December

TREVOR BEALES

Fireside Stories (Hebden Bridge circa 1971-1974)

Basin Rock

Well this is pretty special. An album of never-before-heard 70s British folk by unknown teenager Trevor Beales, recorded alone in the attic of his family home in Hebden Bridge, sometime between 71-74. This posthumous set - Trevor Beales died suddenly and unexpectedly on March 29th 1987, aged just 33 - is a wonderful listening experience, new songs to devour about all the big themes in life from a commanding baritone voice. He is reminiscent in tone to Michael Chapman or John Martyn, but with regional traditionalism giving him his own distinct space. There is a real sadness to some of the songs that is eerily reminiscent of Jackson C Frank, himself a mysterious character celebrated outside of his lifetime. Fragile, full of melancholy and fleeting like sunlight through cobwebs. The release of the album itself is a really beautiful story too, with Hebden-based label Basin Rock lovingly bringing together the songs and stories from tapes and reels. A time capsule and a real treasure.

‘Ace Todmorden label makes a significant discovery on its own doorstep: a superb cache of ‘loner folk’ songs recorded in the early-70s by Hebden Bridge’s answer to Nick Drake’ - Uncut

KING GIZZARD & THE LIZARD WIZARD

Ice, Death, Planets, Lungs, Mushrooms and Lava

KGLW

What’s that? Oh, just King Gizzard delivering a highly conceptual album, their third of the year and what is probably their 21st studio set in the last ten years. It follows the Made in Timeland and Omnium Gatherum albums from earlier in the year, and chronologically arrives in between the Laminated Denim and Changes albums, illustrating their ferocious work ethic and a frankly dazzling new mode of work. The album was mostly recorded in the space of a week, with all six band members improvising in a different musical key and tempo each day, with all seven modes of the major scale represented. This is no idle cleverness for cleverness’ sake, like a jazz session of old, they made parameters and they went on a trip. This year alone they’ve touched on 70s prog, rock, jazz, Turkish folk, Ghanaian highlife, tropicalia and psychedelia, but it’s their constant inventiveness and unbridled passion that always makes them such an engaging listen.

LELAND WHITTY

Anyhow

Innovative Leisure

Anyhow is the debut solo album from multiinstrumentalist and member of BADBADNOTGOOD, Leland Whitty. Written and arranged by Whitty himself, it features guest appearances from BBNG’s Chester Hansen and Alexander Sowinski, as well as Julian Anderson Bowes, Matthew Tavares and Whitty’s brother Lowell, who patters across the drum kit with great invention. Cinematic vibes, with swooping strings and layered horns, it’s full of invigorating cosmic energy.

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