Ghais Guevara
Goyard Ibn Said
(Fat Possum)
★★★

A YOUNG hip hop artist and political activist from Philadelphia, a couple of years ago Ghais Guevara told Vice “there’s no other rapper doing geopolitical communist rap.”

Which makes his debut record a thrilling prospect for Morning Star readers. And Goyard Ibn Said – influenced by Ingmar Bergman, Frantz Fanon and Oliver Sacks – is definitely an exciting set. However, his impressive wide-ranging rapping is so quick and dense, it’s often difficult to actually work out what he’s saying, or discern any coherent narrative. Apparently it’s a concept album about the rise of a hip hop star.

Of course, I may well be too old and too white to properly get it, though I suspect a little more space and focus could well transform Ghais from a critically acclaimed underground act to a still cutting-edge performer with a much bigger audience.

Kim Deal
Nobody Loves You More
(4AD)
★★★★

INDIE scensters will know Kim Deal has been a key figure in the US alternative rock scene for nearly 40 years, first as the bassist and co-vocalist of The Pixies, then as the frontwoman of The Breeders.

So given all the hours she’s put in it’s a surprise to find out Nobody Loves You More is the 63-year old’s debut solo album.

It’s well worth the wait, with the set placed towards the top of many of the best albums of 2024 lists I’ve seen. What strikes me most is how varied, fresh and poppy all the songs are. The opening title track is a wonderful ballad laden with brass and Nancy Sinatra-style string arrangements, while Disobedience and Big Ben Beat are terrific, fuzzed out rock songs that hark back to her salad days. 

A magical ride.

Hardwicke Circus
Cumbria Pizza
(Alternative Facts)
★★★★

HAILING from Carlisle and with three records under their belt already, Hardwicke Circus seem to have flown under the radar for some time, though in 2022 Paul McCartney lobbied for the 20-somethings ensemble to play that year’s Glastonbury festival. 

Their new live album, recorded at Pizza Express in Holborn in London, is a kind of unplugged greatest hits set.

They definitely deliver the goods, their soulful controlled chaos echoing classic British bands like Dexys Midnight Runners, The Jam and Madness. From the brilliant anthem Johnny Come Lately to their their closing cover of Baker Street there’s a lot going on. The Ballad of The Gypsy King – about Tyson Fury – includes a sly snippet of Miles Davis’s So What.

For me, their street-level poetry and infectious energy also brings to mind Americana acts like Marah and The Felice Brothers. 

Terrific stuff.