Flynndie Reviews: Blog #28 - Reverend and the Makers - @Reverend_Makers

Written 7th July 2012

Reverend and the Makers - @Reverend_Makers

 

The Band: Jon McClure (lead vocals/guitar), Ed Cosens (guitars/bass/backing vocals), Joe Carnall (bass) Jimmy Welsh (drums), Laura McClure (vocals/keyboards)

So mid-June saw the long-awaited return of the Sheffield-based band Reverend and the Makers with their 3rd album ‘@Reverend_Makers’ an album title which shows more than a subtle nod to online social media site Twitter.  The album is the follow up to the band’s first two albums ‘The State of Things’ and ‘A French Kiss in the Chaos’ respectively.  I really enjoyed the band’s debut album back in 2007 ‘The State of Things’.  It had some brilliantly-catchy Indie-pop/Dance tracks on it such as ‘Bandits’, ‘He said he loved me’ and the band’s Top 10 Single ‘Heavyweight Champion of the World’, that song in itself a very much ‘Heavyweight’ track and this album quickly became somewhat of a soundtrack for me during that particular summer.  The band followed this up with their 2nd album ‘A French Kiss in the Chaos’ and again featured some more excellently catchy Indie-Dance tracks aka ‘Hidden Persuaders’ and then also went back to just some good old fashioned Indie tracks aka ‘Professor Pickles’.  This album differed much more from their 1st album however, which was somewhat of a light-hearted, fun ‘snapshot’ of the hustle and bustle of modern day life in the UK, while this 2nd album had a lot more political undertones to the tracks and didn’t quite receive the same recognition received by the band’s debut record.  So after a hiatus the band have finally returned in 2012 with this new album so let’s see what direction they have now returned with on their 3rd album.

Track_listing

1.               Bassline

2.               Out of the Shadows

3.               Shine the Light

4.               Depth Charge

5.               Warts n All

6.               Yes You Do

7.               The Wrestler

8.               1+0

9.               Noisy Neighbour

10.            What Goes Around

So the album gets underway with previous download single ‘Bassline’ and what a gem of a track to mark the band’s return.  Pulling no punches it’s a clear indication that band have somewhat gone back to their roots of the debut album having released a banging, catchy Indie Dance track that grabs the listener even upon first listen.  As Jon opens the track with “All the Monday’s spent, craving for Friday’s highs/All the people want is b-b-bassline” it’s an early indication that this record doesn’t feature the political tones featured on ‘French Kiss’.  After Jon’s opening lyrics, we then get this track’s killer bassline throughout and this is a great, catchy track to get the album underway.  Opening with a nice Spanish-sounding guitar riff ‘Out of the Shadows’ continues to keep up the early pacing of the album following on after the nicely laid foundations of the opening track.  As a friend rightly pointed out to me; this 2nd track, and the album in general, smacks of the sounds of the Ibiza beach and nightclub culture from back around 2001 and it’s actually a sound that suits the band very well here.  As the infectious opening guitar riff, coasts through the heart of the track, backing synths and drums complement Jon’s quickly-spun lyrics very well, I instantly liked this track the first time I heard and that still very much remains the case now.

Third track ‘Shine the Light’ drops-down a gear from the first two tracks initially featuring acoustic guitars and catchy keyboards, this track happily reminds me a bit of the style of sound the Happy Monday’s were famed for creating and it’s actually quite refreshing to hear this type of hedonistic sound again on a modern record.  As Jon’s sings the repeated line of “Shine, Shine the light of luck on me tonight’, with its backing vocal’s it’s almost gospel like and to me again, is a bit of a nod to ‘Hallelujah’ by the Monday’s which is a great thing indeed!  Opening with industrial-strength synths, ‘Depth Charge’ is every bit of a banging track as opener ‘Bassline’ as the combination of layered synths and bass carry the track to another night club level, while subtle keyboards also give the track a bit of an underlying ‘ska’ feel to it.  It’s another instant track on the album and is cleverly layered with instruments upon careful listens.  While the album so far has had quite a clubbing, dance vibe to it ‘Warts n All’ really goes back to the Indie-Pop sound of the band’s first album and they totally nail it here!  Featuring quite a funky guitar riff throughout interspersed with the catchy line “Arrrrre……you showing me your good side?” it keeps the flow of the album going nicely and excellently just towards the end of the track Jon’s vocals go all distant and you just hear him individually playing the main riff of the song on an acoustic guitar in the distant, it’s a brilliant effect and an excellent way to close the track.

‘Yes You Do’ is a short but nice slowed down ballad mid-way through the album, featuring gentle vocals and soft, strumming keyboards here and a nice slide guitar effect through the track, it’s a nice chilled-out track and allows the listener a little rest-bite from the overall ride of the album so far.  Things begin to pick up again with 2nd single from the album ‘The Wrestler’, which I would define encapsulates the trademark sound that the band are known for, as it initially builds from a modest drum rhythm and guitars before a very big sounding chorus, as all the time The Reverend himself masterfully spins lyrics how we can as individuals sometimes create persona’s for ourselves on the outside, much like the larger than life character of a wrestler.  It’s a nicely put together track and really helps defines the sound of the band in my opinion.  Opening with an initially psychedelic guitar riff ‘1+0’ is a track that helps comfortably fill the album, as it buzzes along with guitars, bass and drums all chugging along as one all the time layered with synths giving the track a busy, electronic feel to it, it’s a bit of a romp on the album.

Penultimate track ‘Noisy Neighbour’ opens with a lone jangly guitar riff, before receiving the full momentum of the band at action pulses the sonic track along, and this theme continues as the track becomes interspersed the initial guitar riff through these walls of sound which help captures the track’s title ‘Noisy Neighbour’.  Again this is a very fun, light-hearted yet infectious track which for me is very much the running theme throughout the album as a whole and is all the more better for it.  We close with ‘What Goes Around’ and this seems to be a fitting closing for the album, featuring an up-tempo drum rhythm and more jangly guitars through it, it seems to be the closing statement that the band are back with a triumphant return embracing the roots of their early Indie-Pop Dance sound yet still progressing nicely here.  I think this 3rd album is a real return to form for Reverend and the Makers, not that the 2nd album was in anyway bad as I actually really enjoyed it, but I feel this more carefree, hedonistic spirit captured by this record suits the band’s style of music much more all while Jon’s fantastic lyrics paint out intriguing tales for the listener to dissect.  So despite this UK summer having been so far much of a washout, whenever I give this album a listen it certainly lifts my spirits with its charm and positive vibes and I’m happily going to give this album 8 B-b-basslines out of 10 and hope with repeated listens, the British summertime finally turns up as this album would again be more than a fitting soundtrack for it!              

Depth Charge
Flynny

Track 1 ‘Bassline’

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KZrABRh99n8

Track 2 ‘Out of the Shadows’

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KeCKsEdzYK8

Track 7 ‘The Wrestler’

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1NXpclmylo4

PS. I'd also recommend if you can to check out the deluxe CD version of the album as it features an excellent bonus disc featuring some tracks not on the main album and some excellent re-mixes of other tracks that are, there's some proper underground remixes on that bad boy!

Flynndie Reviews - Blog #27: Tribes - Baby

Written 4th July 2012

Tribes - Baby

The Band: Johnny Lloyd (lead vocals/guitar), Dan White (guitar/backing vocals), Jim Cratchely (bass), Miguel Demelo (drums)

Today’s review sees me somewhat gate-crashing the party late, but after a kind recommendation on Twitter I’ve finally come across the 4-piece Camden-formed band Tribes, whom cite bands such as The Pixies, Nirvana, R.E.M. and Pavement amongst their influences, so today’s review covers their debut album ‘Baby’. So with the formal introductions done, let’s get straight into this one and see what the album sounds like:

Line-Up

1. Whenever

2. We Were Children

3. Corner of an English Field

4. Halfway Home

5. Sappho

6. Himalaya

7. Nightdriving

8. When My Day Comes

9. Walking in the Streets

10. Alone or With Friends

11. Bad Apple

Opening with a somewhat quirky yet enjoyable guitar riff, opening track ‘Whenever’ gets the album underway and it’s a decent, catchy, sing-a-long track that sets the tone of the album nicely. Johnny’s vocals are textbook for the style of Indie-Rock sound the band captures on this album, while this first track features the chorus “I don’t know how you dream up all the things that you say/Never died in an airoplane, while spiraling away” being nothing else but simple yet incredibly catchy lyrics, you can’t help but get caught up in it. ‘We Were Children’ follows up next and is somewhat more of a power track which really helps define the big rock ‘n’ roll sound the band capture on this album. The verses features powerful vocals from Johnny, flirting guitars and bass from Dan and Jim respectively and thunderous drumming from Miguel, before reaching the chorus of the track, which sees Johnny’s vocals more softly sung and the catchy hook “Oh no stranger, you’re just like me”. The overall sound of the track reminds me somewhat of The Pixies, which is always a good thing, and it brought a little smile to my face when I discovered the band had already supported them on tour in the past.

‘Corner of an English Field’ continues and is a bit more of slowed-down affair on the album, featuring an acoustic guitar layered with an electric guitar riff over the top of it during the verses with powerful vocals from Johnny before another big sing-a-along chorus “In the corner of an English field/With the Devil trying to cut a deal” comes in mid-song. 4th track ‘Halfway Home’ sees the band’s attempt of a somewhat more softer ballad track on the album, with a nice gentle, electric guitar riff flowing through it as the lyrics paint out the troubled relationship of a couple backed with gentle “Oooooh’s” before the track picks up in tempo for its final thrid and the song’s protagonist’s reveals that he is actually comfortable with the couple’s relationship the way it stands after all. Previous single ‘Sappho’ follows and with its opening guitar riff it surprisingly reminds a bit of early-era Blur, which again is another good thing by me. This is actually a really decent track, with a great bridge in it and lyrics portraying the carefree, lifestyle of a girl called ‘Sappho’. ‘Himalaya’ is a slow-burner of a track, driven by percussion and gently layered electric guitar again, before another big power chorus, featuring guitar solos and even more “Oooooh’s”, this track is in every sense a big rock ballad on the album.

Up next is possibly my favourite track on the album ‘Nightdriving’, which is again another slow-burning affair but features a nice and excellent guitar riff, through the heart of it, before we feature another massive chorus from the band in true rock fashion before interestingly the track closes with what sounds like radio-spoken samples, which actually gives the track a bit of nice twist and originality to it. Opening with a much more upbeat drum rhythm and guitars ‘When My Day Comes’ is a lot more lively track in the 2nd half of the album and shows a real injection of energy on the album. It’s a really fun, enjoyable romp of a track which the band really nails well here. ‘Walking in the Street’ starts with echoing drums and then features a low-fi guitar riff initially just teasing along, and this really reminds of the type of sound R.E.M. used to occasionally create in their earlier days. It’s a simple, easy going track and sits nicely in its place on the album. ‘Alone with Friends’ opens with acoustic guitar and ‘distant’ vocals from Johnny, and continues to build in layers as it steadily flows along. It’s a slow-winding, hazy track reminding me a bit of Travis from their ‘The Man Who’ days or even ‘Tender’ by Blur. It’s a nice track, that I could easily picture going down well at a festival, as a red sunset draws a long day to a close. The album closes with final track ‘Bad Apple’ and this again another more slowed down track on the album, featuring nice guitars and high-pitched vocals from Johnny, to bring the album to steady close.

So overall I’ve been enjoying this debut album from Tribes over the few listens I have given the album so far. The band does have somewhat of a textbook Indie-rock sound about them but on the tracks on this album that they apply that to, they do very well indeed and you can see how some of the bands that they cite as influences have helped shape the band’s style and sound with this record. I think with some of their songs, they aim to write some big sing-a-long anthems which they certainly achieve, while other tracks aim to provoke the listener’s thoughts and they seem to reach a nice balance of the two. It will be interesting to see how the band approaches their second album, but in the meantime, this is an album I would have no problems making a recommendation to check out as it is very much an enjoyable record and am going to give it a strong 7 Babies out of 10 and mark the Tribes down as a band to currently watch closely in the future.

Keeping Tribal

Flynny

Track 2 ‘We Were Children’

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=52QHnUF13hs

Track 3 ‘Corner of an English Field’

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ms5wze-A948

Track 5 ‘Sappho’

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=anVPXNnUkkk

Flynndie Reviews - Blog #26: Maxïmo Park - The National Health

Written 11^th June 2012

Maxïmo Park – The National Health

The Band: Paul Smith (vocals), Duncan Lloyd (guitar/backing vocals), Archis Tiku (bass), Lukas Wooller (keyboards/backing vocals), Tom English (drums)

So today sees the return of one of my favourite bands, Maxïmo Park with their 4^th album ‘The National Health’.  The band arrived on the Indie scene back around 2005 with the release of their debut album ‘A Certain Trigger’, which for me is a true Indie classic and genuinely one of my favourite albums of the past decade with classic tracks ‘Apply Some Pressure’, ‘Graffiti’, ‘Going Missing’ and ‘The Coast is always Changing’, I’ve listened to the album more than I could ever remember and still enjoy it to this day and would always recommend to check it out.  The band then followed up this great debut record with the more mature sounding but still high-tempo, solid albums ‘Our Earthly Pleasures’ in 2007 and then subsequently in 2009 their 3^rd album ‘Quicken the Heart’, another great two albums under the band’s repertoire and thus establishing themselves as a firm favourite with Indie Kids across the Nation, which brings us nicely to today’s review subject ‘The National Health’.

The Waiting List

1.   When I was Wild
2.   The National Health
3.   Hips and Lips
4.   The Undercurrents
5.   Write this Down
6.   Reluctant Love
7.   Until the Earth would open
8.   Banlieue
9.   This is what becomes of the Brokenhearted
10. Wolf among Men
11. Take me Home
12. Unfamiliar Places
13. Waves of Fear

So, with the band’s reputation for frantic, fast-paced and fun guitar records, things get underway on ‘The National Health’ with opening track ‘When I was Wild’……a minute’s long piano-ballad! Ha! This was somewhat of a surprise for me when initially listening to the album but actually I think this sets the tone nicely for the record as a whole, with Paul’s delicate tones complimenting Lukas’ sweet piano piece nicely, before the much more familiar, upbeat, frantic tempo of ‘The National Health’ comes crashing into the record.  This is distinctly recognisable Maxïmo Park territory here, and the band’s first-ever title-track, with Duncan’s guitar riff achieving 0-60mph within a split-second of the song opening and dueling for supremacy on the track with keys from Lukas and bass from Archis, all why Paul’s lyrics literally “Paint a portrait, of the National Health” here.  3^rd track and previous single ‘Hips and Lips’ again, like opening track ‘When I was Wild’, shows that on this record in particular, the band have made more of an attempt to expand the boundaries of their sound somewhat more than they have done on their previous records, with an altogether different sounding track than those of their past, with a track that slowly, builds and burns at the listener with it’s quite electronic, almost techno sounding vibes buzzing through it.  The synth’s like sound to this track give it a more of a darker, somewhat sinister feel for a Maxïmo Park track but it’s a sound I quite like and I love the video for it featuring a certain young Thomas Turgoose, also recognisable as Shaun from the film and TV series ‘This Is England’ which you can watch at the bottom of this review.

‘The Undercurrents’ follows and this for me is a real standout track by the band and really shows a much more mature sounding track from them, with gentle flowing guitars and keys, before a quite distinct bass carries the opening of the track, as Paul’s lyrics create the picture of a couple’s relationship under the strain of busy lifestyles with lyrics “We both have a lot on our plates” and “Somehow the work was worth the wait“ indicating a hint at “The Undercurrents” that forms the track’s title.  With another distinctly synth feel to it, ‘Write this Down’ is next and is back on the more familiar Maxïmo Park track with verses that flow along nicely, before the big sounding, sing-along chorus the band are highly recognised for in the past.  ‘Reluctant Love’ follows and wow, this track really has a charm of its own!  Showing the softer side of the band, as the gentle guitar and bass and rhythm of the track takes the listener by the hand and out for a romantic date, it’s no secret that this is another track that focuses on a couple’s relationship, but such is the smoothness of the track it’s hard to but anything, fall for it’s somewhat romantic charm.  Things get a bit more up-tempo again with ‘Until the Earth would open’.  This is another easy-flowing track for the listener and again has somewhat of a cheeky little charm about itself, with an incredible catchy guitar riff and rhythm pulsating through it before the catchy chorus hooks the listener.

However, after the cheeky charm of the last two tracks ‘Banlieue’ again hints at a slightly darker, menacing sound for the band with its jagged guitar riff throughout it and distant effect used on Paul’s vocals during its verses.  Here we have a track that sees the band getting a little more psychedelic, again what I would consider some newfound territory for a Maxïmo Park track but again another sound the band seems to pull off effortlessly.  ‘This is what becomes of the Brokenhearted’ sees the fully-fledged piano ballad on the album that the band hinted at earlier with their opening-track that again is not subtle in its attempts to woo and charm the pants of the listener, which it succeeds to do with the great care and attention that has clearly gone into this track.  ‘Wolf among Men’ gets us all up and rocking again, with guitar and synths swirling around each other and pulling the listener along for the ride, it has such a carefree sound about it, you can’t help but smile and dance like-a-loon while listening to it (or maybe that was just me then!)

Upon hearing 10^th track ‘Take me Home’, I initially felt this track had somewhat of a ‘Wild West’ vibe to it but clearly we’re talking in a good manner here.  The piano’s and guitar in particular on this track remind me somewhat of the type of sound R.E.M. were creating on their 1991 album ‘Out of Time’ and I can’t help but picture the band taking over the Grand Piano in a saloon bar and having a good-old fashioned hoedown with this track.  What follows next is quite simply an outstanding track with ‘Unfamiliar Places’.  Just a good old-fashioned stripped-down acoustic track, with both the most softly sung vocals and guitar on the album, this is the perfect track to listen to alone as the rain beats down hard on a window pane, it’s without question the most emotional track on the album and possibly Maxïmo Park’s most tender track to-date, it really pulls at the heart-strings of the listener.  Closing track ‘Waves of Fear’ leaves the album finishing in a trademark Maxïmo Park fun, frolicking rock-out as was always very much the case with previous albums and as so remains the case here.  With fast paced guitar and frantic keys towards the closing of the track it ensures the album closes on another high.

So overall, this 4^th album ‘The National Health’ sees Maxïmo Park remain at the top of the game and if anything, their 3-year break since their last album ‘Quicken the Heart’ in 2009, I think the group have even evolved more since then and this album as a collective whole really shows the band at the height of their song-writing ability since their debut album ‘A Certain Trigger’ in my opinion.  However, this record is very much a different kind of animal to their debut album and their more recent past two records, with the band really pushing at the peak of their musical prism.  I honestly think you would be quite hard pushed to find many bands that pack quite a range of different sounding guitar tracks into a 40-minute record, with what comes across after listening, as somewhat at an ease to them.  There is a lot to take in on this record, providing a depth that I’m hoping will see me listening to it for quite a while to come yet.  I’m going to award this record 9 Stethoscopes out of 10 here as I’m already impressed by this album after my first few initial listens and am already now counting down the days until I go and see the band play at the Shepherds Bush Empire later this November.

On the NHS

Flynny

Track 3 ‘Hips and Lips’

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1d910sRZgs0

Track 4 ‘The Undercurrents’ (acoustic) – Mahogany Session

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uskBv8lusnU

Track 6 ‘Reluctant Love’ (acoustic) – Mahogany Session

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gCS4GwP8Cpc

Flynndie Reviews - Blog #25: Catfish and the Bottlemen - The Beautiful Decay EP/Broken Army single

Written 16th May 2012:

Catfish and the Bottlemen – The Beautiful Decay EP and Broken Army single

The Band: Van McCann (vocals/guitar), Billy Blakeway (guitar), Benji Bibby (bass/vocals) Dr. Bob (Drums)

So it’s been a while since my last Indie review on here, but I’ve decided to review an EP of a very much up and coming band I’ve recently stumbled across on Twitter and have really being getting into lately Catfish and the Bottlemen. Originally hailing from Llandudno, these four, young Welsh lads are intent on making it big with their explosive, full-on rock ‘n’ roll Indie style, so I’ve decided today to cover their ‘The Beautiful Decay EP’ in today’s review in particular, as from what I’ve heard from the band so far, this EP really encapsulates the sound that they are all about. Also as an added bonus I’ve also decided to review their most recent single ‘Broken Army’.  So let’s get this show on the road then.

The Beautiful Decay EP:

1. Sidewinder
2. Bodies
3. Harlot
4. Collide
5. Tyrants
6. Trippin'

So the EP gets underway with previous early single ‘Sidewinder’, gentling starting with light-guitar strumming, before an early trademark rock ‘n’ roll guitar solo assaults the listener’s ear and sets the pace for the track, and the EP, as a whole. Van’s distinct vocals, paint the picture of a young couple’s relationship with great lines such as “Give me some/Assumptions I/Can make of you/Cause you’re getting lazy/You used to frustrate me” setting the tone of images for the style of songs that the band tend to produce. The infectious guitar solo from the start swaggers in again halfway through the track nicely and on the whole this opening track gets this EP off to a good start.

‘Bodies’ follows up next and steps-up the early pace set by opening track ‘Sidewinder’ by another gear or two, with guitars frantically duelling for supremacy while opening the track before lyrics hint at a couple’s relationship being strained by outside interference of other people. The track has a nice desperate, unwinding instrumental bridge in the middle of it before the powerful lines “Please get me/Away from him/As he’s starting to do my head right in”, and the final part of the track sees the band rocking out nicely, and the song as a whole has a nice pace about it and flows along effortlessly. Third track ‘Harlot’ follows up next and really has a bouncy rhythm to it throughout, yet still retaining the jagged guitar sound that the band achieves throughout the EP. Layered with catchy guitar riffs and solos over it, the track maintains the flow of the record again nicely, and we see some of the more powerful vocals on display on the EP from Van in particular on this track.

Next up ‘Collide’ continues to maintain the momentum of the EP again with duelling guitars throughout it, but this time with some emphasis on distortion backing the fast and furious paced verses, the band effortlessly get the balance between the two just right, probably due to their dedicated, commitment of playing ‘live’ shows. Penultimate track ‘Tyrants’ follows and slows the pace of the EP arguably for the first time but in a good way naturally. Somewhat of a light rock-ballad, the track features guitar with a slight echo effect initially as the track, slowly burns and builds itself through its opening verse, before unleashing bursts of guitar heavy rock. The 2nd half of the track features an excellent Indie riff, again slowly building and closing this excellent track, before blending smoothly into final track ‘Trippin’, an instrumental which sees the band close the EP, in their now familiar style of fast, frenetic guitar-rock.

I’ve been listening to this EP for a few weeks now and I must say it has been on heavy rotation on my playlist of late, simply due to the manner in which the band have effortlessly created their own, unique, catchy rock ‘n’ roll sound, with simple but engrossing tales summing up the parts of their songs.  You can tell that this band really care and believe in the songs they write and prove this with their dedication to constant touring and ‘live’ shows. I would happily award this EP 8 'Tyrants' out of 10, as I’m very much into the band’s big, explosive rock ‘n’ roll sound and I’m really looking forward to an album from Catfish and the Bottlemen, which I’m hoping they may put out later this year. However, for the time being this ‘The Beautiful Decay EP’ is a great introduction to an up-and-coming band that show so much promise, so feel free to check the EP out on the band’s website www.catfishandthebottlemen.com.

But, woooah, hold on, because as I promised earlier I was also going to cover the band’s most recent single ‘Broken Army’ which was actually the first track I heard by the band and was released last month and is also still available from the band’s website. With an initial aggressive, rock riff ‘Broken Army’ is another catchy Indie rock track, but somewhat more at a controlled pace, layered with a nice balance of duelling guitars and distortion, before the track’s infectious chorus bursts through and teases the listener “Keep Breathing/Keep Breathing/Settle down you’re home and I guess you got what you came for” being belted out by Van. It’s an excellent single and I’d advise you to go check it out. The single is backed with b-side ‘Ayatollah’ and is possibly the most alluring track by the band to date, again suggesting and hinting at a young couple’s relationship, the smooth guitar’s throughout gently take the hand of the listener and runs off into the night with the listener being entwined in the tangle of the tale being told by the band here.

So as you can no doubt tell, I’m really liking what I’ve heard so far from Catfish and the Bottlemen, we’re talking good fun, rock ‘n’ roll tracks, that have an air of confidence and a swagger about them but never taking themselves too seriously which in all adds up to a nice, distinct sound for the band and certainly one to keep an eye out for in the future, which I very much plan to do so.

Simply Decaying ‘Flynny’

Single ‘Broken Army’ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X-GM6z2EqPA

Track 1 ‘Sidewinder’ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TqR19NYRwXU

Track 2 ‘Bodies’ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CVi-oaZ6Xm0

Flynndie Reviews - Blog #24: The Twilight Sad - No One Can Ever Know

Written 6th February 2012:

The Twilight Sad – No One Can Ever Know

The Band: James Graham (vocals), Andy MacFarlane (guitar, accordian) Mark Devine (Drums), Johnny Doherty (bass), Martin Doherty (Keyboards, Backing Vocals, Guitar)

Now I’ve been looking forward to writing this review for some time now because excitingly this means the return of The Twilight Sad with the release of their 3rd album ‘No One Can Ever Know’. Hailing from Kilsyth, Scotland I first really discovered the band after they were offered to support fellow Scottish-Indie Rockers (and one of my all-time favourite bands) Idlewild on a UK Tour. I was blown away by how powerful and intense a sound the band could create live, yet the band’s tracks still at heart were lyrically deep and poignant and I found myself, like many other Idlewild fans, had discovered another great band from ‘North of the Border’ that once you had heard their music or seen them live you had a new found dedication for. The band released their full-debut album ‘Fourteen Autumns and Fifteen Winters’ to critical-acclaim in 2007 and this debut did an excellent job of catching the band’s intense live sound while lined with the distinct Scottish tones and cryptic lyrics from James throughout.

However, if their debut album had set the bar high, then for me their 2009 follow-up ‘Forget the Night Ahead’ knocked the bar flying! An album built around Andy’s layered, brooding guitar tracks and extravagant over-use of distortion, accompanied by highly-accomplished, almost military style, thunderous drumming from Mark throughout the record, this record for me is somewhat of a modern classic, that I found myself listening to at least twice a month for nearly 2 years! Yes really! Again littered with Graham’s distinct vocals and even more cryptic, somewhat downbeat lyrics, ‘Forget the Night Ahead’ was a much darker, brooding beast of a record than ‘Fourteen Autumns and Fifteen Winters’ and all the better for it in my opinion!

I managed to catch the band live at the London Borderline last November and we got an early preview of some of the new material from this latest effort by the band and today’s review focus ‘No One Can Ever Know’. Early indications on the new tracks were that the band had still captured their cavernous live sound but with somewhat more of a nod to synths and electronics used on the tracks so let’s see how the record fairs overall.

No One Can Ever Know

1. Alphabet
2. Dead City
3. Sick
4. Don’t Move
5. Nil
6. Don’t Look At Me
7. Not Sleeping
8. Another Bed
9. Kill It In The Morning

So opening with recent live favourite ‘Alphabet’ we get early indications of the synth sounding direction this record takes in my opinion, with a slow, brooding verse laced with a repeating synth-tone and the familiar ‘military’ drumming from Mark returning. James’ lyrics here suggests an individual’s attempts to woo back a former-lover but as always with his style, his lyrics are cryptic and open to interpretation while Andy helps close the track with a snarling guitar riff. This is a decent opening track in my opinion that helps retain the band’s sound from their previous albums, while subtly showing an early indication of the band’s progression in sound for this particular record. Under a cover of distortion and an aggressive drum-rhythm ‘Dead City’ follows and here James’ vocals are initially more softly-sung as the track steadily builds itself up and gains momentum throughout being one of the more faster tracks on the album, before really peaking halfway through at a power chorus with James belting out vocals like there is no tomorrow! It’s quite an instant track for the record and closes with the album title being repeated to a closing crescendo.

Slowing things down a little more initially with a catchy, guitar melody, previous 7” single ‘Sick’ appears next and is another track that really highlight’s James clear, crisp vocals while Andy lays down a nice electric-guitar repeating melody that partners the story of the track very well. With more synths appearing halfway through and accompanying the 2nd verse, this track has a real individual feel to it and teases the listener with its slowly unfolding story, yet never giving too much away, this is a prime example of the more poignant, heartfelt type of track the band are capable of that I referred to earlier. ‘Don’t Move’ is the most synth-led track so far on the album and is doubled-up with a backing accordion here, to create a hazy, swaying sound while upbeat percussion and backing-guitar still retain a real sense of urgency about the track. It’s a much layered track indeed and demands the listener’s attention to fully take in all of the instruments that help this track cruise along comfortably. ‘Nil’ is initially the most subtle of all the tracks on the album with minimal keys at the start and a real focus on James’ ‘distant’ vocals highlighting the track. Again another track that slowly burns and builds, industrial drums tender the track mid-way through, but this is primarily a soft-track that seems to reflect upon a bad incident among a group of friends with the repeated line of “We all know whose fault it was!” appearing throughout and provoking more thought from the listener, this is quite a standout track on the record and bridges the first and second half of the album cleverly.

Over halfway through the record ‘Don’t Look at Me’ ups the tempo of the LP again with a punchy one-two drum rhythm and floaty keyboards and synths here pushing us further along on our journey through the album. This would be the perfect track to listen to on a long overnight drive in the manner that it comfortably pulls the listen along for the ride; it’s another very subtle but effective track on the record. Opting for a piano led opening, ‘Not Sleeping’ is the slow-burner on the album with particular focus again on the story being masterfully told through it, before slow, dramatic drumming and synths draw this track out. I actually have really no idea what this track is about but bizarrely find that a part of the charm about it. With a vibe that smacks of Joy Division to me, ‘Another Bed’ has in my opinion quite a retro feel to it, with the pace of the high-pitched synths used on it certainly not being out of place from a late night club in the 80’s in my opinion. One of the more upbeat tracks, it’s quite an instant track to get into and really highlights the much more ‘electronic-vibe’ the band have opted for with this 3rd record.

However, the band possibly saves the best to last on this intriguingly told tale, with its many twists and turns, with closing track ‘Kill It In the Morning’. Another up-tempo electronic, synth led track it fully encapsulates the album as a whole and is driven by a dynamic bass groove throughout it, and in my opinion should be somewhat of a cult anthem across Indie Clubs over the country! This is probably the stand-out track on the album for me and will surely be a single at some point, to say it’s an excellent track to close the album would be an understatement, so check it out! Overall I think this album shows that the band have really made an attempt to up the boundaries of their already quite unique sound and take it to another level. I certainly think with this album they do it with quite a degree of success and I find myself completely engrossed with this record upon each listen and still discovering little facets of noise and instruments I may have missed upon earlier listens, which is a real credit to the care and effort you can tell that has been put into this record. For me personally I don’t think it quite tops ‘Forget the Night Ahead’ but I don’t think that was the band’s intention anyway but rather progress their sound and re-invent their style here something I thing they certainly achieve successfully. I think fans of the recent Editors album, and particular of the more old-school dark, electronic sounds of Depeche Mode and particularly Joy Division will find plenty here to please them. I’m very much into this album already and am going to award it 8 Untold Secrets out of 10 and can see me having this on my playlist for quite a while yet in the foreseeable future. However, if you’ve not heard the band’s previous two albums, I’d recommend them both as well, in particular ‘Forget the Night Ahead’ as it’s an amazing record from the last few years!

Unknowing ‘Flynny’

Track 1 ‘Alphabet’
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DX-k191OoDI

Track 3 ‘Sick’
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oRhkFDhLLMw

Track 9 ‘Kill It In The Morning’
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nn8jcPXYc1g

Flynndie Reviews - Blog #23: The Low Suns - Never Gonna Care EP

Written 23rd January 2012:

The Low Suns – Never Gonna Care EP

The Band: Jack Berkeley (vocals), Ali Boyd-Brent (guitar), Si Clark (guitar/bass) James Durrant (keyboards/bass), Jarrod Pizzata (drums)

Today’s review comes from a new band I’ve only just recently come across via Twitter, The Low Suns, and the release of their debut EP the download only ‘Never Gonna Care EP’. Now at present, to be honest, I don’t know a great deal about the band but I will try and cover what I do know about them so far and of course try and do their debut EP some justice with this here review. Originally from LA, this five-piece band formed after a fire destroyed the recording studio used by childhood friends James and Ali, before moving back to London and subsequently meeting lead-singer Jack Berkeley through their shared passion for folk music. The band have moved on to big things quickly having previously supported Coldplay on tour and have now followed this up with the release of their debut EP, so let’s dip into it and discover what the band’s sound is all about then.

Track Listing

1. Never Gonna Care
2. Carnival
3. So Tired
4. Cyber Gospel

Opening with an upbeat electronic melody and the distinct, almost falsetto-like vocals here from Jack on opening title track ‘Never Gonna Care’, it’s quite clear from the start that the band aims to create a large and unique sound, something I feel their certainly achieve with this track. The electronic melody carries this track along nicely, before reaching the catchy, guitar-backed chorus with Jack’s high-pitched voice repeating the track’s song title throughout. It’s actually quiet an easy-listening track and even features almost ‘gospel-like’ vocals from the band towards the end of the track and overall gets the EP off to a good start.

‘Carnival’ follows next and starts with another electronic beat to it, albeit, a little less distinct than the electronic melody used on the opening title-track and Jack shows how much range he has to his vocals here, initially sounding a bit like Bono at the start of the first verse in my opinion, but certainly coming more into his own unique style by the time we reach the track’s loud, anthem-like chorus it’s certainly catchy to say the least. Getting started with a repeated light-synth jingle, ‘So Tired’ is the 3rd track on the EP and probably the most easy-listening track so far. With synths and percussion flowing smoothly from James and Jarrod on this track, Jack gives another master-class in crisp, clean, powerful vocals as the band capture yet another big sound here; this track could easily be a single in itself.

Final track ‘Cyber Gospel’ is a bit of a slowed-down burner to close the EP, again with gentle guitar and percussion steadily carrying the track’s cryptic lyrics, softly sung here by Jack, before the crescendo of another epic, catchy guitar chorus and vocals that tend to be a feature of this EP overall. It’s a suitable closing track to what is an impressive debut EP, one that certainly hints that there could be great things yet to come from this London-based quintet who obviously put a great deal of care and passion into their music and I going to rate this EP 8 Sunrises out of 10. So certainly worth downloading and checking them out at some point, it will be interesting to hear what grand sound the band builds around Jack’s very distinct and impressive vocals in my opinion upon a release of a full debut album later this year at some point.

Sunrise, Sunset ‘Flynny’

Track 1 ‘Never Gonna Care’
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DHJsUUgiwdM

Track 2 ‘Carnival’
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Df4AxmAIQQ

Flynndie Reviews - Blog #22: Howler - America Give Up

Written 16th January 2012:

Howler – America Give Up

The Band: Jordan Gatesmith (vocals, guitar), Max Petrek (keyboards), Brent Mayes (drums), Ian Nygaard (guitar).

So for today’s review, regular readers may notice I previously gave a taster of today’s band, Howler, recently when I previously reviewed their debut release the ‘This One’s Different EP’ back in mid-November in Blog #19. As I stated in that piece I very much fell for the band’s garage-rock, surfer-style EP instantly and have regularly been giving the EP a spin since its release last August and in doing so had built myself up high-expectations for the release of their full-debut album and today’s review subject ‘America Give Up’. I won’t cover too much on the band’s background as I previously did this in the Blog #19 for the ‘This One’s Different EP’, so let’s dive right-in and see how ‘America Give Up’ sounds:

Running Order

1. Beach Sluts
2. Back To The Grave
3. This One's Different
4. America
5. Too Much Blood
6. Wailing (Making Out)
7. Pythagorean Fearem
8. Told You Once
9. Back Of Your Neck
10. Free Drunk
11. Black Lagoon

Kicking off with a nice ‘beach-party’ guitar-riff, one that those that have heard ‘This One’s Different’ will be initially surprised that things are off to a slow start here, however, that soon quickly changes 30 seconds into the track, as the fast, frantic garage-rock that appeared on their debut EP crashes in on the album at 100mph, like a 20ft wave on the beaches of California with opening track ‘Beach Sluts’. The track is an early indication of the ‘surfer-type-vibe' that the band creates with their sound throughout the record. ‘Back to the Grave’ slows things down after the frantic opener, but has a very, deep bellowing sound to it courtesy of thunderous drumming from Brent Mayes and Jordan singing in a more deep voice on this track in particular. The track features a nice rocky-riff after each verse and overall complements the opening track very well on the album. Track 3 ‘This One’s Different’ as previously mentioned was the title track of the band’s debut EP, and quite rightly so in my opinion, as it’s one of the standout tracks on the album with its fast, catchy garage-rock sound, one of which I previously compared to sounding like early material by The Strokes but only if they had been up taking illicit substances through the night! This is probably the first most ‘instant’ track on the album for me and certainly a type of sound the band captures so well.

Next up we have ‘America’ and much like 2nd-track ‘Back to the Grave’ the band opt for another more ‘relaxed’ rock track here while still maintaining a very unique sound for it with the type of echo effect used on Jordan’s voice here and the simple, relaxed backing guitar riff used throughout the song to nice effect. ‘Too Much Blood’ casually turns up next on the record, with a slowed down electric guitar hand-holding Jordan’s vocals on this track and haunting-like guitars turning up in the middle of the song too, this is probably the most ‘menacing’ sounding track on album, which is generally fast-paced and upbeat throughout, though it’s reassuring to know that the band has these type of tracks in their locker also.

Things get a lot more upbeat and bouncy with the track ‘Wailing (Making Out)’, which was previously titled the excellent ‘You like White Women I like Cigarettes’ on their debut EP, though I’m guessing the band may have been requested to change this title for the album’s release hence new title ‘Wailing (Making Out)’. With a melody throughout the track that smacks of college students having a blast at a beach-party, this is again another more instant track on the record and really lives up to the surfer-vibe of the record as previously mentioned earlier. I can understand more why the title of the track was changed as lead-singed Jordon belts out towards the end of the track “I’m so tired of making out!” and this is another real standout track on the record for me. Track 7 ‘Pythagorean Fearem’ one of the more unusually titled tracks on the album, alludes more to the darker, menacing sound the band are capable of creating, with early parts of the verse reminding my very much of the sound the band ‘80’s Matchbox B-Line Disaster’ were famed for, which is by no means a bad thing at all.

‘Told You Once’ is the 3rd and final track, that originally appeared on the bands debut EP and is another excellent track, with a more mellow feel to it and a backing acoustic guitar throughout. The band re-creates a sound that is usually found in movies of an easy-going 60’s Diner in my opinion despite somewhat downbeat lyrics “I wish there was something that I could do/Cause I hate myself more than I hate you” suggesting that the song implies a strain on couple’s relationship but this song has anything but a downbeat vibe about it and it is more likely you would just get caught up in the easy-flowing rhythm and sound of the track. Again it features, like many tracks on the album, simple yet catchy lyrics that you will soon find yourself singing along to without realising it (or maybe that is just me!)

‘Back of your Neck’ swoons along into the latter part of the album, with a nice opening guitar riff, and is possibly the most ‘surfer-vibe’ sounding and laidback track on the album overall and although I’ve used that comparison a lot throughout this review, it is more of a complement to the band’s unique sound on this record rather than a criticism. ‘Free Drunk’ starts with the screech of guitar distortion, before jugging away as a guitar track that coasts along and fills the album nicely but is arguably perhaps the ‘weaker’ track of an overall strong album. And so our fast-paced, fun journey through the band’s debut album brings us to closing track ‘Black Lagoon’ and in my opinion it’s a cracker! Another, frantic guitar track played at rip-roaring pace, with a really catchy bridge and a proper 60’s guitar-riff throughout the 2nd verse of the track, it’s a great fun track to close what is overall a fun and enjoyable debut album from these 4 young lads from Minneapolis that should be enjoyed for the light-hearted romp of a record that it is!

So, overall I think this album is a great a debut effort from Howler. I had really high hopes for the record after the obscenely, excessive amount of plays I had previously given their debut EP ‘This One’s Different’. The album overall lives up to my high expectations, although I felt it was a shame that they left off the opening track ‘For All Concern’ from their debut EP, as I always thought it was an amazing opening track. I also personally preferred the vocals used on the EP version of ‘This One’s Different’ however the vocals used here still don’t stop the track itself from being anything other than great and both of these points are minor criticisms. I think this is a great album for the band to introduce themselves to the UK Indie scene and I’m sure fans of bands like The Strokes, The Vaccines and even to an extent The Libertines will really like the record that Howler have brought to the table here and I’m going to award this album a very strong 8 Howls out of 10. Even if you didn’t hear the debut EP I’d still recommend give this album a go and would certainly recommend trying to catch the band play ‘live’ in the UK over the next few months while they are still playing smaller venues as I can only see bigger things coming up for Howler going forward into 2012!

Never Giving Up ‘Flynny’

Track 3 ‘This One’s Different’
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7b7SlJfgpnM

Track 8 I Told You Once’
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lKkcBb4EFQs