The Screaming Target presents the new reviews this time featuring new releases from Neil Campbell and Nicola Collarbone, and American singer songwriter Kramies. Nic and Neil’s album is called “Berlin Suite” and features mostly instrumental pieces. Alternatively Kramies new album is simply called “Kramies” and features vocal based folk songs that’s easy enuff isn’t it. Both could be defined as new acoustic music and both are worthy of further investigation, so there you have it, enjoy ! -xxx

Berlin Suite and Other Short Stories
Neil Campbell and Nicole Collarbone
Available on Bandcamp

Neil Campbell returns with a new platter. The album could loosely be described as a series of small musical vignettes. “Berlin Suite”, which opens the album has a unique sense of movement running through the tracks. It clocks in at 10 minutes and seems to set the pace for the rest of the CD.

These musical vignettes could be described as musically descriptive pictures in sound. An example of this would be the “Berlin suite”, you get a sense of movement, or travel, pushing a bike, or being a passenger on a train. The descriptive quality of the music could quite easily lend itself as a soundtrack to a film. Possibly an animation feature in its sense of musical evocation .

The album closes with “Yachts”, a reflective track in its hypnotic ebb and flow. Once again we are treated to a form of musical semiotic. This time giving the impression of small yachts as they putter around the boating lake .

Kramies – Kramies
Out now via Vangerrett Records
Available on Bandcamp

American singer songwriter Kramies has released their latest album. Coming out via Vangerrett records in September. Simply called Kramies, it bears a slight resemblance to the Neil Campbell album. As many of the songs are based around the acoustic guitar. Another similarity to the Campbell recordings is the sense of being transported elsewhere into a different place.

But where “Berlin Suite” takes you on a quasi classical trip Kramies utilise a different strategy with a shoegaze vibe throughout, it’s a trippy trip indeed pop pickers. The single “Hotel in LA” being an example of this shoegaze vibe.

But that said, Kramies could also easily be moved to the category as to what is now called desert folk. As shoegaze appears to have mutated into a sort of country and western take on the Velvet Underground.

It’s interesting, as early demos of Lou Reed’s songs for the Velvet Underground have recently surfaced. These recordings, it could be said, have more than a passing resemblance to the music of Hank Williams. Many desert folk musicians cite the Velvets as an influence, possibly a hidden message here.

The album features a host of alternative guest stars: Patrick Carney from The Black Keys and Jason Lytle of Grandaddy, also features Tyler Ramsey from Band of Horses and Jerry Becker from Train, an impressive array of musical talent and it reflects in the quality of the album. File under dream pop.