Number 3 on my top 6 album list of 2019, is the second full length album from British artist, Shura.

So, after the last post I thought I would get back on the path of writing about my 6 favourite albums of 2019 again. It wouldn’t look good for this carry over into 2021…

I want to take a slightly different approach to writing about this album. Listening to Shana Cleveland’s ‘Night of the Worm Moon’ and MUNA’s ‘Saves The World’ (two of the other albums I chose) for the first time, I was captured by how good they were on a technical and songwriting level. Whilst I do think this album easily sits alongside these two in both respects, the difference is that upon first listen I fell in love with ‘forevher’ for alternative reasons.

I first heard ‘forevher’ a few weekends after it’s initial release, whilst catching up with a fortnight’s worth of new music and a bit of vacuuming around the house (it can’t always be sex, drugs and rock ‘n’ roll). I distinctly remember spending the afternoon listening to both this album and Bones’ ‘KickingTheBucket’. Whilst enjoying the latter, ‘forevher’ gripped me emotionally, and to be honest, I still don’t quite know why. Sometimes all the metaphorical stars seem to align and music eclipses whatever else is happening at that moment in time.

I think there was a certain point upon listening to this album that it really yanked the heartstrings, and that was listening to the track ‘Tommy’. It tells the story of a man (no prizes for guessing the name of this gentleman) whose wife passed away some time ago. Shura tells us that after tapping up his high school sweetheart (also widowed), they initially feel guilty about finding love again. However, sweet old Tommy tells of how he is visited by his late wife in a dream, who urges him to find love again, because:

I’m in heaven without you but
Just take your time
I’ll be alright

It’s a straightforward and wholesome story, but presented in such a lovely way. Those are the moments that stand out on this album the most. When Shura sings of simple experiences and feelings. At its centre, the album is about Shura’s own experience of falling in love and the colourful spectrum of emotion this brings. In fact, the album gives the same kind of happiness and warmth that you feel when someone close to you finds love. Wrapped up in love’s tumultuous early embrace with all the giddiness, excitement and worries that accompany it. They may talk to you for hours of every little detail and concern they have, but it’s never a bother to you. Sometimes the purest joy, is in seeing those closest to you so happy.

The track ‘BKLYNLNDN’ documents Shura’s long distance relationship between her lover in Brooklyn and herself in London. It encapsulates the nervous energy and joy of an embryonic relationship. The distraction of being preoccupied with thoughts of the picture you received earlier in the day, but also touches on the paranoia that accompanies this type of relationship. Are they thinking about me? Why Haven’t they responded to my text? What if I have this all wrong? The lead single, ‘religion (u can lay your hands on me)’ also follows the long distance relationship discussion, albeit on a more singular, passionate level. Shura sings of not being able to have a sexual relationship with her lover as well as the idea of love and devotion, and the shared parallels with religion in these respects.

Moving away from the ideas that are explored in the album, it’s also musically brilliant. Shura’s first album “Nothing’s Real” had a focus on a more traditional synth-pop feel, whereas “Forevher” moves in a slightly different direction. The album as a whole, feels more dream-like. There’s still a healthy amount of hooks and grooves, but a greater feeling of sparsity overall, although this works in it’s favour. It allows Shura to tell more honest stories that shine through in each track. Back-to-back tracks “tommy” and “princess leia” feature almost no percussion at all and this is where the album is at it’s most ethereal. Shura briefly steps away from the central themes of falling in love, and this gives the middle of the album an almost daydream-like daze.

Going back for re-listens, I’m always drawn towards some of the bass sounds on the album. “side effects” features a grooving bass line that is half pulsing funk, half 70’s porn. It guides the track tremendously well, atop some more subtle, yet brooding sub bass trembles. “religion” also features a similar feel and it all gives the first half of the album a seductive, late night feel as it confidently eyes you from across the room. Despite this, the album doesn’t descend into a seedy x-rated video tape and stays on track with portraying emotions and experiences on a transparent, yet meaningful level.

The album overall has a pure and light, summery feel that begs to be listened to in the sunshine with a cool glass of wine. I was immediately a fan from the first listen. Whilst, I hadn’t heard of Shura before this album, I went back through her short discography pretty shortly after hearing it. As mentioned, “forevher” is a departure from the sort of sounds and energy present on Shura’s first album and if she continues on a similar evolution, I can’t wait to hear future releases. She has quickly cemented herself as an icon in the LGBTQ+ community and this album has gone a huge way in securing her in the mainstream consciousness as well. The choice of instrumentation throughout is excellent, but it is the heart on the sleeve style narratives and emotional expressiveness that made it a personal favourite for me.

Sit back and listen to this one on a lazy afternoon and remember how lucky you are to have your significant other. Alternatively, prepare for the roller coaster of falling in love when the time is right. Love comes with a huge amount of excitement, fear and sometimes inevitably heartbreak. However, without it we wouldn’t be so lucky to have such a rich history of artists choosing to celebrate, study or mourn it in almost every creative medium. ‘forevher’ is another is just another in a rich tapestry in this sense, but it is definitely one that you should seek out.

Thanks for reading! As always, please support the artist. I have copied the link to Shura’s music page below and the album is available for streaming on all good music platforms. Please let me know your thoughts, or if there’s any bangers that you’ve been listening to!

https://www.weareshura.com/

Second on the list of my favourite six albums from 2019, is the sophomore album from MUNA. A three-piece electro pop outfit from LA.

I do want to emphasise, that this is not an LA-centric list. I will stray from what was admittedly a musical hotspot in 2019 in the next post, and also want to put on record that these are not in any particular order. That being said, I genuinely think I would struggle to make a case against this album being my absolute favourite from 2019. Certainly, in drafting this post, I was finding it difficult to put pen to paper, purely because I wanted to make sure I do this album justice and give it the respect that I think it wholeheartedly deserves.

To diverge just slightly before I start talking about the album itself, I have always considered myself a music fan. However, I was perhaps guilty of pigeonholing my interest in certain genres whilst growing up. During my self-imposed musical exile (I’m learning that my writing is susceptible to a reasonable amount of hyperbole) I think I had grown tired of the same genres. However, there were a few genres that pulled me out of this rut. The first and most important of these being Hip-Hop, a genre that ashamedly, I had never truly explored. Following this enlightenment, I am happy to say that it remains one of the most refreshing and exciting genres to me, but that’s for another post. One of the other genres however, was a slightly more self-indulgent and niche affair, being what I will loosely define as Synthwave.

I think to some extent, Synthwave gets a (not completely undeserved) hard time. With a vast number of – quite frankly – ludicrous sub-genres, in its most basic form it is synthesiser based music with an emphasis on evoking 80’s culture. Think loosely of the soundtrack to Stranger Things, or the brilliant Drive (2011) and you’re heading in the right direction. I will say that in my opinion, there are some fantastic purveyors of the genre who either understand the limited boundaries and have fun with it, or try to move it in interesting directions away from its slightly one-dimensional core. If you are interested, there are a few artists I would recommend, which I have noted below:

• Com Truise
• Gunship
• The Midnight
• Carpenter Brut

To move back in the right direction, the reason for this tangent is that whilst Synthwave is great fun, the genre feels a little saturated and is perhaps guilty of treading the same path too often. However, the tight production, synth soundscapes, soaring hooks and lead lines really drew me to it. The first time I heard MUNA’s “Saves the World” was immediately refreshing, in that the same sort of sounds and seedling ideas I had fallen for were not being used in a way that sequestered themselves to a musical niche. The themes and ideas explored in “Saves the World”, whilst often dark in subject matter, are far more relatable and accessible than Neon cyberspace and Atari video games.

So, to finally talk about the album. I will firstly say that it is always a beautiful moment when you hear an album for the first time and are able to skip the emotional foreplay, so to speak. Not having to endure repeat listens to know if the album is really going to endear itself to you. Right from the off, I was invested in this album. Stopping what I was doing at the time to give it my full attention and ensure that I listened to it in it’s entirety. “Saves the World” opens with the understated “Grow”, which works fantastically as a pleasing opener, but the album really kicks off with the second track “Number One Fan” which, rest assured, is a banger. Opening with the line:

So I heard the bad news
Nobody likes me and I’m gonna die alone

(I promise this post is not a cry for help), a powerful line that sets the tone for the rest of the album brilliantly. The theme is straightforward enough, as the song weaves a narrative of overcoming negative thoughts through self belief and empowerment. The track jolts into life with a pulsing kick drum and bass synth, accompanying lead singer, Katie Gavin’s, vocals. The reverb throughout the introduction of the track is minimal, and feels almost claustrophobic, lending itself brilliantly to the themes of feeling trapped with negative thoughts, before the chorus really opens everything up. The use of a vocoder for the vocal harmonies in the chorus feels almost like a Kylie Minogue “Wow” callback (in my opinion, a bonus), but it is the hooks not only within this chorus, but consistent throughout the entire album that I find to be truly masterful. In fact, I think I could comfortably talk about any track on this album at length, because they all have enough about them to feel as though they could work as standalone singles. The fact that they are all crammed into one album, feels like a real treat.

As I briefly touched upon, a lot of the themes on the album are dark, but it is great to hear these being explored to some degree. Whether it is themes of sex being explored on the track “Pink Light”, depression on “Good News (Ya-Ya Song)” or themes of addiction & suicidal thoughts on “It’s gonna be okay, baby”, they are all delved into in a personal manner, based on real experiences, but almost always with a spin of positivity and empowerment.

We can look back at “Number One Fan” as an example of this. The opening line mentioned above, is offset later in the song with the juxtaposing line:

So here’s the bad news
I’m coming for everyone and coming on strong.

Similarly, the track “Pink Light” tells of the feeling of waking up after another one-night stand, craving something more meaningful and feeling worthless in this respect. However, in the chorus Katie Gavin sings:

But there’s a pink light in my apartment
It comes mid-morning as a reminder
That at the right time, in the right surroundings
I will be lovely

None of the songs encapsulate the reassurance of positivity better than the concluding track “It’s gonna be okay, baby”. An ode to Gavin’s own challenging path of self-discovery. She sings of the highs and lows of exploring her own sexuality, depression and drug addiction as well as the relationships along the way. However, the song is interspersed throughout with reassurance of “It’s gonna be okay, baby”. As mentioned, the song is a callback to a past self but the resounding positive message that punctuates the six chapter-like verses, rounds the album off perfectly whilst almost acting as a summation of the album’s themes.

“Saves the World” does not cloud it’s messages, and there is little in the way of allegory. However, in telling real and personal stories, MUNA immediately captured me when listening to this album. This is of course made all the more appealing by the tight production, infectious hooks and pulsing electro-pop. However, what really elevates the album for me, are the unifying messages of positivity on show. It never feels as though MUNA are trying to make grandiose, zealot-like statements, however the moments that feel perfectly interspersed, embrace the challenges that have formed them. At a time when there is so much division, negativity and doubt, these sorts of messages are so important. In fact, it does not feel completely absurd to say that “Saves the World” goes a small way in doing just that, and for these reasons it is an absolute pleasure to be able to recommend it.

Thanks for reading! As always, please support the artist. I have copied the link to MUNA’s music page below and the album is available for streaming on all good music platforms. Once again, I’d love to hear what you thought of the album or similar recommendations.

https://smarturl.it/MUNASTW

First up on the list of my favourite 6 albums from 2019, is a short collection of cosmic folk songs and a solo endeavour by the Frontwoman of LA surf rockers, La Luz.

Growing up, one of the most important albums to me was Queens of the Stone Age’s “Songs for the Deaf”. Their defining third record, a concept album taking the listener on a journey across the sweltering California Desert. I listened to this album on repeat, over and over again. For me, it romanticised the California Desert and whilst not explicitly, I always felt that it painted a particular picture of the landscapes and serenity to be found there, as well as the colourful populations to be found along the way (a far cry from quiet Cornwall). Now imagine if you will, that you were to course the same journey in a lucid dreamlike state. Accompanied only by the weirdness and supernatural ambience of the surrounding sunset landscape. You are now listening to Shana Cleveland’s “Night of the Worm Moon”, and you are in for an absolute treat.

It will never fail to amaze me, hearing genres being explored in seemingly unique ways, oftentimes feeling completely unfamiliar and otherworldly. Those two adjectives are particularly on the mark in the case of this album. At its heart, “Night of the Worm Moon” is a folk album, but as a sum of its parts it is so much more. Apparently inspired by LA’s cosmic and supernatural ley lines, so to speak, I think the best summation of the album’s sound that I have heard is “UFO Folk”.

The album as a whole is an almost ethereal experience and each track flows into the next perfectly. The atmosphere it sets, lends itself to sleepy evenings in front of the fire, as well as it does to carefree drives exploring undiscovered landscapes. The album opens with a single plucked guitar melody played by Cleveland on the track “Don’t Let me Sleep” before growing with the addition of flutes and vocal harmonies, setting the tone perfectly. Almost lullaby-esque, the track flows along with Cleveland’s sleepy vocal delivery, singing of a typical musicians fever dream; a performance gone wrong and plagued with difficulties. The concerns and issues waylaid however, by the reassuring, warm presence of her Grandmother, side of stage.

I feel that I also need to mention the second track on the album “Face of the Sun” which is, for me, one of the stand out moments on an already fantastic album. Evoking the feel of a classic western with the reverb heavy slide guitar, sat perfectly atop a cantering rhythm guitar underneath. You can almost feel the sweltering sun overhead as the track gallops onwards.

It is worth mentioning that 2 of the albums 10 tracks are actually instrumentals. Both short in length, the first “Castle Milk” is in my opinion the strongest and perfectly ties up the albums beginning and is a pleasant break before the title track. “Night of the Worm Moon” begins with a spanish tinged piece of guitar that demonstrates the subtle versatility of Cleveland throughout the album. The title of the album is actually a tip of the hat to “Night of the Purple Moon”, an album by one of Shana Cleveland’s musical inspirations, Jazz artist, Sun Ra. Although musically the albums differ, the inspiration is clear to see, with both sharing cosmic philosophies and occupying an extra-terrestrial headspace.

My personal favourite track on the album is “Invisible When the Sun Leaves”. Sonically, the darkest track on the album, Cleveland plucks at arpeggios whilst the western-style slide guitar from “Face of the Sun” returns, this time with a more sinister undercurrent. Cleveland’s vocals also stand out on this track (howls of “For youuuu” during the chorus are particularly haunting).

On first listen, Shana Cleveland’s “Night of the Worm Moon” may seem to more closely resemble a collection of supernatural lullabies than it does a typical americana folk album. There are no 8 minute ballads here and the songs are not padded out with unnecessary instrumentation. Every sound has its place and fits perfectly where required within the short runtime, clocking in at just over half an hour. I would wholeheartedly recommend setting aside 30 minutes of your time to truly listen to the album as a whole. Its uniqueness is what drew me to it in the first place, and what keeps beaming me back in for repeat listens.

https://shanacleveland.bandcamp.com/album/night-of-the-worm-moon

Please support the artist and check out Shana Cleveland on Bandcamp. The album is also available for streaming on Spotify

Thanks for reading! I’d love to hear what you thought of the album, and any similar recommendations.