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Rather than post the reviews in their entirety, here are some links to articles I’ve written for No Ripcord in the past few months:
http://www.noripcord.com/reviews/music/asobi-seksu/hush
http://www.noripcord.com/reviews/music/the-donkeys/living-on-the-other-side
http://www.noripcord.com/reviews/music/pia-fraus/after-summer
http://www.noripcord.com/reviews/music/white-lies/to-lose-my-life
http://www.noripcord.com/reviews/music/remember-remember/remember-remember
http://www.noripcord.com/reviews/music/the-old-romantic-killer-band/the-swan-with-two-necks
http://www.noripcord.com/reviews/music/thousand-and-bramier/go-typhoon
In the post-grunge nadir of the early nineties Swervedriver’s first two albums – 1991’s Raise and 1993’s Mezcal Head – should have sealed their reputation as one of the finest British bands of the era. You don’t need me to tell you that things didn’t exactly pan out that way. Today’s musical history books have Swervedriver down as little more than a footnote, erroneously lumped in with the grunge scene or, more commonly, the British shoegaze movement; if ever a band deserved a re-appraisal it is Swervedriver.
Looking back, there seem to be a handful of reasons behind the commercial failure of this Oxford band. For one thing they looked pretty strange, especially guitarist/singer Adam Franklin with his dreadlocked hair. The timing of their emergence probably didn’t help either; the dense, atmospheric Raise was released when grunge was still flavour of the month in the UK; its successor Mezcal Head, a more polished rock album with a distinctly American influence, must have sounded like an unwelcome guest at the burgeoning Britpop dinner party. For one reason or another, Swervedriver just didn’t seem to fit; the UK music press knew it and, crucially, the band’s label Creation Records knew it. By the time 1995’s Ejector Seat Reservation arrived, the folks at Creation were far too besotted with Oasis to bother promoting the album. Swervedriver were dropped shortly after its release and Alan McGee went on to win the NME Godlike Genius Award for 1995. No wonder a dejected Adam Franklin moved to the US shortly afterwards. Swervedriver’s moment had passed.
Nearly eighteen years have passed since Raise’s 1991 release but the glorious opener Sci-Flyer still sounds positively thrilling today. Graham Bonner’s explosive drum work is packed with fills that evoke an elaborate NYE fireworks display, while the duelling guitars of Franklin and Jimmy Hartridge fuse thunderous power with melodic subtlety. Franklin’s vocals might sit low in the mix, but Sci-Flyer is no shoegaze track; this pure visceral rock ‘n’ roll at its very best. Further highlights come thick and fast, with Son Of Mustang Ford, Sandblasted and the anthemic Rave Down all maintaining the high standards of the opener.
The tempo shifts back and forth, but Raise remains an intense listening experience from start to finish. Detractors might accuse Raise of sounding dated, a geographically confused artefact from the grunge period, but I have to disagree; nothing else in 1991 sounded quite like Swervedriver, and few guitar bands – and I’m struggling to think of any from these shores – have scaled these heights since. The re-mastered version features four bonus tracks, the pick of which has to be the sprawling Andalucia. A 2xCD deluxe edition could have been interesting – the band recorded plenty of interesting b-sides and EP tracks around this time – but it’s difficult to complain about the quality of the thirteen tunes included. This is truly a landmark album in British rock music. (9)
Mezcal Head was my introduction to Swervedriver and will always occupy a special place in my musical memory. Four or five years ago I had the pleasure of living with an obsessive Swervedriver fan who would blast out classic tracks like Duel and Last Train To Satansville from his basement room on a daily basis. If it had been anything else I would have probably snapped the CD in half but, by a curious process of osmosis, the band’s melodies began to work their way into my head. Intrigued, I delved further into the Swervedriver catalogue, absorbing tracks from Raise, Ejector Seat Reservation, and, to a lesser extent, their final album 99th Dream. As good as these records were, however, I always found myself coming back to Mezcal Head; it’s just that kind of record.
1993 was hardly a landmark year in British music. Yes, a period of boom was just around the corner but people were still listening to a lot of dreadful music. While Suede’s début album won the Mercury Prize, the Brit Award for Best British Group went to Simply Red and the best-selling album in the UK was Meatloaf’s Bat Out Of Hell II. I can’t help but think that all those Meatloaf fans would have loved Mezcal Head’s signature track, Duel (an NME Single of the Week, nonetheless), but very few of them got the chance to hear it. Duel remains the band’s best known song and for good reason: it still sounds like a blast of fresh air sixteen years on. But if Duel is the only Swervedriver song you know, you’re in for a treat: Mezcal Head has plenty more where that came from.
Last Train To Satansville is an epic, narrative-based tune which name checks Hitchcock’s Strangers On A Train and conjures up a palpable sense of noir-ish paranoia. If you think you can hear a roaring motorcycle engine in the outro it’s because you can: the band took a Kawasaki into the studio for this very purpose. That’s commitment for you.
MM Abduction and the Thatcher-baiting Harry & Maggie are great pop songs, while Girl on a Motorbike and Duress are dreamier, atmospheric cuts, which set the listener up for the thrilling finale of You Find It Everywhere. The original US release tacked on the excellent Never Lose That Feeling but, for the purists, You Find It Everywhere is Mezcal Head’s perfect closing tune, a searching, minimalist mid-tempo rocker that just commands you to go back to track one and experience the whole thing one more time.
For my money, Mezcal Head is one of the most criminally underrated records of the nineties. It’s Swervedriver’s finest hour and perhaps one of the last great British rock albums. You should own it. Millions of other music fans should own it. History might have underestimated the importance of Swervedriver but there’s nothing to stop us re-writing history. (10)
Album review published on NORIPCORD.COM
Boasting a moniker that could easily be used to describe the majority of the No Ripcord staff, Madison, Wisconsin’s Pale Young Gentlemen is an indie band very much on the up.
When Alan Shulman reviewed its self-titled début a mere sixteen months ago, PYG was just another unsigned indie band, albeit it one with a pretty cool name and a cellist. Now, with a clutch of enthusiastic reviews and modest sales under its belt, PYG is back with a polished follow-up, an extended line-up and, crucially, the backing of Madison’s hottest independent label, Science of Sound.
Like many second albums, Black Forest (Tra La La) immediately sounds like a more grown up record than its predecessor. The off-kilter indie sound remains, as do the Eastern European folk influences, but the band’s sound is much richer now; alongside the distinctive cello, we are treated to violins, violas, glockenspiels, harps and horns. And mostly it pays off.
The frantic riffing of Coal/Ivory hints at a heightened sense of urgency; it’s as if PYG knows that this is its moment and, accordingly, there is an audible determination not to screw it up. More established contemporaries at the quirkier end of the indie-rock canon (Tapes ‘N Tapes, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah!) have publicly stumbled at this stage in their careers, with costly results; a smaller band PYG might not have survived such a slip.
Fortunately, PYG remembered to write some great tunes: Marvellous Design, The Crook of My Good Arm and Kettle Drum (I Left a Note) are all worlds apart from anything on the aforementioned bands’ sluggish sophomore efforts. In fact, in terms of indie-rock music based chiefly around orchestral string instruments, there’s absolutely nothing in the same class as Pale Young Gentlemen in 2008.
Black Forest (Tra La La) is proof that growing up on record doesn’t have to sound boring. Those looking for a sombre accompaniment for the wintry evenings ahead could do a hell of a lot worse than pick up this superb record. (8/10)
Album review published on NORIPCORD.COM
From the minimalistic cover art to the stunning, atmospheric dream-pop compositions that make up this eponymous début album, it’s immediately clear that Irlam, Greater Manchester’s Circus Animals’ Desertion is not just another UK guitar band.
The vast majority of up and coming acts in CAD’s neighbourhood seem determined to sound like one (or more) of the city’s high profile success stories, be it Oasis, The Smiths, The Stone Roses or Joy Division. On the evidence of Circus Animals’ Desertion, CAD would sooner look to the criminally underrated Chameleons or even the Psychedelic Furs for influence. This alone would be refreshing, but the fact that the band possesses both a knack for intelligent songwriting and is comfortable performing a range of styles so early in its recording career is worthy of genuine excitement.
Distraction and I Met A Girl are the closest things to pop here, and if a major label was handling this release I’d imagine they’d be strong contenders for lead singles. Elsewhere, there are heavier moments (Drive Away) and slower, atmospheric tracks, such as the ethereal Summer Ends and my personal favourite, December Sun, which is reminiscent of early nineties shoegazers Slowdive.
Circus Animals’ Desertion is a varied, mature and ultimately fulfilling début from one of the UK’s most exciting new guitar bands; that it will be ignored if favour of a dozen over-hyped copycat bands is merely symptomatic of the UK music scene’s current malaise.
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Visit Circus Animal Desertion’s MySpace page by clicking here
Nowadays it seems that turning out an album every 18 months or so is enough for some lazy music writer to label you ‘prolific’. Jay Reatard is different: a cursory glance at the partial discography on his Wikipedia page confirms that his work-rate justifies the tag. With the Reatards, Lost Sounds, a whole host of other bands and side projects, and now as a solo artist, Jay Reatard has released around thirty singles in the last five years. Kevin Shields he most certainly is not.
Matador Singles 08 is, as the name suggests, a compilation of Reatard’s six 7” releases of 2008. This is necessary for two key reasons:
1) The 7 inches were released in increasingly limited runs, a fact reflected by the sums of money they’re changing hands for on eBay. Ok, you can buy the digital versions on the Matador site, but if you want a physical copy of these songs this release is the only way forward.
2) Without exception, these tracks are simply mindblowing.
The tracks are arranged chronologically and the only missing track is the Deerhunter version of Reatard’s Oh, It’s Such A Shame (from the Fluorescent Grey split 7”), which makes sense in a way because, well, it’s not Jay Reatard. To compensate, the comp includes the bonus track I’m Watching You.
The fun begins with See/Saw, the electrifying garage-punk blast that kickstarted the 7” series all those months ago. Backed by another propulsive guitar riff, Screaming Hand tells the (autobiographical?) tale of the relationship between a father, his son and the bottle. As the memorable, frantic refrain of “you were my hero” merges into a rumbling chorus of “no, no, no, no…” the unresolved tension is actually palpable. Jay Reatard certainly packs a lot onto one seven inch.
The next four tracks maintaining the impeccably high standards, but the real pay-off arrives with Reatard’s cover of Deerhunter’s Fluorescent Grey. While I’m not much of a Bradford Cox fan, this track really stood out for me last year (even though I only awarded its parent EP a middling six) and, remarkably, Jay Reatard seems to have recorded an even better version. Deerhunter’s original owed its haunting atmosphere to the atmospheric studio swirl of effect-laden guitars; Reatard plays it straight – this almost sounds like a live, one take recording – yet he loses nothing. Indeed, his ghostly vocal and the slightly higher tempo only serve to heighten the song’s effect.
Of course, the concept of an artist releasing six 7” singles in six months isn’t quite as revolutionary as some have suggested, but a willingness to go against the grain and do things a little differently is one’s of Jay Reatard’s obvious charms. In interviews I’ve heard him talk fondly of the freedom of the seven inch format, in particular the way it allows him to record what he wants to at the time, without having to worry about how various songs will sit together thematically. He certainly doesn’t need to worry about this compilation: Matador Singles 08 succeeds as an album because songs of this calibre will always sound great together.
Album review published on NORIPCORD.COM
Since his first 7″ release in 1999, Frenchman Laurent Girard has been quietly carving out a niche and making a name for himself in the world of ambient electronic music. Released on a multitude of different labels (Static Caravan, audio dregs, Autres Directions in Music) under the name Melodium, Girard’s catalogue is as sizeable as it is impressive – My Mind Is Falling To Pieces is his twelfth CD album, and audio dregs are imminently about to release number thirteen.
And while there are hordes of bearded laptop composers scattered throughout Europe’s towns and cities, Girard is particularly noteworthy for combining gentle ambient soundscapes with more human elements, such as folky acoustic guitars and his limited yet charming vocals. Another important ingredient is humour; 2005’s La Tete Qui Flotte featured a track titled Greg Davis > Craig David, which still raises a smile to this day. Although its name would suggest otherwise, My Mind Is Falling To Pieces is no different in this respect.
Although sufficiently impressed to award it a 7/10 rating, I noted that 2007’s self-release Vilnius lacked the personal touch that had helped to propel his earlier works beyond those of his contemporaries. At the time I wondered whether Girard might be running out of steam and ideas.Thankfully My Mind Is Falling To Pieces has quashed these doubts in the most emphatic fashion: it’s arguably his strongest recording to date.
Key to the album’s success is the way in which Girard’s voice, guitar work and electronic compositions are moulded together. It all sounds seamless. Previously certain movements within tracks have sounded clumsy, with programmed beats struggling to keep time with harshly strummed acoustic guitars. Here, however, Girard’s delicate finger-picked guitar patterns dance happily over the whirling synths and sparse beats. Tracks like the superb folk-infused finale Death Will Take Me Away From This World represent a real leap forward in terms of composition and performance. The faint tape hiss of old has been replaced by a new professional sheen, but this step up in production values has not come at the expense of character.
My Mind Is Falling To Pieces confirms Laurent Girard’s place at the top table of European electronic music. Latecomers to the Melodium party would do well to start their obsession here. (9/10)
Album review published on NORIPCORD.COM
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For more information about Melodium please visit his official website or his MySpace. You can purchase this album over at the Arbouse Recordings site.
Regular readers may remember my enthusiastic review of the solo album by Sleeping in the Aviary drummer Michael Sienkowski (released under the nom de plume Whatfor) a few months ago. A beautifully realised homage to classic sixties pop with a heavy Kinks influence, it remains one of my favourite releases of 2008 so far. As a consequence, I had high hopes for Expensive Vomit in a Cheap Hotel. After all, I mused, if the drummer can write a near-classic, what kind of artistic heights might the full band be capable of scaling?
It seems I let myself get a little carried away.
While it’s not a bad record by any stretch, I can’t help but feel a touch disappointed by Sleeping in the Aviary’s latest offering. It’s decent indie-rock fare, sure, but in a sense that’s the chief problem with Expensive Vomit; like many other artists currently operating in the genre, SitA’s music is often good, yet seldom great. The melancholy piano-led You’re a Party is one notable exception, and certainly the strongest track here, but for the most part Expensive Vomit in a Cheap Hotel – which, for the record, is a truly atrocious album title – consists of mid-tempo, rough and ready indie-rock tunes. You’ll have heard their kind before, but if you must download one I’d have to recommend the rousing opener Write On.
It’s seems ungrateful to grumble over a solid, competent release, but it’s a crowded marketplace out there and unless you’ve got an insatiable appetite for North American indie-rock, Expensive Vomit in a Cheap Hotel is almost certainly an album that you can go on happily living without. That Whatfor record on the other hand… (6)
Album review published on NORIPCORD.COM
You may have heard this one before.
Although its initial release last summer through Burly Time Records was relatively low key, the debut album from nu-folk types Bowerbirds garnered all sorts of praise from people in the know. The Mountain Goats’ John Darnielle called the ‘Birds “my favourite new band in forever” and Pitchfork bestowed a prestigious 8.4 rating on the record, whatever that means. Perhaps you downloaded it? Maybe you even paid for it. Who knows; the crucial point is it’s back, and it sounds even better in 2008.
The band’s rather awesome new label Dead Oceans obviously feels that the record deserved a bigger audience than the Burly Time release afforded it, which is why I’m sat here reviewing this slightly expanded re-issue in summer 2008. This release is great news for all involved, though: I never received a promo from Burly Time so I finally get a hard copy; the band will be happy because they can win over a few more fans and earn a few more dollars; thanks to the unreleased bonus tracks, there’s even something for the more hardcore fan to get excited about.
So how do I sell Bowerbirds to the uninitiated? Well, it’s pretty straightforward – all I have to do is persuade you to listen to one or two songs and the band will take care of the rest. And let’s be honest – John Darnielle’s recommendation probably had you heading over to MySpace already. But while we’re here: Bowerbirds is new and folk, without all the baggage that often accompanies those words. This isn’t a self-important jam band we’re talking about and there’s nothing approaching psychedelia on the record. There are no obscure covers of lost folk legends and there’s only one beard in the band. And even that’s neatly trimmed.
Crucially, Hymns For A Dark Horse is the sound of three American folk musicians playing the music that comes natural to them and having a great time in the process. Like current tour buddies Bon Iver, Bowerbirds specialise in timeless, honest and earthy folk music. This is no calculated tribute to the British folk scenes of the 60s and 70s; this is the real deal. Savour it. (8/10)
Album review published on NORIPCORD.COM
What is it with Wisconsin this year? Not content with producing the most acclaimed record of the year in Bon Iver’s For Emma, Forever Ago, the state seems to be developing quite the fertile independent music scene. And it’s Madison rather than the much larger Milwaukee that has captured my attention.
Science of Sound is one of those close-knit community type of record labels, where all the bands seem to consist of varying combinations of the same seven or eight musicians. This isn’t a criticism, it’s actually quite charming, and the music speaks for itself: these guys are all pretty talented songwriters and players.
Whatfor is the brainchild of Michael Sienkowski, drummer for fellow SoS artists Sleeping In The Aviary by day, lo-fi singer-songwriter with a penchant for 60’s influenced pop songs by night. To further confuse matters, Sienkowski is joined here by his SITA bandmates Elliott Kozel (guitar) and Phil Mahlstadt (bass) to flesh out his compositions, and the result is a remarkably accomplished debut that combines the classic songwriting of Ray Davies with the inventiveness of early Of Montreal.
One of Sooner Late Than Never’s strengths is Sienkowski’s willingness to deviate from the classic bass/drums/guitar format. Perhaps it’s because he’s a drummer by trade, but some of the best songs here feel like they weren’t written by a guy with a battered up acoustic guitar, which is a breath of fresh air. There are flashes of cello, trombone, even harpsichord, and some of the compositions that rely most heavily on these instruments are the eventual standouts; Fast Asleep, with its longing vocal and jaunty cello riff for example, is a classic spin on the baroque-pop style. I’m Not Fooling Around probably was composed on guitar, but it deserves special mention for its beautiful harmonies and tinkling xylophone flourishes. It’s probably my favourite thing here and on a debut this strong that’s really saying something. (8/10)
Album review published on NORIPCORD.COM
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Please visit the Science of Sound website, check out Whatfor’s music and support this great independent label.
My favourite Wire album is Chairs Missing. Released only eight months after the band’s début, the more immediate, punky Pink Flag, it captured an inventive young band developing at an exponential rate in terms of both songwriting and musicianship. Next month marks the thirtieth anniversary of Chairs Missing’s release. It’s amazing really – there aren’t many records from 1998 that sound as fresh and as interesting today as this outstanding post-punk document. Indeed, given that this band built its reputation on such a classic triptych of albums (1979’s 154 isn’t half bad either) it’s hardly surprisingly that Wire is still producing relevant and exciting music in the year 2008.
The key to Wire’s continuing success is artistic control. The band is very much operating on its own terms. All releases are issued on Pink Flag, Wire’s own label, and the music arrives when it’s ready. Ok, so releases have been relatively infrequent in the last decade, but listeners have been rewarded for their patience by a high quality threshold.
Object 47 – so called because it’s the 47th item in the Wire discography – is only nine tracks long, but each of those nine tracks is compelling in its own way. The best tracks, such as the feedback drenched All Fours and the sublime Circumspect, are simply electrifying.
In the unlikely event that anyone doubted it, Object 47 is proof that Wire’s edge remains as sharp as ever. (8/10)
Album review published on NORIPCORD.COM
