ALBUM OF THE YEAR - SHORT-LIST .... ALBUM #3 - Mar 2020


Feb was 'dry' and a struggle to find a really standout new album... March on the other hand .. If Morrissey or Baxter Dury had released their new albums in Feb instead of March , they would have had the opportunity to make my Album of the year short-list ... they must be kicking themselves...

But although Morrissey for example had a bit of a return to form after his patchy last 3 albums (including a covers album that I have yet to hear), I do have an opinion that its really hard to make an essential album if you're into double digits for album releases (exception for David Lewis Gedge, obviously) , I have a platform here (13 readers of my last post, at last count) , and I want to offer the exposure where possible to bands starting out and less well known. With that in mind, ahead even of Stephen Malkmus (but wait ...?), the March nomination going onto the short list is coming from (another) Dutch band : Lewsberg. 





Their second album 'In This House', I pre-ordered (that's a thing, for a digital album..?) on the Bandcamp Friday at the end of Feb. I'd bought their first CD in Rough Trade East at the Pip Blom album launch party (May 2019). They had played there for their own launch party, and here's the link  - 40 mins of goodness : 




a bit shorter as a taster, some of the singles from the album 







tracklisting : 



I have seen Lewsberg only once so far (should have been twice...) , a free show, in a tiny restaurant in milan last year. There was no stage and it was basically like having the band in the lounge. Awesome, aside from the audience who seemed to be there just to chat to friends ... (I shushed them, go me !). From such a close distance, I was able to confirm that the lead singer is the tallest man in the world (beating Stephen Merchant) 






Apparently any discussion on Lewsberg needs to include a mention of The Velvet Underground. That was mine. 

Lewsberg are a smoky corner of a coffee shop (but we're not drinking coffee) on a dark rainy sunday late afternoon. I like that. Nice...



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