Album Review- Butler, Blake and Grant- self-titled debut album

If you know me, you might know I am a huge fan of the British band Suede (called the London Suede in the US). 

Though they never quite made a huge impact here, they did have a brief moment. Conventional Wisdom always wanted to paint singer Bret Anderson and guitarist Bernard Butler as a next generation Morrissey and Marr. 

That reputation probably doesn’t do them a lot of favors. Almost immediately after the release of their second album 1994s Dog Man Star, Butler left the band. Although I do think Dog Man Star is the best moment, they continued to make great music when Richard Oakes took the job of lead guitarist. Oakes gets pushed out of the limelight when Butler is mentioned, but he has had some great moments. Coming Up and Headmusic are pretty strong in terms of a band’s third and fourth records. But equally, Butler made two solo albums - 1998s People Move On and 1999s Friends and Lovers that are fantastic. They did do well in the UK, but would make great “hidden” albums if you missed out on them. 

Not glam like Suede, but 70s style rock with influence from blues and Psychedelica a la Spooky Tooth or the Small Faces. Butler had had an interesting post Suede career. He teamed up with soul singer David McAlmont which had a Top 10 UK single, joined (at least for a couple of days) the Verve, and became a producer with a solid resume. With Welsh singer, Duffy, he enjoyed Worldwide Success. But he also produced Aimee Mann, the Veils, Sons and Daughters, Black Kids and many more. He also produced the first Libertines single. 

 It took until 2024 for a third solo album, but before that he made collaboration records with Suede mate Anderson (2005s Here Comes the Tears), Catherine Anne Davies who releases music as the Anchoress (2020s In Memory of My Feelings) and actress/singer Jessie Buckley (2022s For All Our Days that Tear the Heart) I am likely leaving stuff out, but let’s get to the present.

In 2022, Butler, Norman Blake and James Grant performed together at the Celtic Connections Festival. It was so well received that in 2025, we now have a Butler, Blake and Grant album. It’s an impressive resume. Blake has fronted the great Scottish band Teenage Fanclub as well being in BMX Bandits. I am not as familiar with Grant who led 80s band Love and Money. I know that particular band as it was one that was loved by my peers as I was a teenager discovering British new wave bands. I also immediately think of them as contemporaries with the similarly named Love and Rockets. They even scored a hit on the US Hot 100 with 1988s Hallelujah Man 

 The album isn’t a 80s/90s indie rock affair despite a nice track dedicated to the latter decade. It reminds me a bit of an updated Crosby, Stills and Nash (the Uncut review leads off with this comparison but it’s hard not to think of), and it also feels in line with Butler’s work, which seems to be the dominating force. Even then, while Butler contributes some great songs, Blake perhaps contributes the best in “One in One is Two”. Butler’s “The 90s” and “The Old Mortality” are top tracks, but “One and One…” sounds like a lost CS&N or Byrds classic. 

While I would much prefer a harder rock sound, I hope this album gets to an audience who appreciates it, as it is a great example of this type of melodic, acoustic guitar pop. 

What I am Listening To : Keith Hudson

Though there is an online pressure to like every single genre of music, I don’t know that I find it is necessary to me. 

Still, I try to listen to all the relatable genres and “dub” seemed to be one that resisted me. I am not quite sure why. I love reggae (and ska). I am surely one of the genre’s most unlikely fan. I used to go to a record store which staffed by a Rasta, but I can’t picture ever chatting him up for recommendations (there’s probably not a chance that wouldn’t have been awkward). Instead I read the British music press of the 90s which at that time mostly covered Britpop. That newsstand market opened up for import British magazines like Mojo and Uncut. Those magazines would feature a monthly CD, and often they might feature classic Reggae from Studio One or Trojan Records. 

There always has been pressure to “listen” to certain albums. Surprisingly, I would say it’s even worse now than when I was a teenager. I am not saying it isn’t a bad idea to take an ambitious shot at listening to new stuff. Still, the online pressure to enjoy “Pet Sounds” or “Kind of Blue” or “brat” is ridiculous. Almost every other day I see a post of someone trying to force themselves into liking someone like the Swans. While I count myself one of that particular band’s biggest fans, with their immense popularity on sites like AOTY and RateYourMusic, I laugh at the idea of having to listen to them over and over again like a jigsaw puzzle. So I try to make my listening as organic as possible.

When I was younger, I would definitely search out new-to-me artists, but I don’t really do that anymore. That said, I do listen to outlets that might introduce me to new sounds.

For example, the local public radio station which is where I probably first heard Keith Hudson. I wasn’t necessarily going to seek out a King Tubby record or a Scientist disc, but when I first heard Hudson, it was a bit of a revelation. 1974s “Pick A Dub” is an album that has become one of the most well regarded Dub albums of all time. I have to admit that reading the five star Allmusic review of the album, I have some idea why I enjoy it. Some of the typical Dub gimmicks like space and explosive sound affects are missing - with a deference to a stripped not overproduced sound. I also admit I love how he uses vocal snippets in his dub songs. I really find him quite appealing. 

Pick A Dub has an all star cast with Carlton and Aston Barrett of Bob Marley’s Wailers, Augustus Pablo, and vocal cuts from Horace Andy and Big Youth. 

I have also been spending time with 2004s The Hudson Affair compilation - a collection of songs, dubs and production work that is a Who’s Who of Jamaican music- Ken Boothe, U-Roy, I-Roy, Dennis Alcapone, Delroy Wilson and Alton Ellis. Though I don’t worry about such things, that album is on The Guardian’s 1000 Albums To Hear Before You Die”

Brown sadly died young of lung cancer aged 38 in 1984. I don’t recall hearing much about him but clearly his work has only been more appreciated in the ensuing years. What I found interesting as I was checking out his Wikipedia page was that Ian Curtis was a fan. To the point, New Order chose to cover “Turn the Heater On” for their 1982 Peel Session recording. 

2025 sees the re-release of the 1979 album Nuh Skin Up Dub credited to Hudson and the prolific Jamaican band Soul Syndicate released on the German label Week-End Records. It scratches my particular itch for some one who thought they would never “get into” Dub music.

Talking about Iowa's Sumpin Doo

One thing that surprised me about Iowa is it seems to have a deep love for the Blues. It is surely surprising but sure enough the Central Iowa Blues Society (and the various festivals and Hall of Fame that go with it) seem to be one of the healthier area club organizations. There have been at various times enough people to support an all Blues nightclub in Des Moines. 

he city is the size that it can’t always support such niche ideas (while there currently is not a Blues club here, there is a Jazz club downtown). It’s not the only part of the state either. Other festivals around the state feature blues, and Kevin Burt is the latest Blues Legend to hail from Iowa City 

Like anywhere, there are plenty of local events with live music. Rarely worth a mention, they provide steady income for musicians. I do have to admit that when the band is one of the state’s top notch blues bands and not just the standard cover band, I do take note. And when it’s a band I know friends like (that I hadnt yet seen) like Sumpin Doo, it’s enough to get me off the couch. 

Sumpin Doo is the blues band of Iowa Rock N Roll Hall of Famers Gill and George Davis augmented by New York via Des Moines jazz pianist Jesse Villabos. Though there were plenty of popular standards like “Dock of the Bay” and “Take Me to the River”, the band could definitely hold their own on any Blues stage. 

No surprise that the band was good, but I often go down rabbit holes and found a really good one for the Davis Brothers. First off, they had chart success. In 1963, the golden era of doo wop, George and Gil Davis sang with the Blendtones and their single “Lovers” went to # 3 on the Billboard R&B charts. Online remembrances adds that the band was popular as they toured the West Coast, got strong airplay in Los Angeles from influential DJ Dick “Huggy Boy”Hugg and the song was only kept from the top spot by R&B classic “Just One Look” and the number one “Fingertips” 

 I often say we would probably be shocked to know the back story of people we meet and sure enough, the Davises have an incredible backstory. Relocating to New Jersey, they joined a band called the Chosen Few which had a saxophonist named Clarence Clemons. Davis’s bio even includes recording with Springsteen. I could not find details on where but since Garry Tallent joined The Boss in 1972, I assume it would be on pre- Greetings from Asbury Park recordings, but given their documented history with the Big Man (and lack of details on those early recordings) I don’t doubt it.

Album Review- Pulp- More

Pulp’s 1995 album “Different Class” took over my listening that winter. In retrospect, it still holds up and I would say that not only is it a personal favorite, it’s a bonafide classic. 

I have no problem comparing it to something like Who’s Next. Since I played it to death, it might have lost impact but even then, I probably still would prefer 1998s This is Hardcore. If Class was the Saturday night party, Hardcore was the Sunday morning hangover. Oh maybe I won’t proclaim it better, but I love it just as much. 

Pulp had formed in 1978. It took until 1994 with His N Hers to even make a ripple in the US. Then it seemed a novelty. But being allowed to marinate, they really were able to make a timeless album. In retrospect, it’s easy to see that the moment was gone by 2001s We Love Life. That CD never left my player. The band picked their hero Scott Walker to produce. Though, they will never eclipse the success of Different Class, I think this album was quite good. There are moments in that album that are some of the band’s best like “Bad Cover Version”. Lest we forget, we were now in the era of The Strokes, the White Stripes and System of a Down. The time had now gone but I still loved that record. I hoped that we would get one more out of Jarvis.

I followed his every move post-Pulp and it was an unexpected path. While I never found his solo albums essential, they had moments. For example, “Don’t let him Waste your Time” is as good as anything he ever wrote. Within solo albums, soundtracks and unlikely pairings (like with Canadian producer Chilly Gonzalez) there is one album that I do hold in high regard. 2003s A Night With.. Relaxed Muscle almost got passed me but this electronica variation on what Pulp did best was a duo of Jarvis dba Darren Spooner and Jason Buckle of the All Seeing I (with Richard Hawley on a couple of tracks). None of the reviews seem to be positive but what a fun “lost album” it is. I am not sure where you can find it now but some of the songs have been uploaded to YouTube I also think it’s worth mentioning Serafina Steer who was championed and produced by Cocker and has released some great music on her own, specifically 2013s The Moths Are Real. (Steer and Buckle are major cowriters and musicians in the Jarv Is project) 

More is the new Pulp album we thought we may never get. Of interest, Gonzalez, Buckley, Hawley and Steer make appearances. More feels a lot like their last album in that there’s quite a lot of what made Pulp great here. It’s not the beginning to end classic that Different Class was but it does feel like a solid listen. “Tina” and “Got to Have Love” are immediate additions to any Pulp playlist- at once new but recognizable. But the B-side to the manic energy is the world weary Pulp which can be found on “My Sex” and closer “A Sunset”. 

Overall, I have to say I am more than satisfied with the album. Of course, I want more and like the Pitchfork review of this disc, one can rhapsodize about Jarvis growing into a postmodern Leonard Cohen for the decades to come. But even if we don’t get it, it’s a nice addition to a splendid catalog.