ALBUM OF THE MONTH:
KATATONIA - THE FALL OF HEARTS
Gothic Metal, Doom Metal. Peaceville Records.
Since their 1993 debut album, Sweden's Katatonia (not to be confused with the Welsh Catatonia) have been one of the most consistent Metal bands of the past 20 years. Like their close friends Opeth, the quality of their studio works rarely takes a dip, despite not changing the core mechanics of their sound too drastically. So baring this in mind, it's pretty fucking incredible that Katatonia's 11th studio album might just be their grandest and most impressive statement yet!!!
From the very first moment, "The Fall of Hearts" will have you gripped, enthralled and overwhelmed. Katatonia have finally found that perfect balance between heaviness and utter beauty. The album is full of roaring guitars and chuggy Tool-esque riffs, with double pass pedalling drums interspersed. Yet despite this, the overall mood of the record is quite chilled out. This comes after their recent decision to do an acoustic tour. What remains is an album that is packed full of incredible riffs and talented musicianship, but the feelings and the emotions of the music cut through even sharper. The use of haunting keyboards, and Jonas Renke's passionate clean vocals are utterly compelling and will stir powerful emotions within you. It's honestly hard to pick stand out tracks because the whole album flows so flawlessly, but "Serein" not only packs a heavy, energetic punch but has a sweeping melodic chorus that just might reduce the hardest Metalheads to tears. If you want your Metal to be violent and unforgiving, this could get lost on you, but if you want to hear something truly moving, yet still Metal as fuck, then "The Fall of Hearts" is truly a modern Metal masterpiece in the realms of Tool's "Lateralus" and Neurosis' "Times of Grace". 9/10.
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LONE - LEVITATE
Electronica, Breakcore. R&S Records.
Lone's previous album "Reality Testing" was one of my favourite albums of 2014, which combined dreamy Boards of Canada-esque synthesisers with funky Dilla-esque Hip Hop beats. For this follow up "Levitate", Lone has crafted a rather different sound. The funky Hip Hop beats are out in place of fast Breakcore beats reminiscent of 90s The Prodigy. "Backtail Was Heavy" is a fantastic lead single that has a strong hit of 90s nostalgia, whilst closing track "Hiraeth" shows he can still compose some great Ambient and atmospheric soundscapes. I have to say that I preferred his previous "Reality Testing" album, which sounded more futuristic and colourful, but "Levitate" is still a fine album and a step into a different direction. 7/10.
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GOLD PANDA - GOOD LUCK & DO YOUR BEST
Electronic, IDM. City Slang.
Gold Panda's debut album "Lucky Shiner" was an absolute gem, but I felt his anticipated follow up "Half of Where You Live" was too straight forward and a little bland. With that, his 3rd album could go in any direction here, but as predicted it is somewhere between the two. Yes I enjoyed it more than his previous album, but it didn't give me the immediate hit of joy that his debut album did. Still playing things a little too safe. The music here sounds like a second rate Four Tet, with chilled out, melodic Electronica played out over an array of different IDM tinged beats. It is obvious Gold Panda is trying out different sounds and styles across the album, but it feels like he hasn't found the confidence to make a single unifying sound. The lowest point is the acoustic guitar track "I Am Real Punk" (wtf?) featuring Luke Abbott, which kills the pacing of the record and goes absolutely nowhere. There are a few lovely moments and a few that will get your feet tapping, but as a whole it feels like a muddled experience with only brief flashes of the greatness shown on his debut album. It very much sounds like Gold Panda was muttering the album's title to himself all the way through making this record! 6/10.
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MARK KOZELEK - SINGS FAVORITES
Folk. Caldo Verde Records.
Mark Kozelek is one of my favourite musicians of all time and I consider him to be the greatest Folk musician alive today. He has been highly prolific over the last few years and this is the second album he has put out this year so far, following the album of the year contender Sun Kil Moon / Jesu collaborative album. For "Sings Favorites", Mark Kozelek has decided to cover a bunch of his favorite songs, and invited some of his famous friends to join him, including Mike Patton, Rachel Goswell, Will Oldham and more, though you wouldn't necessarily notice them on first inspection.
There are two very big glaring problems with this album though. One of the greatest Folk guitarists of all time has decided not to play guitar across the entire album. Instead all of these songs are built on bland and generic piano playing as Mark croons away. The whole album has a kind of Christmas Carol sound to it or perhaps music that could be used in Hallmark adverts. The other big problem is that some of these songs have already been covered before on some of his previous albums and live recordings. Die hard fans would have already heard much better guitar renditions of "O Holy Night", "Send In the Clowns" and "Get Along Home Cindy" on previous releases. Plus Sun Kil Moon has already put out a much better Modest Mouse covers album, leaving the poor "Float On" rendition in the dust. I just don't know why Mark Kozelek needed to make this album. It sounds half assed and more like something that should be given away free, not sold in shops. Ignore this album and listen to the vastly superior Sun Kil Moon / Jesu album instead! 4/10.
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BRIAN ENO - THE SHIP
Ambient, Electronic. Warp Records.
Brian Eno is a very fascinating man and it will take too long for me to explain why here. He has one of the largest discographies of any musician, making music since the early 70s, but his work can largely be split into 3 categories: His vocal work, his Ambient work and his production work. But if there is one album in that vast discography that manages to draw from all 3 brains of Brian, it's "The Ship". After the incredible two albums working with Underworld's Karl Hyde, Eno performed vocals properly for the first time since the late 70s. In an interview he said he likes the sound of his voice more now since he has aged! "The Ship" is very much rooted in Ambient territory, reminiscent of his works "On Land" and "Thursday Afternoon". Gloomy, piano laden chords drift at a glacial pace as an array of Electronic textures and atmospheres gradually build. But for the first time in a long time, Eno has added his lovely vocals into the mix, finding a ghostly and soothing way to make them sound like Ambient and Minimalist instrumentation in their own right. These two 20 minute pieces are best heard whilst engaged in other activities around the house. The subtle beauty will reveal itself in its own time. However the final 6 minutes features a heartbreaking tribute to the late Lou Reed. A majestic cover of The Velvet Underground's "I'm Free" makes for a powerful finale where Eno's vocals are a dominant force, backed by sweeping strings, epic keyboards and swirling guitars. It's like Eno's separate Ambient and Vocal worlds have crash landed into each other! 8/10.
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THRICE - TO BE EVERYWHERE IS TO BE NOWHERE
Alternative Rock, Hard Rock, Post Hardcore. Vagrant Records.
Growing up, Thrice were one of my favourite bands and many will consider them one of the true pioneers of the modern Post-Hardcore/Metalcore sound, alongside the likes of At the Drive In and Drive Like Jehu. Thrice haven't been active as a band in about 4 years now and I didn't even hear that they had got back together to make a new album, so this was a nice surprise when I saw it on the record store shelves. Unfortunately though, this album very much completes Thrice's journey from exciting and innovating Post Hardcore/Metalcore into bland mainstream radio rock that lies somewhere between Foo Fighters and early Coldplay. This was hinted at by the previous two albums that were much softer and straight forward, but still had interesting textures and songwriting. Listening to this album I hear almost nothing that really grabs me. The band feel slow, tired and like they are just going through the motions here. I've listened to it twice but I shall not be listening to it Thrice! 5/10.
EAGULLS - ULLAGES
Post Punk, Gothic Rock, Alternative Rock. Partisan Records.
Eagulls will have to go down as the least original band I have heard this year. Even their name sounds like another band. The album title is just an anagram of their band name. But worst yet, they have tried to sound so desperately like The Cure's early 80s sound that it borders on sheer imitation. Unlike The Cure though, none of Eagulls songs grabbed me or made a memorable impression. It sounded so much like The Cure that it just made me want to listen to The Cure and forget about this band. Maybe they should become a tribute band instead? 4/10.
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TWIN PEAKS - DOWN IN HEAVEN
Blues Rock, Garage Rock. Grand Jury Records.
Following on from the wholly unoriginal Eagulls record I listened to was yet another album that lacked a unique sound. My first impression listening to Twin Peaks is that these guys really like The Rolling Stones. It sound like a second rate impression of Rolling Stones classic late 60s sound. That said though, the production had a raw(ish) garage sound, and there was some splashes of modern Indie Rock, so I wouldn't say it is a complete imitation. Though what was more annoying than the lack of originality on this album was the fact that this band have named themselves after one of the greatest cult TV shows of all time. You'd think a band named Twin Peaks would sound dark, mysterious and other-worldly? I feel like these guys should denounce their band name and let another more deserving band use that name! 5/10.
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JAMES BLAKE - THE COLOUR IN ANYTHING
Electronic, Future Garage, R&B. Polydor Records.
I absolutely adored James Blake's first two albums. There was something different about him, and he successfully combined innovative Electronic production with soulful singer/songwriter. His voice is absolutely lovely and I like the way he has always experimented with different moods and tones. Since winning the Mercury Prize for his 2nd album "Overgrown", James Blake has become a surprisingly big name, working with Frank Ocean and even collaborating with Beyonce on her new album "Lemonade". When this 3rd album was announced, part of me feared that he might become too big and commercial.
In a way, "The Colour In Anything" isn't much of a departure from his first two albums. His confidence as a songwriter has certainly continued to grow and develop. I can't help but feel that this record isn't too much of a leap forward. In fact the productions and experimentation of his sound seem a little calmer and safer here, like he had a more commercial album in mind. The biggest problem though is that is is 80 minutes long, making it nearly twice the length of each of his previous albums. Also James Blake sounds very depressed and miserable across the whole record. 80 minutes of music in this style, I found was far too much to take. Though there are 5 or 6 really strong tracks on this record, as a whole I found the experience of listening to it all the way through very draining and a real chore to get through. James Blake is still a talented soul, but he simply hasn't played to his strengths on this 3rd outing. He didn't need to bombard us with 80 minutes of a record that stays in the same mood and tone. He could have easily stripped this down to a 40 minute record and it would have been much more consistent. Seems like an easy mistake to avoid, but sadly this is an album I am not fussed about revisiting any time soon. 6/10.
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PERTURBATOR - THE UNCANNY VALLEY
Electronic, Synthwave. Blood Music.
The 4th album from French musician James Kent, who has become one of the most popular artists of the "Synthwave" movement. He composes imaginary soundscapes to Sci-Fi dystopian films that only exist in his head, and through the graphic novel inspired album artwork. Perturbator takes the influences of Horror and Sci-Fi composers such as John Carpenter, Goblin and Vangelis, but fuses their creepy and melodic synthesiser sounds with modern Electronic production. "The Uncanny Valley" kicks in immediately with Industrial thumping beats existing somewhere between Nine Inch Nails and Blanck Mass on standout track "Neo Tokyo", but it is actually the calmer, more Ambient leaning tracks that made the biggest impact for me. Whilst Perturbator is one of the most exciting Electronic producers of recent times, I can't help but feel that a lot of the sounds and melodies used on this album tread very similar grounds to his 3 previous albums, and at 67 minutes, this can be an overwhelming journey. But if you are a newcomer to this sound, you will probably hear some of the most exciting compositions in Electronic music right now! 7/10.
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MUDCRUTCH - 2
Americana, Country Rock. Reprise Records.
The second album from Mudcrutch, Tom Petty's other band away from his more established body of work with The Heartbreakers. Though to be honest, musically it isn't much of a departure, so even casual Tom Petty fans will find something to enjoy here. The same charismatic voice and American heartland based lyrics ring true across this album. There is a strong Country Rock vibe with touches of Blues and Folk around every corner. Whilst it is a sound that has been attempted many times before, Petty still manages to conjure up some truly catchy, memorable and down right brilliant tunes across the whole album. The best of them being "Beautiful Blue", that oozes a heartfelt chorus that'll get stuck in your head for days. "Victim of Circumstance" is another highlight that revisits a "Highway 61" era Dylan sound. Not exactly an album that will bring any surprises, but a very solid and worthy effort. 7/10.
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MARK PRITCHARD - UNDER THE SUN
Electronic, Ambient, Progressive Electronic. Warp Records.
The last time I heard from Mark Pritchard, he released the 2009 album "When Machines Exceed Human Intelligence" under the alias Harmonic 313, which turned out to be one of the most funky, upbeat and danceable records in the entire Warp catalogue, fusing Funky Hip Hop with wonky IDM rhythms. Baring this in mind, I was very taken aback when I popped in this new album "Under the Sun", to find it was the exact opposite of the Harmonic 313 record. The album begins with "?" (bizarrely this was released as a single in 2009 too), a beatless drone that takes about 5 minutes to even make a slight variation in sound. "Under the Sun" is a record that is incredibly slow paced, lethargic and has next to no resemblance to this man's Funky Hip Hop alter ego. That said though, if you give this record time to unfold, you will hopefully be overwhelmed by a truly beautiful, spacey and textured array of sounds that gradually grow and evolve like a flower slowly coming into bloom.
"Under the Sun" makes heavy use of the modulated analogue synthesiser, often with pulsing arpeggios and drawn out synthesiser chords. Mark Pritchard has obviously drawn from the influence of Tangerine Dream, but it also reaches out to the gloomy atmospheres of Boards of Canada, and the alien landscapes of Autechre's "Amber" record. The use of guest vocalists helps to improve the pacing, with brilliant singing parts from label mate Bibio, Radiohead's Thom Yorke, and a foreboding spoken word piece from Beans. Though the album is slow to unfold, Mark Pritchard has proven that he is a master of restrained and controlled sounds that will ultimately win you over. 8/10.
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J DILLA - THE DIARY
Hip Hop, Rap. Mass Appeal Records.
The late J Dilla is best known as one of the most highly praised Hip Hop producers of the 90s and 00s that just about any great Rapper would have killed to have worked with. He produced music for A Tribe Called Quest, De La Soul, The Roots, Common, Ghostface Killah, The Pharcyde and many more legends, as well as making some brilliant instrumental solo albums. Before "The Shining", "The Diary" would have been his very first vocal album, with J Dilla trying out his rap skills and guest spots from Snoop Dogg and Bilal. For some bizarre reason this album was shelved indefinitely in 2002, with only the "Fuck the Police" single breaking into the daylight. Finally the album has been released and it only highlights that this would have probably been a good hit record if it had actually been released. For the first time on a J Dilla record, he has allowed other producers to include beats for him to rap over, such as friends Madlib and Hi-Tek, who are great producers in their own right. But in all honesty, the tracks that Dilla produced himself stand out much stronger, making the ones that aren't sounding a little weaker as a whole. J Dilla isn't the most technically gifted rapper (especially compared to the quality of his beats), but he has a strong charisma and can occasionally steal the show (as heard on "Fuck the Police"). As a whole, "The Diary" takes a few tracks to really make an impression, but once Dilla's beats start to dominate, you'll start to wonder how on earth this record was not deemed suitable for a release until now! 7/10.
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JESSY LANZA - OH NO
Electronic, R&B. Hyperdub.
The second album from the Canadian vocalist and Electronic musician. In 2014, FKA Twigs' debut album took the critics by storm, praised at having a very original and unique sound, though the largely ignored debut album by Jessy Lanza a year beforehand not only showcased a very similar sound, but in my opinion was a much superior album. Jessy Lanza at last turned critics heads with her fantastic duet with Caribou, "Second Chance", taken from his brilliant album "Our Love". Thankfully Lanza's second album was met with a well deserved buzz and it stands as a very worthy follow up album. Lanza has grown more confident in almost every aspect, with a more dynamic range of vocals, and carrying on her brilliant bass heavy tones that take in the influence of 80s R&B, fused with modern Electronic production. "Oh No" is much cuter and more uptempo than her debut which had a slightly trippier and mysterious sound to it. But the songs are very much still there and Jessy Lanza's more playful approaches on "VV Violence" and "It Means I Love You" are very much welcome. Highlight "Going Somewhere" is a slower, dreamier song reminiscent of her first album. On "Oh No" it sounds like she has been watching Anime and cartoons, but it is a very fun album with a gripping vocal range. Certainly one for fans of FKA Twigs and Grimes. 8/10.
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SE DELAN - DRIFTER
Dream Pop, Prog Rock, Post Punk. K-Scope.
Se Delan is a new project from multi-instrumentalist Justin Grieves (Electric Wizard, Crippled Black Phoenix) who plays all the instruments on this 3rd studio album. Belinda Kordic takes the front stage with her fantastic gloomy vocals reminiscent of Kim Gordon or Courtney Love. The album has a strong 90s nostalgia, with that reverbed 4AD sound similar to Pixies and Cocteau Twins. In some parts the music is very textured and dreamy, yet can easily switch into dirty bass heavy riffs at any point. Released on Steven Wilson's Prog label, it isn't quite as complex as Prog, and isn't quite as Metal as Grieves' past works, but the whole album is captivating enough to impress any open minded fans of Prog or Metal or Indie Rock. This album sounds like it could easily have came out fifteen years ago, but either way it's likely to be one of 2016's overlooked gems. 8/10.
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LUH - SPIRITUAL SONGS FOR LOVERS TO SING
Art Rock, Singer-Songwriter, Electronic. Mute Records.
If you remember Manchester's short lived mysterious Indie Rockers WU LYF from a few years back then you might recognise Lights Under Heaven (or LUH). LUH is a new project from WU LYF's vocalist, a project he has started with his girlfriend. Producing the album is Dark Ambient/Electronic producer Haxan Cloak (fresh off working with Bjork). Being a fan of Haxan Cloak's horrifying soundscapes, and WU LYF's cavernous Rock music, I was pretty excited by this collaboration. Unfortunately "Spiritual Songs..." is a total mess that does not highlight either artist's true talents. Ellery James Roberts' cookie monster vocal style worked well over the backdrop of WU LYF's dense chiming guitars, but this album has a lot of softer, acoustic material and the vocals are far too over the top compared to the music, sometimes coming off as unintentionally comical. Tom Waits he is not! As for Haxan Cloak, he is one of my favourite Electronic producers of the time, but his contributions to this album sound very timid and muted. On Bjork's "Vulnicura" he managed to bring some of his haunting and eerie sounds, but here he feels lost in the mix. Also the album takes a terrible turn into auto-tune and obnoxious Pendulum sounding Drum 'n' Bass in the middle of the record that had be reaching for the skip button. I failed to find any kind of coherent direction or inspired ideas here. A real mess! 4/10.
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ANDY STOTT - TOO MANY VOICES
Electronic. Modern Love.
Manchester resident Andy Stott's 4th full length album is perhaps his best yet. His previous album "Faith In Strangers" hinted at how diverse an aural pallet he could cook up, but in places the pacing felt lost. "Too Many Voices" is a much more immediate and complete sounding record, perfecting those sounds. Stott not only showcases his bass heavy, wonky beat driven Electronics, but finds a growing fondness for 80s style synthesisers, sounding somewhere between classic Prince and Dam Funk. "Butterflies" is a dreamy affair with hazy vocals chopping in and out. Each of the 9 tracks have a distinct voice and style of their own. The album gets progressively more warped and frantic as it goes on, with Stott's expert use of pitch-bending rhythms making it feel like the dreamy synth chords are being sucked into a vortex. But the ultimate highlight is "New Romantic", which could well end up being the catchiest Electronic track of the year! All in all "Too Many Voices" is a seriously impressive journey that is likely to stay in my car stereo all year long! 8/10.
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AUTECHRE - ELSEQ 1-5
Electronic, Drone. Warp Records.
Since 2008's "Quaristice" album, Autechre have been in their most prolific stage, with 2 hour long EPs, 12 hour long DJ sets and 9 hours of live sets being released. After their 2 hour long 2013 double album "Exai" boggled minds, out of the blue one evening in May, Autechre decided to drop their most ambitious release yet! "Elseq 1-5" is a 4.5 hour long new studio album that would have covered 5 CDs, though Warp and Autechre have clearly stated that this will be a Digital only release (sad for a band who have such amazing artwork on their releases). There are plenty of tracks that surpass the 20 minute mark here, built on heavy improvised rhythmic sections that almost recall a Krautrock ethos where bands such as Can would jam out a repeated groove for about 20 minutes. A similar ethos was present on The Knife's final album "Shaking the Habitual". It's noisy, droning, Jazzy and impossibly complex, and I've only made it onto the 2nd disc. No rating here, ask me again in 3 years time and I just might have got my head around the whole record. This could easily turn out to be the most exciting Electronic release of the decade, but either way Autechre stand as one of the most unique, exciting, ambitious and hard to process bands in the entire spectrum of music. ???/10.
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