Dutch indie pop/alt-country outfit Grapes of Grain went on hiatus in 2009, a few albums to their name, but during the inevitable lockdown songwriter Alexis Vos and multi-instrumentalist Berend Jan Ike could not resist the lure of making music again. Fifteen years wiser, they came up with twelve new songs about alienation, brought together on the Painted Windows LP. Despite a fairly extensive instrumentation, this record still sounds intimate and never overcrowded, which alone is a major achievement. The tunes are atmospheric and melancholic – timeless – with melodic sophistication and captivating vocals. Bonus points for the nod to Jonathan Richman in Hey There, Jonathan, but there are plenty of other reasons to press the Play button.

Painted Windows, produced by Berend Jan Ike & Stefan Breuer, is out now digitally and on CD via Drag Days Records. Featuring Alexis Vos (vocals, guitar, bass) and Berend Jan Ike (guitar, vocals, drums, bass, piano), with Stefan Breuer (guitar, keys, drums, bass, vocals), Arno Breuer (drums, percussion, bouzouki), Harm van Sleen (pedal steel, dobro, violin), Niels van Heumen (trumpet, synthesizer), David Decraene (sax), Amber Sawyer (vocals), Lara Taska (vocals) and Kirsti Blow (vocals).

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