Two of my favourite albums this month are
new releases by female singers who enjoyed their heyday in the 1980s. Susanna
Hoffs latest record is rather exclusively categorised as ‘baroque pop’ but
really it’s just simply gorgeous, flowing pure pop (albeit with a wistful 60s
feel). While the musically aware Bangles observers will know that a classic, vintage
pop thread runs right back to the start of Susanna Hoffs career, Tanita Tikaram
on the other hand belongs in the collective consciousness to a very specific,
very brief episode of late 80s chart action. That is the sudden re-emergence in
1988 of a folksy, singer-songwriter boom in reaction to the rave culture that
grew alongside it. Although it could hardly be argued that acts like Michelle
Shocked, Eddi Reader, Tracy Chapman or even Suzanne Vega went on to have solo
careers of great, mainstream longevity, Tanita more than any has spent most of
the last two decades in obscurity. In fact the brilliance of her new album ‘Can’t
Go Back’ is one of the most welcome yet unexpected surprises of the year. What’s
so special about it? Well, her singing for a start is nothing like the rather
reserved, almost grunty font I remember from the ‘Twist In My Sobriety’ days.
No, there’s an expressiveness and soulful quality to the delivery here; she
owns it. And the songs themselves, they’re belters. Full of groove busting
intent and intensity and played, because they were recorded thus, with all the
cut, thrust and delicate touch of a live rock and soul revue band. Not just
that, but the track included below could so easily be picked up by a Dance DJ
and taken to audiences not even born when ‘Good Tradition’ shot Tikaram to
early fame. So here it is, our September 2012 playlist:
Patricia – Perez Prado
Better Off Without A Wife – Tom Waits
Dirty Girl – Eels
Tighten Up Your Tie Button Up Your Jacket – Aretha
Franklin
Operation Heartache – Lee Dorsey
96 Tears – Big Maybelle
Take Me For A Little While – Dusty Springfield
Heavy Pressure – Tanita Tikaram
Is Your Love Big Enough? – Lianne La Havas
2 Bit Blues – Kid Koala
Duquesne Whistle – Bob Dylan
November Sun – Susanna Hoffs
You’ll Never See My Face Again – The Bee Gees
Flood’s New Light – Thee Oh Sees
Tell Me (What’s On Your Mind) – Allah-Las
Waiting For – Poor Moon
Half Gate – Grizzly Bear
Gun Has No Trigger – Dirty Projectors
Cyrk – Cate Le Bon
Can’t Get Away – Rodriguez
New New Orleans (King Adjuah Stomp) – Christian Scott
Blue Sands – Chico Hamilton Quintet
Doubt – The Corin Tucker Band
Sun – Cat Power
Don’t Say Nothing – The Heavy
Until The Sun Comes – Rival Sons
Dreams – Taken By Trees
Would That Not Be Nice – Divine Fits
Right String But The Wrong Yo Yo – Piano Red
Slavemaster – Flick Wilson
Who Do You Think You’re Fooling – Symphonic Four
Cupid’s Boogie – Esther Phillips
Break Down And Let It All Out – Nina Simone
Love Potion No.9 – The Clovers
Lyin’ Down The Middle – Dillard & Clark
Best Friend – Tashaki Miyaki
Light Enough To Travel – The Be Good Tanyas
Nowhere To Be Found – Sera Cahoone
Greedy – Inara George
Train Song – Pentangle
Opening Move – Gryphon
Horses – Sean Rowe
Call Of The River – Linda Perhacs
The Clyde Water – The Big Eyes Famile Players &
Friends
Felton Lonnin – The Unthanks
Feel It – Kate Bush
Fenlight – Sue Stone & Richard Newman
Empires – Bill Fay
The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face – Flaming Lips &
Erykah Badu
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