LeftLion's Latest Listens #46: Notts music we're currently spinning

Album: Vona Vella - Carnival

Vona Vella are making waves in the music industry big time, and the band’s second album, Carnival, is testament to this. The red coloured vinyl version is beautiful in its own right even before you get to hear the album’s 13 tracks whose content and diversity demand your attention with innovative guitar breaks and dreamy poppy indie melodies with whispered suggestions of Belle and Sebastian or The Coral.

The title track is reminiscent of all the fun of the fair, with Izzy and Dan’s vocals blending pleasingly with Dexter Howell’s punchy guitar riffs. I really liked Bass Driver, which lives up to its name with Claud Melton’s bass prominent throughout along with Izzy’s vocals somewhat evocative of Cerys Matthews. You Can Be So Ugly is the quintessential pop song, with gentle vocals, jangly guitars along with Jake's drums forming a tune worthy of Top of the Pops, the same being true of Coming By, both songs being catchy earworms. Bottled and their recent single Bear Trap are a couple of other standout tracks on album where every track is a gem. @vonavella (Claire Spencer)

Album: JJ Lovegrove - History Is The Struggle Of Becoming

It is genuinely difficult to find enough new adjectives to adequately describe Nottingham-based independent artist JJ Lovegrove’s work. We recently reviewed her most recent single, Celandine, exploring how she had created an “intensely evocative soundscape”, drawing inspirations locally but catapulting into the far reaches of the universe. That track appears on her new album after a smouldering introductory piece (Lament) which acts as an exercise in sound painting using a range of dark-toned instruments and carefully woven cadences. Celandine in this context builds further elements into the landscape, particularly snatches of poeticism and vocal experimentation.

The wonderfully produced album then moves through an arc of further creativity, exploring a range of ideas and influences. There’s plenty of self-reflection and poignant memories yet the anchor of the record remains JJ’s main inspiration, DH Lawrence. The Rainbow is a delicately skittering musical poem, Punch is appropriately elevated both in tempo and force; and Signal Loss (featuring Ed Harcourt) is high drama and crystallised imagination. Meanwhile, the album’s title track provides a thoughtful, hard-hitting centrepiece, built on solid piano chords. 

History Is The Struggle Of Becoming is a strikingly creative work from a vital local voice with an uncanny ear for detail, and a mind full of vision. @jjlovegrove (Phil Taylor)

Single: Margo Pelto - Mermaid

Starkly beautiful and achingly heartfelt, Mermaid sees Margo Pelto finding catharsis in reflection. Sung in conversation with the past, her lyrics examine growth and healing through time and experience, with that newfound vantage point offering a strength that enables closure. It’s deeply relatable and empowering in the kind of understated, foundational way that maturity provides. The music itself is minimalistic, with wide open spaces between acoustic guitar and gentle percussion guiding the focus to the storytelling. There are shades of Lorde in the intimate mixing of the vocals, but Pelto’s voice is one all of her own. This is a lovely piece of music about growing up and finding yourself in position of inner confidence after adversity. As Pelto says, "It’s ok under the waves." @margopelto (Kieran Lister)

EP: ALT BLK ERA - Our World

These are exciting times for ALT BLK ERA, whose rise to fame has gone stratospheric in a very short space of time. Their latest release, Our World, launched on the back of their recent award at this year’s MOBO’s where they were runners up to Nova Twins, promises to propel sisters Nyrobi and Chaya to even greater heights. This EP contains elements of Rock and Metal, captivatingly fused with Electronic Dance Music, continuing the boundary pushing musical ideas showcased on their debut album Rave Eternal.

Also released on clear 12-inch vinyl, Our World is a collection of five tracks that together make up a concise statement of the girls view of the world. Tissues takes up the theme, with some danceable bass beats backed up by poppy vocals. Close harmonies and bouncy bass suggest an idea of escape from the world’s problems in Lost in the Back of my Mind. Dirty bass and distorted guitars feature in Silhouettes in the Mirror and Okay (Cyber Racing), both being noteworthy. The title track concludes things nicely; instrumental rhythms blend sweetly with the vocals, which perfectly conveys the girls' vision for the world of offering hope through positive actions. @altblkera (Claire Spencer)