Those of you with a finger in the general music pie will have noticed the slice that consists of folk music (or influences thereof) has had huge surge in popularity over the last 2-3 years. Some have cleverly named it “nu-folk” (after a certain metal scene some may recall from the start of the last decade) and, with the recent, inexplicable rise of acts such as Ellie Goulding, it seems that it is still having pretty sizeable influence. Britain is more sensitive that many had realised.

The most notable bands to come from this new trend include the excellent Mumford & Sons (featured here), Laura Marling, Noah and the Whale and today’s focus Bon Iver (pronounced “Bon-ee-veir”, it’s amalgamated from the French “bon hiver” meaning “good winter”).

After spending 3 months locked away in a log cabin in Wisconsin and armed with only a few instruments, Justin Vernon - the man behind Bon Iver – emerged with the beautiful and fragile album from where we take today’s lyrics of the week. For Emma, Forever Ago (written for a real ‘Emma’ although probably not that long ago) is an album for the new age, sensitive music buyer and is a heart-wrenching and brilliant drop to the depths of sadness. Tracks such as Flume, Skinny Love and The Wolves (Act I and II) are not only melodic, hypnotizing songs, but also have a real fragility about them thanks in no small part to Vernon’s wonderful, falsetto voice.

Vernon sings in this haunting falsetto voice (with a small nod to Neil Young) throughout the album but it’s on today’s track Re: Stacks that it really comes into it’s own (you can hear it below). It’s a beautiful, six-minute folk epic that is, for me, the undoubted best in the Iver canon and just so happens to contain the best and most poetic of all Vernon’s lyrics.

There are many parts of this song that could just as easily filled this page but the final few lines of the last verse stand out above the rest:

“This is not the sound of a new man or a crispy realisation.

It’s the sound of the unlocking and the lift away.

Your love will be safe with me”

Not only does it sum up the preceding song, but it also has the same effect for the rest of the album. It suggests that the narrator (Vernon, in all likelihood) has not changed or become “a new man” but is now accepting his loss. The second line is an excellent metaphor for how the song (and his creating of the album) is the result of him accepting this acceptance. He has unlocked his grief and it’s become a weight off his mind.

The final line is perhaps my favourite of not only this song but the handful of LOTWs I’ve done up until this point. The best lyrics are mostly the simplest ones and this is a perfect example. As well a being a brilliant line on it’s own, in this context it suggests that the love the narrator and the former partner shared will still always be there, but there’s no sadness anymore, just a great memory. In a funny sort of way, it’s a happy ending to the album.

If you haven’t already got For Emma, Forever Ago, then I strongly urge you to get it. It’s a fragile, beautiful and frankly timeless masterpiece that really should be up there when the “greatest albums of the 21^st century” lists do the rounds. There has been a lot of hype (much of which you can read above) but, as occasionally happens, it really is justified.


Visit Bon Iver or their MySpace

Get the album.

Re: Stacks is the standout track from an already outstanding album, which you’d be insane to miss. I’m fresh out of superlatives so I’ll let the track do the talking. Listen or download at the Mother-Blog on Wordpress.

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Review: The Rebs - In a Heartbeat

A few weeks back I attended my first gig outside of the capital for a long while and, whilst I didn’t expect to be disappointed, it’s fair to say my expectations were lower than usual. Someone once said that when it comes to music, London is the place to be and although it may be where most record labels are situated, an energetic and marvellous performance from Southampton based band  (and last year’s ‘Road To V’ winners) The Rebs, proved categorically that there’s plenty of success to be found outside the big smoke.

They took to the stage in a unusually professional manner and it was immediately obvious from the moment the synth line of album and set opener Would I Remember swung into view, that we were dealing with a group a league above the rest. The energy lasted throughout and lead singer Russell Edmonds continued to roll out melody after melody that had the room buzzing.

I’ve since come in the possession of their debut album In a Heartbeat and, as is customary on this blog, will proceed to give my opinion.

First off I should say that The Rebs aren’t that original. The best summary would probably be a cross between the Killers and The Kooks although the latter does do them a fairly large injustice. They’ve taken the best bits of the both those bands and formed them into a dynamic album that hints at being something more than simply indie.

As I mentioned above, opener Would I Remember immediately sets up what the band are about. It’s one of the stronger tracks on an album full of singles and contains a fist-pumping chorus that reminds of The Automatic in their prime (and on that single), and semi-title track Always In a Heartbeat has brilliantly crafted electronics that sit expertly within the crashing drums and overdriven guitars. It’s clear just two tracks in that these guys have won awards for their song-writing.*

The melodies don’t end there.  Keep Smiling is a impressive, Zutons inspired pop track that is ready made for the festival circuit this summer and first single Don’t Fool Yourself is a clever track and is perhaps the one that really stands out from the album. Not only is it excellent as a straightforward indie-cum-pop track, its use of strings and pads really lends the song an authority that lifts it out of teenagers bedrooms and into the mainstream.



If there was a criticism to be made, then it’s perhaps that the album does feel like it’s repeating itself. On the the band's myspace, influences are listed as “Artists with great songwriters - we like singles” and whilst that is refreshing to see, it wears towards the business end of In a Heartbeat. Songs such as Leave it all Behind seem a little like they’re forced to fit with this mantra and make the album seem like a singles collection than a cohesive album.

Whilst it would be nice to see some development and a small injection of variety, In a Heartbeat is an excellent debut from a band that really is on the rise. Songs such as Would I Remember and Don’t Fool Yourself (both below) ensure that this rises from the ashes of the fading indie scene and arguably rises above its predecessors. It’s an unrelentingly catchy and well-produced collection of songs that’ll form a great soundtrack to the summer and is a commendable effort from a band that is as good live as any other I’ve seen this year.

They might not be breaking too much ground yet, but they’re certainly having a great time trying. Remember the name.

*Don’t Fool Yourself won both Best Pop Song and Best Overall Song at the Exposure Music Awards that, I’m reliably informed, are judged by a panel of assorted experts.



Visit The Rebs or their MySpace
Get the album on iTunes

Don't forget to visit the Mother-Blog on Wordpress to get album opener Would I Remember and award-winning single Don’t Fool Yourself. Both are brilliantly catchy and are the perfect soundtrack to the summer.

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Review: Exit Calm - Exit Calm

Rewind back to 2006 and Exit Calm hardly existed. Struggling local heroes that had yet to approach anything resembling the big time and, after a sudden break-up, lacking a front man and a leader.
But come screaming back into the present and Exit Calm are on their way up fast. They’ve found an excellent frontman in Nicky Smith and after releasing their self-titled debut last Monday (17th May), have set the bar high for this summer’s new music.

Happily for you dear readers, I am fortunate enough to posses a copy of this album and after a few weeks of digestion and appreciation, I’m going to share my thoughts with the (English-speaking) world.

The album starts as it means to go on (and actually how it is the whole way through) with six-minute opener You've Got It All Wrong which, from the moment the atmospheric guitars home into view, is a pounding and ethereal journey through musical space. The album is produced to the bands strengths (by UNKLE collaborator Paddy Byrne don't you know) and forms an integral part of the overall sound of the album, which is evidenced on this first track. Not only does the song stand out, but the way guitars drift across the mix and wash into the drums is something that really enhances it. Many parts pay only fleeting visits but it’s these extra attentions to detail that expand the song and pull you in.

When You Realise is a ballad of sorts (it’s a bit slower) that recalls Ocean Rain era Echo & the Bunnymen and one of my personal favourites, Reference, is a powerful and intense song that has all the good flavours of The Verve and Mainly Genius stalwarts The Boxer Rebellion, but with a kind of downward pressure that makes the listener really sit up and take notice.

However, Exit Calm are a smart band and it’s no coincidence that current single Hearts and Minds is the outstanding track from the album. It’s got the strongest melody and is the track where everything seems to click into place. The bass and drums anchor the song and form a concrete base on which atmospheric guitars dart and cascade under Nicky Smith’s floating melody. He declares “It’s a fight between your heart and mind” as the song gradually comes to a raucous conclusion that serves up massive drums and huge guitars in spades.

One criticism that has been levelled at the band is repetition. There is a very set and rigid sound that they’ve adopted and a departure from the constant drums might've helped to break up the album and bring it back down to Earth. To be frank though, I’m not sure I really agree with that especially considering the beautiful (and yes, atmospheric) closing track Serenity. Exit Calm is what it is and that’s an atmospheric, powerful and ethereal journey of great songs. If you’re expecting variety then that can be found elsewhere.

Like many before them, Exit Calm will probably be declared Britain’s latest great band, but this time there could be a small grain of truth hidden away somewhere in that statement. The album they’ve produced is a fantastically epic and atmospheric journey through space and shows a real knack for melody and a confident and slightly unique sound that really deserves success. If you’re a fan of Interpol, Editors or any number of similar bands I urge you to give this album a go, you won’t regret it.

Exit Calm are on tour throughout the summer and you can find tour dates and purchase the album on their website or myspace. If you head to the Mother-Blog on Wordpress, you can hear current single and album highlight Hearts and Minds and also the beautiful closer Serenity.

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Lyrics of the Week #3: Alberta Cross - Ghost of City Life

This week’s marvellous instalment comes from New York based rock band Alberta Cross and, more specifically their excellent 2009 debut album Broken Side of Time.  It combines elements of country, pop and straight-ahead rock to form a refreshing and upbeat album that is one of those records you find that you keep playing.

The only song on the album that isn’t upbeat however, is where we get the lyrics of the week for today. Lyrically speaking, album closer Ghost of City Life does pretty much what it says on the tin, that being a sorrowful lament for an unnamed and faceless city. It’s a beautiful track in it’s own right and that is only enhanced by it’s rueful and almost angry lyrics. They’re great the whole way through but for reasons of capacity, I’m only going to share on the first verse:

“How about believing? How about some faith?

I’m tired of remorse. How about some truth now, honey?”

An immediate attack on an unnamed target not only presents some subdued anger, but also has hints of regret and sorrow that gives it a real fragility. The questions asked show that the narrator has reached  breaking point and suggest in the following line that they’ve perhaps become tired of being blamed or being forced to accept defeat.

Whilst these lyrics suggest the breakdown of love, the song’s title references disillusionment with city and it’s unforgiving nature. We could surmise then that the ‘honey’ referenced in the lyrics could be a personification of the city and that the anger that the narrator feels, or the truth that they wants is directed at an unnamed city that has broken them.

Overall this is beautiful song and one that is of great value on an album of rock. Don’t forget you can get it in it’s entirety over at the Mother-Blog on Wordpress and, if you like what you hear, I really urge you to give Broken Side of Time, the album from which it’s taken, a listen.

Alberta Cross are a band that are getting the success their music deserves and I for one, am a huge fan.

Visit Alberta Cross and get the album.

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Review: Roky Erickson & Okkervil River - True Love Cast Out All Evil

Okkervil River are a great band. As a fan for a couple of years now, it’s always exciting when they release new material.
Their 2005 album Black Sheep Boy is a prime example of their quirky, twisted pop-rock sound and is rightly considered their masterpiece. Songs such as The Latest Toughs and For Real conjure real interest with their slightly left-of-centre lyrics and almost lo-fi production. Even slower numbers such as So Come Back, I Am Waiting and A Stone has a primal element amongst the grace and sadness that only adds to the power of the song.

As you can see from my little mini-review, I’m a fan of Okkervil River. However, I was more than a little surprised to see that their latest venture was in collaboration with aging psychedelic rocker Roky Erickson. I mentioned in my post about this year’s SXSW festival in Austin, Texas (from where both artists hail), that they could be an interesting combination and one that I boldly predicted will really hold their own. Erickson’s heartfelt lyrics should sit well with Okkervil River’s quirky, lo-fi but ultimately pop-based instrumental qualities, I said.

But now I’ve finally come into possession of True Love Cast Out All Evil, the album that came from this newly formed group, I’m not so sure.

It starts with the Okkervil River boys firmly in control. Along with closing track God is Everywhere, album opener Devotional Number One is one of those kind-of-arty, deliberately lo-fi tracks and has all the hallmarks of the band. However, odd chord changes and deliberately poor sound quality might work on an Okkervil River record, but doesn’t really highlight the strength’s that lie in Erickson’s fragile voice, only serving to be unnecessarily harsh and slightly irritating.

And it’s a theme that doesn’t just lie at either end of the album either. Whilst there may not be much more lo-fi sounds, songs such as Birds’d Crashed and Be and Bring Me Home still seem forced and at times overcomplicated. Be and Bring Me Home stands out as a track that has been to far removed from Erickson’s country style and this results in a song that sounds to much like Okkervil River for it’s own good. Again, as a stand-alone Okkervil River track, it works. But Erickson strains to hard to fit in and overall just doesn’t blend.

However, all is not lost. Not by a long way.

The title track is a prime example of when the collaboration does work. Along with Goodbye Sweet Dreams, it becomes less obvious that it’s Okkervil River leading the way and sounds much more like a group working together. Erickson’s interesting and dark lyrics are cast in a new light, whilst his voice is given a different life thanks to the clever use of guitar sounds. Please Judge is a heartfelt plea to justice and Bring Back The Past is upbeat and pop-inflected tune that really would’ve sounded great at SXSW 2010.

However, it's Forever that's the highlight. There is some over-complication that occasionally creeps in to , but the quality of the song and the ethereal sense that it has trump any doubts. Starting with a slow acoustic guitar, it slowly builds into a track thats not unlike The Flaming Lips circa The Soft Bulletin. Guitars dart all across the musical spectrum, an organ underpins the pounding and relentless drum pattern and Erickson’s finest hour comes as the song builds into a marvelous finish.

So all in all, True Love Cast Out All Evil was a touch underwhelming. Maybe I should’ve expected a little less with something that’s only part Okkervil River, but their musical history is littered with brilliance that’s hard to ignore. The album feels as though it was a bit rushed and contains an unsettling air of insecurity. Overall it’s good, but not great. Exciting, but not for to long.

However, I must stress that if you get the chance, True Love Cast Out All Evil is worth checking out despite my negativity. Tracks such as Forever, Goodbye Sweet Dreams and Bring Back The Past are gems and make the album a worthwhile buy. With time, Roky Erickson & Okkervil River will improve and the songs will go with that. All the right elements are present but perhaps not in the right order just yet.
Understandably, fans of Okkervil River might be a little unsure as would those of Roky Erikson, but I’ve no doubt that this collaboration will win many more fans for both artists and for them as a group, than it alienates. I look forward to the next installment in as much hope as excitement.

Visit Roky Erickson & Okkervil River and get the album.
Visit Okkervil River (and get the brilliant Black Sheep Boy)
Visit Roky Erickson

Don't forget to visit the Mother-Blog over on Wordpress to get hold of Goodbye Sweet Dreams and album highlight Forever in their entirety. Both are excellent examples of when the combination of Okkervil River and Roky Erickson really does work. Dark and melodic, they're well worth a listen.

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Lyrics of the Week #2: The Boxer Rebellion - Flashing Red Light Means Go

Yep, week two has arrived already and I’ve not got bored of this series just yet. This week’s entry comes from Mainly Genius favourites The Boxer Rebellion. They're the band that words such as “spacious” and “really fucking massive area-sized rock” were made for (as my review of 2nd album Union will attest).

So why this song? Well for a start, the song itself is corker. Starting with tumbling drums and Nathan Nicholson’s instantly graceful vocals, an acoustic guitar slowly builds into a frantic and busy chorus before the song ends with another soaring crescendo and is bookended by Piers Hewitt’s excellent, jumpy drums.

However, the lyrics are the reason why we’re here though and it’s the opening two verses that I wanted focus my attention on. They're about love (and the loss thereof) there’s no doubting that, but what sets them apart is the view of love that the lyrics suggest:

“What’s the use in my advice that you just turn down?
Swaying to a serenade, you never hear a sound.
But I know you know now.

Generate the false alarms; the verdict: counterfeit.
Flashing lights to bring you back from who you’re running with.
But I know you know now”

The narrator isn’t longing for a lost love or expressing his feelings about a broken relationship. It seems that he longs to protect more than anything else.
Beginning by bemoaning the fact that he is never listened to, he then proceeds to suggest that the former love is crying for help by generating “false alarms” and that only “flashing lights”, presumably those of a police car or similar, can bring her back and enable his protection.

The final line of each verse is interesting and as well as telling us of the relationship that once was, also contains a hint of the feelings that are still present. In saying that “I know you now”, it suggests that he sees through any charade that may be occurring and is only interested in protecting and helping.

So all in all, an interesting and clever set of words and in a style that really sums up the album well. The Boxer Rebellion aren’t happy with straightforward lyrics and the alternative angle and clever wording really help to enhance what is already a fantastic record.

You can hear Flashing Red Light Means Go in it’s entirety on the Mother-Blog over at Wordpress, and don’t forget to purchase Union, the fantastic album from which it is taken.

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Lyrics of the Week #1: Simon & Garfunkel - Sound of Silence

So as is traditional, let’s kick off with week one. Today’s entry comes from folk greats Simon & Garfunkel, with these words specifically written by Paul Simon. Lifted from their breakthrough 1966 album of the same name, Sound of Silence is one of those fantastically simple and awe-inspiring songs. The haunting electric guitar (interestingly not composed by Simon) sets a bleak outlook, which is ultimately reversed by Simon’s wonderfully building melody, and the dated drums  serve only to add to the power of lyrics, giving them centre stage.

“Hello darkness my old friend, I’ve come to talk with you again.”

Simon & Garfunkel – The Sound of Silence (1965)

Mrs Robinson aside, these are probably the duo’s most lasting lyrics and so they should be. The chilling familiarity and casual nature of the words are devastatingly simple and yet very effective as they paint an instant picture that is clear to us all. For my money this is Simon’s best work (musically and lyrically) and is a great introduction if you’re not already a fan. They come thoroughly recommended and you could do much worse than starting with this very album.



So that’s it. I chose a great one to start and they’ll be plenty more where that came from in the next few weeks. You can hear Sound of Silence in it’s entirety over at the Mother-Blog on Wordpress and don’t forget to get the album if you haven’t already (which, as I go to press, is at an insanely low price).

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My New 'Thing' and Some Upcoming Reviews

First of all readers, an apology. My university career has been a stress-filled and busy place of late, but I can happily report that I have come through unscathed and now near the finish line for three years of hard work. All this however, has caused some neglect to my writings and for that I am sorry. But never fear friends because I have returned and to mark this moderately notable occasion I’ve decided to start a series of sorts entitled “Lyrics of the week”. Catchy, eh?

Something I’ve always wanted to do is bring back lyrics to their rightful place and to have them considered in the same league and under the same ‘rules’ as music. All to often they’re ignored as a vehicle for a vocal melody and good lyrics are easily missed in bad songs (see Born In The USA) and poor ones missed in great songs (see Hey Jude).  They are after all, the poetry of music.

So I’m going to attempt to write a little bit of that wrong.

Each week, I’ll pick a verse, chorus or just phrase from a song that I like or you might’ve missed and herald it’s virtues. There’ll be no philosophising and no great essays, just me appreciating some brilliant and beautiful words.

You've probably noticed the first one directly above this post and it's a cracker to start (Simon & Garfunkel's The Sound of Silence to be precise).


Also, keep your eyes peeled for some new reviews on the way soon. I've a few promo CDs and plenty of MP3s waiting to be dissected, including the forthcoming album from Exit Calm (myspace.com/exitcalm) and also Mainly Genius idol Paul Weller might sneak his latest offering in these hallowed, virtual pages.

So watch out for that and until then enjoy Louis Armstrong (because I've just bought a CD of his and it's fantastic!).

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