Tag: Some Great Stuff I’ve Heard Recently

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Some Great Stuff I've Heard Recently

Some Great Stuff I’ve Heard Recently: Eska, Crazy P, Charlie Barnes, Crocodiles, Pfarmers

I’m quite behind on these posts at the moment, so apologies to the PR people who are probably chomping at the bit to hear what I have to say about their releases. This is meant to be fun for me 🙂

There’s some really interesting and diverse stuff in this post, so without further ado or waffle, I’ll get on with it!

Eska – Eska

Buy the album here

Watch the video for the fantastic ‘Rock of Ages’ below

10 tracks of completely sublimely soulful and spiritually-charged jazz-pop is what’s on offer here. Eska has an incredible instrument of a voice. There’s not a track here which doesn’t feature her vocal as its main focus, but the glory of the vocal performances are that they are never overpowering or overbearing. This is an album of pop songs, but the kind of pop songs which are not spoon-fed or given to you on a plate. It took me several listens to digest the record and work out that tracks such as ‘This is How a Garden Grows’, the spine-tingling ‘Rock of Ages’ and ‘To Be Remembered’ were fantastically constructed songs with much to admire compositionally. Melodically and harmonically, these songs go in directions you wouldn’t expect but which feel just right. You’ll be grooving along before you know it. As a lot of her press has attested, Eska is the best singer you’ve never heard of. There’s a sweet tone and timbre to her voice, with just enough grit to separate her from the crowd of soul singers in the marketplace just now. She could be the missing link between Laura Mvula and Lianne La Havas, but to pigeon-hole her thus would be to diminish the strength of this fine album.

Crazy P – Walk Talk Dance Sing

Buy the album here

Watch the video for ‘Witch Doctor’ below

This is apparently the seventh album from Crazy P, a band who split themselves between Manchester and Nottingham. My initiation in to the ways of Crazy P, “Walk Talk Dance Sing” is probably an album that does exactly what it says on the tin. It will make you do all this (if possible for you) and more. It’s an unrelentingly fun-sounding piece of work, in spite of some darker lyrical matter, right from the moment the solid groove of ‘Like a Fool’ kicks in. The groove continues right to the closing track, ‘Witch Doctor’ (you will have seen the video above, and in between Crazy P take us on a joyously funky ride. Previous single ‘Cruel Mistresses’ is a prime example. A chorus to die for, soaring atop a synths and choppy funky guitars which are at once familiar and exhilaratingly fresh. Crazy P aren’t changing the world, but if you want a fun album chock-full of intelligent pop music for grown ups, you won’t get much better than ‘Walk Talk Dance Sing’ in 2015.

Charlie Barnes – More Stately Mansions

Buy the album here

Watch the video for ‘Sing to God’ below

Charlie Barnes is a fiendishly talented singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. He is a collaborator of Mancunian rock heroes Amplifier. His debut album is produced by Steve Durose of who has worked with both Amplifier and Oceansize. So what you might expect is that it is an unremittingly heavy album, short on subtlety and high on technical musicianship, to the detriment of song craft. Well, you’d be wrong. This is not a record to be cast neatly in to any kind of genre label or box. Barnes has something of the Jeff Buckley or the Freddie Mercury about his vocal delivery, but apes neither to the point of parody or pastiche. Instead, whilst giving a nod to both, his performances, aided by the diverse yet effective collection of songs on “More Stately Mansions”, show that he is, in fact, a singular talent. Whether it’s on the ambitiously almost symphonic title track, the writhing ‘Macbeth, Macbeth, Macbeth’, which is a beautifully composed epic giving rise to Muse comparisons from when they were, you know, good, to the more restrained ‘Dresden’, (which, it has to be said, builds to a truly spectacular and pyrotechnic conclusion) this an album which defies categorisation, yet is successful at every step. Barnes and his band can rock hard, as on ‘Sing to God’ (see above) but there is much artful subtlety on show here too. A man who knows his way round a fully-realised piece of music, Charlie Barnes is a name to watch in the months and years to come. I can only imagine that his live show is something special. This is a brave and vital album.

Crocodiles – Boys

Buy the album here

Watch the fun video for ‘Foolin’ Around’ below

It would be all too easy to dismiss Crocodiles as just another psych-rock band on the treadmill of that genre’s seemingly never-ending revival. That would be to do them a great disservice, however. “Boys” is a many-headed best of an album. From the off, with ‘Crybaby Demon’ which is a driven by a sumptuous salsa beat underneath its swathes of organ and guitars and a chorus that lodges itself in your brain never to leave, this record is a cut above. ‘Do the Void’ has a bass line in its intro which comes perilously close to ‘Billie Jean’ but settles in to a jaunty tune the likes of Dandy Warhols have been yearning unsuccessfully for for years. ‘Hard’ is, as you might imagine, a pretty uncompromising listen as the guitars are sharpened. The distortion added to the bass is a nice touch. This song is a more effective and straight-ahead take on the formula popularised in recent times by Black Rebel Motorcycle Club than that band themselves have managed recently. Somehow or other, ‘Transylvania’ reminds me of ‘Buddy Holly’ era Weezer.  I imagine it’s not supposed to, but there we go. I have quirky ears. It also sounds like it features an off-kilter saxophone solo. Not your average psych workout.

As you’ll have gathered, this is an album that runs the gamut of what is possible within the realm of contemporary psych rock. Without falling into the trap of trapping us in their swamp thing, Crocodiles have made a fine return. One might even say it’s a fun album, but I’d probably be shot for that, so let’s pretend I didn’t say that, ok?

Pfarmers – Gunnera

Buy the album here

With a pedigree as good as that of Danny Seim (Menomena, Lackthereof), Bryan Devendorf (The National) and Dave Nelson (David Byrne and St. Vincent, Sufjan Stevens), it’s no surprise that “Gunnera” is an arresting prospect of a debut album from this new collaboration. According to Seim, According to Seim, “The record is about a dream I had where I’m reluctantly accepting a fear of drowning by focusing on being reincarnated as a giant Gunnera plant, which thrive on the banks of rivers (specifically the Jordan River i.e. the Biblical promised land) after I paint myself gold and sink to the bottom like the El Dorado of South American folklore.” I can definitively report that this is the best record about a fear of drowning anyone reading this will have heard.

Not just that, it’s a musical wonderland. Opening with the almost competitive synth and brass of ‘Benthos’, you’d be forgiven for wondering what alternate world you’d stepped in to, but all fears are assuaged, and rendered meaningless by the pulsing synth pop of ‘You Shall Know the Spirit’ which really reminds me not just of The National, but of some of the best work by David Bazan, as well as his synth project, Headphones. “When the spirit moves inside of me, you’ll know, cos I’ll stop breathing’ goes the lyric as a dark opening is drawn out in to a mid-section replete with a cavorting horn melody. Indeed. ‘Work For Me’, with it’s concoction of synths and processed drums, asks the question “how will I know when there’s love in the room?” Again, indeed. ‘El Dorado’ is a plain great pop song with a fantastic hook. ‘The Ol’ River Gang’ has an urgent drive to it that would make it a post-punk classic (and indeed it still might be) were the synth and horn parts supplied instead by guitars attacked in an overwrought fashion. So, yes, it’s a modern classic take on the synth-driven post-punk genre. You can keep your opinions on whether the hyphens are misplaced.

And on it goes. ‘How To Build a Tube’ could be an offcut from Sufjan’s “The Age of Adz” album with its amalgam of pop nous with synth sheen. Closer ‘Promised Land’ perhaps the destination in Seim’s journey of conquering fear is another track which begins with a fog of swirling synths, with ever more layers being added throughout the song’s first two minutes. As a percussive chordal pattern emerges from around the 2.10 mark, the sense that the song is arriving at its first stop becomes apparent. At 3.07, the first vocal: ‘Picked my suit up from the dry cleaners now I’m going bak to the Promised Land’ which is repeated amidst a swirl of horns before an invasive drum part and grooving bass part take the song home. A fine ending to a truly enticing debut offering from Pfarmers. Don’t miss this one, whether you are a fan of the members’ other projects or not. The mix of instrumentation and honest spiritual searching is fantastic.

Flying Colours – ROYGBIV EP

Buy the EP here 

Watch the video for ‘Not Today’ below

It seems like no post in this series is complete without a review of a release from a band in the thick of the shoegaze revival, and this one is no exception. Australia’s Flying Colours (not to be confused with the American prog supergroup of the same name) have recently released their debut EP on the ever-fantastic Club AC30, as well as laying waste to the UK on tour with Russia’s finest Pinkshinyultrablast. The fact that this is on Club AC30 should give you the nod that this is a release worth investigating, as should giving a few minutes of your time to the video above. If that’s not enough, let me tell you that these 5 tracks exhibit the best elements of My Bloody Valentine and Swervedriver, and give the recent releases from both bands a more than decent run from their money.

‘I Don’t Want To Let You Down’ rolls along on a convulsive rhythm with some beautifully squally guitars floating above a seismic bass riff. The song has a fantastic singalong pop chorus which should, no, must make it a shoe-in for 6Music airplay. All the elements are in place. This is just one of those moments, when a band aligns all of its best elements in one short burst of song craft. Fantastic. ‘Running Late’ jingles and jangles more, showing another side of the band, whilst ‘Not Today’ (video above) is a straight-ahead driving rock song par excellence. ‘In the End’ is a short, sharp blast of punky energy, showing yet another side of this versatile band. Closer ‘Leaks’ survives the ignominy of stealing a Kula Shaker riff to end things on a cacophonously energetic note.

The end of the experience leaves two thoughts:

1. An album from these guys will be a thing of wonder

2. I sorely regret not being well enough to attend the recent Pinkshinyultrablast/Flying Colours show in Leicester. I will do all I can to ensure such silliness does not occur again.

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Some Great Stuff I've Heard Recently

Some Great Stuff I’ve Heard Recently: Superheaven, Hop Along, Jupiter, Taffy

Superheaven – Ours is Chrome

Watch the video to I’ve Been Bored below. Ours is Chrome is out now. Play the bands’ own version of Space Invaders at this link too. Go on, you know you want to,

A couple of years ago (it might be longer, my memory isn’t what it used to be), I picked up a Soundsupply Drop which either contained, or led me via Basement, another fantastic modern rock band, to the music of Daylight. (NB, this isn’t the way to start a review-it’s been a long week). Daylight’s album, Jar, was a fine piece of work. Straight-ahead and uncompromising, it was a big sounding rock song, full of anthemic songs, churning guitars and a confidence which suggested that they were a band destined for the top. I really grew to enjoy Jar. It became something of a go-to album for me on days when only loud guitars would do the trick.

And then, as so often happens, time moved on, many more albums crossed my path, and nothing more was heard of Daylight.

A couple of weeks ago, Side One Dummy sent me the info for the new album from Superheaven, a band the press-release likened to Smashing Pumpkins. This squarely hits the spot for me. I was in. And then, I discover that Superheaven is actually Daylight. You didn’t see that coming right from the first paragraph at all did you.

So, Superheaven aren’t a new band, they’re an established act with a new name. “Ours is Chrome” pretty much picks up exactly where Jar left off. ‘Next to Nothing’ is a riff-driven, chiming rock song. It follows a similar formula to it’s predecessor, album opener ‘I’ve Been Bored’. Guitars alternately rage and ring, bass riffs rumble, hi-hats are forward in the mix, snare drums accentuate militarily, toms are full and rounded. ‘Room’ keeps the feeling low, before ‘All the Pain’, if it’s possible, ups the angst quotient even further, slowing the tempo and adding tonally competitive guitar flourishes to the mix.

This is an intense listen, but has been mixed and mastered in what feels like a bright direction. All the record’s tones are clear and precise which, conversely, doesn’t actually help. Where ‘Leach’ or ‘Gushin’ Blood’ could be punishing exercises in suffering, they come off as somewhat bouncy, radio rock songs. It’s intriguing that such a heavy album could be so easy to listen to. If this is what Superheaven were seeking, then they should have no fear. I can well imagine that any of the songs on this album could make its home on radio in the months to come.

Hop Along – Painted Shut

This, the second album from Hop Along, is an enigmatic mixture. Equal parts 90s alt rock, college rock, jangling indie and intensely melodic, the elements which could make “Painted Shut” something of a standard-issue indie rock album are not just offset, but thoroughly obliterated by the abrasive vocals of Frances Quinlan. She rasps, she rages, she hooks you in and draws you in to a world where injustice, mental instability, self-inflicted suffering and shame seethe competitively to dominate and demand attention. The sheer force of Quinlan’s delivery on tracks such as ‘The Knock’ and previous single ‘The Waitress’ can, as it were, knock you backwards.

There’s much more to this album, though. Throughout the guitar tones are just right, sometimes fuzzed-out and urgent, at others almost playful, in line with the relaxed and focused work of the rhythm section. This has the effect of building a wide palette from which Quinlan can emerge. It’s an unusual combination, a combination, in fact, that probably shouldn’t work, and wouldn’t, were it not for the qualities of musicality on show. These are strong songs, well crafted and delivered expertly. The production is unfussy but sympathetic and, through it all, the sense that Frances Quinlan is a coming songwriter is never far from the surface.

See the video for Powerful Man below. Painted Shut is out now

Jupiter – Bandana Republic

Bandana Republic is out now. Watch the video for Do It Below

Anyone for a bit of disco? “Bandana Republic” is the second album from Parisian trio Jupiter. Where the other albums I’m writing about today are all on the serious and important side, “Bandana Republic” is a joyful, gloriously fun ten track romp to pull you right into the heart of the Parisian summer.

Right from the scene-setting ‘AV’, you know you’re in for a fun ride. Of particular note, to my ears at least, is the ever-inventive bass work, which draws the ears and the mind into a groove and then places them in to an album-lasting headlock. This, allied to playful synths, choppy funk guitars, and consistently pretty vocals, largely from Amelie mean that Jupiter are able to carry you away into a world that is all of their own making.

Single, ‘Do It’ is one the album’s strongest moments. That’s probably why they released it as a single. All the elements described above are firmly in place, and it features the kind of chorus that several grasping female pop stars who have gone down this route in the last few years would kill for. Go on, watch the video above. You’ll love it. If you like that, you’ll love this album.

Taffy – Darkle EP

Darkle is out now. Watch the video to the first single from this EP, Suicidal Bunny below

Coming on like a cross between Blur, Stone Roses and Elastica, Taffy are one of the few bands from the exciting Japanese rock scene to have made a concerted and successful effort to gain attention in the UK. After two full-lengths and a stunningly consistent B-Sides and rarities album, the band continue their partnership with the, again astonishingly consistent Club AC30 label (Fever Dream, Flying Colours, Gavin Clark, Pinkshinyultrablast, Exit Calm) with the “Darkle” EP.

If you’ve been an aficionado of Taffy in the past, you’ll know what you’re getting here. A driving, punchy band, guitars which squeal and squall in a fashion Graham Coxon seems sadly to have forgotten, and vocals which at first sound sugary sweet, almost twee, but have a habit of burrowing deep inside your cranium and steadfastly refusing to leave. It’s a formula that works startlingly well. ‘Redamancy’ starts moodily, opens out in to a pre-chorus which is almost sweet, before it’s chorus of “I miss you today, I miss you more” is delivered atop groaning guitars which take us back to Radiohead circa 1994-95.

‘Young Times’ swirls and swoons. ‘Remember to Remember’ is chordally and melodically gorgeous, which takes its time, before building in to a stratospheric chorus which hits at just the right moment. ‘Dr. K’ takes things in a punkier and punchier direction, all energetic drive and spiky guitars. ‘HBD’ closes the EP proper with what sounds like a live demo take of ‘Happy Birthday’. I kid you not. The band even manage to take this three chord wonder into a swirling new direction. It very much makes me want to go and see them on my birthday. To actually close the record, ‘Young Tines’ is remixed by psych rock doyen Anton Newcombe (The Brian Jonestown Massacre). His take on the track adds a little space and emphasises the prettiness of the melodies at play. It is a welcome addition.

Taffy are, without question, an exiting and essential band in the continuing shoegaze/psych revival. Now if only more of their compatriots would see their way to releasing in the UK.

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Some Great Stuff I've Heard Recently

Some Great Stuff I’ve Heard Recently: False-Heads, Fever Dream, Timeshares, San Fermin

False-Heads “Wear and Tear EP”

Buy the EP here

False-Heads are a new band whose star is definitely in the ascendant. With a sound much in thrall to the grunge rock of the 90s (‘Twentysomething’ from this EP is the kind of song you wish had been on the post-reformation album from Pixies) but which leaves plenty of room for the psych guitars of Luke Griffifths to come to the fore, it’s no surprise that Q Magazine and NME have already been taking notice. ‘Wrap Up’ is the lead single and opening track of the EP. Without further ado, check out the video.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k82CwUmC-Wg

As you will have no doubt by now seen, the song is built on a muscular riff, and features a chorus hook that shouldn’t work but somehow does. It’s a promising start. From there we get the aforementioned ‘Twentysomething’ which is, if anything, a much more arresting prospect. It screams of a band with depth and potential. ‘Snatch’ keeps the pace up, with a verse which reminds me hugely of the Australian band Emperors (this is a good thing). Closer ‘Nothing In There’ begins by taking the intensity down a notch. A moody song, its cacophonous crescendo is somewhat predictable but still exceedingly satisfying.

This is a really solid EP. I am looking forward to seeing what False-Heads come up with next.

Fever Dream – Moyamoya (Released April 27th)

Stream the album here

Released on the ever-reliable Club AC30 (seriously, do they ever put out anything any less than wonderful?) “Moyamoya” is the debut full length album from live mainstays Fever Dream. A lot has been written about how it sounds a little bit like My Bloody Valentine. More has been said about how it sounds like the kind of “indie” that was popular around 20 years ago. To lampoon Fever Dream with the implied snooty criticism of these associations is to do them a great disservice, however. “Moyamoya” is a fine album. It’s unrelentingly loud, swathes of guitar squall from Adey Flint dominate throughout. Sarah Lippett’s bass is never anything less than strident, and as for the whirlwind that the drums of Cat Loye envelop the listener in, well you’ll just have to listen to find out. This is intense stuff. I’ve already said that Fever Dream are live mainstays and it shows. Right from the word go, as ‘Watch You Sleep’s’ uncompromising opening gives way to the duo of singles ‘Serotonin Hit’ and ‘Nightcrawling’, there is a confidence, an assuredness which belies the fact that this is a debut album. These sound like songs which have been loved, coerced and cherished in to existence. Fever Dream sound like a band who know each other inside out, know each other’s strengths and weaknesses musically. There is a fantastic natural rhythmic pocket found throughout by Lippett and Loye which can only be built through years of hard gigging.

And it never really lets up. Song after song hits you between the eyes, but with so much melodic intentionality that you never lose sight of the song within the sound. This is no small feat. Often, it seems, the choice is between intensity for the sake of intensity, or melody at intensity’s expense. Fever Dream have the balance just right. There’s plenty here to satisfy the hardest-hearted of rock fans, be they of an MBV persuasion or not. A particular favourite of mine is ‘Dance Forever’, which has the temerity to bounce, yes bounce along in the lead up to the chorus, before the playful nature of the song is overtaken by a glorious wall of feedback.

Most satisfyingly of all, the passion never lets up. Closing pair ‘Flux’, with its busy, changeable, yet hypnotic rhythmic pattens  and the smack between the eyes that is ‘Vapour”s anthemic chorus carry as much of a punch as anything in the first forays of ‘Moyamoya’. This is a consistent piece of art. My only regret is that I was ignorant of them till now. Now to find a live show….

Timeshares – Already Dead

Stream the album here

Pre-order the album here (out April 28th)

Timeshares are a New York punk band. “Already Dead” is their second album, but their first for Side One Dummy, a label whose seal of approval is a sure sign of quality. At times (see ‘The Bad Part’, for example) Timeshares come off as a band paying homage to the punk of the 80s, circa The Replacements, as well as a good part of the modern punk revival (I know, I know, punk never died). That is only the half of what makes this an exciting proposition though. For every gritty vocal from Jon Hernandez which places the band firmly within the punk fraternity, there is a guitar tone which twangs just enough, and I mean just enough, to hint at the influence of country. Country-tinged punk might sound like a terrible idea to you, but trust me, the energy on ‘Same Day, Different Week’ and ‘Heavy Hang’ will make a believer out of the most cynical hack. Sure, there’s plenty of straight up rock to be found here. ‘Heavy Hang’ is followed by the decidedly straight-ahead ‘Spend the Night’.

There are some clever musical moments too. ‘(Corner of) Park and Park’ features a repeating and beautifully delivered bar of 5/4 (I think) which really grabs the attention and also has an elastic song structure which firmly moves Timeshares away from any accusation of being a standard four-chord punk band. They seem able to turn their hand in several directions, even at times, such as on ‘The New Incisions’ giving rise to comparisons with the phenomenally successful The Hold Steady (not sure if they’ll love that, but there we go). “Already Dead” is the sound of a growing band straining at the bounds of potential and possibility. The world could well be their oyster.

San Fermin – Jackrabbit

Stream the album here (and read a fascinating interview with bandleader Ellis Ludwig-Leone while you’re at it)

Pre-order the album here (You really, really should, it’s out on April 27th)

Ellis Ludwig-Leone seems like quite a dude. He’s been an assistant composer to Nico Muhly (who worked on strings for Sigur Ros along with a heap of other things). He’s worked on arrangements for Sufjan Stevens and Passion Pit. This year he is set to score a ballet in the upcoming New York City Ballet season. In short he is prodigiously talented. Projects birthed in the minds of musicians such as this can go one of two ways: either they can drown under the weight of unrealised delusions of grandeur, or they can soar to unimagined heights of beauty, panache and musicality. Fortunately “Jackrabbit” sits squarely and thoroughly in the latter camp. It is, to put it bluntly, an astonishingly good album.

Brought in to enigmatic life by an eight-piece band – Ellis aided by John Brandon (trumpet), Stephen Chen (saxophone), Rebekah Durham (violin/vocals), Michael Hanf (drums), Charlene Kaye (lead vocals), Tyler McDiarmid (guitar), and Allen Tate (lead vocals), these are great songs. With Tate and Kaye swapping lead vocal duties, there are moments where each of the band are given a chance to shine. Whether it’s the understated and unsettling drama of ‘The Woods’, the kind of song Thom Yorke is regularly deified for, which part way through briefly explodes into a St Vincent-esque kitchen sink jam, the groove of ‘Emily’, which somehow sounds just like Interpol, without prominently featuring guitars in any sense, instead saving its best moments for the trumpet of John Brandon, or the joyful pop of the title track, by the end of the fourth track, if you’re not sold then I will eat my hat. That’s not the half of it though. It’s only just a quarter. “Jackrabbit” showcases more ingenuity, imagination and fully-realised ambition over its fifteen (FIFTEEN) tracks than most artists manage to showcase in an entire career. ‘Parasites’ is one track which shows just how far the compositional mind of Ellis Ludwig-Leone can take him. Tones and instrument families compete. Tempos shift. Kaye and Tate swap vocals, with Tate almost, but not quite, falling over the edge of singing in a different key, brass and strings float in and out, there is a choral interlude or two, and that’s only in the first half. Before the songs’ end it builds to the kind of conclusion that you often hope a song will build to but it barely ever does.

I could write similarly hyperbolic descriptions of almost every song here, but I expect you get the point by now. It’s probably time I brought this thing in to land.

So, here’s the deal. Ellis Ludwig-Leone is a compositional genius. He has brought his vision to full and vibrant life with the help of some creative players. This is a brilliant album which transcends genre classification. It would be a travesty if, as a result, it failed to find a home in your heart. Don’t let that happen.

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Some Great Stuff I've Heard Recently

Some Great Stuff I’ve Heard Recently: Cartesian Jetstream, Grasscut, Jackson Scott and Andreya Triana

Cartesian Jetstream – Ancestors

Buy the album here

Cartesian Jetstream are apparently the biggest psych band on the Isle of Man. Hard to argue with that kind of kudos. “Ancestor” is their second full length album. The bands’ stock in trade is shimmering, summery psychedelia, with elastic bass riffs, breezy guitars and a laconic vocal delivery. The opening title track sets the tone with a strong chorus. Give or take, the pattern is set for the album from here on. In effect, if you love the vibe of “Ancestors” the track, you will love the vibe of “Ancestors” the album. There’s a Johnny Marr-esque quality to the guitar work and a playful inventiveness in the rhythm section. “Ashes” is a particularly fine example of the best of the art of Cartesian Jetstream, as an overdriven lead guitar gives the track additional power and purpose. Another highlight is the psych groove-laden “Transparent Eyelids” which hints at an exciting potential future direction.

If anything, the album suffers from that which is also one of its main strengths: namely that there really isn’t much of a change of tempo or timbre throughout. Whether or not this is detrimental to the album as a whole will depend entirely on whether you like diversity in an album or whether you long for a band to stick to what they’re good at. Cartesian Jetstream are exceptional at what they do. I can’t help but wish they would push themselves slightly further, the potential is certainly there.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rl6-hRsqUPA

This is the video for “Little Lizards”. It is not a track from the new album, but it’s a frankly bonkers video, so I’ve included it anyway!

Ancestors is out now.

Grasscut – Everyone Was A Bird

Pre-order the album here – releases May 18th

Somehow or other I had no idea who Grasscut were when this dropped into my inbox from an enthusiastic PR person. My ignorance should be becoming a theme of these posts. Before long I had ascertained that they are, or have been at one point, associated with Ninja Tune. My interest was piqued. And then I listened to “Everyone Was a Bird”. What a record. For a taste before we go any further, watch the video below.

“Curlews” is just one of several astonishingly beautiful pieces of music contained herein. It almost defies description. I won’t sully it with words. Just listen and take it all in.

There’s a subtle directness to the beats and synth work which reminds me of Stateless at their most majestic. Before the opening track “Islander” is even through its first minute I am transfixed, as the interplay between acoustic and synthetic instruments begins to take hold. There’s an almost orchestral feel to much of this, a warmth to the sound that is both satisfying and unsettling simultaneously. The addition of strings is a masterstroke. A staggering song.

“Radar” is more driving, but features the same melodic invention and smorgasbord of instrumentation. Everything here feels just right.

It would be doing Grasscut a disservice to dissect each song individually. Over the course of its 8 tracks, “Everyone Was a Bird” draws the listener towards a different vista, as all the best music should. This strikes me as the sound of a band hitting their stride with confidence and panache, and with the full ability that their confidence is well-founded on a collection of fine songs.

Not just this, though. These are pieces of music to be experienced, to be lived. My experience hearing this album and this band for the first time was reminiscent of my first experience of the self-titled album from Stateless (the closest lazy journalistic comparison I can come up with in trying to describe this record). This is music that hits you between the eyes, and yet only grows in depth and power with repeated listens. Grasscut have the potential to become a truly important act in the weeks and months to come. Make sure you don’t miss out on this.

Jackson Scott – Sunshine Redux

Pre-order the album here (Released April 27th)

Now, this, this couldn’t be more different. Here we have the second album from 22 year old Jackson Scott, coming to us “out of the musical abyss”. Not having ever been there myself, it’s difficult to imagine what music drawn from within it would sound like, but this is inventive and vital sounding stuff. Hear the lead single “Ripe For Love” below.

Like much of the album, the song veers between blissed-out psychadelia, an almost kitsch 60s flower power revivalism and driving riff rock. The mind of Jackson Scott is certainly a creative and fertile place. While this could lead to the charge of “Sunshine Redux” being a challenging listen, those who accept that challenge will reap much reward. From the squall of “Steal Me”, the album progress to “Pacify”, the best song Brian Jonestown Massacre never wrote, but my favourite here is “Dissonance”, which veers wonderfully between sounding right and very, very wrong, as layers of echo and distorted drums seek to put the listener off what is, in effect, a jaunty summer pop tune. By the time closer “Ripe For Love II” gets in on the act, with urgent acoustic picking and some lovingly processed sounds, I’m sold. Pay attention to Jackson Scott. He’s coming for you.

Andreya Triana – Giants

Pre-order the album here (Released May 4th)

I had more than one reason to be excited to hear this album. Not only is it on Ninja Tune (most of the best things are) but it is produced by Matt Hales, a bit of a musical hero of mine all the way from Ruth and The 45s to his present day work with Aqualung and acts such as Lianne La Havas. It seems to me the man can do no wrong, whichever genre he finds himself working in. All that said, an inventive producer does not necessarily a great album make. Without the raw materials of songs, performer and performances the most energetic project can fall flat. Fortunately for Matt Hales and his burgeoning reputation, Andreya Triana has all of that is required. And she has it in spades.

Coming on like a cross between the aforementioned La Havas and Laura Mvula, this is soulful yet driving pop music for the musically switched on. Take a listen to Gold if you don’t believe me yet.

From the moment the opening brass salvo of “Paperwalls” gives way to a vocal rhythm bed and Andreya’s sonorous tones appear for the first time, the pattern is set. This is a musical album. It is never predictable, but it always, somehow or other, does exactly what you hope it will next. Take the title track as an example. Beginning with some restrained processed piano, at just the right moment some pizzicato strings are introduced, as Andreya’s vocals open out, before it all falls away into a soaring pop chorus. This is balm to the weary and cynical musical soul. Best of all, as the song builds to its height, Andreya crests the high notes with an effervescent effortlessness. No strain here. She is in complete control.

A percussive Rhodes piano riff heralds the album’s high point “Keep Running”, Triana’s call to press on. The closest the record has to a rock song, what’s fantastic is that where the lazy might introduce a crunchy guitar, instead what we have is a series of processed pianos and distant vocal inflexions. And that bass-focused Rhodes riff. It will slay you, I promise. “Now keep running, got her hands up and she knows it’s not enough today” goes the chorus. If you don’t find this repeating on you as an ear-worm, then I think you might have a problem. So gloriously textured and layered, there is so much going on in this song that I could write an essay on the way the different keyboard parts intermingle and support one another. But you’d get bored and move on, so I won’t.

The real strength of “Giants” is that this high point is followed by the kind of soul-funk beloved of India.Arie, and that Andreya and her cohorts pull off the transition in style comfortably and believably. She is capable of anything. The world is at her feet. Get in on the ground floor with Andreya Triana and her fantastic debut album.

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Some Great Stuff I've Heard Recently

Some Great Stuff I’ve Heard Recently: Missio-Missio EP

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZHBT-F-3SzM

Check out Missio here

Before you read any of this post, watch the video above. It is absolutely stunning. As the spectral guitar line is joined by echoing synths, a beautiful vocal line floats above it all. A verse builds, culminating with “We make mistakes, we leave them by the door. I run to you. I run to you, love” And then another voice: (God? The greatest lover of all) calls out in the quiet “Don’t quit on me, don’t quit on me. Please trust me now, I won’t hurt you love”. A song about keeping going, accepting and giving love, even and especially when all seems lost, “I Run To You” may not be about God at all (I have a habit of finding God in strange places where he’s not meant to be), but it feels like one of the most honest worship songs you’re ever likely to hear. Not that I’m an EDM aficionado (at all) but this feels like the missing link between James Blake and the great songs he wishes he could write..

Missio’s debut EP only gets better from here. “Missio Dei” (a phrase I thought I’d left behind at theological college) pulses with passion, as the almost chanted vocals crescendo to a chorus of “Amen’s” at the song’s conclusion. The song is minimalist in its composition, no overbearing competition for instrumental and harmonic space here, but yet feels full and satisfying.

“Monster” feels brighter, built on a bed of piano and twinkling synth lines, soon augmented by some sterling tom work. “You’re not a monster, I’m not a monster but we have monsters inside our hearts”, the songs’ chorus, speaks of a battle. Am I ok? Am I not ok? Who can tell?

“Who Do I Think I Am?” asks the closing song. And in the chorus, perhaps we have an answer. “Oh God of Abram, God of Isaac, Pull out your sword and lead me home, My vine has withered, my roots have shattered, Pull out your sword and lead me home”. As the following verse states “I dance with the devil, I kinda like it”. Ain’t that the truth. That’s a battle that’s always on.

Each psalm-like track here fulfils Missio’s wish to be minimal yet meaningful in his songwriting. No single note or beat is wasted. His crystal-clear vocals soar and weave over and around the instrumentation, never dominating but always powerful. Whether you take this gorgeous collection of songs as the cry of a heart to God or not, anyone with a love of melody, of harmony and of honest songwriting will find plenty to love here.

“Missio” is released on May 15th.

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Some Great Stuff I've Heard Recently

Some Great Stuff I’ve Heard Recently – Laila Biali and the Radiance Project “House of Many Rooms”

When this popped into my inbox, I didn’t really know what to make of it. An entirely new name to me, Laila Biali is a jazz singer of some repute as well as a collaborator with Sting and Paula Cole among others. So she’s pretty good, right? Right. “Shadowlands” kicked things off and immediately blew my mind clean away. It’s a fast-paced piano driven rock song with hard as nails grooves from drummer Ben Whitman (co-prodcuer and also Laila’s husband). Not only that, it’s covered in swathes and swathes of absolutely gorgeous, soulful horns. Not only that but it also features a spine-tingling vocal arrangement, brought to life by the Toronto Mass Choir. The song is astonishing. I cannot tell you the grin that has danced across my face each time this song has played. It’s the kind of track that you can’t just nod your head, stamp your foot or click your fingers to. You have to do them all. It also contains within it a notably hopeful lyrical sheen. “There is hope beyond the dark and long”, Laila riffs at the climax of the chorus. By the songs’ end, you’ll believe her.

This is by far the best song I’ve heard this year. If it does not proper Laila Biali into the consciousness of people all over the globe there is no justice on Planet Music. Ok, so we know there is no justice on Planet Music, but allow me to indulge in some proper hyperbole, where only proper hyperbole will do.

And that’s only track one.

I could go on, and on, and on. “Love” takes things in a piano pop direction, and features one of those choruses. “Sparrow” speaks of the beauty of every day’s new mercies over some succulent piano chords. “Upside Down” is all bass groove, topped with sensuous Rhodes, and then surprises with a straight-ahead chorus of considerable power. By the time closer “Plainclothes Hero” rolls in to view, you’re ready to submit to the sheer passion, beauty and skill on display here. If there’s a better debut album released this year I’ll be surprised.

All in all, you can’t do without this record. It’s a fantastic album. Simply a stellar piece of work.  I was floored from minute one. This is pop, this is indie, it could be jazz. It speaks to me of Ben Folds in parts, and not just because the piano features heavily. There is great orchestration throughout, all topped with a series of beautiful and confident vocal performances. Mixed in throughout is the reality of a lived-out faith but whether you agree with her beliefs or not, this is music to transcend divisions and boundaries. As Laila says in the video below, she wanted to mix soul with an independent heart. She succeeds in this aim in spades. One not to miss. Catch her on tour in the UK this autumn.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?t=149&v=hwRd9MOvMcc

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Some Great Stuff I've Heard Recently

Some Great Stuff I’ve Heard Recently: Trupa Trupa, Lewis & Leigh

Trupa Trupa “Headache’

Buy the album here

Alternative Rock from Gdansk, Poland, Trupa Trupa combine unsettling tones with just enough melody and pop nous to draw the listener right in to the midst of the swirling 90s alt rock atmosphere their new album Headache successfully creates. “Snow” opens proceedings with a heavy groove, teetering on the brink of a loss of control. Single “Halleyesonme” (watch the video above) takes things in a lower key, more atmospheric direction, whilst “Wasteland”, a particular highlight, shimmers and crunches in equal measure. “Getting Older” is discordant and hard work, but ultimately deeply satisfying. It needs concentration, but the best music should demand focus from the listener. Conversely. “Unbelievable” is almost lovely, an open-strummed pop song with real depth. This is the point with Trupa Trupa. They plough their own furrow, almost daring you to join in with them.

Released on UK label Blue Tapes, this is their third album. An album that rewards repeated listens, and a band that I have no doubt  would go down well on the UK festival circuit. Never settling for simply one style, this runs the gamut of noise-rock. Impressive drums from Tomek Pawluczuk punctuate the album. Really though, this is a challenging but inspiring listen. This is the sound of an exciting new band deserving of attention.

Lewis and Leigh “Missing Years EP”

Pre-order the EP here

Taking things in a completely different direction, here is the second EP from Ava Lewis and Al Leigh, the sublime “Missing Years”. This one really caught me off guard. Sounding like the kind of thing that would be on show at the Bluebird in Nashville, opening salvo “Devil’s in the Detail” has been getting some love on BBC 6Music, and it’s no surprise. It’s basically a perfect song. The chord progressions are wonderful, there’s enough going on underneath it all to catch your ear unawares as layers are subtly built in, but more than that, the vocal interplay between the aforementioned Lewis and Leigh is just right. The demise of The Civil Wars was much mourned in these parts. It would be cheap to mark out Lewis and Leigh as a potential follower in their footsteps. if anything, this song is proof positive that they have it in them to far exceed the achievements of that band (keep being nice to each other guys). I suppose having the production team behind Laura Marlings’ recent album doesn’t hurt, but the best production team in the world can’t make something out of nothing. The raw materials on offer from Lewis and Leigh are startling. They should be massive in a fair world. “Late Show” swings and slinks its way through a honky-tonk workout. “Rubble” begins with a glorious guitar tone. It’s the kind of tone that forces the listener to smile. There’s no other way to describe it. A paean to lost hopes of love, this song is another beauty. Closing with a  cover of Coldplay’s “Spies” could have been a mis-step, but it is so strong that, were the song not already so well known, it could pass as one of their own. I can’t think of higher compliment to pay to a cover than that. My only complaint is that the inclusion of a cover denies us the chance to hear more from the pen of Lewis and Leigh. As this is their second EP, we can only hope that a full-length, with its opportunities to stretch and show songwriting breadth, is to follow shortly.

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Some Great Stuff I've Heard Recently

Some Great Stuff I’ve Heard Recently: An Introduction

I’ve been writing 1 review a week, or thereabouts, for Drowned in Sound for the last few months. Quite amusingly, it has resulted in a couple of things pretty instantly:

1. Lots of people read what I have to say. Which is nice. It is also different from virtually every other musical or written platform I’ve ever had. There’s a humility lesson there. Writing about music isn’t in any way about me, or promoting my “brand” or any other nonsense like that. I do it largely as a pleasing diversion. A learning point perhaps?

2. I get deluged (several a week as I said in a post last week) with offers to hear albums by artists who themselves have read stuff I’ve written, or whose PR person has done the same. There is so much great music in the world. I can’t write about everything on Drowned in Sound. I have a job, and they have a review assignment policy, but it seems only fair to draw attention to some of this fantastic music if I can do. Hence I’m making a home for it here on this site. It doesn’t have the reach of Drowned in Sound’s several hundred thousand unique visitors a month (a man can dream, perhaps if I was a conservative evangelical?) but it is just as quotable.

And so I hope it helps. Having spent a long time trying to get attention for various bands myself, I know it can be a pretty lonely job. So far I’ve had albums from three continents. The internet is a small world. I’ll only write about stuff if I really like it, but if I really like it I promise to enthuse gratuitously. Deal? Good.