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John is back on September 19^th with The Great Divide. He brings with him, once again, a merry bunch of musicians who provide excellent vocals and great instrumentation. John himself plays several instruments, including terrific guitar and bass work. I particularly like his guitar here.

I’m at a bit of a loss here, though. John’s music is always beautiful and authentic—his honest lyrics and warm compositions are why I like his modern take on retro prog rock. This album has some wonderful moments, but the affair is laced with some generative AI use (vocals on one track) and artwork, and the production feels somewhat lacking this time. I don’t know. There’s just something about it that won’t allow me to endorse it fully.

Don’t get me wrong. The album has some gorgeous melodies and thoughtful lyrics, just like his past works. If you like his other albums, you will like this, too. For me, something in his authenticity has been lost, and I hope he gains it back in the future.

Check out the trailer here: https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1GrtDtPDZf

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I’m starting to notice a trend with Carl Westholm’s newer projects. He releases a debut that is amazing, then follows up with what feels like a rushed, underdeveloped sophomore album. That is the case with Hollingshead and now with this project. Bakelit is back with its second album in less than a year, No Fear of Drowning, which releases on September 26^th.

Bakelit has a strange sound, but all of Carl’s work does. This record has all the bassy grooves and surreal vocals of the first one. There’s the eerie synth and burgeoning electronic trappings, too. The debut seemed to embrace its otherworldly mix as the foundation for more, giving us some seriously catchy tunes and memorable segments. Much like the Hollingshead sophomore record, though, this one doesn’t have an identity. All we have is the foundation. There aren’t any memorable songs, and it flows through six tracks with little in the way of dynamics or contrasts. The songs aren’t bad, but I don’t remember them at all.

Look, Carl is a legendary musician and I will always check out his work. However, this album feels like it could have used more time. Even the AI cover indicates this. I feel like he could have coaxed these songs into something great, but instead the album just lumbers and plods along, almost like these were rejects from their debut. I sort of expect the next album to be great, though, so we’ll see.

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I love ambient music and Drifting in Silence has provided some of the best ambient records of the last few years. Derrick Stembridge is the man behind the scenes, offering ambient through this project and a more varied electronic approach through his solo project (check out his recent album Fading Into What Remains). His new album Beautiful Chaos of Truth released on August 11^th.

There are some positives and negatives to this album. I love the grey warmth of the sound. This is true ambient, floating in textures and nameless whispers. It will make you feel emotions that you can’t quite explain, and the album overall is beautiful. However, at an hour and fifteen minutes, I think the album is too long for its own good. Most ambient experiences thrive through shorter, calculated journeys that guide us through certain emotional arcs, but this one seems to go on longer than the emotions allow.

It’s still a solid album, though. My favorites are the exquisitely beautiful “Watermark”, the burning “Fragments of the Vanishing Point”, the filtering light of “Seasons of Cycled Patterns”, the synth-laden “On the Edge of Clarity”, and the layered celestial feelings of the title track. If you love ambient and you have some time, you should give this a try.

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Find the artists online:

John Holden Facebook

John Holden Bandcamp

Bakelit Facebook

Bakelit Website

Drifting Silence Facebook

Drifting in Silence Bandcamp

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