New Buds Are Blooming

Being a proverbial S of the Z as I am, I get sent loads of new music - sadly, much more than I can ever get round to listening to. So the tracks that follow are not necessarily the best new records I've been sent, but they are among the best of the fairly small percentage I've had a chance to play.

Taking them in alphabetical order, we start with An American Forrest (real name Forrest van Tuyl). For reasons best known to himself the album is called "O Bronder, Donder Yonder?" and it comes out on 10 May.

Next is the only one of today's gang who has featured here before - in fact, the only one of them I had previously heard of  - Congolese whiz kid Baloji. His new album, "Kaniama: The Yellow Version", is some sort of reworking of last year's album with a similar name and is out on 3 May.

Third in line are Elva, featuring Allo Darlin's Elizabeth Morris and one or more Norwegians. This is the title track of their album that came out yesterday, and very nice it is too.

I'm unlikely to sit through the whole of Flamingod's "Levitation" album (out 3 May) again, as most of it isn't really my sort of thing. But who can resist a tune apparently named after Turkish psych guitar god Erkin Koray and performed by a bunch from Bahrain in a style that combines The Beloved and Steve Hillage? Not me.

In fifth position alphabetically is Susan James. The album is called "Sea Glass" and it is co-arranged by Sean O'Hagan of Microdisney and High Llamas fame. Perhaps as a result there is fair bit of Van Dyke Parks and Judee Sill in the mix, although not so much on this track. You'll have to wait until 6 June to pick up this one.

Last but by no means least is Daniel Norgren. He's a Swede who's a pal of Phil Cook (of Megafaun, Hiss Golden Messenger and himself). I don't think Phil plays on the album ("Wooh Dang") but you can hear some stylistic similarities. The album came out yesterday, and this track is also available as a single.

"Lady Godiva" - An American Forrest

"L'hiver Indien" - Baloji

"Winter Sun" - Elva

"Koray" - Flamingods

"Truth or Consequence" - Susan James

"Rolling Rolling Rolling" - Daniel Norgren

Also out later this month is "Seeing Other People", the new album by our old friends Foxygen. It's good but it may divide the fanbase as it controversially updates their sound. Some tracks sound like they might have been recorded as recently as the early to mid 1980s. Rather than get forced into taking sides, let's all enjoy one of their hits from the 1970s (a.k.a. 2017).