New (to me) Music - September
- Gayle Ramage
- Sep 28
- 6 min read
Regular readers of my blog will be aware I broke my arm in late August after a nasty fall coming back from a guitar lesson. At the time of writing this post, I've had surgery and am recovering at home. So what better way to try and take the focus off the pain and tiredness than by writing up September's New (to me) Music post. Tentatively typing once again with my left (non-dominant) hand, here is what I've been listening to this month and my highlights from each album.
Björk - Debut (1993)
I was only really aware of two Björk tracks back in the day: Big Time Sensuality, taken from this, her 1993 Debut album, and It's Oh So Quiet, her biggest UK hit two years later with reached no.4. I'd seen the album cover for Debut in magazines, music papers and elsewhere and I remember loving the look of her hair (Björk on this cover, and Shirley Manson in the Stupid Girl video, gave me hair envy). I really liked the eclectic mix of tracks on this album. Might be tempted to check out more of her work.
Highlights: Venus as a Boy - There's More to Life Than This - Big Time Sensuality - One Day - Violently Happy
Tears For Fears - Everybody Loves a Happy Ending (2004)
A couple of years ago, I did start to delve into the albums of Tears For Fears after enjoying 2022'sThe Tipping Point, but I can't remember listening to this album at the time. The only song I recognised was the title track and Closest Thing To Heaven (I love the music video aesthetics of the latter). There's a bit of a Beatles vibe to some of the songs on the album which I like. I really should continue diving into their earlier work.
Highlights: Everybody Loves a Happy Ending - Closest Thing to Heaven - Call Me Mellow - Size of Sorrow - Who Killed Tangerine - Killing with Kindness - Ladybird - Last Days on Earth
Barbara - Barbara (2025)
A brand new music act to me and a fairly new act all round considering this is their debut album just released. I'd seen someone post their album cover and I saw that it was the band's first studio album. What joy it would be to discover a band at the start of their career and follow their progress in the coming years. Maybe it was due to my mood when listening to the album (generally in pain with aforementioned broken arm) but I did find the songs a bit 'busy'. That's totally on me, though. I was probably needing something more musically simple and straightforward at the time. I'll give the album a subsequent listen when I'm better and chances are I'll embrace the music more. I did appreciate the retro melodic vibes of the songs, which is usually right up my street.
Highlights: These New Communications - Tolerant Nation - Property-Owning Democracy - The Contented Commuter
The Verve - Urban Hymns (1997)
A classic album from the Britpop era, I actually found myself a little disappointed with Urban Hymns upon initial listen. Apart from the singles I was already a fan of, the rest of the album didn't hook me in as much as I thought it would. However, I know it can take a few repeat listens to 'get' songs so that may well happen the next time I give the album a go. I am curious to find out if I warm to one of their less celebrated albums a lot quicker.
Highlights: Bittersweet Symphony - Sonnet - The Drugs Don't Work - Lucky Man - One Day
Ron Sexsmith - Hangover Terrace (2025)
I was first aware of Sexsmith through the song The Light of the Cash Machine, which he co-wrote for Squeeze frontman Glenn Tilbrook, and I follow the Canadian on social media, though until now I'd not sat down and heard his work. With the recent release of his 18th(!) studio album, Hangover Terrace, I thought it was an ideal opportunity to discover his music. Although I default to concentrating on the music for first-time listens, there's some social commentary on these songs that I'll need to focus on the lyrics during a second listen.
Highlights: Damn Well Please - Camelot Towers - It's Been A While - Burgoyne Woods
The Style Council - Our Favourite Shop (1985)
Earlier this year, I gave The Jam a listen for the first time with 1982's The Gift. Knowing that frontman Paul Weller formed The Style Council after the former disbanded, I decided to give what was their most popular studio album, 1985's Our Favourite Shop, a first-time listen.
Highlights: All Gone Away - Come to Milton Keynes - A Stones Throw Away - Walls Come Tumbling Down - Shout to the Top - Our Favourite Shop
The Zutons - The Big Decider (2024)
I had vague memories of The Zutons back in the early 2000s, most notably their songs Valerie being covered by Amy Winehouse. In 2024, they released the excellent single, Creeping On The Dancefloor, and I realised this month that I'd not yet heard the accompanying album, The Big Decider. Out of all the albums I heard this month, this is the one which I enjoyed the most.
Highlights: Creeping On The Dancefloor - Pauline - Water - In Your Arms - Company - The Big Decider - Rise - Best of Me
Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain - The Secret of Life (2003)
I first discovered the Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain when I was scrolling through YouTube a couple of weeks ago. The band's live performance of Talking Head's Psycho Killer caught my attention and pretty soon I was searching for more of their performances and goggling them. The line-up has changed since the group was formed in 1985 by George Hinchcliff and Kitty Lux, the latter having sadly passed away in 2017, and even the members I warmed to as I watched them on YouTube have mostly moved on or retired. Despite having a website, there doesn't seem to be an option to purchase any of their albums or DVDs so I had to turn to eBay to purchase the three UOGB albums I now own.
The Secret of Life is a mix of covers and some originals. The group are definitely one that needs to be seen live to be truly appreciated, especially with the humour they bring to proceedings. Most, if not all, tracks work exceptionally well with the ukulele, even opener Miss Dynamite. But I think my absolute favourite track is the title track and album closer, The Secret of Life. Here, I think we get all then-current members lending their vocal talents to the song. If I have one minor grumble, it would have been to include who was singing each song. I could mostly figure it out, having watched umpteen of that line-ups performances before hearing the album.
Highlights: Miss Dy-na-mi-tee - Leaning on a Lampost - Hard To Handle - Antiphon - You Talk About My Drinking - The Secret to Life
The Divine Comedy - Rainy Sunday Afternoon (2025)
I heard The Divine Comedy's Fin de Seicle for the first time this year and when I found out there was a brand new studio album on the horizon, I knew I should add it to my To-Listen-To list. While I'm glad I listened to the new album, I think I'd need a few more listens for the songs to really grab me.
Highlights: Achilles - I Want You - Rainy Sunday Afternoon - All the Pretty Lights - The Heart is a Lonely Hunter - Invisible Thread
Buckingham Nicks - Buckingham Nicks (1973)
I have heard this album before but it was so long ago that I couldn't name any songs, never mind sing any of them. This album, featuring pre-Fleetwood Mac Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks, has just been reissued so I thought I'd hear it again. The track Crystal was rerecorded and featured on the first FM album to feature the musical duo. Stephanie is a lovely instrumental that showcases Buckingham's finger-picking guitar skills well. Lola (My Love) gave me a slight The Chain vibe at the start so I wonder if the former was incorporated into what became the latter track.
Highlights: Stephanie - Crystal - Long Distance Winner - Don't Let Me Down Again - Races are Run - Lola (My Love)
Have you heard any of these albums before, particularly the ones just released? Tell me what you thought of them, or any other albums you've heard for the first time recently!
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