Usually the most difficult thing about reviewing music is working out where to start. Ben de la Cour solves that problem by giving the title song of his new album an enigmatic and intriguing title of ‘Sweet Anhedonia’. I had to look it up, and, logically enough, it comes from the same Ancient Greek root as hedonism and it means the inability to feel pleasure; it’s usually associated with illnesses such as depression. Maybe it’s just a coincidence, but there may be a reference to the 1996 Catatonia single, ‘Sweet Catatonia’. The title song, ‘Sweet Anhedonia’, is a melancholy exploration of this condition with a haunting triple time arrangement enhanced by delicate backing vocals and pedal steel.
There’s a lot more to Ben de la Cour than melancholy. There’s some wordplay in the song titles ‘Appalachian Book of the Dead’ and ‘Suicide of Town’, there are a couple of co-writes with very interesting songwriters, some great stories and some interesting arrangements. One of the co-writes, ‘Numbers Game’, was written with the gifted Canadian singer-songwriter Lynne Hanson and deals with the loading of life’s dice in favour of the privileged, set against a backdrop of finger-picked acoustic guitars, fiddle, pedal steel and Laurel Canyon harmonies.
Don’t run away with the idea that ‘Sweet Anhedonia’ is just a bunch of sad songs. The riff-driven ‘Suicide of Town’ is pure FM drivetime with a vocal that hints at Tom Petty and Rob Thomas and guitars playing off against each other, while ‘Shine on the Highway’ combines two electric guitars with fiddle and trumpet to create a song that would feel at home on a Greg Dulli solo album. And talking of influences, ‘American Mind’ hints at Jackson Browne’s apocalyptic feel from ‘Before the Deluge’, with the addition of Vietnam references and martial drumbeat (which is also a common theme throughout the album) for emphasis.
‘Palookaville’ features a series of characters that would fit in perfectly on any of the first three Springsteen album and uses Buddy Holly as an example of an artist whose legacy is untainted because he wasn’t around long enough to go downhill and either hit the skids or end up playing residencies in Vegas.
‘Sweet Anhedonia’ is a lyrically thought-provoking set of songs set against diverse musical backgrounds and textures, incorporating influences from Americana, folk, rock, pop and a whole lot more, skilfully blended to create a work that is entirely Ben de la Cour.
‘Sweet Anhedonia’ is released in the UK on Jullian Records (JR32CD/LP) on Friday October 13th.
Here’s the video for ‘Shine on the Highway’:
We’re really pleased that Lynne Hanson made this contribution to this year’s High Fives. She came to our attention with the gorgeous album “Heartbreak Song for the Radio” which she made with Lynn Miles; we loved it at Riot Towers. Not surprisingly, Lynn and Lynne also turned out to be lovely people and it was love at first sight (and hearing) for the Riot Squad. Have a listen to the album and to anything by Lynn and Lynne individually and make sure you look out for any live dates near you. We’re looking forward to welcoming her back to the UK in 2019.
CANADIAN FOLK MUSIC AWARDS
I released an album this year with my longtime friend and songwriting mentor Lynn Miles. Our band name is “The LYNNeS” and our album “Heartbreak Song for the Radio” was nominated for 5 Canadian Folk Music Awards. It was a huge honour to hear our name called out for English Songwriter and Ensemble of the Year and definitely the biggest highlight of 2018 for me.
MOUNTAINS
Nothing will make you feel smaller than standing at the base of a mountain in the middle of the Canadian Rockies and looking up before spending a hours scrambling up the side of it. I recorded an impromptu demo of a song I had JUST written at the base of a mountain, sitting next to a glacier lake, while the sun came up and the birds sang. I’m not sure any single moment can compare to the beauty of that one in all of 2018.
GIANT PANDAS
I am such a fan of the Giant Pandas, and finally got to visit them in person at the Calgary Zoo this summer while on tour in Alberta, Canada. Highly recommend Toronto Zoo giant panda cub fall compilation for any and all who may be having a bad day. Guaranteed to lift your spirits:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RLQiAqc1MI8
SWEET SWEETS
I love touring England … and managed to fit in not one but TWO tours this year. I have to admit the weather was a bit friendlier the second time around, with the first go-round taking place while England was under seige from The Beast From The East. White-out conditions that definitely made me think I was back in Canada. But I digress. I admit I have a bit of a sweet tooth so have been known to partake in a round of sticky toffee pudding or two. However, I have NEVER encountered anything quite as spectacular as the sticky toffee pudding at the Bull’s Head in Alton. Seriously it was so good it should probably be illegal.
FRANCE
I got to play some shows in France for the very first time. This was a serious highlight for me, as I grew up in Ottawa, Canada and speak French. I am a lover of languages so getting to sing a song in my second language was a wee bit of a thrill, albeit nerve wracking as well! One of the real perks of being a touring musician is getting to see so much of the world while travelling around playing my songs and having a chance to see the engineering feat that is the Chunnel was also a serious highlight. Humans can be pretty ingenious and getting to ride on THAT train was pretty cool.
Allan’s had the brace of Nikons at quite a few gigs this year and he modestly says that he’s produced some cracking shots. Don’t say this too loudly, but the rest of the Riot Squad think that he’s probably right. However, he doesn’t get so much of the photographic spotlight this year as we’ve invited a few more gig photographers to showcase their own images and they’ll be appearing throughout December in the spirit of giving a bit of exposure to some extraordinary photographic talent. We thought it was only fair that Allan got first shot. So, in no particular order and with a running commentary from the man that reviewer Steve Jenner calls the Dapper Snapper are Allan’s favourite five monochromes.
Hannah Rose Platt @St Pancras Old Church
I’d seen Hannah around at a few gigs over the years but it was only about a year ago that we met after I heard her gorgeous single “1954”. She was one of those people that I wanted to photograph straight away. With long blonde hair and a very fair complexion, I could see some great opportunities under strongly-coloured lighting. Guess what? The only paces I’ve seen her perform have been very atmospheric but very dimly lit and only really suitable for monochrome.
This shot was at St Pancras Old Church, a fabulous intimate venue where the stage is lit by a couple of bedside lamps. Here’s the result:
Genia @Soho Music Festival
Genia’s a pianist from Russia, playing in the classical idiom and she featured at the inaugural Soho Music Festival earlier this year. Have you ever tried to photograph a pianist? There are only so many angles to use and it can easily get clichéd.
Genia was the opening artist in one of the festival’s three rooms in L’Escargot, starting her set at the unearthly time of 11:00 am. After grabbing a few usable shots, I sat down to review the selection and when I looked up from the viewfinder I saw that Genia’s shades had created the perfect shot with piano keyboard reflecting in the shades. It took two attempts to get it right, but the result was dramatic. The only problem was that with eleven hours ahead of me, chances were that I’d peaked a bit early. I had.
Lynne Hanson @Green Note
Gig photographers are a dedicated bunch; it’s not just swanning around in the sun at Cornbury and the Isle of Wight, oh no. I went out to see The LYNN(e)S at Green Note at the height of the Beast from the East (remember that?). Lynne Hanson and Lynn Miles collaborated on the album “Heartbreak Songs for the Radio” and were touring the UK to promote it. Loved the album and couldn’t resist going to see it live.
It was a superb night. I may have mentioned before that the light in Green Note’s challenging for photographers, which is why I roundly applaud any good image coming from that particular venue. The other challenge is respect for the audience; don’t block people’s sightlines and don’t have the shutter on burst mode during the quiet songs. So from my little perch by the door and using a longish zoom, I grabbed this shot of Lynne Hanson on the far side of the stage. Lynne likes it.
Hollie Rogers @The Jazz Café
You couldn’t move in the Jazz Café on this night without falling over a photographer; no unhealthy rivalries, just lots of mutual respect. Two Talentbanq artists were supporting blues guitar virtuoso Dan Owen (more about him later) and Hollie was the first of those to take the stage.
If you’ve seen Hollie perform (and you really should) then you’ll know that when the voice goes into overdrive, she’s incredibly powerful and all of this shows in her face. I’ve got loads of shots of Hollie looking incredibly intense. I won’t say I was looking for something a bit more contemplative, but when I saw the opportunity I was ready for it. The lights on the night were actually pretty colourful, but, with light and shade, I could only ever see this working in black and white.
Dan Owen @The Jazz Café
Later the same night. Now we all know that lead guitarists like to throw a few shapes, don’t we? Which is great because otherwise all of our pictures would look the same. Dan’s no exception and he’s also a bundle of raw energy, the archetypal livewire. It’s great fun with these guys, following them around the stage, trying to capture the perfect combination of light and shape. I wish I could say that this shot was all perfectly planned, but it wasn’t.
The camera settings were right for the conditions and then Dan stuck the acoustic out at arm’s length. I like the shot because of the calm intensity in Dan’s face and the fact that it’s not a Strat or a Les Paul he’s throwing around, it’s an acoustic. I looked at the shot in colour but the lighting was a bit meh, so I tried monochrome – bingo.
So, there you go, my favourite five monochromes of the year
