Quick Plays: ANDY FLANNAGAN, MELINDA ORTNER

ANDY FLANNAGAN – Drowning In The Shallow (Absolute/Universal)

Singer/songwriter Andy Flannagan releases an album of mixed melodies and written over the past six years or so. It will take a few good spins to get into, although the folk/Waterboys ‘The Reason’ is the real instant tune on here and would have been a single release back in the day.

There is a lot of instrumentation on the album with strings featuring heavily and on ‘Whole’ the sound is that of an updated Clannad, another artist who mastered the art of adding haunting music to a string vocal.

Worth your time and songs like ‘Healing’ are sure to touch a nerve with the listener. Oh and if you’re wondering where that title came from, he used to be a hospital doctor…

***1/2

Jason Ritchie

MELINDA ORTNER – Strangers (EP) www.melindamusic.com

An EP release ahead of a full album due in December, Melinda Ortner has already been picking up the plaudits and rightly so based on these four tunes. If you are after a handle, quirky pop as she has a melodious voice and the music veers from indie through to something more mainstream like Adele. ‘Somethin’ Sorry’ is the stand out with a simple piano riff and swooping backing vocals. ‘Wait Another Day’ reminded me a little of Tori Amos without the fairy references! Go check her music out now before the rest of the crowd catches up.

****

Jason Ritchie

BAD MEMORIES – Forced To Be A Stranger

Perris Records

Formed back in 2006 this Italian hard rock band sound like their debut album is a long lost 80′s album getting a re-release. It is only the modern production which gives the game away in that it was recorded in 2011. Overall not a bad album, a few memorable keyboard led hard rock tunes like ‘Tears Of Anger’ and ‘Forced To Be A Stranger’, with a decent ballad/slowie in ‘Memories’. Otherwise it is nice but hardly essential listening and there are better albums vying for your attention out there.

**1/2

Jason Ritchie

Featured Artist: JOSH TAERK

Since early 2020 Josh has been entertaining us with exclusive monthly live sessions,

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Power Plays w/c 7 April 2025

SEVEN BLOOD To The Unknown (indie)
FROM FALL TO SPRING Incomplete (Arising Empire)
POP EVIL Side Effects (MNRK Heavy)
ERJA LYYTINEN Abyss (Tuohi Records)
SKY VALLEY MISTRESS Too Many Ghosts (New Heavy Sounds)
RED GIANT Free Me (indie)

Featured Albums w/c 7 April 2025

09:00-12:00 The Best of 2003 – 2024 (Melodic Rock)
12:00-13:00 The Best of 2003 – 2024 (Melodic Hard Rock)
14:00-16:00 The Best of 2003 – 2024 (Singer Songwriter)

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