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There was something that struck me as soon as I started listening to this album. Its laid back, chilled vibe feels entirely in keeping with the band’s name, and it sets the mood from the very first moments.
 
The album opens with "Sauna", a title that may feel fitting given the artist’s Finnish heritage, yet the song is anything but a stuffy sweatbox. It is light and airy, evoking the sense of strolling along a beach on a warm summer day. The lyrics carry an almost childlike quality, and that innocence works beautifully.
 
That chilled vibe carries into "Country for the Town", which opens with a lovely guitar flourish and once again feels like summer unfolding from the speakers. It is a warmly welcome sensation at this time of year, and one that Afie, the lead singer, will be familiar with also living in Canada.
 
The flow continues with "The Bridge". Musically it leans into a calypso vibe, though the vocals didn’t quite connect for me. There are several appealing elements in the track, yet they feel somewhat disjointed to my ear.
 
"Ready for a New Thing" feels a little more conventional, which may sound like faint praise, yet it is a more cohesive piece than the track before it and works very well. It is light and airy, giving the vocals plenty of room to shine.
 
As we reach the middle of the album, "Only Inspiration" offers a chance to slow things down with a ballad that opens on a beautiful piano introduction. The song builds steadily as synth layers and ethereal vocal backing emerge. Around the halfway point it shifts into something a little different. There are touches of a pleasing guitar solo, though it feels slightly distorted and not quite in keeping with the track. It does not take much away too much from the song overall, but a cleaner tone would have suited it better.
 
And then things get a little funkier with "Dearborn". There is no need to panic, as it never pushes too far, but rather stays on the same soft yacht with a touch of added attitude, and it is impossible not to tap along.
 
Things return to a softer vibe with "Shadows", and I couldn’t help thinking of Gordon Lightfoot’s "Sundown". The guitar melody feels notably similar, yet it never slips into a weak pastiche. Instead, it carries its own identity while offering a tasteful nod to another Canadian legend.
 
I wasn't too sure about "Play the Game". I kept thinking "filler" for some reason. Maybe a little critical, but don't get me wrong, it's a nice track, nice melody, nice vocals, but it just didn't sit with me and that's all part of the album experience for me anyway, where I'm thinking about things more as a body of work, rather than individual tracks.
 
"Feels So Good" opens with another beautiful piano melody, but it doesn’t linger in that soundscape for long. The track shifts a couple of times, creating an unusual flow that, on paper, feels like it shouldn’t work. Yet somehow, the transitions come together seamlessly, giving the song a sense of unpredictability that keeps the listener engaged. There’s a subtle tension between the familiar warmth of the piano and the unexpected turns in the arrangement, which makes the track feel both surprising and satisfying.
 
I was hoping for a chilled sign-off for the album, and that’s exactly what "In Country" delivers. The track feels sentimental, personal, and almost confessional, yet remains laid back throughout. As the final note fades into the distance, you’re left with a lingering warm glow, the perfect gentle conclusion to the album’s journey.

My Second Last Album

I’d skimmed a few tracks from this album and marked it as a strong contender for review, but for some reason it lingered in my To-Do pile. I must have missed the opening track, "Standing Ovation" until today. Pressing play was a revelation. Although Stella Donnelly was born and raised in Western Australia, her Welsh heritage shines through, giving her accent a more British than Australian tone, particularly on this track. It opens slowly with keyboards supporting her mesmerising vocals, creating a simple yet captivating atmosphere. Around the halfway mark, the song shifts dramatically, almost splitting into two distinct sections, with the latter embracing a more indie rock infused sound, which ends almost as quickly as it starts.
 
"Being Nice" leans a little more to the conventional, but don’t let that put you off. It has a classic indie feel, and once again it’s the vocals that stand out. They’re warm, clear, and effortlessly lift the track, even though it runs just a little over a minute and a half. There’s another artist it vaguely recalls for me, though I can’t quite place who, but the familiarity adds a subtle charm.
 
I love the guitar work on "Feel It Change", which at times recalls Johnny Marr with his jangly, bright tones. It’s a fairly slow paced track, yet it moves along gracefully. I can also catch a subtle Welsh inflection on certain words, which adds even more depth and charm to her voice, and makes me love her voice even more.
 
Next up is "Baths", a track that initially feels like a classic folk song, opening a cappella with a touch of reverb. Gradually, a subtle keyboard accompaniment enters, enhancing the atmosphere of this beautiful piece. I know I often mention accents, but it’s fascinating to hear hints of an artist’s cultural melting pot in their voice. While we’ve noticed British (or perhaps English) and Welsh influences, there are also glimpses of Australian, especially in words like "Photos". This is by no means a criticism, it’s part of what makes her voice distinctive and compelling and something I would never want for her to change. The only thing wrong with this track is it's far too short, as I couldn't help but feel like I needed more when it finished.
 
"Year of Trouble" maintains the laid-back vibe, with simple piano that highlights the vocals rather than pushing them forward. It may sound plain at first, but that simplicity is exactly what lets the beauty of her voice shine.
 
It wasn’t until "Please Everyone" began that I could finally place the artist that Stella reminded me of, which comes through even more clearly on this track. It may be a stretch for some, but she evokes Kate Nash, though in a more rounded, "telephone voice" kind of way, if that makes sense. At least, that’s how it comes across to me. I love the arrangement on this track, especially with the 10cc "I'm Not in Love", new-age style vocal backing, which really lifts the track to another level.
 
With more Johnny Marr style guitar backing, "W.A.L.K" was probably for me the one track I would skip on the CD player. Where the other tracks had that extra something, this one feels a little plodding. I know many will likely disagree, but for me it felt like an old 80s indie track, which for some reason I just didn't gel with me. 
 
Another one of those blink and you’ll miss it tracks, "Friend" runs just a minute and forty-nine seconds. Yet in that brief time, it delivers a breathless, beautiful vocal performance that lingers long after the song ends, leaving you wishing it could have gone on just a little longer. Its fleeting nature only makes it more memorable and another gem that stands out on the album.
 
The next track, "Ghosts", is more poignant and heartfelt, yet the vocals are delivered so earnestly and sweetly that the full weight of the sorrow never feels overwhelming. Perhaps that’s the comfort of sharing, of laying your soul open. Either way, it results in a genuinely beautiful and moving track.
 
"Love and Fortune" for some reason is a track that had me focused on the lyrics, in particular I loved the lines "You trace my body for bites, your fingers go over like search part lights" and "Dad picks me up from the train, travelling back adolescent again", on their own two very disparate lines, but the imagery of both is so sharp.
 
Closing out the album, "Laying Low" takes a sharp 180-degree turn, leaning into a more pop infused sound that contrasts with the rest of the record. It’s a strong track, but I think the album might have worked better ending on a softer note, perhaps by swapping it with the previous track. A small detail, but one that could make the album’s conclusion feel more gentle and reflective. A minor detail, but one I think more attentive, album-focused listeners would notice and appreciate.
 
Stella Donnelly’s album is a captivating blend of indie, folk, and subtle pop influences, marked throughout by her mesmerising vocals and great guitar work. From the dramatic shifts in "Standing Ovation" to the heartfelt intimacy of "Ghosts" and the fleeting beauty of "Friend", each track offers its own distinctive charm. Her voice, tinged with Welsh, British, and Australian inflections, adds depth and personality, making even the simpler arrangements feel compelling. While a few tracks might feel slightly out of step with the album’s overall tone, the record as a whole is consistently engaging and thoughtfully arranged. This is a confident and impressive release from a remarkably talented artist.

Love and Fortune

I’ll just say it upfront. This is a cracking EP from a band I have to admit I've never heard of before. It delivers four tracks and not a single one falls short.
 
The EP opens with "Lifers Too", a fast paced and foot tapping burst of energy. As soon as I heard the lead vocalist, another artist came to mind, although it took me a while to pin down the comparison. Some may say it is an apples to oranges match, but to me he's very reminiscent of Talk Talks lead singer Mark Hollis.
 
The dial turns down a notch with "Cocaine and Lexapro", but that doesn’t make it a boring track by any means, the title alone can't help but grab your attention. Two vocalists take the lead here, and once again the second one reminded me of someone I just couldn’t quite place. I enjoyed the song a lot, but one line stood out in particular: "Pilot's still a pilot 'til he crashes the plane". I’m not sure why, but it really resonated with me. Maybe it's that philosophical ponderable.
 
Things are cranked up again with "Havenhead", a track that pushes forward and carries you with it. There’s a strong 90s feel here, and that flavour runs through the whole EP. I’m not sure whether that’s unique to this release or part of the band’s overall sound, but either way it works. This is a cracking track.
 
The EP closes with "Berlin", shifting from high energy to something a little more sedate. Yet it retains a sense of something special, particularly with the 80s-style synth underpinning the track.
 
This is the kind of EP that could easily serve as a band’s “best-of” collection, with all the strongest tracks gathered together. As I mentioned earlier, I’d never heard of the band before, but I’ll definitely be exploring their back catalogue and eagerly awaiting their next release.

A Brief Intermission in the Flattening of Time

I’ve heard the name The Mountain Goats a lot over the years, though I don’t think I’d ever realised just how extensive and impressive their output was, this being their twenty-third studio album. Going in, I was expecting a folksy, vocal-driven sound, but quickly realised I’d been confusing them, for some reason, with the Fleet Foxes.
 
To me, this feels like a concept album, though the official description puts it this way: "A full-on musical, telling the story of a shipwrecked crew of sixteen men, only three of whom survive a catastrophic storm". There’s no denying it’s a story-driven record, but it reminds me a lot of Jeff Wayne’s War of the Worlds.
 
The album opens with "Overture" and a pulsing synth that soon gives way to glorious strings. It feels very much like the album setting the scene before leading into a wonderfully simple yet memorable melody, one that reappears later, before transforming into another theme entirely.
 
The simple melody from earlier returns as the driving force for "Fishing Boat", but this time it’s vocally driven rather than instrumental, but wonderfully memorable nonetheless. It carries the narrative of the boat setting out with sixteen souls, only for that number to be tragically reduced to three survivors. The song moves along at quite a clip, yet never feels rushed or forced, and it’s hard to believe that it runs just over five minutes.
 
Like the previous track, "Cold at Night" continues the story at quite a pace, and you’d think this might belie the tragedy beneath. What really helps are the vocals, clear, succinct, and perfectly suited to driving the story forward. This is storytelling at its best.
 
Speed is never at the expense of emotion, as "Dawn of Revelation" clearly shows. The track builds beautifully, beginning in quiet sadness before swelling into palpable angst and, ultimately, unrestrained anger. It feels like a breaking point in the narrative, where emotion overflows and the storm that’s been building finally breaks.
 
While the narration in "Your Bandage" helps to move the story forward, the music itself carries equal weight. About halfway through, the vocals fade and the track becomes almost entirely instrumental, allowing the music to speak on its own. It’s a powerful moment and one that feels reflective and heavy with the emotional aftermath of what’s come before.
 
There’s a softer, slower feel to "Peru", a reflection on life, memory, and the quiet persistence of resilience, perhaps even hope. It was during this track that I found myself trying to place John Darnielle’s vocals, and then it struck me, he reminds me of Al Stewart, best known for his hit “Year of the Cat.” There’s a gentle warmth to his voice, something soft yet deeply comforting, perfectly suited to the reflective tone of the song.
 
This reflective mood continues with "Though This Fire", but here you can sense the optimism beginning to fade, like a flame flickering against the wind, moments before it’s extinguished. There’s a tenderness in the delivery that makes it feel both intimate and inevitable, as though the light is dimming not in defeat, but in quiet acceptance.
 
Maybe I’m misinterpreting "Rocks in My Pockets", but it feels as though the narrator is contemplating an end on their own terms, swimming out to sea, the weight of the rocks ensuring their fate. It’s a deeply sad sentiment, yet the music remains hauntingly beautiful, creating a poignant contrast between despair and grace.
 
There’s no hiding the sheer sorrow in "Armies of the Lord", yet this remains storytelling above all, rather than sentiment piled on. That doesn’t mean the listener can’t empathize and feel the pain of the characters, in fact, it makes it all the more affecting, allowing the story to unfold with clarity and emotional weight.
 
Even more tragedy arrives in "Your Glow", yet it is conveyed with stunning beauty. The music and lyrics are in perfect harmony, each note and word underscoring the emotional weight of the story. And then, just like that, he is left completely alone.
 
That comparison to Al Stewart comes even more to the fore in "The Lady from Shanghai 2". There’s even a hint of what I think is an oboe, adding a curious, almost whimsical layer. It’s an unusual tune, but it brings a welcome texture to the album without ever distracting from the overarching story and sound.
 
The album closes with "Broken to Begin With", and it’s clear that there are no happy endings, a sobering reflection on what future listeners might make of it all. That said, my pedantic side can’t help but wonder: if he didn’t make it, how can he narrate the album? Still, that quibble can easily be set aside in the face of the story’s power and emotional resonance.
 
It’s not often that words fail me, but they did for several days after listening. I think I needed time to let it sink in and to truly cogitate on what I’d heard. In the end, the best way I can sum up this album is: absolutely stunning. Whether you approach it as a pure listening experience or as a deeply personal story, it simply works, and works exceptionally well.

Through This Fire Across from Peter Balkan

Flowers for the Dead are a band from Washington, DC. I hadn’t encountered them before, but they’ve already built a solid body of work, with numerous single releases, a couple of full-length albums, and now this EP, which offers a glimpse into their evolving sound and artistic vision.
 
The EP opens with "Tiny Beanie" a relatively short track at just a minute and a half. Musically, it gives a clear sense of the band’s style, though the valley-girl–style talking layered over the track feels a bit like misdirection, teasing one expectation while hinting at something different.
 
With "First Place" the dynamic flips. The vocals are more in line with what I anticipated, but musically the track is somewhat restrained and flat. It picks up in the second half, yet it still feels a little at odds with itself, as though the song can’t quite decide whether to hold back or fully soar.
 
"Thorn" is another short track, again just over a minute and a half, and just as the pieces start to come into its own, the song ends, leaving you wanting more.
 
The final track, "Perfect View" immediately brought the Beatles’ “Dear Prudence” to mind, or, considering the band’s direction, perhaps the Siouxsie and the Banshees rendition. The gentle build and melodic interplay highlight what the band can achieve when their ideas fully gel.
 
There’s a lot to like in this EP, but it also feels like a teaser for what could be. While that might sound like faint praise, EPs often serve as introductions to a band, and the ideal is for them to be as strong and cohesive as possible. I missed the band’s 2024 album release, "Magnolia" but this EP has definitely piqued my interest, and I’ll be keeping an eye out for future releases.

Perfect View

I stumbled upon this band through a list of recent album releases, and right from the start, I had a feeling it was something I was going to really enjoy. The overall sound has a strong 90s Britpop vibe, echoing the era when Britain was musically front and centre, with bands like Blur, Oasis, Manic Street Preachers, and Supergrass leading the charge. There’s a familiar energy here that captures the spirit of that time without leaning too heavily into nostalgia.
 
The album opener, “Something To Tell You,” bursts out of the gate with a roar. The band hails from Essex and London, and that regional identity is unmistakable the moment you hear the lead singer’s voice. His relaxed, almost nonchalant delivery gives the track a certain swagger. Some listeners might find it effortlessly cool, others might find it a bit grating, but whichever way you lean, there’s no denying it’s infectious.
 
With a change in mood, “Ever So Clear” shifts into more anthemic territory. It carries undertones of Oasis, but without the dense, layered production. There’s a looser, more stripped-back approach that gives the song room to breathe. If I’m being honest, it edges slightly toward the whinier side vocally, but it still holds its own. There’s an emotional sincerity that might strike a chord with the right listener.
 
“Monster Munch” brings us back to the formula that, for me, defines the heart of the album. It’s a storytelling track packed with character and charm. The vocal delivery hints at Blur’s Parklife, but with a drier, more understated tone. The chorus offers a catchy and satisfying refrain, and it might just be the strongest track on the record. That said, I can’t let it slide without mentioning the Pickled Onion reference — everyone knows Roast Beef is the best flavour of Monster Munch.
 
The band might not thank me for this, but when "Unbelievable" first started, I couldn't help but think of Coldplay. That initial comparison faded quickly as the track found its feet. It’s a good song, but not one of the standouts for me.
 
“This Time” then takes us somewhere darker. The musical backdrop has a more brooding feel, with the chorus providing the song’s lift and emotional payoff. It’s a good shift in tone, showing another dimension to the band’s sound.
 
From there, “Buy The Thingy” introduces yet another change in pace. This one trades urgency for a more laid-back, plodding groove. The vocals are smoother and more melodic, offering a softness that contrasts nicely with earlier tracks. The violin accompaniment is a lovely touch, adding texture and warmth without overwhelming the arrangement.
 
“Middle Finger” brings us back to the underlying vibe that runs throughout the album. While it offers some musical variation, it doesn’t stray far. Instead, it builds on the core sound, adding extra tones and flourishes that feel like a natural extension rather than a departure. It reinforces what’s already working rather than trying to reinvent it.
 
The next two tracks, “Dread” and “Everything,” continue to layer in additional texture. “Everything” in particular carries the same kind of reflective, wistful energy you get from Oasis’ “Half the World Away.” They’re gentler songs, introspective but not detached, adding subtle emotional depth to the latter part of the album.
 
“Leaving That Alone” is the one track that didn’t quite land for me. It’s mellow and easygoing, but it feels more like a B-side experiment than a track that belongs in the main lineup. It’s not a bad song, just slightly out of step with the overall flow.
 
The penultimate track, “Name On The Wall,” keeps the slower pace but adds a chorus that feels almost angst-driven. It injects just enough energy to create a sense of momentum and emotional build-up, making way for the final track.
 
“Waiting On A Day” opens with a few gentle notes that immediately feel like the right choice to close the album. It brings a thoughtful tone, creating a sense of resolution and rounding things off on a reflective, satisfying note.
 
Reading this back, it might come across as if I’m lukewarm on the album, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. It’s clear the band has rich musical tastes, rooted firmly in the classic Britpop era. For me, that’s a real strength. Being of a certain age, I lived through those years, and they remain fresh in my mind. I tend to pick up on those influences and, rightly or wrongly, like to point them out. I think it helps give others a clearer idea of whether this is a band they’ll want to explore.

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