Engine - Cucumber Water

At the back end of 2017, the carefree spirit of Engine returned with their debut EP 'Cucumber Water'. Lets check out what the Burley experimentalist have to offer:

Cucumber Water

An effortless amalgamation of all things Four Tet, Steve Mason and Tame Impala. Pyschetronica? Elecdelia? Expect a new scene to be born out of this!

Emotively this has a great sense of togetherness and loving cohesiveness. Like so much great music, it dialectically opposes itself and also strains and struggles to hold on to what it has whilst searching for something. Something that may, or may not exist.

Funeral Blues

Despite the title, there is very little morbidity contained within this seven minute yarn. Throughout, there is a sense of confusion which is not uncommon around grief. At various junctions though, there are shimmers of light creeping through the cracks to lift your head above water just enough for hope to remain.

Al’s Chords

The humble acoustic guitar beginnings are a million miles away from the big noise soundscape ending and yet, this feels like seamless (but eventful)) journey. It has a dreamlike and shoegaze quality that Erol Alkan is bound to approve of. Plus, the Kevin Parker-esque vocals are touch of class.

Not Surprised

Mixing Detroit Techno and Deep House traditions with the pop instincts of Tame Impala give off the sensation Inside No.9 often does. The enjoyment that something is not quite right looms large and it’s impossible to switch off until you know what it is.

The little nuggets of guitars and saxophone offer a break from the tense beats and bass but, ultimately, you’re going to be sucked into this murky world of the unknown.

Delights - Delights

Delights are an unsigned four piece from Manchester. With this much promise, not for long:

Bloom

'Bloom' demonstrates an impressive real focus for a young band. There is clear recognition they have a good riff and have an expanded a melody around it with excitement levels up more often than not.

Better Place

With some Real Estate-esque guitars in play, Delights garner far more identity than on the opener. The style is laid back like Real Estate but, the high tempo remains and forges interesting new paths.  

Cascade

The vocals are, excuse the pun, a delight. Kevin Rowlands style of fragile soul comes to the fore and reignites a love of underrated 00s bands such as Cajun Dance Party and Polytechnic.

Lust

This is pleasant if nothing else. It’s a kind of indie that will bring in the teenage novice but turn away a seasoned record collector. At the start of a bands journey though, this cannot be held against them.

Delights, an album by Delights on Spotify

Average Sex - Ice Cream

Supporting legends like The Charlatans in December is peppered with problems. The whiff of nostalgia loomed for the TT Christmas party. Nevertheless, we went home talking solely abut Average Sex (ahem).

Let’s check out their new EP ‘Ice Cream’:

Ugly Strangers

“We have no jobs and no money” so, what to do then? Make undeniable pop music? Done! Despite this song being about mental health issues and overdoing it, the melodies are so great, it inevitably brings great nights out to mind. The solo alone is enough to make you think of carefree youthfulness and being in love.

To twist a darkness to the light like this is remarkable. Superstars are born!

We’re Done

What a break up song, and more to the point, what a chorus!

“You act like I’m the crazy one / Since I slashed your tyres / And you won’t return my texts / Since I set your dog on fire”

Has obscene break up violence ever been so joyous and melodic? Images of packed arenas bouncing immediately come to the fore.

Hey Boy

Vivian Girls and Veronica Falls have walked the line of surf rock and The Ramones in recent years, but, never to this quality. Singer Laetitia Bocquet packs that knockout punch in her delivery and the solo is one you never want to end!

Ice Cream

If you thought their pop sensibilities couldn’t get any better, think again. The ‘oh oh oh’s’ are so infectious that they might be fatal.

Thousand Yard Stare - Deep Dreaming

Like many bands between 1989 and 1993, Thousand Yard Stare found themselves in the unenviable position of battling for air time against grunge music from the States. As everything though, musical is cyclical and their return in 2016 seems like perfect timing.

With BBC6 providing a home for all, and festivals a plenty compared to only John Peel, Glastonbury and Reading/Leeds Festival way back when, Thousand Yard Stare seem destined to ride a more favourable wave.

Action Stations

Perhaps the hardest hitting guitar sound they’ve ever had is countered by Stephen Barnes’ subtle vocals.

As the lyrical self-deprecation grows, the guitars begin to reach for something, almost mainstream indie-rock but, never quite get there. This isn’t a Noel Gallagher quest for glory, this Thousand Yard Stare straddling mainstream guitar pop from the underground, a position few are finer at.

Black & Blue Sky Thinking

The melodic shoegaze opening, hints a drifting away in a Ride-esque moment of glory but, Thousand Yard Stare’s indomitable spirit keeps walking forward throwing uppercuts. The sonic blend of down but never out is the perfect tonic for this tale of self-doubt and urge to overcome.

When Barnes’ professes  ‘if I cant stay the course / just leave me on all fours’, you’ll be left isolated wondering where to turn and then, in pure Rocky Balboa fashion, Giles Duffy’s rock n roll guitars come charging through the battlefield to save the day.

Heimlich Mnvr

Far more immediate, ignited by their archetypal guitar sound from the off. With middle age onset, this urgency carries far more weight. As the imagery grows, Duffy detonates an escapist solo of intense focus and thoughts of ‘one last chance’ become unavoidable.

Marginal Gains – Stargazing

Sean McDonough’s deep rippling bass hook threads this shoegazing EP closer together. No matter how expansive the guitars and production get, they remain rooted in by this glorious throb.

Whist the other tracks hint at last chance saloon, ‘Marginal Gains’ remains forever dreaming of better times to come.

“and if the gains seem marginal / take the reigns, imagine all / where kingdoms come and stars align / the futures yours and could be mine”

Having this hopefulness in the latter part of the career is far more inspirational than coming from a teenager. To not have live, love and optimism kicked out of you by middle age is a glorious thing, especially in this political climate. Where Trump and May want to row backwards, where UKIP think everything has gone to the dogs, Thousand Yard Stare maintain their youthful desire:

“Make the change and charge in full / With every fibre heal scars / The future’s yours and could be ours”

This, can only be a great thing.

Old Town Souls by Old Town Souls

The Kent four piece have returned with a new self-titled EP. Check out our track by track review:

Why Don’t You Hold Me

The EP opener sees some melancholic jingle jangle combine with a bombastic Faces swagger. It screams Oasis comeback single from the noughties a la ‘Lyla’, ‘Hindu Times’, ‘Shock of the Lightning’.

If you’re going to write about desperate relationship, you better sound like you mean it and, in Kevin Iverson, Old Town Souls have a vocal growl to do just that. At the mid-point, a big echoing riff acts as the protagonists last attempt to hold everything together before the effortless jingle-jangle drifts away along with the relationship.

In This life

There has been a lot psyche music of late, but few acts manage to insert guts and glory into their efforts. The rolling riff on ‘In This Life’ hints at a haziness, much like Oasis circa ‘To Be Where There’s Life’ and ‘The Turning’.

Without going full tilt on the trippy aspects allows their soul and Dr Feelgood side to come through. It gives everything a sense of adrenaline and need to breakout of their surroundings which music folk from the suburbs have so often adored.  

Gluing everything together on this murky Oasis circa are, what can only be described as kick ass drums.

Figure It Out

A gritty, tale of city life where confusion and despondency reign supreme. Anyone familiar with Iverson’s former band Dogs, will recognise their Orwellian spirit taking a starring role here. Yes, everything is shit, but it’s all we have so we’re going to run with it.

As ‘Figure It Out’ grows, so does an undeniable sense of victory. It refuses to let the bastards grind them down and, in the closing moments, the togetherness doesn’t just rise, it swarms all over you, demanding a two finger salute to anyone trying to supress your dreams.

Now You’re Not Around

At points, this track will lead you to the edge but sadly, doesn’t really take off. It just doesn’t have that solo, or killer riff exploding into life to keep you coming back.

Sisteray - 15 Minutes

After witnessing their cracking set at the Camden Assembly recently, TT decided to check out the London four piece's new EP 15 Minutes. Here is our track by track rundown:

Queen’s English

This twos and throws from rock n roll and punk to pretty good effect. It has enough swagger to reel in the Kasabian crowd but enough spikiness to alert the punk rockers.

There are times when the prose of Pete Doherty or Richard Hawley can be all that is needed to enrich the soul with their Blake-esque tales of Albion. Sometimes though, there is desperate need for youthful angst ridden social comment and ‘Queen’s English’ is most definitely that.

Kicking and screaming at everything the Tories have delivered in the past 7 years, Sisteray remind us of the class divide and how the other half expect us to live:

“Taught to live within our means / swap our dreams for repayment dreams”

The next ten years cannot be about Noel Gallagher again. They cannot be about Foals. It needs to be desperate, furious and all gut instinct once more.

Nostalgia Trip

Having defined who and where they come from, Sisteray lead on to who they are going to destroy. The past. The UK’s musical taste, on the fringes at least, has always been something to be proud of. The various scenes, labels and club nights springing up in pockets of Cities and suburbs has always been progressive. That is, until the past decade when the arse fell out of the industry.

The alternative scene has no TOTP’s outlet and the alternative scene is awash with middle class acts because the working classes have been priced out and ignored by the industry. The concept of building stars for the future seems lost, with the exception of John Kennedy, a few at BBC6 and This Feeling (the greatest club night and tv channel going).

Faaast Food

Musically, there is a slight disconnect between the great Coxon-esque riffs and the droll vocal delivery. Nevertheless, it’s another great swipe at the plastic 100mph lifestyle of the culturally vapid:

“Fame comes cheap / When you’re the scrap heap / Roaming round the jungle / To earn your keep”

Famous For Nothing

On Matt Forde’s Political Party podcast, Michael Portillo joked last year that if he remains on the BBC for another 5 years he is half way to becoming a national treasure. He’s right. Making quaint shows about trains has admonished his greedy Thatcherite voting record.

The same scenario has developed for the “stars” of Towie and Made In Chelsea. From our standpoint, a fart in a lift is never getting better with time. So, whilst some may say Sisteray’s rhetoric is old hat, we say it’s more needed than ever. The attack on their fake tan emptiness draws a line in the sand and demands everyone to pick their sides.

White Knuckle Joyride

All the angst and hatred of modern society fades away as this free flowing rock n roll number gives life to a more hedonistic realm.

The ending is nothing short of mesmerising. It has the escapist stadium friendliness of Oasis’ ‘Slide Away’, the cascading frenzy of BRMC’s ‘Whatever Happened To My Rock n Roll’ and all the joy of Charlatan’s all encompassing ‘Sproyston Green’.

Jordan Allen - 110 Ways to Make Things Better EP

The rock n roll outfit from Bolton have returned with this 3 track EP to raise money for The Brain Tumour Charity. Here's our track by track guide:

110 Ways To Make Things Better

This is a rock n roll staple for the Bolton outfit. It’s not making any classic lists soon, but, every time they return, the momentum and positivity they bring to the table keeps rumbling forwards. The guitars are upbeat and when you see the charisma of Allen live, the penny will drop.

Imperial Leather Drama

Allen’s visceral vocals are so resounding that, it's as though he is standing on the ledge of building with no fear. This is also the first real glimpse of a guitar solo which blissfully carts you away. The relief it provides from this tense affair cannot be understated. There is a long journey ahead but, if they continue to blend the fury with the beautiful it’s going to be one hell of a ride.

Rosie

In the mould of early Arctic Monkeys Little Man Tate and The View, ‘Rosie’ is a jaunty indie romp which, if you can't smile at, then we assume you are Piers Morgan and a prick.

Jordan Allen live at Chinnerys, Southend

It was a dank and dark Monday night in Southend, everything about it said ‘tough gig’ Bolton’s Jordan Allen supporting The Sherlocks. From the opening notes of ‘Dancing In The Dark’, it’s clear that Chinnerys stage was being owned by one only act tonight.

Allen is still finding his feet, has an array of influences, ranging from Little Man Tate to Courteeners to Fat White Family. However, what shines through is their confidence, ambition and remarkable ability to play at such a young age.

New single ‘110 Ways To Make Things Better’, is played with great spirit and, by the time Allen snarls the great lyric ‘you got to resurrect your reputation’, the Essex crowd is clearly on board with their dogma.

’Rosie’, didn’t garner the interaction they were after but, a bellowing Brixton Academy looms for this infectious indie number. They ended on ‘Helter Skelter’, which, has set opener written all over it once they established. The Strokes-esque guitars are begging for a beer lobbing frenzy.

Standing out a mile was former single ‘White Lines’. How can a man so young produce something so brooding and accessible? It takes the darkness of Fat White Family and morphs it with the psyche-punk that shone so brightly for Oasis in their formative years.

This obviously early days for Allen and his band but, the spotlight is there for the taking as long as the focus remains.

The Slow Revolt – Sketches

Aiming to become Peckham's finest export since Del Boy is Joe Mirza, aka The Slow Revolt. He recently released the Sketches EP. Here's our track by track review:

Lean

The spirit of Bon Iver’s debut album is invoked with the infectious guitar riffs on this EP opener. Vocally, you’d be forgiven for thinking this was a hidden Jeff Buckley track. The upwards inflections lend a pleasant riff a anxiety which lifts ‘Lean’ above his peers.

Stitched Hearts

The more measured and downbeat approach taken showcases Slow Revolt at their best. It allows for the intricate vocal harmonies to bounce around the subtle production as if they are one in the same thing.

The looping keys deliver a tension which rub against the angelic vocals expertly. The feeling that this melancholic Everything Everything-esque number will explode into life or sink further into despair constantly looms with this loop but neither outcome emerges. Yet another indicator that brave song writing will define their future.

Messina

Perhaps Mirza’s most soulful effort to date. The feeling stems from the recurring line “the plague is mine” with a rawness rarely seen in the electronic genre.

Small Fires

You’d be forgiven for thinking Burial had a downbeat pop track on Small Fires. The beats and synths, although firmly from the world of Burial, are delivered immaculately. Furthermore, set to these sublime vocals, it raises itself into more accessible realm of industrial music than perhaps the brooding genius of Burial ever could. 

Paul Draper – EP 2

Former Mansun Paul Draper returned earlier this year with EP One. He is back again with, yep, you guessed it, EP Two. here's our track by track review:

Friends Make The Worst Enemies

Draper’s ability to make grandiose anthems sound twisted and brooding has not diminished one iota. This EP opener will drag you in into his world of distrust head first and scream in your face until you understand that he “feels like my life is imploding”.

The way he tempers bravado with helplessness creates a unique world light at the end of the tunnel doesn’t exist.

Some Things Are Best Left Unsaid

The tender, yet wayward vocal begins to forge a calmer path following the intense storm that is ‘Friends Make The Worst Enemies’. With this clarity though, comes a bout of regret through the simple yet damming line:

“I wish I had told you when we first met”

This line, like the song, is so simple and so effective. Commuters the world over will be glued to the landscape drifting by them out the window pondering the whys and hows of secrets they should never have kept.

Don’t You Wait, It Might Never Come

For those who grew up with Mansun in the mid-90s, they will undoubtedly have their younger selves and dreams sound tracked by the ambition and hopefulness embodied by Oasis’ ‘Live Forever’.

Now their youth is behind them, a sense of last chance saloon is something that will appeal to those whose lives have not panned out as planned. That’s where this track comes in. Four minutes of frantic desperate rock n roll spew out of this last roll of the dice and it doesn’t disappoint.

Friends Make The Worst Enemies (Acoustic)

So often, acoustic versions of the lead track are just filler. Not here. Draper’s solemn version of the opener adds much needed sonic ballast to this delightfully unsteady EP.

Furthermore, the softer vocal allows the lyrics to sound more like a tale from a deeply wounded elder statesman full of resentment.

Cabbage – Uber Capatalist Death Trade

There should be no doubts right now, Cabbage are the best band in the UK right now. Here’s our track by track review of their scintillating EP:

Uber Capatalist Death Trade

Danger lurks around every corner with an unerring confidence and originality, the like not seen since The Libertines in 2002. The power and ferociousness on display here will make recent excellent work of Palma Violets seem old hat.

It has everything to unite the alternative world. Blistering guitars for the mainstream Radio X crowd, feral post-punk vocals a la Lydon with PiL, and biting lyrics to boot.

Fickle

All the stomp and pomposity of the recent Arctic Monkeys albums is made to look irrelevant in this 5min affair. This is a fragile juggernaut rampaging its way around town with a bottle of port in one hand a sledgehammer in the other hand.

The opening is a death storming stomp, the lyrics are dark humour at its best and the guitars, well, they are crazed and escapist, they raucous and offensive. This does it all!

Tell Me Lies About Manchester

Hilarious from start to finish. A tale of a monster bullshitter, bigger than Jay Carwright and Del Boy put together who claims:

“I've had a pint with every member of The Fall”

And

“Rowetta rubs my feet”.

BBC6 stalwart marc Riley recently told the NME that Cabbage are the rightful heir to Happy Mondays throne. He is not wrong. The music grooves along with the wayward effortlessness embodied by the Mancunian icons and embodies the wit and charm of Shaun’s great lyrics on ‘Bummerd’.

Free Steven Avery (Wrong America)

Musically, this is most light hearted on the EP. It’s a spritely thigh slapping pub song. Fittingly then, the lyrics are cutting and profess to killing Donald Trump.

The Treatment - Treatment

Nothing this aggressive has ever emerged from Cambridge surely? The Treatment have the spite of Slaves but combine with the style and substance of The Horrors and The Doors.

Here is our track by track review of their self-titled and FREE EP (available here http://treatment1.bandcamp.com/releases):

The Dead Whale

A dark brooding assault of distortion combines with a Joy Division riff on the opener. Mid-way through, comes a surprisingly uplifting section hinting that chart domination may soon follow. This is closely trailed by a killer baseline as the song draws to an end.

Pride On The Fire

A glorious ode to The Fall via The Horrors circa ‘Sheena Is A Parasite’.

Aboriginal Splendour

Imagine Franz Ferdinand’s catchy guitars and baselines given an injection of fury and you’ll be carted to your favourite sweat dripping venue for this banger.

Last Mirror

The rage drops some gears but lurks dangerously throughout. Especially as it builds towards the Libertines’ ‘I Get Along’ territory before resetting to their own unique guitar part.

Beyond Hunger

The EP closes with baselines reminiscent of Dogs’ debut album ‘Turn Against This Land’ combine with distorted post punk vocals to create another menacing gem. 

Whistlejacket – Oh Brother

The Fierce Panda label have unearthed another beauty in the London five piece Whistlejacket. Championed by both Simone Marie and Faris Badwan, they are band destined to join the rock n roll psychedelic elite sooner rather than later.

Here is our run through of their new four track EP:

Oh Brother

This opener takes the swirling psyche of Temples and injects it with Primal Scream’s sense of counter culture. Its big riff is demonic and intent on partying at the gates of hell.

Lyrically, ‘Oh Brother’ tells you all you need to know about their head-space, they don’t give a shit. As cinemas gear up to embrace the Gallagher's at their peak, this song feels an apt modern day nod to this spirit.

GB Ache

Another set of heavy hitting guitars combine with distant vocals on this Broken Hands meets latter day Arctic Monkeys effort. Throw in the bugged out production and the etchings of something special are clearly materialising on the horizon.

Hotter Than Heaven

The immediacy dissipates but it feels like they're searching for it at times. However, when it lets go, a beguiling, fuzzy and understated guitar solo emerges in the closing seconds to redeem itself.

March Hare

If this were a Facebook status it would state:

"when a band pulls everything together to create magic"

Combining the distinctive guitar work of The Cure at their peak with everything great about The Horrors, Whistlejacket have found their groove. Doing everything at once is a commendable effort but an almost impossible trick to pull off consistently. Allowing everything its space lifts them from 'great support band' to 'get the fuck out of the way, its our time'.

Paul Draper – EP ONE

Feeling My Heart Run Slow

Draper’s voice hasn’t lost its edge. Noel Gallagher does big chord changes to convey escapism, well, Draper does it via his vocals on this track.

Draper channels his previous art with Mansun against electronic production from Underworld’s repertoire. Throw in a resplendent psyche guitar solo three minutes in and this is everything Mansun fans will have craved for a decade.

No Ideas (feat. Steve Wilson)

Draper is again on fine form as he creates a Bond-esque song. A Bond that is wired at 4am that is.

When they dark production collides with repeat of “because ive got no ideas”, this track becomes that much more sinister. The protagonist is oozing a deep lying sense of frustration and depression and has clearly had enough.

The Silence Is Deafening

Unfortunately, at too many junctures, this is Duran Duran. Some of the electronic production threatens to give this track its edge but never does.

Overall, two out of three is the message for this EP (not including the decent remix of Feeling My Heart Run Slow by Twiglight Sad). ‘FMHRS’ and ‘No Ideas’ both offer glimpses of Mansun’s past but, crucially, they propel Draper into where he is now. The last track fails on all fronts for TT but there is more than enough to be excited about for the album later this year.

Seazoo – Jumbo

The Wrexham outfit are back with yet another EP. Here is our track by track analysis:

The Heart of Hercules

This is all about its production values. It has the melodic nature of Delphic’s debut but waltzes along an alternative 90s US indie line. The combination serves up sublime pop music itching to sit alongside Beyonce and One Direction on radio playlists.

Telephone Jones

‘Telephone Jones’ steers away from pure pop music and moves towards indie territory. The results, scintillating. The Church organ opens affairs and lays the platform for dirge guitars to blast out the traps.

The real magic though comes from the guitars and the insatiable spirit they deliver. Remember as a kid when you run against the wind with your coat above your head? Remember when you made yourself dizzy for the sheer fun of it? Well, combine the two and throw in a jaeger bomb and the spirit of this song will become clear.

Tenterhooks

Subtly, this a more subdued track which has familiar feel to it. It's that pair of boxer shorts you cannot part with because they’re so good to you on long arduous journeys.

Musically it has all the same elements of the previous two tracks but just dialled a little. It allows you to feel great but without the need to scream about it and thus, a perfect tonic after the opening tracks.

Pictures

There's a lot to be said about the final track but mainly, the words “that guitar part” should cover it. It loops over and over so beautifully, its almost unbearable. If it were a line from a film it would be:

It has a childish glee to it which, if played over a montage of a dear departed would bring tears of joy, not sadness.

 The main thing to take away from 'Jumbo' is the unique ability it has to sound crazy but achievable. If bugged out production was to be thought about in punk rock accessibility terms, then this is the starting point for anyone curious.

The EP is available to buy and listen to on their bandcamp page:

https://seazoo.bandcamp.com/