by Danny Wiser | Apr 23, 2022 | Reviews
Haunting, minimalist drone-folk may not sound like a barrel of laughs, but Katie Kim’s stunning voice and manipulation of sound makes the album worth pursuing… When reviewing music, it is important to recognise that we all have our musical predispositions...
by Joel Dwek | Apr 21, 2022 | Reviews
An unusual combination has once again born fruitful results with Bacao Rhythm & Steel Band’s Caribbean sounds merging with a wide range of genres… We have been working on this project and this website for a long time now. We’re coming up to two years...
by Joel Dwek | Feb 20, 2022 | Reviews
Adapting the music of West Africa’s griots for the modern day can be a challenge, but Noura Mint Seymali proves herself worthy Like many artists we cover, Mauritanian griot Noura Mint Seymali comes from a line of well-respected musicians. In fact, for those of...
by Danny Wiser | Feb 9, 2022 | Reviews
The Banban Bamboo Band demonstrate immense ingenuity on their beautiful bamboo-based bonanza… Plant life contributes to various parts of Vanuatuan culture, from the use of tree vines at Pentecost Island’s world-renowned land diving traditions, to the popularity...
by Danny Wiser | Jan 9, 2022 | Reviews
On the surface, this album seems a true enigma; yet by exercising patience and acceptance its truth will surely reveal itself to you… We are yet to feature an album shrouded in such a mystery as Songs I-V. The first time I heard the album, I was unaware of the...
by Danny Wiser | Nov 22, 2021 | Reviews, Top Picks
A whirlwind ride through many important themes, hip-hop collective Black Vulcanite create innovative rhythms whilst always speaking truth to power… The point of view that all people are created equal regardless of race and as such have the same natural capacity...
by Joel Dwek | Nov 9, 2021 | Reviews
Mozambican traditional sounds meet the modern world in Deltino Guerreiro’s vibrant and wonderfully ambitious debut album… Usually, the albums I pick as ‘albums of the week’ are ones that I find myself compulsively relistening to over and over...
by Joel Dwek | Oct 26, 2021 | Reviews
Indie, ambient, funk, electro, Kuwaiti band Galaxy Juice try to tie them all together in an ambitious album rich with interesting flourishes… Occasionally, one comes across a truly unclassifiable album. While it is nice to dig into a record that gives you more...
by Joel Dwek | Oct 1, 2021 | Reviews
The ambitious Ecuadorian violinist takes on some of the most popular folk, tango, and classical pieces in Electroclásica, adding a modern twist… When updating a classic piece of music to the modern day, one always runs the risk of it not living up to the...
by Joel Dwek | Sep 4, 2021 | Reviews
Taking inspiration from the indie rockers of the past, Nemra manage to place Yerevan on the world map of rock… Hailing from sunny Armenia, rock band Nemra, clearly like to have fun with words. The title of their debut album is Mubla, which is album backwards,...
by Joel Dwek | Mar 1, 2021 | Reviews, Top Picks
Their first album after their main songwriter left the band, the remaining members of Indonesian outfit Sore seized the opportunity to reinvent their sound… When a band loses its lead songwriter, it can be disastrous, or it can lead to a rebirth. One only need...
by Joel Dwek | Jan 13, 2021 | Reviews
Evocative of a Nordic winter, Aurora’s debut album features a song you’ll never forget… The unusual yet compelling sound of Norwegian singer-songwriter Aurora’s debut album could perhaps be, in part, down to her own self-described isolated childhood...
by Danny Wiser | Dec 21, 2020 | Advent Calendar
UKRAINE: Shchedryk – Crimean Chamber Choir… This well-known Christmas carol has its origins in the Crimean region of Ukraine, which tells the story of a swallow flying into a house to declare the prophecy of the prosperous year that lies ahead. Whilst not...
by Danny Wiser | Dec 19, 2020 | Advent Calendar
THE NETHERLANDS: Een Heel Gelukkig Kerstfeest – De Toppers… Though this song is full of festive fun, it serves to remind us of Dutch Christmas, and thus poses questions about the way in which Christmas is celebrated in The Netherlands today. Meaning ‘A...
by Danny Wiser | Dec 16, 2020 | Advent Calendar
JAMAICA: Santa Claus, Do You Ever Come to the Ghetto? – Chronixx… This cover of gospel/reggae artists Carlene Davis and Trinity’s song touches on a theme that many fail to remember during the festivities. Whilst Christmas can often be a time of materialism...
by Joel Dwek | Dec 10, 2020 | Reviews
On the surface, famed Angolan musician Bonga’s latest album is just a set of pleasant, melancholy tunes, but dig deeper and you’ll find profound themes and resonances… Recados de Fora, meaning ‘Messages from Outside’ in English, is the...
by Danny Wiser | Nov 27, 2020 | Reviews
Alsarah and The Nubatones guide their listeners down a stream of emotion-filled waters… Once again on NoiseNomad we find ourselves not only exploring the music of a new nation, but also learning about the culture and the plight of another minority group. This...
by Joel Dwek | Oct 4, 2020 | Reviews
Ghana’s very own Bizung talking drum chief Mohammed Alidu flexes his drum tapping fingers, as well as his songwriting chops in this fusion album… Mohammed Alidu’s music is particularly interesting because of his musical heritage, one I confess I knew...
by Joel Dwek | Aug 26, 2020 | Reviews
A bundle of fun with distant associations with the jewel in the crown of London’s annual calendar to make it just that little bit more special… Joel: Machel Montano’s music on Monk Evolution is a broadly crowd-pleasing set of fun soca tunes meant to get you up...
by Danny Wiser | Aug 17, 2020 | Reviews, Top Picks
There is no blurb that could do justice to this album. Listen to it ASAP… At NoiseNomad we typically review albums that are melodically driven pieces. Often, this is because many of the albums we write about are not in our mother tongue of English, but also it...
by Joel Dwek | Jul 18, 2020 | Reviews
Yemenite Jewish culture is made accessible through A-WA’s enjoyable electronica album… This album is made by three Israeli sisters, but from the sound of it, you wouldn’t necessarily know that. Israel is a small country with a huge amount of ethnic and...
