Category Archives: On record

On Record – C Duncan: It’s Only A Love Song (Bella Union)

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by Ben Hogwood

What’s the story?

Glasgow songsmith Chris Duncan moves seamlessly onto his fifth album, his second for Bella Union.

“I love the idea of something being so romantic that it almost hurts”, he says ahead of the modestly-titled opus, which is something of a family affair. Described as a ‘song suite’, it celebrates marriage with his long-term partner, but also reflects on times of stress and loss. The latter is expressed in symbolist terms on Triste Clair de Lune, where Duncan writes a “song about the moon losing a part of itself that floats down to earth, and this exquisite light being found by humans. And all the stars above lamenting the loss of this light.”

The family connection extends to his parents, both classically trained string players, who helped realise most of the lush orchestrations.

What’s the music like?

Once again, C Duncan delivers windswept pop music of the highest quality. Clearly borne of personal experience, his writing tugs at the heart strings with its powerful yearning, expressed through the beautiful soft timbres of his vocals.

This is immediately apparent in the title track, but also Lucky Today, a song of heartfelt sincerity. The sense of loss and hurt can be felt but ultimately these songs are uplifting and reach upwards in wonder, as on Sadness, where the lyric “dry those weary eyes” is set to positive melodic thoughts. Worry is an absolute beauty, softly delivered but far reaching, its harmonic shifts melting the hardest of exteriors and its multilayered vocals a true chorus of angels.

It is amazing how a song like Think About It is not a radio staple, for Duncan harnesses the best of 1980s soft rock while adding some extra twists and turns along the way, with unexpected harmonic sleights and lush orchestration. Delirium brings more urgency to the vocals, while Surface could even be a big Tim Burton show number, with its swirling chorus and textures. Duncan wraps up with iTime And Again, a twilight epilogue of serene beauty and swooning orchestral forces.

Does it all work?

It does – another volume of winsome songs, beautifully delivered.

Is it recommended?

It is, enthusiastically – but with the proviso that if you haven’t heard the music of C Duncan by now, you really should get to know it. Not just this album, but the four before it.

For fans of… The Blue Nile, Prefab Sprout, 10cc, Brian Eno

Listen / Buy

Published post no.2,441 – Monday 10 February 2025

On Record – The Veils: Asphodels (V2 Records)

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by Ben Hogwood

What’s the story?

Finn Andrews and his band The Veils are now seven albums into a career the singer describes as ‘disconcertingly long’. They have changed a good deal since their noughties vintage, now more open to acoustic elements. On their last album, string arranger Victoria Kelly was an influential presence.

For this album she makes another telling contribution, while Andrews plays on the piano that Nina Simone used in her last gig at the Royal Festival Hall.

What’s the music like?

These are some of Andrews’ most subtle compositions, but they are touching too. The lyrical material is strong, Andrews using his own inspiration but also leaning on Federico Garcia Lorca, Ted Hughes and Louis MacNiece for inspiration.

‘Asphodels’ are Ancient Greek flowers of the Underworld, and here they bloom colourfully. Mortal Wound is powerful, Andrews “alive with the colours of spring”, while Melancholy Moon defies its title with a cheery singalong. A Land Beyond travels down a similar road.

Does it all work?

Pretty much…though there is the odd pang of regret that The Veils don’t punch as heavily in the guitar area as they used to. No matter, for the quality of the songs and their emotional impact is what really matters here!

Is it recommended?

Yes. Finn Andrews’ songwriting odyssey remains a compelling one, and this set of songs shows his versatility, not to mention his strength as a communicator. A fine album.

For fans of… The National, Nick Cave, Tindersticks, Leonard Cohen

Listen / Buy

You can explore purchase options at The Veils’ website

Published post no.2,427 – Friday 31 January 2025

On Record – David Allred: The Beautiful World (Erased Tapes)

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by Ben Hogwood

What’s the story?

Portland composer David Allred releases a new album on Erased Tapes dedicated to ‘the expression of existential themes such as death, grief, longing and loss’.

There is a deeply personal element to this expression, for the album is dedicated to a Lauren, a young family friend lost to suicide.

The Erased Tapes press release describes how he set about composing the album. “For some musicians, a change in instrumentation, theme or learning a new artistic vocabulary helps them to move in a different direction. For Allred, a long period of introspection was more relevant to the development of his practice:

“I find beautiful irony when I consciously disconnect myself from working on music because it gives me more fuel and inspiration to engage in it more meaningfully when I resume. In the past, I used to work and create recklessly without boundaries which led to growth and success but at the cost of occasional disassociation. I would be checked out at times even while working […] but now that I make music less often, I feel like I’m growing with what I do, and truly living life more. And since I’m getting more out of life, I have more to say. These boundaries have given me greater access to the things that inspire me, along with a peace of mind and the ability to rest when I maintain this balance.”

His work on the album brought a realisation that everyone has a Lauren in their own way – making The Beautiful World a story of intense loss.

What’s the music like?

Allred immerses his listener in a lovely bath of sound from the start, Pupper creating a dense cloud of music that sets the mood for a period of intense reflection and meditation. It is however possible to sit outside the intensity as a listener, and just let the gorgeous sounds wash over you.

This applies particularly to tracks like Stray, with its soft piano prompts and rich flurries of texture that, while fast moving, act as a shimmering drone. Piano Tree brings the instrument to the fore, chiming through the instrumental haze. Meanwhile The Door has a touching fragility, starting as though replicating machines in a hospital but then with wordless voices that appear to inhabit the moment where a soul passes to the other side.

Allred’s personal tribute finds its apex in the touching Oh Lauren, telling her story in a moving commentary. Yet the closing Elevation 145 is similarly moving in spite of its lack of words. Here a surge of colour and consonant harmony, expressed as a drone, offers hope and dazzling light, in the form of a massive wall of sound.

Does it all work?

It does. Allred’s aim was to encourage listeners ‘to sit with the concept of grief…hopeful they can find comfort and learn to process it in a healing way.’ He certainly achieves that here.

Is it recommended?

Yes. The Beautiful World is a touching piece of work, striking in its simple beauty and with a reach that extends beyond grief to ultimate piece. It gives a great deal of consolation in troubled times.

For fans of… Peter Broderick, Arthur Russell, Ólafur Arnalds, Max Richter

Listen / Buy

https://davidallred.bandcamp.com/album/the-beautiful-world-1

Published post no.2,424 – Tuesday 28 January 2025

On Record – Prepared: Module (Compost Records)

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What’s the story?

Prepared are a trio of jazz musicians from Munich, with pianist Chris Gall, bass clarinettist Flo Riedl and drummer Christoph Holzhauser. Gall plays Argentinian tango with Quadro Nuevo, Riedl plays what is described as ‘folklore-free folk music’ with Dreiviertelblut and Holzhauser is part of German hip hop ensemble Moop Mama.

As Prepared they take short musical motifs and build them into more substantial pieces, in the manner that minimalists such as Steve Reich might work but with several leanings towards jazz, especially in their syncopated rhythms.

What’s the music like?

Engrossing and a lot of fun. Gall’s piano is subtly modified in performance, and the wide range of colours he can secure from the instrument are made through hammering, tapping and plucking, bringing out its more percussive elements. Riedl’s bass clarinet is versatile, too, adding a really pleasing rasp to the texture, whether in bass part or melodic content. It often provides the essential syncopations that keep the music in the air. Holzhauser, meanwhile, is a virtuoso who plays with an improvisatory air but can switch between swinging disco beats and more complicated rhythmic exchanges.

When things cut loose and get into the groove on Modul Vier IV the trio resemble fellow dance enthusiasts Brandt Brauer Frick, but are more obviously jazz-bound in their thinking on Modul Eins II, which enjoys a persuasive sequence of crossrhythms, cutting effectively to the dampened piano. Modul Vier II is made of an attractive, rippling piano figure from Holzhauser, while the invigorating syncopations of Modul Zwei II are prompted by the clarinet.

Does it all work?

Pretty much – the trio have a very clear musical chemistry, and the fluid working out of their ideas is compelling to listen to. The colour combinations made by their instruments are ideal.

Is it recommended?

It certainly is. There is a good deal of enjoyment to be had from a trio who like to push the rhythmic envelope, bringing elements of jazz and disco into close correlation and having a lot of fun as they do so.

For fans of… Brandt Brauer Frick, Christian Prommer, Bugge Wesseltoft, Henrik Schwarz

Listen / Buy

Published post no.2,415 – Sunday 18 January 2025

Signing off – Arcana’s pick of 2024

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As every year passes, it seems to me the importance of music and culture in our lives gets ever greater. Unfortunately this is not recognised by the vast majority of our politicians or those in education. Shouting our love of music from the rooftops is therefore more important than ever! It’s something Arcana has done for nearly 10 years…and as we close in on that special anniversary we do so with a mixture of thankfulness and regret.

I am incredibly grateful to have the new music that we have enjoyed together – and to have Richard Whitehouse giving regular despatches and typically probing insight from Birmingham and the classical recording world. This is along with John Earls whose London gig-going and home reading contributions have been incredibly welcome – along with a couple of very welcome reports from Jon Jacob.

My principal regret with Arcana is that I don’t have enough time to devote to it, with a day job that takes care of the working hours – but I do feel incredibly privileged to be able to bring to you another set of thoughts on the best of 2024 as experienced on these pages.

As you may know Arcana tends to focus on music we either like or are likely to enjoy. This means the review pages tend to celebrate more than criticize, though rest assured we won’t hesitate to if we need to! I see this sort of site as a place for communal enjoyment, to share what we love – with classical and electronic music as two main points of reference, with rock and pop orbiting close around. There are no rules to what we cover, and if it’s good it’s more likely to be written about! On which note…

Thank you to some most enjoyable interviews across 2024 – including cellist Steven Isserlis, conductor Paul Agnew, soprano Claire Booth and the double header of Aldeburgh artists in residence, composer Unsuk Chin and cellist Alban Gerhardt.

Our classical albums of the year include Philip Sawyers’ adventurous Mayflower on the Sea of Time, another instalment in an excellent series of his music from Nimbus, an outstanding recording of symphonies from John Pickard on BIS, a welcome debut for Jaakko Kuusisto’s Symphony on the same label, and an important recording of George Benjamin’s opera Picture A Day Like This

Right on the junction between classical and electronic sits Belle Chen, whose inventive Ravel in the Forest, on the excellent Platoon label, cast an enchanting spell with its tasteful reimagining of the French master’s music. Also occupying this space is Erland Cooper, whose Carve The Runes…was a culmination of a captivating story of loss and recovery – and Debbie Wiseman, whose spellbinding music for Wolf Hall: The Mirror and The Light captured our hearts.

Not far from here musically were two excellent contributions on the LEAF label, MINING’s Chimet and Craven Faults’ Bounds, Adam Wiltzie’s Eleven Fugues for Sodium Pentothal, a sublime contribution from the one time Stars Of The Lid member, or Krononaut II, a fascinating discourse from Leo Abrahams and the much-missed Martin France.

Also incorporating improvisation were The Utopia Strong, and their outstanding BBC Sessions, the excellent trio of Dave Harrington, Max Jaffe and Patrick Shroishi – another winner from AKP Recordings, and the brilliant BEAK>>, with their final album >>>>

Moving towards the dancefloor, I really enjoyed the minimal but striking T.O.R. LP001 from Robag Wruhme, the technicolour Cascade from Floating Points and a dazzling second album from Jamie xx. The best compilations included 20 Years of Phonica, a thrill-a-minute collection of house music, and a selection of classic house on Defected’s House Masters compilation devoted to Marshall Jefferson

Our favourite pop / rock, meanwhile, included Ride’s Interplay, Jordan Rakei’s richly soulful The Loop, the dappled leftfield songwriting of Jon McKiel’s Hex and a fantastic compilation celebrating 20 years of Sonic Cathedral.

All that is left, then, is to declare the Arcana album of the year…to The Pixies’ Kim Deal, and her first solo album Nobody Loves You More. What a treat it is!

Now you might be following Kim’s advice on one of her singles to head for The Coast…but whether you are or not, we at Arcana thank you for reading our articles this year and for your general encouragement. We’re taking a break for a couple of weeks, but look forward to returning in 2025 for another year of music, new and old. If you want to contribute, do get in touch…but for now, Merry Christmas and / or Happy Holidays, and here’s to another year of sharing music we love.

Ben Hogwood editor, Arcana.fm

Published post no.2,403 – Tuesday 24 December 2024