Ex Norwegian and Friends: Sing Wistle Tunes

Roger Houdaille of neo-psychedelic pop outlet Ex Norwegian got in touch with his friends to pay tribute to the songs of John Entwistle. The Who's bassist dark sense of humour and knack for passive-aggressive putdown tracks got the back on Earth as Peter Townshend was reaching for the stars. The Ox's solo albums never sold in bucket loads, but each one of them contains a few memorable compositions. Sing Wistle Tunes shines a light of gems like Apron Strings, When I Was A Boy, and Doctor Doctor.

It is the melody that is taking centre stage on this labour of love. That's a wise choice, as it points to Entwistle arranging skills. He also played Frecch horn and piano, which allowed to break out the range of the bass. It is quite easy to label Entwistle's lyrics as a tad misogynistic, but dig a little deeper to appreciate his sense for melody. As a bass player, he was never about solely providing a basic rhythm, plus his use of tapping enabled him to become a force nature, especially when playing live.

Ex Norwegian: Spook Du Jour

Roger Houdaille is never out of ideas for another record by his Miami based neo-psychedelic power pop project Ex Norwegian. Spook Du Jour is his 13th album, a musical journey touching base with a wealth of genres. There is the swagger of glam rock, a nod to the accessible branch of Krautrock, and alternative and straight up rawk playing catch. Carefully sequenced it is basically like tuning into a radio show that offers half an hour of goodies that sound both familiar and fresh.

He treats synths and guitar as equal partners, picks his effects like a kid in a candy store, while never letting the groove getting out of his sight. As a producer Houdaille knows his fair share about dynamics and clarity. When he pushes the fuzz pedal he somehow manages to make it sound jubilant. Picking songs to highlight from this an embarrassment of riches is next to impossible. All killer, no filler.

Ex Norwegian: Hue Spotting + Spotting Hues

Roger Houdaille, main man of Miami based neo-psychedelic power pop project Ex Norwegian, comes out swinging with a double whammy: ten brand new songs on Hue Spotting and the covers companion Spotting Hues. The two albums are complementary, a grand gesture showing insight in his own creative process and paying tribute to his influences.