Pick One: Waltz in the Rain - Harry Burt
Harry Burt is the next great thing to come out of Christchurch. This singing, piano and guitar playing virtuoso had a brilliant release earlier this year which incorporates a melancholic vibe
Which we just love. The soundscape that the lyrics and feel create are just awesome.
Pick Two: Iron Sky - Paolo Nutini
You wouldn’t pick it from his name or vocal, but Nutini is a fine Scottish vocalist, we have been jamming his album Caustic Love on everything from the Elac Carinas to our Kef R11s. The musical choices of horns, piano and guitar are stunning and he has chosen to incorporate a bridge that features the speech from Charlie Chaplins “The Great Dictator”. A classic monologue which has been sampled forever but still somehow manages to sound fresh here.
Pick Three: Day by Day - Ray Anthony
If you like brilliant string arrangements and old school smooth jazz then this will get you good. We had the pleasure of being blessed with this album when a gentleman came in and recommended it. Originally recorded on analog back in 1957. Ray is amazingly still active at a young age of only 100, so it only seemed fitting we play such a marvellous tune.
Pick Four: Change - Big Thief
Adrianne Lenker once again proves herself to be one of the world's best songwriters. Her turn of phrase and lyricism on here is elite. It's catchy, it's profound, and it's beautiful. An amazing piece of indie folk. This has a perfect blend of balance and imaging. The harmonies are lovely edition and we think this will be a classic for years to come.
Pick Five: A House in Nebraska - Ethel Cain
Change, escape and identity are not easy things to navigate, and ‘Preacher’s Daughter’ is the dark, unsettling, sprawling beauty that comes out of it. Preacher’s Daughter is a record that breathes authenticity while reframing and reshaping its creator’s experiences, seemingly in hopes of finding some sense or purpose.Ethereal and devastating, Preacher’s Daughter is a startling demonstration of talent by Ethel Cain. The album cultivates and brandishes a voice worth stopping and listening to.
Pick Six: Good Love (Feat. Billy F Gibbons) - The Black Keys
Cooking up a storm, Ohio blues-rockers The Black Keys go back to basics on Dropout Boogie. Here at Magnum, all 3 of us love rock and roll and this duo have struck again with not only a killer tune, but also a great rock album.
Pick Seven: Wind Blown Waltz - Giant Sand
As music fans, we always appreciate a band that decides to add an element or new sound to the mix, especially if it compliments the piece. Giant Sand should be now called “Giant Giant Sand” as Howe Gelbe coined them. They boast a massive 12 piece lineup and have 5 additional musicians credited on the album.
Pick Eight: Everloving - Moby
We thought a throwback that may have been missed on an otherwise epic album by Moby “Play”. This tune starts with a rather interesting choice of acoustic and humming in the left speaker. Only the greatest speakers will truly show the humming and the piano that follows demonstrates perfect panning across the stereo spread of hifi quality speakers.
Pick Nine: Tuesday Fresh Cuts - Bree Tranter
Bree Tranter is still relatively unknown and we would like to change that. She is the keyboard/flute player in Matt Corby’s band. She hits us like a wave with her soprano voice mixed brilliantly in with her chill step and flute blends which is really refreshing and lovely.
Pick Ten: Boomerang Baby - The Claypool Lennon Delirium
With meandering guitar, elastic bass, trippy flourishes, and some of the tightest musicianship this side of the galaxy, Monolith reveals a new dimension. This super group is comprised of bassist/vocalist Les Claypool, known for his work in Primus, guitarist/vocalist Sean Lennon from The Ghost Of A Saber Tooth Tiger, keyboardist/vocalist João Nogueira from Stone Giant, and drummer Paulo Baldi of Cake. Boomerang baby is a sleepy venture that still manages to hit us hard in a way we love.
All our picks can be listened to on Tidal here:
https://tidal.com/playlist/901e8649-b6c7-40bd-83b9-4574ecff1a72
Some really awesome content here! Keep it coming!!