Not cool. Not cool at all. A concept album...recorded as one continuous piece of music....about a couple of starcrossed lovers and a shape-shifting beast...with musical echoes of 70s prog, Queen at their most bombastic and the musicals of Andrew Lloyd-Webber...in 2009?? Got to be a load of old rubbish, right?
Well, you'd think so, wouldn't you? Instead, the Decemberists' new album is the most joyful, cinematic and rich musical experience of the year so far. It is so brilliant it has left T&G open-mouthed, thinking EVERYTHING WE KNOW IS WRONG.
Lets get the story out of the way first. Get used to the fact that it is going to take you several (and I mean more than 10) listens and a few reads of the lyric sheet before you work out what on Earth is going on. Its all quite complicated and it doesn't help matters that Colin Meloy sings more than one of the record's 'characters'. Put simply, The Hazards Of Love tells the tale of a woman named Margaret who is ravaged by a shape-shifting animal; her lover, William; a forest queen; and a cold-blooded, lascivious rake. After that, to be honest, its anyone's guess. There are some unpleasant incidents, some pretty moments and a clearly defined ending (which I won't spoil here for anyone who plans on following the story like a film arc) but since few people (apart from our shape-shifting readers) are likely to relate to much of it, you can treat the record as an hour of pure escapism, a dazzling symphony.
Along the way, you'll find tender love songs like the exquisite 'Isn't It A Lovely Night?', complex 'Paranoid Android' style epics like 'The Wanting Comes in Waves' and almost heavy-metal style rockers like 'The Queen's Rebuke'. A special mention has to go to 'The Rake's Song', a hedonistic blast with some hilarious lyrics which Meloy sings with relish and glee. This is one long piece of music though, so it makes countless twists and turns with key melodies recurring. Almost every instrument known to man (or shape-shifter) is played, with swooning strings, weaving acoustic guitar and some monumental electric guitar riffs.
This is a lot of fun and pretty addictive. Anyone who had a prog-rock phase when they were younger, or once dabbled with 'A Night At the Opera'....or secretly loves 'The Phantom of The Opera' is going to get a kick out of 'The Hazards Of Love'. This is beautiful, well written and perfectly played music too. It doesn't get much better than this...except perhaps seeing them perform the whole thing from start to finish in concert. Which is precisely what they are doing across the U.S at the moment. Roll on, UK dates.
Let yourself love this. Album of the year so far!
9.4
['The Hazards of Love' is out now on cd/lp/digital]
Monday, 30 March 2009
Saturday, 28 March 2009
apologies for lack of updates
will write more soon but am currently utterly obsessed with the new Decemberists LP...
Monday, 23 March 2009
Broken Family Band 'Please and Thank You'
I've obtained a promo of the new Broken Family Band album and have been playing it into submission for the last week, desperately trying to love it. I've enjoyed pretty much everything the BFB have recorded thus far, especially the first few albums which contained a mix of the graceful and the powerful; stargazing ballads and enjoyable, humorous rockers. They were a bit of alt.country and a bit of rock'n'roll and it worked perfectly.
Here, they pretty much abandon the slower songs in favour of an album's worth of rocky numbers. It is really hard going. Musically there is almost no break from the loud drums/guitar sound that the album opens with, little in the way of piano or accordion etc to lighten the mood. This of course would not matter too much if the songs were good.
Occasionally, they are. 'Cinema vs House' is an enjoyable enough song about early-relationship dating issues, 'Old Wounds' is the one poignant country-ish ballad about burying the hatchet and 'The Girls In This Town' has some nice bluesy guitar.
How though did BFB manage to write a song as horrible as 'St Albans'...sample lyric "You're only in St Albans cos you thought you were having sex...no-one in St Albans wants to fuck you"? Just tired, dirgy and unpleasant. 'Please Yourself' is similarly bitter and humourless and neither song either has the saving grace of having a good tune.
Listening to this album again and again, I just found it depressing and sad. I can understand a band wanting to change direction but previous albums have sounded so full of life, whereas this one sounds tired, devoid of ideas and desperate to shock.
Boring.
4.8
['Please and Thank You' is out in April on Cooking Vinyl]
Here, they pretty much abandon the slower songs in favour of an album's worth of rocky numbers. It is really hard going. Musically there is almost no break from the loud drums/guitar sound that the album opens with, little in the way of piano or accordion etc to lighten the mood. This of course would not matter too much if the songs were good.
Occasionally, they are. 'Cinema vs House' is an enjoyable enough song about early-relationship dating issues, 'Old Wounds' is the one poignant country-ish ballad about burying the hatchet and 'The Girls In This Town' has some nice bluesy guitar.
How though did BFB manage to write a song as horrible as 'St Albans'...sample lyric "You're only in St Albans cos you thought you were having sex...no-one in St Albans wants to fuck you"? Just tired, dirgy and unpleasant. 'Please Yourself' is similarly bitter and humourless and neither song either has the saving grace of having a good tune.
Listening to this album again and again, I just found it depressing and sad. I can understand a band wanting to change direction but previous albums have sounded so full of life, whereas this one sounds tired, devoid of ideas and desperate to shock.
Boring.
4.8
['Please and Thank You' is out in April on Cooking Vinyl]
Dickon Hinchliffe soundtrack album
Anyone missing the sound of Dickon Hinchliffe's violin and string arrangements from the last tindersticks album and tour should check out the soundtrack to BBC TV series 'Red Riding'.
Dickon contributes 13 pieces of music to the soundtrack and while I am not a huge fan of instrumental, incidental music (apart from Jonny Greenwood's glorious 'There Will Be Blood' score this is all dark, brooding and brings to mind Tindersticks of old. Fans of the band should be particularly interested in 'Christmas' as it is an instrumental version of 'Waiting For The Moon'.
Only available on itunes as far as I can make out, but recommended.
Dickon contributes 13 pieces of music to the soundtrack and while I am not a huge fan of instrumental, incidental music (apart from Jonny Greenwood's glorious 'There Will Be Blood' score this is all dark, brooding and brings to mind Tindersticks of old. Fans of the band should be particularly interested in 'Christmas' as it is an instrumental version of 'Waiting For The Moon'.
Only available on itunes as far as I can make out, but recommended.
Friday, 20 March 2009
Bill Callahan 'Eid Ma Clack Shaw'
At last, TracksandGigs has heard some genuinely touching and inspired new music. Perhaps the song of the year so far.
Drag City has posted a free taster mp3 from the new Bill Callahan album and it is quite incredible. Musically rich with piano and strings, it is the writing and the singing that has floored me. Callahan sings of trying to forget the memories that are "fucking me down" and of trying to find a way to move on from them, he then dreams the perfect song, scribbles it down and then sings it. The twist is that "the perfect song" is complete meaningless gibberish, albeit sung beautifully and with feeling.
Callahan sounds like he did on 'Supper' or 'Knock Knock' era-Smog here. Absolutely superb. Cannot wait for the album.
You can download the mp3 for free at www.dragcity.com
Drag City has posted a free taster mp3 from the new Bill Callahan album and it is quite incredible. Musically rich with piano and strings, it is the writing and the singing that has floored me. Callahan sings of trying to forget the memories that are "fucking me down" and of trying to find a way to move on from them, he then dreams the perfect song, scribbles it down and then sings it. The twist is that "the perfect song" is complete meaningless gibberish, albeit sung beautifully and with feeling.
Callahan sounds like he did on 'Supper' or 'Knock Knock' era-Smog here. Absolutely superb. Cannot wait for the album.
You can download the mp3 for free at www.dragcity.com
Thursday, 19 March 2009
Julie Doiron 'I Can Wonder What You Did With Your Day'
Why do I buy albums? Thats what I'm wondering at the moment.
Obviously I have favourite artists and I will always buy new releases from them come what may. But March has been a pretty lean month so far, Bonnie 'Prince' Billy excepting, and there haven't even been many albums by bands who I don't know but sound like the sort of bands I might like. I think it is times like this that cause me to buy albums like this one and the Shaky Hands album. Records that sound OK but I wouldn't necessary buy at times when there are a lot of new releases around. Perhaps I need to be more frugal or something.
This is not meant to be a savage criticism of Julie Doiron's new album because it is entirely the sort of record that doesn't warrant savage criticism. It's fine! A nice enough listen whilst walking around town at lunchtime on a sunny day like today.
Doiron is a Canadian singer-songwriter whose work has escaped me so far, apart from a split-EP with Okkervil River. This record is a collection of short songs mainly concerned with matters of the heart. There are quiet acoustic songs with pretty lyrics which remind me of a less twee Kimya Dawson. There are also louder songs with a reverb-heavy electric guitar and generally angrier lyrics. The pick of the songs and the one to listen to if you wanted to try before you buy (ha!)....if it is on Spotify that is.....is 'Consolation Prize', a post-split hymn to bitterness that is rather entertaining and very sing-along. Meanwhile, 'Nice To Come Home' has a pleasant lullaby-ish vibe.
The whole album has a warm, fuzzy feel which may well wear off after repeated listens. It is, however, nice enough and has interesting lyrics. Do I sound bored? Maybe I am a bit bored at the moment. I would like to hear a new record that leaves me reeling, dumb-struck, ecstatic, moved etc etc. Any suggestions?
6.0
['I Could Wonder What You Did With Your Day' is out now on cd/vinyl/download on Jagjaguwar]
Obviously I have favourite artists and I will always buy new releases from them come what may. But March has been a pretty lean month so far, Bonnie 'Prince' Billy excepting, and there haven't even been many albums by bands who I don't know but sound like the sort of bands I might like. I think it is times like this that cause me to buy albums like this one and the Shaky Hands album. Records that sound OK but I wouldn't necessary buy at times when there are a lot of new releases around. Perhaps I need to be more frugal or something.
This is not meant to be a savage criticism of Julie Doiron's new album because it is entirely the sort of record that doesn't warrant savage criticism. It's fine! A nice enough listen whilst walking around town at lunchtime on a sunny day like today.
Doiron is a Canadian singer-songwriter whose work has escaped me so far, apart from a split-EP with Okkervil River. This record is a collection of short songs mainly concerned with matters of the heart. There are quiet acoustic songs with pretty lyrics which remind me of a less twee Kimya Dawson. There are also louder songs with a reverb-heavy electric guitar and generally angrier lyrics. The pick of the songs and the one to listen to if you wanted to try before you buy (ha!)....if it is on Spotify that is.....is 'Consolation Prize', a post-split hymn to bitterness that is rather entertaining and very sing-along. Meanwhile, 'Nice To Come Home' has a pleasant lullaby-ish vibe.
The whole album has a warm, fuzzy feel which may well wear off after repeated listens. It is, however, nice enough and has interesting lyrics. Do I sound bored? Maybe I am a bit bored at the moment. I would like to hear a new record that leaves me reeling, dumb-struck, ecstatic, moved etc etc. Any suggestions?
6.0
['I Could Wonder What You Did With Your Day' is out now on cd/vinyl/download on Jagjaguwar]
Wednesday, 18 March 2009
EMI/ Radiohead yet again...
Radiohead 'OK Computer' and 'The Bends' 2cd reissues
EMI are at it again. Since they split with Radiohead, not only have the band made one of their greatest albums to date but their ex-label have shown themselves to be money-grabbing, corporate unpleasant-types by re-issuing and re-packaging like mad. A box set, a 'best of', a memory stick thing....and now the first three Radiohead albums are being re-released as 2cd/dvd packages with extra tracks etc. Please don't buy these! The input from the band is non-existent, these are not lovingly created re-issues with sleeve notes and thought behind them, like say the tindersticks reissues. These are 'how can we milk a bit more money out of the band?' cobbled together things that YOU DO NOT NEED.
There are no new discoveries here, no outtakes from 'OK Computer' that we haven't heard before. Nothing. What you get are the b sides from both albums, which you will already have if you bought the singles or the 'Airbag' and 'My Iron Lung' EPs and a whole lot of sessions and live tracks none of which are essential. If you want to listen to the b sides (and the likes of 'Polyethylene' and 'A Reminder' would not have sounded out of place on 'OK Computer') you can listen to them all on Spotify. EMI is not a small record company trumpeting great new bands that need your money...if they find themselves in financial troubles it is largely because of them making stupid decisions in giving pots of money to artists the likes of whom I need not mention on here.
Listening to these albums again and actually thinking about them (sometimes music becomes so familiar that you listen on auto-pilot and don't notice things anymore) takes me back to knowing and loving them back in the 90s. 'The Bends' still sounds like just a great rock album and both an attack on and a reaction to all the Britpop rubbish that was going on at the time.."this is our new song/ just like the last one..a total waste of time". At the same time it is soaring, celebratory music, somehow feelgood, despite the lyrics, not difficult listening just a great album.
'OK Computer' though....I remember buying 'Paranoid Android' when it was released and being absolutely staggered by just how incredible it was. Then, and now, one of the greatest single pieces of music I have known. The 'rain down one me' section, the guitar break at the end that seems to clear your head and ears out for you...everything, just a song that perfectly reflected the time we were living in. The album can't all be as good as this, I thought. I remember that for some reason a Japanese import of 'OK Computer' turned up at my local record shop weeks ahead of its UK release. It was extortionately priced but I bought it anyway, and listened that evening. I knew straight away that I was hearing an album that would be with me for my whole life. Glorious music, perfectly sequenced, so much going on sonically, so twitchy, edgy and unsettling. 'Let Down' still sounds like one of the greatest builds into a chorus ever, 'Exit Music' is still the perfect 'us against the world' ballad and 'No Surprises' and 'Fitter, Happier' still make me cry.
Amazing records then, that we should be glad to own and proud to have been around when they were released. But we don't need to buy tacky record company re-issues, now do we?
EMI are at it again. Since they split with Radiohead, not only have the band made one of their greatest albums to date but their ex-label have shown themselves to be money-grabbing, corporate unpleasant-types by re-issuing and re-packaging like mad. A box set, a 'best of', a memory stick thing....and now the first three Radiohead albums are being re-released as 2cd/dvd packages with extra tracks etc. Please don't buy these! The input from the band is non-existent, these are not lovingly created re-issues with sleeve notes and thought behind them, like say the tindersticks reissues. These are 'how can we milk a bit more money out of the band?' cobbled together things that YOU DO NOT NEED.
There are no new discoveries here, no outtakes from 'OK Computer' that we haven't heard before. Nothing. What you get are the b sides from both albums, which you will already have if you bought the singles or the 'Airbag' and 'My Iron Lung' EPs and a whole lot of sessions and live tracks none of which are essential. If you want to listen to the b sides (and the likes of 'Polyethylene' and 'A Reminder' would not have sounded out of place on 'OK Computer') you can listen to them all on Spotify. EMI is not a small record company trumpeting great new bands that need your money...if they find themselves in financial troubles it is largely because of them making stupid decisions in giving pots of money to artists the likes of whom I need not mention on here.
Listening to these albums again and actually thinking about them (sometimes music becomes so familiar that you listen on auto-pilot and don't notice things anymore) takes me back to knowing and loving them back in the 90s. 'The Bends' still sounds like just a great rock album and both an attack on and a reaction to all the Britpop rubbish that was going on at the time.."this is our new song/ just like the last one..a total waste of time". At the same time it is soaring, celebratory music, somehow feelgood, despite the lyrics, not difficult listening just a great album.
'OK Computer' though....I remember buying 'Paranoid Android' when it was released and being absolutely staggered by just how incredible it was. Then, and now, one of the greatest single pieces of music I have known. The 'rain down one me' section, the guitar break at the end that seems to clear your head and ears out for you...everything, just a song that perfectly reflected the time we were living in. The album can't all be as good as this, I thought. I remember that for some reason a Japanese import of 'OK Computer' turned up at my local record shop weeks ahead of its UK release. It was extortionately priced but I bought it anyway, and listened that evening. I knew straight away that I was hearing an album that would be with me for my whole life. Glorious music, perfectly sequenced, so much going on sonically, so twitchy, edgy and unsettling. 'Let Down' still sounds like one of the greatest builds into a chorus ever, 'Exit Music' is still the perfect 'us against the world' ballad and 'No Surprises' and 'Fitter, Happier' still make me cry.
Amazing records then, that we should be glad to own and proud to have been around when they were released. But we don't need to buy tacky record company re-issues, now do we?
Saturday, 14 March 2009
Bonnie 'Prince' Billy 'Beware'
Will Oldham is so prolific these days that a new BPB release of some sort seems to arrive every few months, but a collection of brand new songs is still something to get excited about and I played this several times back to back as soon as it arrived.
The popular line here seems to be that last year's 'Lie Down In The Light' was a "happy" album and that 'Beware' is back to the gloom and doom. Oldham has never been as straightforward an artist as that. While 'Lie Down In The Light' was certainly a collection of largely optimistic songs, it also contained tracks like 'You Want That Picture', a song that truly stopped me in my tracks. A duet between a couple on the verge of breaking up, it was a desperately lonely and touching song, culminating in Oldham singing "..I went outside/ and I looked at the sky and knew someday I'd die/ and everything would be alright...everything comes down to this..". Just stunning.
..and whilst 'Beware' seems largely to be an album warning of the dangers of love, it is not without its humour. 'You don't love me' for example is a country romp with lines such as "...you say my kissing rates a 6". Also, whilst the lyrics in 'Beware' are dark, this is a gorgeous, rich sounding record with plenty of strings, flute and glockenspiel as well as backing harmonies.
There are some amazing songs here. The Nashville-styled 'I Don't Belong To Anyone', lonely, pretty but like much of this record, truly comforting. Oldham's voice is soft and warm even when he sings the album's classic opening lines.. "I want to be your only friend..is that scary?". My favourite though is the penultimate 'Without Work, You Have Nothing', to a VERY similar tune to Jerome Kern's 'The Way You Look Tonight', Oldham sings that despite any of the relationship-issues he has described throughout the album, we will all be alright and "arms will hold you". There are strong reiligious tones on this track but even the most certain non-believer will find comfort when the Prince sings "you will die with love upon you".
This is a really consistent, rewarding piece of work. The lyrics are certainly dark and sometimes uneasy but as a listening experience this is beautiful, rich and warm. A fine, fine album from one of the most special artists of our time.
9.2
['Beware' is out now on cd/lp from Drag City/ Domino]
The popular line here seems to be that last year's 'Lie Down In The Light' was a "happy" album and that 'Beware' is back to the gloom and doom. Oldham has never been as straightforward an artist as that. While 'Lie Down In The Light' was certainly a collection of largely optimistic songs, it also contained tracks like 'You Want That Picture', a song that truly stopped me in my tracks. A duet between a couple on the verge of breaking up, it was a desperately lonely and touching song, culminating in Oldham singing "..I went outside/ and I looked at the sky and knew someday I'd die/ and everything would be alright...everything comes down to this..". Just stunning.
..and whilst 'Beware' seems largely to be an album warning of the dangers of love, it is not without its humour. 'You don't love me' for example is a country romp with lines such as "...you say my kissing rates a 6". Also, whilst the lyrics in 'Beware' are dark, this is a gorgeous, rich sounding record with plenty of strings, flute and glockenspiel as well as backing harmonies.
There are some amazing songs here. The Nashville-styled 'I Don't Belong To Anyone', lonely, pretty but like much of this record, truly comforting. Oldham's voice is soft and warm even when he sings the album's classic opening lines.. "I want to be your only friend..is that scary?". My favourite though is the penultimate 'Without Work, You Have Nothing', to a VERY similar tune to Jerome Kern's 'The Way You Look Tonight', Oldham sings that despite any of the relationship-issues he has described throughout the album, we will all be alright and "arms will hold you". There are strong reiligious tones on this track but even the most certain non-believer will find comfort when the Prince sings "you will die with love upon you".
This is a really consistent, rewarding piece of work. The lyrics are certainly dark and sometimes uneasy but as a listening experience this is beautiful, rich and warm. A fine, fine album from one of the most special artists of our time.
9.2
['Beware' is out now on cd/lp from Drag City/ Domino]
Wednesday, 11 March 2009
various bits of news about T&G friendly artists.
- Mark Kozelek is continuing his attempt to break Pearl Jam's record for the highest number of live albums released in a career. By my reckoning he released three live albums last year and two the year before and now he is releasing two more in the next month!
'Lost Verses live' was recorded during his 2007/2008 solo tour....which means yet another solo live album with lots of guitar picking. Surely it is time for a full band Sun Kil Moon live album? Either way the track listing here is very tempting:
1. Unlit Hallway
2. Carry Me Ohio
3. Four Fingered Fisherman
4. Moorestown
5. Salvador Sanchez
6. Heron Blue
7. Lost Verses
8. Tiny Cities
9. Lucky Man
10. Send In The Clowns
11. Harper Road
12. Tonight In Bilbao
13. Blue Orchids
14. Katy Song
That is released on April 1 on Caldo Verde...as is a completely un-necessary but free (if you buy 'Lost Verses live') live album named 'Find Me Ruben Olivares- live in Spain' which has such a similar track listing that I won't bother typing it out. In other Koz news, all-time classic Red House Painters album 'Songs For A Blue Guitar' is releases on vinyl for the first time in May.
- Former Grandaddy frontman Jason Lytle releases an album which has a title that I can't believe hasn't already been a Grandaddy album title on May 19th...'Yours Truly, The Commuter'. T&G should be hearing a track from that later on, so will report back.
- My disappointment at missing M. Ward's two recent London gigs has been slightly eased by the news that he plays Shepherds Bush Empire on June 30th. Tickets available...hang on.....now!
more news and a Bonnie 'Prince' Billy album review, coming soonish.
'Lost Verses live' was recorded during his 2007/2008 solo tour....which means yet another solo live album with lots of guitar picking. Surely it is time for a full band Sun Kil Moon live album? Either way the track listing here is very tempting:
1. Unlit Hallway
2. Carry Me Ohio
3. Four Fingered Fisherman
4. Moorestown
5. Salvador Sanchez
6. Heron Blue
7. Lost Verses
8. Tiny Cities
9. Lucky Man
10. Send In The Clowns
11. Harper Road
12. Tonight In Bilbao
13. Blue Orchids
14. Katy Song
That is released on April 1 on Caldo Verde...as is a completely un-necessary but free (if you buy 'Lost Verses live') live album named 'Find Me Ruben Olivares- live in Spain' which has such a similar track listing that I won't bother typing it out. In other Koz news, all-time classic Red House Painters album 'Songs For A Blue Guitar' is releases on vinyl for the first time in May.
- Former Grandaddy frontman Jason Lytle releases an album which has a title that I can't believe hasn't already been a Grandaddy album title on May 19th...'Yours Truly, The Commuter'. T&G should be hearing a track from that later on, so will report back.
- My disappointment at missing M. Ward's two recent London gigs has been slightly eased by the news that he plays Shepherds Bush Empire on June 30th. Tickets available...hang on.....now!
more news and a Bonnie 'Prince' Billy album review, coming soonish.
Tuesday, 10 March 2009
The Shaky Hands 'Lunglight'
This band had been recommended to me so many times and March has been such a quiet month thus far, that I decided to check this album out.
I was slightly put off, truth be told, by their press-bio which describes The Shaky Hands as "Portland's finest". Surely M. Ward would have something to say about that? In any case there is absolutely no similarity between 'Lunglight' and anything produced by 'Portland's finest troubadour' as this is a feel-good indie pop album.
I'll get the comparisons out of the way first. The Shaky Hands sound a little like Conor Oberst fronting the Violent Femmes. Singer Nick Delff has all of Oberst's nervy vocal mannerisms and the music here has the same jangly, riff heavy sound as The Femmes, or for that matter Tapes 'n' Tapes.
The songs? Well they're ok. Short, sharp and mostly catchy. 'Loosen Up is a little bluesy, 'We Are Young' sounds pretty joyous to me, even though it probably wasn't intended for a 34 year old bloke to listen to on the train. The album is unbelievably front-loaded though and the middle section is extremely hard to get through since all..the..songs..sound...the.....same....but they redeem themselves at the end with 'Wake The Breathing Light' which at five minutes long is an epic for this record and starts softly before building into an extended coda.
Since lyrically they have little to say and musically there are no real diversions from the catchy, quirky, guitar heavy sound, this works as fairly pleasant background music, but expect nothing more Earth-shattering than that.
5.8
['Lunglight' is out now on Memphis Industries]
I was slightly put off, truth be told, by their press-bio which describes The Shaky Hands as "Portland's finest". Surely M. Ward would have something to say about that? In any case there is absolutely no similarity between 'Lunglight' and anything produced by 'Portland's finest troubadour' as this is a feel-good indie pop album.
I'll get the comparisons out of the way first. The Shaky Hands sound a little like Conor Oberst fronting the Violent Femmes. Singer Nick Delff has all of Oberst's nervy vocal mannerisms and the music here has the same jangly, riff heavy sound as The Femmes, or for that matter Tapes 'n' Tapes.
The songs? Well they're ok. Short, sharp and mostly catchy. 'Loosen Up is a little bluesy, 'We Are Young' sounds pretty joyous to me, even though it probably wasn't intended for a 34 year old bloke to listen to on the train. The album is unbelievably front-loaded though and the middle section is extremely hard to get through since all..the..songs..sound...the.....same....but they redeem themselves at the end with 'Wake The Breathing Light' which at five minutes long is an epic for this record and starts softly before building into an extended coda.
Since lyrically they have little to say and musically there are no real diversions from the catchy, quirky, guitar heavy sound, this works as fairly pleasant background music, but expect nothing more Earth-shattering than that.
5.8
['Lunglight' is out now on Memphis Industries]
Sunday, 8 March 2009
The Broken Family Band are back!
The Broken Family Band's mix of sweet alt.country ballads and frenzied rockers seemed to reach a peak four or five years ago with the one-two punch of the 'Jesus Songs EP' (complete with Neutral Milk Hotel cover) and the 'BALLS' album. The latter was a great record with beautiful ballads and amusing rockers (sample lyric.."we're all fucked up on the booze and the drugs/ how long are you going to be in the bathroom baby").
Since then 2007's 'Hello Love' LP was a slight disappointment, mostly mid-tempo songs with any humour largely missing. The Cambridge band have been quiet since then, but now..GOOD NEWS! They are back and have signed a deal with Cooking Vinyl, which sounds a good mix and have an album 'Please and Thank You' out on 20th April. You can listen to three songs from the album at their website ( http://www.thebrokenfamilyband.com . The best of which 'Cinema vs House' rediscovers the humour and passion of old, whilst exploring similar lyrical themes as Tindersticks' 'Rented Rooms'.
All good news. Oh and they play The Scala on 7th May too.
Since then 2007's 'Hello Love' LP was a slight disappointment, mostly mid-tempo songs with any humour largely missing. The Cambridge band have been quiet since then, but now..GOOD NEWS! They are back and have signed a deal with Cooking Vinyl, which sounds a good mix and have an album 'Please and Thank You' out on 20th April. You can listen to three songs from the album at their website ( http://www.thebrokenfamilyband.com . The best of which 'Cinema vs House' rediscovers the humour and passion of old, whilst exploring similar lyrical themes as Tindersticks' 'Rented Rooms'.
All good news. Oh and they play The Scala on 7th May too.
Wednesday, 4 March 2009
R.E.M 'Murmur- deluxe edition'
I have a feeling about albums that are labelled 'classics'. I may be alone in this, but I think, usually, you have to have been there at the time that they are released to appreciate them fully. Many, many times I have bought an album that is considered a classic, had massive expectations of how much I am going to love it and been disappointed to hear it is just another album. An example of this is 'Astral Weeks' by Van Morrison. There are of course exceptions but by and large I am wary of buying reissues of 'classic' albums that I didn't buy at the time or in the process of discovering an artist.
Just to make my buying this album look like an even poorer decision, I Ddon't love REM. I like some songs and 'Automatic For The People' is undeniably an excellent album but recently they seem to have been treading the same dull ground over and over. BUT, I had read so many good things and 'Murmur' and about the re-issue, that I thought I would take the chance.
First thing I felt on listening was surprise at how much it sounded like....REM. I honestly didn't think it would. I had the idea in my head that 'Murmur' and 'Document' would sound like another band entirely and I also thought I would hear loads of guitar and feedback and barely audible vocals, but not at all, it sounds like REM, just much much better.
The sound is so stripped down and simple, each instrument given space, especially Mike Mills' fantastically expressive bass playing. Included in this is Michael Stipe's voice, which he genuinely uses as an instrument throughout, to superb effect. Its great to hear him simply as part of a band, rather than being burdened by the pressures of Being Michael Stipe.
The songs are generally excellent. 'Radio Free Europe' is a terrifically spiky opener, 'Pilgrimage' flows beautifully under a mix of guitar and piano and 'Catapult' is pretty perfect indie pop. Best of all though are 'Talk About The Passion' where Stipe uses the lower reach of his vocal range to stunning effect on lines like "not everyone can carry the weight of the world" and "combien de temps?" and 'Perfect Circle' the very first REM ballad, with beauiful, swirling piano.
The record is a little front-loaded, as debut albums often are, but right at the end 'Shaking Through' gives a hint of REM's future country-pop direction.
The live performance from Toronto '83 on the second cd is a revelation too. With no overdubs or embelishments, the band sound raw and several songs sound even better.
'Murmur' is undeniably a very, very good album and its amazing to think it was released in 1983 because a) not much else of note was being released then and b) because the songs haven't aged at all. It has made me want to discover REM's back catalogue from this point on and discover how they went from making a tight, dense indie-rock record like this to recording 'Shiny Happy People' just eight years later...
8.0
['Murmur 2cd' is out now on Universal]
Just to make my buying this album look like an even poorer decision, I Ddon't love REM. I like some songs and 'Automatic For The People' is undeniably an excellent album but recently they seem to have been treading the same dull ground over and over. BUT, I had read so many good things and 'Murmur' and about the re-issue, that I thought I would take the chance.
First thing I felt on listening was surprise at how much it sounded like....REM. I honestly didn't think it would. I had the idea in my head that 'Murmur' and 'Document' would sound like another band entirely and I also thought I would hear loads of guitar and feedback and barely audible vocals, but not at all, it sounds like REM, just much much better.
The sound is so stripped down and simple, each instrument given space, especially Mike Mills' fantastically expressive bass playing. Included in this is Michael Stipe's voice, which he genuinely uses as an instrument throughout, to superb effect. Its great to hear him simply as part of a band, rather than being burdened by the pressures of Being Michael Stipe.
The songs are generally excellent. 'Radio Free Europe' is a terrifically spiky opener, 'Pilgrimage' flows beautifully under a mix of guitar and piano and 'Catapult' is pretty perfect indie pop. Best of all though are 'Talk About The Passion' where Stipe uses the lower reach of his vocal range to stunning effect on lines like "not everyone can carry the weight of the world" and "combien de temps?" and 'Perfect Circle' the very first REM ballad, with beauiful, swirling piano.
The record is a little front-loaded, as debut albums often are, but right at the end 'Shaking Through' gives a hint of REM's future country-pop direction.
The live performance from Toronto '83 on the second cd is a revelation too. With no overdubs or embelishments, the band sound raw and several songs sound even better.
'Murmur' is undeniably a very, very good album and its amazing to think it was released in 1983 because a) not much else of note was being released then and b) because the songs haven't aged at all. It has made me want to discover REM's back catalogue from this point on and discover how they went from making a tight, dense indie-rock record like this to recording 'Shiny Happy People' just eight years later...
8.0
['Murmur 2cd' is out now on Universal]
Monday, 2 March 2009
The Twilight Sad 'EP'
In my opinion The Twilight Sad are making some of the finest music coming out of the UK at the moment. Mixing great lyrics, soaring anthems, white noise feedback and a frontman with one of the strongest (and most Scottish) voices around, they've made a great debut album and followed it up with a couple of excellent EPs. Even better, they are showing no signs of resting on their laurels and are changing and moving forward with their sound, with a new LP due in September.
'EP' is actually their debut release, recorded way back in 2006 and only made available in the U.S. It has taken T&G quite some time to track it down (thanks to Norman Records for getting some in stock) and so I thought I may as well write about it now that I've finally heard it.
'EP' contains three of the finest tracks from the 'Fourteen Autumns and Fifteen Winters' and two songs that didn't make the cut. Those are... 'But When She Left, Gone Was The Glow' a brooding, accordian led piece which reminds me of their cover of 'Some Things Last A Long Time' and 'Three Seconds Of Dead Air' an eight-minute epic ending with a terrific avalanche of noise.
The three songs from 'Fourteen Autumns...' sound as superb as ever of course. Another thing I love about TSS is their song titles. Some, maybe all, of them seem to be lines from works of literature. 'Last Summer At Home I had become the Invisible Boy' is from Stand By Me and 'Here It Never Snowed, Afterward It Did' is from 'Stand By Me'....would like to hear from anyone who can place any of the other titles...
'EP' is actually their debut release, recorded way back in 2006 and only made available in the U.S. It has taken T&G quite some time to track it down (thanks to Norman Records for getting some in stock) and so I thought I may as well write about it now that I've finally heard it.
'EP' contains three of the finest tracks from the 'Fourteen Autumns and Fifteen Winters' and two songs that didn't make the cut. Those are... 'But When She Left, Gone Was The Glow' a brooding, accordian led piece which reminds me of their cover of 'Some Things Last A Long Time' and 'Three Seconds Of Dead Air' an eight-minute epic ending with a terrific avalanche of noise.
The three songs from 'Fourteen Autumns...' sound as superb as ever of course. Another thing I love about TSS is their song titles. Some, maybe all, of them seem to be lines from works of literature. 'Last Summer At Home I had become the Invisible Boy' is from Stand By Me and 'Here It Never Snowed, Afterward It Did' is from 'Stand By Me'....would like to hear from anyone who can place any of the other titles...
Sunday, 1 March 2009
Stephen Malkmus plays Pavement songs....
I know he does this every once in a while in the States (never in the UK though, to the best of my knowledge) but Stephen Malkmus played a solo show last week in which he played a number of Pavement songs including one of my all time favourites 'Harness Your Hopes'.
How I wish I had been at this show.
Short clips are available here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J-5766CZ_04
How I wish I had been at this show.
Short clips are available here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J-5766CZ_04
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