Sleeper: Kentish Town Forum, London

When Sleeper reformed, it was always going to be fun for everyone to take a trip down memory lane. They’re one of the greats of their era. When they announced a new album, the nerves jangled more, then ‘The Modern Age’ came out and rivals, if not surpasses anything they’ve ever done. So, could they bring the new album to life live? You bet your Saturday hairdo they could!

When a band is tagged to a scene such as Sleeper were to Britpop, there is a danger the energy of those songs can fade. It can never be the same again right? No one told Jon Stewart. His playing is bolder on ‘Statuesque’ and more aggressive on ‘Delicious’ than ever before.

Some bands are about the collective, and some, however humbly they deny it, are about the front person. Sleeper are that band and Louise Wener is said icon. Daenerys Targaryen has nothing on Wener. Her vocals on ‘What Do I Do Now’ transport everyone back to the heartache of teenage years. However, it’s on the new material she really comes alive. As the trippy guitars WHAT SONG revolve around north London, Wener subtly deploys her knowing and sexy vocals to crushing effect. No one is left in any doubt just how fucked up the times we live in by the end.

Too many bands deliberately deploy a dip, in order to bring the crowd back up. Frankly, it’s annoying! Sleeper seem fully aware, there just simply isn’t any let up. The crowd is fully on board with the new material, no time for piss breaks! When they deployed multiple disco balls during ‘Atomic’/’Love Will Tear Us Apart’, cystitis seemed worth risking to be honest.

As they closed the night out with the classic ‘Sale Of The Century’, an air of desperation arises. The dawning realisation that they might disappear for another 22 years led to everyone’s soul being laid bare in the Forum.

If that’s all she wrote for Sleeper, it was even more joyous second time round!

Our 8th birthday party is Friday 2nd August at the New Cross Inn. Click the image below for tickets:

Ghost//Signals – A Bag For Death

Newcastle-based four-piece Ghost Signals have returned with their new single ‘A Bag For Death’. Much like Fierce Panda’s Sad Boys Club, they are making waves with their Cure inspired pop music.

Vocally, Rick Lanning has a great ability to impart elements of so many of the 00s greats. Its Preston (The Ordinary Boys) at his pop finest, there’s the fluidity of Joel Stoker (The Rifles) and the warmth of Liam Fray (The Courteeners) circulating throughout.

Musically, it unashamedly reaches for glory with The Cure as its foundations. It has the hallmarks of The Rifles and The Courteeners at their freest flowing. Setting such an awe inspiring sonic to a tale of toxic masculinity in society still burying its head on mental health is highly commendable.

Already a must see in act in Newcastle, Ghosts//Signals look set to achieve wider success with this heartfelt portrayal of a universal problem.

Dont forget our 8th birthday party extravaganza, tickets available via the image below

Skint & Demoralised - Boro Kitchen 4am

It’s been six years since we last saw Matt Abbott and David Gledhill in the guise of Skint & Demoralised. After three albums (the first two pop classics), Abbott established himself as one the UK’s finest spoken word performers, whilst Gledhill was working on his SOULS project. Amid the mire of Brexit, they’ve returned with new single ‘Boro Kitchen 4am’.

When they burst onto the indie scene in 2007, they were churning out classics such as ‘Red Lipstick’ and ‘It’s Only Been A Week’ as if it was second nature. They were songs that only a teenager could have written, even the darker moments were full of hope. Now they are 30, the hope has strayed into rage filled social observations worthy of Joe Strummer.

From the Sleaford Mods school of post-punk despair, Abbott’s vocal is at its most violent to date. Lyrically cutting and insightful, it gets to the crux of the Brexit conundrum and its endless contradictions.

Musically, someone has turned Art Brut’s amp setting to spiteful. Riffs and hooks not only aplenty, but they come at you like a flurry of punches. Maximo Park’s reinvention on their ‘The National Health’ album was rightly lauded. After hearing ‘Boro Kitchen 4am’, the rule book on how to re-invent yourself as an anarchic and poetic force has been re-written.

Their live dates at The Social (London 11th April) and The Great Escape Festival (Brighton) are not to be missed.

*Image coutesy of Kelly Harrison

Dont forget our 8th birthday party extravaganza, tickets available via the image below

Desperate Journalist: The Garage, London

It’s been a week since Desperate Journalist packed the Garage in North London. We’re still reeling! Make no mistakes, Desperate Journalist are the real deal, they know it, that audience knew it, now, the world must too.

When you have a pop anthem like ‘Why Are You So Boring?’ in your locker, you save it for the climatic end right? Bollocks to that, they blasted it out second and sent London’s eyeliner massive into a frenzy. How do you follow that? With a soul crushing performance of ‘Jonatan’, that’s how.

On this Wolf Alice meets The Cult track, front woman Jo Bevan details the loss of a close friend. Bevan’s style has always been from pure and raw but, the courage she summons to deliver this heartfelt ode is breath taking. As she repeats ‘Jonatan’ at the songs close, Bevan transcends music. It’s so powerful, and so honest, this packed crowd is grieving as one.

Their recent singles ‘Cedars’ and ‘Satellite’ have seen guitarist Rob Hardy shine as bright as Bevan on record. There is a buzz in-between the support acts about this. Just how good are his solos going to be? Their escapist qualities were undeniable but, they highlighted just how much of gang Desperate Journalist are. There was no trundling through both songs to let Hardy take the limelight. If anything, on ‘Cedars’ he wielded his power with a humbleness that made Bevan look even more iconic.

Sometimes, after a great show (and this was), you are left wondering, where do a band go from here? Should they just bow out in a glorious fashion? For Desperate Journalist, even three albums in, this felt like a beginning. Only bigger and greater things are going to come their way.

Come at the King – Shudder

London’s Come at the King returned on the 29th March with their new track ‘Shudder’.

This is the kind of record latter day Oasis attempted on their last record with ‘Bag It Up’ and ‘Waiting For The Rapture’. Sadly, Noel could never quite land the kind of slow menacing psyche track synonymous with their friends BRMC.

Come at the King have hit upon the desolation of BRMC and the dirty riffs of early Black Keys on this slow building number. It’s an impressive effort for a fledgling band but, arguably, just one crushing solo away from glory.

Catch them live at Modern Age’s London date on 12th April at 229.

Japan Review – Juno

Adam O’Sullivan formed Japan Review five years ago and, now, after several members have come and gone, has settled into a writing partnership with Dom Ashton on their new EP ‘Juno’.

Pop simplicity and drone-rock or noise-gaze are not things that marry well together often. On opener ‘Soviet Happy’, Japan Review have come pretty close. O’Sullivan’s lo-fi vocals have a lazy Lou Reed style and the main riff saunters along like The Horrors in a good mood. The droning psyche howl at the beginning gives it a much needed ‘anything could happen’ feel before the sumptuous Depeche Mode synth hooks come in to melt even the coldest of hearts.

The 5am lo-fi feel flows throughout the EP. ‘Say Hi To Juno’ effortlessly floats on by with the eloquence of Beach House. ‘Sealand F.C.’ has a raw demo of Lemonjelly feel to it whilst ‘Inertia’ has hazier mood.

‘Inertia’ signifies a bright future for Japan Review. It’s reach for something more life affirming will evoke memories of all-nighters with your best friends where, tomorrow, nothing will ever be the same again. It’s like a stripped back TV On The Radio making a Velvet Underground record in the 21st century.

‘Say Hi To Juno’, treads a similar line. The revolving synths soaring through pain and elation simultaneously. They have Mogwai’s ability to torture and nourish the soul in one achingly blistering piece of art.

If Japan Review show as much ambition live as they do on this EP, they’re going to be wowing audiences for a very long time.

*Image courtesy of Edward Green

MOSES - I Think You Worry Too Much

Moses are steadily becoming the success story with which all bands knocking around pub back rooms should take inspiration from. At the brink of splitting, they came back with the kick ass indie-punk singles 'Cause You Got Me' and 'River Thames' in 2018. They've since been signed to These Bloody Thieves and are soundtracking Rio Ferdinand's film '90 Minutes'. Good things do happen to good people.

They're back again with their new single 'I Think You Worry Too Much'. A much more laid back affair than their previous efforts. Adorable and infectious, the early work of The Kooks springs to mind. As ever with MOSES though, an integrity and earnestness shines through their work, setting them apart from their peers. The tag 'lifer' was invented for people like MOSES. Whether it be Brixton Academy or Water Rats, they will bring the honesty shown on this single to anyone who does or doesn’t care.

Musically, this is the first time we have seen the London outfit move away from their Art Brut meets Blur crash bang wallop sound. Everything about this single hook laden. The Funk of the bass and the glam-stomp drums clear the pathway for anthemic chorus and the almost dreampop jangle of guitars.

In times of such division, MOSES might just be the tonic of togetherness to knit us all back together again.

*Image courtesy of Ana Banica

James Dey – Spring EP

Following on from his superb debut album 'The Night Time', Leeds based James Dey is back with the first of four new EP's. All centered around the four seasons, Dey begins, unsurprisingly with spring.

They say timing is everything in music. So, how apt that, last week, Dey released his 'Spring EP' as spring sprung. Dey has tapped into the most beatific moments of Badly Drawn Boy's career on 'Ebb and Flow' and the instant classic 'Faintly But Surely'. The former, eloquently portraying the gentle awakening of life and the breeding of hope. A week on from watching a million people march on Westminster, it couldn't feel more appropriate.

Meanwhile, 'Faintly But Surely', delivers Spring's message of hope with a directness that's undeniable. As Dey infectiously sings 'change is coming', it's hard to not to get lost in the mire of current affairs. Nevertheless, his ability to keep everything light, allows a brightness to grasp your attention more than anything else.

On the EP closer 'The First Swifts', Dey taps into the vocal prowess of Simon Fowler in his Merymouth days and the work of Ian Matthews in Plainsong. There is an earnest and everyday reality filtering through the feather light folk music. Never resting on his melodic laurels, Dey has channelled Turin Breaks with a delightfully awkward and catchy riff.

Dey tempers the hope that Spring brings with the almost downtrodden drudgery of everyday life in 'The 7:42am'. The monotony of a commute, familiar to millions, can be lifted by the spring weather, but alas, we all feel we're missing out going off to make someone else money. The way in which Dey captures the essence of watching the world go by on the train brings Noah & The Whale's brief but illustrious career to mind.

When Badly Drawn Boy's debut 'Hour of the Bewilderbeast', it rightly changed the music landscape we lived in. Evocative, emotive and challenging, it reimagined what alternative pop music could be. James Dey's 'Spring EP' is a great homage to that legacy. In true Spring fashion, has us eager for Dey's future releases.

*Image courtesy of Mike Turner

The Claim: 100 Club, London

Celebrating the re-release of their 1988 album ‘Boomy Tella’ and, the release of the new single ‘Journey’, Kent’s The Claim headlined the 100 Club in London this past Saturday night.

Along with ‘Journey’, they aired other new songs ‘Just Too Far’, ‘Dear’ and ‘Hercules’. All of which retained their razor sharp Medway roots and continued to find interesting ways to deliver pop hooks.

Their classic ‘Birth of Teenager’, knits the support of Treasures of Mexico and Jasmine Minks together with is dark lyrics and infectious melodies.  

On ‘Boomy Tella’ album opener ‘Not So Simple Sharon Says’, The Smiths’ 60s British kitchen sink drama imagery is displayed gloriously. Dave Read’s vocal’s, although vastly different in sound, have Mozza’s knack in finding great and unexpected vocal hooks.

The pop majesty just kept coming has they dived into their back catalogue on ‘Lonely Tarts’ and ‘Between Heaven and Woolworths’. When David Arnold gets his hazy jingle jangle via Mod’s immediacy going like this, it’s easy to imagine what a young Graham Coxon was listening to before ‘Modern Life Is Rubbish’. Just how did roaring success pass them by?

However, there was no place to be wayward or cynical at this gig. So rare are their live shows that, their credibility and integrity just continues to grow in their absence. Now, with new material shining on its debut London outing, the new album cannot come soon enough (May 24th)

*Image courtesy of https://twitter.com/akumulator_uk

Jasmine Minks: 100 Club, London

Former Creation Records pioneers Jasmine Minks returned to the 100 Club this past Saturday to support Kent brothers in arms The Claim.

They came out of the traps firing with the punk funk masterclass of ‘Think!’, the righteous ‘Work For Nothing’ and ‘Where The Traffic Goes’. The latter showcasing just how great Tom Reid is on the drums.

They’re back promoting a new double a-side ‘Step by Step’ and ‘Gravity’. ‘Step By Step’ (Reid on vox) walked right back into 1988’s classic ‘Another Age’ sound.  The “take life by the horns” attitude brings the London crowd both physically and mentally out their shell. The positive spirit in the room is almost tangible. ‘Gravity’, with Jim Shepherd back on vocals, is equally as uplifting but, takes a more measured approach.

As if with so many from the early Creation Records days, jingle jangle guitars underpinning 60s art pop was crucial to the records. The performances of ‘Time For You’ and ‘Poppy White’ demonstrate that the Minks were among the best exponents.  On ‘Cut Me Deep’, it’s easy to see where fellow Scottish bands The Orchids and Teenage Fanclub took their inspiration from.

There is so much to admire about this set from their catalogue both old and new. Former Television Personalities keyboardist Dave Musker further enriches the evening with a touching tribute to the unwell Dan Treacy. However, in ‘Cold Heart’, they have a stone cold classic. Smiles beam from ear to ear as this sun kissed anthem gently meanders its way to the hearts of the London crowd.

Be sure to catch them at The Islington on 20th April!

*Images courtesy of the band

Treasures of Mexico : 100 Club, London

With former members of The Dentists in the band, Chatham’s Treasures of Mexico were always going to light up the 100 Club this past Saturday. Their penchant for sun kissed tunes displayed in full force as they supported the legendary Jasmine Minks and The Claim.

From opener ‘Holding Pattern’ to set closer ‘She’ll Never Get Over Me’, the Kent outfit hit a sweet spot, effortlessly rumbling along like The Feelies, circa ‘Good Earth’. With Bob Collins on lead guitar, they had the ability to step out from the shadows of gentle indie. Whether it’s Weller on the attack or the effortless psyche-jangle of the Fanclub’s Norman Blake on ‘Avalanche’ or ‘The Last Thing’, it’s clear Collins still has the “it” factor.  

During ‘The Last Thing’ and ‘She’ll Never Get Over Me’, front man Mark Matthews threatens a Mark E Smith menace that doesn’t quite materialise. It’s a tantalising piece of brilliance. As the melodic sunshine unfurled, an angst loitered and had the crowd on tenterhooks. The not knowing whether a punk fury was going to breakout of these perfect pop songs was exhilarating.

It’s on ‘Supercute’ where everything comes together for them. Matthews has tapped in to the romanticism of Spector girl groups and Lawrence from Felt, Collins has licks and solos to redefine the C86 movement and in Secret Affair drummer Russ Baxter, they have a melodic beat keeping behemoth.

You will be hard pressed to find a band this good, third on the bill of any gig for the rest of the year.

*Image courtesy of https://twitter.com/akumulator_uk

Sleeper - The Modern Age

When Sleeper bowed out in 1998, it was with a huge amount of integrity and credibility. Feeling the creative well had dried up, and not willing to flog a dead horse, they said an emotional farewell at Brixton Academy.

However, with the kids reaching their teens, and the loss of someone close to front-woman Louise Wener, the itch to take risks came to the fore. Calling in their unofficial member Stephen Street to helm the studio once more, they set off to Metway Studios. Would they roll a 6?

Despite fan affection for their third album ‘Pleased To Meet You’, their ability to be musically and lyrically incisive as they were on the classics ‘The IT Girl’ and ‘Smart’ was fading.  ‘The Modern Age’ however, sees Wener rediscover her razor-sharp observations. ‘Look At You Now’, neatly signifies the times and their lack of reason “I hear your anger and howls of hate / With so little reason wit so little faith”.

Musically, there is much to cling to for long-time fans. Jon Stewart has found his inner Graham Coxon on opener ‘Paradise Waiting’ and ‘Cellophane’ and, on ‘Blue Like You’, there is an element of Teenage Fanclub glorious rumbling away. It’s the introduction of synths and psyche at various points which keep everything fresh. The production on ‘Look At You Now’ adds a devilment to this sexy Pixies-esque anthem.

The real progress though is made on ‘The Sun Also Rises’ and title track ‘The Modern Age’. The former, adopts the swirling spirit of Reverend and The Makers ‘Silence Is Talking’. As the cheery haziness unfurls, a new Sleeper is born. A sexier, wiser, and more psychedelic Sleeper!

On the title track, Wener takes her songwriting to the next level. She always had Weller and Davies’ ability to create uniquely British characters. This is on display yet again but, here, the emotion is ramped up to the max. Seemingly about the close friend she lost, an aching beauty unfolds as our fleeting existence materialises. The inner torment this must’ve taken to convey so elegantly and, in such a happy-sounding song is a reminder of music’s power. Listen to this song 100 times, you’ll feel something different every time.

At every turn on ‘The Modern Age’, Sleeper have added something to their armoury. The guitars are beefier, the synths crisp and the psyche new. For all the charm they carried in the 90s, they are no one’s understudy anymore. This feels like the record they were born to make.

Cabbage – Torture

In the run up to their debut album, Cabbage played a string of shows where, for half a set, they would blow crowds away with their wobbled synth-punk-psyche. The other half, would fall flat. Sadly, this filtered into the album too. The early menace of the ‘Le Chou’ and ‘Uber Capitalist Death Trade’ started to dissipate, and so, this comeback single is a big moment for them. Can they recapture the glory?

In short, not exactly. The fire and wobble of guitars and synths as faded to a new take on Phil Spector pop. Clearer and more distinct, they’ve found a way for their lyrical bullets to be fired without anyone really noticing.

History often repeats itself in some form or another. ‘Torture’ has the hallmarks of Pulp’s 1996 classics ‘Mis-Shapes’ and ‘Common People’. The target is firmly on the Tories and their years of austerity. Like their Sheffield peers, they’ve shrouded their attack in a singalong masterclass. SO vibrant, so catchy, and armed to the teeth bombs to attack the “6 toed born to rule pony fuckers”.

Musically though, just where have they plucked this 60s girl group meets Manchester psyche classic from? It’s not that weren’t capable, its just so spectacular good. Please let this be the single that breaks through on to Radio 1 a-list. Let this sit in-between Khalid and 1975. Some will say this is distorting the norm, we say bollocks! This was always the norm! ‘Cigarettes and Alcohol’ meshed in between Ace of Base and Whigfield, splice of life!

Embrace: The Roundhouse, London

For some bands, anniversary album gigs serve merely as financial gain and play on people's nostalgia. However, there are exceptions, where the pure spirits of rock n roll find a new lease of life. Primal Scream's re-imagining of 'Screamadelica', eight years on is still the benchmark. Incorporating the best pieces of club culture post '91 into an album set that launched a lot of them, it was a revolving door of Balearic fantasy wonderland past and present.

This past Friday night, Embrace played to a sold out Roundhouse in Camden to mark the 21st birthday of their debut 'The Good Will Out'. Now, they may not have pushed the boundaries like the Primals, but, there was a humility and a connection with flowing from stage to crowd and back again that few have achieved.

This connection reached its summit at the albums mid-point. 'Higher Sights' and 'Retread', are often overlooked for their albums opening three anthems 'All You Good Good People, 'My Weakness Is None Of Your Business', and 'Come Back What To What You Know'. On this night though, it's clear, Embrace fans have all been living similar lives. Such is there power to evoke memories of heartache and find inspiration to carry on, they serve as collective comfort blanket.

Danny McNamara is like a man possessed singing “Will you fight? / Let's see you fight”. There is power oozing from him rarely seen in front men, especially ones so successful. He still has that “one of you” tag about him. Humble and appreciative to the plight of the crowd, he carries everyone along with him to another plain.

Another of the overlooked numbers for live sets is 'That's All Changed Forever'. When you have classics like 'Fireworks' and 'Good Will Out' in your armoury, there can be no complaints for not seeing it on stage. On a night when people are inevitably looking back to the the late 90s, its sentiment carries extra poignancy. It could have only been written by those in the throws of youth. Pleading and defiant simultaneously, this tale of “you'll see” post break up is undoubtedly invoking that first love or the one that got away. It's even harder not to raise a wry smile at almost vengeful last line “Cause you don't know better than me”. We probably didn't.

The credibility Embrace carried through the set was largely due to their two quality albums since their re-emergence in 2014. They didn't need tonight, financially or critically. Danny's reaction to 'Retread; was “oh I forgot how much I like this one”. Despite being key to their success, it was though he won the lottery and got to front Embrace tonight.

Gazelle – Guilt Trip Gun

Leicester’s Gazelle have been on a roll this year, playing with Sugarthief at This Feeling’s nights. ‘Guilt Trip Gun’ is their first release of the year and, that roll is picking up speed.

It has the hallmarks of Noel Gallagher’s classic song-writing style. Notions of melancholy and self-doubt are coupled with the bravery to jump off the edge and stick two fingers up to the world. It’s a beefy single, images of chests out and fists aloft as beers fly all around are immediate. However, cutting through the bravado is, an almost gentile solo from the John Squire’s ‘Sally Cinnamon’ and ‘Mersey Paradise’ era.

The evanescent flow will rekindle the birth of The Courteeners and The Rifles a decade ago. The hope and inspiration they offered before the financial crash was the soundtrack to so many teenage escapist dreams. Thank god, amid the endless tripe of Brexit, Gazelle have tapped in to that feeling.

Golden Fable – Hold True

North Wales’ Golden Fable have returned with their new single ‘Hold True’. Released last week on Full of Joy Records to praise from Elbow’s Guy Garvey, it looks set to catapult them in to a wider UK consciousness.

Having joined forces with North Wales’ orchestra NEW Sinfonia, they have created something truly striking with the strings. They’re hook laden and jagged, and when they serve as alternative to a guitar solo, thoughts of surpassing ‘Bittersweet Symphony’ will enter your mind-set.

It’s ambitious culture clash but, it’s one full of love with Rebecca Joy’s vocals and Jonathon Guy’s feather like touch on the guitar.

Ignore this if you can!

Death Valley Girls : The Victoria, London

LA’s Death Valley Girls recently released their triumphant second album ‘Darkness Rains’ and, this past Wednesday, they played a sold out Victoria in Dalston.

For any new fans in the crowd, the sight of Bobby Gillespie in the room would have enhanced the anticipation of their arrival on stage. From the opening notes of ‘Abre Camino’ to set closer’ Seis Seis Seis’, Death Valley Girls redefined what it is to be a dangerous rock n roll band.

The power and raw sexual energy of The Stooges ‘Raw Power’ album flowed through them throughout.  Bonnie Bloomgarden is awash with glorious juxtapositions. Innocent and venomous, welcoming and dangerous. She is Poly Styrene and PJ Harvey wrapped up in 5ft of punk-psyche glory!

In Larry Schemel, they have perhaps the most humble and giving guitar player in the world. Stood almost off stage, he allowed the spot light to be focused purely on the rest of the band as their strutted and danced their way to the hearts of the London crowd. A remarkable feat when you consider that, his solos were akin to an occult taking over.

Despite the power and the darkness that emanated through the set, a sense of love and togetherness was always at their core. Accentuated on ‘Disco’, their Modern Lovers meets Blondie romp.

This was a firm reminder that, if you open your mind, rock n roll is still a dangerous and explorative field for artists to create in.

Ghosts of Social Networks - My Lucifer

Ghosts of Social Networks is the brain child of Nathan Till. Based in Manchester, he is backed by Nico Maccarinelli (drums), Andrea Gobbi (bass) and John Miles (guitar). After selling out the iconic Castle Hotel, they’re back with their new EP ‘My Lucifer’

We’ve lost count in recent years the amount of bands announcing Radiohead as an influence. It’s almost as if they want the kudos without any real connect. Ghosts of Social Networks, thankfully, and boldly, lay bare their Radiohead influence for all to see.

‘My Lucifier’ has the all the left field spirit of ‘In Rainbows’ and ‘Hail To Thief’ but, with a Yorke-esque vocal at his distinguished best days of ‘OK Computer’. Lifting the EP opener above just a Radiohead pastiche though are the Will Sergeant style guitars. They’ve taken, the already dark Bunnymen and distorted them further to sound incredibly fresh for 2019.

The combo of Bunnymen and Radiohead rears its head again on ‘Don’t’ Let Me Down’ on what, can only be described as a take no prisoner banger.

‘Master Disguise’ and ‘Drone’ demonstrate a world beyond the aforementioned though. The cascading riffs suggest a love of early Electric Soft Parade and the warped world of Mansun. ‘Drone’ achieves in 4mins what Foals have never quite managed, meaningful and menacing art rock! The brooding sense of violence and Till’s Jeff Buckley-esque vocal create an isolated and dangerous landscape. All the while, the melodic sense of lost classics from Thirteen Senses or South permeate to keep the merest chinks of hope alive.

This is by no means a masterpiece. However, such is the boldness already, this creative journey might just produce one.

*Image courtesy of Jennifer Beatrice

Alcabean - Confessions

Danish brothers Victor and Julius Schack, aka Alcabean, are set to release their debut album ‘Confessions’ on the 15th March via We Are Suburban and Pop Up Records.

Speaking in an interview recently, frontman and lyricist Victor discussed how the rock star lifestyle he was developing as one he couldn’t carry with any honesty. On stage at Rokslide, he has an epiphany where “I felt vulnerable and out of balance with myself and my music”.

Being confused, aimless and longing to find meaning in your twenties is not something that’s spoken about much. In popular culture, you should have come of age by now. In fact, only Egg in This Life has ever really encapsulated the lost soul surrounded by those “getting on”. Victor captures this essence on ‘Athens’ with crippling self-reflection:

“Coward, bitter, foreign, throwing up, growing up”

On ‘Hollywood’, Victor ups the ante even more. Stripping back the rock star bravado to reveal a longing for something more humble, frankly, isn’t in the rock star guidebook. Nevertheless, with lyrics like ‘smack the door and show your wounds / Mediocre, it’s okay to be mediocre’ he has shown a courageousness we should laud over a great Ray-Ban shades.

Musically, there are large sections on ‘Confessions’ paying homage to Simon Gallup’s killer bass hooks of the Cure and the sumptuous summer licks of Bernard Summer. Title track ‘Confessions’ takes a swing at New Order’s ‘Your Silent Face’. Some will sneer but, if you’re in this game, dam right you aim emulate one of the best songs ever written.

Where ‘Confessions’ success truly lies though, is on the likes of ‘Red’, ‘Feel’ and ‘Tsukuyomi’. They’ve found an effortless groove here which leaves the past behind and transcends, albeit tentatively, their surroundings. To do this amid such personal identity turmoil is remarkable. ‘Tsukuyomi’ in particular, with its synth hooks and hand claps is the kind of dramatic pop music which will forge obsessive bonds with record collectors the world over.

There are moments, like on ‘King The Queen’ where the clarity dissipates though. The added aggression, if anything, is not added enough. It feels torn between their dreamy escapism and attempting something else.

What cannot be denied here though, is that through strife, great art has once again been created. ‘Confessions’ has negated a troublesome world to produce moments of true beauty. Much like their heroes (although to a lesser extent) New Order’s ‘Movement’, Alcabean are emerging from the anxiety with a offerings of art and love.

Tallies - Tallies

Toronto's four piece Tallies released their self-titled debut album in January via Fear of Missing Out Records. Better still, they've announced their first UK tour for May.

For many bands, debut albums are a mission statement. An expression of everything that’s made them who they are in those key coming of age times. Tallies, at times, have taken this mantra literally with an album of woozy dreampop of Cocteau Twins and the sun kissed pop of The Sundays.

What prevents Tallies from becoming a rehash of the past are the interesting avenues they approach these key influences. Vocally, Sarah Cogan lends herself to the iconic Harriet Wheeler at several points, especially on former single ‘Mother’. However, with its spritely Vampire Weekend stomp, it saunters into a world of its own.

'Have You' however, is the beating heart of The Sundays’ classic album 'Reading Writing and Arithmetic'. Despite this, the quality is indisputable and, it’s this that will keep fans of The Sundays coming back to Tallies.

Undoubtedly, fans of Postcard Records and Sarah Records will find this album an affectionate homage to their youths. For newer fans, we urge you to use Tallies’ album as a jump off point into the past.