We Speak Music

Myshkin’s Ruby Warblers Turn Up the Heat on ‘Hot Night in Paris’

Published

5 months ago

April 5, 2026

If Hot Night in Paris proves anything, it’s that patience can swing.

Out now, the new album from Myshkin and her long-running outfit The Ruby Warblers is a vivid, brass-laced ride through styles, cities, and states of mind. It’s playful without being lightweight, sophisticated without losing grit, and above all, it sounds like a band fully alive to the moment.

The record wastes no time setting the tone. The Light bursts forward with a driving pulse before giving way to a series of sharp left turns: the eerie sway of Birds on the Line, the smoky tango of Peace, the crisp, dry snap of Cut Set Polished. Each track feels like a different corner of the same nocturnal landscape.

And then comes the parade.

Thanks to drummer Danny Frankel, whose credits include work with Lou Reed and k.d. lang, the album periodically slips into a second-line groove that feels lifted straight from a New Orleans street procession. It’s loose, celebratory, and just a little bit unruly, in the best way.

But what really makes Hot Night in Paris land is the interplay. This is not a solo record dressed up as a band project; it’s a conversation.

Bob Furgo’s violin lines weave through the arrangements like commentary, while Victoria Williams’ guzheng introduces textures that catch the ear off guard. The horns, trombone and sax, don’t just decorate; they push, tease, and occasionally steal the scene. Beneath it all, upright bass and rhythm guitar lock into a groove that keeps everything grounded.

At the center stands Myshkin herself, delivering each line with a storyteller’s instinct for timing and tone. Her voice, silky but edged with steel, carries songs that tackle big themes without losing their human scale: power, beauty, courage, redemption.

There’s also a sense of release here. Many of these tracks were longtime live favorites that never made it onto previous records. Captured at last in Joshua Tree, they arrive not as archival pieces but as fully realized performances, sharpened by years on stage.

The result is an album that feels both lived-in and immediate.

For an artist whose career has spanned New Orleans clubs, international festivals, multimedia experimentation, and a recent chapter in Scotland, Hot Night in Paris acts as a kind of creative snapshot, one that somehow captures movement itself.

It’s a late-night record, a road record, and a band-at-full-tilt record all at once.

And it swings.

We Speak Music

Fringe Frontier Drop New Album ‘Criminal Hour’

Published

6 hours ago

September 2, 2026

Philomena Marie

There is an admirable sense of purpose running through Criminal Hour, the latest album from Fringe Frontier. John Lloyd and Jerry Thomas have created a record that understands the enduring appeal of classic guitar music while embracing the textures and emotional openness of contemporary indie rock. Rather than chasing trends, the duo refine a sound built upon memorable hooks, driving rhythms and stories that unfold with cinematic detail.

From the opening moments of “Heading For,” the album establishes an engaging balance between muscular performance and lyrical vulnerability. Isolation forms the emotional starting point, yet the music itself constantly reaches outward. That instinct continues into “Think Back,” whose uplifting refrain transforms personal struggle into collective resilience. The contrast between emotional weight and melodic accessibility proves to be one of the album’s greatest strengths.

Several of the record’s finest moments revolve around place and memory. “Little Five Points” evokes faded neighbourhoods and youthful possibility with affectionate precision, while “The Lights of Edisto” ventures into more difficult emotional territory. Its exploration of addiction and recovery unfolds patiently, allowing the arrangement to mirror the uncertainty and hope contained within the lyrics. These songs reveal Lloyd’s gift for vivid storytelling without sacrificing musical momentum.

Elsewhere, Fringe Frontier demonstrate an appealing versatility. “Personal Ad” introduces humour alongside its observations on contemporary romance, its jangling guitars recalling classic alternative rock without becoming derivative. “Follow Me” injects a burst of youthful urgency, examining the endless cycle of promotion and recognition that defines modern musicianship while maintaining an infectious sense of fun.

The closing stretch is particularly satisfying. “City of Dreams” drifts through New York with quiet grace, capturing both the excitement and melancholy that accompany remembered ambitions. The title track then concludes the album with a darker atmosphere, weaving together mystery, restless energy and melodic confidence into a finale that lingers long after its final notes.

The contributions of mixer McKenzie Smith and mastering engineer Kim Rosen provide Criminal Hour with impressive sonic depth, but the true achievement lies in the songwriting itself. Fringe Frontier have produced a record that feels lived in rather than manufactured, proving once again that thoughtful lyricism and memorable guitar music remain an enduring combination.