Music and Recording Reviews

Rex Orange County: The Alexander Technique
RCA Records (auditioned as LP). 2024. James Blake, Jim Reed, Rex Orange County, and Teo Halm, prods.; Ed Farrell, eng.
Performance *****
Sonics *****

At his core, Rex Orange County is a singer-songwriter, and his new album begins fittingly with a track that finds him alone with an acoustic guitar. But from there the record blossoms and the hip hop, soul, and jazz elements that weave into his arrangements make clear that his "technique" involves so much more. It tends to follow a Stevie Wonder "classic period" playbook, tapping into a more urban yet modern pulse.

Like Wonder, Rex has traditionally kept collaboration to a minimum. This time around, he enlisted the help and ideas of many. He is joined by Pino Palladino on bass, Cory Henry, Reuben James, and Finn Carter on keys, Henry Webb-Jenkins on pedal steel, and a guest vocal appearance by James Blake. Together, they contribute to a concept Rex calls a diary of his last two years. The stories he tells are remarkably revealing, often frank and raw.

The standout track, "Much Too Much," is anchored by an acoustic guitar and enjoys an atmosphere constructed from Roland pianos, punchy muted-horn parts, strings, and soulful background vocals. When these elements ultimately combine, they allow the song to burst into full-out bossa nova. "Much Too Much" reflects how much broader his musical perspective has become.

The record clocks in at just over 50 minutes. It moves along swiftly. That's largely because of brief string interludes that keep the songs from settling into a lull. They also give the music an air of artful sophistication.

The title comes from a medical technique said to improve your inner balance through proper posture. In a way, Rex has found something musically aligned, through collaboration. This record is both mature and determined, and the result of newfound poise.—Ray Chelstowski

Still House Plants: If I Don't Make It, I Love U
Bison Records BISO14 (CD). 2024. Jess Hickie-Kallenbach, Finlay Clark, David Kennedy, prods.; Darren Clark and Shaun Crook, engs.
Performance *****
Sonics ****

Still House Plants have acquired more descriptive labels than albums they've released. Their music has been labeled art rock and experimental rock, among others. Why? Because people like categories and they're difficult to categorize. This, their third album, fits the mold—or maybe I should say it doesn't fit any mold. Theirs is a highly original sound. Indeed, many of the songs cannot accurately be described as songs. "Short pieces of music" is a better description.

The three-piece band consists of Jess Hickie-Kallenbach on vocals, David Kennedy on drums, and Finlay Clark on guitar. Theirs is music of tones, of shades. In style it is similar to free jazz, although it rarely bursts out into explosive solos.

Kennedy's drumming is the canvas. He is content to let Jickie-Kallenbach and Carter take the lead. Clark's playing, too, mixes genres, although on such songs as "Silver grit passes thru my teeth," a burst of metallic guitar surges forward.

Whilst those two musicians create the sound, Hickie-Kallenbach's voice dominates and gives the band its distinctive edge. She has a wonderful range and expression and a technique that somehow sounds acapella on top of Kennedy and Clark's playing, never mind the contradiction. It reminds me of how in some Turkish folk music, singers' vocals float over the accompaniment.

Lyrically the music is simple, with repeated lines such as "You could do anything to me," from "Headlight." It's not, as you might think, gentle and trancelike but, rather, painful and urgent. The sonics are similarly simple and clear, designed to do the job. It's a case of less is more, an approach that has led to Still House Plants being one of the most exciting bands in Britain. This album is certain to be one of the best of the year.—Phil Brett

Hinds: Viva Hinds
Lucky Number (auditioned as LP). 2024. Pete Robinson, prod.; Tom Roach, eng.
Performance *****
Sonics ****

All-girl Spanish garage rock band Hinds started out as a duo of Carlotta Cosials and Ana García Perrote. Later, they added a rhythm section: friend Ade Martín on bass and Netherlands-born Amber Grimbergen on drums. Then last year, Martín and Grimbergen quit, and the founding duo found itself without a record label and under new management. A lot of people assumed it was the end of Hinds. However, the founding pair proved the skeptics wrong. They split guitar and bass duties and brought in an old friend, Vaccines founding member Pete Robertson, to play drums. They emerged with more focus than ever. They headed back into the studio, and after a four-year hiatus, recorded an album that feels fresh and that's filled with more energy and attitude than they ever had in their previous incarnation.

Recorded in rural France, Viva Hinds has a global feel. Its clarity lets it transcend the band's earlier "garage" label. The guitars continue to crunch, but the songs have a synth-pop element; they're melodic. That balance is best demonstrated in the Beck collaboration, "Boom Boom Back." It's bouncy, but it delivers enough muscle to still count as garage rock.

The most intoxicating moments are when 1980s new wave influences arrive, creating a real sense of space. Guitar parts on some songs, including "Strangers," sound metallic and tubular, establishing a sonic aura over what otherwise would be a straight-ahead punk rock romp.

Viva Hinds is a contagious collection of songs with sassy, direct lyrics and super-catchy sounds. Tracks like "Coffee," with its snappy back beat, will keep you coming back for more and remind you that the album is appropriately titled. This isn't just a resurrection of a band; it is, arguably, a resurrection of a genre, a celebration of how rock can make you feel alive.—Ray Chelstowski