The Chemical Brothers - Further Album Review (2010)

Tom Rowlands and Ed Simons return to their DJ roots for album seven.

For In One Ear (thanks again SG!).

Tom Rowlands and Ed Simons have returned to their DJ roots for their seventh album Further. Or so The Chemical Brothers would have us believe. Ever since the name-change inspired debut Exit Planet Dust fifteen years ago, Tom and Ed have produced consistently beguiling, intriguing and wonderful music fusing electronic big beats with equally big name guest vocalists. But no album since has attempted to capture the essence and the raw energy of the debut; the swirling vortex of sounds that blend into one another to create a huge behemoth of duelling, almost improvised, dance music. This was attempted on the last album We Are The Night, most notably the excellent Saturate and mesmerising Burst Generator (later included as part of the original Battle Weapons series on the Brotherhood singles) - both born from an old-school experimental approach. This is a spectacular u-turn in the wake of previous album, the brilliant Push The Button.

The big difference with Further is the (optional) inclusion of visuals. The full version of the album is a DVD of videos to accompany each song, developed by Adam Smith and Marcus Lyall, the stark vibrant images moving in time with the music. This isn’t quite the collaboration that formed Gorillaz but something much more subtle, with videos designed to compliment the music and not the other way round. Without these, Further is still a captivating audio experience. From the slightly subdued opener Snow, gliding from Morse code to pulsating psychedelia within a laboured five minutes, to the epic shimmering shoe gazing indie of Wonders Of The Deep, the Chemical Brothers deliver their most understated work to date. There are no big obvious singles, no hard-hitting dance floor fillers, and no epic stadium finale. It is like one massive slow build-up that ends in chilled-out ambivalence.

At nearly twelve minutes, the mighty Escape Velocity is an early highlight. As the remnants of Snow melt away (too obvious?) in the first minute, the soundscape builds in the second to be replaced suddenly by stuttering and wavering bass that finally gives way to drums and synths. This is typical Chemical Brothers given a low-fi treatment. Four minutes in and things really take a discernable shape and almost immediately descend into a slow whirling vortex of bends and curves, to build again at the half way point, this time with more purpose. A serious lull forms much of the seventh minute before a Beatles-esque cacophony of noise brings back… much of the same. The final three minutes is livened by a mix of textures, more swirling beats and neat layering before it just fades away into a series of repeated bleeps.

Of the rest, Dissolve is an obvious crowd pleaser, sitting somewhere between Tomorrow Never Knows and Oasis circa Be Here Now. A central riff is revisited constantly and held together with buzzing space-aged circuitry. This is built around a familiarly obvious framework of loud, quiet, loud into the last pulsating minute and a half. Disappointingly it chooses to fade out rather than go out with a bang. Likewise Swoon is also impressive, after an uncertain opening suddenly jumping into life like a long lost Orbital masterpiece. “Just remember… to fall in love”, echo the vocals over and over within the siren-like synths. It all comes together when the drum tracks kick in and the ideas start to flow, the start/stop formula used with expert effect. Easily the high point of Further. Following this, K+D+B is more soulful but lacks substance and a decent vocal arrangement. And Another World could be Lemon Jelly at their most eclectic with Rowlands on rare vocal duties amongst the shifting backwards beats and cymbal-heavy percussion. But at the heart of Further is the absurdly good Horse Power. Only the Chemical Brothers could pull off such a stupendous near-six minutes of repeated vocoder and horse samples and make it sound even vaguely like a credible piece of music.

Further isn’t an immediate triumph but it’s certainly interesting. The Chemical Brothers continue to set a high standard and in trying to return to the musical style that inspired them, and brought their sound into the mainstream, they have taken less of a u-turn and more a sidestep. The lack of high profile collaborations (the understated inclusion of Stephanie Dosen aside) is a positive here. Further is much more real, much more intimate and personal, and much more a Chemical Brothers album, because of it. And the live shows will be as good as ever, with or without visuals. But you can’t help thinking that in making the kind of album they wanted to in the early years, the Chemical Brothers now lack many of the big ideas that got them this far.

-- CS (for In One Ear)

Crystal Castles - Crystal Castles (II) Album Review (2010)

A review for In One Ear. A really frustrating listen.

The duo of vocalist Alice Glass and producer Ethan Kath became Crystal Castles in 2004 when Kath (at the time a solo musician) asked Glass to provide vocals for a collection of instrumental tracks. He was looking for the ‘missing ingredient’ and appeared to find it when a secret recording session turned into the debut single ‘Alice Practice‘. The band’s debut is an astonishing mix of vibrant 8-bit computer electronica, punk and dance that sounds like it was formed within the twisted insides of a 1980 Pac-man arcade machine. And now, following the band’s diverse eponymous debut, the second album has, imaginatively, the same name. It is equally diverse but not in a good way.

As you might expect, when Crystal Castles (II) is good, its very good. And this immediately shows a promising progression. Gone are the thumping drums, the spiky keys and the distorted howling vocals and in comes soft, gliding serenity and Glass actually attempting to sing, even though for the most part you can’t hear her clearly - but not because the feedback is too thick but due to the marshmallow production. The early highlight is undoubtedly Celestica and a great example of the band’s new found shimmering pop sound. Glass delivers a perfect vocal melody and explosive choruses while Kath adds some harder edges. But with the exception of some curious squeaks and bleeps, the song mostly stays the right side of listenable. The effect is not too far from Dubstar in their prime. In almost the same way, but with added vocoder, Suffocation uses the same approach, never threatening to descend into noise and chaos. It takes a while to get going but Empathy is equally vibrant, a constant juxtaposition of pulsing beats, gliding strings and soft vocals.

The flip side of all this is the big problem with Crystal Castles (II). Opener Fainting Spells is designed to put off the casual listener. As a manic mix of screaming vocals, razor-edged keyboards and disjointed drums, even Trent Reznor would struggle to justify this to kick off a new album. Likewise Doe Deer (at just over a minute and a half and laughingly released as a 12 inch single), is just as awful. What makes this even more horrible is a great guitar riff throughout the nonsense. Continuing the pain, the vocals on Baptism drag the whole thing back to the bad old days, and Birds is ruined by some absurd electronic blips. Intimate is okay for two minutes forty seconds and then for some reason it all gets stuck in a seemingly endless barrage of noise. Then Crystal Castles (II) closes as it began, with I Am Made Of Chalk - a truly agonising random mess.

But it is the middle ground that lifts the quality of the rest. The Jónsi (Sigur Rós) sampled Year Of Silence is inspired, Violent Dreams is oddly downbeat and Vietnam, also with vocals provided by Stina Nordenstam is wonderfully inoffensive. The upbeat Pap Smear gives a late lift as does the jolly Not In Love, with an even more bizarre robotic vocal production and stadium-esque finale.

Sometimes a band is its own worst enemy. Whether Glass is reluctant to let go of her punk roots or Crystal Castles (II) is the sign of a band heading slowly (and reluctantly) in a new, more stable, direction is open for debate but the fact remains: the album suffers from several stupendous (mis-)judgement calls. Given that there is a wealth of material and the good trying to make up for the bad, Crystal Castles should not be criticised for lapsing back to the sound that made the band’s early sound and debut release such an engaging prospect. But such is the gap between the tuneful and the tuneless that it doesn’t take a genius to work out which is the right approach - even if this means compromising style for substance. Crystal Castles really needs to make this distinction.

-- CS (for In One Ear)

Suzanne Vega - Close-Up Volume 1, Love Songs Album review (2010)

A review for In One Ear.

Here’s an idea. You’re a brilliant and well respected New York folk poet with seven superb albums and countless great songs, spanning twenty five years in the industry. What is your next move? The inevitable swathe of greatest hits? The live compilations? A Motown covers album in which you declare that you‘ve always loved the music and it was a massive inspiration even though you‘ve never mentioned it before? No, what you do is make four new albums of your own previously recorded songs. Precise, clean, honest, beguiling and fantastic in equal measure, Close-Up Volume 1, Love Songs is a new take on old material spanning Vega’s entire back catalogue.

As a collection of ‘love songs’, there are some less than obvious, and some very obvious, choices. A trio of albums boast nine of the twelve songs with no place for anything from the wonderful Days of Open Hand. You can argue that Book of Dreams is a perfect love song, as is Men in a War and we can only hope that they are both featured on another of these new quartet of records. Likewise you could pick most of the songs from Nine Objects of Desire and omit Headshots (which is featured) and include much of Beauty & Crime. But compilations are always subjective beasts and the listeners interpretation of what is a love song is not always aligned with the artist’s. This explains the material reworked from Songs In Red and Gray, written in the wake of Vega’s marriage break-up and now given a fresh retrospective, and more measured, take.

The trio of songs taken from Vega’s eponymous debut are amongst the best. Small Blue Thing is stripped of the sharpness and the distant vocal production, pushing Vega’s distinctive voice right into the foreground. The cluttered chorus is replaced by something much more ethereal. But the real surprise is the new version of the superb pop masterpiece Marlene On The Wall, slowed to a more sedate pace and simplified. The wonderful guitar work is still present but, like the vocal, pushed to the fore. The snide nasal bitterness in Vega’s voice is removed as is the percussion. Some Journey, a little known album track, is a brave choice given a new chance to shine. Not one of Vega’s best but it floats and drifts mysteriously at the end of Close-Up Volume 1, Love Songs unfolding as Vega muses on the possible roles in a relationship - a theme explored many times throughout her music.

Gypsy, the only song from Solitude Standing is treated exactly the same: the essence of the song is preserved within a new production and much cleaner sound with simple guitar and Vega’s exquisite matter-of-fact delivery creating the second instrument. In contrast (If You Were) In My Movie is rerecorded in very odd way, somewhere between the intimately acoustic and trying to get close to the original. If there was an obvious low point of the album it is this misjudgement.

Nine Objects of Desire is the source of the next three songs and more odd choices. Headshots, as mentioned, doesn’t strike as an immediate song of love, lust or even infatuation until the song steers that way into the last minute. And the slower delivery is very laboured. Caramel, which questionably features on Tried and True (1998s best of compilation) is actually a better version mainly due to Vega’s updated vocals and a very crisp acoustic guitar melody. And the overtly sensual Stockings is even more sultry, enhanced by a much clearer vocal, as if Vega is whispering a forbidden encounter to a lover rather than retelling a sordid tale to an much wider audience.

From the later work, there is more correlation with the vocal arrangements on the songs. This doesn’t stop Vega conjuring up a few diversions. From Songs in Red and Gray, (I’ll Never Be) Your Maggie May is given the bare bones treatment (gone is the harpsichord and percussion and in comes acoustic guitar), making the music and words stand out. In an album that deals with the before and after of divorce, the title track has little of the understated drama of the original but all of the pain. If anything the lack of huge musical movement and no production on the wordless chorus adds to the stark empty feeling. Harbor Song is equally stripped, most notably the bass and drums.

Close-Up Volume 1, Love Songs closes with Bound from Vega’s most recent album Beauty & Crime. The original is a superb piece of dramatic theatre with breathless angelic vocals, big drums, a guitar driven interlude, before a string laden build up to a magnificent soaring finale. How Vega reworks this in a new way is to go straight to the other extreme. And it works beautifully. No bass. No strings. No drums. Just a guitar and a voice.

Suzanne Vega is a legend to some and, in spite of diminishing commercial success in the last decade and the fact that it took a remix by DNA to make Tom’s Diner her biggest hit in 1990, she has continued to make music unlike anyone else. The quality of the song writing, the musicianship and performance on Close-Up Volume 1, Love Songs is not in question here but you have to ask yourself: what is the point of this endeavour? This feels as much a cathartic experience for Vega as it is a musical gift for the listener. She is not only trying to remind us of how great her songs are; she is trying to remind herself. But a huge part of music is time and place, a moment captured with all its purpose, perfections and faults, never to be redone. So the skill is to retain and enhance, respect and add new relevance. Suzanne Vega has found a unique way of revisiting her own brilliant music.

-- CS (for In One Ear)

Seth Lakeman - Hearts and Minds Album Review (2010)

A review for In One Ear. Thanks to SG for this one :)

Seth Lakeman is for some the poster boy of the English folk scene, born in the heart of Dartmoor in a region soaked in history, heritage and stories, he now has an impressive trio of albums under his belt. From the battlefields of Freedom Fields and the oceans of Poor Man’s Heaven emerges the honest open-hearted politics of Hearts and Minds. For this album, Lakeman has enlisted the talents of prolific producer and recording engineer Tchad Blake who has worked with artists as diverse as Elvis Costello, Suzanne Vega (on the brilliant 99.9F), Crowded House (the acclaimed Woodface) and Cheech & Chong (yes, really). On his working relationship with Blake, Lakeman described it as ‘a good learning experience’ and working together ‘has moved things forward’. The result is, even in the heavier moments, a softer collection of songs - the predictable violin always present accompanying Lakeman’s trademark earthy rasp.

A perfect example of the new ‘melody’ driven approach is the brilliant Stepping Over You, with quiet subtle verses exploding into vibrant flowing choruses. The song starts with simple banjo and vocal before filling in after a minute. Easily one of the best songs Lakeman has delivered, perfectly judged and controlled. This is a chance to muse on spirituality: ‘the secret scars that we all bear, as saints or sinners rising up from the earth into the air…’. This is reinforced with the final words: ‘learn a lesson if you can, a great belief is, in the hearts of every man’. But this is not just empty headed controversial liberalism, this is a message for a changing time echoing (somewhat fortuitously) the recent shifting political landscape in the United Kingdom. Spinning Days is also an early moment of seriousness. Not that Lakeman isn’t serious, but this is a very obvious fusion of control and melody designed to get even the most hardened gig goer reaching for the nearest lighter.

Hearts and Minds hits hardest when a more direct message is required. Opening with the title track and getting the more obvious rhetoric out of the way quickly, Lakeman seeks to separate the ‘suited men from the public schools’, attacking bailiffs and standing up for farmers, to remind us that there are ‘people in constant need’. This is in massive contrast to the less militant messages conveyed by most of the album. And the instrumental finale would make The Levellers rethink their entire approach to music. Superb. Likewise The Watchman is a metaphor for surveillance culture, ensuring travellers ‘a safe journey’ but really watching their every move. The middle ground is reached with See Them Dance. Instead of just adding a violin track, Lakeman works the song around it, creating a core thread for everything else to hang onto. More brilliant song writing.

Sometimes in a quest for something more mainstream Hearts and Minds veers slightly off track. Tiny World is bouncy folk-pop with a horribly trite chorus and a very thick string arrangement. This translates into an even thicker vocal collision later on. A bit like organised chaos, albeit annoyingly engaging and charming. Tender Traveller tells the story of a man on the run and ultimately accepting ones fate but the message is stretched thin. In the same way Hard Working Man stays just the right side of patronisation but the idea is stifled by an inane delivery.

Elsewhere there are a few surprises. No song deviates from what you would expect but some get close. The stabbing Signed and Sealed quickly moves from the more traditional to weave in eastern rhythms as the story is told, that of a man doomed to die in pursuit of wealth (’his mortal life caught and bound with one final debt to pay’). Immediately preceding this, Changes is delicate and poised, oozing just a bit too much radio-friendly charm. To finish, The Circle Grows is beautifully executed and after a wayward second half this gives Hearts and Minds some much needed stability.

Seth Lakeman has approached his fifth album with a wide-eyed optimism combined with deep rooted realism of the modern world. Much of the themes here involve injustice and prejudice, both modern and historical. It doesn’t always hit the mark and sometimes the message is confused and conflicted but that is the nature of tackling the big issues. Instead of steering away, Tchad Blake has pushed Lakeman further into those things his critics want him to leave behind with startling results. As a song writer Lakeman adds relevance by championing the common man rather than resorting to obvious and empty handed rabble-rousing. The core of folk music is story telling and Seth Lakeman is not only getting better musically but also narratively. Great musicians are great story tellers and this makes Hearts and Minds a progression and a triumph.

-- CS (for In One Ear)

Lisa O Piu - When This Was The Future Album Review (2010)

A review for Altsounds. Great to find this and even better that the album was better than I thought it would be. Engaging stuff.

Not a person but a band (well, a person and a band - Lisa ‘and more’), Lisa O Piu is a Swedish six-piece led by singer, song writer, guitarist and flautist Lisa Isaksson. The band’s debut album When This Was The Future is deliciously paradoxical and ironic, sounding for the most part like Kate Bush in her 1970s folk phase. This could also be a new take on the retro approach of Goldfrapp’s Seventh Tree, either of the recent Bat For Lashes albums, plus a dash of Portishead fronted by Emiliana Torrini. Comparisons aside, listening to Lisa O Piu is like entering a wonderfully unique world of folklore and perpetual autumn.

When This Was The Future opens with one of the album’s strongest songs, the swirling drama of Cinnamon Sea. From the outset Isaksson’s precise vocals and engaging tone draw you in toward the dark moody chorus. The flute (used with startling effect throughout the album) blends perfectly with the equally impressive guitar work. The central instrumental break is a highlight. The delicately beauty of Forest Echo is another early wonder with more brilliant strings. The musical interlude slows to a crawl before bringing back the flute and guitars.

The lyrics of Traitor unfold like an extended metaphor brimming with smart lyrics. “One more battle lost, before I even knew I was in it” and “…you dress almost like an officer but I thought that I was in command”. The first compelling couple of minutes transform into a different feel with time to breathe, intricate but uncomplicated. The Party starts like a 60s ballad or show tune reminiscent of early Dusty Springfield or Cilla Black. The vocal melody leads into a huge gamble. If you write a lyric like “We’re gonna play the most wonderful music you’ve ever heard” then you really have to deliver. Thankfully for Lisa O Pui the gamble pays off and the execution is exquisite. The band gets away with it in style right into the breathy last minute of flute.

Two is the nearest the album gets to prog-folk. This song has just about everything, enforcing the message of ’togetherness’. From the blended vocal/percussion opening, to the nursery rhyme twirl, what the song lacks in coherence it makes up for in ambition. To add even more to the kitchen sink, the produced vocals at the halfway point announce a subtle change as the song drifts into soft wordless vocals and shimmering strings/guitars. An interesting, if troubled, journey.

The slow deliberate poise of Equatorial Changes brings back the more subtle drama. Another great vocal arrangement, chorus and percussion. In When This Was The Future’s only instrumental, and only Swedish-titled song, Alvdans vid Kolarkojan, the composition is another piece of understated musical brilliance even without the vocal charms. This leads to closer And So On, and a final highlight. There is obvious electronica at the start and two moments of dramatic multi-layered vocals in this dystopian apocalyptic tale involving horses (an obsession for Isaksson), buildings falling like dominos and a world engulfed by rising seas. Stirring stuff right to the finish.

When This Was The Future is at its heart an old-fashioned folk album, subtle and elegant. As a band, Piu complement each other very well, with Isaksson at the core of the mystery and wonder. She never resists the chance to show off her skills as a flautist, adding extra dimensions to the formula. There is nothing mind-blowing here but the vision and the delivery alone make this an album full of sounds and textures from their unique magical world.

-- CS (for Altsounds)

Chris Wood - Handmade Life Album Review (2010)

A great new review for AltSounds (the album is great, whether the review is another matter :S). I've not been a huge fan of Chris Wood but I am now. This is his best album so far and he is a prolific song writer and musician.

The big problem with folk music is a lack of accessibility. It is a double-edged sword faced by musicians who have two choices: traditional songs in a traditional style, or new songs in a traditional style. Some get away with a third, often avoided, approach: to retell old stories in a new way (see Seth Lakeman, Eliza Carthy, Kate Rusby et al) but most stick to one of the common forms. This leads to a misinformed and unwarranted stigma which has listeners running for the hills. Thankfully Chris Wood is a veteran, a master and a prince among fools. Best known for his collaborations with Hugh Lupton and Andy Cutting, Wood has been going alone for a few years and with his latest solo album Handmade Life, it has reaffirmed his genius.

One thing Chris Wood does time and time again is makes contemporary events, delivered in a timeless yet old-as-time way, sound modern, and crucially, serious and relevant. This is the key to Handmade Life, and no more evident than on the powerful seven and a half minute centrepiece Hollow Point; brilliant storytelling (which is exactly what folk music mandates and why it exists - Wood is creating a song to stand the test of time about an important event in English history, fully expecting it to be taken up in years gone by a new breed of musicians) that doesn’t reveal its subject matter until you are drawn in. Starting with the dawn of just another day, as a man wakes from dreamy sleep and leaves his house. “It was a gorgeous summers morning; it was a gorgeous summers day. His cotton jacket was all he carried, as he walked out to face the day”, the story unfolds, and it is clear that something sinister is at work. A perfectly judged dark mysterious instrumental pause leads into the fourth minute and as the place names are dropped, anyone who follows the news will immediately realise what the song is about and what is about to happen. Wood repeats the opening verse after the powerful revelation, with more emotion and more relevance. An incredible song.

On the flipside of this, Spitfires is a beautiful picture of the British past and a perfect tribute to an iconic piece of history that is now open to abuse and misuse by those who may want to misrepresent. My Darling’s Downsized is a direct open-hearted love song far removed from Wood’s usual spitting anti-capitalist rhetoric with lines like “Now the sun in the morning somehow seems brighter, and everything’s righter than it was before; The coffee is richer, the eggs over easier; The breeze is just breezier, there’s cuddles galore”. It’s the knowing vocal inflections coupled with the delicate brass arrangement that breaths real-life into the song. Wood can’t resist fuelling the fire with “…my love for her cannot be overstated. It’s deep and it’s not final salary related”. Ever the protester even in the most tender of moments. Superb.

Much of Handmade Life is about removing oneself from enforced society. Closer The Grand Correction is another brilliant tale, this of a man embracing self-sufficiency. After offensively namedropping ’fatty’ Ray Mears (assumed to be ironic as Mears is more of a survivalist - maybe Hugh Fearnly-Wittingstall would have been a more accurate target) the song veers from food and drink to home-protection and into the latest banking crisis and recession. “And how strange then to call your accounting software ‘Sage’” is penned by someone who maybe outside the system but clearly aware of what it is and how destructive it can be. Choosing to end by being less than flattering for former Prime Minister Thatcher (“the vicious old spiv”), this is the song Billy Bragg never wrote. On an album of such poise and quality any problems are easily and obviously highlighted. In the second half Caesar suffers terribly from a horrible carnival-esque arrangement and some questionable vocals. It is the only issue on an otherwise engaging album.

Chris Wood’s overtly political stance may be a hard (and bitter) pill to swallow but you can’t fault the method. The juxtaposition of old and new, hard and soft, is a neat diversion tactic, enveloping the tough issues in a subtle controlled sound without compromising punch. The songs on Handmade Life are beautifully judged (late on the album drifts perfectly from the delicacy of Johnny East into the dark swirling seas of maritime life captured in Turtle Soup) and Wood breaks with previous convention to fill the sound with an exceptional group of musicians Andy Gangadeen, Robert Jarvis, Barney Morse Brown and Danny Wood. They all let Wood keep the stage while complementing his powerful observations perfectly. Anyone who thinks folk music is one-dimensional, irrelevant and out of touch should probably start here. Truly a master at work.

-- CS (for Altsounds)

Sondre Lerche - Heartbeat Radio Album Review (2010)

A review for Altsounds. I really like this guy and I was a big fan of his debut album Faces Down in 2001. Then he disappeared but has made five albums since then (which I will check out). Sadly his sixth meanders along, lost in its own world. A few gems but a lot of dull lifeless pop.

Norwegian singer songwriter and guitarist Sondre Lerche has come a long way since his debut album Faces Down in 2001. Now, eight years on and five albums (including a movie soundtrack) later, Lerche releases his most eclectic album Heartbeat Radio. Featuring a plethora of ideas, textures and sounds, and Lerche’s best and most consistent vocal performance, his sixth album has much to admire but also a lot of twee, wistful romantic musings that quickly becomes trite and overbearing.

Comparison can quickly be drawn to Rufus Wainwright, although arguably Lerche is a better singer. He doesn’t, however, write better songs. And Heartbeat Radio highlights the good and bad of a clear talent, which is realised the most when a single idea stays true and focused and is not polluted by too much romantic wandering. One redeeming feature of all this is a tendency to transcend genre and style; Lerche is a bit of everything without being too much of anything; a bit like Jason Mraz. This was something so noticeable on his debut Faces Down and has stayed with him through the years.

Heartbeat Radio is propped up with a trio of solid pop songs. The first is the wonderful cool jazz of I Cannot Let You Go. From the subtle funky chorus to the sweet backing vocals it’s a great moment of clutter-free song writing. Lerche has a unique way with words as the line “The rubber band is wearing thin; bursting as reality kicks in” proves. Could be anything, or nothing. Or whatever you want it to be. Easy To Persuade is just as great, shimmering guitar pop that breaks into a rare horn section and the upbeat yet downbeat Almighty Moon, the weakest of the three, is lifted with a jolly chorus.

Obvious highlights aside, the rest of Heartbeat Radio is, sadly, a patchy affair. Opener Good Luck ambles through the verses accompanied by some great guitar work but the flat chorus drags it down. Then after a spirited half-time guitar break, strings take over and it all gets a bit mad. The frantic ending is a like a drunken night out; starts fun but soon descends into chaos. The title track is far too self-involved and gratuitously indulgent. “Tell me what you think about this song…?” is just asking for trouble. After that you have to get it spot on, especially when you repeat the demand into the last minute. But nothing happens. Don’t Look Now tries the same start/stop approach with added jangling guitars and a good, if repetitive, instrumental outro.

But that is about it. Pioneer is hopelessly dull, If Only is more sickly disco jazz and I Guess It’s Gonna Rain Today is Beatles without the melody. Words & Music is an irritating confused child-like metaphor (the subject of Lerche’s affections is ‘a poem’ one minute and ‘a sad little tune’ the next) and the plodding piano and percussion quickly turn into show-tune camp. And the tribute to George Lazenby is more of a damning critique than a heart-warming lament. Only the smooth orchestral closer Goodnight is anything to write home about thanks to great vocals.

What makes criticising Heart Beat Radio so hard is that Sondre Lerche is so damn likeable. From his charm, to his approach, to his lyrical wonderment, and his romantic wide-eyed and often double-edged observations, he is an accomplished musician. But too often he strays into mediocrity, in spite of a constant sense of fun and optimism. The highlights are made to sound better due to dross around them. Clearly Lerche has an ear for talent and has gathered an orchestra of musicians to help out but would benefit from a more consistent sound in the form of a regular backing band. Alternatively he needs to tone down the ambition and get back to writing better and more straight-forward songs.

-- CS (for Altsounds)

The High Wire - Odds And Evens (Single - 2010)

A quick single review for Altsounds...

Tim Crompton, Stuart Peck and Alexia Hagen are London trio The High Wire, whose sound is best described as dream-pop, a bit Maps, a bit Slowdive, but a lot of guitars and harmonies. And this is the band’s strength which is proved to great effect on the single Odds And Evens, taken from the album The Sleep Tape.

The song’s opening distorted buzz, drums and Crompton’s vocals instantly draw you in. As the swinging guitars and hypnotic vocal arrangement reveal the sweet tones of Hagen, a great chorus emerges. This is one of the finest songs on The Sleep Tape, and while the album lacks consistency and good song writing, this is a definitive finest hour (or few minutes at least). A great trick unfolds when the song slows to a crawl before slowly building to an anthemic finish with Hagen on top form yet again into the last minute.

This is a strong single from an otherwise weak collection of ideas and themes that litter The Sleep Tape. Those fans of this kind of delivery may well lap up the album’s lazy charms but the strength of Odds And Evens will leave most people wanting more of the same. For now we will have to wait.

-- CS (for Altsounds)

The High Wire - The Sleep Tape Album Review (2010)

Another for Altsounds. Great promise but failed to deliver ultimately. Shame. Hope they do well and get some better songs.

The High Wire are London trio Tim Crompton, Stuart Peck and Alexia Hagen and in another time and another place the band could be described as Shoegazers. They make the kind of dreamy pop that brings together the gorgeous twin vocals of Crompton and Hagen, coupled with layered guitars and keyboards; not so much a wall of sound, more a pile of marshmallows. So a concept album centred around sleep (or lack of it as the case may be) was the obvious choice. It’s a shame that the music they make is just as obvious.

The big problem with The Sleep Tape is the overbearingly lazy (deliberate or otherwise) feel to what should be well-crafted and well thought out music. The vocal qualities of Crompton and Hagen are used to good effect but often the arrangement is not intricate enough. It is not exploited to the full; a strength that is never maximised. Many bands can be described as safe, predictable and being ‘comfortable’. The High Wire give a new dimension to the word (ironic given the band’s name which suggests risk and danger).

The best of the album is highlighted when the songs are allowed to escape the drug-addled world of soft textures and fluffy clouds. New single Odds And Evens is a great example of what the band can do. The song glides quickly from distorted buzz into vocals and swinging guitars, and it’s the vocal arrangement that stands out. The chorus, in which Hagen provides the best vocals on the album, is exquisite. The boys play their part, filling in around as the track slows before building again for Hagen to deliver a fine finale. In The Sleep Tape’s best part, this is followed by the soft vocal tones of It’s No Secret, the slick sheen slowly drifting into hazy wordlessness. And before this, Honeycomb is the best of three instrumentals, building from a slow start, delicate then sliding into a space-aged coma.

Elsewhere The High Wire show mere glimpses of this quality. Opener The Midnight Bell, with high looping strings, ambles along into quaint vocal duelling before some neat guitar work forms the last two minutes. A good solid start that is never maintained as Hang From The Lights fails to impress as early Primal Scream, New Lovers is a short Maps imitation and, in spite of a decent ending, the title track is very flat. Likewise the Lennon-esque heavy-handed country vibes of Letting In The Light and the massive A Future Ending, while offering something a bit different, never fully satisfy. The latter’s dark buzz, drums and stomping guitars blend with androgynous vocals into a shuttering uncertain guitar break. And goes nowhere.

Late on the mid-tempo waltz Pump Your Little Heart could be another single and does an acceptable job of trying to be Spiritualized, but closer Bodyclocks (the third instrumental) sounds like the band left a music box open and went for a cup of tea. Hardly inspiring or original.

So The Sleep Tape is a frustrating listen. Comparisons to other, better, bands aside, The High Wire need to avoid being dragged into the world of style over substance as this is yet another example of a band with a distinctive, hypnotic and often engaging sound that more often than not fails to connect and engage. As a band that has much more to offer, we should all hope that the best is to follow.

-- CS (for Altsounds)

Frightened Rabbit - The Winter Of Mixed Drinks Album Review (2010)

A new review for AltSounds. So glad to get this - a great new album from a band who don't seem to know how great they are. Excellent.

Now a fully fledged five piece, Scottish indie band Frightened Rabbit follow up The Midnight Organ Fight with a much bigger third offering. Originally just a solo project for Scott Hutchison, the band became a trio in 2005 and now, in an attempt to become Selkirk’s answer to Arcade Fire (or maybe The Polyphonic Spree), has added two new members to the ever increasing line-up. The result of this is The Winter Of Mixed Drinks, an album layered with swathes of guitars, keys, strings and backing vocals, sitting somewhere between the gloom and dirt of fellow kinsmen Glasvegas and the wide-eyed world of British Sea Power.

Buzzing and shimmering slowly into the life, Things opens The Winter Of Mixed Drinks in very understated style until Hutchison emotionally declares: “I didn’t need these things, I didn’t need them all”. The song’s premise of discarding those possessions that are not as important as the person you are longing for is beautifully delivered, letting the words take centre stage. As the guitars rise in the final minute, it is clear that this is a teasing introduction to a band who, after years in the darkness, now wants to be noticed.

An immediate early highlight Swim Until You Can’t See Land follows in style, proving that Hutchison can deliver an anthemic pop song, right out of the vaults of Idlewild or Snow Patrol. “Are you a man, are you a bag of sand?”, he asks amid the jangling sparkling guitars, handclaps and leaping drums. Magnificent song writing. If anything it repeats unnecessarily in the last minute, but you can’t fault a band for exploiting such a great lyric. The Loneliness and the Scream is much slower and takes a while to get going, lacking a structure until just under two minutes in, whereupon it slows to a halt only to return with a rousing choir of chanting howling vocals. Style over substance? Probably, but the band still sound fantastic right into the football terrace ending.

Next up, The Wrestle opens with pumping bass, adding thundering guitars and quickly ascending into a rousing torrent of vocals. After such a good start, The Winter Of Mixed Drinks threatens to become obvious and predictable. Granted the band is playing to strengths and doing what they know best but the songs are beginning to lack substance. Thankfully the six minute odyssey Skip The Youth, emerging from a tremendous wall of building industrial noise before the more delicate combination of Hutchison and guitar take over, gets things back on track. Another exquisitely arranged and performed song, this time the lack of discernible frame and closing stadium vocals is a fine, if messy, addition.

Another spiralling slice of pop perfection arrives in the shape of Nothing Like You. Even with the clumsy lyrics: “She was not the cure for cancer. And all my questions asked for answers” followed by the wonderful: “There is nothing like someone new. This girl she was nothing like you”, this is pure excellence from start to finish. Skipping quickly past the interlude Man / Bag of Sand which would have worked much better as an extension of Swim Until You Can’t See Land, FootShooter is another open-hearted piano-driven anthem with Hutchison’s stream-of-consciousness style of poetic delivery interspersed with more glorious vocal backing. A great chorus lifts an otherwise flat arrangement. A song of subtle understated majesty.

More proficient lyricism and backing vocals can be found within Not Miserable, slow and deliberate in the first half, repeated yet more urgent in the second, this builds elegantly into a frenzy of drums and strings. The third of the most obvious radio-friendly songs, thanks to another simple chorus, Living In Colour suffers slightly from the relentless pounding drums and threatening repetition. Even through his often awkward mumbling voice, Hutchison can fill songs with depth and emotion: “And as the night started swallowing. You put the blood to my blue lips. Forced the life through still veins. Filled my heart with red again”. And strings fill the final thirty seconds. Closing with Yes, I Would, The Winter Of Mixed Drinks draws out a falsetto from Hutchison; both a pleasant surprise and baffling turn-around in equal measure. Only Frightened Rabbit can get away with this outpouring of emotion coupled with trite handclaps that would have Coldplay running for the hills.

Frightened Rabbit is obviously building on earlier cult success and The Winter Of Mixed Drinks certainly makes no pretence about the band’s intentions and the five-piece consistently make good use of a strong formula. It often gets too comfortable and hard layers of sound often protect the softness beneath, but within this are real moments of quality. There is no doubt that Frightened Rabbit is formed from talented musicians (especially the shabby charm of Hutchison), the album is well-crafted and, in spite of a tendency to throw everything into the mix, the music is controlled and polished. This is an assured and definitive step up for a band who are now well up amongst their peers.

-- CS (for AltSounds)

Black Soul Strangers - Lies Single Review (2010)

Another single review for AltSounds.

From Dublin but now based in London, the Irish quartet of Gorey, O’Mahony, Wyer and O’Brien are edgy guitar band Black Soul Strangers. They are like that sexy boy band it’s ok to like because they play their own intruments and write their own songs. Lies is the band’s debut single, a drum and guitar driven modern mood-fest of a love song.

The single has both the ‘radio edit’ and ‘original version’, of which the latter is thirty one seconds longer. Why the need for two cuts of the same song is anyone’s guess as the second edit, at just about spot on three minutes, is perfectly acceptable, and less polished - a good thing in this case. The song pounds along with lead singer Gorey in majestic control, his straight no-nonsense vocal directing the melody. Well structured and focused, things only go astray when “Who let the kids outside?” announces a sudden change. But we are soon back on track.

Lies is unlikely to move mountains but for Black Soul Strangers it’s a good start; a solid debut to promote both image and sound. Hopefully this is a sign of more to come as the band will certainly need better stronger songs for an attention grabbing debut album. Perhaps less restraint within a self-imposed strict formula and more creativity will ensure these boys won’t be strangers for long (sorry).

-- CS (for AltSounds)

Birds of Tokyo - Universes Album Review (2010)

A review for AltSounds...

Universes is the second album from Australian indie band Birds of Tokyo. They are huge in native Perth, nominated for and winning many WAMis (Western Australian Music Industry Awards) but the band is yet to have any impact around the world. Formed in 2004 and grafting a trade touring and headlining shows, Birds of Tokyo now put their international fate in the hands of MGM. But how will a home-grown album, produced by the band’s guitarist and song writer Adam Spark, fare in the big scary world-wide mainstream?

The songs on Universes are arranged so that the lead singles are first. This would normally mean that all the great music is stacked toward the front of the album but nothing could be further from the truth. With the exception of Broken Bones, a great bass and riff-driven rock track with a wonderful falsetto chorus from singer Ian Kenny, the first half of Universes is a mess. Wild Eyed Boy is weak emo-pop in spite of great vocals, all diluted guitars and limp chorus. Silhouettic is better but suffers from dumb lyrics: “there goes my baby, she’s gotta know, that when the red lights on there’s no one home” and “I’m saying if you want blood, you’ll never get a drop out of me” being prime examples. Head In My Hands is an odd song. Kenny sings “I hate my melodies. They’re all the same”. Is he being ironic, or brutally honest? This self-examination is hard to interpret.

Only when White Witch breaks the formula does Universes really start to impress. A great structure and a metaphor that almost goes too far: “Kick the cat out and hang up your high heels. Show me magic and spells unknown. With your potions show me some good love…”. At last this is a band having some fun and not taking themselves too seriously. An Ode To Death couldn’t be more different, like Muse meets Queens Of The Stone Age. More great guitars, and dark moody vocals. But the real highlight of the album is the magnificent Armour For Liars. Overtly and obviously political: “I would hate myself knowing that I’m responsible”, sings Kenny, “Flowing blood for wealth and oil, the arms race and their toys. Power suits and power ties, corporate armour built for liars” is excellent and proof that strong song writing is possible. This and two decent guitar solos.

After the prog-rock extravaganza of The Bakers Son, which has more ideas in the first two minutes that the entire of the album’s first half and more twists and turns than the last Mars Volta record, the big balled Train Wrecks continues the impressive roll. The three minute point when the piano melts into guitars is one of the musical highpoints. Universes should have probably ended here but closer Medicine spoils the show. It is an honest open-hearted piece but a bitter way to end the album, downbeat and with surprising uncomfortable expletives.

Universes suffers at times from over-thought and over-production, and the first half really lets it down. It could be a lot less polished. Lead singer Kenny is still involved in the much heavier (and arguably more successful and musically appealing) Karnivool which still feels like a much more comfortable project. This could mean Birds of Tokyo is nothing more than a liberating side-project; a shame as it has much to separate it from its peers.

-- CS (for AltSounds)

Andrew Vincent - Rotten Pear Album Review (2010)

A review for AltSounds...

Formerly the front man of Ottawa indie band Andrew Vincent and the Pirates, Canadian singer Andrew Vincent is now a solo artist. Opting for a more stripped down ‘acoustic’ approach that his previous incarnation, Vincent is now his own soul free to explore the world around and his own mind in equal measure. Rotten Pear is Vincent’s fifth album, a year old in Canada, but now released in the UK to gain exposure in the international market.

Opener Hi Lo immediately exposes the listener to the warts-and-all world that Vincent knows. This is the tale of a drug-addled relationship and seedy bars: “In their sweatpants and with acne scars, one by one they ask you out…”. The flip side of this is the wonderful Going Out Tonight, with a superb guitar arrangement, this is more alienation and despair: “I’m going out tonight. It ain’t gonna be good, it ain’t gonna be right”. Moving through the first half of the album, Diane is another highlight with brilliant lyrics, inspired by Lou Reed, Vincent is in conversation with himself: “Hurry up and finish that new record and I’ll see you on the OC”, proves he knows the world around him on a different level.

Drawing upon other early influences, the two songs Nobody Else and Under Your Thumb are much heavier than most of the album. The former is uncomplicated folk-punk, part Joey Ramone, part Jonathan Richmond. Under Your Thumb, essentially about fighting, is brutal song writing. “Count me in and knock me out, well I wanna taste blood in my mouth”. The track tries a similar approach with toy piano and organ.

An excellent trio of songs pack the end of Rotten Pear. Ruffian is the best song on the album, like Rosh Ritter with a more challenging subject matter - that of childhood delinquency with an honest final message. The guitar work and arrangement is sublime. Canadian Dream is bitter-sweet, another conversation song about a ‘friend’ that ‘moves East’ then overseas for a better life. Vincent then turns this back to himself. Excellent song writing. And Bus Stop could be an Eels cover, a gorgeous melody and subtle instrumentation.

The real surprise is closer Hounds Of Love, a cover of the Kate Bush song. Vincent makes it his own completely. Much of the original vocal melody is gone but the core of the song remains. A great addition.

Like most experienced musicians who go solo, there is a dramatic leap from old to new, from familiar to unknown. Vincent’s sound may now be divorced from that of a full band, but his spirit and gift for crafting lyrics is still as energised as ever. This is much more thoughtful and reflective song writing as Vincent inhabits a persona of self-loathing and depression - always challenging stuff. Rotten Pear is a solid work but the impending UK tours will be the definitive sign that Vincent, much revered in his home country, will have a world-wide appeal.

-- CS (for AltSounds)

Black Gold - Breakdown Single Review (2010)

A single review for AltSounds...

Breakdown is the third single from Black Gold’s debut album Rush. The Brooklyn pair of Eric Ronick and Than Luu excel on the album which is impressive, if inconsistent, throughout. Breakdown is far from the best song on the album but after hearing the whole of Rush it is clear that this is simply part of the band’s six song marketing campaign.

The biggest problem with Breakdown is the subject matter. Essentially lyrics about mental illness and losing control would be perfectly acceptable if they were delivered with the appropriate tone. The electronic start moves quickly into piano and soft vocals. Lead singer Ronick races through a garbled hook into a simplistic and obvious chorus. “All those things you ask in your prayers are falling away now” is probably the best line. But it’s a mid-tempo drawl that quickly gets repetitive and the song is about a minute too long. A few tracks from the album suffer from the same lack of knowing when to, and how to, stop.

Musically, Breakdown is solid but it’s a one idea single that fills out four minutes when it should be a slick three. As multi-instrumentalists Ronick and Luu blend perfectly and sound for the most part like a well-organised five piece, such is the work they put into every song. But this time, as a showcase for Rush, Breakdown is more likely to instil caution than generate interest.

-- CS (for AltSounds)

Black Gold - Rush Album Review (2010)

A new review for AltSounds...

Sometimes two people are all you need to make a band. The Brooklyn duo Eric Ronick and Than Luu have been making music and touring (with an extended line-up) since 2006 and now release the debut album Rush (possibly a tribute to the Canadian rock powerhouse, but more likely to be a simple way of summing up the euphoria of making your first record…). Made during various tours, when the band took breath to form a solid collection of songs, Rush is a seemingly random, wandering fusion of rock and sleek piano-led pop.

Rush opens with two of the album’s best songs. Detroit buzzes with dirty guitars, an anthemic chorus and affectively makes use of layered vocals. Into Plans & Reveries and the piano has a Fleetwood Mac feel, with Ronick doing a passable impression of Lindsey Buckingham. Again the vocals are a highlight, into the finale. After a great start, Rush stutters slightly. Breakdown suffers from a mismatch of subject and upbeat, almost celebratory sound. The electronic opening, piano and soft vocals lead to a garbled hook and simplistic chorus. The song, a recent single, is about a minute too long and quickly gets repetitive.

The album doesn’t pickup again until the glorious Shine. A fantastic song, all structure and melody, great vocals (again) and middle of the road pop at its best. The way the song changes pace effortlessly is supreme song crafting. Idols is very different but almost as good. A lower register for Ronick is a refreshing change from his usual drift into falsetto; this sounds like The Libertines, especially on the verses. Another great juxtaposition of flowing verse and stomping chorus. To complete a great mid-album trilogy, The Comedown is different again: soulful, funk-pop vocals and great vibe. The guitar work is the best on the album. After two minutes it transforms into The Small Faces, which is never a bad thing.

There are three noticeable ‘ballads’ on Rush. The first is Silver which never really gets going. The song is lumbering, slightly sinister and packed with military drums. Much better is the closing pair of Canyon and After The Flood. The former, a six and half minute epic, starts slowly before becoming one of the highlights; the most open and heartfelt songs on the album, about separation and loss. “This canyon between us. One push into dust”, sings Ronick earnestly. It is a simple metaphor brilliantly observed as the song unfolds. The latter is more emotional but overtly dramatic. Another strong vocal is impressive but an odd downbeat way to end the album.

Like any music produced by ‘multi-instrumentalists’, there can be a lack of cohesion (the band could really use a full time drummer) but in this case it is grounds for expansive ideas and freedom. Occasionally you get bands like The White Stripes and The Black Keys who manage both but Ronick and Luu throw everything into a record that transcends typical genres while maintaining the ethos of the American independent scene. Consequently the music does hit and miss, usually the former and both within the same song, as rampant thoughts force new directions. And no one would want to stop that. As multi-instrumentalists Ronick and Luu blend perfectly and sound for the most part like a well-organised five piece, such is the work they put into every song. A solid debut.

--CS (for AltSounds)

Katatonia - Night Is The New Day Album Review (2009)

Great to hear from these guys again even if they are playing it safe and predictable.

For The Music Magazine...

Swedish doom-metal is not everyone's idea of an easy listen. But Katatonia, the five-piece from Stockholm has thankfully evolved from the early days of grinding guitars, growling vocals and a distinct lack of tunes. This all changed in the late nineties with the band transforming from doom to gloom and more importantly from melancholy to melody. As the music got heavier, it has become more diverse; breaking away from the old formula. The best example of this is the glorious Viva Emptiness, an exceptional piece of work that is yet to be surpassed.

It is always interesting to hear what bands do after they release a 'Best Of' compilation, especially if it is only after a few really good albums. This is what Katatonia did next. An odd move, designed mainly to expose the band to a wider audience and showcase later work. The follow-up to Viva Emptiness is The Great Cold Distance, well received in 2006 but not quite pulling in the quality of the previous album. So in 2009, the band still going strong, lead by Jonas Renkse and backed by the dual guitarists of Anders Nystrom and Fredrik Norrman, release an eighth full-length album: Night Is The New Day.

From the outset this is classic Katatonia. Opener Forsaker moves effortlessly from muddy guitars to Renkse's soft listless vocals and back again in the first two minutes, bringing on a soaring solo at the mid point. Renkse delivers a typical downbeat message with "The dark will rise; abandon your freedom. Give up the right to find your true self; forsake your own reason". Drummer Daniel Liljekvist shines in the outro. Another highlight is the remarkably tuneful Idle Blood. Renkse is superb from "You there. Bringer of my despair" to "...But I am turning my back on you; you know I do" recalling a moment of self-loathing or the hatred of a nemesis. Even the song's darkest lyrics are delivered with a light touch into a final dream-like minute.

Throughout the album Katatonia sticks to a now well-established plan. The Longest Year is quiet, delicate and reflective verses bringing a heavier anthemic chorus only twice in the four and half minute running time. Liberation follows the same format, albeit more pronounced and with an excellent added guitar, bass and drum interlude, before the final word from Renkse. The wonderfully gothic Nephilim arrives in a torrent of wicked grinding chords. The dual vocals lift an otherwise arduous trudge through familiar territory. Inheritance is probably the most ambient song Katatonia has produced, flowing into a fragile drifting minimalism. Late on, first (and probably only) single Day And Then The Shade should be the most hard-hitting track, in spite of lacking a memorable chorus but ultimately the whole arrangement is flat and lifeless. This leads to closer Departer, the album's longest song. It is also the most beguiling with breathless ghostly vocals, no obvious riffs, and a very subdued elongated ending to an unsurprising album.

Renkse has described Night Is The New Day as Katatonia's most varied and diverse material on the same album. This is not entirely evident even after repeat listens, and even after that it is debatable. The band's distinct sound and a tendency to create songs within a restricted formula does create a predictability and a safeness, even if they are played with skill and imagination. You know what you are getting and there are few surprises. Within this, musically Katatonia has never sounded more controlled and focused. It is elegant and delicate, full of open spaces and deep breaths, but few really outstanding moments. The big problem is for three albums now, Katatonia has not moved on. It is very much the case of not messing with a safe thing.

-- CS (for The Music Magazine)

Eliza Doolittle - Eliza Doolittle EP (2009)

I tried so hard to like this, but I don't.

Another for The Music Magazine...

Ah Lily Allen, you have a lot to answer for. How were you to know that your unique sound and image would be saturated by swathes of pretenders all scrambling for a chance to sit on your perky, cheeky cockney-pop throne..? For yes, Eliza Doolittle (that cannot be her real name - an obvious pseudonym if ever there was one) is another Allen clone. Like Kate Walsh, Doolittle is trying desperately to do something different but unlike Walsh she shows very few musical skills on her debut four track eponymous EP.

Opener Rollerblades is pure whimsical flimsy as Doolittle's high raspy vocals do a injustice to what is a decent song. All structure disappears in the middle before a predictable rinse and repeat ending. The whole arrangement has as much substance as Jack Johnson spending a wet weekend in Camden. Moneybox is more catchy but has an even more annoying vocal, and obvious sampling. The mix is all wrong with the tinny music a mess over some smart sassy lyrics: "Do me a favour...don't jingle your change sir...". The irony of this is sure to be lost if and when Doolittle becomes a huge star.

Police Car is a sign of hope musically; much more controlled but horribly laboured and a terrible metaphor: "I forget to be cool... I try my best to not get arrested by you...". Seriously? Halfway through and it's already starting to grate and even a weak attempt to liven things with some brass is utterly pointless. At least the song is throwing off the shackles of pretence to do something original. Go Home tries the same and ends up stuck between pop and swing, without the voice or the timing. Into the last minute it disintegrates into more of the same. Sweet backing vocals provide a lift but that doesn't help a complete lack of substance.

The Eliza Doolittle EP tries so much to be liked. Doolittle injects at much of her personally as she can, showing a glimpse of individuality and song writing skills. But the approach is confused, the songs are weak and paper-thin, the delivery is a mess, and there is a complete lack of direction and substance. This is a first effort. Ok, but thousands of singers are trying to make it and very few succeed. That is the harsh reality. To keep things in perspective you need to make a huge impact in these difficult times. You need to make people stand up. You need to be noticed. You need to write smart, interesting and engaging music. On the strengths of this debut, it's not going to happen.

-- CS (for The Music Magazine)

Them Crooked Vultures - Them Crooked Vultures Album Review (2009)

For The Music Magazine...

Supergroups are nothing new. But when a former member of Led Zeppelin and Nirvana form a new collaboration with Josh Homme, you really have to take notice. Love him or loathe him, Homme is like Jack White. He just attracts and exudes musical talent. Fresh from production duties for Arctic Monkeys, he is now a full-time member of three bands and actively involved in other side-projects and collaborations. The third of these is a new venture: Them Crooked Vultures, formed with Dave Grohl and John Paul Jones. An interesting idea in theory but can they be more than just a trio of individuals? In a word, yes.

It is clear from the start of the group's eponymous debut that Them Crooked Vultures is driven by Homme. His voice and 'sound' is all over the record, propped up by Jones and the ever energised Grohl. This sounds incredibly disrespectful to two thirds of the musicianship on show but ultimately one vision has to preside over everything. Someone has to be in control. And in most groups involving Homme, it is he. And nine times out of ten, this is never a bad thing. Them Crooked Vultures is three legends creating a new sound, from decades of experience, all learning from one another. It is like the band has always been making music.

The opener 'No One Loves Me & Neither Do I' is an immediate highlight; two songs in one, transforming from sleazy garage-blues to metal stomp after two and half minutes. It sets out the stall brilliantly: this is not going to be predictable, dull and uninteresting. Great lyrics in the first half recount a sordid liaison: "I've got a beautiful place to put your face, and she was right...". Into the second half, the guitars and Homme's vocals becomes heavier and more drawn out. The demand "Use me up..." invites a mad last twenty seconds from Grohl and some truly amazing drumming. This reminds us of why Nirvana always wins over Foo Fighters.

The first of two early 'preview' singles Mind Eraser, No Chaser is a bit more loose and chaotic and gives Grohl a chance to provide backing vocals. This is setting a dangerous precedent as he never gets a another chance to leave the drum kit and it is a rare moment. Again the guitar work is magnificent and the whole song is peppered with electronics. The comedic brass at the end shows that the trio are not taking themselves that seriously. New Fang is even better, a solid guitar-driven rock track from the Black Keys catalogue. A great song with Homme shining on vocal duties yet again. Elephants is a torrent of musical proficiency from the start; a blistering guitar riff, bass and drums all blending to create a wall of music, slowing after the first minute to a stabbing arrangement. When Homme comes in he's like Marilyn Manson should be sounding these days - committed, demonic, possessed, all vocal distortion. The effect is incredible. A melodic interlude with wistful crooning kicks in and the song threatens to transform... before dropping back. This psychedelic moment is repeated again to fill the near seven minute duration.

The first real slice of retro arrives with the Cream tribute Scumbag Blues, but the falsetto vocals are not the star here. Jones's 70s keyboards and Grohl's backing make an otherwise straightforward song much more interesting, enhancing the piercing guitars. Led Zep meets Sparks, meets early Bowie for the wonder that is Reptiles, the album veering dangerously close to prog but returning to a more direct agenda after a brief view over the precipice. In it's calmer moments the song is excellent. The longest track on the album (with the longest title) Warsaw Or The First Breath You Take After You Give Up does suffer from an overlong running time and some glam-esque backing vocals but even this behemoth works thanks to throwing in a number of styles into the mix and the best song writing on the album, including "It's a lovely disguise, with the wandering eyes...I get high...now you have something to look up to...", Homme drawls ironically. The mid-section comes to life with a great guitar-break, speeding up slowly and then transforming into an apocalyptic soundscape complete with distant vocals, grinding guitars and clattering cymbals.

Elsewhere there is nothing that drags the album down. Dead End Friends, with it's eastern sound and rolling vocals, is the most Homme sounding song, yet there is late Nirvana in there, showing the steering hand of Grohl. An incredible mix. Bandoliers (archaic pocketed belts for holding ammo) is an interesting metaphor that doesn't go anywhere. But it is a rare, excusable moment of self-indulgence, especially as Grohl provides some of the best drumming on the album approaching the last minute before things settle down. And Interlude With Ludes is the only song that could easily be removed and no value would be lost. The same could be said of Caligulove if it wasn't for more supreme keyboards from Jones, and the guitars filling the outro.

A late gem is the magnificent Gunman, another superb riff and vocal performance from Homme; a master class in song writing that fills the senses with the juxtaposition of rolling verses and anthemic chorus, before the huge closer Spinning In Daffodils. Jones excels again with the delicate piano intro before Homme, in now familiar gothic tone delivers one last deliciously evil vocal performance. This is the sound that Bowie would have achieved if he had taken Trent Reznor seriously. As a parting shot, the final couple of minutes brings everything together for a glorious conclusion, assaulting and embracing in equal measure, fading into a bizarrely subdued ending to a wondrous expedition.

There is a lot to be said for not over-thinking a record. Not to say that this was thrown together in a couple of days; the 'live' feel and stark production give the songs an illusion that they are 'made in the studio' but repeat listens reveal depth and complexity within the spontaneity. At over an hour it is allowed to flow and ultimately, Them Crooked Vultures is perfectly judged. It may not be the best that either musician has been involved in but this does not include Page, Plant, Cobain, or Lanegan. It is something new and different, to evoke something new and different. The music draws from influences of the past and generates a wonderful new present. Grohl and Jones draw out a vocal diversity never before heard from Homme who is on top form throughout. All of the tightness of Queens Of The Stone Age is removed and he is at ease just letting the vocals happen. The same musical liberation fills the entire album. If ever there was a reason why musicians should work together, Them Crooked Vultures is it. And if Josh Homme ever meets up with Jack White, we would have the best band in the world.

-- CS (For The Music Magazine)

Michael Bublé - Crazy Love Album Review (2009)

For The Music Magazine...

Crazy Love is the fourth album from Canadian crooner Michael Bublé. As you might expect, it is packed with predictable cover versions, more brass than a Mark Ronson wet-dream and plenty of Bublés sleek vocal swagger. Collaborations are kept to a minimum with Sharon Jones and Ron Sexsmith; a smart and credible move, and the swing formula is rarely diluted, in spite of Bublé's attempt to add his own unique charm. Why expect anything else from a singer who continues to show everyone else how it is done?

Crazy Love gets off to an unsteady and explosive start before settling down for a fantastic and thoroughly enjoyable second half. The first couple of songs sound like they are taken from a bad Bond theme tribute album. The dramatic take on Cry Me a River is way too over the top at times and All Of Me goes from intimate bar room to noisy orchestra in a way that would make Dean Martin cringe. Even Georgia On My Mind features a few bars of Monty Norman's classic theme within the more sedate arrangement. The title track is given a more respectful and soulful treatment with sweet backing vocals and cool guitar. It does Van's original justice. But things are still a bit shaky with the first of the two self-penned songs, Haven't Met You Yet. It is ominous perky-pop and features the oddest trumpet solo. And so ends the messy first half.

Thankfully, Crazy Love shows why Bublé is both relevant and unique. All I Do Is Dream Of You is an classic old-school big band number that adds elements of Martin, Ella Fitzgerald and Perry Como. The second original song Hold On is instantly brilliant and filled with huge epic strings. The first real surprise is Heartache Tonight, a take on the Eagles 70's rock anthem given the full brass treatment. It works superbly. Dean is back for You're Nobody 'Til Somebody Love You and is more proper swing (Robbie, Jamie and Leon take note) and a perfect rendition. Ok it does nothing particularly new but it is polished and the vocal timing is exquisite. Baby (You've Got What It Takes) with Sharon Jones and The Dap Kings moves unsteadily into dangerous 60's R&B only to emerge unscathed.

Into the final trio, At This Moment is an odd choice and fairly anonymous. Bublé lets his voice get away from him. But the cheesy tones of Stardust, although nowhere near as good as the late, great Mel Tormé, is another solid move away from 'typical' copycat covers. The Ron Sexsmith duet and new version of Whatever It Takes is a sublime closer and completes a fine fourth collection from a musician who is truly untouchable. It's just a shame that Crazy Love doesn't start with the poise and control shown in the second half.

With only two original songs on the album (and both are co-written) it would be easy to dismiss Crazy Love as just another collection of the usual fare repackaged conveniently for the Christmas market. This is the sort of thing you would expect from fading musicians lacking inspiration, or reality TV stars trying to market a quick debut or salvage a thin career when their management has 'moved on to this year's winner'. All cynicism put aside for a moment, Bublé is none of these things. He has a genuine passion for breathing new life into timeless classics and is keeping them alive for generations to come. And he adds personality, depth and quality to everything he does.

-- CS (for The Music Magazine)

Dead by Sunrise - Out Of Ashes Album Review (2009)

For The Music Magazine: the debut album from Dead by Sunrise, Chester Bennington's side project.

Sometimes a side project seems like a great idea. Jack White has made an art form out of the practice, as the successful figurehead of The Raconteurs and now The Dead Weather while remaining one half of The White Stripes. Over the years, many well established bands have endured schism and disagreement; staying together but 'doing their own thing' for a while. Chester Bennington, lead singer of American rock band Linkin Park has now fronting Dead By Sunrise. The band has been in existence since 2005 and now release Out Of Ashes as an outlet for songs that "were not right stylistically" for Linkin Park. Strange then that the last Linkin Park album Minutes To Midnight remains the band's most evolved work, showing a more melodic side after playing with remixes, film scores and disastrously collaborating with Jay-Z.

But there is more to Dead By Sunrise than just a side project formed by musical differences. It was clear that Bennington was steering his band in a more accessible direction and on the face of it Dead By Sunrise seems like a convenient place to be creative and diverse. This is important therapy for Bennington, as the name of the album would suggest - a bit disrespectful to draw this analogy toward the band that made his name but more likely directed at the man himself - and musically this appears to make sense. Much of Out Of Ashes is calm and serene, so much so that the harder, more edgy tracks, are lukewarm imitations and at times, out of place.

Too Late is an excellent example of why Out Of Ashes was made. Echoing the direction Minutes To Midnight took Linkin Park, this is a bold soft ballad. And by rights the album should be full of them. Let Down is another attempt at this packed with wonderful backing vocals and a simple no nonsense arrangement. For the same reason, Give Me Your Name has a great Pink Floyd vibe and is proof that Bennington can actually sing, even with the hapless lyrics. The production is drenched in sweet sticky syrup and at five minutes it is about two minutes too long. Into You should work but could be that song from any of Linkin Park's albums, starting soft and building. This has been done many times before. Ultimately there is no point being slightly similar to the band you are trying to get away from. For this reason, parallels are always going to be drawn.

The quality of the harder material is questionable. Fire is a hard hitting opener and at least attempts to deliver some vocal melody through the car alarm guitars but after getting heavy ends up wallowing in self-pity. Not a bad thing, but the momentum evaporates in the last thirty seconds. My Suffering is the only 'fast' song that shows any vibrant creativity. Excellent drums and spiky guitar work hold together the hardcore.

Of the rest, many of the songs on Out Of Ashes find an impressively high level of anonymity. Crawl Back In and Condemned are dull Nirvana impressions, both with decent, if short, guitar solos. Odd then that the former was chosen as a promotional single for an album that finds strength in the 'softer' songs. Inside Of Me is fast, messy and hits that middle ground that plagues most of the album - somewhere between old and new. End Of The World tries to be a bit different, like a bluesy Green Day political statement that is less a march on the Capitol, and more a rain soaked leaflet slapped into a cold hand. Walking In Circles is the right feel but truly forgettable. Out Of Ashes does to try to end on a high with In The Darkness but the opening lyrics of the descent into self harm is as obvious as Dido. Things pick up in a spirited chorus but Bennington just goes through the motions. And it's more old ground.

Out Of Ashes may be catharsis and a necessary channel for the sort of creative purge that cannot be satisfied with Linkin Park but as an album it fails to divorce itself from the sound Bennington is best known for. It's like someone has chucked in a bucket of cold water and left the sound diluted and soulless. As the driving force, Bennington is superb and you can't fault his commitment, but the end result doesn't always hit the mark. The moments of brilliance are spread out amongst dullness, obvious arrangements and incredibly banal lyrics (see "lost and can't be found", "diving into oceans", "feeling pain", "happiness from misery", "learning how to live" etc. Such a shame that a good songwriter and some great musicians fail to come up with anything new. A personal rehabilitation has produced a lack of cutting edge and inspiration. Whether it has worked for Bennington, only he knows.

-- CS (for The Music Magazine)