Albums of 2010

Welcome along blog fans, and welcome into the first few days of another shiny new decade.  We’ve left behind what has been another enjoyable and emotional year and, as is common at this time of year (and last year), I will be doing a round up of sorts detailing what I believe to be the best of all the musical offerings in 2010.

So, head over to the Mother-Blog on Wordpress now to see my top 10 of the year. You'll also be able to hear music from The National, Manic Street Preachers and Frightened Rabbit!

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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.

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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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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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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.

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Review: The Black Atlantic - Reverence For Fallen Trees

Some of you may have noticed that it’s been a while since I posted here and that is, in part, down to the fact that there simply hasn’t been anything that inspiring recently. However, it’s also because I’ve become a bit more focused on discovering, and thus reviewing, newer or relatively unknown material. There’s something to be said for seeing a CD hit number one in the charts, but nothing beats that feeling of discovering something you love that is privy to you and few others.

It’s from one of these forays that I landed upon Netherlands-based band The Black Atlantic and their debut album Reverence For Fallen Trees, which can be downloaded for no cost on their official website. I must admit that they are not an unknown act and are in fact fairly successful in both their native Holland and across the water in the US. Indeed this month will see them play at the South By Southwest Festival in Texas in addition to a North American and European tour. So that’s my new leaf turned back over then.

So, on to the album. There’s no mistaking the style these guys are going for and it’s pretty clear from the outset of album opener Baiulus, that what follows contains minimal drums and maximum emotion. This album is not groundbreaking and, as much as it pains me to say, could well be described as ‘nice’. Plucked guitars and soft harmonies are all very good (and they are well orchestrated), but it leaves little to stand up and be listened to. Often the music becomes background with many of the songs merging into one another.

You may think this sounds like a harsh judgment but please bear with me because it’s not. Lets look at the album as a whole as that’s what it is. The digital revolution has not yet distorted everyone’s view of the ‘album’ and The Black Atlantic firmly come under that umbrella. This is an album of songs that are to be digested and enjoyed in one go and should not be allowed to become background music. This is not something for a party nor even a small social gathering. This is not something to give to your family (although they would probably appreciate the gift) nor is it something to be to put on in the office.

What it is, is something to be enjoyed in it’s entirety with no distractions. Set aside thirty minutes of your time to enjoy a band working in harmony, producing an enjoyable album that doesn’t need to be groundbreaking to be great.

As individual songs I’m a little lukewarm in my enthusiasm for Reverence For Fallen Trees but there’s no doubting the clear talent and harmony within this group. As a result, you won’t be blown away, but you’ll find it’s time well spent. And, come to think of it, when those songs are together it really is a very good record.

Visit The Black Atlantic and download Reverence For Fallen Trees on their official website.

And get the Vinyl or CD from their official store.

If you don't fancy the full album you can get the MP3s of Madagascar and I Shall Cross This River from the mother-blog on Wordpress below.
Both are stand-out tracks from the album with Madagascar being a particular Fleet Foxes inspired favourite of mine. However, I would recommend you get the whole album and have listen through as these tracks on their own don't do it full justice.


The Black Atlantic - Madagascar


The Black Atlantic - I Shall Cross This River

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Review: Delphic - Acolyte

At last it’s well and truly over, at least for another year. Christmas and New Year is always a hectic and fairly misshapen time of year but as we’re well into February, it’s time for things to return to normal and, more importantly, time for some shiny new reviews.

First up is the debut album Acolyte by electronic-indie band Delphic , a band recently voted into a BBC poll for the ‘Sound of 2010’ (who, it seems, have now branched into predicting the future in addition to producing ‘Hole In The Wall’), and do look set for big things.

Having another electro-indie band with tight jeans and swept hair is always a risk in this saturated market but refreshingly is one that pays off and, what’s more, one that puts up an early contender for album of the year.

First song Clarion Call opens the album in style and immediately shows us what Delphic are all about. By combining pulsing synths with flowing strings and underpinning this with thumping drums, it allows not only for a fresh and clean sound but also one that affords real space for frontman James Cook’s call-to-arms melody, which adds a real sense of a song and power to proceedings.

And in similar fashion, 3rd single Doubt does contain all the elements that should make for unoriginal and frankly boring electro-indie music but in reality it simply doesn’t. There’s no doubt (pun not intended) that the synths are an important part of the band but they are never allowed to overtake the real focus of producing a good, catchy song. And rather than shouting a meaningless collection of words, it’s clear that Delphic posses a frontman capable of writing some brilliant pop melodies that when coupled with his engaging lyrics, sets them apart from the check-shirt indie crowd.

Album tracks Remain and Submission follow this pattern along with 1st and 2nd singles Counterpoint and This Momentary, all embracing the use of electronic synths and loops whilst keeping the Rock stylings of the guitar, vocals and melody at the forefront.

Counterpoint in particular is an obvious standout track, which despite its upbeat nature has real element of resignation about it. Cook sings “just tell me nothing’s wrong today” and even through the jumping drums and the shooting synths we can really believe him.

If I was to have one complaint, it would be that for all it’s clever use of electronics and samplers Acolyte clocks in at over 50 minutes and that, for an album of 10 songs, is probably to long. Red Lights and the instrumental title track both fall into this trap with the latter in particular seeming to drag and become unnecessary on more than one occasion.

But this is a small blot on what is an excellent album. Acolyte combines all the twists and turns from synths without ever letting it get in the way of the meat and drink of the song. An indie band for those who aren’t so interested in lens-less glasses and one for who big things are certainly going to be happening. Pulsing, flowing and above all brilliant so believe the hype and get the album.

Visit Delphic

Buy Acolyte on iTunes or Amazon

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Review of 2009: Part One – Albums of 2009

So it’s that time of the year again and it has been for a while. It’s time for us to take a musical look back at 2009’s best moments.
The ‘Review of Year’ format has been around forever and has been done to death, but I think I can squeeze a few more in.

For the first part of the review of 2009, I’ll be picking out what I believe are the albums of the year. They’re not strictly in order and there’s only eight if them but as always, I’m sure you’ll wholeheartedly agree with some and unquestionably disagree with others.

Anyway, all the action is over at the mother-blog on Wordpress. Simply head over there to check it out!

http://mainlygenius.wordpress.com


If you agreed with some, all or none of the list then don’t hesitate to let me know. Leave a comment or send me a carrier pigeon.

Next up is the artists of 2009…

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Guest Review: Paolo Nutini – Sunny Side Up

Those who heard Paolo Nutini’s 2006 debut breakthrough These Streets heard a 19 year old with a big future. Acoustic-based singer-songwriters aren’t hard to come by, but Paolo’s accent, rock band set-up, and good looks set him apart and gained him media coverage and plenty of adoring fans.

But its 2009, and he’s on the difficult second album. Still only 22, after success with singles such as Last Request and Jenny Don’t Be Hasty, the record company would certainly have been hungry for a good follow-up.

Sunny Side Up was released at the end of May just in time to be the soundtrack for the English summertime. And when the first single was released, listeners could have been excused for thinking it was going to be a familiar second album, despite Candy being a good track. Paolo singing to his lover over a delicate, acoustic 4-chord set-up seemed pretty in keeping with the majority of These Streets.

However, come the album’s release, you hit the play button and the first thing you hear is a brass section with some free playing organ in the background. With a ‘Hey!’ from Paolo, we’re suddenly in reggae mode and it is unbelievable. I found myself picking up the CD inner expecting to see the words ‘Producer: Mark Ronson’ but I was glad to see the name Ethan Johns instead.

This first track, 10/10 clocks in at under 3 minutes and is a perfectly fun, catchy song, but needless to say it’s a massive shock. Paolo’s band are barely audible for trumpet and keyboard.

But as we get past those 3 minutes, it seems he has struck a much nicer balance. Coming Up Easy, released as the album’s 2nd single, charted at only number 62 in the UK charts, his lowest charting single to date. However, for me, it is clearly the best song on the album. There is an almost motown-esque vibe to the song, but importantly the band is back in full glory. Brilliant Hammond organ riffs compliment, and with very small motifs the brass is completely welcome come the second chorus.

However, the golden moment of the song, in fact, the golden moment of the album comes in the final section of Coming Up Easy. The band drop down to just a simple snare-rim beat and the bass moving between two notes, echoed by the organ. The stage is set, and in a low swooning voice Paolo declares, “It was in love I was created, and in love is how I hope I die”. The drums signal for the band to rise back up together, and with Paolo singing higher the tension rises.

As Paolo lets out his rockier side, he hits his peak and it sounds simply brilliant. The band continues to jam for another minute, and it’s worth it. Each repeat sees the band playing harder and harder, and with Paolo improvising and wailing more on each line it’s a minute of magic which, despite there being 10 tracks left, is never quite matched on the album again.
The third single from the album was Pencil Full Of Lead and was undoubtedly the most popular. Banjo strums in the background along with playful drums, but oh my, the trumpets are most definitely back, along with everybody’s favourite – the harmonica solo. By the time Paolo is amongst it shouting incomprehensible words (and at the end murmuring), it just sounds like the equivalent of a 12-bar jam that 14-year-olds would consider blues. On the plus side, its only 2 minutes and 27 seconds long, and its meant in a much more fun manner than a bitter old man like me is willing to accept. But the brass intro really should make you cringe as well…

Growing Up Beside You, like Candy, sees the brass ditched, and more of a country influence comes in. Like he did so often in These Streets, Paolo is singing about his youth, and although the layered vocals grow tiresome quite quickly, the songs do work well and deserve their place on the album.

The second half of the album opens with another motown influenced number – No Other Way has more than a little in common with Coming Up Easy. A little more laid back, but still - the structure and the ideas are essentially the same, with another big note hitting ending from Paolo. It serves best as a reminder of Coming Up Easy and is in no way of the same quality.

Tricks Of The Trade is another high moment on the album. It’s just a man and his guitar, and it’s a welcome break. In the chorus Paolo sings ‘Lord, how our glory may fade, well at least we learned some tricks of the trade’, over effectively cheap sounding acoustics. It’s what was good about These Streets and it is definitely still worth hearing.

However, Chamber Music is an incomparably bad version in the same style. And when you’re hearing the harmonica blaring out of the speakers in what could conceivably be interpretations of Johnny Cash off-cuts such as Simple Things and High Hopes, it seems worth just pressing stop and starting the album again for a few tracks.

The thing is, Sunny Side Up sounds like two albums in one. One is a motown or soul album with reggae-esque beat influences, and the other is These Streets gone country. Or, These Fields.
For a second album, keeping the old fans happy whilst offering something to potential new fans seems a good way to go. And maybe making such a big change wasn’t such a strange move after all when we look at it like this. After all, there is no point in making the same album twice, as has been the downfall of many one hit wonders over the years.

However, the album still doesn’t quite feel right jumping from one to the other, and although Paolo still has a tremendous and unique voice, his broadened sound is one that is still developing. I’m looking forward to the next one.

Tom Stephens,
Visit Tom at http://youtune.tumblr.com


Buy Sunny Side Up on iTunes or Visit Paolo Nutini

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Review: The Flaming Lips - The Soft Bulletin

1999 was a fairly boring year in the grand, musical scheme of things. Notable releases came from old hats Blur and The Red Hot Chili Peppers and it also was the year that broke Sigur Ros and Eminem. But unless you’re an Eiffel 65 fan, that’s about it.

Fortunately for us however, 1999 was also the year that The Flaming Lips chose to release The Soft Bulletin and, ten years on, it still sounds just as fresh and original as it did then.

From the moment the raw drums of Race For The Prize kick in, The Flaming Lips transport you to their own world of psychedelic rock and only allow you to return after being transported around subjects such as Nobel prizes and astrophysics, and while it’s quite clearly an album from an experimental band, they’ve managed strip away the inaccessibility often found in the genre. The longest song clocks in at a non-progressive five minutes and fifty five seconds and there’s no over-the-top arrangements and no unnecessary guitar solos.

What we’re left with is the unusual song titles and their offbeat lyrics from the ‘70s, coupled with a melodic sheen from the ‘90s. This easily avoids a rehashing of bands from past decades and creates a progressive rock sound for the MTV generation.

After rip-roaring opener Race For The Prize, we move onto second track and album highlight A Spoonful Weighs A Ton. Opening with a black and white movie string section, it drifts along as an optimistic and uplifting song before, without warning, dropping into a Led Zeppelin inspired breakdown and emerging the other end as the uplifting track that entered around thirty seconds previously. It shouldn’t work, but effortlessly does.

Third track The Spark That Bled has an almost ethereal opening and soon develops into a relaxed call to arms against an unspecified oppressor, as evidenced by the refrain of “I Stood Up and I Said Yeah” and the final few lines of the country inflected bridge:

“The outreached hands had resigned themselves,
To holding onto something that they never had…
…'Cause in reality there was no reaction”

Similarly to A Spoonful Weighs a Ton, the floating sound of the song and the themes of the lyrics shouldn’t match up but they do. They work together to reinforce the idea and perhaps make it more effective.

After the almost instrumental The Observer and excellent, universe-filling track What Is The Light?, we find ourselves at the album’s second single and another standout track.

Waitin’ For a Superman is musically, the most straightforward track on the album. A simple four or five chord pattern, backed with stomping drums that deviate very little. It’s this simplicity however, that gives the song it’s weight and allows frontman Wayne Coyne’s actually quite sombre lyrics to really come thorugh. As the title suggests, this is song about disillusionment and the lyric “Is It Getting Heavy?”, is a direct question to a non-existent ‘superman’ who cannot deal with the problems as he should be able to. The final verse brings the song hope that works well with the track’s major key and shows that Coyne hasn’t lost faith in all of humanity after all:

“Tell everybody waiting for Superman
That they should try to hold on best they can”

Although these lyrics might at first seem wasted on such a simple and, musically speaking, happy track, it’s for precisely these reasons that the song has a weight and sadness that is better than any ballad would manage.

The only time the album gets close to losing itself in a psychedelic cloud is on ninth track The Gash. Despite having a chorus that is worthy of the album, it is lost somewhat in the mass of voices that form the basis of the track. A choir sings the majority of the melody and but for the booming drums and actually very good vocal melody, consumes the track in it’s unnecessary feeling of heaviness. I should point out this is a very minor and is probably more of a gripe with the mixing rather than the actual song

Dreamy but not pretentious, The Soft Bulletin sees the band move away from previous, more experimental sounds and embrace an almost childlike pop style. It has a pop sheen that is coupled with a fantastic sense of experiment that compliments the albums higher lyrical themes whilst remaining firmly on the ground. A concept album without a concept, it was the album that propelled The Flaming Lips out of the underground and firmly established them as one of the best and most popular bands to come out of the 90s.

On second thoughts, I don’t think I’ll bother with that Eiffel 65 review.

Buy the CD here Download the MP3s here Visit The Flaming Lips here

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Review: Editors - In This Light and On This Evening

Ok, try to picture the scene. You’d burst onto the music scene with your critically acclaimed debut album, you’d then followed that up with a shiny, well-produced second album and now you need to release a third one push up to the next level. What do you do?

Well if you’re in Editors, you break out the synths and release In This Light and On This Evening.

Unfortunately, the 80s revival doesn’t come together quite as well as planned and often lacks the power and melody of previous efforts. Lead guitars are mixed lower, drums are less intense and despite lead singer Tom Smith’s best efforts, the songs are ultimately suffocated by the need for retro sounds.

However, it’s by no stretch a bad album and it’s clear that this a band who aren’t happy to produce the same material over and over. Title track and opener In This Light and On This Evening has an aggressive, almost dirty bass that drives the song and results in what is arguably one of the finest Editors track to date and first single Papillon features an uplifting chorus that could have happily featured on more mainstream second album An End Has A Start.

Other highlights include the industrial darkness of Eat Raw Meat = Blood Drool and album high point Bricks and Mortar, one of the rarer times when the lo-fi sound really gels with the band’s passionate style.

All too often however, In This Light and On This Evening sounds incomplete and feels more like a collection of experimental demos rather than a new direction for the band.
Beneath the layers of retro noise, ballad The Boxer has a real fragility about it that is suffocated by the need for a synth at every opportunity and a lo-fi drum sound that has all the musicality of somebody sneezing.
Similarly, Walk The Fleet Road is overpowered by the use of electronics and although it doesn’t feel as forced as The Boxer, it still sounds muddy and again suffocates Tom Smith’s vocal melody.


Overall In This Light… is an album from a band in transition and is bold step, but ultimately one that doesn’t do the band the justice they perhaps deserve. It has some chilling moments of darkness and Editors should be applauded for pushing themselves and their sound in new places and nearly making it work.
Deep down inside is an impassioned beast waiting to emerge with what this album could have been, had the balance been struck.
Editors will be more successful, that’s for sure, but with In This Light and On This Evening as the necessary stepping stone, true success won’t come until next time around.

Visit them - http://www.editorsofficial.com

Or buy on iTunes

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Review: Long Dead Signal – Long Dead Signal

Sometimes it’s fate that brings people together and I’d like to thing that I was introduced to Long Dead Signal by a similar method. At a guess, I’d say that most of you are not familiar with their self-titled debut EP and, were it not for a chance encounter only two months ago, neither would I be.

Whilst I was attending a function in Nottingham, these guys played an excellent set and, fortunately for me, were handing out free copies of their debut EP.

So, is it any good?

Well, yes it is rather. Despite only being three songs long, and clocking in at a poptastic eleven minutes, it has an twisted feel that is dark in sound and shows that indie needn’t be so boring (or happy).

Opening track Again introduces us to the band’s signature, almost dissonant guitar sounds, and the passionate and confident voice that the lead singer possesses.
However, on reflection it’s probably the weakest of the three tracks and never quite develops into the finished article, despite the chorus sounding much bigger than it has any right to.

Second track Red Lines is, how Long Dead Signal should be represented, and features an opening sequence that showcases a mature and confident vocal performance not to dissimilar to a lamenting Thom Yorke, and soon develops into a something more familiar and powerful. Despite the band’s best efforts, Red Lines never loses its unsettling and slightly fragile edge, showing courage from the band that they could easily have shied away from.

Final track, Twizzle, is how album opener Again probably should’ve sounded and feels more complete than it’s predecessor. It’s familiar chiming guitar feels much more liberated and complements the grittier vocals better, and although it’s nothing new, Twizzle is a strong track that has a definite sprinkling of Muse about it.

Overall then, an interesting and slightly left-of-centre indie record that, despite the below-par production values that blight it, shows potential that might yet see a bigger audience. Long Dead Signal is a courageous debut, which is becoming all to rare in the current indie climate.

If Indie is your kind of thing, then you could do a lot worse than to check out with these guys.

Now if they can just raise the money for Abbey Road…

Visit them: http://www.myspace.com/longdeadsignal

Or add them: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Long-Dead-Signal/65637908242

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Review: Boxer Rebellion – Union

Before we begin, a heartwarming tale:

In 2003, The Boxer Rebellion looked set for big things. They played ahead of Keane at Glastonbury, signed with Britpop supremo Alan McGee and won themselves a support slot with The Killers.

But just as things were taking off, lead singer Nathan Nicholson became very ill and the band was forced to suspend all activities, including touring.

Fast-forward two years and the band finally released debut album Exits to a very favourable critical reception and, as before, they looked destined for success.
Just two weeks later, their record label imploded leaving the band with no label, no backing and no money.

Now here comes the heartwarming bit.

In January of this year, after lead single Evacuate was made available for free on iTunes, self-financed second album Union, became an overnight success. It shot up the download charts and just five days after release, it was number one in the US and number four in the UK. In it’s first week it outsold Kings of Leon, Coldplay and MGMT. It didn’t just match them, it outsold them.

Union got it’s long-awaited physical release on this side of the pond in September and to commemorate this (and the fact that it’s really very good) I thought I’d check it out.

Let me be straight with you, Union is excellent. And I’m so pleased. Reaching the top of any chart requires some kind of quality control, but it would’ve been very easy for the all the hype to get a little out of hand. Thankfully, it justifies itself with room to spare.

Union sets it’s stall out from the very beginning, making clear from the moment the galloping drums of opening track Flashing Red Light Means Go enter, we’re set for lush, arena-sized rock that recalls both Sigur Rós and Radiohead in their prime.

Acoustic layers eventually give way to a enchanting falsetto of “Tell us why you’re leaving” before all too soon we’re onto second track Move On. Signature galloping drums signify more of the same, which is really no bad thing. Lead singer Nicholson sings an aggressive refrain of “move on”, cleverly positioned in contrast to the previous track’s sentiment but proving no less effective.

Lead single Evacuate is quite easily the stand out track, and features more than one killer hook. After an unsure and lamenting verse, the chorus heralds a realisation. Jumping up a gear, Nicholson sings:

“Wait. When there’s nothing left to waste.
On a promise I can make.
You don’t want no one this way. Wait”

No longer unsteady, the singer knows what is required. The music straightens and fills out to form an excellent backdrop for the strained melodies.

Album tracks Misplaced, Semi Automatic and album closer Silent Movie, show a darker side to the band, allowing the exceptional lyrics to realise their true potential before almost always drawing to a thumping and, there’s that word again, arena-sized close.

It must be said that by the time we reach seventh track, Forces, the galloping drums begin to get tiresome and, despite the track’s killer chorus, make the song sound more predictable and laboured than perhaps it should.

Similarly, the guitars are superb for the most part, but as we move towards the album’s conclusion, there is a growing feeling of déjà vu that places tracks such as Semi Automatic in the bracket labeled ‘Album Tracks’. If the song were stripped to it’s bare bones, this would seem a wholly unfair assessment but, as before, there is a slight underlying sense of autopilot.

However, these are small and insignificant points. The soaring melodies and enchanting falsettos more than make up for any shortcomings and lyrically, the band are at a stage that many bands twice their age have yet to reach.

Frantic, dark and heart-wrenching all at the same time, it’s not difficult to see why Union propelled The Boxer Rebellion into the musical limelight and up the charts. Here is proof that maybe hard graft and top quality music can win through in the end.

Feeling heartwarmed yet? I certainly am.

Please visit them at: www.theboxerrebellion.com

Or buy on iTunes

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Review: Simple Minds - Graffiti Soul

So Simple Minds are back with a new album, their first in twenty years. The first since they stopping making music after releasing decade defining hit, Don’t You (Forget About Me), in 1984. Right?

Well no, actually. Don’t You (Forget About Me) was released in 1984 but, after a cursory glance at one of the internet’s most reliable encyclopedias, it transpires that Simple Minds never split up or really ever stopped making albums.

Graffiti Soul is the latest offering from the Glaswegian band, their first since 2005’s Black & White 050505, and their 16th overall. That’s right, 16th.

From the moment album opener Moscow Underground swings into view, it’s clear this is group who are feeling re-invigorated and, while they may not have hit top gear yet, they’re enjoying it all the same.

What we get is a natural sounding album. It doesn’t overpower and is comfortable, clear and most of all exciting.
While some of the songs may lack the killer melodies, the guitars sparkle throughout and Jim Kerr’s familiar vocals sound as strong and engaging as they did all those years ago.

Lead single Rockets and follow up Stars Will Lead the Way are the standout tracks, and recall a sound that perhaps the band should be more recognized for.
Opening with an U2 type guitar riff, Rockets shows the band’s ability for a good pop arrangement, but also manages to keep an edge that maintains it’s rock credibility, whilst Stars Will Lead the Way has the hook that probably deserved a much higher chart placing than that which it obtained (#88 in Germany).
Light Travels is a bold song that takes us back to the mid 80s with subtle lyrics and confident drums, and is followed by Kiss and Fly, which has some of the cleverest guitar playing to be found on the album.

However, to say that this album is without fault would perhaps be rash. Tracks such as Blood Type O and This Is It are relegated towards the end of the record and despite good intentions, lack the grace and melody of other tracks. There’s a nagging feeling of incompletion that surrounds these tracks, the feeling that maybe the band were happy to make a decent album, rather than risk creating a bad one.

Nonetheless, Graffiti Soul is an excellent return and should be treated as such. It has more than enough quality to keep the older fans happy but contains the melody and grace that has Simple Minds sounding like they mean it again and deserves respect from a new generation of fans.
Despite there being over 30 years since we first heard from them, the band are showing no signs of letting up. With a newfound enthusiasm and an excellent return to form, I’m very much looking forward to next 30.

Visit them on - www.simpleminds.com

Or iTunes - http://bit.ly/3xYUmO

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Review: Rural Life - It Was Me, It Was You, It Was About Saying Goodbye

Rural Life is a group who have been with me for a while but about whom I’ve never succeeded in writing. I’m ashamed to say that despite being on my iTunes for a little under five months, I never really allowed them a fair portion of listening time until recent weeks.
For those of you who’ve never had the pleasure it’s about time you bucked up your ideas.

It Was Me, It Was You, It Was About Saying Goodbye is the debut EP from the duo Rural Life (chief songwriter Andrew Chu and producer Alex Beitzke), and although it doesn’t immediately grab the listener as one might hope, it soon becomes difficult to turn off.
Opening track Mid-Autumn suggests a pop edge that lines the collection and doesn’t tie it up in complex guitar sounds or chord sequences. Although perhaps one of the weaker tracks, this and subsequent track Mountain Air allow the listener to adjust themselves to the lower octave vocals and appreciate the clever arrangements, that come into their own as the EP progresses.

However, it is not until track three, Yours, Eli that It Was Me… really comes into it’s own. A devastatingly simple chord sequence underpins the first verse before the track subtly builds into a short tale of love and loss, making full use of the album’s careful and smooth production.
From here, we move through the more upbeat numbers Oh! There It Is Right There with its nod to Jack Johnson and Life On Film, giving the ukulele another run out, before we are once again drawn into the sixth track, Firstborn.

Although initially not overly different from earlier tracks, it is soon clear that Firstborn has a melody that requires the listener to…well…listen.
Following the EP’s loose themes of departure, jealously and love, it talks of a Mother with her family (and firstborn child) and the jealously of not being a part of that. At it’s core it contains no more than five or six chords but it takes more than just a cursory glance to realize that this is all there is to it.

With the dial firmly set to ‘stripped back’ we move past shortest track, Sometimes and reach the EP’s closer Saying Goodbye.
Recalling the smooth electric guitar sounds of earlier track Yours, Eli, it sums the EP up nicely. Simple and clever production compliments the feeling of resolve and relief the track evokes. Not trying to end with flurry does the album no harm and succeeds in having the memorable effect that a barrage of guitars or vocals might have done.

Needing no showy vocals, no extra guitars or no over-the-top production techniques, It Was Me… shows a maturity and simplicity that is seldom seen in the age of the Arctic Monkeys, and tips it’s hat to releases by Bon Iver and Johnny Cash, while retaining it’s own sense of identity.

It’s by no means perfect, but shows enough potential that suggests that somewhere down the line, we might get something that will be approaching just that.
While some might argue it’s nothing you’ve not heard before, I would happily bet it’s something you’d like to hear again and again.


Visit them on MySpace: http://myspace.com/clickclickbuzzbuzz

Or iTunes:
http://bit.ly/Ag8J4

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