Armstrong - Graffiti

Wales’ Julian Pitt, aka Armstrong followed up his 2019 album ‘Under Blue Skies’ with ‘Happy Graffiti’ earlier this year. All songs were written, arranged, and produced by Armstrong in his living room in Newport and mastered by Phillip Shaw Bova. The album is available for purchase via The Beautiful Music and Bandcamp.

Artwork and Layout by Jamie Nordstrand

Armstrong’s previous offering was packed with instantaneous charm. Tracks like ‘Love, Hate, Passion, and War’, ‘Things That Pass You By’, and ‘Crazy World’ (among others) reeled you in with their Gram Parsons in Paris meets baroque pop splendour. On ‘Happy Graffiti’, the melody remains but there’s a more considered and studied approach to the songwriting allowing for a sense of timelessness to come alive.

‘Disinformation’ opens in a similar fashion to Ryan Adams’ haunting ‘Shiver and Shake’ before meandering back to the previous albums’ Parisian landscapes. It is the combination of festive keys, Bacharach, and Pitt’s Mick Head via Howie Payne vocal that takes his creative trajectory to another level.

‘Songbird’ and ‘Keep On Walking’ again build upon the previous album whilst pushing the envelope further. The former has a stunning fragility to the vocal delivery. Frosty, almost helpless at times, but never without love, Armstrong’s vocals are set to the cinematic orchestra which reaches out a hand to anyone not knowing which way to turn. ‘Keep On Walking’ however, Is blessed with the autumnal glow that Richard Hawley and I Am Kloot have perfected this century. The guitars of The Stands are illuminated by a smoky deep vocal in the early stages but, they progress to a joyous state of John Bramwell and Peter Hall. Defiance is always a great trait for songwriter, it’s blessed so many generations coming of age moments. To produce this feeling in middle age, especially lyrically, is a remarkable skill but Armstrong has it:

“Here me or not / When Destiny calls / This rickety life as it twists out of sight to the deep waterfall / Reasons allowed / Are shattered and torn / We live like we do through the rain and stars and the moon and the sun / but I don’t feel afraid / I’m just walking like a summers day”

The key change within this stanza is worthy of Liam Gallagher’s dreams and the Kraftwerk via van Morrison keys are simply divine.

There are moments when Armstrong forgoes the wiser songwriter status and slips back into great pop mode. ‘Rock Star Rock Star’ is the kind of sun-kissed rumble dreamers of alternate universe pictures The La’s making. The jaded Mick Head via the deep gravel of Badly Drawn Boy takes you on a journey of gentle rebellion. Whereas ‘When We Were young’ provides the album’s spriteliest moment with scintillating pianos, the Pale Fountains’ yearning for adventure, and the Lightning Seeds’ sense of bubble-gum glee.

If the above was all there was, there would be would nothing to complain about. There are, however, two moments of jaw-dropping awe to revel in also. ‘In A Memory’ is a sumptuous nod to the opening/closing verses of ‘A Day In The Life’, no mean feat, but Armstrong’s trip down memory lane enhances McCartney’s piano playing to an unrivalled poignancy in 2022. ‘This One’ is blessed with the self-belief of rock ‘n’ roll’s youthful ambition but to the sound of a sage presence out for a head-clearing walk amid the morning fog.  The repetitive lyrics seem to suggest that, although the protagonist is aware of art’s cyclical nature, its intoxicating escapism will always be welcome.

Classic songwriting rarely collides with guts, heart, and pop music but, Armstrong has it all.

Chorus Girl – Collapso Calypso

Chorusgirl, aka Silvi Wersing has followed up on 2018’s critically acclaimed ‘Shimmer and Spin’ with the new album ‘Collapso Calypso’. Produced by Wersing, it was recorded at Cologne’s Bear Cave Studios.

During the pandemic, Wersing relocated to her native Germany causing Chorusgirl to cease as a band and become a fully-fledged solo project. The newfound creative isolation informs a great deal on the record. There are many swings from dark to light as she wrestles with inner turmoil to find positive outcomes.

‘Don’t Go Back To ‘89’ has the aching sense of repetitive failure that Simon Pegg played so well as Gary King in ‘The World’s End’. In this version, Chorusgirl are the friendship group trying to break through to the protagonist who is unaware and unable to break the cycle. There’s a purity to the guitars not seen since Jeff Buckley’s Grace which, alongside Wersing’s 60s girl group meet Cocteau Twins vocal, make this tumultuous tale a great place to reside.

‘Sleepless In South London’ treads similar water artistically. Lyrically, Wersing explores sleepless nights of self-doubt, regret, and the agony of past actions haunting your consciousness:

‘In the middle of the night, in the back of my mind, a skeleton from a full closet says hi, when my morals are drifting and the shadows are shifting.’

However, sonically, she finds a way to make great alt-pop music still. Vocally residing between Romy and Kate Bush with the guitar power of Glasvegas, Chorusgirl takes despair to the edge of anthemic.

Both tracks are a glorious dichotomy of regressive lyrics and positive sounds. A theme that runs throughout the album’s finest moments. ‘In the Business of Dreams’ rippling guitars and angelic vocals take all the best bits of Pip Blom and The Orielles and make them more melodic.

It is, however, on ‘Minimum Descent Altitude’ and ‘Into Gold’ the album becomes truly interesting. The former sounds like joyous Andy Bell and his live Space Station he toured this year. Shimmering guitars lock horns with Erol Alkan beats to conjure frosty but enriching soundscapes. On ‘Into Gold’ however, Wersing transcends her indie roots into mesmeric pop music. Effortlessly building like a Banarama classic but with post-punks substantive power. The intensity of Gang of Four on the angular riffs is met with Slowdive’s beauty on guitars whilst Wersing’s lyrics explode into a technicolour of defiance and self-doubt.

In what must have been a testing time personally and creatively, Chorusgirl have come out the other side with a piece of art to be cherished!

Deja Vega – Personal Hell

Back in January, Winsford Trio Deja Vega released their second album ‘Personal hell’. It followed the critically acclaimed self-titled debut in 2019. Although originally recorded before lockdown, their zoom meetings in that time allowed them to redraw their future, would it pay off?

*artwork courtesy of Crooked Cartoon.

Image courtesy of Trust a Fox.

Following a powerful debut album has always been a tricky conundrum. More of the same or to reinvention can ruin all that went before. ‘Personal Hell’ has some brilliant bridge tracks from then to now in ‘Its All Gone Wrong’, Outside Now’, and ‘Who We Are’. ‘It’s All Gone Wrong’, whilst introducing synths, maintains the Mark E Smith vocal menace and Stooges assault of the sense on guitar that everyone fell for on the debut. The synths come at you from every angle like a psychedelic pincer movement as they build the track up, up, and up again before unleashing it back to hell with resounding guitars and a bombardment of drums that no other band can compete within 2022.

‘Outside Now’, is blessed with the spirit of Fontaines D.C. debut has a gloriously windswept feeling to its punk stature, and is destined to be a euphoric set closer for a decade. ‘Who We Are’ has the joyous build of ‘Mr Powder’ but with more space to breathe. The half step back in tempo allows the band to sound like Neu on speed. Throw in the little nods to The Doors’ ‘L.A Woman’ and the life-affirming lyrics and this becomes an instant classic:

“Got the feeling we'll win because we've seen it all / Still scratching our heads and we find it hard to get it / But we take the fall and we erase it all”

More. Cowbell. Please!

On their debut, there was so much punk and psychedelic prowess showcased on the likes of ‘Eyes of Steel’, ‘Mr. Powder’, and ‘Sound of Speed’ that fans were well within their rights to believe mainstage headline slots awaited them. ‘Personal Hell’ doubles down on this thought process and then catapults it out of the galaxy. ‘Slow and Steady’ drops the intensity for an early Verve sense of exploration into the half-light via Soundtracks Of Our Lives’ poetic beauty. ‘Banshee’ introduces rave-esque synths into the equation. Alongside their penchant for garage-psyche it becomes death-defying; an anthem for the downtrodden of 2022 if ever there was one. This is the musical equivalent of nurses stood in minus five degrees begging for their dignity. It will be heard!

Then, if that promise was still in question (it wasn’t) ‘Catharsis’ pops in to mark the 10s psychedelic adventures as redundant. The truth is, the early tens were blessed with good psyche music in Tame Impala, Unknown Mortal Orchestra, Pond et al, but not great music. They lacked the ability to inspire. Not Deja Vega! Their blasts of technicolour guitar rain down like Moon Duo records being played by the Pistols. The lyrics are confrontational and recalcitrant and beckon younger generations to pick up a guitar and change lives!

There’s no filler on ‘Personal Hell’, every track leaves an indelible mark on the soul.  ‘Precious One’ throbs with 70s debauchery and Wooden Shjips riffs to create yet more new pastures of the kaleidoscopic expedition! On and on the superlatives could go. ‘Personal Hell’ is a huge leap forwards from the debut, and whilst the live shows remain in small(ish) venues, for now, their rightful place is the upper echelons of mainstages. Over to you festival bookers of 2023.

David Long & Shane O'Neill - Age of Finding Stars

During lockdown, lifelong friends David Long (Into Paradise) and Shane O’Neill (Blue In Heavan) collaborated to make their debut album ‘Moll & Zeis’. Written and recorded separately due to the pandemic, it was still blessed with a remarkable amount of humanity.

The album is available to buy on their Bandcamp page.

This time around, they were in the studio together to write, arrange and produce everything on their second album ‘Age of Finding Stars’. However, it wasn’t as planned. According to O’Neill, these are the “songs leaked out of the cracks” when trying to make the follow-up album.

The album’s centerpiece is ‘Stickyblackheart’, a devastating tale of someone losing their love. O’Neill’s time with Martin Hannett in the 80s was well spent as his brooding landscapes come alive once more. The atmospheric emotion of the Engineers combined with the bugged-out isolation of Brian Jonestown Massacre’s ‘Methodrone’ conjure a space that is not for the faint-hearted.

Album opener ‘Greeneyessing’ fades up with a pain so raw, it will make you step back from the stereo. The guitars tap into the Doves’ debut album with the shoegaze of Slowdive. Together they provide an intro where regrets ruminate in the mind with anguish so vast, it’s difficult to see a way through. This is met with Long and O’Neill’s astonishing poetry. This is a letter to all to seize the day and cherish every moment with those you love.

On ‘Bruised’, a bitterness rises that is all-consuming.  Grief-stricken, howling at the world? God? The departed? The soulful delivery of “You are a liar, every word, every day /You are a liar, understood, all around the world / You are a liar, lighthouse, miles in from the shore” conjures the imagery of a soul becoming detached from reason and love. This is enhanced by the Johnny Marr-esque guitar solo. The urgency of his cameos on The Charlatans’ ‘Different Days’ (Plastic Machinery & Not Forgotten) with hints of Ride’s Andy Bell emerge but, with sadness that’s burrowed deep into the soul.

The grieving process is lit up expertly during the back-to-back songs ‘Nightpoetsofbeijing’ and ‘Worldpassingby’. They’re a journey inextricably linked by grief and all that comes with it. The former is the album’s only instrumental piece and broods like Unkle before ebbing away gently. It’s the introduction of birdsong that grabs all the attention though. It’s the first flicker of light and suggests our lost soul has found some solace. As the track fades, the birdsong flitters around electronica to suggest a new path, however different and from before, has been found. Alas, ‘Worldpassingby’ plunges back into the void with the electronic glitches and hints of Ryan Adams’ guitars circa ‘Prisoner’. It’s as though the hope of the previous track is being punished for allowing the light in:

“It's just the world passing by / I don't feel anything / I can't feel anything”

What started as an unplanned album has turned into a masterpiece of grief-stricken songwriting. Devastating lyrics and lost soundscapes unite on one of 2022’s albums of the year.

The Shop Window - A 4 Letter Word

Maidstone outfit The Shop Window released their second album ‘A 4 Letter Word’ at the end of November via the impeccable Spinout Nuggets imprint. It was recorded Raffer Studios in Kent, produced by Callum Rafferty, and features Sarah Records icon Beth Arzy (currently of Jetstream Pony & Luxembourg Signal) on backing vocals on four tracks.

‘A 4 Letter Word’ is avail;ble to buy on their Bandcamp page.

At several points ‘A 4 Letter Word’ finds a way to reimagine their love of indie’s angelic past for the modern day. Former single ‘Lighthouse’ s guitars imbue the angelic sheen of The Mock Turtles and through Carl Mann and Simon Oxlee’s vocals, the glorious rumble of Teenage Fanclubs comes alive. Whereas opener ‘Eyes Wide Shut’ finds the Medway’s beat traditions caress the hushed beauty of The Railway Children. Its laid-back stomp builds to a sumptuous wah-wah solo on this tale of wonder and exploration of the soul.

‘On That Feeling’ and ‘Maid of Stone’, they take their Medway indie for an away day to Manchester. The former finds them in Stone Roses territory but, one where the icons had adopted a folksy sonic to their Byrdsian rock ‘n’ roll. As Mann decree “When I Get That Feeling I'm alive / Hold on to the moment now it’s right” the agitation of the Roses’ lack of new music subsides. The Shop Window have found a way to make that explosion of colour from 1989 sound sage and meaningful in middle age. On ‘Maid of Stone’, they rekindle their youth in Maidstone where dreams were made and lost. Like ‘On That Feeling’, it has a wisdom to it, a sense that they have come full circle, have come home. In doing so, the heavenly paisley guitars of early John Squire and more pertinently Andrew Innes circa ‘Sonic Flower Groove’ flood the senses in much the same way their peers The Shed Project have done so adeptly.

Manchester’s heritage surfaces once more ‘Circles Go Round’ and ‘Lay of the Land’. ‘Circles Go Round’ is undeterred by their youth passing. The spirit of ‘Teenage Kicks’ has soared to the surface on this great homage to The Smiths. ‘Lay of the Land’ find is the most interesting piece on the album. Vocally, Mann adopts Damon Albarn’s smoky drawl as the band adopts Blur’s brief involvement with the baggy scene. As the chorus climbs to a euphoric state, the guitars take on the warped world of The Cure, occasionally offering a DMA’s lightness before the deranged glitch re-emerges to signify that, although their souls remain free from that era, life has changed and taken its toll. A truly remarkable sonic take on life’s responsibilities taking grip.

Former Aberdeen singer Beth Arzy appears on four tracks and shines brightest on ‘Dancing Light’. The hallmarks of Deacon Blue and REM’s great alt-pop flirt with Buck and Marr’s guitars whilst Mann and Arzy create the nearest thing to vocal beauty since The Cocteau Twins.

The Kent outfit have lit up a bleak year with this gentle yet defiant indie-pop record. Everywhere you turn there are nods to the 80s and 90s but, with astute sonic updates. Lyrically, they accept nostalgia less as a noose and more as a bridge to their untamed teenage selves and thus, provide endless tales for their souls to relive in the modern age.  

My Raining Stars – 89 memories

Former Nothing To Be Done member Thierry Haliniak is back with a new album under the guise of My Raining Stars. It follows the sublime ‘Obvious Reasons’ EP in 2020. Can the longer format meet the same standards?

89 memories is available to buy on Bandcamp.

My Raining Stars have made a name for themselves by reimagining Sarah Records, Creation Records, and the C86 scene for the modern day. On ‘If You’, ‘Too Soon’, and ‘Behind Her Lovely Smile’ they tread similar water. ‘If You’ plunges into the hazy beauty of Chapterhouse via New order’s ‘Ceremony’. ‘Too Soon’ combines the explorative drumming of ‘Vapour Trail’ with the eloquent beauty of the Cocteau Twins on this lo-fi gem. ‘Behind Her Lovely Smile’ however whilst drawing on Ride’s comeback album ‘Weather Diaries’ begins to transgress the past. The guitars are blessed with rock ‘n roll’s desperation to live; a moment Johnny Marr would be proud of! Haliniak’s ability to use his voice as the songs blissful release is utterly mesmerising.

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‘89 Memories’ ultimate strength is its positivity. In a world falling apart at the seams, the ecstasy of ‘The Way Things Turn’ and ‘Of ‘Time’ couldn’t be more vital. The former is a brooding lullaby sent from the angels. The beauty of The Orchids is met with brooding yet angelic Mark Gardener-esque vocal from Haliniak. It has great cinematic quality. The protagonist is thrust into the inciting moment and must seek out the light. Twisting and turning, desperate to fight their way to resolution, this track will not give up! Whereas, ‘Time’ taps into the jangle of The la’s and the power of The Real People to find new avenues of euphoria.

What keeps the album refreshing is Haliniak’s foray into more rock ‘n’ roll guitar playing. His sumptuous Ian Broudie-esque vocals on ‘From the Day She’s Gone’ is met with a direct and anguished urgency. The guitars brood in the verses before bursting into a display of melancholy reaching for escapism worthy of Johnny Marr. Whereas, ‘Sit and Stare’ takes Norman Blake’s melodic rumble to the edge of Weller and Craddock in the 90s.

These more instantaneous moments breathe vitality into Haliniak’s body of work that will surely win the hearts and minds of many new fans sooner rather than later.

Ian M Bailey - You Paint The Pictures

Artwork by Josh Washington

In 2021, Ian M Bailey released his Byrds-inspired debut ‘Songs To Dream Along To’ and was one of the surprise packages of the year. During its creation, he collaborated with his long-time friend Daniel Wylie of Cosmic Rough Riders fame. Wylie, in 2021 also released an album. His ‘Atoms and Energy’ album took a step back from his archetypal Neil Young and Norman Blake guitar sound to deal with discourses of grief, domestic violence, and regret.

The two worked together for the entirety of Bailey’s second album ‘You Paint The Pictures’. Would the two mindsets of 2021 still be present, would they clash and produce great art? We take a look.

The album was recorded at Bailey’s home studio Small Space Studios in England with Alan Gregson mastering the album as well as providing strings and Hammond (Life Without You) and slide guitar (Lover’s Song). It will be released on the 28th of October via Kool Kat Musik.

If they were in the same place mentally, Bailey’s enthusiasm from his debut certainly infiltrated Wylie and brought him back to the light. Positivity is the album’s life source with many a message coming from the point of view of a father wanting to help. ‘Hey Little Girl’ vocally and musically adopts the simple yet eloquent mind of Gene Clark on ‘True One’. Tinged with country and Ian Broudie-esque backing vocals, its message of hope to younger generations glides into hearts and minds. ‘Change Is Easy’ however, is what defiance sounds like in your mid-fifties. Determined to stay alive for their children, they espouse lyrical couplets to raise up and inspire those they love the most.

Baileys’s previous album and, Wylie’s previous few have been of undeniable quality. The only criticism to be found in any of them is creatively, they’ve resided in scenes that have been and gone. On ‘Year Of The Tiger’, ‘I Don’t Want To Start Again’, and ‘Dreams of Love’ they begin to take their influences down new avenues to forge their own path. ‘Year Of The Tiger’ takes the lysergic licks of Johnny Marr’s ‘The Messenger’ and the hypnotic keys of The Doors for a trip a la Moon Duo. ‘I Don’t Want To Start Again’ has the hallmarks of The Byrds and Ian Matthews Southern Comfort but, is blessed with the immediacy of Peter Buck’s guitar playing circa ‘Document’ and ‘Green’. Whilst the melodies are angelic, the tone meanders to the darker planes as they decree my “life is running down the hall”. The song offers great uplifts, enough to distract from you its stark reality of life is short but, the closing keys bring the brutish reality home!

It’s on the latter, ‘Dreams Of Love’ where the duo truly excels in using the past to conjure something new. Wylie draws on his classic ‘Enjoy The Melodic Sunshine’ with the trippy percussive elements from ‘The Gun Wasn’t Loaded’ and ‘Baby, You’re So Free’ whilst Bailey perfects his Ian Matthews ethereal vocals. The song builds with the orchestrated majesty of Scott Walker and destructs like Richard Hawley’s grief-ridden classic ‘Standing At The Sky’s Edge’. The booming guitars release a pain unparalleled by an artist this year.

On ‘Brazil’ the guitars nod to Peter Green in his more relaxed Splinter Group Days and the effortlessness of Santana. Bailey’s vocals are supreme. They dip into modern-day Weller on ‘Be Sunset’ and ‘Fat ‘Pop’ and the mysticism of George Harrison and the feather-light genius of Elliot Smith. There ever so withdrawn style allows for the Moody Blues keys and the Sanatana solo to burn brightest.

Rather than the two opposing outlooks of their debuts colliding to produce great music, it has been a far simpler tale of two like-minded friends collaborating for the greater good. Wylie’s abilities have lifted Bailey’s songs to the next level, may their partnership long continue.

The album is released on the 28th October. Be sure to check here to listen to additional songs. You can pre-order the album here https://ianbaileymusic.bigcartel.com/product/you-paint-the-pictures

Thousand Yard Stare - Earthanasia

Thousand Yard Stare have returned with their second album since the 2016 reformation. ‘Earthanasia’ follows 2020’s critically acclaimed ‘The Panglossian Momentum’ and was again recorded in Raffer Studios in Kent.

The album is available to buy on their Bandcamp page.

Since their return, they have had harder edges. ‘Action Stations’ throbbed with aggression and ‘It Sparks’ brought influences from The Cult to their fiery psyche styles. They took loyal fans from a position of wanting to reminisce about the early 90s through to their next chapter. Having their new direction accepted has given them freeing confidence on ‘Earthanasia’ to explore the destructive fringes of their creativity. ‘Hivemind’s blistering opening brings in the explosive rage of Sonic Youth and the fragility of Seafoods guitar lines. Unshackled by doubt, they bring in the psychedelic bliss of the previous album via Stephen Barnes most ethereal vocals to date. Together they create a sense of unity through the chaos. Whereas, on the former single ‘Isadora’, guitarist Giles Duffy taps into the immediacy of the ‘Version Of Me’ and ‘Wonderment’ and reimagines them in the form of a demonic nursery rhyme. Hope is often coursing through their melodies. Here, they’ve attacked the studio like a Dadaist nightmare where the concept never existed. An ode to lockdown if ever there was one.

The newfound confidence infiltrates the album’s two clarion call anthems ‘Broken Spectre’ and ‘Square Peg, Round Hole’. The former opens the album with a Sea Power via Moon Duo and latter-day The Horrors. The shimmering psychedelia rings out like a panic-stricken last call to arms, adopting a slot between melancholia and escapism. A desperate sense of urgency courses through its veins; it’s now or ever to save what we all love! ‘Square Peg, Round Hole’ however is an explosion of technicolour, as though John Squire joined Maximo Park to re-write their seminal album ‘The National Health’. Many can offer hope and defiance in song. Few can place themselves in the present, in the heart of the crisis like TYS have done here, and pick people up off the canvas.

What ‘Earthanasia’ does better than ‘The Panglossian Momentum’ is to consistently showcase a band on a journey that far outruns their beginnings. The title track ‘Earthanasia’ gives the album an ‘Inception’ style ending. Dependant on your glass half-full or empty outlook, the fleeting guitar licks are the light flickering or fading away:

“If our world was gonna end tonight / How we gonna make things right?”

The juxtaposition between the gentle sonic and Barnes’ angelic vocals is one that begins to transcend music. Musically, it allows the heart to fade away and accept what’s coming but, through Barnes, there is a route through the foggy nature of the guitars and saxophone. It lends itself exquisitely to the choices our country has faced from Barnard Castle through to whatever chancellor we have as I type.

‘Esprit Du Corps’ treads a similar path with its ethereal meanderings. The heartfelt introspections and political hope of Sea Power shine alongside the soaring melodies of Feeder as Barnes delivers a career-defining vocal. He soars with a vastness that belies his middle age. This is the stuff off of teenage kicks. Meanwhile ‘Adverse Cambers’ finds a way of combining the early hour’s contemplation of Doves’ debut with the melodic joy of Electric Soft Parade. Whereas ‘Borrowed Time’ serves up a poetic lullaby to Brexiteers and climate change Deniers:

“Leave me where I lie / I won’t be here tomorrow / Leave me asinine / The burden is mine to swallow…we’re all on borrowed time”

Their previous album in many ways was a second debut album. It said everything they ever wanted to say to the world. They thought it would cap off a great few years playing live and release the odd EP. What it did is best expressed in their single ‘Measures’:

“It doesn’t matter how you arrive here / Just be sure that you are here at the end / It doesn’t matter how you arrive here / Take pleasure in the message it sends”.

This sentiment flows from every corner of the album and has allowed them to be more expressive than ever. Long may it continue.

*Images and artwork courtesy of the band.

The Heavy North – Electric Soul Machine

Liverpool’s piece The Heavy North released their debut album ‘Electric Soul Machine’ for Record Store Day in April this year. Recorded at guitarist Jose Ibanez’s 3rd Planet Recording Studio, the album has been featured on Tim Burgess’ Twitter Listening Party.

‘Electric Soul Machine’ is available from their website https://theheavynorth.bigcartel.com/

In short, ‘Electric Soul Machine’ is an album of great guitar solos. They’re everywhere! Former single ‘Darkness In Your Eyes’ sees the dream of Jack White joining The Black Keys to create blistering bluesy riffs alongside Clapton’s soulful vocals from the Cream era. Cream feature heavenly in the solo as the psychedelic darkness descends. Ibanez and Jack Birch’s guitars create a tornado of haze that could set fire to ice. ‘Awake’, another former single, evokes memories of Kasabian circa ‘West Pauper Lunatic Asylum’ and Noel Gallagher’s greatest choruses with its great key change. Ibanez and Birch cruise like Santana until the solo where they tap into Neil Young at his escapist best. It allows frontman Kenny Stuart to toy with his cadence, which delivers both soul and west coast moments of joy.

Even on ‘The Genie’ and ‘She Gets Me higher’ where their slightly laboured verses explode into life on the solos. The former finds Peter Green jamming with Soundgarden, whereas ‘She Gets Me Higher’ comes to life with a Stephen Stills-esque dose of hedonism.

In ‘Satisfy You’ and ‘To The Wind I Go’ they moments where they raise the devil to glorious effect. ‘Satisfy You’ dons its leather and drinks whiskey with rock ‘n’ roll outliers BRMC. The scintillating guitar and defiant lyrics are begging for excessive dry ice and flashing red lights to blow audiences away. Whereas, ‘To The Wind I Go’ takes Muddy Waters out for a night of excess and regret. Both tracks, despite their bluesy nature, have an unknown destination which creates a sense of carefree abandon. They set themselves apart on what is, a remarkably consistent album.

The Heavy North have achieved a great deal on this debut. The guitar solos are the big take home but, the creative flourishes with the drums and vocals begin to shine upon repeat listens. It leaves you with a sense of hope that, next time out, they could do something really powerful.

*Images courtesy of http://www.blue22photography.com/

MOSES - I Still Believe! Do You?

London’s MOSES have released their second album ‘I Still Believe! Do You?’. Making the trip back to Wolverhampton, they recorded once again with Gavin Monaghan (Shade, The Twang) at his Magic Garden Studio (except 'Caffy' and 'Pawns' by Ian Flynn).

Last time out, they served up a raw an album in every sense, emotion, power, and talent. Firecrackers like ‘Cause Got You’ and ‘River Thames’ were instant indie bangers. On ‘Joy’, ‘Waiter’, and ‘Crocodile’, they sought to try different things musically and lyrically. Brave yes, but ultimately, they were overshadowed by the aforementioned.

On ‘I Still Believe! Do You?’, they not only level up the more explorative tracks, but they also surpass their indie-punk roots at light speed. ‘Move On’, ‘Will’, and ‘Murderer’ are big departures from their roots musically. ‘Move On’ walks into Foal’s living room and says hi to ‘Spanish Sahara’ whilst offering a bolder vision for hope. ‘Will’ taps into the debuts dynamism but is far more courageous and audacious. The spoken word and intense dreampop guitars hover above the clouds until the eruption of defiance. They take ‘Hail The Thief’ to the fury of early Manic Street Preachers’ as they dig in, stand tall and attempt to change the world forever! Whereas ‘Murderer’, is laden with Johnny Cash guitars, Richey Edwards desperation, and Frank Turner’s sense of goodwill. It’s one thing to be angry and spit venomous hostility at the status quo. It is, however, a whole new ball game to do it poetically and still sound violent.

On all three tracks, frontman Victor Moses proves he is one of life’s rarest breeds. Defying the odds with rebellious integrity whilst simultaneously unifying souls with passion. He doesn’t just sing “A murderer that's what we need / To kill the hate to kill hypocrisy and greed”, he wrenches it from the gut if it’s his dying breath.

There are moments that act as a bridge between this new colossal sound and the debut. ‘That’s Who You Are’ has the cuteness of ‘Joy’ and the togetherness of ‘Basically’. However, this is the sound of a band coming to their peak of power. The twist and turns of the narrative, the Peace-esque noodling, and the stadium-sized explosion collide to spectacular effects.

On ‘The Last Kick of Melancholia’, they take their past to new creative highs what is, almost a mini rock opera. Part one pulls together the best bits of Peace, Little Comets, and Foals over the past decade. They descend into the chaos of ‘Popscene’ and the “cockney” mayhem of ‘Sunday Sunday’ before parading to the vast landscapes of The Who in the closing stages. Whereas, ‘Alone’ finds Victor in Rob Harvey mode. High pitched, enraged, and always beautifully melodic.

Most bands’ biggest asset in the build-up to the debut album is their sense of hope. It certainly was for MOSES. Ironically, on an album about hope, they leave this realm. ‘I Still Believe! Do You?’ is blessed with The Kinks’ storytelling, Blur’s chaos, Manic Street Preachers realness, and Blossoms’ pop sensibilities. One criticism could be, does it have the wayward genius of Fat White Family, probably not, but pulling from all those fields has landed MOSES with a second album of real quality.

*Image courtesy of Rocklands Artbeat

Skylights – What You Are

Acomb’s Skylights have had quite the journey to the release of their debut album ‘What You Are’. The band called it a day a few years back their indie euphoria looked set to fall into the category of ‘what might have been’. Then, in 2020, they returned, would this last roll of the dice pay off?

The album is available to buy from 42s Records.

In the spirit of the last chance saloon, they often adopt the windswept string anthems of Feeder and the sun setting drama of Soundtrack of our Lives. ‘Nothing Left To Say’ has the dreamy ambition of ‘Feeling A Moment’ and the emotive power of ‘Just The Way I’m Feeling’ but, Turnbull Smith’s guitars take it to new planes. His Wedding Present jangle of the intro and shimmering solo give it ambition and hopefulness the grey landscapes of the UK so desperately require.

Meanwhile, on ‘What You Are’ and ‘Take Me Somewhere’ they inject their newfound defiance into these well-worn sounds. The former is far more bullish and accompanied by great aggressive Pete Townsend windmills. Whereas, ‘Take Me Somewhere’ has the longing visions and psychedelic hooks of the Soundtracks of ‘You Are The Beginning’.

Their penchant for the indie epic is offset by more urgent flourishes on ‘YRA’ and ‘Lifeline’.  ‘YRA’ is the perfect homage to the 00s with its Kasabian beats, The Music’s guitar licks, and the balls-out swagger of The Twang. ‘Lifeline’ taps into the colossal sound of Adam Nutter’s disco-psychedelia and puts it through Noel’s looping masterpiece ‘Columbia’. Both offer a way out for anyone angst-ridden and yearning for their Jimmy “way of life” moment.

‘Britannia’, originally written for the 2012 Olympics, also has the vastness of The Who’s world. Myles Soley’s apocalyptic drumming provides a cataclysmic platform for Smith’s Townsend-esque fury and frontman Rob Scarisbrick’s snarling to erupt the album into chaos.

What was a fortuitous reformation has undoubtedly led to one of the albums of the year! This isn’t a breakout debut, it’s the sound of a band 3 albums deep commanding the respect of academy-sized audiences.

Image courtesy of 42s Records & Mark Tigue

The Shed Project - The Curious Mind of a Common Man

Bolton five-piece The Shed Project released their debut album ‘The Curious Mind of a Common Man’ recently. The album was recorded at Bolton’s Ivy Studio and produced by (and mixed) by Danny Hayes (The Jade Assembly).

The album is available to buy via One Love Records.

This debut album comes in two parts essentially. The groove-laden and the ultra-personal. ‘Modern Way’, ‘One Shot’, and ‘Temptation’ fall into the first category to give the album some real gloss.

‘Modern Way’ takes the warming glow of the Allman Brothers solos to the hedonistic drugged-up John Squire circa ‘Second Coming’. The clash of baggy and rock ‘n’ roll is the perfect accompaniment for this tale of awakening and political outlying. ‘One Shot’ pays homage to ‘Country Song’ and Brain Dead’ via the Roses. The Shed Project is intent on stamping their mark on history though and, through an urgent, almost violent need to defy, they deliver a no-nonsense attitude to keep these tracks current. The guitars and backing vocals glide through the air with a sense of danger as frontman Roy Fletcher lays out his clarion call. Meanwhile, ‘Temptation’ taps into the underdogs and underrated baggy-era bands Northside and New Automatic Fast Daffodils. The grooves are effortless but, their penchant for spikiness allows nuggets of A Certain Ratio and The Fall to add funkier and harder edges.

It’s on the tracks ‘Sal’, ‘Luck Number’, and ‘My Life’ where the album comes together. The former is a hazy Kurt Vile via DMA’s ode to his loved one. It’s The Streets with guitars, and, like Mike Skinner, those jarring moments are the real beauty. ‘Lucky Number’, seemingly the prequel to ‘Sal’, lights up the album with romantic hope. The c86 sound is given the human interest it deserves as early Wolfhounds and Sarah records unite to produce a great anthem. ‘My Life’ however, is the album’s shining light. Afflecks Palace lysergic beauty collides with Style Council’s summer adventures. Nostalgia is the foe of so many guitar bands but as Burke sings “be who you arrrreeee” and the Marr and McGuinn guitars glisten, they paint to show how their past can be the future for new generations.

The guitars will inevitably lure people in. The licks of ‘Livin’ are so infectious its medically advisable to wear gloves when listening. It is though, vocally and lyrically where the real rewards come. What at first, seems too direct become astute in the moment observations upon return visits. There’s so much to admire on the UK scene right now, Afflecks Palace, Pastel, The Institutes and The Utopiates have all found new ways to reignite the greats from the 80s and 90s and now, the Shed Project have firmly added themselves to that list.

*Images courtesy of the Simon Lee & David Sangster

Columbia – Embrace The Chaos

During Lockdown, there was almost nothing to cheer about. Andrew Cushin and Columbia were musical exceptions to that rule. Last week, Cardiff’s Columbia released their debut album ‘Embrace The Chaos’. Could it deliver on those escapist singles and cement their place as a great rock ‘n’ roll band?

When bands look to the classics, the fact is 99% fail. Those bands may capture their essence but, they lack one of their own. Columbia are in the 1%. Although imbued with the past, they are rooted in the here and now emotionally and that is what sets them apart.

Former singles ‘Glory People’ and ‘Waiting For You To Believe’ are fine exponents of the past that connect in the modern-day. On the former, guitarist Ben Rowlands has found a sweet spot that pays homage to Richards, Squire (Second Coming/Seahorses era), and the hypnotic riffs of early Oasis & BRMC. This is a statement of intent! Columbia determined, destined even, to be their equals. More importantly, through the shimmering loops and escapist solos, they will take us, mortals, with them. Whereas, on ‘Waiting for You To Believe’, Decadent guitars join forces with the most robustly defiant vocal you’ll hear this year. In frontman Craig Lewis, there is a raging bull smashing away at the gate for freedom. Not many can carry the devilment of these guitars, in this instance, the guitars just about latch on to his behemoth spirit. When he wrenches ‘took too much and took it again’, the dark glow inside you will brighten. Whilst we care for his health, vulnerable but bullish rock stars are a depleted force.

After just ten seconds, a knowing wink comes from the lead guitar. Something special is imminent! Little gold licks flirt their way through this tale of debauchery. Then, from heaven, comes the divine solo. As though Richards’ devilment made its way into Stephen Stills’ soul in his Manassas period. Dark and satanic, it’s escapism at its best!

Now, although different tone, a love of Kasabian also lurks on the album. Kasabian’s debut album of punked-up synth grooves comes out to fight on ‘I’m On Fire’. Sonically different, of course, but, Lewis’ vocals chime with the destructive power of ‘Club Foot’ whilst Rowlands’ furious Stephen Stills guitars collide with the fraught nature of ‘Ovary Stripe’. ‘Keys To The Kingdom’ on the other hand, takes the febrile ‘Reason is Treason’ to the edge of Oasis’ Knebworth sized glory. Craig Lewis pulls back on the snarling temerity and lets bassist Sten inject the violent disarray. His funky-punk lines allow the fire of Kasabian and The Music to come to the fore as, yet again, guitarist Rowlands taps in 70s stadium excess to joyous effect.

There is an astonishing intensity to this album. Even when the pace lets up on ‘All The Streets Are Silent’ and ‘Devil On Your Shoulder’, the clarion call remains. In the album opener ‘Fall Into The Sun’, they have delivered one of rock music’s great statements of intent. The spirit of their hometown heroes’ Stereophonics early work comes out to play with the debauchery and despair of ‘Bring It All Down’ and the fury of ‘Holiday in the Sun’.

The Phonics come out to play again on ‘Something More’ and ‘Devil on your Shoulder’. The former, is, no less than a seismic change in pop music. This is the sound of ‘Last Nite’, ‘Somebody Told Me’ or ‘Dakota’ sticking their hand up and saying “we’re the fucking top 10 now”. The guitars roar towards the best sunset you’ve ever seen. Every time The Rifles and The Enemy fought and lost for the recognition they deserved feels worthwhile as Columbia makes their guitars glisten alongside Kelly Jones-esque vocals on circa ‘Madame Helga’ and ‘Rainbows and Pots of Gold’. ‘Devil on your Shoulder’ finds itself beautifully in ‘Billy Davey’s Daughter’ territory as it humbly closes the album out. Rather than a tale of tragedy, Columbia eloquently proclaims you’re never out of the race, you just have to keep going.

24hr news and social media have busted the myth of being a rockstar. The era of idolising excess and womanising is over. Good riddance! However, with it (bar Liam), went confidence and a swagger in the frontman. Millions of us lead ordinary lives. Boring lives. Often without hope. Step forward, Craig Lewis.

Lewis gives birth to the new rockstar. Never taking a backward step, his unwavering belief in his ability lifts you closer to a promised land not seen in a while. Crucially, empathy leads his vision. No sneering, just a helping hand through the fog:

“Embrace the chaos as the silence invades your mind / When we walk into a storm I know we’ll be fine / We are the glory people shine / we are the glory people yeah”

Somehow, they have reimagined the Stones, Stereophonics, Oasis, and Kasabian into something new on this debut. A life-affirming set of songs that will smash whatever stands in its way. For once, we alternative types beg the gatekeepers to put up barriers. It’ll only be that much sweeter when Columbia destroys them!

The Boo Radleys – Keep On With Falling

The Liverpool outfit returned last autumn with the triumphant EP ‘A Full Syringe and Memories of You’. On Friday 11th March they followed up on this with their first studio album in twenty-four years. Could they follow the critical acclaim of the EP?

You can buy the new album here.

Themes of catharsis and awakening run throughout the album. Album opener ‘I’ve Had Enough I’m Out’ and former EP track ‘A Full Syringe and Memories of You’ pull no punches as frontman Sice tackles the hypocrisy of the Catholic church. The former humbly strolls through the fog with gentle acoustic guitars before springing to life as a slower-paced Motown stomp. Being present is at the heart of this former single. The here and now override the secular totalitarian need for eternity.

‘A Full Syringe and Memories of You’, similar in theme, tackle the difficulties that come with the sanctity of life on what is, a truly remarkable piece of songwriting. As they explore the rejection of Catholic teachings, a clarion call is born. A never give up spirit oozes the great chord changes and, as they build layers and mental fog descends, a guttural fuck you emerge. It is though, through Sice’s angelic vocals the spectacular lay. They shine through the mire, which, during this grave era of war, act as a tangible sense of hope.

Many albums, when they strike this level of confessional discord fade when the angst fades. Here, their angst passes for sun-kissed melodies and inspirational lyrics. 

‘Keep On With Falling’ extracts the wisdom to carry on when most would fold under the weight of collapse:

“When you fall, it will follow, it will shine, it will bite,
And you'll see all the windows that have closed up on your life”

Sice’s vocals hit their angelic nineties peak without missing a beat. No more prevalent than on the delicious layers of backing vocals. So good are his pop instincts here that, Ian Brodie and will be pirouetting with glee. Not content with being a great indie jangle, the trio introduces elements of Electronic ‘s ‘Some Distant Memory’ and more notably, Nile Rodgers’ guitars. The Chic solos chime with the synths like sunshine on still water, so simple, so pure, and yet so far out of reach of most bands. Not since the Style Council has something English sounded this sun-kissed and funked up!

The album’s recalcitrant spirit culminates in the album closer ‘Alone Together’. Dripped in Orbital and Krtaftwerk sequences, the Boo’s lush melodies soar alongside a tale of school popularity fading into despair.

The melodies they tap into, no matter the discourse, are so infectious they could make Graham Nash blush. ‘All Along’ swirls with the panache of The Hollies and the illicit freedom of the DMA’s. Whereas, ‘I Say A Lot Of Things’ touches upon the romantic orchestration of Richard Hawley’s ‘Lady’s Bridge’ and the pop bombast of ‘C’mon Kids’. Unconstrained by the past, they reimagine their archetypal brass sonic alongside great drum patterns and enrichingly humble lyrics.

If the album had just been the aforementioned set of great pop songs alongside the mental triumph of the human spirit, it would have been a fine comeback. However, ‘Call Your Name’ makes it the perfect one. Channelling The Byrds via Tame Impala, they’ve conjured pure majesty! Trippy but angelic, it feels like Marr and Rodgers have taken the beauty of Thirteen Senses and South for a forlorn but life-affirming stroll.

Without Martin Carr in the fold, the new lineup could have easily folded under the pressure of delivering a new Radleys album. Carr has been an exceptional solo artist after all. Nevertheless, Sice and co have paid tribute to all that they once were and pushed the band forwards with remarkable results.

*Images courtesy of https://twitter.com/wordsandstories

The band will be on tour in April. Click the Image for tickets: 

Psiran – Elevate

Psiran are a Bristol-based duo made up of singer and lyricist, Ivy Cairo and producer, composer, and drummer, Emma Holbrook. After meeting in Montpellier and bonding over music, they spent the past two years making their debut album ‘Elevate’.

You can buy the album from their Bandcamp page.

As of yesterday morning, Putin’s vile regime entered Ukraine and began war. Life, as we know it will seemingly never be the same again. It is, unfortunately, but inevitably through this prism, we view this stunning album.

Even at its most beautiful, ‘Elevate’ occupies a dystopian landscape. ‘Pause for Thought’ has a post-apocalyptic ‘1984’ sense of dread coursing through the synths and production. Alongside the Portishead-esques drums and pianos, Cairo builds isolation lyrically ‘All us waifs and strays / Each and every one of us / Floating, falling stumbling along”. Meanwhile, title track ‘Elevation’ it’s hard to escape the inexcusable actions of Putin as Cario decrees ‘they’re calling for quiet / searching for silence’. The track throbs with dissatisfaction but, it doent’t just lay down. A flicker of uprising comes via the celestial orchestration and Cairo’s ability to vocally sit between Dolores O’Riordan and Roisin Murphy.

On ‘Girl Lost’ and ‘The Show’, that hope is ignited into full-scale rebellion. The former is an awakening of hope. A lost soul is offered a helping hand through the explosive drum ‘n’ bass climax. Oozing with love and defiance, they draw a line in the sand and say no further to their ills. With red lines made, ‘The Show’ strides into town resplendent with Radio 4’s (the band) ‘Stealing of a Nation’ bombast to announce the good guys are winning through an illuminating Depeche Mode synth solo.

There are two great post-battle moments on the album. ‘Frozen Frames’, offers Cairo’s best vocal by far. Tinged with pain and regret, she deals with anguish and thoughts of what might have been with an eloquence few can match. Holbrook’s composition here is cinematic and nothing short of Oscar-winning. As the strings chime alone, the loss becomes harrowing and, sadly, images of tanks rolling into Kyiv become impossible to shake.

‘Steal Away’ however, witnesses a broken but not failing spirit rebuilding what it once had. Cairo’s tale is one of a soul twisted inside out, tormented but, refusing to quit. A vice-like grip around the thing/person in question forms with such intense levels of love, it soars heavenly above the drum ‘n’ bass, swooning in and out of the clouds to kiss the rain no matter how torrential it falls.

Then, on ‘Dust It Down’ comes the album’s most accomplished moment. The mindfulness of Massive Attack and the early 90s rave instincts combine to ignite this clarion call of positivity. With Fred Deakin’s sci-fi classic ‘The Lasters’ in their hearts, they erupt into technicolour mesh of Depeche Mode, Lucigenic, and New Order.

With the agony of the lyrics and the sonic insurrection, Cario and Holbrook have announced themselves as a songwriting duo the UK could and should obsess over. They feel more Pete/Carl than Marr/Morrissey. A soulmate connection between the pen and the studio has been forged in blood here and it’s spectacular.

Rinaldi Sings - The Party's Over

Former member of 80s mod outfit The Moment Steve Rinaldi released ‘The Party’s Over’ last July under the moniker Rinaldi Sings. Written over a long period, it was recorded at Palm Studios, Soup Studios, and Mile Farm Studios with the aid of producers Steve and Paul Bultitude.   

You can buy the record here.

Albums being recorded over long periods can often sound disjointed and lack clarity with various epoch visions tinkering with the sound. Rinaldi manages to avoid these pitfalls with panache as he unites his love of 60s pop with his mod instincts. The bubblegum mod-pop of ‘Eyes of a Dreamer’ soars elegantly alongside the melodic stomps of Spencer Davis Group. ‘Empress of the Splendid Season’ taps I to the wistful soul of Roddy Frame and enriching orchestration of Chris Farlowe. Meanwhile, ‘The Highs Are Too High’ takes the indie-soul of The Housemartins for a night out to Wigan Casino and Twisted Wheel. Its razor-sharp characterisation a fine nod to Ray Davies’ legacy stomps along like the dearly missed New Street Adventure.

Interspersed among the groove-laden pop are slower numbers ‘We’ve Been Here Before’ and ‘Holy Cow’. The former, the epitome of charm, imparts the essence of The Everly Brothers and the rousing warmth of Frank & Walters as it ambles free. ‘Holy Cow’, feels like a Richard Hawley track given the indomitable optimism of Edwyn Collins’ songwriting. Both act as a fine balance to this party album, allowing everything to percolate in the mind.

On ‘She’ll Be There’, Rinaldi has recorded nothing a 60s classic. The grandiose brass and Bacharach orchestration are given Northern Soul and Style Council’s immediacy to produce something truly special. As if that wasn’t enough, The Beach Boys breakdown is simply divine!

A curiously consistent album, its long recording process should have led to some big dips based on other albums of this ilk. Proof that sticking to your guns will see the good out creatively. ‘The Party’s Over’ was most definitely worth the wait.

Tigers & Flies - Among Everything Else

The Manchester via Brighton via six-piece released their debut album ‘Among Everything Else’ last autumn via Violette Records.

Images courtesy of Ellie Rankin

Album’s laced in jazz’ oddities can be difficult and obstructive. Tiger & Flies seeks to dispel this myth. For every jagged edge, there is a pop hook and warming vocal, and enriching brass gently sanding them away.

‘Among Everything Else’ is in large, a set of great musical components coming together to forge new bonds and reawaken a few lost. Opener ‘Night Time Mood’ sees John Hassall and Burt Bacharach’s pop instincts hooking up with the melodic quirks of Baxter Dury. ‘Headspace’ takes the warmth of Orange Juice to the wayward landscapes of Murder Capital and Iceage. Meanwhile, ‘In My Skin’ splices Fontaines DC’s debut with soulful hints of New Street Adventure and, the underrated vocals of Suggs.

‘Pretty Good at Doing Fine’, despite its undeniable funk, strays too far into Talking Heads and XTC territory to step out as the band’s own. Countering this though is the sheer majesty of ‘Bat and Ball’, ‘Ben’, and ‘Don’t Let Her Walk Away’. On ‘Bat and Ball’, Arthur Arnold combines the vocal drawl of Charlie Steen (Shame) and the Albion jaunt of Carl Barat which culminates in a stunning set of Libertines via Lightning Seeds bubblegum s ‘ba ba ba’s’.

The latest single ‘Ben’ is a lost set of Johnny Marr guitar parts. Short angular riffs and eloquent jangles unite with Red Rum Club’s pop-brass instincts to create an almost euphoric sonic. Lifting it to the next level are the backing vocals as they carry an understated anthem to near-perfect status.

Then, on ‘Don’t Let Her Walk Away’, the album offers up its crowning glory. A forlorn beginning worthy of Sea Power at their most reflective clouds the air. It’s here their use of brass feels truly theirs. The hook acting as a breath, a reset on the pain darkening the protagonists’ vision on a relationship is astonishing. A truly fine update to the Orange Juice classic ‘Falling and Laughing’.

In 1967, Cream took jazz principles to the heights of psyche music with ‘Disraeli Gears’. Tigers & Flies have taken similar difficult foundations to the pinnacle of 60s pop and post-punk.

Ian M Bailey - Songs to Dream Along To

In October, Ian M bailey followed up on his critically acclaimed EP ‘Shots of Sun’ with ‘Songs To Dream Along To’. Recorded and produced at his home studio, it was written with Cosmic Rough Rider’s songwriter Daniel Wylie and released on Kool Kat Musik.

Artwork courtesy of Ian and https://johnwashington.co.uk/

Musically, it lives romantically in the past, largely residing in the Laurel Canyon scene. There is modern-day wisdom to lots his writing keeping it relevant. ‘A Place To Live’, escapes to the gentle beauty of early Ian Matthews records. The real artistry though, appears in the lyrics, seemingly an ode to the child about the pitfalls of lockdown (“Glory days cut down in our prime”). Bailey is blessed with empathy in his writing but, in the chorus here, he taps into a melody so potent that, it lifts the troubled soul beyond its despair:

“just a place to live / a place where we can be together / just a place to live / we won’t be here forever”

‘I’m Not The Enemy’, tackles the same problems but, further down the line mental of struggle. As such, the Byrdisan sonic is tinged with Gene Clark’s rich darkness and the psyche solo suggests a breaking point was reached. Yet again, the uplift of the chorus keeps the protagonists reaching for the light.

The Byrds influences reach far and wide on the record. None better than on ‘This Is Not A Feeling’ with the 12 string Rickenbacker out in its all glory. The positivity radiating from the guitars and Bailey’s vocals is near perfect. Coupled with the enriching keys, a state of bliss is achieved.

Album number two has begun between bailey and Wylie. Based on this showing, it cannot come soon enough. 

*Banner images courtesy of https://www.johnmiddleham.com/

Afflecks Palace – What Do You Mean It’s Not Raining

“Every second of the album drips perfect lysergic melodic and simmering summer tunes…9/10” – Louder Than War / John Rob

 Manchester’s Afflecks Palace have been on one hell of a charge this past two years. Not content with launching their label Spirit of Spike Island, looking after the rising star of Pastel, they have now self-released their debut album ‘What Do You Mean It’s Not Raining’. Never let it be said the youth of today are lazy!

You can buy the album from Spirit of Spike Island.

It may have been recorded at James Kenoshas studio in Hull and mastered by John Davies at Metropolis in London but, it’s very much a Manchester album. Forget rehash, this is a recreation for the famous city from the ground up for 2021.

‘Capre Diem’ and ‘Pink Skies’ are fine clarion calls and, burn with a unique rage. Both clutch The Roses and Smiths to their hearts. There’s a spirit, a raging desire to be heard, to be brilliant and to be loved! The former, sprinkled with the brash parts of The La’s and the infectious moments of Ride’s comeback will disarm the most hardened souls as its buoyant charm races to your serotonin.  

On ‘Pink Skies’, they serve up sun drenched imagery and poetry so blissful, it’s inevitable the masses don’t flock to them. Working class anthems haven’t sounded this good since Tom Clarke’s gritty Coventry tales burned bright in 2007. Like Clarke, frontman James Fender has a knack of his digging his heels in and making it sound joyous. No one is stopping his dreams! Where they differ from The Enemy is, Afflecks Palace have deafness of touch. The angelic vocals and feather light guitars smile at the naysayers. All the while, their propulsive polemic strives for glory:

“The pyramid is ten feet tall
Shall we climb it, risk the fall?
Steal the rusty copper crown”

This is an album that far outreaches its Manchester roots though. A huge slice of the Laurel Canyon scene infiltrates its beauty. ‘Ripley Jean’ is an effortless Byrdsian meander into sun-kissed landscapes. The rapid-fire licks and Fender’s Alan Wilson-esque (Canned Heat) vocals serve this adventure well. The accelerated guitars keep on coming via the Johnny Marr-inspired ‘Forever Young. Meanwhile, on album opener ‘This City Is Burning Alive’, an array of McGinn and Clark guitar parts erupt into life to make the laissez-faire psyche of seem Tame Impala extinct.

Then, on ‘Spinner’, comes the moment that will catapult the band to superstardom. Everything you thought you liked about The Lathums dissipates here. They have eclipsed their (fine) Wigan peers’ infectious sound with this bubblegum pop classic. Witty and humble, this heaven-sent reincarnation of Sally Cinnamon via Ride’s ‘Future Love’ is beset with joyous vocal inflections and a freeing nature so pure, its more intoxicating than MDMA.

Some are dubbing them ‘nu-Manchester’, what we know is, they have found a way to reimagine the past in 2021. So many have striven to be like the greats, Afflecks have found space in their slipstream on this debut. How soon they can overtake remains to be seen but, their Destiney clearly lies alongside them at least!

*Images courtesy of Spirit of Spike Island

The Institutes - Colosseums

The Institutes, hailing from Coventry, release their debut album ‘Colosseums’ Friday 22nd October via 42s Records. After a string of anthemic singles behind them, can the album live up to the expectation?

Images and artwork courtesy of End of the Trail Creative.

For two years, The Institutes have been rapidly closing the gap between them and DMA’s in terms of quality fuzzed-up singalongs. Like their Australian counterparts, they have a knack for making a specific tale mean all things to all people. Former singles ‘Something Beautiful’ and ‘I Just Can’t Keep Myself From Loving You’ being the finest exponents of this. The former is a tale of a relationship breakup where a child is involved. The power of the love for the child is so intoxicating it lends itself to addiction or a burning desire to make it in life. ‘I Just Can’t Keep Myself From Loving You’ follows a similar path where the protagonist demonstrates a breath-taking imbalance. It’s a tidal way sent to blow you away! Both songs befit their ethereal sonic but, lurking within are short muscular guitars and Reni-likes drums intensifying the power.

This writing capability allows for such a greater emotional pull when they do hone in on a discourse. ‘Feels Like Rain Again’, colossal in sound, tackles fog that clouds the mind in moments of mental torment. The protagonist’s journey is one of struggle (“I don’t if I’m Jekyll or Hyde”) to one of the finest contrast in music, ever. As frontman Reid Zappa Currie decrees “this is a part of me”, the guitars swirl with such majesty that, it’s as though our hero has come to terms with the problems. Reid’s delivery though is a triumph of the human spirit. Wrenched from the soul, it carries so much pain that you can hear his soul fragmenting.

Their more precise songwriting style culminates in the album closer ‘Better Now’. The third act resolution of the journey trickles hazily into view with early Nick McCabe guitars before ascending to DMA’s glory and beyond. The cinematic climax is signed off with Kirk Savage’s eruption of drums and cacophony of guitars providing a truly cathartic moment for mind, body, and soul.

It is, by no means an exaggeration to state, that every song here is an anthem. They walk the tightrope of mass melodic appeal and artistic integrity searching for new pastures. ‘Inside Out’ takes the inspiration summer fading sounds of Soundtracks of Our Lives to new planes. ‘Alleyways’, musically battles between the forlorn nature of ‘Listen Up’ and the effervescent spirit of ‘Sally Cinnamon. All the while, it humbly taps into the nostalgic mind of people and, reflects upon carefree childhood relationships. Meanwhile, ‘Heal In Time’ is an urgent burst of hope with The La’s and Ride in their hearts.

On and on this joy goes on ‘Colosseums’. This album’s spirit is nothing short of heroic. Its quality vastly towers over its peers. The majors have come sniffing around bands of late, their choices, eyebrow-raising to say the least. The Institutes have been ignored to date. However, not by Lammo, John Kennedy, and Tom Robinson. Not by us, now, it’s time for you, the people to go send them to the top and make their journey the stratospheric one it merits.