In the official bio for newcomer Kate Kelly, it states that her forthcoming album The Wonder Of It All was written “as a musical antidote to the dark energies circulating throughout the collective unconscious.” That’s a tall order but an admirable goal, particularly given the tumultuous political times we live in.

“The Book We Made” is a single released off of said album. So, how does it stack up as a musical antidote for dark energies? I’m happy to report – Not Bad. It’s upbeat, it’s backed by some pleasant horns and Kelly’s voice has a sweet, calming, vibe to it.

The kicker is that, lyrically, the song seems to be about a breakup in which the narrator burns the metaphorical book made together in a relationship. To quote: “…in the flames I say I goodnight, and when I get down to the heart of it, it was all just lovesick rhetoric.” While this could be delivered as a scathing disposal of a lost love, the song delivers the message as a freeing and optimistic opportunity.

The Wonder Of It All is set for a release sometime in 2018. The clock is ticking on the time remaining for the year and we all could use some more optimism.

Of late, Steelism has been on the road with Carl Broemel both as an opening band and a backing band for the My Morning Jacket member. This functions as double promotion for their latest album ism, available now via Intoxicating Sounds.

The real news here is that they’ve released an official video for the track “Re-Member” off of said record. The video depicts the duo walking through the desert, peering into abandoned buildings and generally performing in sparse, desolate locations. It’s a fitting environment for the song, which has a much more melancholy vibe than their previously released singles for “Eno Nothing” and the danceable “Shake Your Heels.”

If nothing else, “Re-Member” serves as a great reminder that Steelism is capable of covering a lot of emotional ground despite their (usual) instrumental nature. And it’s pretty to look at.

From a journalistic integrity point of view, I should not be reviewing the debut New Man album, Sings. The record was released on yk Records and that’s my label. So, the amount of bias involved here is overwhelming. You could call this payola but no one’s getting paid at WOTT, so it’s more like nepotism.

With that in mind, I can subjectively tell you that this is eight songs of smart, witty, pop songs. The term “pop” (and it’s sub-genre Power Pop) often have a, much deserved, reputation for being overly simplistic, shallow expressions of a formula. Sings is not that. The songs are catchy, upbeat and memorable – as a pop song should be – but the layers of dense instrumentation, rich vocal harmonies and surprising flourishes make it surpass any detrimental feelings about the genre.

Listening to the title track “EP” and first single “Maybe I’m Feelin’ Fine”, it should be clear that New Man has a Beach Boys influence. Specifically, there’s a “everything including the kitchen sink” approach to many of these songs that somehow manages to keep itself from becoming a total aural circus.

All bias aside, you can judge it for yourself by giving it a stream or swinging by The 5 Spot tonight (Oct 12th) to see them perform it live.

Last we heard from Kim Logan was with her Psuedoscience: Chapter 3 single collaboration with Gyasi Heus, a swampy rockin’ affair if ever there was one. So, it’s rather surprising and refreshing to hear her newest offering is a Serge Gainsbourg cover of “Couleur Cafe.”

The release comes complete with a fully orchestrated video directed by Liam Jordan that features some sweet choreographed cafe dance moves and some subtle stop motion with Logan herself.

It’s a faithful cover of the original but not without it’s own spin; particularly the presence of Logan’s vocals and a more upbeat pace compared to Gainsbourg’s languid style.