Salim El Baroudi - "Fatouma"

Earlier this year, Belgian label Radio Martiko reissued an album I'm somewhat obsessed with  - Hany Mehanna's The Miracle of the Seven Dances. If I included reissues in my Year End list considerations, it would be WAY up there. Now comes another RM release that challenges my strictures as I don't include compilations either. Zamaan Ya Sukkar chronicles the 1960s Cairo scene. And based on the four songs streaming it was quite the nightlife.

The Lewis Express - "Love Can Turn A Man"

I'm waffling on ordering the full-length LP from Leeds act The Lewis Express on spec since there's only this one track from the group featuring members of The Socerers, The Magnificent Tape Band
and other acts.

BUT WHAT A TRACK!!



George Cooper's piano has a Henri-Pierre Noel vibe and those backing horns are so frigging supple. I've listened to this track a half-dozen times since it landed in my inbox this morning and I've been calculating GBP to CDN exchange rates ever since.

Caoifhionn Rose - "Awaken"

It's pronounced Keelin as Rose's Bandcamp bio helpfully mentions. Only the title-track / lead-off song is streaming at the moment in advance of the full-length release on Gondwana Records on October 12th so I can't say for certain that the rest of it isn't drastically different and more in line with the jazz stuff label head Matthew Halsall is responsible for, but it was certainly not what I was expecting. "Awaken" is a pleasant surprise and a gauzy folk-rock number with beautifully reverbed guitars and Rose's supple voice. If you've enjoyed recent stuff from Jen Cloher or Julien Baker, add Caoifhionn Rose to your playlists.

hana vu - "Shallow"

Not sure why I didn't post this track when I created the entry in late June, but some other recent Luminelle Recordings acts put this great album back on my radar. First getting into songwriting at age TWELVE, hana vu is now 17 so y'know what did the rest of us do with our youth?! If I wasn't so smitten with the music, I'd be more jealous of the talent. My love of "Shallow" runs deep.