Our selection of the best new music across a range of genres from the week ending 31 March 2023.
Having broken off work on a second violin concerto in 2012, the prolific Finnish composer Kalevi Aho only returned to the project after being contacted by the violinist Elina Vähälä. While aware of the weight of tradition and eager to avoid the pitfalls of violinistic clichés, Aho nevertheless wrote a virtuoso work dominated by the soloist, who is offered many possibilities to realise her own interpretative conception. The orchestral part was specifically composed for the Kymi Sinfonietta with its sound in mind. With his second cello concerto, Aho also wanted to write a piece that orchestras of the size of a sinfonietta could include in their programs. Here too the solo writing is particularly well suited to the instrument. The youngest winner of the International Tchaikovsky Competition in 2015, cellist Jonathan Roozeman takes on this work in five movements played without interruption and in the last section delivers a cadenza as unusual as it is clever. The Kymi Sinfonietta is conducted here by Olari Elts, a champion of contemporary Baltic composers
American experimental musician and producer Katie Gately is up to mischief on her new album Fawn/Brute, 11 songs of innocence and experience exploring the light and dark of childhood energy following the birth of her first daughter. It is an album of two halves, that moves from the effervescence of early years to the defiance and turbulence of teenage angst.
Deerhoof’s new album, Miracle-Level, was produced, recorded, and mixed by Mike Bradavski at No Fun Studios in Winnipeg, Manitoba. It’s the band’s 19th album and the first to be produced, recorded and mixed entirely in a recording studio. All of the songs are in Japanese.
London Brew is inspired by the legendary Miles Davis album Bitches Brew, one of jazz’s greatest albums. Produced by Martin Terefe and Downtown Music UK Limited, the record reflects an emotional journey of the times, having been recorded during the pandemic after many months of isolation and the inability to collaborate in person. Recorded in December 2020 at The Church Studios in London, the recording session brings together 12 all-star London based artists, Nubya Garcia, Shabaka Hutchings, Theon Cross, Dave Okumu, Benji B, Tom Skinner and more. The group is collectively known as “London Brew”. “Sometimes the music is uncomfortable,” producer Martin Terefe describes, “other times it’s familiar and joyous and other times it’s like deep meditation.”
The Price of Progress is The Hold Steady’s 9th studio albumis out now via Positive Jams, in association with Thirty Tigers. Once again the band collaborated with producer Josh Kaufman and engineer D. James Goodwin. They were able to get to new places in the music and atmosphere, while retaining a familiar THS vibe. The result is their most cinematic and expansive release yet. The Price of Progress features ten narrative rock and roll songs about people trying to survive in this modern age. It’s a great way to celebrate The Hold Steady’s 20 years as a band.
At its heart, bluegrass music is about what happens when you commit to the moment. The joy of improvisation keeps the music fresh, and the fun of crafting ideas on the fly keeps the musicians on their toes. This true spirit of bluegrass infuses the self-titled record from Mighty Poplar, a new all-star roots project featuring Andrew Marlin of Watchhouse, Noam Pikelny and Chris Eldridge of Punch Brothers, bassist Greg Garrison (Leftover Salmon) and fiddler Alex Hargreaves (Billy Strings); out now on Free Dirt Records.
Sometimes You Hurt The Ones You Hate by Damien Jurado is a gorgeous, richly diverse and compact album and his third full length on his label Maraqopa Records. The eight tracks are heavy with emotion and feature a wide spectrum of Jurado’s continuously developing talents as a songwriter.
Other reviews you might enjoy:
- New music round-up (for w/e 4 October 2024)
- New music round-up (for w/e 17 March 2023)
- New music round-up
David Edwards is the editor of The Blurb and a contributor on film and television
