The Church – Heyday (Second Motion)
Newly remastered with fresh liner notes by guitarist Marty Willson-Piper. This is the record that found the band on the verge of their breakthrough with Starfish. Fantastic stuff. Moody, blinding, spacey, melodic.
Mark Hollis – Mark Hollis (Polydor)
Closest thing we’ll get to a follow-up to Laughing Stock. I like the solo take on “The Colour of Spring.”
Robin Guthrie – Carousel (Darla)
Instrumental EP from the Cocteau Twins guitarist. It’s what you’d expect, which is a good thing.
Pete Townshend & Ronnie Lane – Rough Mix
“My Baby Gives it Away” is cheeky fun, but it feels like Townshend and Lane made this for themselves and put it out there just to find out if anyone else would like it. It’s a quirky record that I’ve always liked. There are a couple of weird tracks that keep this album from gelling. With its string arrangement and Fleet Street observations, “Street in the City” would have been at home on All the Best Cowboys Have Chinese Eyes, and “Till the Rivers Run Dry” could have been a hit for Crosby, Stills and Nash or Traveling Wilburys.
Black Dub – Black Dub (Zomba)
Daniel Lanois, Brian Blade, Daryl Johnson, Trixie Whitley. Full of soul, vibe, and earth. Whitley reminds me of a young Ashley Cleveland or Johnette Napolitano.
Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings – I Learned the Hard Way (Daptone)
John Coltrane – A Love Supreme
I’m still not much of a jazz guy, but I really enjoy Coltrane and finally recognize these songs by name. A giant step for me.
John Coltrane – Giant Steps
See above.
Radiohead – Hail to the Thief (Capitol)
Hadn’t listened to this in quite a while. “Go to Sleep” still rocks.
Na Leo – Where I Live, There are Rainbows (?)
Traditional Hawaiian folk tunes with a great sense of melody.
