I should love this. Why then, do I feel that it is missing a
little heart? A great triumphant guitar fanfare performed with
bombast and expertly produced, it should tick all the requisite
boxes. I can’t help but think it is missing a little something
though. It does feel a little lifeless, by the numbers. And the
re-make of ‘I’m In Awe, Amadeus!’ unfortunately exacerbates this.
Bands shouldn’t be falling back on older material so early in
their career. An ever so slightly disappointed 6/10 www.myspace.com/maybeshewill
RM
We
Are Augustines – Chapel Song
Brooklyn is the centre of the world of music at the moment. The
duo We Are Augustines are part of that world, and their “Chapel
Song” gives you a hint why. Starting with menacing minimal guitars
this song about lost love combines both, the cool, desperate voice
of Billy McCarthy and a warm, but dreary atmosphere, reminding
you of the shallows of The National. Produced by Broken Social
Scene’s Dave Newfeld, a brass fanfare gives the song the necessary
pop appeal between despair and hope. That’s what I want to hear,
that’s why I’m in love with the Brooklyn scene at the moment!
Wolfgang Günther
Feldberg
– Don’t Be A Stranger (Small Town America)
The Icelandic duo Feldberg exhibits the perfect synthesis of
modern pop. Rósa Birgitta Ísfeld’s voice and Einar
Tönsberg’s instrumental soundscape merge twee-pop lightness
with a range of avant-garde sounds between folk-pop and electro.
It’s like the cool song Emilia Torrini has never made, or the
pop song Björk did not want to throw at the masses.
Wolfgang Günther
Jake
Morley – Feet Don’t Fail Me Now/ Freddie
Laid the Smackdown (Sandwich Emporium)
A combination of gospel style harmonies and acoustic guitar played
on Morley’s lap does not sound that enticing but by George it
seems to work in ‘Feet Don’t Fail Me Now’.
Second single ‘Freddie Laid the Smackdown’ sees Morley deploy
his rapid vocal quips over a more mainstream folky track and subsequently
lacks a touch of originality but it’s still a decent listen. 7/10 www.jakemorley.com
SB
Rosey
Doonan – Lay Your Love (Silvertop)
Bless her – young Rosey’s
music is very pretty with its lilting finger picked acoustic guitar
and her dulcet yet youthful vocal tones. It’s like the water twinkling
in the sunlight of a spring brook, even though it’s a break up
song. It doesn’t make we want to like it lots and lots but it
does please me. 7/10 www.rosiedoonan.com
SB
Attack!
Attack! – Blood on My Hands (Hassle)
Oh my word this is dullsville.
The dull intro leads into a dull pre-chorus and some power chord
assisted who-oh-ohs for a climax. All accompanied by a very commercially
acceptable pristine level of production and an endorsement for
some whitening toothpaste no doubt. It’s throwaway power pop,
nothing more, nothing less. 5/10
SB
Rockburn
– Runnin’ Wild
Noddy Holder in desperate need of sucking on some
Mentholyptus while fronting a Midwest rock n roll band, probably
featured in Roadhouse (I’ve gone Roadhouse crazy this month, I
know). Rockburn have apparently been on ‘top US show’ Burn Notice
(no, I’ve never heard of it either) and they have another one
of their songs ‘Night on Fire’ played by Celtic at home games.
Rockburn may well have ‘made it’ then. Good luck to them. 5/10 www.myspace.com/rockburn06
SB
Innerpartysystem
– American Trash (Red Bull)
This is absolutely nothing like what
I was expecting. ‘American Trash’ comes across all Benni Benassi
with bumping sub bass and warpy synths. Add a touch of Chemical
Brothers for catchiness, a spot of Sheep on Drugs for general
discord and subversion and you’ve got me sold. Loads of remixes
to go at too. 8/10 www.innerpartysystem.com
SB
The
Pierces – You’ll Be Mine EP (Polydor)
What a difference a day
makes – it’s certainly long enough for me to lose the press release
which I definitely had to hand when I first listened to this last
night. But I do remember snippets of information such as The Pierces
are sisters (unsurprisingly) and both trained as ballet dancers
(more surprising). Accordingly enough, the sibling vocals work
together nicely but at what point does this start sounding like
something substantially interesting and not just like Katie Perry
unplugged? Well, probably half way through the second track ‘Piece
of You’ I’d have said but it still sounds unashamedly ‘accessible’.
Jury’s still out I’m afraid. 6/10 www.thepiercesmusic.com
SB
Claire
Nicolson and Yellowhammer
– You and I (Canned Records)
You’ve got wonder which order things happened in when you learn
that the song you are about to review has already featured on
a TV advert for soap powder. In this case I’m willing to forgive
as Nicolson’s swirling Dusty Springfieldisms are perfectly accompanied
by Yellowhammers lounge pop production. 7/10 www.clairenicolson.com
SB
The
Quails – Games with the Devil (Like the
Sound)
The Quails sound
like a ready-made indie pop supergroup – catchy riffs, clean cut
and on this track their performance is tight as gnat’s chuff.
I’m still left feeling that they may have missed their moment
- there’s more than an air of Hot Fuss era Killers about this
- but here’s to hoping that The Quails can prove me wrong. 7/10 www.thequails.co.uk
SB
Howard
James Kenny – Insects (Hushed)
Like a twisted choir boy, Kenny
builds layers of finger picked guitars and vocal parts with a
feather light touch, like a male version of Juana Molina. This
song fails to explode into the dramatic finale which I was half
expecting but it’s pretty enough all the same. 6/10 http://howardjameskenny.blogspot.com
SB
The
Low Behold – Signs EP (Sudden Hush)
There’s a rich depth to the synths here which promises a great
deal from ‘Signs’ by The Low Behold. And sure enough the song
swirls around in a kind of somnambulistic haze, steeped in 80’s
synth pop sensibilities and cinematic atmospheres. But it doesn’t
really go anywhere – like a not too unpleasant dream but one which
you can’t escape from nonetheless.
The pop factor is upped with ‘English as a Foreign Language’
but I get the feeling that vocalist Lisa Lorenz just has one of
those moody voices which are great as backing but might lack a
bit of liveliness to really inspire. It’s all highly polished
but more of an exercise in slick production rather than evoking
any kind of emotive feelings. 7/10 www.thelowbehold.com
SB
James
Blake – The Wilhelm Scream (Atlas/A&M)
Who am I to disagree
with the BBC sound poll when they say that James Blake is number
2 (that’s a poo isn’t it?). But oddly enough I saw this track
performed on TV earlier today and thought it sounded like a depressed
Annie Lennox performed ‘No More I Love You’ on board a nuclear
submarine. The samples just seemed a bit too contrived and regardless
of Blake’s impressive voice, this song is just a bit of a dud.
5/10
SB
The
View – Grace (1965)
It appears that The View have been hijacked
by Meatloaf and he is dead keen to re-release ‘Dead Ringer for
Love’ via the medium of summer festival and radio friendly indie
pop. That will teach them for daily bombarding my inbox with details
of their latest live performances. 5/10 www.theviewareonfire.com
SB
Goodluck
Jonathan – This is Our Way Out
EP3 (Something Nothing)
My mistake – turns out I was a bit quick off the mark to dismiss
this EP as already reviewed. It just turns out that Goodluck Jonathan
decided to release three consecutive EPs with the same name, save
adding 1, 2 and 3 to the end. Fortunately the disc was reclaimed
before being recycled into a plant pot/nuclear waste etc by the
local authority and normal service is resumed here.
All of which is good news as this is a great little EP, bristling
with choppy mathy hooks, fizzling with glitchy samples and held
together admirably by a tidy and heartfelt string of vocals. ‘EP3’
packs in fuzz, garage, glitch, breakbeat and math rock all without
sounding the slightest bit contrived. And that’s some skill indeed
to mould all of those influences and styles into one coherent
sound. Hell, they even sound like James Yorkston at one point
in the title track. Hats off to Goodluck Jonathan. 8/10 www.myspace.com/goodluckjonathanofficial
SB
Josh
Bray – Rise (Newtide)
Very much washing up on the whole 70’s
country/new folk phenomenon wave, Josh Bray’s ‘Rise’ is not exactly
setting the world alight but it’s good wholesome stuff very much
in the Damien Rice style. Arguably far more interesting and arresting
is the stripped down blues of ‘India Gin’ which is nothing short
of superb. 8/10 www.joshbray.co.uk
SB
Knock
Out Kaine – Kandykaine EP
The press release accompanying this
EP is far more descriptive than I could ever manage myself. It
describes the sound of KOK (sic) as ‘fingerless leather-gloved
fistful of steroidal man-ballads and back-combed sleaze anthems’.
Brilliant. In fairness they are certainly good competition for
the likes of G’n’R and Motley Crue and with the added advantage
that neither of those bands can get onstage without a zimmer frame
anymore, maybe the time is ripe for the onset of Knock Out Kaine.
6/10 www.knockoutkaine.com
SB
South
Central – The Day I Die (Egregore)
South Central’s last release,
‘Demons’ was, aptly enough, a total beast. With ‘The Day I Die’
they tone down the techno behemoth within and crossover into a
more radio friendly sound here. But it still includes South Central’s
killer bass calling card and some saw tooth synth sounds. Remixes
by the Prodigy and Quemists can only help to ensure that South
Central’s stock rises even further. 8/10 www.myspace.com/southcentralmusic
SB
Syd
Matters – River Sister (Because)
It’s very difficult to describe
the sound of ‘River Sister’ – it’s something quite magical and
fantastic. The Parisian 5-piece of Syd Matters seem to merge the
sound of Beck with their own Gallic kaleidoscope of influences.
7/10
SB
Teenage
Bad Girl – Keep Up With You (Citizen)
Can no-one in France sing? I know they can speak with a normal
voice, I’ve been there. But does every French dance track have
to feature a vocoder to mask their otherwise unearthly patois?
I digress, ‘Keep Up With You’ marries a number of styles quite
appealingly. There’s a funky vibe, a soulful spin and an undoubtedly
French slant on things here before things really ignite with a
Prince style guitar solo. It’s so cheesey it’s cool – we can always
say that when the French do it, not sure I would be so charitable
if this were a duo from Dudley. There’s a bunch of remixes here
as well. Frankly I couldn’t be arsed listening to them all (hell,
Louis La Roche couldn’t even make up his mind which was the best
so he just did two different mixes). But I did give the Houratron
version a spin because I like his Scandic hardcore nuttiness and
I wasn’t disappointed. It’s damn near unrecognisable, sounding
like some kind of accident in a sheet metal working factory. Tops.
7/10 www.teenagebadgirl.fr
SB
Urban
Myth Club – Fragile (TRL)
Despite my one-man crusade against
pointless indoor hat wearing (it started with Jamiroquai and I
never really got over it) I am not totally against this track
by be-hatted Urban Myth Club. It’s kind of Ibiza chill out but
without any massive pretensions or grandeur. Maybe a little bit
warbly and unfocussed as a result but very pleasant listening
of an unseasonably warm March evening. Probably would have been
better had no hats been involved in its making though. 7/10 www.urbanmythclub.com
SB
Bare
Wires – Don’t Ever Change (Robot Elephant)
I’m not quite sure
I’m ready for a glam revival just yet and as ‘Don’t Ever Change’
sounds like T-rex doing a cover version of ‘I’d Like to Teach
the World to Sing’, Bare wires will not be scoring highly. While
the stripped back 3-piece sound might suit some people, to me
it just feels incredibly wooden, like Bare Wires really struggle
with anything a bit more complex than a leaden power chord pattern.
5/10 www.myspace.com/thebarewires
SB
Liam
Bailey – You Better Leave Me (Polydor)
Clearly a comrade of the
whole Winehouse/Ronson axis of British soul musical banality,
Liam Bailey trots out his spiel over the sound of a rusty stringed
Rickenbacher or two and the usual orchestral accompaniments. Heavy
reverb adds an interesting layered effect to some of his vocals
but otherwise surely it’s not just me that is growing tired of
this whole modern British new soul sound? 6/10 www.liambaileymusic.co.uk
SB
Will
Jeffrey – The Day Off EP
It may be that the biggest draws to
Will Jeffrey are also his biggest downfalls. His rasping, Marlboro
tainted voice is instantly warm and endearing, as is his thrumming,
softly played guitar style (like a tranquilised Jonny Cash). Song
writing styles vary from modern British folk to old school blues.
But just as soon as you find yourself warmly approving Jeffrey’s
gentle style, you find yourself drifting off. It’s very mellow
but not quite engaging enough for me. 6/10 www.myspace.com/willjeffrey
SB
Lotte
Mullan – Would You Be So Kind (Raindog)
Regardless of how well sung, this song is just plain dull. Lotte
has apparently been around the block in the music business, radio
plugging, tour managing, label-runing etc. If she wantsto get
really noticed then it’s going to take something a bit more engaging
than this I think. 5/10
SB
Wild
Beasts – Albatross
This is one of the lead singles from Wild Beasts' upcoming third
album “Smother” - and I confess this is potentially my first exposure
to the Kendal four-piece. They've been on the scene for a few
years (as a third album might suggest) but I have either managed
to avoid them or not liked what I did hear and forgot. Either
way, clean slate.
The song opens with a gentle drum rhythm, plucky acoustic guitar-esque
sounds and some sort of synth brass bass – it's a really nice
little segment. Very chilled, well-worked and harmonised, and
if anything I'd like to hear it repeat for a few more bars before
the song continues. It isn't long at all before Hayden Thorpe's
vocals begin, a stunning counter-tenor melody that works effortlessly
with the established tracks. Then the song quickly moves into
the chorus – which adds pianos, further guitars, and strings.
This then pitters out into a piano semi-outro, whereabouts the
song reverses – as a second chorus immediately follows, succeeded
by the two-line verse, and that's it. It certainly feels shorter
than the 3:13 it claims to be, and in that short time whilst it
does repeat the same couple of sections, it is also somewhat stunning.
Now, as most places seem to refer to these guys as indie rock,
I'm going to hazard a guess that this isn't their usual avenue
of sound. But this is a gorgeous springtime tune to warm up your
down-time. Check it out. 8/10
Thom Curtis
Moon
Duo - Mazes (Souterrain)
Summer is here (its 68% humidity!) and so is the new wave of
feel good guitars and camp-as-you-like synths. Not forgetting
a little dash of softly distant vocals layered upon the track
like loose cotton on your back during a hot July day. Touching
upon the psychedelic in places, especially with a blisteringly
good guitar solo, but Moon Duo still retain a sense of airy lightness.
This is a real little wonder of a tune.
Eloise Quince
Peter
and Kerry – Clothes, Friends, Photos
EP (Tape Club)
A gently
endearing EP here from Peter and Kerry. Very pretty little songs
which lilt along rather than rollick, which soothe rather than
invigorate. Favourites include ‘Knees’ which sounds like a candle-lit
jam gate crashed by a choir. 7/10
SB
King
Jacks – Heroes
I was instantly drawn to this release due to the
cover shot featuring a very cool blue military jacket adorned
with proper brass buttons and be-tousled with gold braid. But
the sound of ‘Heroes’ was completely at odds with what I was expecting.
It’s unabashed Britpop meets modern indie – think Kasabian, The
Sunshine Underground etc. Personally I find it instantly likable
but I’m second guessing that it won’t quite to new or trendy enough
for others. Well I’ll just stick to listening stuff that is good,
not what is getting the column inches in NME. 8/10 www.kingjacks.com
SB
Danimal
Kingdom – Skipping Ever Backwards
/ Through the Ice (Hot Pockets)
Danimal Knigdom gives George Michael’s ‘Faith’ a brush up for
2011. But then it is a bit more than that - there’re also elements
of new wave, Gary Numan, Elvis Costello et al. The overall effect
is certainly lively stuff but it’s a bit dizzying for me. Fairground
waltzers are all well and good but you do feel sick when you eventually
get off. 6/10 www.danimalkingdom.co.uk
SB
Showstar
- Monkey See Monkey Do (Rainboot)
This is a slightly strange
one. When you read that Showstar are from Belgium and have this
quirky sound it would be very easy to slip into the ‘silly foreigner’
frame of mind and think of the band as plucky, but ultimately
naive, fellows. But placed more in a context with the likes of
Wild Beasts and ‘Monkey See Monkey Do’ bares up very favourably.
Intricate but stark at the same time. 7/10 www.showstar.be
SB
Steve
Craddock – Only Look Up When You’re
Down (Kundalini)
Despite
Craddock’s idiosyncratic retro sound (somewhere between the Beatles
and The Small Faces), this single feels instantly forgettable
to me. It’s friendly enough but it feels like the musical equivalent
of getting horribly drunk and wading through an old photo album
filled with pictures of your ex. 5/10 www.stevecraddock.com
SB
Dorian
Concept – Her Tears Taste Like Pears
(Ninjatune)
Another weebly
squeebly genius of a producer trots off the Ninja production line.
Austria-based Doran Concept has had a classical training as a
child pianist and these early influences re-surface in the complex
and jazz-like arrangements which appear n this EP. Sliding, contradicting
harmonies seem to coalesce into comfortable order and bounce off
a mixture of deep bass drops, dancehall rhythms and very progressive
key arrangements. Some moments are little fierce for the ears
(‘Toe Games Made her Giggle’) but these are offset by the more
chilled out vibe of ‘Thanks You All the Time Forever’ to finish
with. 7/10 www.ninjatune.net
SB
We
Are Enfant Terrible – Filthy
Love (Last Gang)
My eagerly anticipated second slice of Gallic geek kids We Are
Enfant Terrible does not disappoint in the slightest. This Lille
three-piece sound like a very dirty version of CSS and there’s
a constant mocking nature to their music (though in fairness,
usually of a self deprecating outlook). Whether you like Gameboy
or you like to disco dance, you are pretty much guaranteed to
love this. 8/10 www.weareenfantterrible.com
SB
Kiria
– Let Me In (Koochie Coo)
I’m sorry to say that this is pretty awful. I’m sorry because
it’s nice to be nice, no-one wants to bag off the efforts of someone
who thinks they are doing something worthwhile. I’m also sorry
because Kiria is threatening me from the sleeve artwork with two
mighty weapons. And she’s pointing a pair of guns at me. Oh dear,
this has all gone a bit seedy – I blame the press release for
mentioning Garry Bushell...
Quickly back to the music then, the main problem is that music
is supposedly punky, though it sounds far too orchestrated, there
are big string parts and the guitars are too clean. Add to that
Kiria’s somewhat wayward pitch and the result is pretty unpleasant.
As a plus, the B-side ‘Jelly Baby’ is far better. 5/10 www.kiria.co.uk
SB
Dimbleby
and Capper – Let You Go (Tape)
This is more like it, something suitably unusual for my fickle
Sunday evening mind. To start with, Dimbleby and Capper is a nom
de plume for one person – Laura Bettinson. Secondly , ‘Let You
Go’ is an extremely strangely produced record, all fuzzing bass
and every other dial turned up to max by the sound of it. It should
jar and generally annoy your ears but throughout all the clattering,
there’s a killer hook and a catchy tune. I think I like the Banshee-esque
B-side ‘Raise it Right’ even more with its tribal chanting and
heavy percussion. I’d go as far to say it even scares me a bit
– good effort. 9/10 www.deeandcee.com
SB
A.
Human – Take Me Home (So Darn So)
I’m unsure why I thought A.
Human was some German electro artist – couldn’t be more wrong
as it turns out they are a London based band. In my defence they
do use a few samples and loops but I guess you could pretty much
sum them up as sunny indie pop. There may be some comparisons
with the likes of Talking Heads and Mr Fogg also. ‘Take Me Home’
is very commercial sounding but not in a bad way. 7/10 www.thehuman.com
SB
La
Shark – I Know What You Did Last Summer
(So Darn So)
Labelmates
to A. Human, La Shark are stunningly original. ‘I Know What...’
is almost uncategorisable – I guess there’s a kind of threatening
ska vibe over the electro funk bassline, there’s cow bell, there’s
freaky spoken word vocals a la David Byrne but you really couldn’t
describe it as whole. Bravo then for being so original. 8/10 www.lashark.com
SB
Daedelus
– Tailor Made (Ninjatune)
‘Tailor made’ doesn’t follow a normal
verse-chorus-verse song pattern. Instead it slowly builds into
existence then just batters away with its layers of soulful samples,
beats and synths. Doesn’t really do it for me to be honest – it
doesn’t give you time to catch your breath. 6/10 www.ninjatune.net
