By Maxazine South Africa 
Dozens of new albums arrive at Maxazine’s editorial staff every week. There are too many to listen to, let alone review them. It ensures that too many albums are left behind. And that’s a shame. That is why we post an overview of albums that arrive at the editors in short reviews today.
Photo (c) Jorge Fakhouri Filho
La Roux – Old Flames
Elly Jackson is back, and she takes you to the dancefloor with a broken heart. On “Old Flames”, La Roux processes the end of a seventeen-year relationship, resulting in pop that immediately sticks in your head. It is her fourth album after almost seven years of silence, and she wrote, produced and performed everything herself. “Night Vision” is a hip-swaying pop song that makes it impossible to sit still, while “Lose Myself” has a chorus that gets straight into your head. “To Make Our Love” brings a sunny Balearic atmosphere, while “Final Fantasy” sounds soft and vulnerable. Those looking to get angry are served up “Cabin Fever” and “Your Lover”. The sound nods to Stevie Nicks and Cyndi Lauper, and it suits her perfectly. She sounds mature, but still playful. There is quite a lot of repetition, as the record remains at a warm, sultry mid-tempo pace. Still, it works because Jackson turns heartbreak into a whole series of catchy songs. Put on your sunglasses, turn up the volume and dance the pain away. (Daniel Harris) (7/10) (Casablanca/Republic)
Darrel Treece Birch’s Atlantea – Truthsayer
Multi-instrumentalist Darrel Treece-Birch is the keyboard player for the melodic rock band TEN. He has released several albums, both as a solo artist and with Darrel Treece Birch’s Atlantea. The styles on “Truthsayer” include melodic and ambient rock. These are alternated and blended with, for example, atmospheric and calm passages. The album opens with the latter. The keyboards are (in all tracks) abundantly present. The (bass) guitar and drums are given sufficient room. At times, there are many layers and/or details in the music, and the blend of the different styles is good. There is sufficient variation between high and low tones, but the sound of the music and vocals is sometimes too dull. The lyrics deal with, among other things, myths, mysteries and speculation. Occasionally, the vocals are a little sweet. Thanks to the diversity of styles, the tracks differ sufficiently from one another. In “Atlantis Overture”, for example, with its unusual twists and turns, a touch of hectic energy is woven into the music. In addition, there are a large number of guest guitarists and various vocalists, each with their own style and sound. As a result, “Truthsayer” feels like a compilation album. Since this is not a concept album, that is not distracting. (Esther Kessel-Tamerus) (7/10) (Lion Music)
Royal Blood – Dead Company
Royal Blood throw open the door of the rehearsal room and unleash the storm. On “Dead Company”, their fifth album, Mike Kerr and Ben Thatcher opt for raw, self-produced riff rock without frills. The title track and “Swallow the Bomb” thunder past like a freight train, with a punk edge and a touch of Motörhead. “Ten Over Ten” is just as hard-hitting, although the brutal exterior sometimes drowns out the vocals, as in “Mother Never Told You”. “Ride” keeps the pace high and brings to mind “You Can Be So Cruel” from their debut, but with more fire. Towards the end, “Take Em All” and “The Closer” rein things in and bring a darker atmosphere to the whole. That works, because it keeps the album standing after the initial storm. None of this is new. The band returns to its roots, delivering energy above all else, rather than surprises. Anyone who wants to hear bass and drums at full volume is in the right place here. A solid album that will hit even harder live than it does through the speakers at home. (Anton Dupont) (7/10) (Warner Records)
Skepta – The Fork and Knife
Skepta returns with “The Fork and Knife”, his first solo album in seven years, following 2019’s “Ignorance Is Bliss”. The record deals with identity, life as the British son of Nigerian immigrants and the price of success. Musically, he stays close to grime, but ventures into UK garage, jungle and house. “Innocent Smile” with Chase & Status and Suggs offered a preview of the rave side. “Cold Shower” with Project Pat showcases a trap style, while “Aloe Vera” leans towards Afro house and “Victory Lap” towards dubstep. More personal are “Pandora’s Box”, about fame, mental health and addiction, and “Secrets of Patriarchy”, with which the album also touches on patriarchy. Listeners do not agree on everything: “Chippie” goes down less well with some, and the second half is less distinctive. What does stand out is the careful production and the fact that nothing sounds rushed. Skepta proves himself to be a storytelling rapper who expands his style without abandoning his roots. A successful return that more than justifies the long wait, although not every track is equally strong. (Norman van den Wildenberg) (8/10) (Big Smoke/Epic)
Alanis Morissette – Good Weather for Immaculate Conception
Alanis Morissette is releasing a Christmas album for the first time, and it is just as unconventional as its title, “Good Weather for Immaculate Conception”, suggests. Fourteen tracks, including two original songs: “To an Empath at Christmas Time” and “Christmas on the Dancefloor”. The rest consists of well-known Christmas classics, from “O Holy Night” to “Last Christmas” and Joni Mitchell’s “River”. “Little Drummer Boy” sounds surprisingly fresh with shimmering synths and marching drums, while the layered vocals give it something heavenly. “Beautiful Star of Bethlehem” with Brandi Carlile and Steve Martin feels like a cosy evening in front of the fireplace. But “Christmas on the Dancefloor” is a disco rocker that tries to do more than it can manage, however amusing the idea may be. That is typical of the album: a nice idea, but not always well executed. Many songs stay neatly within the genre’s boundaries. Alanis simply sings as Alanis, and for fans that is reason enough to put it under the Christmas tree. For everyone else, it is a pleasant little Christmas album with a charm of its own. (Daniel Harris) (6/10) (Epiphany Music)
