This week’s Brew opens to Cesária Évora, the “Barefoot Diva” of Cape Verde, a Grammy-winning artist who brought the soulful, melancholic sounds of morna to the world. We’ve also the soulful sounds of the late Lhasa de Sela, often known simply as Lhasa, celebrated for her haunting, multilingual blend of folk, ranchera, and jazz.
And a few new tunes, including Julianna Barwick & Mary Lattimore, Jana Horn, Lande Hekt, L.Y.R., The Notwist‘s “How the Story Ends,” a vibrant, percussive reimagining of the Lovers’ folk original, and lots more.
Enjoy
Listen via: Spotify | Apple Music | Tidal | Qobuz | YouTube
Currently Reading: The Offing by Benjamin Myers
The Offing came out a few years ago, but I’ve only just got around to reading it.
Set in the summer of 1946, the narrative follows Robert Appleyard, a sixteen-year-old coal miner’s son from Durham. Eager to escape the soot-stained future that awaits him in the pits, Robert sets out on foot to see the world before his adulthood officially begins. He travels until he reaches the coast of North Yorkshire, specifically the village of Robin Hood’s Bay.
There, he encounters Dulcie, an eccentric, independent older woman who lives in a ramshackle cottage surrounded by a wild meadow, which, along with wild garlic, also provides her with a plentiful supply of nettles for tea. They appear to be unlikely companions, he, a working-class lad whose exposure to literature has been as restricted as that of his travels beyond the pit town (although he is clearly a romantic at heart…he just doesn’t know that), and she, an upper-class, worldly-wise bohemian who also happens to have the most well-stocked larder he’s ever set eyes on…especially with rationing.
What begins as a simple exchange—Robert performing manual labour in her garden in return for a meal—evolves into a life-changing mentorship. Dulcie introduces Robert to a world he never knew existed:
- Fine food and wine: Expanding his palate beyond the rations of the north.
- Poetry and Literature: Opening his mind to the power of language.
- Intellectual Freedom: Encouraging him to question the rigid class structures of post-war England.
As their bond deepens, Robert makes a discovery that unearths a secret from Dulcie’s past, explaining why she has been tethered to this stretch of coastline for decades.
The prose, especially in describing nature and the rugged beauty of the Yorkshire coast, is quite beautiful; it’s not a book you want to rush through, you want to savour it, much like the meals and tales that Dulcie presents Robert with.
Listening to: Au Cube
by Alasdair Roberts, Neil McDermott & Tartine de clous
Unlike my reading habits, which range from 1 to 2 books a week, my listening habits are far more variable from week to week, but some albums invite you back for repeat listens and comfort. I’m a big fan of the Belgian label Okraina Records (https://okrainarecords.bandcamp.com), which was founded by Philippe Delvosalle, who has sent me some beautiful musical gems over the past year or so. Recorded at one of my favourite venues, Bristol’s Cube Microplex cinema, Au Cube is among my top favourites. They are 10” releases (so often double albums), but their smaller size makes them so much more tangible and attractive.
Tom reviewed this release for KLOF. He concludes:
Belgium-based indie label Okraina is beginning to make a habit out of releasing these multi-cultural, often experimental records that catalogue a specific time and place. Au Cube, like all their releases, is immaculately packaged and pressed on ten-inch vinyl, with vibrant artwork by Gwénola Carrère. It is tempting to position the album as a kind of argument against the narrow-mindedness and provincialism of current politics (and, in particular, Britain’s relationship with Europe) or to try to defend its outward-looking approach in the face of those myopic political stances. But musical collaboration does not necessarily need defending – songs as potent as this have been around for centuries and will surely still have an audience when the affairs of the present day are distant memories.
More soon
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