Astronauts - Skydive - Lo Recordings - ★★★★★★☆☆☆☆
Formerly the frontman and lynchpin of quirky London outfit Dark Captains, Dan Carney's new project is an altogether more intimate affair. Sad-face cello entwines itself around subtle beats and lightly plucked guitar while Carney espouses a vocal melancholia that wouldn't sound out of place on the next Bon Iver album. It bodes well for the inevitable album.
Bill Pritchard - In June - Tapete Records - ★★★★★★★☆☆☆
On which the Quo, glam-rock and psychedelia rears its head on a somewhat subdued romp taken from the man's latest album, the otherwise triumphant A Trip To The Coast. This is by far the least-likely single on the album and appears to have been selected for radio play purely because the word June pops up in the title - yes, it's being released in June. Every other song on the album would have made a better single and yes, it's still bloody good but Yeah Yeah Girl (the b-side here, the bloody b-side!), Tout Seul, Truly Blue or Almerend Road are surely right up there instead.
Tides - So Close - Donatello - ★★★★★☆☆☆☆☆
Now that Foals, Bombay Bicycle Club have settled in, similarly-minded bands are pitching in with a smoother version of the same thing. Indie-pop that's no longer 'indie', you might say. Tides possess a nifty tune, a decent vocalist but not a lot else for me personally, other than the inevitable support slot at one of those pop festival all-dayers at a stadium near you. You'll be chiming along to the chorus loudly in between Olly Murs and Drizzle Dicks sometime soon. So Close sounds great, of course, but there's no real depth that will make this a keeper. It's a bit too pop and too much of a trier. But judge not too soon, there may be more in that locker of theirs.
The Stags - Just Like You - self-issued - ★★★★★★★☆☆☆
If Jack White, Drenge or any one of the many blues-hollerin' outfits from the past decade has enlightened your ears, you'll want a slice of The Stags. Chris Finney's gutsy bawling might not be to everyone's taste but, by crikey, he'll be scaring the neighbours anytime soon with this follow-up to Stealing My Heart. It's not a new song (clips dating back to spring 2013 can be found on You Tube), but it's a step-up of sorts. The last minute of the track involves some serious heads-down-no-nonsense riffing and thrashing around, all of which will no doubt translate marvellously down at a sticky-walled venue near you soon. Ones to watch.
Black Light White Light - High Like a Hurricane - Playground - ★★★★★★★☆☆☆
And here's another band with their feet firmly rooted in thrashy blues 'n' psych-rock, although High Like a Hurricane is perhaps more representative of the latter genre. Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, Joy Zipper and The Seeds materialise in the mix at various points and BLWL sound like a band who've been around for more than five years (and sold more records than they have). The accompanying track Sex and Fury does its thing but for me, ...Hurricane is the stone-cold winner.
Michael Franti & Spearhead - I'm Alive - ★★☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆
This seems to be doing the rounds again, due in part to his new album being issued recently. Think Bruno Mars, think Olly Murs, think DFS, Yakult, Activia, Sainsbury's and think of this - it's an adman's dream. Franti has completely eschewed his campaigning chops for this rather nauseating fluff, making it hard to believe his earlier work with Disposable Heroes of Hiphoprisy and Spearhead ever existed. I'm all for happy but...
Ed Harcourt - In My Time Of Dust - ★★★★★★★☆☆☆
Harcourt's idea of 'happy' is way, way different to most and In My Time Of Dust is almost a party tune in the world of the introspective troubadour. A nifty shuffle-beat carries this likeable slice of funereal funk, dressed up as pop with a nip of Hammond organ here, a foreboding death knell there and the merest hint of Nick Cave, if only in mood (not lyrically). Quality as always and certainly one of his most 'up' numbers for some time.
GOSPEL - Disasters Running Wild - ★★★★★★★★★☆
London's electro trio Creatures Of Love are sadly no more but that hasn't prevented lynchpin Chris Willsher from recruiting new vocalist Beth Anderton-Allen in order to create 'soulful indie-soul music for the masses. He's just about done it - Disasters Running Wild is a superb distillation of his previous band's epic approach, neatly clipped into a memorable pop song dramatically trilled by its original composer Beth. With Mikko Gordon on sliders and knobs, GOSPEL have struck gold at the first attempt. Single of the week. Released on Soundcloud 2nd June.
Now being streamed here ->
Thumpers - Unkinder - ★★★★★☆☆☆☆☆
Pleasant enough alternative pop in the vein of Everything Everything if they stopped gargling high-energy gels. This is from their debut-album Galore and sounds like everything was played on Garageband, bar the drums - it's all so smooth, so precise and pretty that the very suggestion of a guitar solo or a drum roll might bring the pair of them out in hives. Catchy, smart and a soundtrack for picnics in middle-class parks or white sandy beaches, Unkinder isn't a bad ditty but totally devoid of soul.
Robin Romei - Vapours - ★★★★★☆☆☆☆☆
Born and bred in London but sounding like he's been at the Brett Anderson cocktails, Romei's oeuvre is late '80s Duran Duran blended with metrosexual man-pop that veers from the sophisticated (Vapours) to the raunchy (b-side I Can't Wait) that will either have you wondering where Robin has been all your life or firing a BB gun into your privates in protest. You decide.
Polica - Raw Exit - ★★★★☆☆☆☆☆☆
I'm struggling with Polica these days. Not struggling as in 'I don't understand what they're doing', more like 'where did the brilliance go in eighteen short months. Raw Exit is a postscript of sorts, a tie-up for the second album Shulamith and not one of the band's most ear-engaging moments I have to say. Cumbersome and a pique of drudgery to these ears, the track's saving grace is the wasp-like buzzing around half-way through - the rest is a disappointment.
Alex Smoke - Greenman EP - ★★★★★★★★☆☆
Four more minimal glitch-soul utterances from Scots electronica bod on the cusp of crossover, if the press would have you believe. And why not? Rather than wallow in the swell of James Blake's not-dissimilar wake of mopey soul, the Smoke has turned his attentions to crafting artisan beats and selective atmospheres that demand cerebral attention, as well as the same from your feet. Particularly hypnotic is LSD (the track not the drug) and the wonderfully-titled Tommy Knockers which unravels into a shuffling acid-trip before your very ears. This is Alex Smoke's best EP to date and cements R&S's high-profile once again after a run of indifferent releases.
The Rhubarbs - A Tale Of Life, Love and Rhubarb - ★★★★★★★☆☆☆
And there was I thinking that punk was dead when along comes a band who are a dead-ringer for the likes of The Members, The Vapors and the like. But here we are, bang up to date in 2014 and The Rhubarbs are hell-bent on 'woah-oah-oah'-ing their way into your cochlea with a ramshackle EP of spiky, spunky pop-punk anthems that are perfectly tailored for gobbing beer all over your mates at a dive-bar near you. Lead track Naughty is superior to the other pair in so many ways - some of you may recognize the EP's closer Dorothy's Wheels, a bonkers live favourite for some time, while Large Phone Bill comes and goes in a similar fashion. The thing about Naughty is its brutal simplicity and unashamed catchy chorus - "because 'e likes 'er!!".
Formerly the frontman and lynchpin of quirky London outfit Dark Captains, Dan Carney's new project is an altogether more intimate affair. Sad-face cello entwines itself around subtle beats and lightly plucked guitar while Carney espouses a vocal melancholia that wouldn't sound out of place on the next Bon Iver album. It bodes well for the inevitable album.
Bill Pritchard - In June - Tapete Records - ★★★★★★★☆☆☆
On which the Quo, glam-rock and psychedelia rears its head on a somewhat subdued romp taken from the man's latest album, the otherwise triumphant A Trip To The Coast. This is by far the least-likely single on the album and appears to have been selected for radio play purely because the word June pops up in the title - yes, it's being released in June. Every other song on the album would have made a better single and yes, it's still bloody good but Yeah Yeah Girl (the b-side here, the bloody b-side!), Tout Seul, Truly Blue or Almerend Road are surely right up there instead.
Tides - So Close - Donatello - ★★★★★☆☆☆☆☆
Now that Foals, Bombay Bicycle Club have settled in, similarly-minded bands are pitching in with a smoother version of the same thing. Indie-pop that's no longer 'indie', you might say. Tides possess a nifty tune, a decent vocalist but not a lot else for me personally, other than the inevitable support slot at one of those pop festival all-dayers at a stadium near you. You'll be chiming along to the chorus loudly in between Olly Murs and Drizzle Dicks sometime soon. So Close sounds great, of course, but there's no real depth that will make this a keeper. It's a bit too pop and too much of a trier. But judge not too soon, there may be more in that locker of theirs.
The Stags - Just Like You - self-issued - ★★★★★★★☆☆☆
If Jack White, Drenge or any one of the many blues-hollerin' outfits from the past decade has enlightened your ears, you'll want a slice of The Stags. Chris Finney's gutsy bawling might not be to everyone's taste but, by crikey, he'll be scaring the neighbours anytime soon with this follow-up to Stealing My Heart. It's not a new song (clips dating back to spring 2013 can be found on You Tube), but it's a step-up of sorts. The last minute of the track involves some serious heads-down-no-nonsense riffing and thrashing around, all of which will no doubt translate marvellously down at a sticky-walled venue near you soon. Ones to watch.
Black Light White Light - High Like a Hurricane - Playground - ★★★★★★★☆☆☆
And here's another band with their feet firmly rooted in thrashy blues 'n' psych-rock, although High Like a Hurricane is perhaps more representative of the latter genre. Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, Joy Zipper and The Seeds materialise in the mix at various points and BLWL sound like a band who've been around for more than five years (and sold more records than they have). The accompanying track Sex and Fury does its thing but for me, ...Hurricane is the stone-cold winner.
Michael Franti & Spearhead - I'm Alive - ★★☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆
This seems to be doing the rounds again, due in part to his new album being issued recently. Think Bruno Mars, think Olly Murs, think DFS, Yakult, Activia, Sainsbury's and think of this - it's an adman's dream. Franti has completely eschewed his campaigning chops for this rather nauseating fluff, making it hard to believe his earlier work with Disposable Heroes of Hiphoprisy and Spearhead ever existed. I'm all for happy but...
Ed Harcourt - In My Time Of Dust - ★★★★★★★☆☆☆
Harcourt's idea of 'happy' is way, way different to most and In My Time Of Dust is almost a party tune in the world of the introspective troubadour. A nifty shuffle-beat carries this likeable slice of funereal funk, dressed up as pop with a nip of Hammond organ here, a foreboding death knell there and the merest hint of Nick Cave, if only in mood (not lyrically). Quality as always and certainly one of his most 'up' numbers for some time.
GOSPEL - Disasters Running Wild - ★★★★★★★★★☆
London's electro trio Creatures Of Love are sadly no more but that hasn't prevented lynchpin Chris Willsher from recruiting new vocalist Beth Anderton-Allen in order to create 'soulful indie-soul music for the masses. He's just about done it - Disasters Running Wild is a superb distillation of his previous band's epic approach, neatly clipped into a memorable pop song dramatically trilled by its original composer Beth. With Mikko Gordon on sliders and knobs, GOSPEL have struck gold at the first attempt. Single of the week. Released on Soundcloud 2nd June.
Now being streamed here ->
Thumpers - Unkinder - ★★★★★☆☆☆☆☆
Pleasant enough alternative pop in the vein of Everything Everything if they stopped gargling high-energy gels. This is from their debut-album Galore and sounds like everything was played on Garageband, bar the drums - it's all so smooth, so precise and pretty that the very suggestion of a guitar solo or a drum roll might bring the pair of them out in hives. Catchy, smart and a soundtrack for picnics in middle-class parks or white sandy beaches, Unkinder isn't a bad ditty but totally devoid of soul.
Robin Romei - Vapours - ★★★★★☆☆☆☆☆
Born and bred in London but sounding like he's been at the Brett Anderson cocktails, Romei's oeuvre is late '80s Duran Duran blended with metrosexual man-pop that veers from the sophisticated (Vapours) to the raunchy (b-side I Can't Wait) that will either have you wondering where Robin has been all your life or firing a BB gun into your privates in protest. You decide.
Polica - Raw Exit - ★★★★☆☆☆☆☆☆
I'm struggling with Polica these days. Not struggling as in 'I don't understand what they're doing', more like 'where did the brilliance go in eighteen short months. Raw Exit is a postscript of sorts, a tie-up for the second album Shulamith and not one of the band's most ear-engaging moments I have to say. Cumbersome and a pique of drudgery to these ears, the track's saving grace is the wasp-like buzzing around half-way through - the rest is a disappointment.
Alex Smoke - Greenman EP - ★★★★★★★★☆☆
Four more minimal glitch-soul utterances from Scots electronica bod on the cusp of crossover, if the press would have you believe. And why not? Rather than wallow in the swell of James Blake's not-dissimilar wake of mopey soul, the Smoke has turned his attentions to crafting artisan beats and selective atmospheres that demand cerebral attention, as well as the same from your feet. Particularly hypnotic is LSD (the track not the drug) and the wonderfully-titled Tommy Knockers which unravels into a shuffling acid-trip before your very ears. This is Alex Smoke's best EP to date and cements R&S's high-profile once again after a run of indifferent releases.
The Rhubarbs - A Tale Of Life, Love and Rhubarb - ★★★★★★★☆☆☆
And there was I thinking that punk was dead when along comes a band who are a dead-ringer for the likes of The Members, The Vapors and the like. But here we are, bang up to date in 2014 and The Rhubarbs are hell-bent on 'woah-oah-oah'-ing their way into your cochlea with a ramshackle EP of spiky, spunky pop-punk anthems that are perfectly tailored for gobbing beer all over your mates at a dive-bar near you. Lead track Naughty is superior to the other pair in so many ways - some of you may recognize the EP's closer Dorothy's Wheels, a bonkers live favourite for some time, while Large Phone Bill comes and goes in a similar fashion. The thing about Naughty is its brutal simplicity and unashamed catchy chorus - "because 'e likes 'er!!".