Lord knows the general problem I have trying to pass on anything useful to you about The Caroline Bomb is that they are entirely an embodiment of sui generis & maybe the English language wasn't designed to cope. It's a good job that I find challenges keep me using my cognitive facilities.

When therefore lead singer & guitar player Phoebe Court drops her new solo EP ‘Your Body' as she has, I wondered just how up to the task I could be.

Fortunately for you & me, I should have realised that such a solo outing would likely consist of songs not considered quite right for the band or ones which were sufficiently personal to merit specific rather than communal expression.

It's still pretty unconventional though with norms cheerfully ignored, if the overall delivery is definitely dialled down from the full on Caroline Bomb assault.

Interestingly, she has gone for the artist name of Barnabas, her legal birth name which is how you need to look it up on Bandcamp (unless I give you the link now: https://barnabas1.bandcamp.com/album/your-body-ep). I suppose this decision emphasises that human lives are complex & interesting with numerous points of diversity and nuance which we ought to embrace if we really want to value each other.

Phoebe tells me she deliberately went for diversity within the EP and if I give you the track titles at this point, you'll get some hints of this: "Losers of the Winning Side of the War", "Fell Well", "My Body", "Snake Angel", "Don't Do. Be" and "A Sharp Prick!".

Let's start with track number three. Why? Because Phoebe considers it to be her most personal & vulnerable song ever (though it terms of personal favouritism, it's a case of parity of esteem.

It's actually a funky number (not what I was expecting before playing it) and is wholly unambiguous in lyrical content: "hands off my body" is the message and I'm afraid to say that all the evidence is that it describes with a lot of precise detail an autobiographical experience of assault. Or rather multiple ones since antagonists of various genders are cited. This is answered with admirable clarity of feelings and emotions. I hope letting it all out was cathartic but really the honesty & precise articulation could speak for a great many people. As a keynote song it's works well.

Some broader thoughts and information next: "My Body" works so well because it's accessible. Phoebe's songs here are much more sonically open than the dense fabric of The Caroline Bomb and so understanding them is frankly easier from the start.

She sings, plays guitar, percussion, Roland digital synth, beer bottle and tin whistle so the arrangements are relatively simple, with each track (ranging in compositional age from a couple of years ago to last week) a bedroom production taking roughly a day each with no processing or click tracks involved.

Genres are avoided here with Phoebe feeling that she's essentially passing on messages and therefore using the most suitable medium for each.

Thus the wholly infectious "A Sharp Prick!" which is I suppose mainly an instrumental bedecked with laughing played mostly on synths and with exotic melodies from around the world: it's simply a great fun track, totally unlike "My Body" in every way and if you don't at least smile while playing it, then I feel sorry.

 She describes the EP as "a journey of self-discovery, trauma healing and channelled wisdom from the future!" and I guess that final ("bonus") track helps heal.

Nipping back to the other tracks (sorry for taking them out of sequence but I felt this was told the story best as far as my response was concerned) the opening "Losers of the Winning Side of the War" is back towards The Caroline Bomb type songs such as "Rent Strike!" in addressing broader political themes and has a more complex freaky sound. If the casual listener thought that was setting them up for the whole EP then the succeeding "Fell Well" will dismantle that assumption (which is always desirable) with its sure footed stream of thought.

"Snake Angel" is something else altogether, brooding rather than skipping and adopting a blues rock approach to a magnificently intense song while "Don't Do. Be" is outright ambient which captures its title to perfection: skeletal piano & occasional luminous vocals offering a song to immerse yourself in and soak away your pain.

The ‘Your Body' EP played in sequence is a bit like driving along a corniche, requiring regular negotiation of hair pin bends & following a route almost opposite to the direction one had been travelling in mere moments before. This I'm sure represents the playful side of the artist and one to banish expectations & complacency: which I applaud. However that must not distract from the quality of the six songs taken individually.

I see Phoebe is involved in ‘Freircle' (‘freedom circle') at the Priory Visitor Centre on Wednesday 1^st October at 2000: "communal singing that isn't a choir" which is a free event aimed at everyone regardless of musical experience or talent. That context reminds us that artists tend to have broader interests than single outlets, however powerful, can process. One might say that ‘Your Body' complements Phoebe's work with The Caroline Bomb and presumably fans of that band will understandably check it out on that basis. Ultimately, as comparisons can be odious, I'm not sure that matters so much: it's a fine collection which stands entirely on its own merits (though the sincerity & originality are comparable) & says things I feel are well worth saying in a manner people can relate to. I know that I certainly did.

This piece is just going to be a litany of praise & my main problem is going to be reining myself in & not straying into hyperbole.

Firstly & secondly are those who put together & made last night's gig happen: Underbelly (the promoters) and Alan Denyer and his LTB team now in their new home in the Priory Visitor Centre.

Underbelly is  a "DIY promoter supporting left-field and underground sounds in Coventry. A place for music that sits outside the lines." Thank goodness for that. I do tend to bang on about how much talent there is around currently & the need to maximise opportunities to hear it. Therefore I hope we at ‘Hot Music Live' can do all we can to help, support & promote Underbelly.

The LTB ethos is pretty much the same: they put on events which give non-mainstream artists a showcase and the new premises offer a stunning visual backdrop for performances, a safe & welcoming space and excellent acoustics. And it's warmer too than the old building.

Credit too to the ubiquitous Joe McAvoy-Boss for curating the sound for last night's promotion of What About Eric?, Dog Saints, HomeBread & Pay the Stranger.

My apologies but I missed the set of the latter band but I hope you'll forgive that failure in a review appearing in what is essentially a magazine concentrating on local music: I did, as you'll see, catch the ones from our scene playing.

London based Dog Saints were sadly unable to play a full lineup set for personal reasons but the stripped back, two guitar set (only one song using standard tuning and that was a Neil Young cover) actually offered a good complement to the full on onslaught of the bands preceding & succeeding them: it really helped the dynamics.

Now it's hard to think of too many local bands with profiles rocketing at such vertical trajectories as What About Eric? and HomeBread: I don't know about you but I find them cropping up repeatedly in conversations I have & they deserve it: they are both staunch in their adherence to doing their own thing & consequently have very clear & potent band identities.

I honestly can't believe either will be playing support roles for too much longer: it's inevitable currently with What About Eric? only just having released their sophomore single (check out "wisteria" if you've not one so yet) and HomeBread still adamant regarding quality control and hence holding off recording & releasing until they are totally ready. Respect.

Both have massive live reputations already & the sheer scale & emotional impact of their sets are stunning (I felt sorry for the drum heads: I've rarely heard them hit with such relentless ferocity: and by two separate drummers).

Another commonality is that I think both will sound great in larger spaces, so will benefit from the bigger gigs they deserve to be offered. I feel personally rather smug that as they grow bigger I can relish having caught them early in their careers in more intimate venues wherein they have impact you just can't quite match elsewhere.

What About Eric? whom I heard six days previously at CovTember were boosted by Libbi being in better health than on that occasion. People I spoke to after their set felt (quite understandably) that it was even better than on Saturday, though personally I felt that both were superb sets despite the constraints.. At any rate I greatly enjoyed both & look forwards to seeing them at the Concrete Fun House album launch on October 18^th at Just Dropped In.

HomeBread too had a change from their last time out: though a rather longer term one as they played with a new bassist: don't worry, the change was scheduled & amicable with their previous colleague part of the support. Again: you couldn't tell. One of HomeBread's trademarks are sudden violent sonic assaults, changing tempo & tone by playing savagely in unison: this is most impressive but only works if as tight as they are. That these moments are punctuated by passages of exquisite tenderness & Callum making his guitar sound like keyboards or even at one point a melodica only heightens the effect. Hence they stun & captivate audiences.

Individual life arcs are leading the band to London as their next base and this certainly can't hurt spreading the word about the things they do. Hopefully they'll play regularly there (and it would be great when What About Eric? gig in the metropolis too) but don't worry: they value the bond with their audience here as much as we do & they are committed to returning to play regularly. If like me you can't wait to hear recorded material from them (I look forwards both to reviewing them & hopefully featuring on a volume of 'Hot Music Live Presents') then they are commited to that too.

Esore Alle have today released their new single "Such Pretty Lies" which manages to be even more theatrical than "I Never Knew What I Wanted" which we were delighted to feature on ‘Hot Music Live Presents Volume Fifteen'.

You don't have to engage long with AJ Montague's music or posts to get how central (musical) theatre is to the sound and theme of the songs, but since my last article I found the discovery of a love of Kate Bush to be significant: you can trace this through the linkage of song and performance, the arrangements and most obviously the vocal style: though being able to hit notes that high certainly helps if it's her you wish to emulate.

As if these myriad clues were not enough, "Such Pretty Lies" is explicitly about the stage and I suppose refers to the artifice of drama and its seductive power which draws so many of us in despite our knowing that it's illusion & fantasy. The skill in putting across fictions is itself attractive as is the shared conspiracy between performer & audience to embrace the lies in good heart.

Like "I Never Knew What I Wanted", whose message was quite subversive in some ways, "Such Pretty Lies" sells itself through the jaunty accessibility of the music which has a whiff of the vaudeville in it. It doesn't lure you in as such since I think people will respond of their own free will, but it does indicate a handy method for Esore Alle to play the barker at will.

Esore Alle have a gig at The Tin on November 1^st which is billed suitably as "A Night At The Theatre" supported by other HMLP favourites Zaruna & Ace Ambrose: what a lineup. Tickets are available via:

https://www.ticketweb.uk/event/esore-alle-presents-a-night-the-tin-at-the-coal-tickets/14545133

Passion & enthusiasm are two factors which contribute to a band presenting as dynamic on stage & record: perhaps an outpouring of releases is another manifestation.

As I reviewed "Cocoa Bango" by Zaruna only ten days ago and had to refer to "Piss" at the same time in order not to pass it by, this morning's arrival of "Heaven" has caught me by surprise. This is a band in a hurry to make an impression & it looks like they are succeeding.

Part of the effect they are creating in this deluge of their own songs is to illustrate their breadth: a good idea in my opinion. "Cocoa Bango" is an excellent reggae track but taken on its own might give the impression that this was their sole genre: which not only would limit expectations but in Coventry especially can be potentially something of a career constraint. Taken alongside "Piss" though, that danger is neatly sidestepped and with "Heaven", an appreciably faster indie rock song, they've already shown us a trio of styles they can do well, each displaying its own charm and capability.

This perky riff driven number canters along in the same pleasing vein as its siblings but the difference is this is the one which seems most potentially able to pick up more mainstream attention & possibly break the band with a broader audience: it ticks all the right boxes for popular appeal & if BBC Introducing may have queried the two earlier tracks, then I hope they give this one a spin: I think it will go down extremely well.

As "mousebites"  followed swiftly on the heels of "Anti! Anti! Anti!" then dogmarket's latest, "baby blue" does at a similar interval.

There have been plenty of songs about blue babies, though as Dylan observed in comparing his one with that of Gene Vincent, they are usually about different ones. This one may (going by the video) by a hostage (unlike any of its predecessors I can think of) though I suspect one should take that as a visual metaphor.

It seems to be about solipsism (which explains the captivity theme) though the stream of consciousness lyrics are not helpful if you require a literal meaning from every song you hear.

I said to Thom earlier today that  my ability to find within me the motivation to review mainstream, derivative music is poor: which is why you get what you get. Much is challenging to the ear and mind (good in my book) and I don't see why one needs to decode every single lyric. Imagery & effect are surely more interesting & engaging in the long term than the glumly prosaic.

In this case, as many others, you need to take a holistic perspective: the words & sounds weave together into another dense dogmarket collage and picking individual elements out can be rewarding but trying to deconstruct it all is probably impossible.

Given that my predilections often lead me into areas where I have few reference points, in these instances a conversation with the artist is much appreciated so that I have something to pass on. I'd not have identified Jerskin Fendrix as any sort of influence until Thom revealed this aspect.

Going for a "more inhuman voice" (he succeeds!) obviously accounts for much of the character of "baby blue" but the instrumental layers were deliberately all generated by Korg (and like many experimental artists his starting point was using an instrument he was less experienced on) rather than processed subsequent to playing.

So what does it sound like? Well don't expect to hear Radio Two playing it any time soon and it probably would bewilder anyone attempting to interpret it on the dancefloor: but as a mood piece evoking a rather intense emotion it achieves what was intended: in fact, to swing back to the Jerskin Fendrix strand, it has potential as a soundtrack element: I would suggest that experiencing it with its own video (https://www.instagram.com/p/DPBHnYpDShi/)  might really be your best way into it.

You might not understand all of it but it'll leave its impression on you. Which is what art should

I got really rather excited over telling you about Reign the Girl Band's performance at Leamington Food & Drink Festival (their first appearance in the magazine): especially once Joe McAvoy-Boss had rescued their sound: such nuanced & subtle music was always going to need special curation in an outdoors location & once Joe had mounted his coup, that's what Lily and Sian (augmented on that occasion by Luke Weaver on cajon) received.

I was consequently extremely keen to tell you about some recorded music from them and thankfully only a fortnight has passed before the opportunity arose as their new single "She Stayed" came out this morning.

It's a sort of taster for their EP which should be a Christmas gift for us: I qualify the term as they describe today's release more as a demo while there is apparently a different version destined for the next release.

Initiated lyrically quite a few years ago by Sian, they've since worked it up together with Lily devising one of her characteristically gorgeous guitar parts to complement the similarly endowed vocals.

Artists these days seem much happier to put out what they call demos as official releases and often I am not sure why they tag what seem to me perfectly acceptable recordings in this way.

Certainly it's a really haunting take with the minimum of parts: but is that a problem when the parts are so potent and play to the strengths of the group in question? Perhaps the later version will have more parts dubbed on & maybe those might bring out other aspects of "She Stayed" but I'm willing to bet that it will complement and not supersede nor diminish this one.

The one element you can't miss besides these is the noticeable sound of fingers moving on strings: conceivably this contributes to the "demo" designation but to me it adds an interesting percussive part & I've certainly argued in the past that this facet of recordings isn't necessarily one to edit out: it does make songs that little more accessible to the listener in circumstances such as this one.

Reign The Girl Band cite "..a few different foundations: joy, space for experimentation, respect, friendship, chocolate, and cooking dinner for each other. Oh, and what we hope is some pretty great music". The phenomenon just discussed certainly supplies a possible example of experimentation and I can attest the joy & great music. The others lie outside my remit & perception.

The sound if anything brought to mind faint echoes of the early solo career of Tracey Thorn as her time with the Marine Girls came to an end & she brought out ‘A Distant Shore': the parallels extend to the littoral references in "She Stayed".

At the risk of too much pretension, I'd make a point following on from this about the Siren effect which "She Stayed" evinces: with a song this seductive, no wonder "she" stayed.

You can see a performance of the song here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VtgwpYLDfwc

and you can catch Reign the Girl Band live tomorrow at Soul Coventry at Coventry University

 Bring on the EP!

We are delighted to announce the first 'Hot Music Live Presents' fundraiser for The Tin of 2026.

Featuring a very special lineup of Izzie Derry, Sophie Hadlum, Croissant & Brass Hip Flask, the character of the music you'll enjoy means that we are making this our first seated event in this series.

Therefore the number of tickets available will be limited. They are available via:

https://www.universe.com/events/hot-music-live-presents-izzy-derry-sophie-hadlum-croissant-brass-hip-tickets-67FKZM

Many thanks to Rebecca Male for the wonderful poster

It's difficult to write succinctly about CovTember given its scope & the high levels both of quality & quantity of great local original music: as a three day showcase of what talent is around it's a highlight of the musical calendar & totally validates much of what we at ‘Hot Music Live' stand for and promote. It's a privilege to work with the inspirational Paul Quinn whose baby this is, his close collaborator Joe Colombi and the rest of their considerable team of colleagues. No wonder they receive community award recognition. Huge kudos too to for the technical & sound team (it was Ian Whitehead when I attended) for slick, swift changeovers & impeccable sound despite the variety of musical styles.

I'll do my best to reflect my thoughts & experiences of this year, but I'd like to start by saying that on reflection it wasn't all about respect & enjoyment: I feel I learned a lot for which I'm grateful.

It's not about me though: it's about Paul, Joe & company and the artists. With funds this year going to Myton Hospice, a cause so many of those living in our area support & who know those who have benefitted from their work, I had better address the elephant in the room first.

Most of you will know that very sadly, the door takings from the first day were stolen. You will have had similar feelings to me & used similar words so I'll not repeat them here. What impressed me though & constitutes my Lesson #1 was Paul's utterly dignified response which boiled down to a determination to enjoy the following two days of great music without bitterness ruining that aspect.

I was inspired. There is so much to experience over three days that given other personal commitments, I could never have seen all the artists & that normally results in a sense of guilt and stress over what I missed (which included this year such ‘Hot Music Live Presents' featured artists as River of the Dog, Otto and the Dark, DANE-O, The Loaded and Pandora). This time, following Paul's fine example, I decided to let that go & enjoy the ones I could see. Which I did: possibly more so than ever before as a result.

The second lesson was really a series of equivalent if completely unique ones drawn from the artists I saw (Loophole, What About Eric? The Caroline Bomb, Gutter Puppy, The Session & Yes Princess) which boiled down to the commonality that even bands you think are really great can surprise you with new facets: in fact that's probably an important aspect of the greatness.

I am sure plenty of groups do present as rusty when appearing on stage after a long hiatus: who can blame them? Yet conversely others rise to the challenge and excel and it's a privilege to see ones like Yes Princess so openly enjoy the chance to play after too long & while I saw Loophole play in February (at our HMLP gig), they'd only performed once since. You couldn't tell. They've never sounded better (I'd never heard George's guitar work nor Nancy's singing so clearly) and what a set they have! It even included as closer one their families were unaware of it was so new. Within moments of them coming off stage I was pestering them to get recording but even so their producer got in before me….

What About Eric? are names on so many lips these days (I'd even published my review of their new single "wisteria" the same morning) and they are hardly short of current stage time. I would however raise my hat to Libbi who rose from her sickbed to play, was clearly far from well and yet their performance was immaculate as always. I wish her well in time for Friday's gig with HomeBread etc at the Priory Visitor Centre.

I'm pretty sure this is the last review mentioning Gutter Puppy that I'll be publishing before Connie & Adam get married so please join me in wishing them all the best. Whether it was contemplating the happy day or the sheer joy of playing their exuberant songs (they actually kindly stepped in to cover for Soop so their presence was an unexpected bonus). I saw many people really enjoy what they were doing but I am not sure any could quite pip Connie for the most gleeful musician on the day.

The Caroline Bomb were an ideal pick for the lineup: it's hard to think of a better catalyst for an event if you want your audience fired up: almost as hard as trying to describe what they do & how they do it. Maybe one day I'll find adequate words but in the meantime the challenge is something I'm relishing. If you're putting an event together & want to spark that special something (again it worked its trick at our HMLP gig in April): I recommend this unique and passionate quartet.

The Session's set taught me that however great a performance might be (and they are renowned for their utter commitment to what they do so that their standards are magnificently consistent), the best groups somehow find that extra turbocharge to edge that bit higher. As The Session did on Saturday. All sorts of factors might be part of an explanation: the event & environment not least, but ultimately dissecting their barnstorming set is pointless: you simply had to relish it. This sounds a bit subjective but given that others expressed the same sentiments and so did band members, I feel I'm on firm ground about how much they were on fire.

So there you are: big hearted people playing their hearts out for a noble cause, regardless of previous benchmarks, their health, outside distractions or time since last playing. I'd seen most of them play this year already but I was still surprised & delighted & thanks to my lesson from Paul, was able to fully appreciate it all. And I'm sure plenty I missed was cut from similar cloth.

If you have been fortunate enough to attend a Concrete Fun House gig, starting with their debut back in October 2023, you might have thought that one song in particular was a bit familiar: and it wasn't a cover as such.

You might have remembered hearing "What Happened to the Caterpillars" on ‘Hot Music Live Presents Volume Three' as performed by Year Without A Summer or even as a track on that band's 2016 eponymous EP.

The connection is Joe Wilson of both bands (and a great many more) who brought it with him, though Concrete Fun House have taken it to their bosom & made it their own. As a much noisier and in your face type outfit, this was inevitable, though they have treated it with due respect and in truth it is rather different to much of the rest of their set.

Released on September 27^th as their latest single ahead of their debut album  'I Guess It's Time We Got Into This' on 18^th October (which owes its title to this song), "What Happened to the Caterpillars" retains its original words and charm: in fact looking at the bigger picture, it's good that the legacy of Year Without A Summer is cherished & in fact given more of a live manifestation than hitherto.                                                       

That alone is a valid justification for CFH embracing the song, but it also brings them benefits as it brings diversity to their set. If we consider them as a punk band (I do) then it's worth recalling that original punk managed to offer a home both to the angry & polemic and to the defiantly quirky, even if popular history since has favoured the former over the latter.

They have several songs which address frustrations in a forthright manner so one which spotlights the global insect community (the song namechecks caterpillars, butterflies, fireflies, glowworms and above all moths: a big passion of YWAS) provides something agreeably different.

Even if the song has received the rather more adrenalized CFH treatment, it is still is pretty much the slowest & quietest in their set , though that said, it does get fairly frenetic from time to time. This brings out the true angst of being a moth with all the challenges that entails: possibly more effectively in this respect than the original recording.

Recorded with Jon Webb at the Moonbase and mastered by Mason Le Long at Studio Subwuf, everyone concerned has done a grand job reconciling the general warmth of the basic song to the rather more angular Concrete Fun House sound and it possesses a more complicated structure than first appears the case with passages of relative quiet and fuller racket (all five members provide their voices to the arrangement which adds further weight to those sections on top of the raucous playing), linked with episodes of riffing. I suppose in a song about metamorphosis, such internal variations make sense.

Looking ahead to the album release, Concrete Fun House will be holding a launch gig at Just Dropped In  (FarGo) on October 18^th and you'll be able to acquire hard copies while listening to them play their songs. Or probably more appropriately during the intervals.

They will be joined (as predicted in my review of their ‘wisteria' single on Saturday) by the piping hot What About Eric? and by Stoke based noise punk sextet Christian Music. You can get your tickets via this link:

https://www.skiddle.com/whats-on/Coventry/Just-Dropped-In-Records-/Concrete-Fun-House---Album-Launch/41364361/

As I started pulling my thoughts together for this article, what struck me was just how many really original & dynamic bands I'm writing about these days: most of which have emerged into public consciousness relatively recently yet whose career arcs are already gravity defying. I stopped & thought & honestly I can't think of another equivalent explosion locally since the 1977-9 one.

This leads me onto issues of causation & that would probably take too long for this piece but clearly initiatives like the Tin/Coventry Music "Live on Stage" project is a major one for some (but not all) of these bands: another is how they all support & encourage each other. Which is not something I've witnessed as much of in the past.

The subject of this review, What About Eric? are definitely at the forefront of this phenomenon and the longer 2025 goes on, the more frequently I see their name on concert posters: everyone wants them on their bill it seems.

Where they, and several of the other bands of this ilk are playing a bit of catch-up is matching live acclaim to recorded product: which is what they need to help build a wider circle of fandom beyond our area.

Much of this seems to be caused by the same level of quality control which no doubt informs the live act: they refuse to demean their great songs by over hasty recording. Perfection is the key.

You may know their debut single "cascade" (I seem to be reviewing more & more records disdaining upper case which is another motif for this current era it seems) not least because we featured it on ‘Hot Music Live Presents Volume Fourteen' and now Libbi, Joe, Noah  and Ethan are back with its follow-up "wisteria" which comes out today. They tell me that it's been written a good year & they are delighted that it's finally out (though given the number of gigs, you must have heard it already).

In fact I think it's worked out well for them: yes this is definitely the moment to build yet more momentum by dropping a new single, but I'd like to think that some aspects of it are themselves enhanced by this progress.

If you've seen them play (you should) then you'll have noticed their stage presence is continually growing and therefore it was highly desirable that this release reflected the restless energy which itself gets alchemised into the intensity which is at the core of their material & their attraction. Which of course Mason Le Long, their producer, captures here.

So how come such a band of brooding glamour are writing about a climbing plant? It hardly seems their sort of territory. Well it's a metaphor I suppose. Wisteria (the flora) clings tightly to support and can overwhelm what it uses: despite being attractive to look at (and even smell). Can you see where this might profitably go in a song? It seems that What About Eric? can.

The other key dynamic the band exhibit is the tension between the exciting squalls of instrumental sound & the majestic, measured sense of control in Libbi's singing as if she's never going to be tempted to tear away off in pursuit of the music. I have cited the Jesus & Mary Chain in comparison before & "wisteria" more than validates this.

Given these potent forces & Libbi's preference for the allusive over the mundane in the lyrics, the overall tone is impressively impressionistic: the band's impact can overwhelm you & leave you at the end of the set altered from the state in which you came in.

One of the many promoters with whom they are working currently describes them as "young Cov upstarts" which makes sense given the rate & profile of their rise: what they are doing is helping shake things right up.

You can catch them live & experience the effects for yourself

today at CovTember

and then on 26^th at the Priory Visitor Centre (with, among others, HomeBread)

on 18^th October they play at Just Dropped In for Concrete Fun House's album launch

and that is just the tip of an iceberg: look out for several more dates to come.

Blimey: my head is spinning a bit with so much great new music coming out and so much great live too.

The latest is the new HEK single with the rather enigmatic title of "The Spoons".

I say enigmatic with plenty of justification given the allusiveness of the lyrics which may rank as Reiss' most impressionistic: certainly more poetic than prosaic.

A key may be the theme of their warning us against overthinking. Fantastic & surreal pictures seem to form in the singer's mind which he then tries hard to articulate as they tumble round.

Consequently you received a torrent of imagery which he manages to tame enough for us to hear the actual words. Interestingly thanks to vocal production we hear two differing voices which may relate to the complexity of the cognitive state in question. I can sympathise.

Given the Blakean lyrics, the apocalyptic instrumentation is bang on, enhancing the mind blowing effect. This is the very mighty HEK flexing their considerable powers and producing something with all the power of say "Gimme Shelter": its's up there with that.

I confess that due to the overall excellence and potency of the entire HEK catalogue, I've never really considered what (if anything) might act as the zenith of their sets, but having heard them play "The Spoons" live and now dived into it entirely on its own considerable merits, it really is their most epic track (it runs to nearer eight minutes than seven) and probably worth building to as they play.

Given the density of the lyrics, it's fascinating too how they have the strength of mind & will not to spread them out evenly: it's core to the song that they emerge in a frantic burst and the lengthy instrumental workouts in which their individual talents are all showcased actually complement & augment the meaning of the words: nothing is self indulgent nor overstays its welcome. A masterclass in how music & lyrics can work together to tell a story from slightly different angles.

HEK sprung into being at a very high level which caught and held my attention: however even better than am inherently excellent band is one which keeps finding opportunities to ratchet up a gear. This is perhaps their most complex release and I can't fault any decision to go for other songs as singles earlier: but by now they will have carried so many people with them that they can afford to challenge as well as delight. As a showcase for just how good they may yet become, it's ideal.

Over the years (at least seven as far as I can calculate), a pattern has coalesced regarding my Hannah Woof reviews: long gaps finally resolved with moments of enthusiastic reception of new material. I see it's been  two years since my most recent article on a release: her ‘Heartbreak Hotel' EP.

From her perspective, this probably offers certain benefits: one is that it keeps the value of her talent up in the relative rarity level and her audience all the more grateful for what we receive when the drought is broken. The other of course is quality control: Hannah is nothing if not a perfectionist and her songs are all the more honed by the time she spends on them.

So here we go with "Sweet Stranger"  which comes out on September 24^th but will be BBC Introducing Track of the Week for the preceding week so you'll hear it there first.

Generally speaking, one of the great joys of a Hannah Woof song is her inability to suffer fools gladly coming out even in songs which at first glance seem to be love songs. Like roses, her tracks offer beauty and then when you grasp them, you notice the barbs.

This one however is significantly different in as much as the subject hasn't behaved badly (quite the reverse) and so doesn't deserve the full blast of the Hannah wit turned on them. But it's Hannah regardless so there is plenty of wit in there still and a few sharper lyrical edges: some turned ruefully in on herself.

The first instance is in fact in the very title: if you think "stranger" means someone little known to Hannah, think again. It's her verbal dexterity expressing unwanted distance between herself & a close friend: her closest in fact. Yes we have the use of irony here proving that at least one writer still uses this otherwise declining tool. And trusts her audience to understand it.

Much as I have praised Hannah's considerable skills as a lyricist over those years, I haven't ever specifically mentioned her great ability to conclude a song: indeed not only is it a particular strength of hers, but I can't readily think of anyone who does it quite as well. She'd make a great writer of short stories. Sometimes it makes your jaw drop (think of the ending of "Rendezvous") and here she leaves us with the unique couplet of

"And every time you caught me skipping a meal

You would bake a cake with honesty and give me the space to heal"

Have you heard its like before? I know that I have not.

And yet I've only touched upon the first half of the power of Hannah Woof. The potency of her excellent songs comes from both their composition & from their delivery. I still maintain that however much you enjoy her live in any setting, you receive an especial frisson when in an intimate space (given her ambition of Wembley, I'm glad I've already had that pleasure before large venues become her norm). This is I'm sure something she has self awareness of given how her songs are arranged & produced.

Though she has made many successful experiments with fuller instrumentation, Hannah tends to keep it simple with the song & her performance at the heart of what you hear. It also then helps that what you get live is close to what you hear on record.

With production and mixing  by Jordan Round (mastering by Riley Knapp), "Sweet Stranger"  is one of her emotionally direct songs with as much bullshit in the sound as there is in the lyrics (though that holds true for her entire body of work). In her own words "we kept it simple. I didn't feel like the song needed anything other than its honesty." How right she was.

What is rather special though is her decision to take a "warts and all" approach from the subject right down as far as the final production: few artists have this confidence but Hannah does & is happy to justify the choice conceptually. Slightly less than wholly synched guitar parts (I had to listen for them) are rationalised thus: "I think that's a good thing. The topic and situation isn't perfect so the songs final state shouldn't be either." This level of honesty is frankly admirable: I'd happily have accepted this aspect as a deliberate strategy to texture the sound.

What you hear therefore is pure, unadorned and heartfelt: aimed at "someone who deserves something more than 'I miss you'", I am sure the subject will be deeply moved by the song. I bet all of us had friends who'd write songs like this about & to us.

Let's hope too that it'll not be too long before her next release.