Three different continents this week. We conclude our Springsteen marathon with Perfect World, the rock album of the set. Ghana’s Florence Adooni makes her international debut with A.O.E.I.U.. And London post-punk band Caroline released an excellent second album.
Florence Adooni
A.O.E.I.U.
2025, 7/10
Florence Adooni was born into a musical lineage. She’s from Kumasi, Ghana’s home of highlife music. Her parents have Frafra heritage, a region renowned for soul and disco. She’s been making music for years, but A.O.E.I.U. is her international debut. The initials stand for An Ordinary Exercise In Unity.
At its best, it’s an irresistible blend of funk, jazz, R&B, and gospel. ‘Vocalize My Luv’ feels too blatant a bid for a crossover hit. It’s best when it taps into the mystic, like the ten-minute title track, somewhere between Fela Kuti and Van Morrison.
Florence Adooni has a ton of potential, but A.O.E.I.U. doesn’t entirely deliver on it.
Bruce Springsteen
Perfect World
2025, 6/10
Every time Bruce Springsteen releases a rock-oriented album, it suffers in comparison to 1978’s Darkness on the Edge of Town. Visceral, tuneful, and compassionate, it’s one of the greatest rock and roll albums ever made, setting an impossible standard. So Perfect World isn’t the worst album on the Tracks II boxset, but it’s the least interesting.
While the other albums on the set were conceived as standalone albums, Perfect World is more like a compilation – Springsteen recorded these songs between 1994 and 2011. The first three songs were cowritten by Joe Grushecky, from Pittsburgh’s Iron City Houserockers.
It’s still a solid record. ‘Cutting Knife’ is my favourite song, with a great chorus hook and a hint of sophistication. The succinct, intense ‘Rain in the River’ is like a nod to Laura Nyro’s unimpeachable ‘Beads of Sweat’.
Perfect World isn’t particularly exciting, but it’s often worthwhile.
Caroline
Caroline 2
2025, 8.5/10
London eight-piece band Caroline return bigger and better on their second album. They feature two violinists, as well as a clarinet/saxophone player. The spacious arrangements, dramatic crescendos, and emotive vocals recall Kentucky band Slint.
It feels harder and harsher. It still has the same mood that we’re always trying to achieve, which is euphoric but fragmented, or euphoric but broken. That’s the prevailing mood across all Caroline music.
Jasper Llewellyn, Kaput Mag
The record’s notable for its song titles, often retaining quirky working titles like ‘Song Two’, ‘Coldplay Cover’, and ‘Beautiful Ending’. But Caroline 2 is a strong record – it takes a while for the complex pieces to sink their hooks in, but they’re great once your brain’s had time to process them.
Caroline Polachek guests on the lead single ‘Tell Me I Never Knew That’. But the emotional centrepiece is ‘Two Riders Down’, with its big climaxes and raw sound.
Caroline 2 is an excellent sophomore album from a fascinating band.
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Two of your picks caught my attention and, shockingly, Springsteen isn’t among them, even though I love a good deal of his (old) music.
Florence Adooni: I had neither heard of her nor the Highlife music genre. It is kind of different but pretty groovy!
caroline: Another group who are entirely new to me. Their sound is unusual, at least to my ears. It’s quite an army of a band with an intriguing line-up.
Yes, I would have bet good money a few months ago that Springsteen would have been your favourite! I really don’t know all the names of African genres – but it’s probably fascinating. Caroline 2 really grew on me.
A like for Aldooni – she sounds good.