Static Revenger - Love Song Surprise

From the outset this was an intriguing album and right up my street; the vocals have been played about with on Track One, which gives them a soft otherworldly feel. Track Two had me hooked from the opening bars, it’s a fantastic sound, the vocals are very different on this track yet they are of the same quality. The wide range of sounds, (and I can hear just about every instrument I can think of in there,) really does work, this is a simply stunning track and I love the way it climbs steadily to the finish it’s fantastic. Track Five is an electronic sensation, you’ll either love it or you’ll hate it, I loved it. I found Track Seven to be weak for its blandness, though it isn’t dire by any stretch of the imagination, but Track Ten was a major disappointment.

Overall this album is excellent, though I’d have preferred to hear some more imaginative lyrics, which would tie in better with the excellent and unique sound. Track ten is abysmal; I’d have preferred not to have it on the album at all.

By J.Greenwood

The Heavy - Great Vengeance & Furious Fire

One of the early surprises of the 2008 comes in form of The Heavy’s debut album. The songs sound like a perfect throwback with a mix of a lot of contemporary elements. A band they can be compared to would be The Dirtbombs but they take the garage rock and give it more blues, soul and flavor. The Bath group does not disappoint for ten tracks and over thirty minutes.

The albums standout song “That Kind Of Man” instantly transfers you back to something from the 70s. The horns combined with young Kelvin Swaybe’s falsettos vocal make this song what it is. The song is so good that it instantly jumps the album up on its own. The album starts with “Brukpocket’s Lament.” The track sounds like a fuzzy and crackle recording of something out of the 30s. The quality of the recording gives it a lot of authenticity. “Set Me Free” kicks things back up with some cowbell and has this great live and raw touch. “Dignity” tuns things up with some fast bass and turns out a classic sounding like early Primal Scream. “In The Morning” continues the blues rock tradition with another burner.

“Great Vengeance & Furious Fire” from the start is an dirty, epic and gritty album. Originally out last year in the UK I am pleased I was able to get a chance to listen to this rare hybrid.

By John Siwicki

Colin Meloy - Sings Live!

The concept here is an interesting and it works. Decemberists singer Colin Meloy releases a solo acoustic live album while playing the bands songs including some rare ones and throwing in a cover or two for good measures. You get songs like “Devil’s Elbow” (from Meloy’s former band) and “Bandit Queen” (from the Picaresqueties EP) and he even breaks into a cover of Fleetwood Mac’s “Dreams” at one point.

This is a hard album to dissect because it is a essentially just Decemberists songs done acoustically. The best part of the record is when Colin is talking about his song “Dracula’s Daughter” calling it the “worst song I have ever wrote.” The fact that he included it and how long he discusses it really mixes up the record quite a bit and adds a little fun to the record.

Hearing all these songs stripped down I think they just sound better with the full arrangements because they all start to lump together. Colin does have great audience interactions and is a really fun guy in between the songs. Going through the whole thing once was fun but I just do not see going back to it very frequently.

By John Siwicki

M83 - Saturdays=Youth

This is the second record Anthony Gonzalez has made as the sole genius behind the M83 name. Anthony did not do this alone. He got production assistance on Saturdays=Youth came from Ewan Pearson and Ken Thomas. They have produced such works as Sigur Ros and The Rapture. There has been some buzz about these songs as Anthony has gone for a traditional structure for his songs. While, there is moments on the record that follow a certain rigger just look at the first single “Graveyard Girl.” That does not take anything away from this sweet record. In some cases it even enhances the record.

The record does shy away from the digital arena and turns to a sythn based 80s sound in a lot of the songs. The sound has already turned away a few fans. But, this new shift in the sound makes each song really pop out at you.

“You, Appearing” starts off the album with a stretched out and atmospheric sound. A young falsetto vocal in the background of this complex backdrop is an interesting introduction for the album because ever so quickly the sound shifts away from that. “Kim & Jessie” hits your right out of the gates with some pounding drums and hooky sythn line. As the build up to the chorus is going you might thing a bigger payoff would ensue but sadly its still just picks up slightly. “Skin of the Night” takes things back a bit with a quietly and eerie tune with a great vocal to compliment. “Graveyard Girl” just keeps growing on me and it is a song that I have been going back to a lot. The song deals with a young girl as show in the breakdown with that frighting aside about how she feels it all to late for her. “Couleurs” is a feast of sounds being blasted in your ears lead by a charging sythn line. “We Own The Sky” is another beautiful piece of ambient magic. The song takes on a journey for fives minutes slowly building and make a lot of quick movements. “Too Late” is a really minimal and sparse but portrays this odd level of elegance and beauty in the notes. “Midnight Souls Still Remain” carries out the album with a massive eleven minute ambient piece with not a lot of movements or changes.

The album might turn a few people off as there is a lot of variety and things you might not expect from an M83 record. “Saturdays=Youth” is one of the finest albums of this half of the year as it gives you everything you could want: songs to fall asleep to, songs to lift you and songs for…well I can go on and on.

By John Siwicki

Kelly Rowland - Daylight

Gym Class Heroes’ Travis McCoy manages to break away from ‘Cupid’s Chokehold, in order’ to help out a new flame by undertaking the old style MC duties. Helping Rowland raise the profile of this soul/funk sliding into R N’ B territory, bragging about the sheer joy of the 24 hour party life. Her clear, hovering pitch reflects off McCoy’s friendly, but street wise hip-hop trip. ‘Daylight’ is fun-spirited and easy listening, but whether or not it steers far enough away from throwaway territory is something for the test of time to uncover.

By Dave Adair

Roni Size/Reprazent - New Forms2

The first foray into drum n bass for me was “New Forms.” The album release nearly ten years ago did so much to bring the genre into new light and into many new ears.

To mark this anniversary, Roni Size has returned to re-edit New Forms. He said this about the upcoming reissue: “The first generation of heads who were there with the rise of Reprazent & Roni Size will be able to reminisce over the last decade with the classics Brown Paper Bag, Share The Fall & Heroes. The generation of those who missed it will be able to appreciate the album with the new coat of armour I have added to the original tracks. I think fans of the original album always appreciated what we did with the technology of the day. This latest version shows what is possible now.” He made my point better than I would have.

As a big fan of the original record I love what Roni did with these new touches. It does give the hardcores some new stuff to pine over and the fresh coat of paint will help bring in the new kids into this world. The former top 20 single “Brown Paper Bag” still amazes as even today it sounds like it is miles ahead of its time. “Share The Fall” and “Heroes” still play out really well especially. There is something really special in “Share The Fall” the song just always takes me back to happier times and is just pure quality.

They did add four bonus tracks including single “Don’t Look Back.” The song does not fit in perfectly with the original songs but it does nothing to take away from the experiences. It is incredibly contemporary sounding. For the inquisitive type this is worth a look because you do get a lot of material here and there is enough new stuff to bring in the old fans. The young people out there who are looking to get into the dance/electronic/drumnbass stuff there really is no better place to start.

By John Siwicki

Daniel Lanois - Here Is, What Is

Daniel Lanois is a 56-year-old Canadian producer most famous for producing the work of such iconic artists as Bob Dylan, U2, Ron Sexsmith, Brian Eno, Peter Gabriel and Willie Nelson.  He has also released his own albums semi-regularly since 1989 showcasing his abilities as a skilled singer-songwriter (this is his ninth, and doubles as the soundtrack to his documentary film of the same name about his work as a producer).  What first struck me about this album was how minimalist the production sounds for such an accomplished professional.

Lanois seems keen to keep the songwriting simple, using weary and begrizzled Springsteen-esque vocals, backed by simple drumbeats and bass lines keeping the time for Lanois’s trademark pedal steel guitar textures (which he describes as his “little church in a suitcase”) and organ fills.  Other tracks, such as ‘Blue Bus’ and ‘Love Child’, follow on from one another without much pause in between, and sound classically influenced and less structured in the rock/pop songwriting sense.  Instead they comprise atmospheric slide guitar, and mellow piano scales and flourishes over some moody reverb.  ‘Love Child’ eventually leads into some Tim or Jeff Buckley-esque falsetto and subtle choir-like harmonies, but these tracks’ overall  “unplanned” feel is aptly introduced by a preceding spoken word sample entitled ‘Beauty’, which features Brian Eno explaining that:
“beautiful things grow out of shit.  Because, nobody ever believes that.  You know, everyone thinks that Beethoven had his string quartets completely in his head.  They somehow appeared there and formed in his head and all he had to do was write them down and they would kind of be manifest to the world.
“But I think that what’s so interesting and what would really be a lesson that everybody should learn is that things come out of nothing.  Things evolve out of nothing.  You know, the tiniest seed in the right situation turns into the most beautiful forest.”

The sentiment is poignant and perhaps best describes Lanois’s artistic philosophy regarding “soaking up the moment” – doing whatever is in his creative means to allow these songs to live and breathe for themselves, without labouring their production to the point that it is detrimental to their power.

Elsewhere on the album, Lanois’s vocals get rougher and more Tom Waits-like, and lyrical snippets such as “gimmee shelter”, “this may be the last time, I don’t know”, and other minor Stones and Beatles references evoke the producer’s own lifelong love of rock ‘n roll.  As the album progresses, Lanois also dabbles with Spanish guitar and increasingly, organ, but the LP remains a subtle affair from start to finish.  Lanois isn’t a masterful singer-songwriter in a pop or even straightforward rock sense, but it is clear from his resume alone that producing is where his true calling lies.  Still, the sonic textures and raw beauty on ‘Here Is What Is’ impress, seemingly without trying to, and Lanois shows off a natural gift to conjure musical magic from a rather limited array of components.  This is a man whose input has been instrumental in the production of some of the most artistically accomplished albums ever made, and it shows.

By Ryan Daff

Lykke Li - I’m Good, I’m Gone

Lykke Li is a young singer from Sweden and has released her debut album earlier this year in her native country but it is finally getting a full release around the world. The record was produced by Bjorn of Peter, Bjorn and John. The lead single from that album is “I’m Good, I’m Gone.” The track first strikes up and I have no idea what I am in store for here. It could really go in a number of directions. A piano and a bass start up and it could really go anywhere and then the handclaps come in and I am already in love. Then the song builds into a great chorus of a little attack on her man “If you say I aim too high from down below, well say it now cause when I’m gone you’ll be calling, but I won’t be at the phone.” It is a fun and qurikly little song that has come out of nowhere to show us how a brilliant pop song can transcend that title.

By John Siwicki

Nursery of Naughtiness - Lesson 3

NON are back with the third installment of the “Lesson” EP’s. The first two EP’s have been staples in my late night listening with their very unique brand of electronic music . For “Lesson 3” the band just blew my mind with three absolutely authentic bangers. The first track is “The Requiem” starts with a sample out of the far east and then explodes right in to your speakers. The track uses vocals cleverly throughout the track each popping out at the right time. At times it is hard to really understand what they are saying and I can’t help but get fired up for some reason. Then as the track fades out you hear two vocalists say “I want to watch the world burn down.”  “The Collision” never slows down one second as it is constantly in your face. “The Nameless” starts with a little funk and begins to really heat up at the end with a lot of weird noises.

“Lesson 3” follows in a great string of series from the band. The EP’s are each top notch but this one might be the best. The band have upped their game all over this. “The Requiem” on a CD three times would get me to buy this. The track is really that good.

By John Siwicki

PNDC - Fading Away

PNDC is a member of the Serbian electronic band erogenius and this is his first solo project. For this record he collaborated with a young singer named Housework from Athens to help out with all the vocal duties on the album. The songs mix styles such as nu wave and krautrock. As a friend of mine had put it they sound like the evil version of Can.

The album starts off with a funny intro of Mike Watt and Steve Mackay discussion on the band and calling them by the wrong name. The first proper song is “Insufficient Pressure.” The track starts off with chaotic backdrop and Houseworks vocal is at times challenging to hear but really hones in well with the music. “Pick Up Your Fears” starts with a chunky and funky bass and turns into a stamper. “Dream About Love” is a beautiful instrumental piece complete with the sound of breaking glass. “Thin Moon” is a bleak affair with stretched out chords and then “Disco, Disco” is a little awkward but is a fun time.

“Fading Away” is an album that never wavered away from its core ideals. Each song falls in place and the record feels smooth. The Eastern European influences in each track combined with the deeply rooted electronic base.

By John Siwicki

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