Jack Bugg - Jake Bugg (Album Review 2012)

Jake Bugg - Jake Bugg

From time to time, a new single creates a false sense of anticipation for an album. That single is Two Fingers by Nottingham's 18 year old Jake Bugg. The renowned music expert, and man with his own two fingers on the pulse, DBA Jim (thanks JD!), put this new song my way and I was immediately and distinctly unimpressed. This is the sound of another young upstart embracing lad-culture, singing about smoking and drinking, like an early Alex Turner but without the charm. So the eponymous début album was approached with trepidation - for no good reason. Jake Bugg is a revelation. Supported by the song-writing and production talents of Iain Archer (Snow Patrol), Crispin Hunt (Longpigs) and Mike Crossey, Bugg deftly delivers a collection of wonderful stories and love songs, embodying his life, future hopes and dreams. From the vibrant guitar rockabilly of opener Lightning Bolt, and previous single Taste It, to the delicate charm of Country Song and the superb ballad Broken (Hunt's only, but vital, contribution), the first half of the album doesn't disappoint. Even the aforementioned Two Fingers (actually the fifth single from Jake Bugg), quickly followed by the tongue-in-cheek Seen It All ("One Friday night I took a pill, or maybe two..." begins the psychedelic adventure) with their over-confident, no-fear, swagger, add to the glorious mix. The second half is more sedate, kicking off with the excellent Trouble Town, immediately drawing comparisons with early Bob Dylan - all street-poet and attitude, The Ballad Of Mr Jones is a dark country-fuelled tale of misadventure, while Slide is another tearful ballad - the kind Richard Ashcroft can only dream of. Note To Self is Bugg's best vocal performance, the vibrato resonating from the world of Gerry Marsden and Gene Pitney, followed by the equally affecting Someplace. This blend of old-world production, new-world songwriting, and that fantastic voice is the key to Jake Bugg's triumphant musical introduction.

-- CS

Muse - The 2nd Law (Album Review 2012)

Muse - The 2nd Law

Muse has grown as a band over fifteen years and six albums, a transformation starting with 2003's Absolution. The signs are all there on Origin Of Symmetry but the lack of focus, and talent to take the material and huge arrangements to the 'next level' plague the album continuously. So through Black Holes and Revelations and The Resistance, Muse arrive at The 2nd Law. And what a chaotic, glorious mess of an album it is.

Opener Supremacy is a bond theme without the film to go with it, and sets the early tone - that of power and holding on to it, Madness is Queen's I Want To Break Free with a majestic choral finale, and Panic Station is a pop-funk mash-up of Thriller and Scissor Sisters. So far, so Muse. After this audacious start is The 2nd Law's key track - the one minute orchestral Prelude, which after the opening trilogy, presses a reset button and seems to be there to introduce the album 'proper'. This starts with Survival, which was the official song of the London 2012 Summer Olympics; badly-judged - over aggressive and sinister, conjuring images of a malevolent despot struggling to keep order and control over a nation. On 2nd Law it works only to enhance the sense of oppression, menace and power - pomp and overblown production aside - but still remains one of the album's weaker moments.

From here, The 2nd Law settles down into a decent rock album. Follow Me stays just the right side of camp disco - like Jeff Buckley's take on I Will Survive as remixed by a youthful Trent Reznor, interrupted by Bono. The guitar work on Animals is especially good, as is Matthew Bellamy's vocals. Explorers is also great, a bit Black Star (Radiohead) with delicious backing vocals. Bellamy is again superb on Big Freeze, even if it's not one of the album's strongest moments while Save Me is a real surprise. Lead vocals for this, and following song Liquid State (kicking off like Ministry and ending up as something completely new), are handed to bassist Chris Wolstenholme, transforming Muse into a new band and two cracking performances. And the closing title track, a two-part electro-experiment of buzzes, clicks, robotic vocals and samples, fused with gorgeous piano and strings, is also Bellamy-free. This is bizarre, downbeat and serious, yet fitting, end to The 2nd Law - an album that starts with no identity and becomes something unique and interesting.

Far from a triumph, The 2nd Law is many other things. It is a three-track EP from a band on form doing other people's songs, more in tribute than parody; then a superb rock-pop album and some of the best guitar-work and vocals from the band; then Muse being something else: a new identity, a difference; before a well-meaning eco-propaganda prog-rock finale. No other band is attempting this with such brazen confidence, the level of sophisticated musicianship, and ultimate success.

-- CS

Music Reviews (Tim Burgess, Bob Mould, Beth Orton)

Tim Burgess - Oh No I Love You

Charlatans front-man and part-time DJ Tim Burgess has released two solo albums, the first I Believe in 2003 was a warm, charming and spirited attempt to break away from the then well-established Charlatans formula. The band were an important part of the Manchester scene, with the brilliant albums Between 10th and 11th, Up To Our Hips and Tellin' Stories (to name the best three from the five great albums the band made in the 90s), and have never quite reached those heights since. So nearly ten years after his solo début, Burgess is back with Oh No I Love You. Anyone expecting a Charlatans album will be disappointed, and should be. Burgess uses his solo work as an outlet to try different things, and unlike I Believe, which is largely straight-forward and uncluttered, this second album is a mix of styles and sounds. This is mainly due to the collaboration with Lambchop's Kurt Wagner and a host of other musicians including My Morning Jacket. From the big lead single and opening break-up song White, all cool retro keyboards and brass section, to the sad, croaky, six and half minute ballad A Case For Vinyl, to the love-lost downbeat electro-pop The Great Outdoors Bitches, this is both sublime and compelling. Elsewhere the songs are comfortable. The Doors Of Then is a pleasant country waltz and Hours is a string-laden slice of easy-listening. Only the slow listless Tobacco Fields grates somewhat. But Oh No I Love You ends well, with the falsetto-driven and slick guitar work of The Economy and the second six-minute epic, mournful choral closer A Gain, with Burgess again showing his wonderful vocal range and timing, proving that the project is a worthwhile success.

Bob Mould - Silver Age

Former Husker Du and Sugar front-man Bob Mould releases his tenth solo album Silver Age. A man with a huge musical legacy, he is now an assured elder statesman, and his current 'band' featuring Jason Narducy and Jon Wurster (Superchunk and The Mountain Goats) sound as brilliant as ever. Silver Age has all the angst and guitars of Husker Du, the melodies of Sugar, and Mould's sharp spiky tuneful vocals. From furious opener Star Machine, to the wonderful shimmering pop of The Descent, to the epic guitar-fuelled psychedelia of Steam Of Hercules, there is never a dull moment. The second half of Silver Age is only marred by the trite and predictable Angels Rearrange but the blistering Fugue State and final duo of Keep Believing and First Time Joy are both excellent; the former is the perfect way to start any rock song - even if the melody flattens as the song concludes, while the latter is the vibrant hope-filled album highlight. The bands he has influenced through the years can be heard everywhere on this album, the echoes of the past sounding new and fresh. Bob Mould has not only proved his continued relevance and importance with Silver Age but found a collection of songs worthy of his tenth solo record.

Beth Orton - Sugaring Season

Beth Orton has been away for a while, to get married and start a family, but now six years after the disappointing Comfort Of Strangers, and sixteen years after her brilliant début Trailer Park, Orton releases the re-energised Sugaring Season. Thankfully Orton has discarded the 'easy-listening' style and bland middle-of-the-road balladry of her previous few albums and returned to her vibrant 'folk' roots. This has been described as a 'folk album for people who don't like folk' which is plainly ridiculous - what it means is this is a deep, atmospheric acoustic record filled with swathes of instrumentation, gorgeous vocals and compelling stories. From opener Magpie, you can tell Orton is determined and driven - like she is now giving Laura Marling something to think about. Her (now forty years young) vocals still retain a breathless quality, while gaining strength and maturity. Candles is especially surprising and wonderful - an impossibly high, yet husky, register drives the song forward through guitars and distant backing vocals: "You just found another way to cry..." is the dramatic closer to each chorus (with 'you' replaced with 'I' in the last dramatic moment). The lightness comes with Call Me The Breeze, a wonderful organ-keyboard filled, breezy-vocal country romp; while Poison Tree is a dark, menacing tale of lost love and faith. And the brilliance continues with the piano-led ballad Last Leaves Of Autumn, quickly followed by more great piano and the subtle tunefulness of State Of Grace. And closer Mystery is perfect, elegant simplicity and Orton's best vocal, not only of the album, but her life. Only the short See Through Blue, trying to break the 'seriousness', is misjudged, as Sugaring Season unfolds into a major triumph. Even though it lacks the song-craft and wide-eyed innocence of Trailer Park, Beth Orton is now, with Sugaring Season, a better musician and better song-writer.

-- CS

Suzanne Vega - Close-Up Volume 4, Songs Of Family (Album Review 2012)

Suzanne Vega has released the fourth (and final?) volume of her 'Close-up' series of reworked and re-performed songs from her own back catalogue. Close-up Volume 4, Songs of Family, as the name suggests, focuses on the people closest to Vega, and this one features previously unreleased songs - three no less, that conclude the album.

Songs are taken from Vega's previous albums with two notable exceptions. There are two songs from the much neglected Days Of Open Hand: Tired Of Sleeping and Pilgrimage, two from 99.9F degrees: Blood Sings and Bad Wisdom, two from Nine Objects Of Desire: Honeymoon Suite and World Before Columbus, two from Songs In Red And Gray: Soap And Water and Widow's Walk and (to complete the symmetry) two from Beauty & Crime: As You Are Now and Ludlow Street. No songs from her eponymous début and Solitude Standing feature (which is something of a surprise) and the opening song, Rosemary has only been released before on Vega's 1998 compilation Tried and True.

On paper, this looks like the weakest collection of songs on the four Close-up albums. That could be a good thing, giving more scope for the reworkings to shine. Only World Before Columbus, As You Are Now, Blood Sings and Soap And Water immediately stand out. But like many of Vega's albums (including these revisitations), quality is everywhere and it's easy to forget quite how good many of these songs are. Take Pilgrimage, for example. Here Vega has brought a dated and oddly-detatched song right up-to-date; gone is the big 80's production and echoing drums and the song can now escape, while retaining the original spirit. Many of the songs on Volume 4 have remained largely untouched. The difference this time is injected energy, when required, or increased poignancy to enhance the stories. After all, this is the most personal of these recordings. Soap And Water is as heartbreakingly beautiful as the original, the main difference being added guitar and the lack of strings, as is World Before Columbus. Both capture heartache and joy equally.

Big changes are few and far between. Tired Of Sleeping shows its age lyrically (now over twenty years old) but Vega makes a good attempt at undating, and uncomplicating, it - complete with a more effective big ending. That said, the original is wonderfully charming. As You Are Now is completely stripped bare of production and clutter, and Ludlow Street has all its rampant percussion removed, creating a more sedate version.

So what of the new songs? Brother Mine and The Silver Lady were written over thirty years ago but now sound completely relevant and modern. They are completely different, the former an upbeat country-pop celebration and the latter a more reflective take on the same subject. These are more obvious 'family' songs than most of the metaphor-driven work on the album. The final of the trilogy, Daddy Is White, is the newest song, and the most interesting. Revisiting the sound and approach of much of 99F degrees, this is new take on an old subject, and is a fitting finale to an album about family.

Looking at all four volumes of Close-Up, not many musicians could do what Suzanne Vega has done. This series of albums is both predictable and compelling; there are surprises and comfortable familiar arrangements aplenty but more often than not, it succeeds as a celebration and a reminder of just how good the songs of Suzanne Vega are. For past, present and future.

-- CS

Mogwai remix album 'A Wrenched Virile Lore'

Mogwai are to release a new album on November 19th entitled A Wrenched Virile Lore containing remixes of tracks from Hardcore Will never Die, But You Will.

Track listing:

'George Square Thatcher Death Party' (Justin K Broadrick Reshape)'
'Rano Pano (Klad Hest – Mogwai is My Dick RMX)'
'White Noise (EVP Mix by Cyclob)'
'How To Be A Werewolf (Xander Harris Remix)'
'Letters To The Metro (Zombi Remix)'
'Mexican Grand Prix (Reworked by RM Hubbert)'
'Rano Pano (Tim Hecker Remix)'
'San Pedro (The Soft Moon Remix)'
'Too Raging To Cheers (Umberto Remix)'
'La Mort Blanche (Robert Hampson Remix)'

Karine Polwart - Traces (Album Review 2012)

Karine Polwart - Traces

There are many folk musicians who are ever-present yet go about their trade largely unnoticed (except maybe not to a group of hardened fans). Karine Polwart has been in and out of bands (and currently a member of The Burns Unit with Emma Pollock and King Creosote), as well as collaborating with other solo artists, including Idlewild's Roddy Woomble, but it is her own solo work which is her most engaging; none more so than her latest album Traces. Polwart's début Faultlines won her two BBC Radio 2 folk awards and unlike this, the darker follow-up Scribbled In Chalk, and the traditional Fairest Floo'er, Traces is an exquisite collection of bitter-sweet songs from the beautiful recollections of childhood to tales of relationships and family, love, loss and memories.


Through the simple acoustic delivery is an ethereal production, evident from opener Cover Your Eyes, deftly blending Polwart's Stirlingshire vocals (think Amy MacDonald sings Kate Rusby) with grand flourishes of strings and percussion to convey the feel of weather, unforgiving coastlines and a valued dune ecosystem. "Not even God himself could stop the Northerlies from blowing" is just wonderful imagery and every song on Traces immediately paints pictures in the listeners' minds at every opportunity - as great storytelling should. An early highlight is the charming and poignant Don't Worry, highlighting the plight of fighting men and women: "When the soldier comes back, with the weight of the world in his little knapsack... He's gonna need a hand to hold...to ease out the thorns from the heart of his soul" is superb songwriting and heart-breaking narrative. This is followed by the equally emotive and stirring We're All Leaving, about growing up, finding your own way and moving on. The song builds elegantly to a controlled dramatic climax.

More great moments are scattered throughout Traces like gold dust: the wordless vocals of King Of Birds, more stirring tales of family, memories and growing up with loss: Strange News ("And the mother does just what she must and the father comes undone; in the not-yet-snow we wave and shout 'hello'...to a morning sun"), complete with a gorgeous central vocal and Inge Thomson's perfect accordion, and the slow-building darkness and drama of Tears For Lot's Wife is perfectly arranged and shows the talents of the wonderful band, including Polwart's brother Steven; all excellent at every turn. The magical Tinsel Show adds more youthful nostalgia.

Into the final trilogy, Sticks 'n' Stones is a slow-burning relocation of leaving behind a treasured family home with more brilliant word-smithery: "Inch-lines on door frames, and thumb-prints on window panes...scars where the bed stood and names scored on old wood  ...and our dreams in the rafters, secrets in timbers... and hopes in the plasterboard" is interspersed with stark cold 'empty' accordion to complete the juxtaposition. Salters Road is probably the album highlight and easily Polwart's best vocal of her career, let alone the album - a simply beautiful and heart-wrenching tale of two distant lovers set to the backdrop of the atmospheric Scottish landscape. Closer Half A Mile, is a close second for album highlight, as it takes the most awful of subjects - that of abduction and murder - and with a perfectly-judged and brave delivery, turns it into a moving tribute. "You were high on being alone... You were high on being old enough to walk home...for the first time", the final part repeated twice, as the terrible tale unfolds. "And the trucks still roll by..." forms an emotional end.

Traces is Karine Polwart at her best; direct and honest folk songwriting with an added 'sheen' thanks to a brilliant supporting band and expert-touch production. This is a great modern folk album,  Polwart's voice shining with its own personality, truth and starry-eyed emotion, and the stories and characters are brought to life through the songs.

-- CS

Peter Buck releases Solo album, Tomorrow!

Former R.E.M. guitarist Peter Buck has a new solo album, released on October 5th. The record features Corin Tucker of Sleater-Kinney and the Corin Tucker Band, Jenny Conley of The Decemberists, Patti Smith guitarist Lenny Kaye and several other friends and musicians Buck has worked with over the years.

From the official R.E.M. HQ website:

"I know I said for years that I would never make a solo record. It was never a plan or a desire but it just kind of happened. When REM called it a day I'd spent the last 3 months on my back with a semi-crippling injury unable to play guitar. With my band gone and unable to use the fingers on my right hand, I started writing lyrics just to have something creative to do. The lyrics turned into songs and the songs turned into what felt like a possible album, so I called some of my favorite musicians, Scott, Mike, Bill, Lenny Kaye, Corin Tucker, Jenny Conlee, and booked studio time."

Buck has written most of lyrics on the album but vocal duties go elsewhere; however he still feels it is his solo record.

Buck is also quite dismissive about the project: "At this point it is a limited edition of 2,000 vinyl only. As for the future I may do some performances, but this is not a career, it is something I am doing for fun."

Will the album be available digitally? Who knows. I hope so.

“If I had wanted to make it a CD, the CD would’ve been out three months ago,” he said, “but vinyl is what I want to do for right now. It’s a record—like all records, people will have to look for it, I guess. It’s not gonna be in Walmart. We’ll see about the digital."

Ok so he's being humble about it all but he was (is) the guitarist in R.E.M. While we all appreciate his artistic integrity, he could reach a huge audience. 2000 copies? Vinyl? Come on, at least give us a digital listen, even for a limited time.

Music Chart - September 2012

New albums this month from the mighty Mark Knopfler, Two Door Cinema Club, Matchbox Twenty, Cat Power, The xx, Mount Eerie (again), Nas, Jessie Ware, Katatonia, Grizzly Bear, The Killers, Band of Horses, The Raveonettes, Ben Folds Five, Aimee Mann and last but not least Mumford & Sons...

1. Shallow Bed by Dry The River 
2. Babel by Mumford & Sons
3. Valtari by Sigur Ros
4. The Lion's Roar by First Aid Kit
5. Bloom by Beach House 
6. Traces by Karine Polwart
7. Ssss by Vcmg 
8. The Sound Of The Life Of The Mind by Ben Folds Five
9. Generation Freakshow by Feeder
10. Celebration Rock by Japandroids
11. Cut The World by Antony & The Johnsons 
12. Oshin by Diiv
13. The Ghost In Daylight by Gravenhurst 
14. New Wild Everywhere by Great Lake Swimmers
15. Sun by Cat Power
16. An Awesome Wave by Alt-J  
17. Battle Born by The Killers
18. Sweet Heart Sweet Light by Spiritualized
19. Ghostory by School of Seven Bells
20. Charmer by Aimee Mann
21. Born And Raised by John Mayer
22. Coexist by The xx
23. Like Drawing Blood by Gotye 
24. Observator by The Raveonettes
25. Southern Air by Yellowcard 
26. Dead End Kings by Katatonia
27. Banga by Patti Smith
28. Instinct by Niki And The Dove
29. Electric Cables by Lightships
30. Privateering by Mark Knopfler
31. The Unthanks with Brighouse and Rastrick Brass Band by The Unthanks
32. Even On The Worst Nights by Mixtapes
33. Oceania by Smashing Pumpkins
34. Blood Speaks by Smoke Fairies 
35. Handwritten by The Gaslight Anthem
36. Do The Struggle by Franz Nicolay 
37. The Light The Dead Can See by Soulsavers
38. Sounds From Nowheresville by The Ting Tings
39. Mutual Friends by Boy 
40. Devotion by Jessie Ware
41. Moth by Exlovers
42. Tramp by Sharon Van Etten
43. WIXIW by Liars 
44. My Head Is An Animal by Of Monsters And Men
45. Young Man In America by Anais Mitchell 
46. Given To The Wild by The Maccabees
47. The Sister by Marissa Nadler
48. Americana by Neil Young and Crazy Horse 
49. Unearth by Grasscut
50. Little Broken Hearts by Norah Jones
51. Hot Cakes by The Darkness
52. Synthetica by Metric
53. Words And Music by Saint Etienne
54. Wonky by Orbital 
55. Crown And Treaty by Sweet Billy Pilgrim 
56. Shrines by Purity Ring
57. Standing At The Sky's Edge by Richard Hawley
58. Internal Logic by Grass Widow
59. Strangeland by Keane
60. Here Come The Bombs by Gaz Coombes
61. Tough Love by Pulled Apart by Horses
62. Interstellar by Frankie Rose
63. Dead In The Boot by Elbow
64. Wild Peace by Echo Lake
65. Dub Egg by The Young
66. Born Villain by Marilyn Manson
67. Let It Break by Gemma Hayes
68. Life Is Good by Nas
69. Living Things by Linkin Park
70. Beacon by Two Door Cinema Club
71. Underwater Sunshine by Counting Crows
72. Manifest! by Friends
73. Clear Moon by Mount Eerie
74. Tree Bursts In Snow by Admiral Fallow
75. Human Don't Be Angry by Human Don't Be Angry
76. The Family Tree: The Roots by Radical Face
77. Weapons by Lostprophets
78. Blues Funeral by Mark Lanegan Band
79. A Monument by Tu Fawning
80. Aufheben by The Brian Jonestown Massacre
81. Have Some Faith In Magic by Errors
82. Hello Cruel World by Gretchen Peters
83. Voyageur by Kathleen Edwards
84. Long Live The Struggle by The King Blues
85. Fossil Of Girl by Sarah Donner
86. Blunderbuss by Jack White
87. Here I Am by Oli Brown 
88. Spirits by Plankton Wat
89. Visions by Grimes
90. Tales From The Barrel House by Seth Lakeman 
91. The Temper Trap by The Temper Trap
92. ¿Which Side Are You On? by Ani Difranco
93. Eighty One by Yppah
94. Wrecking Ball by Bruce Springsteen
95. First Serve by De La Soul's Plug 1 and Plug 2
96. Kin Con by Alex Winston
97. Not Your Kind Of People by Garbage
98. Gossamer by Passion Pit
99. Siberia by LIGHTS 
100. Ocean Roar by Mount Eerie 
101. Europe by Allo Darlin' 
102. North by Matchbox Twenty
103. The Something Rain by Tindersticks
104. Something by Chairlift
105. The House That Jack Built by Jesca Hoop 
106. Mirage Rock by Band Of Horses
107. Anxiety by Ladyhawke
108. Fear Fun by Father John Misty 
109. Fragrant World by Yeasayer 
110. Shields by Grizzly Bear
111. California 37 by Train
112. Break It Yourself by Andrew Bird
     
113. Reign Of Terror by Sleigh Bells
114. The Idler Wheel Is Wiser Than the Driver of the Screw and Whipping Cords Will Serve You More Than Ropes Will Ever Do by Fiona Apple
115. Through The Night by Ren Harvieu
116. Personality by Scuba
117. America Give Up by Howler
118. Black Light by Diagrams

The xx - Coexist (Album Review 2012)

In 2010, the xx's début album xx won the Mercury Prize, beating Biffy Clyro, Dizzee Rascal, Foals, Laura Marling, Mumford & Sons and Paul Weller. This helped bring the band, their lo-fi sparse electronic sound, and the album, to a wider audience. Now as a three-piece of Romy Madley-Croft, Oliver Sim and Jamie Smith, the inevitable difficult follow-up Coexist is not so much progress as continuation of a working format. The difference this time is that Croft and Sim, who share vocal duties, have brought their own personal lives and memories into the song writing, while Smith provides the light touches. This makes Coexist a collection of melancholic and beautiful love songs.

Opener Angels has Madley-Croft repeating "Being as in love with you as I am" over Smith's delicate keys while Chained is a Sim-lead duet, centred on the line "We used be closer than this". Vocally the two singers intertwine, often singing different threads of the same story, providing altering perspectives and views. Gothic guitars and stark drums are added for Sim's Fiction but the early highlight is the wonderful Try with its fragile arrangement and fragmented ideas, two-part vocal harmonies and empty spaces. The backdrop for Reunion is echoing steel-drums; a song in two movements, building in the second half and concluding the story of missed opportunity and loss.

Sunset is another fine moment, like a distant phone conversation between two storytellers, or the inner thoughts as they read each other's letters, and Missing continues this approach with added drama - a neat touch is how the roles of Sim and Madley-Croft switch to compliment each other. The vibrant, yet downbeat, Tides completes this impressive trilogy and Coexist's best ten minutes. This is followed by the album's most beautiful vocal performance, Unfold, the words framed with more great guitar work and subtle production from Smith.

At five minutes, Swept Away is a hugely ambitious attempt to break away from the strict formula, creating what becomes a late high point. Two gorgeous guitar/piano instrumentals break the song into three parts. "I'm here...and I'll always be..." is another vocal masterpiece from Madley-Croft while Sim delivers "Hide away, I hide away with you...I let the world just slip away, and I'm left with you...". At the centre of the song is more love-letter interplay between the two. Closer Our Song is the only time on Coexist when the two singers are together for the entire vocal, which seems like a fitting ending.

Coexist is unlikely to make an immediate impact; it is one of those albums that needs time and repeat listens to appreciate. The xx don't go for big arrangements and layers of guitars, riffs and epic moments, and there are no obvious 'singles' (and why should there be in a world in which this is no longer important). The power of the music is in the use of space and control and Smith handles the production with deft and imaginative precision. As vocalists, Madley-Croft in particular has grown, and together the band's timing and cohesion is improved. Everything just sounds more focused and tightly constructed, embracing the minimalism ever further. Coexist is an album of character and characters, heartbreak and hope, and more importantly, being together.

-- CS

Album Reviews (The Killers, Mumford & Sons and The Raveonettes)

The Killers - Battle Born

After a brief hiatus following years of touring, The Killers are now continuing their quest for world domination. Fourth album Battle Born is both hugely enjoyable and massively frustrating; a real hotch-potch of ideas, styles and pace produced mainly by Brendan O'Brien and Steve Lillywhite. A few songs are co-written by Daniel Lanois (best known as the producer of U2's The Joshua Tree) and Travis's Fran Healy and as an album it all holds together with moments of brilliance everywhere. However, each song doesn't always stick to a tried and tested plan and they veer off course regularly, leading to the aforementioned frustration - opener Flesh and Bone is the best example of this. Definite highlights include the single Runaways (the only song produced by both O'Brien and Lillywhite, with Damien Taylor) pulling in bits of The Who and Springsteen - a tale of love, loss and a man fighting against the odds to keep a family together ("We used to laugh now we only fight" and "I come home after they go to sleep; like a stumbling ghost I haunt these walls..."). This is one of the redeeming parts of Battle Born - the outright honesty and intimate storytelling of everyday people, even though lyrically, this is not the band's best work. Brandon Flowers is excellent throughout, fully committed and full-blooded and only The Rising Tide is a badly judged four minutes. A Matter Of Time brings the past and the present together for another high point and more musical ideas than most albums have in their entire running time, and Miss Atomic Bomb is equally compelling, if a little too clever for its own good. Here With Me is the big open-hearted ballad with the teenage-poet chorus: "I don't want your picture on my cellphone..." and Heart Of A Girl builds to a gloriously pleasant finale. The last three songs on Battle Born form a strong finale, from the short pop-punk of From Here On Out, through the smooth electronic vibes of Be Still, to the bombastic epic closing title track. Always interesting and often baffling, Battle Born is not The Killers at their most consistent but it is certainly their most ambitious album to date.

Mumford & Sons - Babel

Mumford & Sons have proved that it doesn't have to be a 'difficult second album'. Following their superb début Sigh No More, the band release Babel, after three years of tours, television appearances and helping make Laura Marling's I Speak Because I Can a massive success. And this is now Mumford & Sons at the top of their game - building their sound while keeping its soul, and improving each and every part. The result is incredible. Arguably Sigh No More has better songs but with stand-out moments like the beautiful Holland Road, mighty stadium-epic Lover Of The Light (easily the album's finest song and destined to be a stadium centre piece) and the dark, powerful Broken Crown, this eclipses anything that has come before, simply through the musicianship and execution. Every moment is well-judged, perfectly delivered and brimming with quality. Even the delicate Below My Feet manages to do a lot with very little in five minutes, even at the three-minute mark when the music builds to a banjo/vocal climax. Delicious harmonies are added when required but it's the fantastic voice of Marcus Mumford leading the music forward. Babel's longest song Ghosts That We Knew is also perfectly arranged, slow and methodical for the most part and never resorting to a huge swathe of instrumentation. And Hopeless Wanderer proves that prog-folk is possible as it bounces from slow to fast with relentless energy. Ultimately, even though it sticks to tried-and-tested formula, Babel is a triumph and should launch Mumford & Sons further into people's hearts and minds.

The Raveonettes - Observator

Sune Rose Wagner and Sharin Foo are one of music's odd couples. Ever since the release of début EP Whip It On, with lead track Attack Of The Ghost Riders, they have made great music - a compelling blend of 60s shimmering harmonies and Jesus And Mary Chain meets My Bloody Valentine guitars. Previous album Raven In The Grave, while inconsistent, is much more ambitious than their early work and now Observator shows that The Raveonettes have even more variation, as hinted by 2007's Lust Lust Lust. The main problem with this album is how annoyingly short it is, nine songs at just over half an hour. But this is quality over quantity and every song earns its place. The early highlight is Observations, an odd Gothic take on Gimme Shelter with dramatic piano, fuzzy guitars and Wagner's super-slick vocals. The duo recorded the album at the famous Sunset Sound in LA and the album oozes the effects of the oppressive California heat, the myriad of Venice Beach characters and the ghosts of the past. The Enemy, with Foo's delicious vocals taking the lead, is also impressive, while Sinking With The Sun is a super-fast guitar-drum duet with a cool chorus, and She Owns the Streets is brilliant storytelling. Observator ends impressively: Downtown is a great mix of distortion and pop melody, You Hit Me (I'm Down) sums up the mood of the album while turning the 'drug' theme on its head, and Till the End is a fine, if a little rushed, pop finish. More great music from the Danish duo.

-- CS

Richard Hawley and Lisa Hannigan (Portsmouth Pyramids, 18/09/12)

I don't often write reviews of gigs, mainly because I don't go to many - something I hope to change, but this one was very special. For me it was a no-brainer; a double-header at a local 'small' venue featuring two musicians I really wanted to see live. Here it is...

Tuesday night in Southsea, Portsmouth, and the sun was setting on the harbour as an Isle Of Wight ferry made its way across the waters of this historic waterway. I arrived early and after a brief walk along the sea front, made my way into the short queue at the Pyramids for Lisa Hannigan and Richard Hawley.

I was in the venue at 7:35 and immediately appreciated the size of the place. This was my first time at the Pyramids and it felt more like being at one of the smaller stages at a festival. I had a quick wander around, walked up to the stage and checked out the guitars and amps on display. At the front you could almost touch them. Most people were flocking in the bar areas at the back and to one side and I found myself standing about six feet from the stage with only a single line of hardened fans at the front, arms resting on the barrier between floor and stage. And at 7:55, the lights dimmed and Lisa Hannigan, guitar in hand, walked alone onto the stage. She introduced herself and started her first song.

This seemed to take everyone else by surprise. But not me. It sounds corny but it was as if she was singing just for me, looking right at me, singing just for me. The ground could have swallowed me up and I wouldn't have cared. The lack of crowd around me, as I stood motionless, listening to this wonderful voice and guitar, made it feel like I was the only person in the room.

Safe to say, Hannigan's set was mesmerising. She was joined by her band (including guitarist, backing singer John Smith) for the remaining set - a short 35 minutes or so but packed with brilliance. The magnificent Knots was a highlight for me, as was the beautiful O Sleep which captivated everyone. Anyone who can rock out with a Ukulele is greatness incarnate. Thankfully the performance drew people from the bars and towards the stage - so by the time Lisa and her two male companions gave a heartfelt and honest rendition of The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down in honour of the late Levon Helm (The Band), gathered together around a single microphone, everyone was captivated.

So Lisa Hannigan walked off stage to respectful applause and shouts of 'more' (not just from me) and a sense of bewilderment. A guy next to me told me when he booked tickets he had to look her up on YouTube because he hadn't heard of her. I smiled and said 'I was only here for her'. This was greeted with raised eyebrows. I went on to explain that I probably wouldn't have got a ticket if it wasn't for such a great support act. I think most people waiting for Richard Hawley and his band to take to the stage felt the same way, even if they didn't before.

I decided to stay in the same spot for the main man. After twenty minutes of watching roadies going through final sound checks, tuning and arranging a plethora of guitars, and generally rushing about, Richard Hawley and band took to the stage to rapturous applause and whooping. Dressed in jeans and a tight leather jacket, with trademark quiff, he is an instantly recognisable and distinctive 'front man'. After a 'good evening', they immediately launched into She Brings The Sunlight, the opening song from his now Mercury nominated album Standing At The Sky's Edge.

Naturally the album dominated the set list and my trepidations about how the songs would be delivered (and received) live were instantly settled. It was blistering stuff - the echoing guitars, pounding drums and Hawley's vocals shaking my soul to the core. Leave Your Body Behind You, Down In The Woods, Standing At The Sky's Edge, Before and new single Seek It were all superb. Hawley's banter with the crowd was engaging, sweary and gloriously charming. He lambasted the mp3 generation ("Anyone handing over a tenner and getting nothing needs their head looking at" - or words to that effect) and then tried - presumably in jest - to arrange an after-show party under Southsea Pier, and criticising someone for saying they would bring a Parker jacket, after someone else said "box of wine". There was a good vibe between Hawley, the audience and his band as he talked about the lead guitarist's new trousers. Back to the music, old favourite Tonight The Streets Are Ours and the more recent Open Up Your Door and Soldier On were equally well received. His genuine and respectful thanks to the crowd nearly fell flat - "Thanks for choosing to come and see us. It's tough out there", he declared which got the response: "It's Portsmouth" from one wise-cracking local. Comedy aside, his thanks were well received and it felt honest and humbling. The applause at the end of the set was the loudest I've heard.

This continued for what seemed like hours before Hawley and his band (who were superb all night) returned for one last song, appropriately The Ocean. This was a huge version ending in a massive feedback-fuelled finale of teeth-rattling guitars and bass. A great end to a great night.

- CS

Aimee Mann - Charmer Video

Cool video and song. Great idea.

Ben Folds Five - Do It Anyway (with the cast of Fraggle Rock)

Music Reviews (Aimee Mann, Ben Folds Five, Band of Horses)

Aimee Mann - Charmer

It's been a while since Aimee Mann has set the musical world alight. Her third album Bachelor No. 2 (Or The Last Remains Of The Dodo) remains Mann's most interesting and musically astute album, followed by her wonderful début Whatever, back in the early nineteen nineties, and later the brilliant Magnolia soundtrack. The world has changed and Mann has changed with it. Gone are the folky acoustic overtones, that lead Bob Dylan to declare 4th Of July one of the best songs ever written, and in come the fuzzy pop synths and electric guitars. This is evident from the title track and opener, with Mann's distinctive vocals and favourite melodies, all washed with fuzzy punk-pop production. The album sets a direct course and starts with the best trio of songs. Labrador is a gorgeous blend of piano and soaring vocal, with an epic chorus. Mann still has a way of weaving and crafting obscure metaphor into intimate stories of characters - Gumby, Barfly and Crazytown approach this in different ways. Living A Lie breaks the formula by bringing in The Shins' James Mercer for an anti-love song duet and some great lines: "No one bares a grudge like a boy-genius, just past his prime...". Only the trite Gamma Ray and the odd country-esque closer Red Flag Diver drag the second half into mediocrity, which, after the best first half of any Aimee Mann album in a decade, is a bitter-pill.

Ben Folds Five - The Sound Of The Life Of The Mind

Since the band broke up in 2000, Ben Folds has enjoyed an excellent solo career with two great albums: Rockin' The Suburbs and Songs For Silverman, as well as work on television and film. The band, with Folds, Robert Sledge and Darren Jessee (in spite of the name, there are only three members - but Five sounded better than Three so...) reformed and The Sound Of The Life Of The Mind is a perfect example of why they got back together. The album highlights the band's glorious sense of chaos and fun, while showing their calmer, more reflective, side. Opener Erase Me is an obvious juxtaposition of styles with Folds quiet and delicate one minute and bombastically operatic the next, while the music follows his lead. The song races through its five minutes like a runaway train. Likewise Michael Praytor, Five Years Later is equally ambitious, as it the overt pop of Draw A Crowd (complete with funny-the-first-time-around, but not-so-after-a-while, chorus). The title track blends Folds' distinctive piano with Nick Horny lyrics (unused from Folds' last solo album, Lonely Avenue) and blurs the edges between genius and madness. In contrast Do It Anyway is delivered at furious speed, and almost works, in an many ways sums up the band's ethos. But it is the softer moments that bring this album to life. The Jessee penned Sky High is an undoubted highlight - staying on track and never threatening to throw noise or complication into the mix. On Being Frank is a gorgeous ballad with just the right amount of orchestral majesty and more of Folds' sublime piano, and Hold That Thought is more beautiful song writing, conjuring images at every turn. This heralds a calm serene end to an album that began in turbulence. Away When You Were Here and Thank You For Breaking My Heart form a perfect ending.

Band Of Horses - Mirage Rock

Band Of Horses are in a difficult position. Three amazing albums behind them: Everything All The Time, Cease To Begin and Infinite Arms, a distinctive sound and huge fan base. What do you do next? Instead of opting for something completely different, the band has 'updated' their sound and tried a few new things. And Mirage Rock will definitely divide critics and fans. Opener and lead single Knock Knock is a fine song, with Ben Bridwell and band on great form. This is not a massive departure from the tried-and-tested formula, mainly thanks to Bridwell's vocals, as is the mid-tempo How To Live and elegant ballad Slow Cruel Hands Of Time. A Little Biblical attempts to inject some pace and tongue-in-cheek observations, in the style of Fountains Of Wayne but with less charm. Oddly, it's the big changes that work the most on Mirage Rock. Dumpster World is a weird combination of Neil Young balladry and his own 'harder' style, while trying to highlight the folly of ignoring environmental issues. It ends a decent first half. Unfortunately the rest of Mirage Rock is inconsistent and badly judged. Electric Music feels a bit empty, Everything's Gonna Be Undone is uninspiring and prosaic, and Long Views, while beautifully executed, is revisiting the past with less material. Only the upbeat Feud tries to build some momentum but is swamped by percussion and unimaginative guitars. Closing song Heartbreak On The 101 is a strange vocal journey from deep to shallow across four minutes, but it works as an ending, with a subtle orchestral arrangement. So in an attempt to do something a bit different, Band Of Horses have ended up sounding mundane and stuck between sounds. And musically this is a huge step backwards from Infinite Arms. It is brave of them to try but when you have a good thing, why fix it?

-- CS

Mercury Prize 2012

This year's nominations for the Mercury Prize are:

• Alt-J - An Awesome Wave
• Ben Howard - Every Kingdom
• Django Django - Django Django
• Field Music - Plumb
• Jessie Ware - Devotion
• Lianne La Havas - Is Your Love Big Enough?
• Maccabees - Given to the Wild
• Michael Kiwanuka - Home Again
• Plan B - Ill Manors
• Richard Hawley - Standing at the Sky's Edge
• Roller Trio - Roller Trio
• Sam Lee - Ground Of Its Own

An interesting list. Glad to see Richard Hawley and Sam Lee but the rest is very middle-of-the-road. Probably the weakest commercial line-up in years but some really interesting music, most notably Alt-J. Two very strong female singers in Jessie Ware and Lianne La Havas and the stand-out rap artist Plan B. This makes this year's Mercury difficult to predict.

Music Chart - August 2012

Top albums this month from Great Lake Swimmers, Diiv, Sharon Van Etten, The Unthanks, Grasscut, Franz Nicolay, Antony & The Johnsons, The Darkness, Yeasayer, Karine Polwart, Yellowcard, Of Monsters And Men and Elbow. This takes the Underwurld Music chart for the year past 100 great albums.

1. Shallow Bed by Dry The River 
2. Valtari by Sigur Ros
3. The Lion's Roar by First Aid Kit
4. Bloom by Beach House 
5. Traces by Karine Polwart
6. Ssss by Vcmg
7. Generation Freakshow by Feeder
8. Celebration Rock by Japandroids
9. Cut The World by Antony & The Johnsons 
10. Oshin by Diiv
11. The Ghost In Daylight by Gravenhurst 
12. An Awesome Wave by Alt-J 
13. Sweet Heart Sweet Light by Spiritualized
14. Ghostory by School of Seven Bells
15. Born And Raised by John Mayer
16. Like Drawing Blood by Gotye 
17. Southern Air by Yellowcard
18. Banga by Patti Smith
19. Instinct by Niki And The Dove
20. Electric Cables by Lightships
21. New Wild Everywhere by Great Lake Swimmers
22. The Unthanks with Brighouse and Rastrick Brass Band by The Unthanks
23. Even On The Worst Nights by Mixtapes
24. Oceania by Smashing Pumpkins
25. Blood Speaks by Smoke Fairies 
26. Handwritten by The Gaslight Anthem
27. Do The Struggle by Franz Nicolay
28. The Light The Dead Can See by Soulsavers
29. Sounds From Nowheresville by The Ting Tings
30. Mutual Friends by Boy
31. Moth by Exlovers
32. Tramp by Sharon Van Etten
33. WIXIW by Liars 
34. My Head Is An Animal by Of Monsters And Men
35. Young Man In America by Anais Mitchell
36. The Sister by Marissa Nadler
37. Americana by Neil Young and Crazy Horse 
38. Unearth by Grasscut
39. Little Broken Hearts by Norah Jones
40. Hot Cakes by The Darkness
41. Synthetica by Metric
42. Words And Music by Saint Etienne
43. Wonky by Orbital 
44. Crown And Treaty by Sweet Billy Pilgrim 
45. Shrines by Purity Ring
46. Standing At The Sky's Edge by Richard Hawley
47. Internal Logic by Grass Widow
48. Strangeland by Keane
49. Here Come The Bombs by Gaz Coombes
50. Tough Love by Pulled Apart by Horses
51. Interstellar by Frankie Rose
52. Dead In The Boot by Elbow
53. Wild Peace by Echo Lake
54. Dub Egg by The Young
55. Born Villain by Marilyn Manson
56. Let It Break by Gemma Hayes
57. Living Things by Linkin Park 
58. Underwater Sunshine by Counting Crows
59. Manifest! by Friends
60. Clear Moon by Mount Eerie
61. Tree Bursts In Snow by Admiral Fallow
62. Human Don't Be Angry by Human Don't Be Angry
63. The Family Tree: The Roots by Radical Face
64. Weapons by Lostprophets
65. Blues Funeral by Mark Lanegan Band
66. A Monument by Tu Fawning
67. Aufheben by The Brian Jonestown Massacre
68. Have Some Faith In Magic by Errors
69. Hello Cruel World by Gretchen Peters
70. Voyageur by Kathleen Edwards
71. Long Live The Struggle by The King Blues
72. Fossil Of Girl by Sarah Donner
73. Blunderbuss by Jack White
74. Here I Am by Oli Brown 
75. Spirits by Plankton Wat
76. Visions by Grimes
77. Tales From The Barrel House by Seth Lakeman 
78. The Temper Trap by The Temper Trap
79. ¿Which Side Are You On? by Ani Difranco
80. Eighty One by Yppah
81. Wrecking Ball by Bruce Springsteen
82. First Serve by De La Soul's Plug 1 and Plug 2
83. Kin Con by Alex Winston
84. Not Your Kind Of People by Garbage
85. Gossamer by Passion Pit
86. Siberia by LIGHTS 
87. Europe by Allo Darlin'
88. The Something Rain by Tindersticks
89. Something by Chairlift
90. The House That Jack Built by Jesca Hoop
91. Anxiety by Ladyhawke
92. Fear Fun by Father John Misty 
93. Fragrant World by Yeasayer
94. California 37 by Train
95. Break It Yourself by Andrew Bird
    
96. Reign Of Terror by Sleigh Bells
97. Given To The Wild by The Maccabees
98. The Idler Wheel Is Wiser Than the Driver of the Screw and Whipping Cords Will Serve You More Than Ropes Will Ever Do by Fiona Apple
99. Through The Night by Ren Harvieu
100. Personality by Scuba
101. America Give Up by Howler
102. Black Light by Diagrams

New Band of Horses single and video (Knock, Knock)

Very cool new video for Knock Knock by Band of Horses, shot in the style of a cheesy 70s nature documentary. The single is taken from the band's fourth album Mirage, out next month. Thanks to NPR.

Music Report (Mixtapes, Grasscut, Purity Ring)

Mixtapes – Even On The Worst Nights

Mixtapes are Maura, Ryan, Boone and Michael from Cincinnati and according to their Facebook profile, they are ‘a band that plays songs!’. Even with a massively saturated market for emo and punk-pop (call it what you will), Mixtapes manage to keep it refreshingly straight-forward and uncomplicated. The follow-up to Maps, Even On The Worst Nights is the sound of Mixtapes finding their voices and confidence – the album improves on their previous work in every way. Something Better, Anyways and Just When You Thought It Was Over are all superb highlights with Maura and Ryan deftly sharing vocal and guitar duties, as if they have been doing it for decades. Just the right amount of energy, raw honesty, melodies and great song writing all add to the winning formula. The title track could be Bowling For Soup or New Found Glory at their best and the combination of boy/girl vocals adds something special. The chorus: “Hey! We just don’t surrender, it’s hard to talk about it when you don’t remember…” sums up a life of wild living and unfocused dreams. Occasional surprises break the relentless energy – You & I is under a minute and leads perfectly into the brilliant I’m Wearing The Device (Bridge, Water) – about as close to prog-punk as it gets. I’ll Give You A Hint, Yes is a superb love song, name-dropping Bon Iver and descending into wordless chanting, and a fade of all things. Golden Sometimes is oddly sedate, given the frantic pace of everything around it, but is never tempted to dive into thrashing guitars and drums. The closer, Mt. Hope, he longest song on the album at four minutes, concludes the album in style, like a glorious celebration of what has come before.

Grasscut – Unearth

We all love a good concept album, even if that concept is merely about ‘location’. Not to do this an immediate and unjustified disservice, as Unearth, the second album from multi-instrumentalist and composer Andrew Phillips, is achingly beautiful in its construction and arrangement. Following the critically revered début 1 Inch: ½ Mile, Unearth is more compartmentalised in its approach – ten unique songs about place and purpose, all highlighting the talents of Phillips as a musician and producer. The most inventive of these is the ghostly melody We Fold Ourselves, featuring 1950’s opera singer Kathleen Ferrier, all set to kitchen-sink orchestra. The stark electronic-orchestral Pieces, with robotic vocals and spiky beats is in direct contrast but equally rooted. Likewise the more delicate listless Reservoir is another wonderful moment – even though it’s about a village that is drowned. The industrial Stone Lions added yet another dimension before the cold, direct, film-noir-in-a-song A Mysterious Disappearance takes Unearth in a subtly different direction. To finish, the ballad Richardson Road, with Robert Wyatt on cornet and backing vocals, is sublime. An album of constant pleasant surprises.

Purity Ring – Shrines

Canadian duo Purity Ring, aka Megan James and Corin Roddick, are Montreal’s dream-pop answer to The Kills (or maybe The Ting Tings). Shrines is the band’s eclectic and other-worldly début with James’ vocals fighting through layers of production and techno-wizardry, engineered by Roddick. It all works out like a more pleasant Sleigh Bells – all the hard-edges and pounding electronica removed and replaced with smooth synths and organic percussion. Fineshrine is the early highlight, quickly followed by the odd stuttering musical-zoo Bjork-like Ungirthed. Sadly Shrines loses its way after a promising opening. Grandloves doesn’t work – like a bad Pet Shop Boys remix, Cartographist is a lot of slow empty space and James delivers wonderful vocals on the otherwise ordinary Amenamy. Belispeak gets things back on track, in spite of random, heavily mixed vocals. Some much need creativity is injected into the rest of the album but it does suffer from style over substance. Obedear is good but often the songs get lost in the now overused sound. Spirited closer Shuck is a final two-minute lift but Shrines continually feels like owning a sweet shop.

-- CS

Music Report (Antony & The Johnsons, The Darkness, Diiv)

Antony and the Johnsons – Cut The World

It often takes a live album to highlight the considerable and overlooked talents of a great musician. Cut The World, recorded in Denmark, is as close to a ‘best of’ as you can get, with key songs performed live with a symphony orchestra. But this swathe of instrumentation never overwhelms the immense honesty of Antony Hegarty’s unique and distinct vocals, and the essence of his beautiful, and often moving, songs. Even the seven-minute monologue Future Feminism, which threatens to break the early momentum after the excellent title track, is compelling and powerful. The immediate high-point is the following song, Cripple and the Starfish, quickly followed by the heart-breaking You Are My Sister; but it is the gorgeous duo of Another World and Kiss My Name that steal the show. Another noticeable trait is that the songs are not framed with applause, ‘talky bits’ or any discernible crowd noises whatsoever, so as the majestic Twilight draws to an elegant close, when Hegarty thanks the audience and wishes them goodnight and they reciprocate, it comes as a complete surprise that this is a live performance. A magical album.

The Darkness – Hot Cakes

When Permission To Land was released in 2003, it sounded like The Darkness had been around for decades. It was often described at the time as a greatest hits album from a 70s rock band that never made it. Who was to know that three years and two albums later, The Darkness would fall apart and succumb to the rock ‘n’ roll lifestyle and the dreaded ‘musical differences’. Frontman Justin Hawkins  attempted a solo career and failed to represent the UK in the Eurovision Song Contest (thankfully). But now The Darkness are back, as the original band and their third album Hot Cakes is a minor triumph. There is a great mix of good songs, big riffs and a huge sense of fun – which is what it was about in the first place. Living Each Day Blind is particularly excellent and one of the best things the band have done. The retro With A Woman brings back the energy of the début, while Everybody Have A Good Time is an inanely good single with wonderful guitar/piano. Only the obvious opener Every Inch Of You cuts slightly – this is Hawkins getting the past out of his system and quickly moving on, as the rest in firmly a ‘now’ album. Forbidden Love sounds a bit too out-dated but the cover of Radiohead’s Street Spirit (Fade Out) is an amazing and unexpected addition. Back, definitely. To stay? Who knows.

Diiv – Oshin

Originally a Zachary Cole Smith solo project called Dive (after the Nirvana song), Diiv is now a four-piece from Brooklyn, the current hotbed for new bands and considerable talent. These guys are no exception to this trend as the début album Oshin is astonishingly great. Packed with massive layers of guitars and ethereal vocals, from the opener (Druun) – the band’s own version of Coldplay’s Life In Technicolor, to delicate closer Home, Oshin impresses at every turn. Brimming with dreamy guitar-pop from Past Lives and Human to the catchy How Long Have You Known and Follow – Diiv add a unique complexity to each song within a very strict formula. Cole Smith and guitarist Andrew Bailey combine perfectly to create a wonderful sound. The four and half minute Air Conditioning is breathtaking – like a modern remix of a shoegazer classic from the late 80s – the guitars shimmer and dance on what is a definitive highlight. Late on, Doused is also superb, bringing in early Sisters Of Mercy riffs to the mix with Cole Smith racing through the vocals. Superb début from a band who should go far.

-- CS

Music Chart - July 2012

Better late than never (blame the London 2012 Olympics)... Here's a summary of July's new music.

Starting off with a strange new album from Fiona Apple entitled The Idler Wheel Is Wiser Than the Driver of the Screw and Whipping Cords Will Serve You More Than Ropes Will Ever Do - this is getting great reviews but even after several listens I just don't hear it. Moving on, Linkin Park are back with a powerful new record Living Things, as are Metric with Synthetica and The King Blues with a more sedate and controlled album Long Live The Struggle. The gorgeous Mutual Friends by Boy is a real surprise, as is Moth by Exlovers and Wild Peace by Echo Lake to complete a sublime trio. The House That Jack Built by Jesca Hoop doesn't live up to the promise of lead song Born To while Billy Corgan brings Smashing Pumpkins back from the brink with the gutsy Oceania. Wonderful vibrant emo from Mixtapes' Even On The Worst Nights is excellent, as is Shrines by Purity Ring. Passion Pit return with the predictable Gossamer and to finish the month off, The Gaslight Anthem show real progression with the impressive Handwritten.

1. Shallow Bed by Dry The River 
2. Valtari by Sigur Ros
3. The Lion's Roar by First Aid Kit
4. Bloom by Beach House 
5. Ssss by Vcmg
6. Generation Freakshow by Feeder
7. Celebration Rock by Japandroids
8. The Ghost In Daylight by Gravenhurst
9. Sweet Heart Sweet Light by Spiritualized
10. Ghostory by School of Seven Bells
11. Born And Raised by John Mayer
12. Like Drawing Blood by Gotye 
13. An Awesome Wave by Alt-J 
14. Banga by Patti Smith
15. Instinct by Niki And The Dove
16. Electric Cables by Lightships
17. Even On The Worst Nights by Mixtapes
18. Oceania by Smashing Pumpkins
19. Blood Speaks by Smoke Fairies 
20. Handwritten by The Gaslight Anthem
21. The Light The Dead Can See by Soulsavers
22. Sounds From Nowheresville by The Ting Tings
23. Mutual Friends by Boy
24. Moth by Exlovers
25. WIXIW by Liars
26. Young Man In America by Anais Mitchell
27. The Sister by Marissa Nadler
28. Americana by Neil Young and Crazy Horse
29. Little Broken Hearts by Norah Jones
30. Synthetica by Metric
31. Words And Music by Saint Etienne
32. Wonky by Orbital 
33. Crown And Treaty by Sweet Billy Pilgrim 
34. Shrines by Purity Ring
35. Standing At The Sky's Edge by Richard Hawley
36. Internal Logic by Grass Widow
37. Strangeland by Keane
38. Here Come The Bombs by Gaz Coombes
39. Tough Love by Pulled Apart by Horses
40. Interstellar by Frankie Rose
41. Wild Peace by Echo Lake
42. Dub Egg by The Young
43. Born Villain by Marilyn Manson
44. Let It Break by Gemma Hayes
45. Living Things by Linkin Park 
46. Underwater Sunshine by Counting Crows
47. Manifest! by Friends
48. Clear Moon by Mount Eerie
49. Tree Bursts In Snow by Admiral Fallow
50. Human Don't Be Angry by Human Don't Be Angry
51. The Family Tree: The Roots by Radical Face
52. Weapons by Lostprophets
53. Blues Funeral by Mark Lanegan Band
54. A Monument by Tu Fawning
55. Aufheben by The Brian Jonestown Massacre
56. Have Some Faith In Magic by Errors
57. Hello Cruel World by Gretchen Peters
58. Voyageur by Kathleen Edwards
59. Long Live The Struggle by The King Blues
60. Fossil Of Girl by Sarah Donner
61. Blunderbuss by Jack White
62. Here I Am by Oli Brown 
63. Spirits by Plankton Wat
64. Visions by Grimes
65. Tales From The Barrel House by Seth Lakeman 
66. The Temper Trap by The Temper Trap
67. ¿Which Side Are You On? by Ani Difranco
68. Eighty One by Yppah
69. Wrecking Ball by Bruce Springsteen
70. First Serve by De La Soul's Plug 1 and Plug 2
71. Kin Con by Alex Winston
72. Not Your Kind Of People by Garbage
73. Gossamer by Passion Pit
74. Siberia by LIGHTS 
75. Europe by Allo Darlin'
76. The Something Rain by Tindersticks
77. Something by Chairlift
78. The House That Jack Built by Jesca Hoop
79. Anxiety by Ladyhawke
80. Fear Fun by Father John Misty
81. California 37 by Train
82. Break It Yourself by Andrew Bird
    
83. Reign Of Terror by Sleigh Bells
84. Given To The Wild by The Maccabees
85. The Idler Wheel Is Wiser Than the Driver of the Screw and Whipping Cords Will Serve You More Than Ropes Will Ever Do by Fiona Apple
86. Through The Night by Ren Harvieu
87. Personality by Scuba
88. America Give Up by Howler
89. Black Light by Diagrams