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| albums - february 2008 | ||
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Loxodrome – State of the Union SpeechFormed in 2003, Austrian five-piece Loxodrome peddle the sort of mid-nineties, nu-metal-by-numbers that makes “State of the Union Speech” a very disjointed listening experience, and you can’t help coming away feeling a little disappointed. Today we find ourselves almost rid of the corporate beast of nu-metal, yet Loxodrome appear to have found a “How to…” book discarded by any number of the mediocre bandwagon-jumpers who have tread this path before them. And, whilst they are a hell of a lot better at it than say, Puddle of Mudd, you can’t help but feel that these ten tracks would have been cast aside in the studios of Linkin Park, Korn or Papa Roach. So where did they go wrong? Well, firstly the mix doesn’t do them any favours and puts them at an instant disadvantage from the off. The vocals are too prominent and clean, at least half a dozen of the tracks crying out for vocalist Michi (an obvious talent and one shining ray of hope in all this) to really roar to mirror the sludgey riffs and slapped bass, “Bad Medicine” being a prime example. Loxodrome also fall into the European habit of adding an ill-advised rap here and there (“That’s Me”), when it just makes it sound like Clawfinger-lite. And starting an album with an instrumental opener and ending it with a six minute closer is neither new nor original and, worst of all, is downright criminal if the instrumental is called “Speechless” (geddit?!) and the closing title track is about five minutes too long! Loxodrome do hit some right notes,
like with the dual-vocal pummeling and stop-start guitars of “Take”, but
mainly on “Mole” with its keyboard, electro-operatic opener and strong riff
that almost pins down a “Loxodrome sound”, something of their own to work on
rather than never quite reaching the heights of their all-too obvious
influences. 4.5 out of 10 Stuart Bowen |
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Various - Disco not Disco - Post Punk, Electro & Leftfield Disco Classics 1974-1986Released just at a time when indie disco is invading the mainstream comes a collection which doesn't sound out of place in the current market. Opener 'Launderette' by Vivien Goldman and Delta 5's 'Mind your own business' sound like the kind of songs New Young Pony Club probably covered when they were starting out. The rest of the album grooves in and out of heavy bass, acid jazz and contrasting male/female vocals. Much like today many of the lyrics tell of social situations, many being
in the dance hall settings these songs were originally aimed for. The minute
long instrumentals between vocals start start to grate on your ears seven
tracks in so the 'A Number Of Names' instrumental mix looses impact as track
12. Though some tracks are weak as singles, together they form a very
necessary history lesson for today's fluorescent adolescents, a lesson which
shows rules can be broken and boundaries re-aligned without 'selling out' or
sounding out of date after three decades. The scene kids who shop at TOPSHOP
every weekend should be given a copy with every purchase to show them what
they're really buying into. Electro's legacy continues successfully. Class
dismissed. Nick Burman |
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Sunnyvale Noise Sub-Element – box three, spool fiveOoh, you guys! I see what you’re doing, Sunnyvale Noise Sub-Element, you’re trying to get me to give you an awful review. You’re trying to get me to explain to the good people who frequent this webpage that you’re not actually the place where “Chicago guitar noise and Berlin techno come together” but are in fact a bit lazy and a bit boring... oh no, not me I won’t fall for it. Instead I’ve decide to create a receptacle which would show your music in the best light; an action movie. The whole thing’s written, script and all, based around your pre-emptive soundtrack, it’s called ‘Theme Thief’. The film centres around secret agent Dave Chaffinch (possibly played by Vin Diesel, we’re in negotiations). Dave’s a no-nonsense, karate chopping sort of a fella with a fuck anything attitude to women. The film is based around 12 fight scenes which, in turn, are based on your tunes. The first is a one on one, hand to hand kung-fu epic on a crumbling cliff edge. Then there’s this one where Dave Chaffinch is ambushed by a bunch of no good terrorists, he smashes their faces in with their own knees, and engages in an inappropriate act with their female leader even though he knows she no good for him. All in all things go boom, people go ‘hrrnnfff’ and the soundtrack throbs away, thanks to you boys. Sure, I’ll get sued by Cubby Broccoli but I’d have a better leg to stand on that you will against John Barry and Lalo Schifrin, they’ve got you bang to rights. See, whereas my script is based in the time honoured action flick mould, you boys haven’t covered your, Bond/Mission: Impossible ripping off, tracks half as well. Failing this there’s one more route you chaps can go
down: Top Gear. I can just hear it now, Clarkson barking all over your
tracks. “This, my friends... Is a CAR... It drives like a piece of ice,
skating across a dining room table... after it’s just been Pledged.” Sean Gregson |
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Atlantis – Carpe OmniumWe live life for moments, don’t we? Not just the births, marriages and deaths but the small things too. That Friday night drink which finally forces every last memory of the week out of our heads, the bus arriving just as you do, Dancing on Ice. This, however, is not how we want an album to be. An album should be a moment in its self, from beginning to end. Instead, with Carpe Omnium, we’re left waiting for the drudgery to end and the good stuff to begin. Atlantis is but one man, which may well be his/their down fall. At points (Losing You, Finding You) you feel like you’ve found a gem but these songs book end some, not awful, just, 2D music. Carpe Omnium feels paper thin, the ideas, the sounds, the concept itself. I’m all for this digital revolution, I’m all for boys sat alone in their bedrooms with a sampler and a laptop, but here we’re just left with the feeling that another opinion or idea would have made this twice the album it is. Is this what downloading has led to? Musicians, fully
aware only their best tracks will be heard anyway, barely bothering to
commit to a full album. Sean Gregson |
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WHY? – “Alopecia”I knew a girl once who had alopecia. Rather than shaving her hair clean off she clung on to what little she had leading most to refer to her as ‘Charlton’ behind her back. What’s that got to do with WHY?’s new album? Not much, not much at all. WHY? seem to represent a sort of musical stop gap. Like when Dr Who goes off the telly so they put on Robin Hood, or snooker during the break in the football season. They can offer a musical interlude for all you boys and girls waiting for the new releases from a whole host of bands: Flaming Lips, Smog/Bill Callahan, Magnetic Fields, Silver Jews, Stephen Malkmus, even Eminem. No really, they a little bit of everything, like a buffet. The only real problem with WHY? is that they rely on fact that their singer and lyricist, Yoni, is a funny, intelligent wordsmith, which he is in part. The problem is the whole ‘comedy middle-class white rapper’ shtick really starts to grate until, by about track 9, you begin to wish there was more gun crime in the Bay area. (I jest, I jest.) (By the way, Gnashville is clearly the best song on the
album and also its saving grace.) Sean Gregson |
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The Mountain Movers - We've Walked in Hell and There is Life After Death (Fortuna POP!)Devils and images of death seem to be scattered among the lyrics of
“We’ve Walked in Hell and There is Life After Death”, with the occasional
love-song added in. From the comfort of a garden shed, Daniel Greene of the
Butterflies of Love wrote the lyrics of these slightly dark poppy love
songs. It is also his unusual drawings that decorate the album’s cover. The
album includes many guest musicians, and with brass players from the likes
of Less Than Jake and the Toasters it is unsurprising that the songs are
heavily laced with horn melodies. Yasmin Prebble |
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Jill Scott - The Real Thing: Words and Sounds Vol.3This album came with a parental guidance warning: always something to get excited about. Jill Scott: American mutli-talented actor, musician, poet, TV star (list goes on) loves her volume themed albums. This is Vol.3 and emerges after Jill’s divorce. Oh no, this worries me: emotional-male-bashing-divorcee-moaning? No, her soulful voice oozes personality, is doused in harmonies and approaches varying subject matters with a reassuringly positive outlook. ‘Hate on Me’ is feisty and a highlight of the album. Along with ‘Celibacy Blues’, where Jill’s jazz influences shine with satisfying results. ‘Epiphany’ sees Jill half reciting her lyrics and singing. It works well with the bass riff in the background. This is also the point where the x-rated content kicks in. However, the other songs meld into one another, especially with 15 tracks; I can’t differentiate between them as they dwindle along with no real melodic direction and the same stereotypical soul beat. Whilst Jill claims that this album is ‘gritter,
sassier’, her music didn’t overwhelm me with awe and excitement. The only
evident ‘grit’ is, perhaps, in her overt lyrical honesty, but this
essentially results in mere ‘x-rated’ lyrics. It is refreshing to hear Jill
Scott keeping it ‘real’: unlike many of her R ‘n’ B contemporaries, she
isn’t aiming to score points per syllable/note sung. And she really does
sing with soul. The album exudes a soulful groove, but it is essentially
quite bland: I don’t think a fourth volume would be wise. Jenny Williams |
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Dragonette - GaloreDragonette’s album opens unashamedly: it’s electronic, bolshy and most of all, pure pop. Lead vocalist, Martina Sorbara, has a striking voice; one that doesn’t grate like so many female singers’ vocals and her confidence radiates through the music. It’s kooky and not a million miles away from Gwen Stefani’s recent musical efforts with the added extra-centric energy of the Scissor Sisters. As the album progresses, it transgresses into realms of the novelty with tracks, such as the 1940s themed, ‘Get Lucky’. With further tracks like ‘Take It Like a Man’, the ‘Girl Power’ theme is out in force. Dragonette is perhaps a sexier underground version of the Sugababes and Girls Aloud. Verging on sounding like an entry into the Eurovision
Song Contest, I can’t help liking the quirky wannabe Roisin Murphy. But then
I couldn’t also help feeling like I shouldn’t be enjoying Martina Sorbara’s
over-produced-pop-nonsense. Indeed, does this Anglo-Canandian outfit belong
to the Eurovision Song Contest or are they a clever kitsch version of
Chungking. Whatever the conclusion of my confusions, Dragonette are a
shimmering example of electro-pop that I cannot resist. But I think I’ll put
it on the secret pleasures playlist.
Jenny Williams |
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Rose – Rose (Play)The press release for Rose doesn’t fill one with excitement, as apparently Rose ‘might appeal’ to people who enjoy Roxy Music. People with fairly little taste then. Using the word ‘boring’ to describe music may be
considered as lazy reviewing, but then this is lazy music. Lazy and boring.
It’s not sure what it wants to be, dabbling in jazz, ambient and vocals that
clearly rip off Leonard Cohen. A beautiful fusion this is not. Track four
would work well for some introspective moping at a tortoise’s pace on a
miserable Monday evening, but for a whole album it’s debatable whether you’d
be able to get out of bed ever again. By track six the sax of earlier tracks
has been replaced by violins doing a spot in imitation of nails on
blackboard and some strange moo-ing sounds that probably are real cows.
There is a Weakness offers some slight respite by offering some gentle
guitars to soothe the raw ears. All in all though, Rose should come with a
health warning.
Catriona Boyle |
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Lafcadio - "Kibosh" (Joyful Noise)This noisy bunch from Indiana, USA clearly have a lot to say. They have
packed so many words into their song titles that sometimes there isn't room
for any spaces. But since you won't be able to distinguish more than, maybe,
three words during a song like 'FreeWillyNelsonMandela', that's probably
some kind of compensation. Chris McCague |
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The Favourite Game - "Don't Pretend Like Its Safe" (independent)If frontman Joshua Richardson can overcome his nasty habit of throwing in
ridiculous expletives, sullying some of the best moments on "Don't Pretend
Like Its Safe", this would be one of the best records I've heard in a while.
And certainly the best CD that began as a water-inspired school project. Chris McCague |
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TC – Watch The RideReleased on Harmless Records, this is a wicked mix of older anthems and newer renewed drum and bass, with electronic and grimy sounds combined with the more recent melodic tunes. The style of DJing varies continuously, from the scratchy synth style of the opening track with Chrissy Chris’s “Us” to the 2007 deep dance floor hit “In Love” by Jenna G. The dirty basslines of Sub Focus’ “Swamp Thing” slides into the classic instrumental version of “LK” (DJ Marky & XRS), then moving onto both established artists with High Contrast’s “If We Ever” as well as up and coming drum and bass producers and DJ’s. There are some generally decent tunes straying away from the insane “rave” sounds, like the smoothness of Logistics’ “Together” and “Soul Time” by TC himself. However, the album still holds much of the harder hitting bass in Lynx’s “Disco Dodo” and the dirty sounds of “Druggy” by Sub Focus, making this an eclectic mix of anthemic drum and bass. There is even a bit of old-school reggae jungle with Taxman (“Too Bad VIP”)… The only downfall I find in this collection is the
exclusive track by TC, “Electronic”, which, to put it plainly, I just don’t
like. There’s something about the “electronic” style that just remind me of
pouring water over a computer and watching it self destruct. There is no
particularly catchy grime bassline, anthem quality breaks and melodic
features that are found in the other tracks, but instead it’s been replaced
with disjointed keyboard stabs… Lid |
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Olafur Arnalds - Eulogy For Evolution ( Erased Tapes)When you think of Iceland you may not think classical music, but more than likely of Bjork and the Sugarcubes. However, here Olafur Arnalds delivers a set of haunting and most gorgeous sounds. Olafur hails from the Icelandic suburb town of Mosfellsbaer, not far from Reykjavik. I’ve never been to Iceland, but I should imagine that looking out across the cold glacial chill of the landscape this is a perfect backdrop. Swelling from the gentle to the very epic, growing in
shape and stature with every track, this is an essential listen. Opener 0040
(All the track titles have numbers) drifts like Sigur Ros, then becomes a
clear statement of intent. As a concept album this really does stand up, a
rare feat. Closer '3704/3837' even throws in a curve-ball in the form of
some hardcore guitar distortion. In his spare time Olafur plays guitar in
two very loud guitar bands, so for that audience this set should be
revelation. Put the cocoa on, close the blind and play this opus. You’ll be
thanked for it. John Kertland |
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Sara Berg-When I Was A Young Chid. (Gaymonkey)Co-produced with label mate Ebb this is an intriguing set of concept music. Apparently the music has evolved gradually over the last few years, and is greatly influenced by notions of dignity and integrity. Electronic textures dominate over the album, with the opener Last Time My Anger setting the scene in an ISAN/MUM style. Other highlights are the sensuous “This Can’t Be Desire” which draws lyrically on the idea of hedonism and excess being a gateway to immortality. “Not Alone” is an optimistic journey into Boards Of Canada territory almost, with words that promise a satisfactory closure to any (sad) affair. Sara spent her formative years singing and playing
guitar with her father. This musical grounding developed into a love of
eighties pop, with the Eurythmics and The Cure being particular favourites.
These influences are discernible across the album, passing like spectres
across the North Swedish hinterland where Sara grew up. Renowned also as a
style icon in her homeland, Sara obviously has the all round nous to appeal
in Scandinavia. It remains to be seen however if this talent gets the
recognition it deserves in the UK. An assured debut album indeed. John Kertland |
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Paul K - Soul Connection. (Basillica Music)This album is a sort of precursor to a book that will be written by the artiste. When I say “Will”, it will be based on the feedback
Paul K receives from listeners of this album. This may be in the form of
email or utterings or real letters, pen and ye-olde pencil style. Hey, but
stop right there oh cynical reader. The man is earnest and honest on this,
his debut release. His soundscapes inspire and are generally most pleasing
to this listener. A Calling To Prayer recalls prime-time Aphex, his more
downbeat moments of course. On other tracks some of the instrumentation jars
with an unexpected ferocity. Some of this album is not quite the electronic
noodle-fest that it promises at its outset. “Coming Home” jolts and asks
questions of the listener with some heavy guitar. All in all this is an
intriguing debut that comes recommended. Challenging and inventive, Paul K
has crafted a debut that deserves a deeper level examination. John Kertland |
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Vinny Peculiar - Goodbye My Angry Friend. (Pronoia)The first thing that strikes you about this album is
the title. We’ve all known an angry ex-pal yes? More often than not the kind
of person who is prone to shouting at the TV for no apparent reason, and
stealing milk off strangers door steps first thing in the morning. Well,
Vinny gets his vengeance in with style and panache on this, his 7th studio
release. Playing by his own rules indeed, the man Vinny reaches out and
releases a musical blend that is influenced by almost all from Pilot to
Grinderman. Ably backed live by ex members of both Happy Mondays and Oasis,
Vinny presents a world that I want to live in. Lyrically diverse and
musically varied, this album flies by in one sitting, a good sign indeed.
Highlights are Lazy Bohemians and the brilliantly tagged “Kiss Me I’m A
Social Worker”, where the man ruminates meaningfully on an alternate career
path. Some of the songs are deliberately low-fi (S.A.D), whilst “Batman”
reaches out and grabs three chords most resolutely. That difficult Seventh
album? Yes! And Vinny takes the prize. A treasured musical eccentric in a
sea of grey. |
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Dead Letter Office – ComplicationsNever has the title of an album been so apt, because Dead Letter Office’s debut album “Complications” comes with a few knots in its stomach, at once spellbinding with its often intricate and epic breadth, and then making you blink in disbelief at the sheer simplicity of its hooks and anthemic choruses. What makes it even more unbelievable is that, in a very short amount of time and from a young Midlands five-piece, should come this, a slow-burn classic in the making. Opening track “Follow Me Down” has the wandering bass line of a Pink Floyd song and it would be easy to think that would be the direction that the rest of the album continues in. But after the roaring, layered-guitar finale of “Pulling Teeth” and the eighties, Joy Division-feel of “Smokescreen”, you realize that there is no real Dead Letter Office sound (there is more emphasis here on the texture and feel of the music) and that you, the reader, would become quickly bored with a list of bands that this might sound like, and your reviewer would run out of space listing them! Instead, it would be much more
gratifying for us both to sit back and immerse ourselves in the glorious
“Bedsores” and it’s grandiose, ten-minute-plus journey through synthesized
landscapes strewn with wild, harried guitars and delicate, yearning vocals.
Or perhaps the unabashed-americana of “Poles Apart” or the radio-friendly
“Paper Aeroplane Pilots” will sate you before the star-of-the-piece, the
gently-building, tribal-drumming fury of “Prisoner”, an exhausting,
exhilarating thirteen minutes plus of wing-spreading, guitar-layering
delight. A joy from start to finish, purchasing this album really should be
the least complicated decision you make this year. Stuart Bowen |
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Saviours – Into Abaddon (Kemado)Let’s get something straight right from the off: Saviours are heavy as fuck. Formed in Oakland, CA in 2004, and sharing home turf with the likes of High on Fire and the legendary Neurosis, this blacker-than-black metal four-piece play the kind of excessively loud, crushingly heavy metal that would result if Lemmy had fronted Black Flag. Under the watchful eye of Joe Barresi (Tool, QOTSA, Melvins), and in between touring with Mastodon last year and High Of Fire this, Saviours unleash “Into Abaddon” and it’s seven tracks of doom-influenced, black-metal worshipping armageddon. And no, after all that, it’s not as bad as you were expecting! Unless you are a fan (as with any
genre of music), it is hard to see the joins or distinguish between, say,
“Narcotic Sea” or “Raging Embers”, as a blueprint has been laid down and
stuck to here – a kind of reaction to current heavy music that blows away
any pretentious bullshit, lets it’s hair get a bit frizzy and plays metal
how it was supposed to be played – fast, loud, heavy and for none but
themselves. And that really is the impression that you get listening to
this; these boys are fully aware of their roots, are aware of everything
that might be expected of them, but don’t give a rat’s ass about your
preconceptions and will throw your metal wish-list out of the hotel room
window and do it their way! Stuart Bowen |
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Various: Controversy - A Tribute to Prince (Rapster Records)This thirteen track compilation is a real mis-mash of all sorts of music.
Opening with rock-funk from D'Angelo and "She's Always In My Hair." With a
sound similar to Unklejam, who are shortly releasing their debut album, this
is a popular sound that's really coming back. It's not a chart-topping
track, but it's funky. Sheer funky. From there we dive into nostalgic
minimal trip hop from Stina Nordenstam, cheesey electro from Blue States,
latin vibes from Osunlade, and Europop from 7 Hurtz With Peaches. So much
going on, it's a real mix. Even Soulwax have made an appearance, despite the
fact it's the worst song of theirs I've ever heard. With only a couple of
exceptions, this compilation is generally of the feel-good vibe. It's upbeat
and funky, it's hip and happening, and if you're into that, then this is
really for you. A introduction to artists working in the genre, possibly up
and coming, we'll have to wait and see. It certainly has a very
'underground' feel to it though. Thom Curtis |
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St. Vitus Dance – Glypotheque (Probe Plus)St. Vitus Dance signed to Probe Plus in 1987, and although disbanding for
most of the 90s and the start of this millennium, they're back. Live and
kicking. Maybe it's a shame then, that they left their sound back in the
eighties. Okay maybe that's a little unfair. In comparison to what's
floating around in the current music scene, it's tame. A bit too tame. I'm
seems pretty weak and although the song-writing ability is there, it lacks
something in its execution. A lot of the songs sound the same, and given
that none of them seem to get anywhere, it all makes for a fairly
disappointing and dull listen, which takes up best part of an hour. The
songs comprise of monotonous wavering vocals over simple undertones of your
usual guitar/bass combo, and the quietest drums ever encountered. The beats
aren't distinct or exciting enough, and there also seems to be a lack of
riff missing. Virtually everything comprises of chord sequences and it's
hard to find anything memorable to tap along to for the rest of the day. Thom Curtis |
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Funkstorung - Appendix (!K7)It’s rare that musicians have the humility or tenacity to realise when it’s time to quit. Chris de Luca and Michael Fakesch (aka Funkstorung) spent ten years in the production business, remixing artists as diverse as Bjork, Wu Tang Clan and Jean Michel Jarre before deciding to close their career with this album, Appendix. The trademark broken beats and industrial squelches are in evidence from the start, with a trip-hop influenced remix of Spacek’s 1st Stroke. Barry Adamson’s Whispering Streets is transformed into funky futurist hip-hop that’s dying for the dance floor. Bjork’s All Is Full Of Love is revisted a second time, her ghostly vocals given a particularly harsh treatment by a barrage of metallic beats over a haunting organ line. It feels like the exact midpoint between Boards of Canada’s melodic math-electronica and Squarepusher’s head-mashing sonic dramas. It’s hard to say what Funkstorung have done with Lamb’s Heaven, but the sound is enveloping, rich, and genuinely intoxicating; it’s the aural equivalent of chocolate pudding. The mix of Sustain by Lusine ICL is perhaps a step too far. The beats are so fast they sound like they’re tripping over themselves, and as a result the track is practically unlistenable. Thankfully they hit their stride again with the Raveonettes Love In A Trashcan. Anyone who could transform the output of these musically inept art school dullards into anything worth listening to should be given some kind of medal, and this mix succeeds spectacularly by deconstructing the bassline and laying the vocals over a completely new rhythm track. Elsewhere the remix of Enik’s No Fire sounds like the Chemical Brothers at their best, while Phon.o’s Trick Or Treat is made equally club friendly. Timbaland, the Neptunes and Simian
Mobile Disco have all learned from the great Funkstorung, and this album
forms a worthy closing chapter to their story. Chris Moffatt |
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Nada Surf - Lucky (City Slang)Nada Surf are one of those bands that seem to have been around for ever, but never quite hit the big time. Certainly in the UK they’ve always been rather underrated. Granted, the band aren’t going to reinvent the wheel. There’s nothing radical here, but what they do, they do very well. Opener See These Bones is a well-constructed slice of sing-along Americana. If Feeder had been born in New York rather than Newport, they’d sound exactly like this. Whose Authority and Beautiful Beat bounce along in much the same vein. Here Goes Something is reminiscent of Eels; a short but sweet concoction of double-tracked vocals and West-coast harmonies. Are You Lightning is a country-tinged tune which drifts along rather nicely. Again, nothing out of the ordinary, but it’s almost impossible to dislike. I Like What You Say was used in the film John Tucker Must Die and was the right choice as first single from the album. It’s great radio fodder, with a sunshine chorus the Boo Radleys would be proud of. The Fox is as avant-garde as Nada Surf are ever going to get with its staccato rhythm and vaguely threatening reverberating guitar. Ideal incidental music to accompany a suspicious death on The OC. In summary, the only unexpected
feature of this album is the fact it hasn’t been recorded under the Ronseal
label. No alarms and no surprises, then, but the world of Nada Surf remains
a pleasant place to be. Chris Moffatt |
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The Fake Exterior – Bad Movie…Great Soundtrack (unsigned)Rarely these days does a band defy placing in a particular genre, but Cambridge’s The Fake Exterior are tricky buggers to pin down. Formed in 2006 from the ashes of former lead singer Chris’s old band Kubrick, "Bad Movie…Great Soundtrack" is a real mixed bag of radio-friendly punk-pop, twisted heavy-metal riffs and some of the best drumming you’ll here all year from Italian tub-thumper Markuz (seriously, up your game Lars!). But whether, as with other genre-defying works, it actually melds to a listenable whole is still, after numerous listens, unclear. The main issues are with Chris’s vocals, which are anything but a break from the norm. The faux-American delivery starts to grate after two or three tracks and it is hardly new ground, thanks to Lostprophets et al. When he does let go, like on the chugging title track, the result is less whiny and infinitely better. One of the biggest pitfalls of consciously (or subconsciously) trying to be something different in a saturated market is that the end product does not gel, and I’m afraid that The Fake Exterior have too many influences that they want to share with us to keep our interest up and our fingers off the skip button. Examples of this come early and run the length of this self-funded debut, from the beautiful strings on instrumental opener “Intro”, the punky “Suffer in Lies”, the synth and stop-start, Guitar-Hero flourishes of “Deleted Scene”, through to the eighties-tinged, cheesy-rawk guitars of “Obvious Mistake” and “Without a Shadow of Doubt”, that are only missing a video where the band are backlit in a smoky alley and they’d be in John Parr or Kenny Loggins territory! Different yes, dangerous definitely! It is only fair to say that, what with the changes of direction and tempo coming thick and fast, there is at least something here for everyone, with “Shackles” standing out as high point for this reviewer, with its warped story building to a fierce ending with more of that powerhouse drumming, which is a welcome constant throughout the fourteen tracks. It’s a shame that the album title
overshadows the actual songs as the biggest conversation piece, prompting a
heated debate amongst friends and colleagues about possible movies they
could have been referring to! If this album were a movie though, it would
be Gone with the Wind, St Elmo’s Fire and Saw, crudely edited into an hour
long feature! Maybe The Fake Exterior have made their own genre, but on
this evidence it may just be too fractured to really catch on. Stuart Bowen |
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Merz - Moi et Mon CamionOk, go with me on this one... Magic Realism that’s something you don’t hear in music much nowadays, is it? Merz may well get tagged along with the endless twee folk that seems to come flowing out of Britain at present... but wait. Let me try and convince you otherwise. Firstly let’s talk magic realism. Merz’s lyrics seem entirely based in the real world. In fact, the album was written while he moved from house to house which really grounds it in a kind of mundanity that, in the hands of another, would have us reaching for the eject button fairly soon. However, wherever Merz is describing it is more than an English rural village. His stories move from a seemingly dull idea like dropping your mobile phone to that mobile phone then projecting all the information it holds out into the sky where it takes on a life of its own. The music too is paradoxical. First you’re listening to a folk album but not for long. There’s a point when Flash Gordon-esque synths burst in and, please believe me, it works. The album, his first since 1999, moves like a series of dreams or dreamlike states, each song offering a new glimpse into another world. Yes it’s slow, yes it’s not exactly going to start a revolution but Merz has created an album that sounds like an album, with songs that build upon each other rather than sound like each other. Whatever your opinion of Mr Merz you’ve got to admit one thing, if its between him a (cough cough) James Blunt on heavy rotation on every radio station in the land then I’m sure we’d all take Merz. Not just because Blunt is the anti-christ sent up from hell itself to force everyone to reject hope, thus embracing life without joy in a world bereft of inspiration. No. Even if you’re not particularly interesting in what he has to offer, the least you can do it pray that Merz replaces Blunt and all those other scumbags who do little more than pray on the naivety of teenaged girls and middle aged men to sell their substandard ‘love’ songs (Question: How can they be love songs if they make me want to kill?). So here’s my idea. We, good readers of Tasty Fanzine, petition the BBC to remove Blunt from their radio stations and television shows and replace him with Merz. Imagine it, you’ll never have to hear ‘yow beooutifuw’ ever, ever, ever again, replaced by a man of talent and creativity. Please email
merznotblunt@gmail.com and demand the Beeb stop the rot. It’s a start
towards a better Britain.
And also... buy the album. Sean Gregson |
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The Black Lips – “Good Bad, Not Evil”With a reputation for chaotic live appearances and deviant behaviour (pissing, puking, nudity…Keane they most certainly are not), newcomers to the twisted world of The Black Lips might expect their fifth album to be so shambolic as to make The Replacements look professional by comparison, or The Libertines sound like Led Zeppelin. Well, snot-nosed punks they may be, but the B’Lips not only have a surprising number of decent tunes but also a healthy doses of versatility to go with them. Sure, this might be the most treble-heavy (for want of a better phrase) record in recent memory (was the bassist even plugged in?) but in just over half an hour it manages to flirt with doo-wop, psychedelia, blues, country and punk, sometimes within a single song. Check out that eerie organ that drifts in and out of surf-rocker “I Saw a Ghost”, for example. Then there’s the way that the B’Lips manage to evoke the past so directly whilst still maintaining an identity all their own. The insanely catchy “Veni Vidi Vici” most strongly references The 13th Floor Elevators, while “How Do You Tell a Child That Someone Has Died?” is the bastard child of The Stones’ “Dear Doctor” and The Flying Burrito Brothers’ “Further Along”. The song itself concerns the death of a former band-mate in a road accident, and then there’s “O, Katrina” which concerns itself with the New Orleans disaster…see, they’re not as insensitive as you might think. Still need some convincing? Then try
and imagine Johnny Cash’s Live at San Quentin relocated to a garage in
Atlanta, Georgia. Yes, it really is that good. Will Columbine |
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The High Wire – Ahead Of The RainThis bunch have already performed at Glastonbury, but then again I was there a few years ago and remembered being as entertained by a bollock-naked mud-caked hippy bloke having a public whiteout next to a communal blind-date wedding as I was by Interpol, so let’s leave the plaudits until the end and go straight for the jugular, as it were. Air. We all need it, but only when it applies to the stuff you breathe, not necessarily the enigmatic Frenchmen with a decent line in equally quizzical videos. Unfortunately, I found it difficult to differentiate The High Wire’s act from that particular duo’s output since they are essentially the same thing observed from different precepts. Coming back from the world of the strange for a moment, I must admit there are high points to this debut, namely first single ‘Saint Bees’, which is about as Massive Attack heavy as The High Wire get and compared to the rest of the songs it’s as malevolent as ‘Frankie Teardrop’ by Suicide. The rest potters along like it’s soundtracking a documentary about depressed puffins off the coast of Devon and while it’s inoffensive, it’s just an album about nothing. There are obvious comparisons to be made with Icelandic
legends Sigur Ros (who’ve been top of the hit parade over there for
seventy-one years) as well but both of those groups had a certain something
which is definitely lacking. I’m tempted to make a circus-style pun on The
High Wire’s name as an ironic closer but there’s not much point for
something so easily forgotten as this. Chris Stanley |
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Various: Stay In the Box – A Selection of New ‘Indiependent Soundz’This is a super mix album jam packed with real gems!
But as well as some real crackers there are some truly awful songs. From
indie to alternative electro and most things in between, this album covers
most music needs! It's is a great idea as it really gives the ‘little bands’
the chance to get signed up. It’s an album that is definitely worth buying
as over half of the 40 tracks are real crackers - after one listen you will
be straight on Myspace looking for more music from some of these bands. The
album is also a great showcase for the foreign bands such as the Mexican
group, and also includes artists from the US and bands from countries around
Europe. If you are one of those people that loves to hear all the latest
bands before anyone else then this is definitely the album for you! Lewis Carter |
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James Severy - 18 Minutes At the Circus CircusThe songs on this album sampler flit between reference
points as diverse as Radiohead's 'Pyramid Song', Dizzee Rascal and
perversely enough, Chaz and Dave to create something uniquely British and
urban ('urban' as in 'urban redevelopment scheme' as opposed to the 1Xtra
sense although one of the best things about these songs is how comfortable
he seems to be with the breakbeats and electro elements of the songs.
Usually, if you give a folk singer a drum machine ). This is the sound of
dreary overcast streets and weary commuters with James presiding over
proceedings like some chronically depressed music hall compere. Deeply,
oddly wonderful. Andy Glynn |
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Laura Marling – Alas I Cannot Swim (Virgin)So far in 2008, the sisters, as they say, are doing it for themselves. The girls are truly back on top, sweeping aside men’s feeble efforts at making music, and showing them how it’s done properly. Laura Marling is one such sister. Her simple, stark arrangements, contrasted with her classic folk voice make for an album that will cocoon you in a world without screaming, shouting, bleeping or much electricity at all really. With a similar ‘olde worlde’ charm as Fionn Regan and Kimya Dawson, Laura Marling is a far removed from pretension as is possible, and Alas I Cannot Swim is music for music’s sake – it’s made because it has to be, not because there were deadlines and sales units involved. My Manic and I fuses traditional folk melody with the more modern subject of mental illness. The simple tune builds up with the addition of drums and piano giving a sense of urgency that matches the lyrics perfectly. Marling’s anecdotal style has the ability to amuse (The Captain and the Hourglass), or cut like a knife (Night Terror). Strip away all the fancy ideas and strange noises and
this is that you’re left with – the brown bread – simple and proper. The
instructions are pretty simple too – listen and enjoy. Catriona Boyle |
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Billy Bragg – Mr Love and Justice (BMG)It is with some apprehension that I approach Billy Bragg’s latest offering. Being only 21, I feel his hey day may have passed me by. Therefore I’m fairly under-qualified to comment on whether this is a return to former glory or a some what self-indulgent collection of songs. I’m tempted to go with the latter, but perhaps he was never all that good. Mr Love and Justice is fairly inoffensive in a vanilla ice cream sort of way. I Almost Killed You has a touch of the Morrisseys about the vocals and sounds like the accompaniment is done by a troop of Irish dancers, which seems to work quite well. Sing Their Souls Back Home flirts with the idea of being a proper protest song, but then slips into complacency with general lyrics that could be talking about anything. Something Happened injects a bit of life into the proceedings with guitars that are plugged in for once, some great riffs and a rather glorious guitar solo. Clearly Mr Bragg does still have a bit of fire in his belly. The title track has a slightly gospel feel about it, combined with a hint of Motown. Whilst it’s hardly the soundtrack to an anti war march it does make a damn good listen. Mr Love and Justice, according to this slightly under
qualified reviewer, is a fairly satisfactory album. Somewhat placid, but
with a glimpse of passion here and there. But perhaps I’m missing the point
completely. Answers on a postcard.
Catriona Boyle |
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Jason Soudah – Six Hours (Donymar)Remember when men were men and sang about manly things like beer and called guitars axes? Jason Soudah doesn’t. He just makes drippy piano ballads with even drippier lyrics. Despite looking all smiley and relaxed on the cover, Jason Soudah seems to be having a tough time of it. He’s getting all soggy in the summer rain (Dive With Me), he can’t sleep by himself (Six Hours), he’s wallowing (Wallowing), and he’s so lonely he has to write two songs about it (Roses and Breaking). Someone buy the man a bar of chocolate. These tracks are like a plain bagel – stodgy and boring. Fans of The Feeling and The Fray (although I don’t
there’s many out there in Tastyland) sit up and take note- you will think
Jason Soudah is the best thing since man size tissues. The rest of the world
– ignore him and maybe he’ll go away.
Catriona Boyle |
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Andy Juhl – A Simple Life On Land (independent)Andy Juhl writes, plays and sings pretty folk songs. He starts with some
decent banjo or guitar picking and liberally sprinkles with gentle, boyish
vocals which recall Ben Folds on the highest of the high notes. Frequently,
a fumbling harmonica is stirred into the lo-fi mix - always playing the same
three notes, regardless of the song - and a set of bongos patter away in the
background trying to bring some sanity to the awkward time signatures that
threaten to derail every other song. Nothing really goes anywhere, apart
from "The Winter Park Quality Inn" which builds quite nicely to a catchy
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Karmic Whiplash – The Nervous System (City Duck Records)Coming over like a young and shouty Billy Bragg running through The Jam's
back catalogue on acoustic guitar, The Nervous System is an attempt by
Minneapolis duo Brendan Themes and Travis Lund to bridge the rather
disparate worlds of punk and folk. Chris McCague |
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Strix Vega – Drunken Sky (independent)Next time you plan to end up lying on your back on a summer's evening, a
little tiddly, watching the stars twinkle and roll through your hazy vision,
plan to have Strix Vega's new album with you. After about a minute of second
track "Tides" has passed, the album title makes perfect sense. The guitar
playing is woozy and loose, with just the right amount of bluesy
embellishment. The lyrics are delivered in a soulful drawl by frontman Colin
Begell who you just know has his eyes closed and his lips pressed close to
the microphone grille, lost in the moment. Chris McCague |
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The Mae Shi - ‘HLLYH’ (Moshi Moshi)The unpronounceable ‘HLLYH’ is the fourth album to be released from LA- based nut jobs, The Mae Shi. Former vocalist Ezra Buchla has departed from the band and in his boots steps Jonathan Gray, however the group found they worked best without a frontman proving that the ecstatic harmonies and chanting on ‘HLLYH’ reveal a band with no divisions: four lead singers, four songwriters and four multi-instrumentalists. Adrenaline runs furiously through the veins of each song commencing with ‘Lamb and the Lion’ whereby hellish collective yells challenge and sometimes overcome ferocious and unruly guitars. This is echoed in ‘PWND’ when the band chant “do it fast/make it hurt”. ‘Melody’ glances to an ever expanding world of Nintendo looping casinos and compressed guitars, while ‘Run to your Grave’ see’s the bands indie influences shine through as lighter drums and less obvious guitars produce an uplifting and hilarious song about grave robbing, with some good old fashioned handclaps thrown in for good measure. As soon as you think you’ve worked the whole thing out ‘Kingdom Come’ flings you head first into an 11 minute raving mega mix of every song on the album. In keeping with their MADCAP mentality this is chucked straight into the middle of the album. While this shows a band that doesn’t just think outside the box they shit on it, it does indeed strike the listener as odd, but refreshing none the less. Throughout the album there isn’t really a typical
sound. Their daring mash up of genres is captivating as its clear The Mai
Shi draw on influences right across the board, from Les Savy Fav and Liars
to The polyphonic Spree and The Flaming Lips. But be warned, once you’ve
listened to the album you might want to give it a rest for a bit as the
vocals can at times grate and the constant genre hoping can cause the
listener to lose their bearings every now and then. Overall though ‘HLLYH’
is a highly energized effort from a band who’s not afraid to push the
boundaries. Amie Kimpton |
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OneDayLife – Heroes, Hoods and Headphones (Frontierless Records)My mother always told me be careful who you love, don’t go around breaking young girls’ hearts. Actually, she didn’t say that – what she said was “Go forth young man, and find your voice”. Alright, she didn’t say that either but she should have because it is good advice. And that, by a circuitous and largely fabricated route, is what OneDayLife need to do. Every song on this album is totally derivative and forgettable, nothing stands out at all. It’s all Americanised radio-ready teeny drivel - no edge, no spark and no originality. The vocals are limited at best, the guitar is unimaginative, and the drums are not nearly loud enough. There is not a cover version in sight, but every song might as well be. In a genre that is repetitive and limiting by nature you have to have something special to succeed. Blink 182 have an amazing drummer, distinctive vocals and an engaging sense of humour for example. OneDayLife have nothing to mark them out. The one redeeming quality they have is youth and
therefore the chance to develop. Heaven knows they need to. Richard Ash |
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Tom Middleton - Renaissance 3DSplit into three CDs, (hence the 3D moniker) this collection is designed to showcase the musical influences of the chosen DJ / Producer along the lines of what they produce, listen to at home and spin in a nightclub. Starting with the obvious bread-and-butter ‘club’ CD, Tom Middleton lays down track-upon-track of quality four-to-the-floor house. Straight up, no-genre muddling, decent dance music. The mix is fairly epic, coming in at over an hour and about twenty-odd tracks, and despite being devoid of standout moments, is an enjoyable sojourn nonetheless. The ‘home’ disc is much more hit and miss. The selection winds down from the opening tech-house to a swirling dubby standstill, thus mimicking post-club activities in a condensed 50 minute offering. However, slipping from the virtuoso sonic indulgence that is Orbital’s ‘Halcyon’ to sludgy rnb and meaningless chill out it’s a challenging listen at best. Things are redeemed though with the
‘studio’ disc, which introduces the listener to Middleton’s talent for
producing extremely long, incredibly detailed, highly listenable electronic
music. Every track is an exclusive and it bodes well for an album of similar
material. Standing side-by-side with the DJ offerings, all signs seem to
point toward the studio for Tom Middleton’s future. Ian Anderson |
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Dawn Kinnard - The Courtesy FallAs the piano arpeggios descend upon my ears, I’m immediately inclined to say Coldplay, Damien Rice or Keane with a female singer. But, yet, I think ‘The Courtesy Fall’ is more subtly endowed. As the album bumbles along, Dawn’s voice becomes more haunting, singing about freedom, insomnia and paranoia, with definite Dusty Springfield influences and tasteful electronic input to complement the strong acoustic base of the album. With standout songs: ‘Island’ for exuding summer vibes in these dark winter months, ‘You’re My Kite’ for its vocal and instrumental arrangements and ‘Clear the Way’ for the interweaving of uplifting male vocal harmonies; the song writing demands recognition for its melodic quality as does the spotless production and Dawn’s husky and beauty-burdened singing. It almost transports you to another world of sonic resonances where all your troubles could be drowned away with a glass of whisky in a heartbreak hotel: this album invites you to explore a lifestyle of a very different kind. By the end of the album, I began to itch for a song to
break the ever-so-mellow monotony, and, to my surprise, it came, in the form
of ‘White Walls’. The ending instrumental concludes with electronic organ
rising and falling amongst a rocky drumbeat, complete with further peculiar
whirring sounds and vocal humming. The oddity of it is brilliant! It hit the
aural spot; Dawn knows what she’s doing. We’ve had our fair share of
singer-songwriters in recent musical times, but even in my cynicism I cannot
resist using the word (I’m reluctant to say something so slushy as)
“beautiful”, but I can’t think of a better way to describe Dawn’s sunny-hazy
vocal tones and the magnificent eccentricity of the album’s finish. Jenny Williams |
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Reel People - Seven Ways to WonderThe musical talent of this band cannot be denied. With such immaculate soulful singing and tight musical arrangements, it’s sickening really. Their new album, ‘Seven Ways to Wonder’ is a happy nostalgic blend of 70s boogie, classic 80s soul and 90s electronic sounds. From band founder, Oli Lazarus’s humble beginnings as a record shop manager specialising in soulful dance music, Reel People have come a long way. Shaking off some of the dance grooves in their previous album ‘Second Guess’, in favour electronic bliss, in songs such the ‘Perfect Sky’, this soul outfit certainly shows off the versatility of its genre. Reel People never fail to deliver some soul dance classics: ‘Ordinary Man’ stands out on this album. The electronic riff is infectious. With guest vocalists, such as Tony Momrelle from Incognito, Vanessa Freeman, a prominent ‘Nu-Soul’ singer and Darien, from Mount Vernon in New York, who warms the cockles of your heart with his Stevie / Marvin Gaye-tinged vocals, this album has simple soul quality. Yet, the quality of the production is so glossy, in our current era, it’s difficult not to desire some grit. Reminiscent of soul performances by the likes of Maze
and Rufus, Reel People hark back to a golden age of soul. Ok, so it’s
enjoyable and non-offensive but then maybe this band is redundant: we have
the original “soulsters” in our musical history. Even their band name
suggests an ironic dismissal of authenticity in favour of imitation. Indeed,
keep it ‘reel’. Jenny Williams |
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