Big Red Machine – “How Long Do You Think It’s Gonna Last?” (Jagjaguwar / 37d03d)
Indeed it is now Taylor Swiftwho is singing? Difficult to see. The voice ducks very behind the rest, joins in, merges into the overall sound. But it is announced. Taylor Swift – roughly the biggest female pop star of the decade, 174 million followers on Instagram alone, could break the 200 million mark of sold records in her life. And she sings now or not, you have to listen very, very carefully, smoothly a little second voice on this wonderful song called “Birch” (and then even more clearly solo on the sequel “Renegade”). So flanked, probably, Aaron Dessner and Justin Vernon exhibited almost modestly. Vernon is easy to recognize because of his voice, as in his main project Bon Iver, changed effects still sounds as if he had swallowed a small moon and is now coughing silvery threads into the darkness.
Big Red Machine is the name of the formation in which Vernon and Dessner have just released the second album “How Long Do You Think It’s Gonna Last?” (Jagjaguwar / 37d03d). Dessner is a member of in his two main professions The National and has worked as a producer, among other things, on albums by – so this circle closes – Swift and Ben Howard (he is also a guest on the album). So one would have to speak of a supergroup if this predicate weren’t still so terribly linked to the grandegos of male superstars, who usually form big failed bands with other grandegos. Big Red Machine sound surprisingly ego-free on the follow-up to the self-titled debut. The pianos dab around, dimmed and soft, as if they were snuggling up with the guitars under a thick felt blanket and secretly reading to them with the flashlight. The drums slap around ecstatically, sometimes almost childlike. Indie, alternative, whatever pop. And yet, an enormously confusing combination, none of this is misunderstood, but has its own, very enchanting size. The choirs flooded with light, puffy – and numerous. Heaven, there are choirs hanging everywhere. A heaven, oh well, a stratosphere full of choirs. But how beautiful they are all. Great! Really great. Jakob Biazza
Chvrches – “Screen Violence” (Universal Music)
Chvrches (pronounced “churches”) are also developing on their new work, which is also very unique, but one that you absolutely have to like in order to be able to like it. “Screen Violence” (Universal Music), which also comes out on Friday, is a kind of themed album about everything bad to do with screens. So everything. And one would have to listen very carefully here, too, but front woman Lauren Mayberry and her colleagues Iain Cook and Martin Doherty seem to accomplish the equally confusing achievement that really every note that appears somewhere is bred to the absolute maximum volume and intensity. Which is, well, really very powerful. Jakob Biazza
Leprous – Aphelion (InsideOutmusic / Sony Music)
Now what does it reveal about metal when the Norwegian band Leprous recorded her most exciting albums after slashing the screaming and distorted guitars in favor of rock and pop elements? Actually only good. Rarely has a band made the transition from metal to, yes, you have to say: Pop made it so self-confidently and naturally as with their new album “Aphelion”. As already indicated on the previous albums, the guitars become almost pure rhythm instruments, the vocals take over the melody. You can still hear the hard roots in the song structures and a few sprinkles, but they are undermined every time by the high and versatile vocals of band leader Einar Solberg, by synthesizers and whispered vocals, such as by Taylor Swift or Lana Del Rey. Sometimes it looks like it’s straight from the drawing board, but finally the tough guys dare to do something. Nicolas friend
Brian Setzer – “Gotta Have The Rumble” (Surfdog Records)
Brian Setzer is what, depending on the degree of affection for him, one would describe as structurally conservative. Or reliable. Always. Also on “Gotta Have The Rumble” (Surfdog Records), his new album. As always: very formidable, duck-tailed, pomadic guitar licks, perfectly tipsy swing, deeply oiled vocals. You keep the rockabilly, the typesetter since he started his career with the Stray cats Resurrected like new decade after decade, so easy for rowdy music. Whatever it is, of course – but rowdy music, which, final confusion for today, only works if it is played and sung with absolute technical perfection. And still exhibits excess. Which is the case here again in the finest sense, and the only Beckmesserei might have been that the album, as it is, could have been released ten, twenty, thirty or forty years ago and no one would have noticed. Jakob Biazza