Review: Tom Stephens - Division (EP)

Before we go anywhere I must offer my apologies for my lack of recent posting. As is often the case during the summer months, I’ve been away having much fun and neglecting this blog. But I’m here now and before I leave you all again, I’ve managed squeeze in a little gem for your listening pleasure. And the good news is that’s totally free.

Today’s offering comes from the guitar of singer/songwriter Tom Stephens and his first outing as a solo artist. Spending most of his music career to this point as frontman for various different bands (one of which springs to mind…), this short EP marks a departure from rock music and is very much in the realm of all that is acoustic.

Opener My Rosie is unquestionably the highlight and isn’t just your usual singer/songwriter fare. Whilst all the pieces are there for a Damien Rice regurgitation (acoustic guitars, double bass, strings), what we actually get is a dark and slightly angular track that makes full use of the acoustic guitar’s resonant capabilities. Tom’s impassioned and rough-round-the-edges voice adds real character and emotion to create a clever feeling of sympathy rather than tear-jerking sadness.

Whilst the EP doesn't quite rise to these heights again, the Nick Drake inspired strings on third track Family Tree, are another interesting play on the normal format. It begins nicely enough, but it’s not until the strings rise and sway that the song really begins to lift and show how a simple chord pattern can be given a new life with the simplest of additions.

However, despite the excellent string arrangement and high quality of songwriting, I can’t help but feel that the EP is a touch overambitious and muddy in places.

The double bass employed on It Could Happen To You should work in principle but on the record it just doesn’t sit well with the acoustic guitars. It sounds clunky, overcomplicated and actually works against the stripped back simplicity of tracks such as the aforementioned It Could Happen To You and My Rosie.

And despite the beauty of the string arrangement on Family Tree, it’s sounds separated from the rest of the song. The acoustic guitar struggles to cope with the depth and vastness a string section brings and, if drums or percussion aren’t an option (which is understandable), perhaps there’s a case to be made for the stripped back sound we hear on the rest of the EP, to come into play a little more rigorously here.

But please don’t misunderstand me. Overall this is a very accomplished record. The high production values are a welcome change and should be a template for others in the same genre. Similarly, the quality of songwriting stands above many of those with far greater reputations and hints something very exciting to come.

Whilst it may not be the finished article yet, it’s an extremely solid base on which to build and is up there with Dark Mean’s Music Box (EP) as my favourite free download of 2010.  Get it while you can.


Download Division (EP) for free or visit Tom Stephens

Over on the Mother-Blog are My Rosie and Family Tree from the excellent and soulful Division (EP) by Tom Stephens. My Rosie is available to download but you can get the whole shebang for free right here.

Bookmark this post with:

• 
• 

Lyrics of the Week #5: Elbow - Station Approach

As the 5^th in an ever-expanding set, I felt this week’s edition of Lyrics of the Week (or LOTW #5, if you prefer) needed to be a bit more upbeat. Not necessarily happy or overtly positive, but something that’s not about love. To that end I have settled upon Manchester band Elbow as the band of choice and in particular, their song Station Approach.

It’s taken from the 2005 album Leaders of the Free World and is an unquestionable Elbow classic. Starting with a simple acoustic guitar line and accompanying piano, it’s grows and grows as the emotion in singer Guy Garvey’s voice builds until booming drums and expansive guitars see the song through to a anthemic conclusion. As with much of Elbow’s work, the song itself is magnificently simple and is testament to the power of a good melody and clever arrangement.

However, the most important part (in this instance at least) is the lyrics and is of course, the reason why we’re here. As is becoming habit, I’m looking at the first verse:

“I haven't been myself of late. 

I haven't slept for several days. 

But coming home I feel like I 

designed these buildings I walk by”

As this may or may not reveal, this song is about coming home. Nothing metaphorical, just the simple pleasure and excitement of returning home. As a feeling, many of us know it and as a song, Station Approach is the perfect soundtrack to that event.

The first two lines not only describe the feeling of displacement and homesickness at being away, but also cleverly double up to highlight the butterflies and the excitement as the time of going home approaches and lines three and four echo that sentiment. They expand on the feeling of familiarity in a brilliant and (that word again) simple final line that distils a collection of emotions into one clear and concise sentence. The picture it paints never fails raise a tiny, contented smile.

I’ll admit that these are not the most poetic of lyrics or the most romantic, but that’s why I love it. It’s hard to write about happiness, but these lyrics capture a small moment of delight we all feel from time to time and the excitement we get from being with family, at home.

I would thoroughly recommend not just the album from which Station Approach is taken, but also any of the records in the Elbow canon. Don’t let the Mercury Prize sway you, each album is as good as the other and you can do much worse than start with Leaders of the Free World. Clever, melodic and hugely enjoyable, I urge you to hear the unique sound of one of Britain’s best bands. You won’t regret it.

Visit Elbow or their MySpace.
Get Leaders of the Free World

If you visit the Mother-Blog over at Wordpress you'll find the excellent Station Approach for your listening pleasure. Simple and brilliantly driven, it’s an Elbow classic that should be cherished.

Bookmark this post with:

• 
• 

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.

Bookmark this post with:

• 
• 

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.

Bookmark this post with:

• 
• 

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.

Bookmark this post with:

• 
• 

Review: Dark Mean - Music Box (EP)

They say nothing in life is free but fortunately for us they’re wrong. As long as you discount the cost of buying a computer and connecting it to the Internet, Canadian indie-pop band Dark Mean’s most recent offering Music Box is just that. I first came across Dark Mean via Eaten by Monsters last year, happily downloaded their first EP frankencottage, and ever since I’ve been waiting for an opportune moment to write about them. And here it is.

Released in mid-February of this year, Music Box is the second EP in a cycle of three and for my money is the better of the two so far. In contrast to its predecessor it seems happier both musically and technically, creating a sound that is contented in it’s own skin.

Kicking off with the jovial title track shows this very well and what might seem like a conflict of interests between sombre lyrics and uplifting music actually works rather well, giving the words an air of hope that otherwise might not have been there. More of the same follows on Piano & Beat before standout third track Acoustic.

As it says on the accurately named tin, Acoustic is an acoustic lament of the simplest variety and is similar to title track Music Box in it’s style. Again featuring the feeling of hope, Acoustic differs when it strips away the horns and drums and moves towards something more primal (or as primal as indie bands can be) and is something that feels very much from the heart.

The EP ends with the only actual sad track Dark Banjo and despite feeling a little forced (and slightly out of place), it does the job of proving that Dark Mean aren’t simply about happy banjos. They can make a decent fist of sad ones too.

Ignore the pragmatic song titles and dodgy band-name (the lead singer is named Mark Dean…) and give Music Box a whirl. It’s a competent and enjoyable follow-up to what was a good debut and is easily worth fifteen minutes of listening time.

You can get both EPs for free via Dark Mean’s official website or have a listen to Music Box and the excellent Acoustic over at the Mother-Blog situated on Wordpress.

Bookmark this post with:

• 
• 

Audio: Delphic - Clarion Call

Pounding, call-to arms opener taken from Delphic' debut album Acolyte.

By combining all the right elements of Electro, Rock and Pop, Delphic have produced an excellent debut album of which this is just the start. Singles Counterpoint and Doubt are as good, but neither sound as impassioned or swagger quite as much as this one.

Listen to Clarion Call by Delphic on the Mother-Blog at Wordpress.

Bookmark this post with:

• 
• 

The Flaming Lips - Race For The Prize (Audio)

Taken from the aformentioned album, The Soft Bulletin.

Storming first track, which showcases the album's experimental yet accessible style and singer Wayne Coyne's higher lyrical themes.

Listen on Tumblr

Bookmark this post with:

• 
• 

(Audio) Editors - In This Light and On This Evening

Title track from the aforementioned Editors album.

Standout track from the transitional, third album that has the agression and passion to become an instant Editors classic.

Listen on Tumblr

Bookmark this post with:

• 
• 

(Audio) Long Dead Signal - Red Lines

Taken from the self-titled debut EP.

Standout track that shows maturity and fragility, while also maintaining an element of gritiness that should please most Indie fans.

Listen on Tumblr: http://bit.ly/3bBM68

Bookmark this post with:

• 
• 

(Audio) The Boxer Rebellion - Soviets

Taken from the aforementioned album, Union.

An excellent track that not only showcases a great melody, but also a lyrical maturity that matches up with the enchanting falsettos and spacious guitar sounds.

Listen on Tumblr

Bookmark this post with:

• 
• 

(Audio) Simple Minds - Stars Will Lead The Way

Third track taken from the aforementioned LP, Graffiti Soul.

An example of a great melody that is complimented by sparkling guitar lines and excellent arrangment.

Listen on Tumblr - http://bit.ly/1jW9JQ

Bookmark this post with:

• 
•