I won’t come back...
Anna C listens to some rude customers

Cody ChesnuTT- I’ve been life.
 
What sort of musician manages to get away with recording and releasing an album before going away for a full ten years before releasing the next? It would appear Cody ChesnuTT has done just that. Talk about creating an air of suspense; after a decade of doing who knows what, the birth to the world’s ears of 2012’s Landing On A Hundred thankfully more than satisfied his followers and has appeared to have earned him a few more, including Mr Jools Holland and Craig Charles himself, while he’s not acting in Corrie (actually, is he still in Corrie? No idea, never watch it). Obviously was worth the wait then.

 

The final single from the above album, ‘I’ve been life’ was recorded with a collection of ten musicians in Memphis-based Royal Studios, the place where great soul legends Al Green and Ike and Tina belted out their own classics and it is nice to hear their naturally compelling brand of soul music is still alive and well in today’s performers. Eerily, Cody could actually be Marvin Gaye’s reincarnation- he looks like him, he harks back to Gaye’s best material (in my opinion, circa ‘What’s going on’), he holds a note in the same rhythmic and meaningful way, his lyrics telling a story of a celebration of black culture and more specifically Africa in this track. Yes, a fusion of aural colours, ‘I’ve been life’ is destined to blow away all manner of sad winter moods and get a twinge in the old buttocks as I defy listeners not to want to shake something, justifying that Cody is more than deserving of the praise being heaped upon him. Let’s hope that there isn’t another ten years before the next track.

Released 18th November, 2013.

www.cchesnutt.com/

THE PIGEON DETECTIVES- I won’t come back

I never really liked The Pigeon Detectives. The name’s just a bit crap, isn’t it? They used to write drab indie songs, as I recall, harping back to 2004, though I had all but forgotten them. So I wasn’t overjoyed when I received this CD. I literally had to build myself up to listening to it. Weirdly, it’s not at all what I expected. The clichéd songwriting of their previous three albums has pretty much gone (I know, I never had any idea that they had released so many either), replaced by something much more mature and raw, though not denying their roots. Hurrah.

Recorded in the band’s hometown of Leeds, ‘I won’t come back’ is taken from the band’s recent release ‘We met at sea’ as the lead single, spiky Northern guitar rock with a heartbeat and will that you never got from this band before. Easy comparisons to early Arctic Monkeys are inevitable but sometimes only Northern bands of this ilk have the knack and the swagger to produce something that, although you’ve heard a thousand times before, still manages to sound fresh, bold and exciting. It’s no ‘AM’ but you might get something from it. ‘I won’t come back’ certainly ensures you will come back for more. I know. It was lame. I’m sorry.

Released 8th April, 2013.

ALBERT HAMMOND JR- Rude customer

Julian Casablancas from the Strokes has a new label called Cult Records! Yay! One of his signings is his previously-addled guitarist, Albert Hammond Jr. Again, yay! Seriously. I love The Strokes and Mr Hammond Jr, perhaps not surprisingly, writes songs that sound like them, just without the same vocal crooning of old Jules. He has the same style though and his years of addiction haven’t done him any harm, no sir. Twit twoo.

And, joy of joys, ‘Rude customer’ is one of a few songs taken from AHJ’s EP, er, ‘AHJ’ and is a catchy sweetly written story about, erm, a rude customer. It doesn’t appear to get any deeper than that and why the hell should it? In fact, I am sure there must be a deeper meaning but I don’t need to get it. With melodic pop, driven by the trademark sound of AHJ’s guitar, and working with the same dude who produced ‘Angles’ a few years ago, simple music likes this keeps me happy and doesn’t have to be ruined by a pretentious backstory. I get enough of that from visiting Camden in my lunchhour. Having not released anything since 2008, it’s a pleasure to have Mr Jr. back on the scene. And if you like this, why not check out ‘St Justice’ which sees him shagging a supermodel in the video. Ahem. Good song though.

AHJ was released on October 8, 2013.

http://www.alberthammondjr.com/

Anna C