J Mascis - Every Morning - ★★★★★★★☆☆☆
Perhaps the most obviously commercial cut from the Dinosaur Jr frontman's recent solo-album and a treat for the ears. That trademark drawl wraps itself around a pleasing acoustic-rock head-nodder, replete with the usual butter-melting guitar fuzz and hopelessly optimistic aura surrounding this tune. The production is a tad muddy but this is nit-picking - Every Morning should be spun every morning. It's even better than breakfast and that coming from one who's partial to a cooked intro to the day, is something to behold.
Simple Minds - Blindfolded - ★★★★★★★☆☆☆
Could this be a return of the Simple Minds of old, the Simple Minds that gave the world the stunning Empires and Dance, Sons and Fascination and other early chestnuts? I tell you what - Blindfolded might be a bit stuck in the '80s but it's Jim Kerr's finest five minutes since Blood Diamonds, War Babies or the 12" version of Up On The Catwalk (depending on your point of view). Euro-disco a go-go it may be but sometimes minimal motorik post-punk epics work wonders for the soul. Despite there not being much of a song, this is to Simple Minds advantage - check the title track of New Gold Dream or In Trance As Mission for proof. Welcome back boys, this is a winner.
Magic Brother / Cassettes - West Country - ★★★★★★☆☆☆☆
Two bands recording the same song plus another self-penned effort of their choosing - isn't it time we had more 'split' EPs around? I think so. Hailing from Croydon (I'll confess to knowing one of them), Magic Brother's sound is a lil bit Waterboys (later era), a smidgeon Traffic, a dash of Southern Rock, Brit-psych and oodles of what sounds like a Hammond organ on West Country, while Cassettes are more of the same but a little more Charlatans/The Coral/Bluetones about them than the folkier Waterboys. Anyway, both have produced game versions of the lead song, while the extra songs have enough fuzzed-out passages (Magic Brother) and merciless rhythms (Cassettes) to warrant further investigation. They both need a night with a producer and a few bottles of something alcoholic to truly bring out the best in them but both bands should think about lining up a headline single sometime soon.
Big Country - All Lay Down - ★★★★★★☆☆☆☆
What with Scots compatriots Simple Minds unleashing their first new material for some time, Big Country continue their post-Adamson odyssey with a mid-tempo rocker that will no doubt have many fans all dewy-eyed within seconds of the first bars. New vocalist Simon Hough has taken to the band's tireless folk-rock template like a duck to water and All Lay Down in certainly comparable with the likes of Chance or King Of Emotion. A safe, tentative but robust return to form that bodes well for the next album.
Bell Gardens - Take Us Away - ★★★★★★★★★☆
Harmonies alert!! Actually, this is rather lovely. Slow-tempo, just the right side of 'twee' and packed full of strings, as if Air and Midlake had been taking balloon trips over the mid-West and sprinkling good-vibes dust across the land. From L.A. and subconsciously plugged into the '60s dream-pop scene, taking in a little bit of Mercury Rev and Brendan Perry en route, stopping off at Pearls Before Swine and Big Star's house for inspiration, before getting stoned with '70s era Brian Eno and Harold Budd. Take Us Away is quite simply the best thing that Rocket Girl has served up this year. No. This decade. Sod it. This century. Oh, and the album...oh yes, the album...review to follow.
Aphex Twin - Minipops 67 - ★★★★★★★★☆☆
Ah, the hype. Unless you've been milking goats on Venus for the past few weeks, you'll be aware of one Richard James' return to the fold. SYRO is due for issue in September and looks set to be Warp's first #1 album, all being well. This fidgety mellowness is the album's opener and it's a belter. Less oppressive than Drukqs-era Twin and just a little less pretty than Analogue Bubblebath, Mini Pops 67 is a sumptuous electro track that simply gets better with every play and while it hardly breaks new ground and regardless of the creator, Aphex Twin's ability to program beats and write child-like melodies with such ease is to be applauded. He's still got it.
Calvin Harris feat John Newman - Blame - ★★★★★☆☆☆☆☆
Hands to the lazers, Breezers to the lips, fingers in the air - Harris returns with something of an Ibeefa anthem, with guest warbler John Newman (whose affected vocals are either your cup of tea or liable to incite some form of violence). Personally, I'm not a fan of this style of singing, it's all a bit forced. "Blem it orn tha naaa-aaayt" chirrups Newman, while Harris pumps up the beats and rinses the synths to within an inch of their circuit-boards. Oh and there are those irritating breakdowns once again where the beats stop, ready for those implausibly huge build-ups and yet more pauses. If you bought the last Pet Shop Boys album then you'll already have something like this, but better.
Perhaps the most obviously commercial cut from the Dinosaur Jr frontman's recent solo-album and a treat for the ears. That trademark drawl wraps itself around a pleasing acoustic-rock head-nodder, replete with the usual butter-melting guitar fuzz and hopelessly optimistic aura surrounding this tune. The production is a tad muddy but this is nit-picking - Every Morning should be spun every morning. It's even better than breakfast and that coming from one who's partial to a cooked intro to the day, is something to behold.
Simple Minds - Blindfolded - ★★★★★★★☆☆☆
Could this be a return of the Simple Minds of old, the Simple Minds that gave the world the stunning Empires and Dance, Sons and Fascination and other early chestnuts? I tell you what - Blindfolded might be a bit stuck in the '80s but it's Jim Kerr's finest five minutes since Blood Diamonds, War Babies or the 12" version of Up On The Catwalk (depending on your point of view). Euro-disco a go-go it may be but sometimes minimal motorik post-punk epics work wonders for the soul. Despite there not being much of a song, this is to Simple Minds advantage - check the title track of New Gold Dream or In Trance As Mission for proof. Welcome back boys, this is a winner.
Magic Brother / Cassettes - West Country - ★★★★★★☆☆☆☆
Two bands recording the same song plus another self-penned effort of their choosing - isn't it time we had more 'split' EPs around? I think so. Hailing from Croydon (I'll confess to knowing one of them), Magic Brother's sound is a lil bit Waterboys (later era), a smidgeon Traffic, a dash of Southern Rock, Brit-psych and oodles of what sounds like a Hammond organ on West Country, while Cassettes are more of the same but a little more Charlatans/The Coral/Bluetones about them than the folkier Waterboys. Anyway, both have produced game versions of the lead song, while the extra songs have enough fuzzed-out passages (Magic Brother) and merciless rhythms (Cassettes) to warrant further investigation. They both need a night with a producer and a few bottles of something alcoholic to truly bring out the best in them but both bands should think about lining up a headline single sometime soon.
Big Country - All Lay Down - ★★★★★★☆☆☆☆
What with Scots compatriots Simple Minds unleashing their first new material for some time, Big Country continue their post-Adamson odyssey with a mid-tempo rocker that will no doubt have many fans all dewy-eyed within seconds of the first bars. New vocalist Simon Hough has taken to the band's tireless folk-rock template like a duck to water and All Lay Down in certainly comparable with the likes of Chance or King Of Emotion. A safe, tentative but robust return to form that bodes well for the next album.
Bell Gardens - Take Us Away - ★★★★★★★★★☆
Harmonies alert!! Actually, this is rather lovely. Slow-tempo, just the right side of 'twee' and packed full of strings, as if Air and Midlake had been taking balloon trips over the mid-West and sprinkling good-vibes dust across the land. From L.A. and subconsciously plugged into the '60s dream-pop scene, taking in a little bit of Mercury Rev and Brendan Perry en route, stopping off at Pearls Before Swine and Big Star's house for inspiration, before getting stoned with '70s era Brian Eno and Harold Budd. Take Us Away is quite simply the best thing that Rocket Girl has served up this year. No. This decade. Sod it. This century. Oh, and the album...oh yes, the album...review to follow.
Aphex Twin - Minipops 67 - ★★★★★★★★☆☆
Ah, the hype. Unless you've been milking goats on Venus for the past few weeks, you'll be aware of one Richard James' return to the fold. SYRO is due for issue in September and looks set to be Warp's first #1 album, all being well. This fidgety mellowness is the album's opener and it's a belter. Less oppressive than Drukqs-era Twin and just a little less pretty than Analogue Bubblebath, Mini Pops 67 is a sumptuous electro track that simply gets better with every play and while it hardly breaks new ground and regardless of the creator, Aphex Twin's ability to program beats and write child-like melodies with such ease is to be applauded. He's still got it.
Calvin Harris feat John Newman - Blame - ★★★★★☆☆☆☆☆
Hands to the lazers, Breezers to the lips, fingers in the air - Harris returns with something of an Ibeefa anthem, with guest warbler John Newman (whose affected vocals are either your cup of tea or liable to incite some form of violence). Personally, I'm not a fan of this style of singing, it's all a bit forced. "Blem it orn tha naaa-aaayt" chirrups Newman, while Harris pumps up the beats and rinses the synths to within an inch of their circuit-boards. Oh and there are those irritating breakdowns once again where the beats stop, ready for those implausibly huge build-ups and yet more pauses. If you bought the last Pet Shop Boys album then you'll already have something like this, but better.