Records
lNDIt; ROCK AVEO Battery (Munich) .00
Straight from America's stormy Seattle. Ayeo's second alhum is like rainy day comfort food (think macaroni cheese or hot cocoai - fully satisfying and familiar indulgence that lacks exotic sophistication. Spacey instrumental melodies with consistently catchy haselines add iust ()ii(>iig;li ()f {tit (>(lgi(> t() stave off dullness threatened hy enchanting hut occasionally uninspired vocals.
What really puts Bt'ttte/y in the category of comfort food rather than gourn‘et dining. though. is its reluctance to take risks that would add spice to the group's common flavour. Sure. Aveo do their thing well enough. hut so does ev 2iyone else.
(Emily Jonesi
ROCK
AMPLIFIER Amplifier
(Music for Nationsi 0..
MCLUSKY
The Difference Between Me and You is That I‘m Not on Fire (Too Purm O... YOURCODENAM EIS:MILO
All Roads to Fault (Fictioni .0.
We've got a rawk~fest of trouser husting
proportions for you this month. and it’s kinda fitting that Manchester's Amplifier head the charge ~ the very first track on this particular plate is entitled ‘Motorhead'. after all. Other than that. though. Its; surprisingly rich ’,“r;r.".::,“.. Some of th- 5: '- Larsons that haxt: new .'! arlt; ahout the
pr..'.r:i trio art.- off
102 THE LIST "
hase (Led Zep and Joy DiVision? Ahsolutely no dangerll. but others ring true — for example. Metallica‘s measured ferocity. the Verve's wig— out potential. and Soundgarden's sometimes tedioust gloomy lyricism.
A short hop acr< ss the horder and into insanity. meanwhile. lie dangerously superh Welsh wi/ards Mclusky. Despite that title (cheers. Mclusky. we hadn't noticed) this Steve Alhini~produced second alhum is a fine collection of discordant. nOIsy. humorous anthems. Shit-scarin exciting live. we can't see the likes of ‘KKKitchens. What Were You Thinking?" and ‘Slayl' harming that reputation.
Similarly Alhini- manipulated and also friends to Snow Patrol. Geordie outfit Yourcotlenameiszmilo are hyped to the hilt and they've got the shoutiness to hack it up. Whether or not their youthful energy wil ever see- them claim that coveted spot on the CD:th stage. however. is not so certain they‘re good. hut perhaps a hit too angular for the pop kids' tastes. lame Alhiiii for that one. (David Pollocki
ltOCK'N'ROll LENNY KRAVITZ Baptism
(Virgini O
tenny Kravit/ is hack. |
see . . . he's the minister of rock'n'roll now. apparently . . . is he still married to Vanessa Paradis’? . . . oh. that was Johnny Depp. ‘».'rasii't it . . . doesn't sound as much like Jimi Hendrix . . . oh actually.
that's like a really had ‘All Along the Watch Tovrer' . what was that one. 'Are You Gonna Go My Way/’2' that was guite good . . . have l heard this one hefore'? . . . he does go on a hit .. what's going on With his old lady hair? . . . oh ()lirist. here's another hallad . . . nice to have
him hack. isn't it? (Mark Rohertson)
JAZZ
BILL WELLS Pick Up Sticks (Leaf‘l O...
Skipping through this ititiSical life hearing the enigmatic lahel of ‘Stirling's answer to Sun Ra'. Glasweigan pianoforte stalwart Bill Wells has provided innovative arrangements for the indie ikes of Belle and Sehastian. Aral) Strah and the Pastels.
as well as fusing ia// yo
and rock to dramatic
eponymous octet.
This 20-minute gem of a collal')oi'ation hetween Wells. tromhonist Annie \I’Vhitehead. singer- songwriter Barharha Morgenstern and To Rococo Rot's Stefan
eight heautifully mournful
vignettes. which provide fannliar. yet it is totaly
d‘t’t’erent fron‘ your own.
which fits like a hlack
t)£tl£t(:i£t‘.’t. C'imir
iffei gokes aside. 5’. is a ‘eeling a.l drivers are ta'i‘iiar
\‘Jitt ‘..
a lovely. accessihle introduction to the artist and his oeuvre.
(Allan Radc
\‘v’OHLD
OMARA PORTUONDO Flor de Amor (\i’VorId Circuit) .0.
POfithlKk) as another each y sii‘ge" whose international success can they ai' fee; oi‘ferent.
he attrihuted to the-2r appearance in Baena
de Amor apoates hut doesn't ohscure the hittersweet soarids of son. guz racha and ran comhined. After a couple of pleasant hat uninspired tracks. things start to flow with more stimulated. stimuiatrrig songs !ike ‘Hermosa Hahana' and ‘Amorosa guaiira'.
A pure. simple pleasure. this is an undenianding synthesis of rhythmic. harmonic. melodic. and i)erformance-ltountl qualities hrought to the core hy Portuondo's impressive vocal accomi)lishments. iAnna Miliari
games@list.co.uk
XBOX
TOCA RACE DRIVER 2 (Codeinasters S.‘3E).E)E)i O...
You know t'ia'. feeling
iet when driving a strange vel‘ cie'r‘ Mayhe effect wrth his =t's ; mate has had a few a'tu wants you. the lf"t Bl'tl drinker. to (t"l‘.'(} his car home. Or 'nayhe it's the Golf GTi you‘v; nicked. \"Vhe‘itever the xehicle. it is a weird experience. You Schneider. has spawned tl'lthlSIt’tlttl how I
get it TOCA 2. There are do/e" styles o‘
'notorspor‘. o". offer "ere. (iefir‘ 71g you" prog as a i tl‘t‘.'(}.". From the asua‘
your ski!;s are te
Their Il'll ts. And thougn same control set-ap
They all (t(2'll£t."(2 a comfort period where Vista Social C/uf). and you siii: this everexoressive halaclav' set)ttiagenariart first lady you know has all her Cuhan heat co hases covered. Rally d ':. Suhtly unfettered. Flor Rods.
iznear "arratt‘.e
ahoye cheesy. this
method of challenge yogi'c-ssion ts deeply satisfying. Eacn race has something that stretches your ah:lit‘y: if it is not a new ll‘.£t(Il‘ ne or enyii'on'ne't‘. :t is the cunning o‘ your compute" opponents. The Al I" TOCA Race Driver :3 is 'mpressive indeed. w'th cars cutting across your he. {HESJUCIQIHQ that c yoane or roaring out your sltps‘ireaii‘. n a wry
he ievahle fashion. !t's not always perfect out the :lltlSlOll sustaii‘s. TOG/l Race Driver 2 certainly delivers the
or vie-g goods and :s a vast improvement on its predecessor. You can almost smeil t'ie
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UNREAL TOURNAMENT 2004
lnlograrnes $29.99 000.
First ti‘ey 1004 the online oeati‘mafoh from Unr 3a/. '.'."‘ot-::- so'i‘e noken llé‘tCKESICT", ahout theeng a sport a"-:l "eleased U] 8003. ()ooh. ti‘ey so ‘.'.'ar‘ted :t to oeco'ne a "u'r‘hl'no "e'er‘tiess
SHORE) l(,t":l"5>(: ill
annaal the :: ass:<: Eieotronic Arts mound. \.‘.r'e.l gosh dar" t. it looks Me t'te; 1.2; .'e sticcetxleu oecause "ere is U7 800-1 and s ogoer and
lath'Z'l did." I) :l()l13.
more gait es to reari‘. and
((120. lee ‘.'.'~:3apoi‘ry t‘as
in‘proxed a'tzi Yf‘t} ntassivel, aoxasceo‘ Al 'nea"s that even those -.'.':'.hou‘. a" internet (i()l"‘.(3(3°..().'" can esoy tne :::>'itt)et.ti\.'e First Person.
Shooter hooo'etting.
There are still a few niggles that could do v-rith a polish and some of the maps are less than tinderwhetniing. hut hey. that gives them semething to work on for UT 200:3. doesn't it?
FALLOUT: BROTHERHOOD OF STEEL
(Interplay $339.99)
'Blehf' That's prohahly the noise exuded hy every Fa/lout fan as they gradaally work their way through Brotherhood of Steel. As ()".(2 of the few role playng games that avoids the dwarf—elf» dragon-gohlin cliche. the cyherpunk leanings of the Fri/(out series‘ were fres ‘. and exciting. Brotherhood of SteeI. though s‘iar'ng this ‘.'.’()."i(l. has simply failed to captare that ‘reshness. The language and posturing see'ns cheap \.'.h'le the level design relies as much on c:.che as any Fantasy title.
There are a fox. reoeennng ‘eatures :n a 'node"ate:y ir‘terestir‘g plot and the t: ayahie characters are siii‘,~::-rt'icial'y £t.)l)(?£tlrfl§;. Howe‘. er. the so-so compat and some :ii‘rttiir‘gl‘, disappointing ilatfor'n sections .indermine a"\, are a' good work. Braf."er'."‘::oo
'S (t i(}l'.'"l}-(Z' .'.'£t". ti? (Elk)
t'te f‘a/ics.’ se' es or end
it 5>tllt:l‘. ".61. ’.E> >gttes; (usgraoe is tria. it
makes you year". for 'os. hows and a dungeon 1.”! of tr'easare chests. Sen?
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