The first thing that immediately sprang to mind was Nau Mai e Kā Hua, which was an album that really resonated with me last year. Between Monday 16th and Friday 20th November, Rattle decided to do something they’d not done before, and release five albums in five days - or “Five-in-Five” as they promoted it.year. 

Nau Mau e Kā Hua was the third release, and it would take something quite special to follow, let alone top, the last two offerings, as both David Harrow and the Tania Giannouli Trio albums are top notch, but this third offering on a hump day was definitely no slump. It’s an absolutely stunning album from Ariana Tikao and Al Fraser. Whether it’s because I hail from Aotearoa, I’m never sure, but I’m a real sucker for taonga pūoro (the traditional musical instruments of the Māori). Ruby Solly’s album, Pōneke, released earlier in 2020 and full of glorious and gorgeous taonga puoro, remains one of my favourite releases of that year, and Nau Mai e Kā Hua is right up there with it - an album which is all about water.

I love the cover image of Nau Mai e Kā Hua, as it perfectly portrays what I will hear from any taonga puoro music: something deep, mysterious and immersive. The artwork is titled “Te Korowai o Tangaroa” – the cloak of Tangaroa (god of the sea and fish), and that also makes sense. There’s something remarkably intimate and sensitive about the music of taonga puoro that doesn’t just sound natural, but at one with nature.

The multitude of sounds from the various instruments played provides a quite beautiful tapestry of different textures and tones. Deep thrums, breathy whistles, birdsong, and more; the expressive voices of taonga puoro would all be quite beautiful without further adornment. But there’s no denying that the vocals of Ariana Tikao add yet another colour to the palette, and another layer of depth (to keep to the watery theme that the cover art inspires). Indeed, midway through the album is a track called Te reo o te wai. Now my knowledge of Maori is rudimentary at best, but even I can recognise that immediately as “the language of the water”, and it’s exactly as you might expect it to sound. This is an album I can see myself returning to time and time again.

I don’t think there are any videos for any of the tracks, but here is the Bandcamp page:

https://rattle-records.bandcamp.com/album/nau-mai-e-k-hua" rel="nofollow - https://rattle-records.bandcamp.com/album/nau-mai-e-k-hua

The watery theme continues with Spindrift, and has a suitably weightless and breathy sound that perfectly evokes the swirling spray blown from creating waves. There’s a sensation of floating, and being carried along – being taken where the wind blows you. Apparently, spindrift in Scotland can also refer to the fine snow that is blown off hills in a similar way. So this is perhaps the intended meaning (though I can’t help but imagine the sea, rather than snow), as the following track is Flindrikin, which is one of (so I’m lead to believe) over 400 words the Scots have for snow. Strangely, a flindrikin is a light shower of snow, while this track feels considerably heavier, and crunchy. Aftak is an easing or lull in a storm, which only furthers the impression that Flindrikin may have been named somewhat ironically. Aftak lives up to its name, a beautiful and quiet oasis of minimalism. The watery theme returns with final track, and my second favourite after Smirr, Haar. A haar is a cold sea fog that is blown inland, but there’s nothing cold about this haar. It’s as perfect a closing number as Smirr was an opening number. This album was well worth the wait. Another favourite album from last year!

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Mike:  Patrick Watson “Here Comes the River”  Beautiful voiced singer/songwriter type, with muted piano.  Just a slight echo effect on his voice, this is very subtle, as there is a slow orchestral swell, that continues to build and then abates to go back to just voice and piano for a moment.  Very moving piece, I can see why it has given you such solace of late.  This is one I too, will return to, and want to hear more from him.  Grandaddy “Crystal Lake”  Funny album title!  Guitars, drums and some electronic bleeply bleeplies are joined after a few turns by a singer with a bit of an ironic tone to his voice.  Looking at the lyrics, I can see why the irony.  The choruses have a sort of quasi sort of almost 60’s poppiness to the sound.  It does feel catchy, but it’s catchy with a catch, he’s gotta get outta there!  The Stone Roses “Tears”  Begins with some pretty, pretty, electric guitar and maybe some keys way under?  An echo-y voiced singer with a bit of an edge to his voice wanders in, there’s a kind of Stones-y psych era sound to this one.  I remember the band, but don’t remember what I’d heard from them before, certainly not this.  The whole band kicks in about a third of the way in.  I see why you compare them with Oasis, as far as general sound.  Nice guitar lead halfway in, ragged, like the lyrics would suggest.  Second less ragged, more “forward,” guitar lead two thirds in, goes off into a Hendrix-y sound for a bit, as wel.  All three are excellent in my book, but the first one is the one for me. 

Logan:  Nick Drake “River Man”  This one I love, but know, but certainly worth repeating for those who are unacquainted with the loveliness that is Nick Drake.  He also embues what Tom Rapp said about his own music, “constructive melancholy.”  Extradition “A Water Song”  Pretty voiced female ala Mary Hopkin with drippy water sounds, little bells and recorder(?). Hard for my ears to tell.  This one has a sort of stop-start way of going about itself, it’s very engaging to my ear, a very playful piece.    PJ Harvey “The River”  Actually, I’m not very familiar with her material, although I have many friends who are fast and faithful fans.  So let’s give it a listen.  A whispery vocal with haunting piano notes, quiet percussion, a feeling of foreboding here.  I like the atmosphere here, very dark in feel. Trumpet is an excellent choice to add to this, to create a cold-feeling cityscape rearing up behind the river.   Washy, distorted guitars just add to the dense, drowning feeling.  Stringtronics “Dawn Mist”  Very pretty, as well, with harmonics and strings blending, bass walks in and harpsichordish sounds take over, as the strings continue to build the suspenseful feel here.  Another ominous sort of one, with rattlesnake-y   percussion way way back.  Some shimmery sounds come along to join in with the rest.  I gotta say, I could possibly go with any of these (outside of Nick Drake, since I know this one). 

Hiram:  Radiopuhelimet “ Jäämeri  This one wastes no time with getting right down to business.  Much more in your face than the previous selections, above it.  The Arctic is a different beast indeed than these more flowy places have been, although it is likely much more “floe-y.”  😉  Followed by the same band, with “Merellä.” Also in a heavy vein with lots of whirry guitars and a hard and fast beat.  Vocals are almost chant-like and rough-edged at the same time.  Rolls into a long psych-space-type jam while the vocals continue and finally all fades with feedback heading quietly into space.  I prefer this one to their first and they made up for the shortness of the first one with this much longer piece, indeed, my favourite of your three.  Einstürzende Neubauten “DNS Wasserturm”  Lots of banshee sounds and some spoken word at the beginning.  There are spooky footsteps heard, sounds like a soundtrack for a spooky film.  There are some other indeterminate sounds in the background as the speaker continues.  Tom Waits “Rain Dogs”  A sort of café sound here, with accordion….drums kick in with wonky guitars and Tom Waits’ inimitable vocals. An almost cartoonish feel, in a really cool way, not silly, almost more of a fun romp out of a bar, late at night, with rain and nonsense being sung. 

Shadowyzard:  First thing I thought of with the theme.  A beautiful piece of music, assuredly. 

Lorenzo:  Alberto Fortis “Mary”  Begins with solo piano and some strings, a whispery male vocalist.  I really love the atmosphere here.  Organ quietly joins in with some wah wah guitar way back in the mix.  Not sure from the translated lyrics, but it almost seems as if he’s describing a ghostly person to here, or is he the ghost?  Choir-ish vocals and a woman join in with him.  Really well produced and a lovely song.

DMB “Don’t Drink The Water”  Very familiar with these folks, carried them on our buses for years and was even treated to a lovely supper in Boulder, CO one time, so I can’t vote “for,” it but it’s a great addition to the theme of the poll.  I like very much the folky elements in it and the slow restraint and building of tension in the piece, along with the quasi-Middle Eastern-y feel from time to time. A very moving piece, wish it were new to me, so I could vote for it.  Francesco Guccini “Acque”  A complete change of pace from the previous one, after some beginning notes,asaxophone comes to the fore, before the vocals.  I couldn’t find lyrics translation for this one, but there is a feeling of both melancholy and triumph.  There are some really nice tempo changes to keep this interesting, but the Fortis piece here is most to my liking of these two. 

JD:  The Doobie Brothers “Black Water”  Definitely too familiar to vote for this one.  I have a wonderful memory of being at the Santa Cruz pier and picking up some fish at one of the fish markets there.  This song came over the stereo and all of the staff began singing and dancing and chopping fish in time.  My housemate, who had a helluva a great singing voice, joined in with them and got several of the other customers to dance with him.  So much fun.  Sorry I went off to memory land.  The Doobies were also semi-locals to Santa Cruz.  Enya “Orinoco Flow,” a beautiful song, again too familiar to vote for it, for me.  No, I did not go sailing away with Enya on a fabulous trip one time, lol.  Gordon Lightfoot “The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald,” again, too familiar to vote for it, but I do love some other Lightfoot tunes very much.  Gowan “Oceania”  Here’s one I don’t know, let’s give it a listen.  A rocker from the first sound of it, I like the keyboards very much, more of a jazz fusion sound as it gets into the song itself.  Not as impressed with the singer.  I do enjoy the musicality of it, however, it certainly could have been a hit in it’s time.  Men At Work “Down By The Sea”  I owned this LP at the time, so too familiar with the song again.  But I did enjoy the band a lot.  Men Without Hats “Walk on Water”  This band, I also remember, but only the odd megahit.  This is in the same kind of 80’s pop style as “The Safety Dance,” which is memorable for Rennies like myself for the RenFest setting of the video.  Lots of keyboards and those 80’s drums.  Another good absurdist view sort of song from them. 

Nick_h_nz:  Rattle “Nau Mai e Kā Hua”  Sounds very interesting to me….let’s go take a gander over at BC.  I decided to listen to the title track, which begins with some sort of flute-ish sounds?  The woman’s voice is absolutely spine-tinglingly beautiful.  I think I will add this to my “to listen to,” emails that I send myself.  Just stunning and an absolute contender. Nick, I have a feeling you’re going to give me another “keeper.”  Let’s see if I’m right.  Ummmm harp?  My poor wallet, lol.  Adenine “Smirr”  Yep, right from the first notes.  Haunting harp, with echo and harmonics used to beautiful affect.  Both are just splendid and thank you! 

Raff:  Blind Faith “Sea of Joy”  As you probably could guess, Raff, I do know this one, but it IS a most excellent choice.  I hope some folks around here are not familiar so they can experience the “joy,” of hearing it for the first time.

Cristi:  Fluturi Pe Asfalt “Munti Sub Mari”  Washy guitars kick right in with a full assault to follow on drums, must be rough seas. Kicks back after the first almost-minute into clear repetitive guitar notes and an emotive, strident vocal. Really enjoyed the raw and urgent electric lead towards the end. I like this one a lot, it has the kind of complexity that keeps my interest in harder-edged music.   Celelalte Cuvinte “Paraul” They waste no time in coming in with electric lead, then kick-ass bass, drums and keys.  Not sure what the lyrics are, but the female vocalist is certainly singing them with vehemence.   I like this too, but the first one, much more. 

BaldFriede:  Nina Hagen Band "Naturträne"  Begins with some lovely acoustic guitar notes (and I love the finger sounds on the strings).  I do know some Nina Hagen, but not a lot.  Here she is very operatic to my ear.  There are some underpinnings of choir-ish vocals underneath and drums come along, with a string section, then a more traditional sound of electric lead commences.  Nina returns with her plaintive, then strident operatic tone again, ending on a very high note with a bit of a cluck at the end.    

Snicolette wrote: Cristi:  Fluturi Pe Asfalt “Munti Sub Mari”  Washy guitars kick right in with a full assault to follow on drums, must be rough seas. Kicks back after the first almost-minute into clear repetitive guitar notes and an emotive, strident vocal. Really enjoyed the raw and urgent electric lead towards the end. I like this one a lot, it has the kind of complexity that keeps my interest in harder-edged music.   Celelalte Cuvinte “Paraul” They waste no time in coming in with electric lead, then kick-ass bass, drums and keys.  Not sure what the lyrics are, but the female vocalist is certainly singing them with vehemence.   I like this too, but the first one, much more.

The Celelalte Cuvinte song will not qualify because they are on PA, but I posted it because I love that song, in fact I listened to the whole album yesterday after I posted the song. I giggled when I saw you think it's a female vocalist. It's not. It's a man, guitarist and one of the main songwriters in band. I guess it's the reason why some dislike the band, but he does remind me of Jon Anderson in places. On later albums he does not sound so high pitched. The song I posted is from their 1990 album.