Senseless Optimism – It’s You

Multi-instrumentalist, Brittany Tsewole out of Massachusetts presents as Senseless Optimism. It’s You is from her charming double-sided single. She says her songs, “Delve into the experience of witnessing a relationship slowly deteriorate, contemplating its origins while also encapsulating the emotional process of seeing love crumble and finding a path forward.” According to a little research, I discovered that this first-rate artist when barely a teenager, constructed a drum kit out of boxes, a deflated basketball, pillows and a kick pedal while living in Sri Lanka and falling hard for heavy metal and hardcore. Influences you can certainly hear as It’s You builds to a guitar crescendo and a surprising abrupt end. And, a big thumbs up for Brittany’s vocals.

Mia Joy – 4th Of July

Mia Joy – More Green

Mia Joy’s Celestial Mirror EP captured my attention on first listen. She achieves that almost impossible mission* of seeming to whisper, yet her voice shines loud and clear in the mix – and what an outstanding production. The Chicago-based artist’s songs are definitely personal, she sings of love and perhaps broken hearts, gentle and intimate yet hardly maudlin. More Green is suggested as the lead single which we love and included at the end of the show, while Mia’s enchanting harmonies and Jake Stolz’s precise drumming on 4th of July won us over, just a teeny-tiny bit. About the song, Mia says, “This song was written about a previous anniversary with an ex. Perhaps my first love song, where I was asking if we can hold on to the momentum of the beginning then the terrifying inner soul work could be possible to lean into.” Michael Santana (lead guitar) and Michael Mac (bass) provide the solid instrumentation required for Celestial Mirror. If you check out the endearing video for More Green you’ll see Mia Joy surrounded by a cast of her real-life community, including another LEM favorite, Ella Williams of Squirrel Flower.

*sorry Mission Impossible fans

RJ Wilks – We Have Guests

I do like We Have Guests from the LP of the same name. RJ Wilks is based in San Fransisco I believe and has a number of earlier releases I’ve yet to check out. There is something etherial – haunting maybe about this cut. The repeated lines never get redundant as the song is beautifully put together. To best understand how well We Have Guests works make sure to play this cut loud, very loud. There is a lot going on here. I will admit to misreading the title and deciding it had must be, We Have Ghosts – which could be a perfect alternate title. RJ does not share much information, although I did discover via their Insta that at one time, RJ Wilks had a penchant for Pokemon.

Epic45 – The Crush

From a lovely part of England that doesn’t get as much fawning attention as the Yorkshire Dales – South Staffordshire and the West Midlands is where a couple of talented lads, Rob Glover and Ben Holton can be found. They are the mainstays of Epic45, their new album is You’ll Only See Us When The Light Has Gone which is decidedly top-notch as you’ll hear with The Crush. Don’t let the almost nonchalant vocals fool you, listen carefully. “Born from troubled times, a final blast of resilience against the crush of these dead years. Onwards, as the world sinks!” They proclaim. Ben and Rob clearly know how to create superb quintessentially very English music. No slacking here, delightfully arranged and produced. Plus, Ben and Rob are kept busy as the founders of Wayside & Woodland Recordings with a large and exceptional catalogue, you must explore. Full marks for Epic45 – I will admit to being curious about that name. 

KOU – Blue Moon

The perennial favorite, Blue Moon is commonly attributed to Rodgers & Hart, although in 2018 an article in the New York Times said that a documentary filmmaker claimed that her late father Edward W. Roman had written the song. Later, a spokesperson for the Rodgers & Hammerstein Organization said, “The story seemed a little far-fetched”. Over the years, Blue Moon has been covered by scores of artists including the haunting version from Elvis Presley. Now there comes a truly peculiar version complete with animal noises and found sounds from KOU. This is the work of Apolline Schöser & Thomas Coquelet courtesy of Aguirre Records, Belgium, a label that has a fascinating catalogue of somewhat obscure and musical oddities. Curious and delightful.

A. L. Lacey – Memo

Classically trained pianist, vocalist and composer, A. L. Lacey is based in Bristol, a city I often refer to as a hub of enterprising creative talent. Lesson is Lacey’s long-awaited debut album, described as “A document of luxurious darkness show-casing her unique wall of chamber pop sound”. The album was produced and recorded by Jim Barr of Portishead fame amongst other collaborations. Human Worth records have pressed up a super limited run of “Pitch Black” vinyl with a portion of all proceeds donated to Save the Children’s Gaza Appeal – delivering much needed support and vital supplies to children and families affected by this horrific war. A. L. Lacey adds, “A huge part of this project therefore became the need to challenge myself and to see what I could achieve or lessons I could learn, if I did things my own way – a bit of a journey towards autonomy – a predominant theme in most of my song”. 

Hypho, Abstrakt Sonance, Megumi Hope – My Mind

Hypho, Abstrakt Sonance, Megumi Hope – Maya

Next, two in a row from the exceptional Megumi Hope EP, via the Deep, Dark & Dangerous imprint. This release is a collaboration between the enchanting Megumi Hope, also known as Dub Princess, and the extremely talented producers Hypho and Abstrakt Sonance. Megumi’s hauntingly beautiful vocals gracefully intertwine with a meticulously crafted production of impeccable, vibe-drenched sounds. Combining the flavors and feel of the dreamlike, with the production values of top-tier electronic artists Hypho and Abstrakt Sonance. Written during the height of the Covid pandemic, this release is just as much a release and escape for the artists involved in its creation as it is for the listener. Intense and Incredible.

Girlfriend – Take

I could not resist playing another cut from Dublin-based, Girlfriend. I  raved on about how good I think Girlfriend are in LEM Vol 340, here then is another cut, Take. This brilliant Irish 4 piece have created a masterful collection of songs. Selecting just one cut to play was, well, difficult. Each song is so good on their debut LP, To Be Quiet. There is an almost an innocence about the choral harmonies on Take, yet there is a fervent passion at the same time – stunning! 

Kelly Reed – Stupid Idiot

“Stupid Idiot was initially inspired by a heartbreaking story about a Chicago woman who very publicly and tragically took her own life in 2016”, says Kelly Reed about the title cut from her new LP. The multi-instrumentalist originally from Chicago now living in Durham, North Carolina goes on to say, “This album ultimately became a personal exercise – deconstructing the complexities of mental health and articulating all the ways we fight to be seen, heard, and understood”. Thank you for sharing Kelly and for the excellent music.

Waldskin – Foam

Aurèle Louis, Maryam Hammad and Nathan Gros are Waldskin from Switzerland who tell us, “Our music is meant to be oppressively beautiful and grainy. A complex mix of purity and imperfections, of calm and latent violence.” An interesting description. Waldskin intrigues me and I want to hear more. There is something tantalizing about how Foam unfolds. The build to the crescendo and then the vocal ending has me longing to hear more.

Les Mamans du Congo & Robin – Mpemba

Apologies to Les Mamans & Robin for my woeful attempt at the correct pronunciation of their language. Hailing from Brazzaville, Republic of the Congo, here we have a unique encounter between Bantu lullabies from Congo, electronic music and hip-hop. Their first single is Mpemba which translates to “reason” in the Lari dialect. Gladys Samba is the group’s leader who defends Congolese heritage and the values inherited from the Kongo Kingdom. The history of their people and the daily lives of Congolese women are brought together in music for the first time, with rhythms played with forks, plates, baskets, drumsticks and other recycled materials. Oh, and high marks for the superb artwork. Fascinating and fabulous.

Lila Yin – Ricochet

Out of London, talented, producer, songwriter and performer, Lila Yin gives us Ricochet from her powerful EP, Third I. This cut could easily be a least 10 minutes long, a massive extended dance mix complete with a dub version. Splendidly crafted music on this EP.

Artwork by A.G. Gunter “Tree from below”  25” x 25” 2012 digital print on laminate. Courtesy of Norman B’s collection