Hour of Shipwrecks – The Hour Is Upon Us
When the first chords of “The Hour Is Upon Us” start with its dark and moody sound you would not think that this band was from LA. The band do take some elements from the post rock and shoegazing world but they bring a lot more vocals to the table than you would find from any bands in those genres. The vocals also have these really dark harmonies that border on times sounding slightly gothic at times. The record starts with the massive “The Chandelier Suite.” The track really shines in that finale minute as it just takes you by the hand and whiskers you away in this blissful and soothing collection of organs and drums. “Soft Napalm Pillow” is the track that had all the makings for that one classic song on the album but the vocals are times are just to quiet.
The band have a strange hybrid on the record. On one hand the record is does show a lot of beauty and grace and it comes out a pretty record. But, a lot of the songs do tend to blend together and just leaving the record on a for awhile before you know it you will be at the end. They do have a really good formula that could produce some amazing results down the line.
By John Siwicki
The National – Virginia EP
Last year, The National released their third album “Boxer” which saw them grab universal acclaim and saw their stock keep rising. The band are release a two disc set. The first disc is “A Skin, A Night.” This is a documentary about The National by French filmmaker Vincent Moon, who followed the group during the creation of their acclaimed 2007 release “The Boxer.” “The Virginia EP”, which contains twelve tracks of demos, a cover, live versions, a radio session, and b-sides. For the fans out there you do get a grab bargain as you can grab all of these for a few bucks more than your average album.
The biggest knock on the EP is that you don’t seem to get anything in the way of unreleased or completely brand new. So, it doesn’t feel like you get a lot of extra material here. Like the track “Mansion On The Hill” is the exact same live track that is the bside to “Apartment Story.” The demo version of “Slow, Show” was a cool listen and the live copy of “Fake Empire” was a stunner and really makes me angry for missing the bands live show.
The EP is a hell of a bargain as you get a lot of material with it. But, after a listen it leaves me a little cold. It is not a good representation of the band that can do so much more on a record than this EP shows. It does make sense as these are bsides for a reason.
By John Siwicki
Feeder – Silent City
Ah,Feeder,long time no hear from this band.The single release We Are People,is the first track on this album,Feeder’s first since 2006.This song is simple singable and will no doubt be given sufficient airtime on XFM and chart without too much effort. Grant Nicholas’s voice is as good as ever,leading this anthem with confidence,backed up adequately by guitars and drums and progressing into a slightly Muse-like chorus which ends with a subtle line-”we are one,we are family.”
The second track is Itsumo,again with that Muse-ish style to this song,but with Feeder’s bulky sound and reliable drums/guitars mix. It’s definitely Feeder,not Muse,(who are more flamboyant anyway). I liked this track and felt that if Feeder play Glastonbury this year it should be a singalong favorite-it has just the right groove to be so.
There are ten tracks on this album,all excellent. On Miss You,the pace is fast and furious,its catchy and rocky,with some Foo Fighters type guitar work and controlled vocals. A possible second single release?
With each track I’m convinced that this album will chart highly. The next song,Tracing Lines,doesn’t disappoint either..”all my life I can’t believe it-tracing lines but no-one sees it.I wish that I could take a rest.” A nice guitar bridge in this song leads to a good chorus and a positive ending.
Nothing pappy or shallow about this band,they are genuinely good and have much depth to their music.
On Silent Cry,the title track,slight tinges of Editors’ style shows,but too subtle to be plagiarism. The song, however,is rather depressing and perhaps best not listened to if you’re on a downer. Still a fine track though.
Fires, follows again some nods to Editors guitar work in the intro and backing,but again the song has much depth to it. A lovely track, anthemic and very suitable for playing at festivals.
I also liked Heads Held High,which has an acoustic and synth intro …”Read the papers as the sun began to rise-unbroken by the news-cos there’s no logic in our negativity-but there’s a way,if we believe”. Spiritually positive,this one,but without being preachy.
8.18 is quite a dark song,rather mysterious and secretive,followed by the penultimate track Who’s The Enemy,which is reflective,soul searching and questioning with plenty of musical meat in there.
Into The Blue- now THIS was a clever move-leave this track to the last one on the album. In my opinion its the best track on the whole CD-a rocking lovesong. This one for a second single,please!!
By Juliet Robertson
Steve Morgan – Calmer Than Karma
“Calmer Than Karma” is a great example of never to judge a record by its cover or the name of the album. One look at that cover and I wanted to run away. Inside the EP is collection of five rustic and rough acoustic tracks that will surprise you with the depth and the emotion in each track. The first track is the title track. This song has a great laid back feel to it. The music is very raw and Steve sounds like he is singing his troubles away at the local pub. “Whiskey” was the next stand out track on the release. It shows that Steve sounds almost better live than he does in the studio. The flute by Emma Buxton on the track was a welcomed change of pace. When it comes to the folk and singer/songwriter world I am picky but Steve gives you the best of both worlds but still tries to keep things fresh. More flute Steve.
By John Siwicki