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By
Mary Chang on Thursday, 10th May 2012 at 12:00 pm
Worry sets in when I’m sent an album by a band I know nothing about; I become most anxious about not representing the band appropriately when I review the release. Often it is even worse when there is little to read up on the band that’s either for or against them, because you don’t really know what you’re getting into (big band vs. indie) and the wind (it’s hard to tell with what Patrick Wolf calls “the fickle press”) doesn’t seem to be blowing one way or another.
This is just as well, since the band in question, Apparatjik, had live appearances last year – including superimposing images of themselves on the side of a cube at an art installation in Berlin – that seem to be downplaying who exactly is in the band and instead embracing their oneness in their…weirdness. Which all seems a bit strange, given the principals, who need no introduction, as they’ve all been involved with megagroups of current or at least recent memory: – Magne Furuholmen of the now defunct a-ha; Guy Berryman, bassist for Coldplay; Jonas Bjerre of Mew; and producer Martin Terefe (who’s worked with the likes of Jason Mraz and KT Tunstall).
Their latest album length effort, ‘Square Peg in a Round Hole’, surprised me a lot– pleasantly, I might add – with its intriguing combination of electronic and urban elements. That said, this is an ‘experimental’ record in the sense that there are some unusual things at work here too, so don’t expect a tune by Apparatjik appearing on Radio1 anytime soon. I mean, come on, who writes a song called ‘(Don’t Eat the Whole) Banana’, expecting us to keep a straight face? (If you’re wondering, Bjerre is using some kind of autotune function on his voice, which makes the song all the more ridiculous. Or experimental, depending on which side of the fence you’re on.)
The kookiness continues with ‘Gzmo’, with the effects taking centre stage rather than the robotic words proferred, and ‘Combat Disco Music’, which has a chorus sounding exactly as the title suggests: the Village People in the military (“whoo, ha! / whoo, ha!) Yet throughout, it’s a mix of dance, hip hop and new wave on show here in ‘Square Peg in a Round Hole’. It sounds futuristic, and it’s probably not your cup of tea if standard rock ‘n’ roll is your usual poison. Just saying.
‘Do It Myself’ featuring Pharrell Williams (masquerading on this album as ‘Auto Goon’) comes across as a wonky, Gorillaz-styled jam and deserves to see the light of day. (Take back that comment I said earlier about this not having a chance with Radio1…) Opening track ‘Time Police’ (live video from Berlin below) also gets the Midas touch from Williams; it’s not as inherently catchy as ‘Do It Myself’ – it’s more of a new wave-y, slightly new age-y track with a hip hoppy poppy lyric – but still, a major surprise.
Surprises continue with tracks like ‘Cervux Sequential’, in which Berryman takes the vocals but the surprise are synthesised baby voices; ‘Blastlocket’, sounding like a Nintendo game overlaid on top of a late ‘80s slow jam; and ‘Your Voice Needs Subtitles’, where a mesmerising beat, piano chords, and the stretched vocals lead to a dream. So it’s disappointing to hear tracks like ‘Signs of Waking Up’ and ‘Superpositions’ (despite having gorgeous a capella harmonies), which sound like a completely different band. A better representation is ‘Tell the Babes’ , a dance anthem standout clearly pointing out that the more overt – and dare I say it, even the weird – dance numbers are where this band shines.
7/10
‘Square Peg in a Round Hole’ by Apparatjik is available now from Metamerge. They have an appropriately weird Web site that reports on future gigs but the one that I’m aware of – since I’m on their festival mailing list – is an appearance at Roskilde, and the band have already requested that they want people’s faces and have invited people onstage with them.
The brothers Jarman have surged back onto the scene with their latest album, ‘In the Belly of the Brazen Bull’. This, the Cribs‘ fifth studio release, is an album full of the raw guitar and emotion you’ve come to expect from this punky, once again three piece rock band.
Arriving with 14 tracks, the Cribs deliver the goods too, none of that 10-track garbage. The West Yorkshire boys are known for their energetic live shows and you can hear the potential for such raucous showings in songs like lead track ‘Glitters Like Gold’ and ‘Jaded Youth’.
The first track made available to the public, ‘Chi-Town’, was a free download, and while it was not my favorite on the album, it gives a good taste of the whipping frenzy that the record is capable of. ‘Come On, Be a No-One’ (video below), a much better track, was released as the first single. However, I like the plodding distortion of ‘Back to the Bolthole’ and the thick sounds of ‘Uptight’ more.
I have to say that I am pleased to hear that, despite the trend of more and more bands latching on to the notion of adding electronic bits and pieces, the Cribs have remained blissfully apart from this. It’s just the lads flailing away on their guitars and drums, no orchestration, no electronic keyboard peeking in. While I know it’s all the rage, it’s nice to get back to a good guitar band sound.
With former Smiths guitarist Johnny Marr’s departure early last year, the Cribs worked hard to get back the feel they had pre-Marr, who was only with them for ‘Ignore the Ignorant’. Undoubtedly while that was a great album, it seems more like Marr was on for a few years just to give them a leg up (similar to what he did with Modest Mouse?), but it was something not really needed for a band that had already produced three albums at that point and had a loyal following before Marr’s addition. Marr should probably stick with guesting and not serially joining bands.
This time working with producer Steve Albini, Gary Jarman noted that “…we’re on our fifth record now, we’ve got the luxury of realizing when we’re that far in, maybe you don’t have to worry so much about pleasing everyone all of the time, and you have more freedom to sort of do what you want.” They spent just 3 days with Albini who was able to give them “how you guys sound” and nothing more. I think nothing more was needed.
8.5/10
Released this week, ‘In the Belly of the Brazen Bull’ is now available from Wichita Recordings.
There seems to be every permutation of the genre ‘pop’ in the music business today. But this is a new one, even for me: fantasy pop. It’s the genre that Brooklyn duo Savoir Adore use to describe themselves, and I find it a great compromise. There’s an ethereal dreaminess to their vocals, yet I think putting them alongside dream pop bands like Beach House would be lazy journalism. Fantasy, whether Harry Potter, Japanese manga or Xena: Warrior Princess is your chosen poison, is a broad enough category that the uniquely crafted sounds by this pair of best friends can use this sobriquet and not feel stifled by the restrictions of the box. Tagging on the word ‘pop’ works in this instance because when you listen to this music, it’s not a question, it’s a given: these songs will get inside your head and you will remember them. For the best of reasons.
Savoir Adore will be releasing their next EP, ‘Dreamers’, on the 21st of May on Neon Gold Records, who acted as Wolf Gang’s stepping stone into a major label deal. The title track ‘Dreamers’ is actually a track that will feature on their second album, ‘Our Nature’, which has an expected autumn release date in the UK.
This release is structured rather unusually; you might think ‘single’ is a better description of it, since of the seven tracks, there is ‘Dreamers’ itself and then five very different remixes of it. The only other song on this EP that’s not a variant of ‘Dreamers’ is ‘Sea of Gold’. But let’s focus on the original songs.
‘Dreamers’ has a childlike playfulness to it; while synths buzz along with the dream beat, you can practically feel like the purest sunlight is shining down on you while you’re sunbathing at the beach. When I first heard this EP, I assumed they were from Australia or somewhere else far flung and potentially idyllic. It doesn’t sound like it’s come out of Brooklyn. There’s a sweet refrain by Deidre Muro of “you can stay where you are / I will wake you / I will wake you in the morning / you can stay where you are, so don’t you worry / don’t you worry, keep on sleeping.” Really? This sounds like a commercial for a Hawaiian resort hideaway. It’s the kind of “enjoy the life you’re living” song that I suppose the more jaded people will detest, but sometimes you need music that can put you in that zen mode when you’re stressed out, and this fits the bill nicely.
Now let’ shave a listen to ‘Sea of Gold’. It’s funny, for some reason I was hearing a Cut Copy vibe at first hearing this, but it’s actually a deceptively simple track, with a mesmerising drum loop with expansive vocals that build as the song continues. Lyrically, it’s not as evocative as ‘Dreamers’, which is too bad, because sonically it has the potential. It’s a little too sleepy.
The remixes on the EP come from some famous folks: Chiddy Bang’s Xaphoon Jones, Brazil’s Database, plus fellow new Yorkers the Golden Pony, Body Language, and French Horn Rebellion, all of whom their very distinctive spin on the original. I’m torn between naming either the Golden Pony and French Horn Rebellion’s versions the best, as I think both embody the bouncy, fancy free feeling in the original. I like remixes, so I found this EP to be fun and refreshing; however, if remixes leave you cold, you might want to have a listen to this on Spotify before forking over your change.
7.5/10
The ‘Dreamers’ EP by Savoir Adore is out on the 21st of May on Neon Gold. The band will start a short tour of the UK on Sunday at London Notting Hill Arts Centre.
Sunday 6th May 2012 – London Notting Hill Arts Club (Communion show)
Monday 7th May 2012 – London Queen of Hoxton (Simply Rad show)
Tuesday 8th May 2012 – Cardiff Undertone
Thursday 10th May 2012 – Brighton Great Escape Festival (Record of the Day show)
Friday 11th May 2012 – Brighton Great Escape Festival (Neon Gold show)
Thursday 17th May 2012 – London Camp (Pop Shop / Neon Gold show)
By
Tom Mughal on Thursday, 3rd May 2012 at 1:00 pm
In case you haven’t been watching the news, Carl Wilson’s long-lost children have all found each other, formed a pop group and released their first full-length studio album, entitled ‘Choreography.’ No? Okay, well close your eyes and play the new Weird Sounds record and you could very well believe this to be true. (Oh and for the record, they’re Carl’s children because he was and always will be the best member of the Beach Boys).
There’s nothing strange about Weird Dreams, a four-piece indie pop band from London who have recently come off of touring the UK with American indie rock darlings the War on Drugs.
All 12 tracks on their debut album feature everything you expect for a summer album like this: clapping, falsetto harmonies and warm psychedelic riffs. It’s the aural equivalent of a late evening walk on a sunset-soaked beach. However, the lush melodies all contrast with the lyrical content of the album. There’s nothing quite like a happy, upbeat tune to accompany the words “always so faceless/ your voice encased in mystery.”
One great track for me would have to be ‘River of The Damned.’ Compared to a vast majority of tracks on the record, there’s a much slower tempo here. When lined up next to the quick jingly riffs of the other songs, it creates a contrast with the rest of ‘Choreography’ and makes it stand out from the crowd. ‘Faceless’ is also another treat on the record, if not purely for the baseline that begins the song and runs throughout. ‘Faceless’ and ‘Michael’ both featured on the band’s well-received EP ‘Hypnagogic Lullaby’ that was released last year.
Unfortunately, it’s the title track that lets the album down. Compared to the rest of the album it just seems flat and, dare I say it, disappointing. Maybe this was intended as a way of warming down the listener at the end of the album, after all ‘Choreography’ is the 12th song of 12. Either way, it doesn’t wind the listener down in a way that makes me excited at the prospect of the band releasing another album. If this was a TV show, its season finale would be the ultimate anti-climax. Luckily, the content of the rest of the season more than makes up for it.
It sounds hyperbolic but it’s true: it has been a while since an album has encapsulated the sounds of summer in such a way as ‘Choreography.’ Weird Dreams produce their modern take on the melodic pop that made the ‘60s and early ‘70s what they are best known for. The band are currently on a tour of the UK this month, so I recommend going along if you want to begin your summer holiday early and fancy escaping those rainy showers.
8/10
Weird Dreams’ debut album ‘Choreography’ is out now on Tough Love Records. The band will be performing at this year’s Great Escape as part of the Under the Radar showcase at the Psychosocial basement at 20.30 (8:30 PM) on Thursday 10 May and as part of a showcase being sponsored by the Fly Magazine at Blind Tiger at 20.30 (8:30 PM) on Friday 11 May.
By
Mary Chang on Monday, 30th April 2012 at 12:00 pm
Mystery Jets’ latest album ‘Radlands’ is named after their American studio on the Colorado River in Texas where the band decamped in spring 2011 to write new material. This struck worry in me; it seems like everyone is recording their album in American and wanting an American sound: take for example the Temper Trap and Two Door Cinema Club. Worse, when you think of Texas, you think of people listening to country music, and there’s a fine line between country and folk. When you queue up this album, the album’s title track starts in with a gentle guitar line. And while it’s got a mournful slide guitar (ew, please, no country!), the chorus makes it crystal clear these are the same chaps that brought ‘Half in Love with Elizabeth’ and ‘Serotonin’: the chords are beautiful with Blaine Harrison’s fragile voice, as if the heavens have opened to let the sun shine in.
Which is an odd statement, because as you listen to the words to ‘Radlands’ the song itself, there’s a seriousness about the proceedings: talk about heaven (“it’s a terrible, overrated, shit-shaped hole in the sky), hell and mortality (“the future gets shorter as we wait”) aren’t easy things to put into a pop song, and yet Mystery Jets have done it masterfully. That said, the Jets sound quite different from their previous efforts. ‘You Had Me at Hello’ has a soulful feel and a raucous ending that Fleetwood Mac would deem worthy. It also very interestingly includes the same line “take me for a ride” that also featured in the second track of ‘Serotonin’, ‘Too Late to Talk’.
‘Someone Purer’, which I extolled in this In the Post, questions the meaning of life and sounds like an existentialist lament, and is simply gorgeous. Later on, ‘The Nothing’ further explores the unknown, with Harrison’s falsetto begging, “bring me back as something beautiful”. Is pop music supposed to make you cry? ‘Lost in Austin’ is pretty good, with Harrison wailing, “take me to the edge, I’m not scared!” while the drums and guitars crash satisfyingly around you. You want to get behind the band after these couple of songs. You really do. Unfortunately, the feeling doesn’t last.
Like…what is ‘The Ballad of Emmerson Lonestar’? The slide guitar is back and beyond the drumming and the last minute of distorted guitars acting as a too little, too late rescue attempt, this is a country song. I can appreciate the harmonies –and them harmonies are lovely – but as a whole, it’s not my cup of tea. Next. Thankfully, the next song ‘Greatest Hits’ sounds like the Beatles or even dear ol’ Macca, which is pretty appropriate, given there’s a line here that goes “I still remember I bought you ‘Band on the Run’ on the first day we kissed / but you always did prefer McCartney 1 because it reminded you of being a kid” and there are ‘Jet’-style “woo woo woos” in full force here. It’s funny as hell too: “when you sober up, you’re always wise as fuck / you’re still listening to Marc E. Smith”. I love how Mystery Jets have kept you their humour, one reason I enjoy them: it’s hard to write genuinely funny lyrics without sounding like a caricature of yourself, and Harrison’s always managed to write some really memorable and hilarious words over the years.
But here’s the problem with this album: you’re thrown for a loop too many times. I’m guessing ‘The Hale Bop’ was named after the Great Comet of 1811 but is about a “saviour” but in a weird, ‘70s disco style. Is it about God? I’m not entirely sure. Either way, it’s an odd song and placed oddly in the album. ‘Sister Everett’, named for a Mormon missionary the band met on a plane ride to California, has an extended hymn-like soft ending and is just too tentative. ‘Take Me Where the Roses Grow’ is another weird entry, mostly for its folk, faux-Judy Collins vibes achieved in a duet between William Rees and Sophie-Rose Harper. While the final track, ‘Luminescence’, is an intimate words with guitar plucking moment, it’s the Jets at their most self-indulgent. Chances are you’re probably going to be using those forward and backward skip buttons when you’re listening to this album.
It’s possible I might have a change of heart like I did with ‘Serotonin’, which went from good to amazing in my books in a short span of 6 months’ continuing re-listening in late 2010-early 2011. But considering I’m not a big fan of Americana (yes, I’m American but that doesn’t mean I feel at home with this style of music), somehow I doubt it. Maybe Kai Fish made a good decision abandoning ship?
6.5/10
‘Radlands’, the fourth album from Mystery Jets, is out today on Rough Trade.
By
Mary Chang on Friday, 27th April 2012 at 12:00 pm
Due to unfortunate scheduling conflicts, I never managed to see Grimes perform at SXSW 2012. I do, however, consider myself lucky that I’d seen her perform months before she was signed to 4AD at the start of 2012, albeit it was for an opening set before Lykke Li’s show in May 2011. Claire Boucher and all her previous work had then been completely unknown to me. As this goth pixie with a little girl’s voice and fierce eyebrows readied her electronics, I wondered if she was going to pull a James Blake: I still don’t get the appeal really of Blake, and I get bored dead easy watching most electronic artists because I don’t find their “live” sets interesting enough. There was something oddly charismatic about the slight girl from Montreal; she admitted how nervous she was, yet she definitely knew her way around the synth garden before her. I gave her big props then. And now I want to give her big props now for ‘Visions’, a fully-formed, confident first effort for 4AD straight out of the gate for the Canadian artist.
Music by dance artists should be reviewed in order of the tracks as they’re originally meant to be consumed. ‘Infinite Love Without Fulfillment’ is a minute and a half of driving yet sultry electro, disarmed by Boucher’s electronicised voice; it’s a nice lead in to ‘Genesis’ (free mp3 and performance video here), probably everyone’s first real taste of Grimes. It’s ambient, yet it’s got handclaps. I think Boucher herself realised this conflict, as in the promo video for the single, she has her headphones on, seemingly oblivious to the high school antics going on in the background. For me, that’s what good electronic music does: it transports you somewhere, somewhere otherworldly and unachievable when you listen to even the best singer/songwriter, pop or rock acts. The first real good listen I had of ‘Visions’ as a whole was on a plane ride to California for work last month and I felt like I was cruising comfortably in outer space, thinking that aliens would think we’re pretty cool if they had a listen to this.
‘Oblivion’ is more traditional poppy than the rest of the album. With the words, “And now another clue, I would ask / if you could help me out / it’s hard to understand / ‘cause when you’re really by yourself / it’s hard to find someone to hold your hand”, is she showing how she’s afraid of the dark? Or is this a general commentary on life, on how we don’t know what’s up ahead? Not sure but it’s terribly catchy, with its “la la las” and boppy beat. An industrial effect is used against a high-pitched version of Boucher’s voice (there’s the internal battle of styles again) the brief ‘Eight’. I would have liked to see this teased out to a longer version and preferably with a vocal that could be intelligible throughout, but I’m guessing it was purposely short so to act as a short interlude, like ‘Infinite Love Without Fulfillment’.
Having said that, I don’t think the words throughout ‘Visions’ are intended to give you an earth-shattering reaction and it’s acceptable not to go searching for the lyrics or what they’re ‘supposed’ to mean: it’s the beats and how Boucher has strung them together in many disparate ways. While ‘Circumambient’ is more experimentally wonky and doesn’t hit its stride until the final 1/3 of the song, ‘Vowels = Space and Time’ is as fun as anything by La Roux and manages to be crisp electronically in a way La Roux has never been (and never planned to be, really), and you will moonwalk to its beats. Another low key, almost Oriental interlude in ‘Visiting Statue’, and then the breakdancey ‘Be a Body’ with dreamy vocals and a synth effect that sounds like punctuated accordion chords (watch her performing below on a live video from KEXP).
Then I get to ‘Colour of Moonlight (Antiochus)’ featuring Doldrums and I’m spellbound. The crunching of beats sound like muffled gunshots, and the layered versions of Boucher’s voice fill the track with light, as do the other various percussive effects employed here. Brilliant. You can take or leave ‘Symphonia IX (My Wait is U)’; except for the beats, it’s too Enya for my liking. The album is quickly brought back to life with ‘Nightmusic’ featuring Majical Clouds, which will suck you in, the various Claire Boucher alter egos singing in your ears like cute little birds. This is followed by ‘Skin’, the longest track on ‘Visions’, clocking in at over 6 minutes. The first 3 minutes of this song is as minimal as Grimes ever gets on this album, but Boucher is not content to rest on her laurels; instead, she pulls the vocals around sonically, so much that you can imagine the waves of words swirling around you. It’s not as catchy, but it works. ‘Know the Way’ ends the album with on a surprising note, first beginning with the sound of running water before singular notes sound and dreamy vocals end your sojourn with Grimes languorously. This album feels good pretty much all the way around, and if you’re looking for a good starter album to get into electronic music, this has enough pop crossover appeal not to disappoint. If you’re already an electronic fiend like me, you’ll find a lot to love in ‘Visions’. Well done, Claire. Can’t wait for your next release.
8.5/10
‘Visions’, the first release on 4AD by Grimes, is available now. She will be performing at the M is for Montreal/Brooklyn Vegan showcase at the Great Escape on Friday the 9th of May at Brighton Digital, with a set time of 20.45.
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