Ain’t Just Dreaming
By Toi + the NZ Team, Ellesse Andrews, Max Brown
What’s this? An Olympic team anthem that is neither hand-on-heart supporters’ salute or an adrenalin-powered entreaty to race faster, throw further, um gymnast something-er for good ol Aotearoa? Where has this attack of good taste come from? Is Dave Dobbyn not returning calls?
It’s an understated track with possibly a concerningly low tempo, given the participation of cyclist Ellesse Andrews and kayaker (and music teacher) Max Brown. But the brass-assisted loping funk backing of Wellington group TOI to a song of quietly inspirational lyrics is rather touching. Its sound will certainly reflect the playlist of many a twentysomething Kiwi athlete. It’s also a slow grower they won’t be heartily sick of before the Paris opening ceremony. – Russell Baillie
Broken Man
By St. Vincent
The first track from Annie Clark’s/St. Vincent’s due-in-April new album starts off feeling a bit like PJ Harvey fronting Nine Inch Nails and builds its slow-burn, industrial guitar-crank excitingly from there. It turns into quite the racket by the end, helped by one Dave Grohl on drums. And in the video, she’s well and truly on fire. – Russell Baillie
Learning
By Jordan Rakei
There is something gorgeously Marvin Gaye-ish to the latest track from Tokoroa-born, Australia-raised, London-based Jordan Rakei’s latest, string-laden slice of late-night soul from his forthcoming album and major label debut The Loop. – Russell Baillie
Linger On
By The Mons Whaler
There was an admittedly ancient time in NZ music where you couldn’t move for blues bands, many of whom just didn’t have the song-power or musical imagination or when it came to the studio. Taranaki’s The Mons Whaler do not have those problems. That’s clear by the band’s newly released debut album Hold My Gun which does a fine line in the soul-shaped, swampy stuff, led by the blast-from-the-past guitar and singing of Hemi Coates. That can be heard here on Linger On, the fiery focus track of an album that has a mellower side too. Fans of everyone from the Black Keys to Gary Clark Jr. should listen up. – Russell Baillie
obvious
By Cavetown
UK musician-producer Cavetown released an EP titled little vice five days before their Auckland show at Powerstation last Wednesday. At which, they played some songs from said EP - a fun, risky move considering fans are unlikely to have committed the lyrics to memory by that time. But I can confirm the slick performances of the soft-pop/soft-rock tracks were enjoyed by all. The production of obvious leans itself toward video game-esque music in a well-crafted way, which doesn’t appear out of character for the singer who said New Zealand’s glow worms reminded him of a type of mineral you collect in Minecraft. Impressive vocal runs too. – Alana Rae
Every Night
By PARK RD
Auckland band PARK RD’s new single Every Night feels like a California skater boy type track with similar vibes to that of American pop artist Lauv, especially in the harmonies nearing the end. The simplistic lyrics are well matched to its production and sweet melody, making for a boppy summer song that will go down well at their upcoming shows. I also love a fade-out – weirdly, they are a rarity these days. – Alana Rae
Romantic Worlds
by Jane Weaver
Although an art-rock-cum-electronica artist best appreciated on albums – we’d recommend Flock from 2021 as a starting point – here Weaver aims squarely at the heart rather than the head with a woozy pop song supported by off-kilter synths. This and the previous single Perfect Storm – even more deliberately 80s synth-pop -- set up her forthcoming album Love in Constant Spectacle (released early April). Always interesting and often ironic. – Graham Reid
Gimme Some Kinda Sign
by UB40
It’s late summer, the barbecues are still out and this cover of Brenton Wood’s energetic 1960s soul classic – with a rap breakdown by Gilly G – probably captures the mood. But although it’s professionally executed, it is uninspired and little more than a familiar background groove while waiting for the sausages to blacken. – Graham Reid
P Scharwenka, second movement from Violin Concerto in B min, Op.110.
By Amalia Hall violin, Christopher Park piano.
It’s always the flashy younger sibling who gets the plaudits, isn’t it? Xaver Scharwenka was a virtuoso pianist, and composer of virtuoso piano works, whose flame shone briefly but brightly in turn of 19th/20th century Europe. He was rediscovered a century later through some stunning recordings of his piano concertos. Which is kind of tough on his elder brother, [Ludwig] Philipp, who wrote more inward-looking, less showy music. Philipp’s chamber works have some depth, though, several of which are beautifully showcased on a new album from Aotearoa’s Busiest Violinist™, Amalia Hall – herself a younger sibling of professional musicians; make of that what you will – and pianist Christopher Park. It’s out now via Atoll records. – Richard Betts
