SLIP~ons: Overtime

Vancouver based rock quartet SLIP~ons don't do gentle songs. Their new EP is guitar-centric in a 90s kind of way, but somehow The Jam slipped into their sound as well. These are the kind of songs that should be played at top volume, with the rough anthem Graystone as the stand-out track, barreling down the highway with the top down (or roll down the windows if that is not an option).

The only breather song is Brock Pytel going out on his own with - spoiler alert - a guitar. But once the lyrical contents sinks in, the listener becomes aware that he is on the edge of panic... The band won't pick points for originality, but top marks for riffs and hooks. Think REM on speed, with Sugar on top.

Overtime is a self-released EP (vinyl, digital). Buy it from their website.

Tracks:

1. Overtime
2. Waiting for Johnny Marr
3. New Answers
4. Hands Up, Don't Shoot
5. Graystone
6. Nerve Damage
7. Fading Smile

» slip-ons.ca

HCTF review of Heavy Machinery

Pink Floyd: "Live From the Los Angeles Sports Arena, April 26th, 1975" for Record Store Day

Bootlegger Mike Millard's recording of Pink Floyd in Los Angeles is one of the best sounding audience recordings. Live From the Los Angeles Sports Arena, April 26th, 1975 will get a stand-alone release (4LP, 2CD) for Record Store Day (April 18). The audio was remastered by Steven Wilson.

The concert was previously released as part of the Wish You Were Here 50th Anniversary Boxset. 15400 4LP and 7100 2CD sets worldwide.

Glen: "Frenzy" video

German post-rockers Glen have made a video for Frenzy, the opening track of their new album It Was A Bright Cold Day In April,...: "The music is draped in ominous darkness, taking it slow to lure the listener into a vortex with swirling guitars, gnarly shimmering keyboards, and dense percussion. They allow each lengthy track to run its course, with only shifts in volume offering some respite. It is a wordless warning about democratic values being in serious jeopardy."

» glen-the-band.com

HCTF review of It Was A Bright Cold Day In April,...

Lucy Kitchen: In the Low Light

English singer-songwriter Lucy Kitchen lost her husband in 2022 and the grief, hurt and fond memories about their relationship all found their way unto her new album, In the Low Light. Folk music is all about storytelling and besides that genre that peaked in the late 60s and early 70s Kitchen also sneaked in a bit of country (In My Corner) and blues (Blue Light).

Daydreaming and writing and recording music are her go-to safe spaces right now. Anyone who has lost a loved one to cancer can relate to her Chemo Song, a last ditch cure to beat the disease that doesn't come with a guarantee that it will do the trick. Kitchen does not sugarcoat things, letting the words speak for themselves. Backed by her band that never gets in the way of her lyrics In the Low Light's journey through wide array of emotions is pretty intense, but also rewarding and comforting.

Captain Wilberforce: Another World. Another Life. Another Time.

It took indie band Captain Wilberforce a couple of years to come up with a follow-up for their When The Dust Just Won't Settle album. Honing their craft and slowly cooking up the material for what would become Another World. Another Life. Another Time. has paid off in spades. It is a collection of top shelf quintessentially English songs, with elements of 60s baroque pop spiced up with XTC-inspired melancholy and mid-period Elvis Costello.

Getting to grips with getting older and reflecting on their losses and highlights in life so far are the main themes, served up in superb melodies acting as comfy blankets. Another World. Another Life. Another Time. is an album for rainy days. It won't chase away the demons, but it will be a bit harder for them to get the upper hand.