((URY)) Dance #2

Pembroke / Lock In The Lion – Airhead & James Blake (BRAiNMATH, 2010)

James Blake aims to show a different side of his musical personality with this, his third release and first on BRAiNMATH. Coming after the massively acclaimed ‘Air & Lack Thereof’ and his remix of Untold’s ‘Stop What You’re Doing’, Pembroke goes a long way to show why Blake is so hotly tipped. Airhead’s influence on the two tracks featured on the release is, aptly, to add a lot more space to the already laid-back and off-kilter beats found on Blake’s previous work. Both tracks come off more as sonic explorations, pushing the ability of a track to carry melody to its limit. It’s hard to say if this could even be defined as dance music, the two tracks being constantly surprising in direction throughout their length. A fascinating release by a fascinating artist.




Skull Crusher / Clunge – Numan / SDUK (Slit Jockey, 2010)

The third 12” on Starkey’s label, Slit Jockey, features two exciting newcomers to the dance scene, Manchester’s Numan and London boy SDUK. This release is made for dancing – both tracks feature heavy beats and bass designed to get you moving. Numan’s ‘Skull Crusher’ is up first, coming in with metallic synth washes and distant speech samples before dropping into a main beat that Starkey himself would be proud of. On the flip, SDUK’s hilariously-titled ‘Clunge’ lulls you into a false sense of security with soft vocal stabs before not one, but two massive synth riffs crash into the track, eventually leading into a huge main beat that I’ve seen inspire some truly ridiculous jump-around dance moves many times. This is a solid step in the right direction from both of these young artists, and I, for one, hope to hear more from them soon.




By Jack Luckett

Album Review:

Cave In
Planets of Old EP
Release Date: 08/02/2010


Dealing with any release from a band with a career-story like Cave In’s is difficult. A long history of prog/metalcore turned (according to long-standing fans) commercial tripe with 2003’s Antenna could warrant genuine apprehension when approaching Planets of Old; but I feel I can safely say that these fans can have much to look forward to on the basis of this, their first offering for 4 years. They’re back – and they mean it.

If metalcore or prog-metal are what we associate with Cave In’s “true form”, then Planets of Old certainly revisits these genres. First track ‘Cayman Tongue’ kicks in loud and hard. The guitars are down-tuned and textured with layers of precisely synchronised effects. The bass is loud and viscerally chugging. Vocals are by turns soft and ear-laceratingly ferocious. And guess what – you like it. And you want more. This is Cave In the way they should be: aggressive, fist-clenching (had me going a few times) and downright assertive.

‘Retina Sees Rewind’ is a crisp, hook-laden pocket nuke of a song that will have you banging your head along with the syncopated drumming. There’s more than a whiff of the more grunge-inflected material circa Antenna, but this influence is channelled more successfully than ever before. Yet what follows, for me personally, was certainly not on the radar: ‘The Red Trail’ pummels listeners with an uncompromising showcase of pure psychedelic hardcore. The vocals are vicious, the guitars dissonant and heavy, bass aptly distorted; this song is, to phrase in the most colloquial terms, mental, and perfectly embodies what psychedelic hardcore-punk is all about. But I also have a mild gripe with its presence on this record, in so far that we don’t seem to be getting any continuity in musical style on the EP as a whole. It’s definitely not a bad song, and there’s nothing wrong with experimenting, but I’m pretty sure Cave In wrote it because it sounds damn fun to play.

No doubt, Cave In are back on form; but I can’t help wanting more from this EP. The tracks (excepting the first one) are frustratingly short and we are still left in the dark as to exactly what sound Cave In will be pursuing in the future – but then maybe that’s what makes Planets of Old so exciting. I wasn’t a huge Cave In fan before, but they have gone about their business in slowly converting me. I expect that older fans won’t be disappointed either.

8/10 (For fans of: Glassjaw, Thrice, Reuben, Oceansize)

By Chris To

Album Review:

Fool’s Gold
Fool’s Gold
Release Date: 25/01/2010


On paper, Fool’s Gold are a world music fan’s dream: a nine-piece ensemble from Los Angeles that plies their trade playing poppy afrobeat, sung in Hebrew. Although the mere mention of “world” in describing any contemporary band is likely to ring a big, shiny Vampire Weekend bell, a strict comparison should be avoided. Fool’s Gold are greater in number than their East Coast afropop contemporaries, and their extensive brass and percussive sections afford them a larger, richer sound. Furthermore, Fool’s Gold’s eclectic approach fails to deliver on the hype – the song quality on this first offering is as varied as their cultural backgrounds and influences.

The main problem with this LP is that it peaks almost as soon as it begins – album opener and first single ‘Surprise Hotel’ is the strongest song by a country mile. The bright twang of overlapping guitar riffs, afrobeat rhythms and dizzy saxophone solos build to a dancey carnivalesque outro that instantly raises the spirits. The majority of the remainder of the album is, however, dominated by mid-pace five-minute-plus ballads that quickly grow old. That these tracks fail is an inescapable consequence of vocalist Luke Top’s decision to sing solely in Hebrew. Whilst his chanting plays a key role in the success of the more upbeat tracks; faced with a drop in tempo and in the absence of a strong hook on tracks such as ‘Nadine’, ‘The World Is All There Is’, and ‘Momentary Shelter’, it inevitably alienates non-Hebrew-speaking listeners. Meanwhile, classically trained guitarist and co-songwriter Lewis Pescacov seems to have been given licence to solo virtually at will. This yields dividends in ‘Ha Dvash’, but even his talent as a player does not justify the boorish length and tempo of the aforementioned tracks.

There are, however, some other nuggets that can join ‘Surprise Hotel’ in the pot of genuine musical gold, namely ‘Poseidon’ and ‘Night Dancing’. They demonstrate Fool’s Gold’s ability to spice up their classic afrobeat setup with the inclusion of synthesisers, sometimes adding a darker dimension to their sound. This is most notable on ‘Night Dancing’ where the track descends into a fuzzy haze of electronic arpeggios – a far cry from the sunny guitars of ‘Surprise Hotel’.

Unfortunately, like a film that puts all the best bits in the trailer, this album fails to fulfil its promise. The band’s name, ironically, offers an apt description of this album’s failings: looks have flattered to deceive the hype-hungry music blogs that promised something truly special from this multicultural medley. This said, we should not write Fool’s Gold off – there is potential for greatness. Let’s hope their next effort is a 24 carat classic.

6/10

By Jóse Carbajo

Album Review:

Foals
Total Life Forever
Release Date: 10/05/2010


In the last year or so, several bands have transgressed the stereotype of the ‘difficult second album’. The Horrors, for example, came back with a completely new sound – supposedly influenced by eating expired sandwiches from the bins behind Prêt a Manger – stunning the band’s fans and (many) critics alike. Well, if getting ill from eating a bit of soggy lettuce can inspire the conception of Primary Colours, could a series of weekends spent in a weed-clouded room on a strict diet of Psilocybin mushrooms cause similarly astonishing results for David Sitek rejecting, Oxford party-guys Foals?

A first listen finds the album open on familiar math-rock territory, although the pace has dropped and effects are used with greater restraint. Yannis’ vocals here, however, are a cause for genuine surprise; suffice to say, he actually sings! But fear not: what begins as a comfortably stripped-down piece gradually builds until the bass line, like an old friend, kicks in and you find yourself foot-tapping and head-nodding in a way that only the complex layered beats of Foals can make you.

While there’s no shortage of instantly gratifying pop moments – expect to hear one or both of ‘Miami’ and ‘This Orient’ soundtracking all that pill-popping malarkey on ‘Skins’ in the near future – the awkward, static beats and riffs which dominated Antidotes are largely replaced by refined, carefully constructed melodies and, at times, the kinds of textures you’d more commonly associate with shoegaze. Indeed, as though to flesh this point and perhaps complete the analogy with The Horrors, first single and stand-out track ‘Spanish Sahara’ is to Total Life Forever what ‘Sea within a Sea’ is to Primary Colours. Not only does the song showcase some of the most haunting lyrics this band have ever written (“Forget the horror here, leave it all down here, it’s future rust, it’s future dust”) but they complement and intensify the song’s over-powering eeriness as it builds towards its climax and, likewise, mark its sudden decline (“a choir of furies in your head”).

Total Life Forever then, is something of a classic ‘side A/side B’ LP. If its first half belongs on the indie club dancefloor, its more intricate and sombre second half demands dedicated listening; but crucially, both are hugely rewarding.

8/10

By Nathan Marks

Album Review:

Jaga Jazzist
One Armed Bandit
Release Date: 25/01/10


In the five years since Jaga’s last LP, What We Must, no band has come close to imitating their sound: schizophrenic progressive electro-jazz with added drum and bass, post-rock, minimalism… and just about every other genre around. The Norwegian collective has defied expectations with One-Armed Bandit – and turned its own style on its head once again. WWM was edgier and placed emphasis on live instrumentation over electronic bleeps and beats, whilst OAB finds a happy medium; in the title track driving drums, cascading horns and a medieval-sounding kalimba interact with a fuzzy synth bassline and psychedelic electronic screeches. As the arpeggiated melody effortlessly passes between instruments, the piece showcases the dazzling array of styles Jaga have swallowed up – drummer and bandleader Lars Horntveth cites Fela Kuti, Wagner and Frank Zappa as heavy influences. Recognisable Jaga textures and timbres are refreshed by an expanded musical repertoire – the grungy synths and glassy, Steve Reich-esque polyrhythms that begin 'Toccata' are later underpinned by a powerful brass refrain and energetic afrobeat drums.

The experimental jazz-rock influence is perhaps most obvious; the title track takes a gasp of breath with an atmospheric guitar slide before launching back into staccato glockenspiel and oozing bass, evoking Zappa’s 'I’m the Slime'. The piece thuds and gallops into a bridge that significantly ups the tempo, racing at breakneck speed towards a thundering climax in which the pass-the-parcel melodies collide in a satisfying and awe-inspiring way. Another highlight is the slow-burning '220 V / Spektral', which opens with a delicate piano trill and muted guitar, immediately shifting to a tense 3/4 section, all reverb and breathy woodwind, before a spacey krautrock chorus. 'Music! Dance! Drama!' recalls 2002’s 'Day', with analog beats, bassline and string plucks mutated by twisted brass, labyrinthine harpsichord and affected guitar.

Jaga Jazzist leads the listener on a tantalising journey through space and time – at times to a completely new, undiscovered planet. It takes a few attempts to keep up with the hundreds of ideas thrown into the album, and it is the sheer ambition poured into each track that will, I suspect, divide audiences. One-Armed Bandit is, like Jaga Jazzist’s earlier work, a musical feast – but as a result it is eccentric and boundary breaking, and its constant framework of excitement-tension-release into further excitement may be unpopular with many. Those who appreciate it will learn to love the album and return, time and time again – finding new dimensions to every track on each occasion.

9/10

By Bengee Gibson

Live Review:

Fionn Regan (support: Francis Leftwich, Danny and the Champions of the World)
Fibbers, York
14/02/2010


A gig by sweethearts' favourite Fionn Regan is perhaps not the best place to spend a lonely Valentines day. Still, it's not every week that someone you've heard of plays York, so in the interests of music journalism your intrepid ((URY)) reporter did her best to blank out the couples eating each others faces to check out this rare event.

The first support is local Yorkshire lad Benjamin Francis Leftwich, who we're pleased to report was really rather good. A veritable embryo of nineteen tender years, Leftwich performs the impressive feat of commanding the attention of a packed Fibbers with his thoughtful folky tunes. We suspect he's one to watch.

Danny and the Champions of the World is one of the best band names we've ever heard, so it was a huge disappointment when their singer strode on wearing a trilby, popularly understood in sartorial semiotics as the universal sign of a class A twat (see also: Kaiser Chiefs). Predictable hooks degenerated into ten-minute country jam yawnfests about mountains and sheep or something, whilst the singer performed a series of facial contortions that we think were meant to show that he was a Serious Musician but in fact gave the more apt impression that he was extruding an especially satisfying turd.

A sense of relief descended when the lovely Mr Regan toddled onstage, sporting an oversized train drivers' hat which he removed to reveal an experimental bowl cut style last seen on scabby-kneed ten year olds in school playgrounds around 1970. It was excellent and we're already placing bets on it becoming the next Hot Indie Look. Regan's set is drawn mostly from his new album, Shadow of an Empire, which we're still rather wary of. The lyrics are flawless, as poetic and perceptive as we've come to expect from this former Mercury winner, but by treading the path towards a poppier, country aesthetic as fellow indie darlings Conor Oberst and Ben Kweller have done, Regan loses the understated charm and intimacy of his earlier records. Still, props to him for not producing an exact copy of his first record and maybe we just need to give it a few more listens. Tonight's spine-tingling performance of new track Violent Demeanour certainly suggests there's more to the new material than first meets the ear.

By Hannah Boast

Album Review:

The Soft Pack
The Soft Pack
Release Date: 01/02/2010


The punk purists and cynics among us must have been disappointed with The Soft Pack’s decision to change their name from The Muslims to their current moniker. Maybe it’s a sign of the times when the latest upstarts on the scene back down after a little negative attention; but at least this San Diego four-piece haven’t compromised anything about their intelligent brand of garage rock in so doing. This, The Soft Pack's self-titled second release, defies all ‘sophomore slump’ theorists by delivering 32 minutes of pop punk fun.

Pacey opener and first single, ‘C’mon’, sets the tone for much of the rest of the record. Matt Lamkin’s delivery is charged with urgency but leaves just enough room for the pointed, matter-of-fact observations characteristic of the band’s strongest lyrics; and it’s also clear that The Soft Pack have matured as musicians, apparent here in the impressive lead guitar work of Matty Mcloughlin, showing that this group can offer more than just a catchy power chord structure.

The decision to collaborate with producer Eli Jamney has resulted in The Soft Pack gaining a more complex texture to their sound (see especially: ‘Pull Out’, ‘Down On Loving’ and ‘Move Along’), particularly with the inclusion of organs and acoustic guitars. This is a welcome change for a band that has sometimes been guilty of sinking into garage rock monotony, marked by the overuse of reverb-tinged surf guitar and a ‘driving’ rhythm section. Tellingly, even on this release it is the songs lacking these new sonic subtleties that are the most disappointing. As the album streaks towards ‘Tides of Time’ and ‘Flammable’, you’re left with the sense that The Soft Pack are running out of steam; the former lacks punch, whilst the latter is a virtual carbon copy of ‘Move Along’ – minus the playful organ motifs and wonderfully discordant solo. Thankfully, The Soft Pack redeem themselves with the stoned-beach-holiday dreaminess of penultimate track, ‘Mexico’; built around a lilting Latin bass line, it brings a much needed change of pace before the head-banging resumes with closing track ‘Parasites’.

Although The Soft Pack aren’t offering anything especially innovative here, they are (as the saying goes) ‘doing what they do best’. These songs are anthems for the kids. The Soft Pack have followed a tried and tested formula – but they’ve done so with enough poise, intelligence and charisma to warrant serious attention.

8/10

By José Carbajo