The best and the rest from 2009
Daniel Land and the modern painters - Love songs for the chemical generation
Label: Saint Cecilia Records
Website: www.myspace.com/danielland
12 Tracks - Length 1 hr 11 mins 0 seconds
Intro - Proving shoegaze is definitely no longer a dirty word Daniel Land has assembled a band from here, there and everywhere and emerged from their Manchester studio with modern shoegaze for a new generation. The Music - 'Within the boundaries' with it's vague beautiful title sets the musical standard, a gorgeous soundscape, sounding akin to early luscious Slowdive at their most floaty and it seamlessly blends into 'Codeine'. From early on it's obvious that this is a fine album, one thing it flows perfectly, not merely a collection of 12 sounds but using the old fashioned ideal of making an album, one piece of music and this in the day of 'pick a track' on the likes of Itunes is a rare artform. 'Codeine' itself is another slice of idealised dreampop, Lands' vocals soar and fly without ever really been fully understandable which is possibly the point, mysterious and with endless personal meanings, you could never tell Slowdive's neither! 'Benjamin's Room' gets a spring into its step, bit like Piece's Spiritualised, which in our book is never a bad thing at all. 'Locust' slips back near Slowdive territory but Land easily avoids merely been a pastiche of those 90's bands and adds their own stamp and style to each and every song. Take 'Run Silent, run deep' Land's vocals add another dimension to swirling guitars. 'Love lies bleeding' showcases the atmosphere that Land and co can generate with dreamy guitars whilst 'The magic in my head' manages to drift round for six minutes without feeling the need to speed anywhere. Detractors of the shoegaze / dreampop 'genre' always argue this to be a fundamental flaw, not a jot! It shimmers up into 'Good speed, good fun' which has more urgency without ever feeling rushed, a more traditional song but still with sweeping guitars. 'Lighting out for the territories' brings the curtain down, not only have Daniel Land and the modern Painters gone for quantity (this is well over 70 minutes of music) but quality as well, it's a lengthy old album but never, ever outstays it's welcome. They go for the big ending too with guitars aplenty, 'Love songs for the chemical generation' wrapped in some style.Highlights and Lowlights - 'Love songs for the chemical generation' is one of the finest album titles of the year and the music lives up to that billing. Don't try to pick out favourites, listen to this album as a whole and savour. Verdict - One of the finest dreampop albums made in the last 18 years, it's an odyssey through the beautiful world of music. You won't find another album this year that glides and soars like 'Love songs for the chemical generation'. Stunning. File Under beautiful songs for the chemical generation.
Howie Beck - How to fall down in public
Label: 13 Clouds
Website: www.howiebeck.com
9 Tracks - Length 31 mins 25 seconds
Intro - It's not often we quote direct from press releases but this is pretty cool, 'How to fall down in public makes the case that modern melancholy is best understood through sheer sonic pleasure'. That we like! Anyway a rather strange thing happened when we opened the album sleeve up, our name is in it. Now that's cool but to be fair I don't actually know who Howie Beck is and he's Canadian too, guess there's more than one Colin Newell in the world then, sounds like he's got a decent taste in music too. Howie Beck is a one man show who also does a bit of producing on the side (including Broken social scene) and has appeared with plenty of his native Canadians and also our own Ed Harcourt. The Music - 'Flashover' is one of those most pleasant songs, melodies to burn, nice and light with a few 'la la la's' in the chorus and sweet guitars, one of those you can imagine driving a soft top down the pacific highway in the states to! 'Save me' adds a bit of brass to the party, a fine laid back tune to really enjoy. 'Don't put your arms around me no more' has possibly the longest song title this year which he manages to sing without taking a breathe, a bit heavier but with a bit of an alt country vibe however still manages to maintain the light and breezy guitars. 'Fin' drops the vocals but adds piano and some light strings but clocks in at only just over two minutes. Also on the short side and defo back into alt country territory is 'Over and under', that guitar gives it the trademark North American sound. 'La La La' has guest vocals from Fiest but it's the natty beat and chorus that grabs, another simple but effective tune and that's quite a trick, simple but beautifully crafted. The piano in 'If I ever come home' makes it sound a little on the lounge side but it's rescued by Beck's understated and cool vocals. The short but oh so sweet album finishes with some more piano based lounge style but again 'Beside this life' never gets away from Beck due to his soft, smooth vocals and never really goes down the cheese route! Highlights and Lowlights - To be honest it's a consistent album, of a decent standard too, there isn't any that you'd be reaching for the skip button on. Something like 'Save me' or 'Don't put your arms around me no more' would best illustrate Howie's craft and in some style too. 'La La La' has guest vocals from Fiest but it's the natty beat and chorus that grabs, another simple but effective tune and that's quite a trick, simple but beautifully crafted. Verdict - This is Howie Beck's forth album and he sure has got a pretty good handle on how to write, play, sing and produce a lovely laid back album. It's one of those records you can put on whatever the mood and the stress just oozes away and you can become absorbed in the tunes. File Under sonic pleasure.
The Pony Collaboration - If these are the good times
Label: Series 8
Website: www.the ponycollaboartion.com
10 Tracks - Length 32 mins 39 seconds
Intro - Huge band with over eight, yep count them eight members which boasts instruments from the normal guitars through brass to cello, pedal steel to glockenspiel! The Music - Nice and sweet, loads of brass and percussion plus a boat load of melodies. 'I never knew' is twee but with some pace, loads going on and splendid multi vocals, what indie was invented for! There's a lot of nice laid back tunes, bit of a Mojave 3 vibe going down on stuff like 'model/actress' and in our book there's always place for that. There's some lovely strings to back up the laid back male / female vocals on 'no reunions', plainly excellent music to nod your head along to. 'http 404' may have a title that should feature on some industry metal album but it's another charming tune, amongst many. 'Leaving with your heart' is one of the few songs to get up and dance, still with the same indie sensibility mind, so best sit down after a few minutes and don't make a scene. 'Home' is that sit down and relax track, polite and understated which possibly best sums up 'If these are the good times'. Highlights and Lowlights - In the sense of the phrase there isn't any highlights or lowlights, the album runs seamlessly from one song to another, if you snoozed for a while you'd probably not realised you missed three tracks but that's the beauty of 'If these are the good times'. A well crafted album with 10 lovely songs, 33 minutes of pleasure! Verdict - This is good old fashioned indie, quite beautiful in parts, always laid back, cool and bordering the twee. Never loses sight of a fine melody and the multi vocals are lovely and very, very effective. It ain't gonna set the world alight nor unfortunately sell a million copies which is a shame but for now The Pony Colloration can be our lovely little secret. File Under indie
Ian Brown - My Way
Label: Fiction / Polydor
Website: www.ianbown.co.uk
12 Tracks - Length 43 mins 16 seconds
Intro - Any introduction needed? Well here goes, 'My Way' is the 6th studio album from the legend that is Ian Brown, former 'Rose and still king monkey. The Music - Right, the formula stays the same, beats and that with Brown's trademark vocals rasping over the top. 'Stellify' was actually written for Rhianna, who thought she couldn't beat Brown's vocals and she's dawn right, it's up there with 'Fear' and acts as a benchmark and possibly a milestone for the album (by that as in everything else has to live up it!). 'Just like me' does keep up with a blinding tempo and 'In the year 2525' at first glance ain't much but is a real grower and with some real off the wall influences and natty lyrics. 'Always remember me' is a real tune, downbeat but sounding tough and Brown's vocals sound better than ever and again proving he can hold a decent tune when he needs to. 'Vanity kills' keeps the same vibe, lovely lush backing vocals bulk up Brown's spot on vocals and the thought provoking lyrics are probably the best on the album. Another on the thought provoking side is 'For the Glory' and check out the 'Roses name check too. 'Marathon Man' as you expect from the title kicks up the beat with a retro hip hop feel. Let's face it giving the album the title 'My Way' is quite a statement from the Brown camp and just listen to 'Own Brain' for more self analysis. Saying that we'd not wanna be the subject of that's behind 'By all means necessary' although he does 'wish 'em well' then mixes it by saying the can gotta hell! Last up comes 'So High' a neat and tidy tune and again catch those words, ouch! Highlights and Lowlights - His beats and bollocks tunes always grab the attention, 'Stellify' is awesome in fact but the splendidly low key 'Always remember me' actually showcases his ability as singer and (joint) songwriter far better. Verdict - As ever with Brown's solo work you never get a full album of classics but that been a tad harsh as 'My Way' is a damn fine album with some stella tunes and the song writing bar has been raised a notch or two on this album too. File Under Brown's way.
Athlete - Black Swan
Label: Fiction / Polydor
Website: www.athlete.mu
10 Tracks - Length 44 mins 17 seconds
Intro - Fourth studio album from the band who have a knack of writing a pretty damn fine pop tune. The Music - Did you expect Athlete to change much? No thought not and thank god for that, 'Superhuman Touch' has that trademark Athlete sound down to a tee and is a mighty fine whereas 'The Getaway' starts with beefed up guitars before the soaring vocals kick into, really nice! 'Black Swan song' is a touching pleasant little ditty which will make the head nod along in tune. Slightly different is the heavily stripped back 'Love come rescue' which actually showcases Joel's vocals along side an acoustic guitar. Whereas 'Light the way' comes back to what Athlete do best; keyboards, guitars, bass and drums together with a damn fine tune, it's just how indie pop should be done. 'The unknown' is yet again another fine song, pretty solid stuff. 'Magical mistakes' (which sounds like it should be called shockwaves) is another nugget of Athlete gold pop and 'Rubik's cube' cleans it up with a low key, subtle little tune which nicely ends another nice Athlete album. Highlights and Lowlights - 'The Getaway' soars and 'Light the way' is just the way to do indie pop. 'Magical mistakes' is a belter too! Verdict - Don't suppose it really matters how many units this album shifts as they're always gonna do alright on the live circuit, they may be as fashionable as swine flu but most people realise that if you see Athlete live you are guaranteed a good nights entertainment. Still 'Black Swan' is good enough to give even the most reluctant fan some joy and the devoted will know doubt love it like the previous three. It's doubtful it'll bring many new faces to the fold but those already in the Athlete bosom should want to stay there for some time longer. File Under plainly just Athlete.
The Boxer Rebellion - Union
Website: www.theboxerrebellion.com
11 Tracks - Length 45 mins16 seconds
Intro - The Boxer Rebellion have always been square pegs in round holes; part British, part aussie and part yank and one of the last bands signed by Alan McGee before he jacked off the record industry. Their debut album 'Exits' is a criminally underrated album that, one with real atmosphere and power, if you've haven't got it, then get it! They have also been pretty unlucky; illness blighted their early career then the Poptones debacle left them without a label. But of late that luck has been in reverse and without a label 'Union' has put them back on the musical map. The famous Itunes single of the week promo thrust them into the limelight and the album has been available only in cyberspace for a while and you could get a CD only at gigs earlier in the year. Again the usual band label relationship has been spurned and the 'proper' physical release of the album comes via a tie in with HMV direct to their stores. So in beating the man have they created an album worthy to follow 'Exits'? The Music - It starts off in dramatic fashion, 'Flashing red light means go' has all the drama, atmosphere and sheer power that we had hoped for, five glorious minutes with some real moving vocals and searing guitars. 'Move on' keeps the album ticking along nicely before they pick up the ante with some real power, 'Evacuate' is a big, big tine. It has power by the bucket load, hammering guitars yet still manages to have a grand atmosphere about it, no wonder it went mega when picked up by Itunes. 'Soviets' comes down a notch or two but still is a fine four minutes. 'Spitting fire' comes in at under three in a slightly lighter fashion, with dare we say it a bit of jangle on those guitars. 'Misplaced' is pleasant enough but doesn't really hit the highest heights that despite a shoegazesque noise ending! Another failure to brighten fully is 'The Gospel of Goro Adachi' but then up pops 'The Walls are thin' which packs a mighty punch in just two and a half minutes, great guitar hook too. It perks things up a treat as 'Forces' comes on strong, dark beating guitars and that emotional atmospheric sound that makes The Boxer Rebellion such a great live band too. 'Semi-automatic' takes a little while to warm up but by it's finale it's buzzing along nicely then slows just in time to finish! 'Silent Movie' is pure Boxer Rebellion, loads of guitars creating such a uber cool atmospheric sound and then add in Nathan's vocals, just shows that they really can produce the goods. Highlights and Lowlights - That opener is just class, the atmosphere and guitars really take some beating. Then 'Evacuate' shows why Itunes were right to pick it up and why 560,000 people downloaded it! 'Forces' has quite a kick too! Verdict - Not quite the 100% classic that we hoped for but it's still a blinding album and an essential purchase either by download or this new physical release. There's plenty of other bands in this genre (Editors, Doves etc) but 'Union' shows that The Boxer Rebellion are still in there kicking a screaming, here's already waiting for album number three. File Under doing the Boxer beat!
Arctic Monkeys - Humbug
Label: Domino Records
Website: www.arcticmonkeys.com
10 Tracks - Length 39 mins 20 seconds
Intro - Much anticipated third long player from the Sheffield four piece (although you're more likely to see them down in the big smoke these days rather than the steel city). But a lacklustre Reading Festival and lukewarm album reaction leads us to ask, what's the story Turner? The Music - It all starts in a rather low key manner, most untypical, 'My Propeller' hardly grips in the way that 'Brainstorm' grabs you by the balls on 'Favourite worst nightmare', not really the start we expected then. But there's a bit of a pick up with 'Crying lightening', Turner's vocals get revved up and the lyrics are a bit more up the monkeys street, more like it then. 'Dangerous Animals' promises more than it delivers, it's disjointed, like they can't decide what to do with the guitars. 'Secret Door' brings the beat down but it seems to be more in keeping with Turner's side project The Last Shadow Puppets which is a tad worrying as the line between the two bands seems to have become blurred on 'Humbug' as if Turner has lost the sat nav telling him which direction to follow. 'Potion Approaching' also has that blur of the bands, the drums and beat sound like they have been directly lifted from TLSP with a mix of a sixties Dooresque influence. Again they fail to really explode into action. 'Fire and the thud' is pleasant enough and Turner's vocals do have some delicacy about them but does kind of transform into a sixties homage by the end. 'Cornerstone' is neat and tidy, a mature song which showcases Turner's vocals. 'Dance little liar' is another slow burner and to be honest another track that could have been a contender for the next TLSP album too. But then 'Pretty Visitors' is a mess, buzzing round here and there without any real direction, it's a pretty damn ugly listen. 'The Jewellers hands' is thankfully a decent tune but again sounds like that other band, where are the monkeys of old? Highlights and Lowlights - Well unfortunately it's hardly packed to the gills with winners is it, that said 'Crying lightening' is as good as it gets. Verdict - 'Humbug' lacks the spike , social comment and the plain humour of 'Whatever people say I am, that's what I'm not' but it also misses the likes of '505' or the blitz of a 'Brainstorm' or 'Teddy Picker' from 'Favourite worst nightmare' too. 'Humbug' fails to ignite the blue touch paper like its two predecessors; it is the sound of Turner growing up in public but smacks of 'that difficult third album'. It's not coherent nor does it having you jumping around for more. One can only hope it's going to be a grower but would you pick it off the shelf over its two rivals for a leisurely listen, no. Back to the crossroads then dear Turner, which way now? File Under Bah Humbug
Idlewild - Post Electric Blues
Label: Cooking Vinyl
Website: www.idlewild.co.uk
11 Tracks - Length 40 mins 33 seconds
Intro - Blimey this is Idlewild's seventh album and follows a best off and a change of label. By all accounts Idlewild have moved away from trying to write songs that would sound good on the radio (probably the former label trying to push them to shift a few units) to sounding great live which they appreciate will be better for fans and band alike. The Music - Always fitted nicely into indie mixing in ALT / Folk / Country / celtic and 'Post Electric Blues' doesn't go outside their musical box neither, lets put this to bed that isn't a negative but very much on the plus side. It kicks off in fine style with 'Younger than America' which gets some nice female backing vocals to complement Roddy's distinctive talent. It gets better by the track with the storming 'Readers and writers' which has all that makes Idlewild leaders in the indie field and then adds some, bags of tempo and a bit of brass too, quality. 'City Hall' is trademark 'Wild, a blooming great 'up indie guitar pop' tune, love it! 'Dreams of Nothing' is another beast of a track; they sound at their very best going hell for leather with a few jangley guitars in tow for effect too. 'Take me back to the Islands' is a more downbeat folky number, this showcases the other side to Womble's vocals, powerful but subtle. Title track 'Post Electric' is a blinder too, great chorus, singalong with some rather unusual lyrics and super guitar infused instrumental ending. The big tunes just keep flowing as the Idlewild sound is tuned up to great effect on the head nodding brilliance of 'To be forgotten'. In fact those passionate fans of Idlewild will love this album; 'Circles in the sand' is again just pure Idlewild of old and sounding great with it. 'Take me back in time' finishes things off in a more introspective mood, something they've always managed to carry off pretty well. Highlights and Lowlights - There isn't a duff track here. Whether you prefer the folky 'Take me back to the Islands' or the bruising tempo of 'Readers and writers' or 'Dreams of nothing' then it's all there in abundance for you. Verdict - This is a cracking album from the oft ignored and underrated Idlewild. It has all the hallmarks of Idlewild of old plus is a super collection of fantastic songs written in the tradition of great songwriters and performed by a seasoned band of musicians. This quite possibly is Idlewild's best and most complete album yet. So in the process of trying to make an album to sound great live they've come up with 11 songs that will sound blooming awesome on the radio, in your lounge, in the car.... anywhere in fact! File Under Seventh Heaven!
Shattered Atom - The Knife, The Thief
Website: www.shatteredatom.com
10 Tracks - Length 34 mins 39 seconds
Intro - Hailing from LA, 'The Knife, The Thief' is the self funded debut by Shattered Atom who cite influences as Coldplay, Arcade Fire and The Killers. The Music - From the opening chords of 'Under the stars' you know you're in for a good time for the next ½ hour or so, it's immediate yet has the promise to grow with every listen. It's easy to see where The Killers comparisons and influences come from as they share a combined musical dna but don't worry they aren't just clones. 'Will you call?' shows just how they have got the pop chorus down to a tee, catchy as hell in fact. 'Shadow' offers delves a bit deeper, a bit Boxer Rebellion at their most poppy limits. The low key 'Muse' emphases Jeremy Wilford's accent and the fact he can really hold a tune. But it's the indie guitar rock and roll in which they really excel and 'Hold me closely' shifts back through the gears. Finale 'Innocent' goes for the piano led epic ending but it's a shame they don't sign off with a bigger bang. Highlights and Lowlights - Can't believe a debut album can sounds like it could hold it's own in a stadium! The big tunes of 'Hollywood' and 'Under the stars' shine the light and it's only really dimmed for moments like 'Muse'. Verdict - Splendid stuff, they actually have quite a European feel (as do The Killers come to that) and would do pretty well this side of the pond. They do however, retain that American edge, desire if you will to make big, big tunes (see 'Hollywood' for that) which some of our bands lack, they miss that killer instinct. 'The Knife, The Thief' is a great take on that indie / alt / pop sound and well worth 35 minutes of anyone's time. File Under America comes up with the goods, again.
Five Sentence Album Review: Dolores O'Riordan - No Baggage
Label: Cooking Vinyl
Who: She was the voice of The Cranberries who went from nice Irish indie starlets to dullard mega unit shifters in the mid to late nineties. What: 'No Baggage' is O'Riordan's second solo album and her vocals don't really differ from The Cranberries, nor in fact does the music. It goes from the pleasant to bordering on a tad boring, still least she ain't gone trance or anything!Sounds Like: Yep, The Cranberries.Verdict: No real adventure, it's solid enough but never really excites the senses. File Under: Just another solo album from the voice of The Cranberries.
Five Sentence Album Review: Tom Morello / Boots Riley - Street Sweeper Social Club
Label - Cooking Vinyl
Who: Anyone in the rock world who doesn't know Tom Morello needs feking shooting, he is the power behind Rage against the Machine (plus Audioslave) whereas Boots Riley comes from a hip hop background but both are big political players in their own right. What: Morello provides buzzing guitars and booming bass whereas Boots gives it up in vocal department and the lyrics are cutting as per expectations. Sounds Like: There's more than a hint of Rage Against the Machine in here with bumper bass but Boots' stylish vocals should not be underestimated as it gives some edge to the rock beats. Verdict: Could have gone horribly wrong and sounded terribly naff but it hits all the right notes and shows Morello has again got the know how to come up time and again with the musical goods. File Under: Rock rap crossover not to be ignored.
Five Sentence Album Review: Lucky Elephant - Star sign Trampoline
Label: Sunday Best
Who: New left field pop four piece hailing from the Isle of Wight but with a singer with the best name in the world in Emmanuel 'Manu' Labescat who not too surprisingly was brought up in France! What: Recorded on 2" analogue tape to give it a warm feel 'Star sign Trampoline' is one of those left field off the wall indie albums that rarely gets made these days. Sounds Like: Melodies! 'Reverend Tilsley & his magic lantern' may have the most bizarre name but it is a fine sun drenched pop tune and it's not the only one amongst the 11 tracks neither. Verdict: A good listen, not your usual thing, Lucky Elephant obviously know what they wanna do and just get it done no matter what anyone else things, that said we like it! File Under: laid back indie cool.
Five Sentence Album Review: Dub Pistols - Rum & Coke
Label: Sunday Best
Who: Do Dub Pistols need any introduction, hell this is their fourth album and the Dub in the name is always a bit of a giveaway. What: There's no end of special guests packed onto 'Rum & Coke' including the appearance of Freak Powers' Ashley Slater on no less than three tracks, cool! Sounds Like: Blimey where do you start? There's laid back grooves, ska, hip hop, roots, rock and plenty more besides. Verdict: Despite the many influences 'Rum & Coke' still manages to sound like a fluid album with a deeply listenable and friendly sound, this album should do Dub Pistols no harm whatsoever. File Under: fancy a rum and coke anyone?
Five Sentence Album Review: Gary Go - Gary Go
Label: Decca / Polydor
Who: 'One man coldplay' Q magazine it states on the sticker on the front of Gary Go's self titled album, well what we do know is that Gary sports a neat pair of specs and does have a rather fine voice. What: Not sure about Coldplay as it doesn't seem to have the edge they manage but there's plenty of the 11 tracks that are instantly enjoyable and worth a listen. Sounds Like: A slick singer songwriter of well crafted tunes with a voice of velvet which is what Gary Go is! Verdict: A fine debut with some lovely moments but just needs an extra edge, a bit of spice a possibly a harder edge but still well worth a laid back listen. File Under: Gary to stay?
Match of the Day - The Album
Label: Sony Music
40 Tracks
Intro - Tie in albums to non music related programmes are usually a tad dubious but to a Sky free footie fan MOTD is still the main way of getting a football TV fix. It's both a football and indeed television institution plus they've always played plenty of decent stuff especially the goal of the month and the slightly more leftfield MOTD2. Also if you ever been to a game at Eastlands and heard the pre match Manchester indie disco over the tannoys you know that music and football are definitely related. The Music - Where do we start with 40 tracks?! Well it covers plenty of guitar bases; classics are covered by The Clash, The Jam, The Specials and Undertones, Ladrock has the pleasures of Oasis, Kasabian, The Enemy and t'roses, miserable indie has the delights of Editors, Doves and Embrace, Rock features Foo Fighters and err Nickleback plus it even manages to shoe horn a few footie classics too. The two closers are the best ever football songs, disc 1 gets the splendid 'Three lions' whilst Disc 2 concludes with New Orders' stunning 'World in motion' still a sing-along epic today. Highlights and Lowlights - It's packed full of monster tunes, take the first five tracks as prime example… Food Fighters' 'Best of you', Oasis 'Supersonic', Killers 'Somebody told me', Mgmt 'Time to pretend' and then how could you disapprove of the Roses' 'Waterfall'? You could probably live without the likes of Metro Station and The Hoosiers but overall there isn't too much to make you to leap for the skip button. Verdict - Well worth a punt, some excellent songs but there is a bit of a downside… why no MOTD theme tune? Plus there's a bonus disc of some of the most random 100 premiership goals too, not sure who picked them but they do have the two best Kinkladze goals he scored in a City shirt so fair play to them! File Under They shoot, they score!
Lonely Dear - Dear John
Label: Regal / EMI
Website: www.lonelydear.com
11 Tracks - Length 41 mins 54 seconds
Intro - We were lucky enough to be captivated by the 2007 Lonely Dear album entitled 'Lonely, Noir' which we loved so much that we declared 'Beautiful indie folk never sounded so damn sweet'. So the follow up by Swede Emil Svanangen has plenty to live up to then. The Music - Album opener 'Airport Surroundings' takes a off at a decent tempo, some subtle electro beat under the eloquent vocals of Emil Svanangen. 'Everything turns to you' add lots of 'la, la' backing vox to the mix and is again quite up tempo but the low key elegance that has made Lonely Dear a universally loved but underrated underground indie legend returns on 'I was only going out', unashamedly indie and twee, it's laid back glorious heaven. 'Harsh words' adds more and more sounds into the mix, giving it a bigger and bolder indie sound whilst 'Under a silent seat' has a more understated approach, with some almost dance flavours coming in mid way through, a bit different but not out of place neither on the song nor the album. Vocals sound like lush Simon and Garfunkel on 'Summer', plenty of neat 'la,la's' and splendid tempo drive the tune along to a bontempo beat conclusion. 'Harm / Slow' is a gentle reminder of just how beautiful the vocal talent of Emil is, the song is just a little music just some which acts as a real showcase of the understated vox. And then comes along 'Violent' which is one of the most glorious indie folk songs, in fact rather than trying to explain just how good this is just buy it - you will not be disappointed! How do you follow that then, well album title track 'Dear John' is the finale but cant get near it, should have spun them round and had 'Violent' as the true finale, that said 'Dear John' isn't a bad song, far from it in fact and it builds up to quite a moving number with a spot of brass for good measure. Highlights and Lowlights - What lowlights? Just flows so well as an album it's just one long highlight. Verdict - Another splendid album from Lonely Dear which does nothing but enhance the reputation of Emil Svanangen. It's one to put on and forget the world's woes, get taken away by the music and truly enter the world of Lonely Dear. File Under Scandaindie heaven.
The Lemonheads - Varshons
Label: Cooking Vinyl
Website: www.thelemonheads.net
11 Tracks - Length 39 mins 19 seconds
Intro - Evan Dando and 'his' band The Lemonheads were the slacker indie band of the early nineties that had the US and just about the world at their feat but lost it all as Dando slipped into drug addiction and become a indie gossip joke with his dalliance with Courtney Love. That said a generation has passed since those times and Dando has come back strong with his own new material and now decided it's time to treat us some of his influences and takes on tunes aplenty. The Music - He starts with probably the most obvious cover, Dando was always a massive fan of Gram Parsons so 'I just can't take it anyone' is the one that most would have expected to be on here. It's a decent tune too, alt country which suits Dando's style nicely. To be fair a lot of US indie borders on alt country, especially the laid back variety, remember country no matter how much it's laughed at in the UK is still big bucks stateside. 'Layin' up with Linda' written by a GG Allin has the most bizarre lyrics (Linda ends up dead!) and has a more rocky country tempo. 'Yesterlove' is a dark 1969 wonder, it has a bit of a Nick Cave influence in the vocal, bleak and yet uplifting and the band would later give up it's bassist to Motorhead, weird! Talking of weird Kate Moss pops up on a really fucking off the wall 'Dirty Robot' which throws away Dando's rule book and then throws it into a dank dance club and comes out smelling of dark, bass infused electro grooves - it works though! Another stab at Nick Cave vocals is 'Mexico' which has some great music but the vocals don't really work. Then up pops the star of the show, the beautiful and talented Liv Tyler adds some stunning vocals to Dando's laid back tones on Leonard Cohen's 'Hey, That's no way to say goodbye'. It's one of those tunes you could have on repeat for a week and never tire of, simply stunning. Despite some wacky and far out songs on here probably the most surprising inclusion is 'Beautiful' made famous by Christina Aguilera, Dando does a grand job on it too and it well merits it's place as the finale. Highlights and Lowlights - Cohen is usually good for a highlight and Liv Tyler comes up trumps on 'Hey, that's no way to say goodbye'. It's just an amazing tune and done true justice by Dando and Tyler. On the downside there's still a bit too much on the outer edge of 'who the fuck are they'! 'Mexico' has a good tune but Dando's vocals are just not up to speed, too low and just not right. But having 'Beautiful' to finish is a masterstroke. Verdict - It's no surprise that Dando has done a covers album; they actually made their name via a cover of 'Mrs Robinson' which was amazing! The strap line for this album is it should be like mixtape whereas you never know what comes next which is fair. But the usual problem with mates mix tapes is that usually there is some crap mixed in with the gems so it's no surprise not all 11 tracks are worth their salt. Overall though well worth a listen and 'Hey, That's no way to say goodbye' is probably one of the best versions of the song ever, another Cohen classic living up to his high standards. File Under mixtape and beyond.
Wave Machines - Wave if you're really there
Label: Neapolitan
Website: www.wavemachines.co.uk
10 Tracks - Length 39 mins 12 seconds
Intro - We seen one website called Wave Machines as a disco band! We also have to admit when the album popped through our door we were reluctant to actually bother playing it as we'd been less than thrilled at their performance headlining above James Yuill and Post War Years and the masks did nothing for us neither! Despite all this we did venture the CD out of it's case and onto the stereo…. The Music - It's starts of really low key and quite reflective with plinky plonky 'You say the stupidest things'. Whereas 'Carry me back to my home' which follows shows glipses of sweet, sweet pop with that art pop left field sound that we yearn. The 80's disco starts with 'I go I go I go' which has echoes of Hot Chip and seems to have effects straight off a sinclair ZX81, well retro! Whereas 'Keep the lights on' has dark and deep overtones which works really, really well with falsetto vocals. The catchy beat of album namesake 'The Greatest escape we ever made' gets the feet immediately moving and they don't stop through; immediate, poppy and again those high, high vocals just fits like a glove and a blinding beat. Whereas on the other side of the coin the vocals are downright painful on 'I joined a union' and makes us cringe every time it comes on as we head for the skip button, sounds like Blondie done by Pinky and Perky! Fortunately the bonza beats return on 'The Line' which has us skipping again with joy! It's ends really from whence it came with a low key 'Dead houses', shame it doesn't go off with a bang but does show that there's more to Wave Machines that fashionable dancy indie disco. Highlights and Lowlights - We love the 80's chic of 'Igo I go I go' and the buzzing beat behind 'The Greatest escape we ever made' but 'I joined a union' arrr! Verdict - It's true to say this isn't the best album we've heard this year however lets not dismiss it way out of hand. It's in part a capable and engaging listen with some splendid pop moments. From the jaws of defeat comes a bit of a surprise and for which we salute Wave Machines! File Under Indie Disco!
The Hours - See The Light
Label: Is Good
Website: www.thehours.co.uk
10 Tracks - Length 51 mins 10 seconds
Intro - The Hours proved one of the surprise hits of 200x with the stella album, 'Narcissus Road' which spawned such classics as 'Ali in the Jungle' and 'Back when you were good' plus a barrel load of swearing along the way. Basically, a two piece of Anthony Glenn and Martin Slattery who had done the rounds as everything from session musicians to producers hit the jackpot with their classical infused atmospheric misaberlist indie rock. It also had the haunting skull artwork done by a certain Damien Hirst too! Well they are back for album number two expanded to become a huge band (most of the tracks still written by Glenn / Slattery) and with a new twist on the Hirst artwork, musically more of the same would be nice! The Music - It starts in true Hours fashion, 'Big Black hole' is like they haven't been away. A bit more immediate than expected but a killer of a tune with a bit of piano thrown in for good measure, has big single written all over it. The album is definitely more immediate to start with and less dark than it's predecessor but still retains the same feel and given more than a fleeting listen to start to provide more and more depth, bit of a grower then. 'Never see you again' is the point in question, a damn fine song that just gets better with age, great piano in the background with some stylish vocals riding the waves of atmospheric guitars. 'Car crash' starts with just vox and piano before branching out to a big, big musical number. 'Think again' almost makes that difficult step into being a beautiful piece of art rather than just being a song, Glenn and Slattery just have the gift of producing intelligent, sophisticated and stunning pop music. 'Love is an action' has the jumped up beat, the tempo and the chorus to provide another single cut. 'The Girl who had the world at her feet' confirms too that lyrically 'See the lights' isn't a backward step and this none too complementary view of fame is systematic of The Hours confident and articulate writing. 'Wall of sound' has the simple yet beautiful sound, still quite classical in structure (Anthony Glenn's vocals have a 'big sound' too). Then 'See the light' follows it in glorious style, it's like listening to music in techicolour! Layers of instruments, those brass and yet sensitive vocals just mixed together to form near perfection, what a shame it's the last song…more! There is a short not so hidden track too, in which they sing 'All my dreams come true, when I find you' couldn't agree more. Highlights and Lowlights - It's weird but this is a full on album, one of those rare records that seems like an album than ten songs put together. But if it's arms behind backs time then you won't hear much better than 'See the light' near perfection indeed. Verdict - Whilst it's true to say that there's no 'Ali in the jungle' and a damn sight less swearing 'See The Lights' is a more complete and rounded album that the debut 'Narcissus Road'. What they have done is take the foundations they laid and build some stunning soundscapes on them, not so dark but still with great depth. Glenn, Slattery and the expanded Hours line up can be happy in the knowledge than in this keenly fought genre 'See The Lights' is going take some beating. File Under Second album success story.
Twisted Wheel
Label: Columbia / Sony
Website: www.thetwistedwheel.co.uk
11 Tracks - Length 35 mins 38 seconds
Intro - Blatant English three piece hit the scene running and recently bagged the Oasis support slot (bands who are either really good or bloody rubbish in equals numbers!). Their live performances have become fair legendary with their verve and energy but getting that down on record is always a challenge. The Music - Take two parts The Jam, add one part The Who, a pinch of Clash, some Oasis essence and little Small Faces and you have the general idea of where Twisted Wheel are coming from. 'Lucy in the castle' kicks things off and pretty smartly too and ends with a bit of the old 'Modern world' rift for good measure. It's then a bit low key until the record nearly blows off the stereo, 'Oh, what have you done' has some memorable lyrics and really captures the live vibe; hundred mile an hour, bags of attitude and Jonny Brown's vocals have that cock sure sneer to them, quite a noise for a three peice. Further down the line the guitars in 'Let them have it all' live up to the title, another thrash through gears with a bit of an Arctic Monkeys vibe to it. 'Bad Candy' keeps up the tempo but then it all kicks off! 'You stole the sun' is one of those songs that don't come around very often, catchy as hell with mental guitars and just goes off, one for ten pints down the indie disco! 'Bouncing Bomb' brings down the vibe and shows some maturity in the song writing, lets face it there was no way they could keep pace of 'You stole the sun'. They finish off with a blinder of a slow burner which reminds of The Who to a certain extent, 'What's your name', ends it off in style. Highlights and Lowlights - You ain't gonna beat 'You stole the sun'! Verdict - Not quite matched the intensity and sheer bloody energy of their live performances but all the same it's a good album and remember it's their debut offering. Plenty of promise and worth the money for 'Oh what have you done' and 'You stole the sun'. File Under England 2009!
Post War Years - The Greats and The Happenings
Label: Wealth Recordings
Website: www.postwaryears.com
12 Tracks - Length 47 mins 29 seconds
Intro - Four piss thin white boys with a liking for cardigans and bad jumpers take on the indie world, the usual mix of guitars, drums, and bass but with the en vogue trend of electro influence into the mix too. The Music - 'The Red Room' has a booming excellent bass line, kinda Hookyesque with the rest of the song built on top of it, cracking indie stuff. It's very much a left field album, angular vocals (bit Talking Heads at times) and although it has an electro influence it always stays the indie side of indie dance. Former single 'Whole world on its head' has a damn catchy beat! Great chorus too and a bit of a nod and a wink towards Friendly Fires. It's followed by 'Den' at a slower pace but impressive synth backdrop and drums giving it some atmosphere. 'Off the rails' has a right messy start and although they try to pull it back round the jury's still out on their success. Whereas 'Red and blue' kicks off with mesmerising drums which canter throughout the whole song, it's got a bit of a 80's synth retro feel to it but doesn't suffer too badly for it. 'Soul owl' has a long, long instrumental intro then shows it true colours, having epic anthemic tendencies. Whereas the sort but none too sweet 'Ghost door' does nothing. 'False starts' isn't like the name suggests, it cranks the pace back up, adds some brass and is up there with 'Whole world on its head'. The end comes on a more mellow note, 'That's all' is pretty apt despite the 'hidden track' soon after. Highlights and Lowlights - 'Whole world on its head' has it all but on the downside 'Ghost door' is pretty pointless. Verdict - Fitting in nicely with the current crop of white boy indie bands, Post War Years have produced a worthy album to pitch them towards the top of the class. A good listen too. File Under class of 2009.
The Maccabees - Wall of Arms
Label: Fiction / Polydor
Website: www.themaccabees.co.uk
11 Tracks - Length 37 mins 25 seconds
Intro - Christ it's two years since The Maccabees released 'Colour it in'? As indie pop albums go it was right up there and included some solid gold slices of quirky 'up' pop. 'Wall of arms' has plenty to live up to then. The Music - 'Love you better' kind of continues where debut 'Colour it in' finished, nice and accessible, decent tempo and a cracking start. Fortunately The Maccabees haven't rested on their laurels and tried to replicate their debut, no they have taken their sound and added to it and most would say improved the formula. 'Can you give it' is a good example, more down trodden but with a healthy blast of guitars. Plus the likes of title track 'Wall of Arms' adds a serious element plus takes them away from the 'throw away pop' track… and then there is 'No Kind words'. Where to start with 'No kind Words'? It's one of those songs that don't come along too often, blinding intro, deep and dark whilst always having a pop undercurrent. Then there's Weeks' vocals, he can do tasty pop we all know that but he takes it up several notches to add to the ambience and then without warning it finishes, pure genius. For a return to the quirk pop look no further than 'Kiss and resolve', blinding up tempo affair with trademark Weeks vocals. It ends on more serious notes, 'Seventeen hands' is followed by an introverted 'Bag of bones' with it's serene feel which actually still really strangely suits Orlando Weeks' vocals. It's the Maccabees but better! Highlights and Lowlights - No lowlights, the stand out track 'No kind words' - nuff said! Verdict - Perhaps not quite as immediate as 'Colour it in' but definitely a better album, it takes the formula from the illustrious debut and adds to it. It has a feel of added maturity and confidence and the songwriting has been taken up a peg or two. There's still fine songs on here but it does work better as a full album. A right big thumbs up for 'Wall of arms' then, oh yes indeed. File Under indie pop with an edge at it's finest.
Five Sentence Album Review: Art Brut - Art Brut Vs Satan
Who: Call it Art rock , indie or New Wave but what a great name for an album! What: Is this what irony is supposed to sound like? And how childish are made up names? Take vocals by Eddie Argos and some of the most cringe worthy lyrics ever - see 'DC Comics and Chocolate milkshake' as an awful example of how not to write a great song! Sounds Like: A group of people who ought to now better, Art Brut vs Satan make a have a great title but that's where the greatness starts and well and truly ends. The vocals are sub Mark E Smith and, lyrics childish at best and the music behind it all distinctly average. Verdict: It's not big and it's not clever, Art Brut Vs Satan is rubbish so write a feking song about that & see if you can sleep at night now! File Under: Away win (3 points for Satan!).
Five Sentence Album Review: Filthy Dukes - Nonsense in the Dark
Who: Hailing from the capital and recorded entirely on analogue equipment Filthy Dukes come of the electro indie pop production line of recent years but manage to pack in guests from the likes of The Maccabees, Late of the Pier and Secret Machines into the mix. What: Unique, analogue electro-indie-kraut-pop is what it says here! Sounds Like: A bit of 80's synth pop ('This Rhythm'), plenty of The Whip (dancetastic 'messages') and lashings of New Order. Oh, there's a rap track too ('Tupac robot club rock') thrown in for good measure! Verdict: Kicks The Klaxons off the park! Bags of grooves & infectious tunes make 'Nonsense in the Dark' one to own in '09. File Under: The indie electronic revolution continues here.
The Broken Family Band - Please and thank you
Label: Cooking Vinyl
Website: www.thebrokenfamilyband.com
12 Tracks - Length 46 mins 27 seconds
Intro - By all accounts the Broken Family Band have been together for donkeys years and now shed the accordionists, cute girl singer (shame on them!), banjo players and the American drawl. Well they may well have dispensed with the comedy instruments but the American drawl remains. Cause if you didn't know better they could easily sound like they were writing about Milwaukee rather than St Albans! The Music - The claim that this, their seventh studio album is their best to date and to be fair we haven't heard the other six but we'd still agree as 'Please and thank you' is a damn fine listen. It maybe isn't the most exciting with those wanting to rock out probably advised to look elsewhere. However, those who like a loose indie tune with a hint of alt country should seek it out and give it a good listen. Highlights and Lowlights - 'Please yourself' is a pleasant opener whilst the off beat and oft funny lyrics in 'St Albans' make it a one go for. 'You did a bad thing' is a brilliantly constructed song, super understated vocals which many a high profile indie band would die for. 'Mimi' is a straight forward, no nonsense lovely indie tune and all the better for it. They are even able to crank it up and get past the foot tapping on comically titled 'Don't bury me'. Verdict - Not the most obvious of success stories but The Broken Family band after eight years of trying have cooked up with a fine, listenable endearing piece of music, a definite thank you to The Broken Family Band then. File Under - Low key, indie, alt country but above all good!
Gomez - A New Tide
Label: Eat sleep records
www.gomeztheband.com
11 Tracks - Length 44 mins 09 seconds
Intro - My god it's a decade since Gomez were Mercury Prizewinners. At the time they were the indie media darlings but always seemed to be a bit of a square peg in a round hole, mainly due to the unusual vocal style of Ben Ottewell plus their blues influences which rarely is seen in indie guitar circles. The Music - 'A New Tide' is undoubtedly Gomez, this sound harks back to their very roots and first recordings. Stuff like 'Little Pieces' and 'If I ask you nicely' are accessible, bright and breezy but have the Gomez guitars and vox stamp all over them, the latter pitches some quaint keys in there too for good measure. The thing about Gomez is that there always seem to be their own men, despite been media darlings they always sounded different, mixing folk, blues, indie and a bit of the sixties too. As the press moved their attentions from one 'new' band to another Gomez have just kept on being Gomez and with that comes confidence and a honing of the sound. 'Bone Tired' using Ben Ottewell vocals to give it a broadly American feel, it has a pleasant feel to it with some low key guitars whereas 'Airstream Driver' brings dirty guitars back up the mix and pushes up the tempo. 'Natural Reaction' has a stylish alt country sound and suggests why Gomez remain popular over the other side of the pond too. There's plenty of introverted, subtle moments too, which see Ian Ball take the vocal duties, a fine example is 'Other plans'. 'Sunset Gates' ends in a similarly manner to the ten tracks that proceed it, a mix of influences bringing out a relaxed alt yankee style done right in the Gomez way, it finishes with a twist of breakdown brass but will let them off with that! Highlights and Lowlights - Picking lowlights would be a tad harsh as this is a solid album so best concentrate on the pluses. 'Airstream Driver' has boundless enthusiasm with a slack blues influence mixed with some rock riffs and retro keyboards, blinding. Verdict - If you're a Gomez fan (and by the fact their album tour is of Academy sized venues there is still plenty out there) you'll love 'A New Tide'. If you've never heard of Gomez but like a bit of slackness to your blues and folk infused indie then this album is well worth a punt. File Under blues / county / retro indie guitar pop!
Five Sentence Album Review: Mongrel - Better than Heavy (Wall of Sound)
Who: Much has been said about the fact Mongrel are part Reverend and the makers, part ex Arctic Monkeys and part Babyshambles but probably the most important part has been mainly forgotten, that is the rappers as this isn't much of an indie album but has more a rap and hip hop stance. What: It's also very political too, we all knew that the Rev had some outspoken views but they are blown up big time on Better than Heavy. Sounds Like: There ain't much of Arctic Monkeys nor Babyshambles on here but a bit of the heavier side of the Makers, mixed with some skool rap and also a bit of the catchy side of Gorillaz too. Verdict: Those purchasing because of the 'featuring members of…' may get somewhat of a shock but to be fair it's nice to hear a some rap that ain't about money, guns and a bit of ass, serious stuff. File Under: The Rev is preaching again!
SHORTWAVE FADE - DELETIA
Label: Slice the pie
Website: www.myspace.com/shortwavefade
11 Tracks - Length 42 mins 26 seconds
Intro - Hailing from Leicester and describing themselves as indie electronica Shortwave Fade gained fifteen grand to record their debut album via the website www.slicethepie.com This is a website that gives music fans the chance to invest £1 in the next big thing and bands access these funds to record albums like 'Deletia'. The Music - 'Widescreen dream rock' Time Out reads the end of the press release that comes with this album. Often these quotes are taken out of context or not in anyway shape or form half way correct but not this time it's spot on. 'Stay as you are' is a killer start to a splendid debut, it's bright and breezy yet has a big sound and dark under currents, that's no easy combination to pull off either. 'Too late to tell' carries the torch on, they manage to make their sound immediate enough to like on the first listen but with enough depth to return. Chris Holloway's vocals are expansive yet subtle and combine brilliantly with the guitars of Ben Allen. 'Lost in a Hurricane' has more of a distant vocal and has echoes of the now defunct The Departure and The Cooper Temple Clause (at their most guitar based best). It has a blinding tempo and really does rock. 'You were right' brings down the pace to a crawl and attempts a more brittle side and to be fair Chris' vocals don't sound too bad before the song is allowed to break out. 'Now we are weapons' has a coopers sounding title and does have a dark electro vibe, fans of the Reading outfit will love this five minute romp! 'Cover your eyes' has a great back beat, atmospheric vocals and then kicks in the guitars.. totting up the album there isn't a duff track in six, that's pretty impressive shouting thus far. 'Leave' is darker and starts harder before entering Editors territory and then taking off big style, the albums anthem perhaps? The Cooper Temple Clause comparisons return with the brilliant 'Onto the Ark' with a killer tempo, beefy drums, electro influence and infectious chorus, a perfect mix of in your face rock and deep dark undercurrent, splendid! The darkness takes hold with the slow, quick, slow 'Low' about two minutes through it gets unnerving then ends quite suddenly. Title track 'Deletia' mixes regular and affected vocals and pandas about before developing a buzzing beat and breaking loose into a bit of a second half thunderbolt. Shortwave Fade decide to end up in a more refective mood, 'Army of two' shows it isn't just banging tunes as they conclude in a subtle fashion. Highlights and Lowlights - There isn't any lowlights, this is quite a debut album. Verdict - It's great on the first listen but just gives more and more each time you plant into onto the stereo, it's probably the best debut album of 2009 so far. It has got the lot, plenty of pop to such you in and then the dark edges to make you wanna keeping coming back for more. File Under Stunning indie / dream rock / electronica!
Iain Archer - To the Pine Roots
Label: Black Records
Website: www.myspace.com/iainarcher
9 Tracks - Length 39 mins 41 seconds
Intro - Iain Archer has quite a musically pedigree, aside from solo albums he's also been a member of Snow Patrol and indie collection The Reindeer Section. Add to this touring with the likes of Athlete and you've got a man knows a bit about music and to be fair is well respected for it. The Music - 'The Acrobat' states the scene, an acoustic guitar and lovely warm vocals. It's very much in the vain of say a Stephen Fretwell; sometimes referred to as alt country, folk, acoustic but whatever pigeon hole you find it's a nice relaxing listen. 'Songbird' has a title to match it's velvety texture, a splendid laid back tune. There's a bit of question mark over the vocal in 'Black Mountain Quarry', the song is good and a tad more upbeat but the vocal isn't the best and doesn't quite work in the same way as the first couple of tracks. 'Hey mia, Don't be lonely' brings the vibe back down again with just a acoustic guitar and occasional harmonium for company, it sound fragile and quite lovely. 'Everest' is another splendid tune, bit more alt country vibe (think Mojave 3 and you wouldn't be too far wrong) again with special vocals. 'Frozen Lake' has another question mark about the vocals, just doesn't quite seem right so onto 'Streamer on a kite' which is a load more up tempo and has the feel of an early Thrills, bit of a twang in the vocal too. Taking a break from the low key 'Streamer on a kite' is definitely a foot tapping success. 'To mend and move along' comes back down again and the acoustic guitars in finale 'The nightwatchman' are something to behold, a fine well crafted song which just about sums up what Iain Archer is about. Highlights and Lowlights - Plenty of up's on 'To the pine roots'. Archer seems well at home with a relaxed acoustic vibe. 'Songbird' and the fantastically titled 'Hey mia, Don't be lonely' takes some beating. 'Steamer on a kite' is the most up tempo and most definitely pretty pleasing on the ear. The only lowlights are a couple of question marks over the vocals on a few tracks but overall a damn fine listen. But something as good as 'The nightwatchman' deserves a decent audience. Verdict - Looking at Archer, he looks like a bloke who has seen a bit of live and more often than not that's where the best song come from, a bit of live experience. Recorded wholly in Germany, it doesn't have a European feel other than it's well crafted! Iain Archer has a excellent track record and it's maintained by 'To the Pine Roots', lovely. File Under low key, indie and proud!
Morrissey - Years of Refusal
Label: Decca / Polydor
Website: Not Mozer's site but for the ethical treatment of animals as quoted in the sleeve notes visit www.peta.org
12 Tracks - Length 43 mins 27 seconds
Intro - So Moz is back and still riding a wave of critical and commercial success after several years on the indie sidelines. But he's back well and truly into the fold and fully deserving of his indie grandmaster tag, lets face it this man is the daddy of indie. The Music - From the opening chords of 'Something is squeezing my skull' it's obvious that this is vintage Morrissey, it's all there; Boz Boorer excellent guitars, Mozer's unique and over the top vocals plus just take a look at those song titles… 'One day goodbye will be farewell' and 'I'm ok by myself' - need we say more! Highlights and Lowlights - The single 'I'm throwing my arms around Paris' is blatant Morrissey, unashamedly in fact, it's bloody great and you can just imagine the man throwing himself around a stage to it very easily. It does sound a bit lightweight after the booming 'Black cloud' with it's beastly Boorer guitars and banging drums. 'All you need is me' is as good as anything Moz has put out in his vast solo career, musically and lyrically plus a great fly along tune too. Another typical of the pen of Morrissey is the splendid 'That's how people grow old', lyrics that involve the word sweetie, car crashes, bruises, disappointment, sorrow and the spectre of death, usual day in the life of Morrissey then! 'One day goodbye will be farewell' has all the Moz hallmarks, again the usual subject matter, a great tune and all with added trumpets. 'You were good in your time' takes the tempo down and shows off the softer side to Mozzer's voice, quite delectable. It all ends with a damn fine romp 'I'm Ok by myself' is big and bruising with yet more trademark Moz lyrics and a killer breakdown ending. A brilliant way to end a brilliant album. Verdict - Vintage Morrissey. The loyal fans will embrace it and love it like they're own and even the most impartial will find it hard to pick fault with 'Years of Refusal'. It's littered with everything that makes Moz so damn interesting and unique; blinding lyrics, that voice and Boz Boorer's excellent guitars. 'Years of Refusal' proves that he's still got it and cements his place at the head of indie's top table. File Under Greatness.
Steve Craddock - The Kunadalini Target
Label: Mosesley Shoals Records
Website: www.myspace.com/stevecraddockthekundalinitarget
11 Tracks - Length 30 mins 33 seconds
Intro - Ever heard of Ocean Colour Scene, well Steve Craddock was a fundamental part of them and if you haven't heard of OCS (crikey!) then when Paul Weller hits your local venue usually stood to his right on stage is Steve Craddock on guitar. The Music - Bizarrely 'Something better' actually is a request as the opener is really too low key for it's own good. However, as instructed 'The apple' upon which follows it perks up considerably, I guess we all know what we are gonna get from this record, Steve doesn't veer much from his day jobs with Weller (in fact Weller provides backing vocals on 'The apple') nor Ocean Colour Scene. That may sound like a bit of a criticism and perhaps it is a little but let's be fair he knows what he likes and also what he is good at. So this far into his career the confidence this brings shows through with pleasant tunes like 'running away'. Unfortunately like some of Ocean Colour Scene's work it can appear a little too dull, 'You paint your picture' falls into this category and never really goes anywhere. 'The Clothes they stood up in' has a bit of a psychedelic feel with twisted vocals, bit Harrison in fact but not nearly long enough at under two minutes! Straight after 'Still Trying' has a more traditional and straightforward feel but has some great organ parts, really a neat little tune. Not sure about the lyrics in 'It's transcendental' but you can see why Liam Gallagher is quoted on the cover sticker as being a fan with stuff like this, it'd be right up his street. 'Beware of falling rocks' is probably the most stereotypical of Craddock's work. It's well crafted, a fine song with a feel of musical history and Craddock's vocals are actually surprisingly good too. Final track 'Kundalini's target' actually ain't much of a song just the preceding tracks mashed about in a weird and wonderful manner. Highlights and Lowlights - Let's start with lowlights, a few move too far away from alright to a bit dull but without ever actually sound offensive! 'The transcendental' has a good feel but 'The Apple' is the high spot, damn fine tune. Verdict - Fans of Ocean Colour Scene should add this to their collection, as should fans of Weller and the like. Craddock has that vintage sound knocked down to a tee, he knows fully well what he likes - bit of Weller, Beatles, Stones, motown, northern soul and the like then puts a bit of his own (and OCS) personality over 10 or so tracks. Never really jumps up and screams mad excitement but a fine album to chill out with a beer to. File Under chill out to reworked musical heritage.
The Race - In my head it works
Label: Shifty Disco
Website: www.inmyheaditworks.com
12 Tracks - Length 37 mins 45 seconds
Intro - This is the second album from The Race and one that is sure to get their name up in lights because rumours abound is that's a cracker. The Music - 'Begin' really does just that, a one minute opener and it's second track 'I get it wrong' where this album really begins. It's a big, big song with a big, big sound, it's got indie anthem written all over it, smashing guitars (including some early Radiohead crunchy guitars) with a brazen vocal, very much in the mould of Arcade Fire. The bar is raised pretty high by 'I get it wrong' and the standard is kept high with second single 'Rude Boy'. It's based around a blinding bassline that hooky would be proud of with roaring guitars and a unique vocal, not immediate but quite a grower. 'Moorwood' starts quietly before roaring into life, mixing understated with big epic interludes. The press info claims that The Race have moved their attention away from many English bands have instead found solace in bands such as Arcade Fire and The National, they also seem to have a knack of been on similar wavelength to Snow Patrol which isn't a problem either. 'Better to slip away' is a great example of why The Race are a success, vocals that go from understated to a huge, with matching melodies and guitars, splendid stuff. A great melody underpins 'Gloves' while 'Racing car game' gets a bit messier and noisy with the vocals a bit distorted and taking a back seat to hearty guitars, not the finest moment on the album but does show a bit of versatility. It ends in some style too, 'Give me your bible' has blasting guitars mixed with mellow moments and vocals that are up and down, with some lovely backing vox all blended together with some considerable style and grace. Highlights and Lowlights - One of the weakest songs 'Summer' has some good moments but others that just appear too clumsy and a bit shouty. Whereas at their best, and to be fair most of the album is in this vain The Race produce a soundtrack that Arcade Fire would have been well proud of. They have managed to produce some epic tunes and have put the anthem back into indie music. 'I get it wrong' is a blinded as is 'Give me your bible' and there's plenty in-between to shout about too. Verdict - The Race has cooked up quite an album, which should push them right up the indie pecking order. 'In my head it works' is going to work in plenty of heads, not just those five in The Race, give it half a chance it'll be working in your head too. File Under indie, anthems and class!
Five Sentence Album Review: Lily Allen - It's not me it's you (Regal / EMI)
Who: You have to be joking! Lily Allen is one of the most recognisable faces on the UK pop scene, oh and her dad is Keith Allen! What: Second long player from misunderstood pop princess which has spawned the number one single and shadders fav 'The Fear'. Sounds Like: Probably similar to her debut! It's pop throughout, some really clever and personal lyrics from somebody who has really lived the fame game. I suspect that she might get a phone call from the carpenters people over the music behind 'Fuck You' and messers Barlow, Owen, Howard & the other one already have their name on the credits for 'Who'd have known' which has more than a passing resemblance to Morrisons showtune 'Shine'. Verdict: Can be a bit one dimensional at times but overall it's a fine listen and the lyrics means it stands well above the usual pop fayre. File Under: Pop with a bit of a twist and a lot of swearing!
Jake Shillingford - Written Large
Label: Exilophone
Website: www.jakeshillingford.com
12 Tracks - Length 42 mins 41 seconds
Intro - Now this is a bit of a cheat really, this isn't actually a new record as it was released back in March 2008 but we thought it was worthy of a full review as we got it sent to us and Jake Shillingford was leadman of the fantastic My Life Story. MLS came recommended to us from a friend down in the big smoke during the epic Britpop years and they didn't disappoint neither. A twelve piece with full string section, a unique take on big pop tunes mixed with classical instruments and one of the best frontmen of the era. Written Large promises to be a collection of acoustic songs from his MLS days, four new tracks and from his Exile Inside persona. The Music - A collection of acoustic songs it is but also features piano and strings. My Life Story were most famous for big flamboyant tunes and at times Jake Shillingford vocals doesn't really sound at home (title track 'Written large' does suffer), however when there is a touch of pace to the song it comes into it's own and then again on 'Under the ice' it's sensational. Those expecting the big show tunes may be a bit disappointed but sit back and relax with 'Written Large' and it comes into it's own. Highlights and Lowlights - Lets start with the finish as 'Under the ice' back from the My Life Story days actually ends the album. But end it in true style, it is a beautiful song (and always has been) but recorded in this way sounds truly outstanding; sombre strings with the piano driving the song blending splendidly with Shillingford's vocals. Worth buying the album for on it's own! 'Exile inside' is another splendid song this time from post MLS, sounding more beautiful than ever in fact. 'You can't uneat the apple' was always a popular tune from My Life Story and here stripped back Shillingford's vocals sounds better than ever (with lovely backing vox), the song now quite simple in structure sounds just timeless. Verdict - Whilst Shillingford's vocals don't always hit the heights this is on the whole a great collection of songs that deserves to be heard by a big, big audience. Jake has a unique talent and personally that you don't see often in this world of bland tv show pop. As the lyrics go in 'You can't uneat the apple' - thank you for tempting me and this album is very tempting and far tastier than any forbidden fruit! File Under stripped back but plenty of strings and substance.
Roses Kings Castles
Label: Self release via Shellshock
Website: www.roseskingscastles.com
10 Tracks - Length 29mins 04 seconds
Intro - Roses Kings Castles is the solo project of Adam Ficek who is best known as the drummer from Pete Doherty's Babyshambles. But don't let that put you off cause this is where Adam gets to be the musician he wants to be, oh and plays most of the instruments on the album plus sings too!The Music - Don't expect a Babyshambles tribute album cause this is far better and completely different. It's indie with a capital I, beautifully twee and at times just downright pretty. Highlights and Lowlights - Album opener 'Entroubled' sets the standard and tone for the whole ten tracks, neat and tidy with a lovely laid back old skool indie sound. 'Broken homes' is a beautiful little ditty, stripped back except for some well placed strings, Ficek's vocals are exceptionally well suited and there's echoes of the beatles in there too, just simply lovely! Ficek is never better than when he is in indie full flow and 'Burn your town down' is that and then some with a brilliant horn in there too for good measure. 'Folk song' is simply lovely, just a magical vocal and guitar, so simple yet so effective. It's just a shame it's all over and done with in less than half an hour.Verdict - If you love your indie with nice and twee guitars and pretty as a picture vocals then this will definitely float your boat. It's great to hear somebody come out of a famous band and sound nothing like them and really put down his own musical marker. File Under Belle and Sebastian and not Babyshambles.
Five Sentence Album Review: Grand Duchy - Petits Fours
Who: Well it's former Pixies frontman and general allround profilic musican Frank Black / Black Francis and his wife Violet Clark (bit strange that as I always thought he was gay? Actually that might be Bob Mould of Husker Du but don't quote me on that either!). What: Nine tracks that came about more by accident then design. Sounds Like: When Violet is control can be nice and cute yankie indie pop, bit like Dandy Warhols or the like but when Francis is in vocal charge can be a bit harsh and horrible (although Fort Wayne is his highlight!). Verdict: Fans of Pixies will no doubt find something worthwhile here, as will those who like a bit of American alt rock, otherwise try before you buy! File Under: Another guise for Frank Black but more of the same.
It's A Misery Business (Anti Love Songs for the anti Valentine) - Various Artists
Label: Rhino
Website: www.rhino.co.uk
19 Tracks - 1 hour 08 mins 34 seconds
Intro - If we are been cynical about this we could say that it's a big a cash in as Valentines Day itself, hey why not give your emo sweetheart a black rose this 14th of February! Anyway the other point of view is that Rhino records have got together some premier rock, punk, emo and metal together and knocked out a half decent rock compilation. The Music - It's a bunch of rock bands, kinda goes that it's a rocky 19 tracks. Featured artists include Nickleback (who start off the album in true half arsed style), Paramore, Slipknot, Panic at the disco plus UK artists Gallows, Elliot Minor and Biffy Clyro - starting to get the picture yet? Highlights and Lowlights - As mentioned above Nickleback is bobbins but followed by the sublime 'Misery Business' by Paramore gets the show most definitely back on track, a track that could grace any rock album and steal the whole show. Slipknot's 'Dead Memories' sounds more musical than some of their offerings, which is a big plus! Atreyu take the hard arsed metal route, next! Gallows pitch in with 'Orchestra of wolves' which doesn't let up the sonic abuse much neither. Kill Hannah bring some much needed relief and dare I say melody to proceedings, 'Lips like morphine' actually sounds like a love song too! Bring out the pop as everyone's favourite power pop post busted rock combo show their tender side, joking aside 'Jessica' is actually a fair song so hats off to the minor boys. Fucking edits blight one of the best rock tunes from the other side of the Atlantic, Panic at the Disco's 'I write sins not tragedies' has even the damn removed, how rock and bloody roll is that, shame as it's one of the best tunes on here too, shame on you Rhino! If you didn't know Cobra Starship could be Panic at the Disco, everyone loves 'emo pop' then! Simple Plan seem to favour the 'rock ballard' for their inclusion, 'Your love is a lie' is more a let down. Madina Lake show the way, 'Pandora' shows you can marry a decent tune with good hearty guitars. Whilst Kids in glass houses are the first to take a jaunty attack but those trademark emo vocals blend it back into crowd rather than make it stand out which is a shame. The amps are kicked up a good few notches as Fighting with wire live up to their barbed name, 'Everyone needs a nemesis' does pack a good tune despite it's harder centre. Then as if by magic pings one of the best songs of 2008 and the highlight of Biffy Clyro's long career. 'Mountains' is a blinding song and for all those buying the album cause of the high American content this is the song that should really bring them back across the ocean with a vengeance. Bit of a disappointment for Billy Talent, as 'Try Honesty' can't live with Biffy at all, too much shouting and obvious melodies. 'Better off with him' sounds like a good Feeder romp but turns out to be A, weird. Jacks Mannequin have a great name and 'The Mixed tape' ain't bad neither, good pop content with melodies but still plenty of guitars for your money. Talking of good names, the best on the album award must go to Cute is what we aim for! 'Loser' takes the well-worn Panic at the disco patch, plenty of nice melodies though and pretty pleasant all the same, in fact sounds a bit like Elliott Minor! Amanda Palmer win the award for best song title with 'Leeds United' but it's a strange choice to end this compilation with. It ain't exactly a big rock tune and it sounds like there is brass and a piano in there! A big quirky indie tune but not really on the same wavelength as the rest of the album. Verdict- As with most compilations you can't please everyone all of the time and this album is no different. It's a fair mixed bag but there is plenty of excellent rock on here to merit its existence. Still think it's as much a cash in on the whole Valentines Day nonsense as buying a card and plastic rose from Clinton Cards. But at least with this album you get the likes of Biffy Clyro, Paramore and Panic at the disco for your money here and they shouldn't be gathering dust come March! File Under - Make rock not love!