapter in what is becoming a catalogue of one of the most original Spanish and European alternative popacts. In the aftermath of their epic album ‘Mapas’ the band toured for a long time, performed an impressive orchestral interpretation of their songs with the Murcia symphony orchestra and recorded a soundtrack for the dreamy game ‘Los rios de Alice’. Dreams and the messages they hold seemed to be the central theme the past years. For the new album Vetusta Morla choses a new concept; in this case, the drift. "It's the idea of an intermediate transit between a" crack "and an end point, almost always unknown. The drift as a space where change and transformation are possible, assuming at the same fears time, fears , nostalgia and hope by the time it approaches " . "The drift as a family decline, in a relationship, in a community or a country. The drift as uncontrolled without anything or anyone in charge, as turnaround, as violence or Calm, at the mercy of nature, chance or certain whims. The drift as experience that facilitates empathy, identification or shared all who are immersed in her feelings "

With this desciption you might expect an album which breathes haste and urgency. On the contrary, the album sounds much more simple and raw then the exuberant, styled and multicolored ‘Mapas’. As if the band itself was in a haste to record the album and recorded the songs just in a few days. Fact is that a tour for the album was already announced when the album was still in production. Maybe the band felt pressed to come up with new material. With that in mind it is asthonishing that band still came up with an eloquent album like this around a central theme. A theme that is also close to the current state of mind, that society is in a transistion to a new commonality. That we’re in a waiting room: “In the waiting room / Of these eyes closed / There a flower is tied up / on a very, very long string /,Every face is the cross / From a shepherd without a flock / They go through here, want to forget their numb condition / an artist at the Festival of Patience” (salas de esepra). The unpolished character of La Deriva doesn’t make it a bad record but lacks to fuly show the sensitivity the music of Vetusta Morla has shown untill now.

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Complètement fou (2014) ♪♪♪
Yelle (France)

The quirky and punky pop-electronique that Yelle served on their Safari Disco Club album propelled them into international popularity. Odd enough the French market wasn’t to taken with the course the zany hipsters took. Although you might think that Yelle & GrandMarnier could care less with sales soring internationally ‘Completement fou’ sounds like they want to return to a more glitch discosound that would please the local crowd. On the opening track Julie Budet (who is Yelle) sings " I arrived at the top, you have seen nothing during your sleep / I do not expect you permitted me, look ice melt when the breeze I / We danced to tears, joy while you were asleep you”. The mix of acid house machinery, pointy pop songs and quirky dancefloor fillers is still there but somehow it sounds that Yelle wasn’t able to chose a certain path and therefor delivers an album that is neither fish nor flesh.

On the one hand they stay close to regular French electro pop (Les soupirs et les refrain, moteur action, florence en italie) and convertible chansonpop (Nuit de baise, Dire qu’on va tous mourir). On the other you get a darker and edgier Yelle that stomps, stimulates and tickles. ‘Bassin’ is punky, ‘Toho’ is a sort of Franco-Japanese tune, the title track harassing neo-disco. Killertrack is ‘Jeune fille garnement’ which is a dark, cheeky and a crowd pleaser graced with the strange sinister lyrics:” A hickey on the neck / Shoulder facing the cheek / Baby shark is not afraid / From the depths of the ocean / Tough young girl / Charming as weapons / Scratch your name on the Floor / A smile on his face.” But after the highly catchy previous album the sum of these 13 tracks is not totally what I expected. Too bad because Yelle is definitely an act that has a lot of potential.

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