Despite earning a living as an architect, the name Kjell Reianes is associated with music in his native Norway due to a long-held ambition to break into an otherwise competitive market. The breakthrough arrived in 2011, at the ripe old age of sixty-one, with the appropriately titled ‘Aldri For Seint’ (‘Never Too Late’). Significant to this breakthrough was the start of a working relationship with Kaizers Orchestra’s Janove Ottesen, who was responsible for arranging and producing Reianes’ debut offering. Sixty solo gigs later, and various collaborations with numerous artists, Kjell Reianes made the transition from tinkering away with his musical compositions in his spare time, to a full-time commitment, which has resulted in a second album, ‘Ringer I Vatn’. The aforementioned working partnership with Janove Ottesen was reignited for this second outing, with Ottesen taking up production duties once more, in addition to a select few musicians – Ola Kvernberg, Mads Falck Berven, Jarle Vespestad and Eirik Are Oanes Anderssen – being added to the ranks in order to fully realise the ideas behind ‘Ringer I Vatn’. First impressions is that such qualified experience really lends itself to Kjell Reianes latest release, with opening number ‘Lukk Opp Ditt Øye’ sounding as if it was recorded in one take, where instruments are still in the process of warming up before eventually proceeding ahead. There is a pared-back sound to the majority of this latest work, with mainly acoustic instrumentation providing the rhythms to Reianes reflective lyrics where songs such as ‘Bare Ein Gang Te’ and ‘Evig Din’ would not be out of place on a busy side street populated with cafés  somewhere in Paris. Keys are added to the duo of ‘Virvelvind’ and ‘Bossanova’,   which gives the former song a slightly quirky feel whereas the latter is light and breezy. Reianes engaging dialect really captures the sentiment at the heart of ‘Du E Min Eine’ to great effect, and is but one reason why the breakthrough eventually had to happen for this wonderful talent.

Freedom over expression is definitely the way forward and something Jezus Factory continue to provide with the latest project from Craig Ward & Radboud Mens’ ‘The Drive To Taxonomy’. Seemingly unable to switch off the creative thoughts accumulating in his mind, Craig Ward, who is known for his work with a diverse bunch of musical outfits including dEUS, Kiss My Jazz, The Frames, A Clean Kitchen Is A Happy Kitchen and, more recently, a collaboration with Mark Mulholland, wheels out his latest release on a previously thought extinct format (i.e. cassette) as a limited edition, and with no real press release other than a discussion involving what constitutes as a ‘real’ record label these days. Driven by practicalities regarding the decision involving a cassette release, as well as moving away from the standard CD format for this particular occasion, ‘The Drive To Taxonomy’ consists of two sides of experimental, ambient, electronic music.  The pulse is barely audible once the first side of ‘Parts 1, 2 & 3’ gets underway, with shards of light becoming visible gradually, and then made more prominent by bouts of droning and stabs of electronica that eventually breaks off into smaller pockets of sounds that bleep and whirr incessantly before finding their way to the surface. Side two is a coarser terrain, with electronic sounds jarring and fizzing, but most notable is the fullness given to the overall sound where segments are plumper in their expressions and the volume is given a boost, yet ever so sparingly. As with most instrumental efforts, individual interpretations will vary greatly such are its qualities to drum up different feelings with each and every listen. Therefore, ‘The Drive To Taxonomy’ is no different from such interpretations because its qualities are endless due to the many different levels this album inhabits.

Fourth album in for Rob Ryan and his Roadshow that shows no signs of letting up, such is the heady mix of rockabilly, rock ‘n’ roll, hillbilly and country sounds which explains the majority of this latest album’s contents, but it should also be noted that there are one or two deviations from this formula. The first indication that other influences are at work here can be heard from the album’s introduction ‘Stay In Bed’, as it snuggles up close to a rhythm and blues sound with Rob Ryan’s vocal sounding light and soulful. The next surprise comes in the form of a cover song, and one that is not selected from the customary vault of 1950’s goodness because this one is taken from a more recent decade with The Eurhythmics ‘Missionary Man’. Despite not being a fan of the original composition, the translation of this Eurythmics hit is a far grittier version, complete with impassioned vocal and side support coming by way of harmonica that manages to receive the unanimous thumbs up. The ‘Goin’ Old School’ of its title really makes itself known with the mid-tempo country ‘Long Gone Day’, then applying its foot on the gas for the rockabilly infused ‘Catwalk Baby’ with Rob Ryan’s vocal impressing throughout. There is time for reflection once ‘When I Found You’ makes its entrance, with its nimble rhythm implying the joy felt as this is one song with a happy ending after years in the doldrums. Further jovialities ensue once the Jerry Lee Lewis inspired wildness of ‘Monkey Beat City’ clambers over the entire contents of this album, letting its presence known via some white-hot rock ‘n’ roll, only to be given a run for its money by way of ‘Not Good Enough’. If only all roadshows were as compelling as the one Rob Ryan is promoting because ‘Goin’ Old School’ is a lesson in how to achieve a finely tuned balance between a choice selection of genres and making it work as a cohesive whole.

Having formed in 2005, Belgium five-piece Diablo Blvd is celebrating their 10^th anniversary in style with the release of third album, ‘Follow The Deadlights’. By coming together from the remnants of other bands such as A Brand, Born From Pain and Meuris, momentum soon started to develop for the then newly formed Diablo Blvd in their native country and neighbouring Netherlands largely due to the band’s brand of metal encompassing cool riffs, addictive choruses and a charismatic stage presence, as well as incorporating influences ranging from The Cult, Danzig and Guns ‘n’ Roses. Add to the mixture a frontman who, by trade, has built his reputation as a stand-up comedian and won multiple awards for his live performances, then Diablo Blvd has to be one of the most fascinating bands to have formed in recent times. By setting such details aside, the music stemming forth from this latest output speaks volumes, with the wonderfully melodic and steady climb of ‘Rise Like Lions’ engraining itself instantly on the memory and followed by the detailed layers of even greater ‘Son of Cain’. The sullen air surrounding ‘We Are Legion’ is initially played out via pounding drums, deep bass and a guttural vocal before launching into an abrupt and shouty chorus that finally fades on a more passive note apart from a final sting in its tail from its lead guitar. This is the compelling aspect of ‘Follow The Deadlights’ because the majority of songs contained within its walls are made up of a number of ideas that often deviate down various avenues yet return to base with a memorable hook or two. The chances are that ‘Follow The Deadlights’ will see a successful year for Diablo Blvd because there is enough variety in its contents to appeal to a broader population of music lovers. The tenth year anniversary celebrations are only just beginning for Diablo Blvd.

According to the statisticians at YouTube, Lost Frequency certainly made a name for themselves with an earlier version of current single ‘Are You With Me’ that managed to clock up a hefty one million plus viewers, in addition to a whole bunch of remixes which saw viewing figures nearly go through the roof. Having finally made the transition to a fully-fledged release, ‘Are You With Me’ should entice the same level of support when it comes to purchasing said single considering its calm electronic rhythm, mild beats and soft vocal combining into a rather persuasive force. Having found its niche within electronic dance music, Lost Frequencies has a tendency to lean toward other influences which, upon closer inspection, the likes of One Republic can be heard in relation to ‘Are You With Me’ and therefore likely to appeal to those more attuned to indie rock with a side order containing elements of dance music.

Whatever your personal preferences are when it comes to music, Meghan Trainor has been a hotbed of discussion since the smash hit ‘All About That Bass’ cleverly spread its message by means of an infectious melody and smart lyrics urging women to ignore the ubiquitous stereotypical imagery of the female form, and instead learn to love themselves for who they are. Another aspect of Meghan Trainor’s life that is equally newsworthy is the fact she has been writing music for other artists for some considerable time, as well as being in the enviable position of having issued three albums while still in high school! Bearing such facts in mind, it comes as no surprise that the 20-year old from Massachusetts has a gifted knack for song writing, which becomes evident once the 50s flavoured pop, with shrewd lyrics nicely flipped to be in line with the present generation, grabs hold of your senses during ‘Dear Future Husband’. The frankness of words extends to the pared back instrumentation of ‘Close Your Eyes’ by offering encouragement to others without ever being preachy. Having gained experience from earlier bouts of song writing as mentioned before, Meghan Trainor has set a fine balance of songs that are, on the one hand, influenced by dance and pop music as well as old-school hip-hop beats (‘Bang Dem Sticks’, ‘Lips Are Movin’, ‘3am’) and then, on the other hand, stringed ballads (‘What If I’) and more roots-based tracks (‘Like I’m Gonna Lose You’). With so much to offer, ‘Title’ has set a very high precedent for others to follow in 2015 because it’s an album blessed with intuitive lyrics, wonderful melodies and a rather fine voice, which suggests that Meghan Trainor is certainly not ‘All About That Bass’!