Album reviews

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May 3, 2012

The Cribs – In The Belly Of The Brazen Bull (album review)

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The Cribs - In The Belly of the Brazen BullIt would be fair to say that The Cribs’ Ryan Jarman has had a fairly tough time of late. Ending his high-profile relationship with singer songwriter Kate Nash, as well as his musical alliance with The Smiths‘ former guitarist Johnny Marr left him in something of a dark place. In an interview with the NME earlier this year, he admitted to periods of self-loathing and depression, but claims that this is now behind him due to the excitement of releasing his fifth studio album, backed as usual by his brothers Gary and Ross.

‘In The Belly Of The Brazen Bull’ is the result of this period of introspection and Dave Fridmann is the latest name in The Cribs’ revolving roster of producers (The Flaming Lips,Weezer, Mogwai). In terms of progression this record seems like a step back towards the band’s earlier work as a trio, with standout tracks ‘Chi Town’ and ‘Come On, Be A No-One’ both offering seriously catchy hooks and snarling punk vocals. Those expecting a barrage of riffs and singalongs in the vein of 2007′s ‘Men’s Needs, Women’s Needs, Whatever’ will be disappointed, however.

‘Glitters Like Gold’ is a hard-hitting and direct opener, but the laborious ‘Jaded Youth’ and the cumbersome ‘Uptight’ fail to keep up the tempo. Indeed, the band’s style remains distinctly coloured by their hit-and-miss collaboration with Marr on 2009′s ‘Ignore The Ignorant’.

What’s more, there is a noticeable leaning towards the most abstract soundscapes of Sonic Youth, no doubt influenced by their brief dalliance with Lee Ranaldo on their six-minute epic ‘Be Safe’, which featured on ‘Men’s Needs…’ and was their most ambitious recording to date. That is until you hear the last track on this new album…

To read the rest of this review on Virgin Red Room, click here.

 

April 10, 2012

Maps & Atlases – Beware & Be Grateful (album review)

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Maps & Atlases

"Call that a beard? THIS is a beard!"

Chicago quartet Maps & Atlases have shaken off their math rock background, but not their evident love of ampersands and biblical beards (see right), for their sophomore record ‘Beware & Be Grateful’.

Released in the UK next week (April 16th) via One Little Indian, this album comprises ten tracks of delightfully creative indie pop, with echoes of Vampire Weekend and subtle nods towards 80s artists such as Peter Gabriel.

The extravagant flourishes and technical guitar-work in the vein of This Town Needs Guns are still very much in evidence, particularly with the two-minute guitar solo on the album’s slow-building centrepiece ‘Silver Self’. However these technical aspects are no longer the focus, allowing the melodies to come to the fore instead.

‘Important’ is a strange choice of opening track, but this slow-burner sets the tone for the more sombre and reflective moments that punctuate this record.

Next up, ‘Be Three Years Old’ picks up the pace with a vibrant plea for immaturity, and this track works as a strong blueprint for the more upbeat moments of the album. Playful samples and calypso vibes abound throughout, and it sounds like the band have even sampled the coin grabbing sound from Super Mario Land on ‘Bugs’.

The main thing that will divide opinion amongst new listeners is lead singer Dave Davison’s esoteric vocal style, which is flamboyant, affected and immediately recognisable – like a higher-pitched Morrissey with an American accent.

It all comes together quite nicely on the closing double header of ‘Fever’ and ‘Old & Gray’, where Davison really gets to show off his full range in an uplifting and optimistic crescendo.

Overall, ‘Beware & Be Grateful’ is a very catchy, upbeat record to get you in the mood for the summer and one that should play particularly well during the upcoming festival season.

 

March 1, 2012

Baddies – Build (album review)

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Baddies, the indie rock back from Southend, EssexEssex four-piece Baddies burst onto the indie-rock scene in 2009 with their critically acclaimed debut album ‘Do The Job’, having made their name by playing more festivals in one summer than any other band in Europe (32, since you asked).

The success of that record was built on classic hard-rock riffs, mindlessly catchy choruses and a staccato vocal style that was almost robotic. This sound drew favourable comparisons withThe Futureheads and early Queens of the Stone Age.

On this, their difficult second album, the band has gone for a more synth-led sound, largely jettisoning the riffs in favour of slow-burning melodies. On producer duties, in comes Sean Genockey, who has previously worked with the Manic Street Preachers.

This new approach doesn’t always hit the mark as directly or consistently as their earlier stuff, but the few tracks where they manage to pull it off are really effective. Think ‘Humbug’-era Arctic Monkeys and you’re not far off.

The yearning for reinvention is made blatantly clear on the first two tracks, as lead singer Michael Webster tells us: “Underneath the surface, I’m not feeling quite the same, I need rewiring” and “I’m going to build my very own man-made man”.

From here onwards…

To read the rest of this review on Virgin Red Room, click here.

 

January 30, 2012

Air – Le Voyage Dans La Lune (album review)

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Air Le Voyage Dans La LuneBest known for their 1998 hit single ‘Sexy Boy’, French electro duo Air have delved into the artsy word of silent cinema for their latest album. The lunar obsession from their debut album ‘Moon Safari’ is still in evidence on ‘Le Voyage Dans La Lune’, which has a distinctly space-age feel to it, from the countdown to ignition sequence on ‘Seven Stars’ to the syncopated synth of ‘Sonic Armada’.

This is fairly inaccessible stuff it has to be said, and the whole experience is truly baffling in places on the first listen. As a largely instrumental record, it’s quite hard to get a foothold, as only two of the 11 tracks feature vocals, and many of those are in French.

Throughout this record, Nicolas Godin and Jean-Benoît Dunckel continue to push the envelope in terms of genre, rhythm and style, often at the expense of clarity. As soon as you think you’ve got your head around the synthesised riff or melodic hook, it will mutate into something completely different in an eerie, shape-shifting fashion.

To read the rest of this review on Virgin Red Room, click here.

 

January 17, 2012

Frank Turner – The Second Three Years (album review)

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Frank Turner singing liveIt takes a pretty prolific songwriter to turn out four albums in six years and still have enough left in the tank to record two twenty-track compilations. But not only has Frank Turner managed this, he has done so with style and aplomb, especially on this, his second collection of live tracks, b-sides, covers and rarities.

‘The Second Three Years’ crams together the non-album tracks from his 2010 ‘Rock n Roll’ EP, the special edition bonus tracks from last year’s ‘England Keep My Bones’ LP, as well as a broad selection of punk, folk and pop covers; from Wham to Nirvana, and from NOFX to Take That.

This compilation is an essential purchase for any serious Frank fan, but it also works suitably well as a far-reaching introduction to one of England’s greatest songwriting talents. Right from the opening acapella verse of ‘Sailor’s Boots’, Turner’s voice is enthralling; by turns gentle and powerful, intimate and abrasive.

There’s also plenty of evidence of how his music has developed and matured…

To read the rest of this review on Virgin Red Room, click here.

 

December 23, 2011

Smashing Pumpkins – Gish and Siamese Dream Remastered (album review)

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Smashing Pumpkins original line-up

Ahh, those were the days...

Disappointed by the latest Smashing Pumpkins reunion? Don’t waste your time trying to get into their new concept album ‘Teargarden by Kaleidyscope’ – just take a trip down memory lane with these expansive new box sets.

Released just in time for Christmas, this may seem like a cynical marketing ploy from their label, but at just £17 for two discs and a live DVD, it’s certainly great value. The rationale behind this release is that it’s 20 years since the Pumpkins’ debut album ‘Gish’ was released.

When that record came out it marked Billy Corgan and co’s arrival on the emerging grunge scene, but two years later ‘Siamese Dream’ took things to a whole new level with enduring alt-rock classics such as ‘Today’, ‘Disarm’ and ‘Cherub Rock’.

Here you get the original albums digitally remastered on Disc One, meaning Darcy Wretzy’s basslines sound stronger and James Iha’s guitar solos sound clearer, all without losing the grungey essence that made this band a serious contender to Nirvana and Pearl Jam.

To read the rest of this review on Virgin Red Room, click here.

 

March 16, 2011

Rival Schools’ new album – was it worth the wait?

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I think it’s fair to say that Rival Schools took their time over their sophomore album. The best part of ten years to be precise. Which is somewhat understandable, after their 2001 debut United By Fate was lauded by many as an alt-rock triumph and a sign of big things to come.

Walter Schreifels, Rival Schools

Walter S - one of the nicest men in rock and part-time exorcist

Not that they arrived out of the blue – front man Walter Schreifels had been the brains behind 90s hardcore groups Guerilla Biscuits and Quicksand. So it was a disappointment to many when Rival Schools broke up in 2003, but jump five years later and they returned with the original line-up.

I’m happy to report that their new album Pedals, which was released last week, retains a lot of the New York band’s original appeal, whilst giving several nods to how the scene has evolved in their absence.

Opening track, Wring It Out is as anthemic as anything they’ve ever written, while Eyes Wide Open boasts a beefy riff to keep hardcore fans happy. Meanwhile, Choose Your Adventure shows how the band’s sound has evolved, with a swaggering bassline driving a much funkier tune, although lead guitarist Ian Love’s trademark solos remain as exciting and esoteric as ever.

In much the same way as on United By Fate, the album starts with five tracks that all boast immediate appeal, while the latter half of the album has more of slow-burning effect.

Rival SchoolsWhere Pedals deviates from the first album’s template, however, is at the very end. One of the most impressive feats of the debut album was how it finished on two finely-crafted instrumental tracks, with Hooligans For Life in particular remaining a stunning musical achievement and the band’s most compelling live track to this day.

Instead of trying to repeat this trick, Pedals ends on a more modest and abrupt note, as The Ghost Is Out There sounds more like latter-day Weezer than anything else, suggesting unfinished business and certainly leaving us clamouring for more.

It’s good to have Rival Schools back, but even if they don’t stick around for long, it’s enough to just sit back and enjoy a record that was more than worth the ten-year wait.

 

April 1, 2010

Album Review: The Automatic – Tear The Signs Down

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You may remember The Automatic from such pop-rock atrocities as (what’s that coming over the hill is it a) Monster (?) and (let’s go see) Raoul, which plagued the airwaves in 2006. Since then, however, the band have undergone a major transformation with the unceremonious ditching of keyboardist/screamer Alex Pennie and the recruitment of alt-rock pioneer Paul Mullen (formerly of yourcodenameis:milo).

The Automatic, Paul Mullen, British Rock Band, Rob Hawkins

The Automatic are clearly out to prove the doubters wrong on their third record and to a certain extent, they achieve this. The eerie keys and syncopated rhythms of album opener Insides makes them sound closer to Radiohead or Muse than Scouting for Girls or the Hoosiers. Their transformation is down, in no short part, to the prominence of Paul Mullen, who joined the band in 2008 for their sophomore effort This is a Fix and has since installed himself as the creative fulcrum of the band…

Read the full article at inthenews.co.uk

 

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