Aidan Moffat
For the brass. winter night-days we've a veritable Scotch broth of talent this issue. a local singles round-up for local people. First in the pot go the big guns with lady of the moment KT Tunstall feeling a bit ‘Under the Weather’ (EMI) 000 . It's perfectly nice but she may now be milking the album somewhat. No such excuses for the all-conquering Franz Ferdinand whose ‘Walk Away' (Domino) 0.. is a brush with the pedestrian. Our Lunar Activities come across like Snow Patrol with great big baws on 'She Cried‘ (Hatch) CO. and Rochie loiter in the same contemplative indie-rock ball park with their ‘ABCD EP' (ATG) om .
Skirting either end of this spectrum, ‘Money Needs‘ (demo) 0.. by My House fronts a collection of delicate wee ditties frilled with unobtrusive. fluttering electronics while The Ronelles offer up accomplished. swaggering country rock on ‘Bolt the Door' (Neon Tetra) 000 and Mystery Juice drag us deep into a hellish delta with ‘Quadruple Strop EP' (Fence) 000 . Meanwhile Sound Development Agency throw everything at the throbbing. cosmic rock-stomp of ‘Everyone' (SDA)
OOOO .
Money Can’t Buy Music's ‘We All Asphyxiate' (SL) 0000 presents ballboy‘s Gordon McIntyre at home with some delightful. cutesy laptop experiments. though Arab Strap's Aidan Moffat goes a step further as L Pierre, with 'I Hate T-Shins That Say 1977' (Melodic) 000 straddling the old madness/genius boundary with some emphatic. thumping electronica. A little more serious about their retro-rock-electro. Salon Boris' ‘I Am the Drug’ (U Discs) 0” is fine but not their finest. ‘Back 2 tha Playground’ (Darkroom Dubs)
00 is Silicone Soul stepping out as Astrocats using unnecessary word shortening for a dark-if—poppy techno drawl. An altogether more rapturous pop/club number comes in the form of Mish Mash's ‘Speechless' (Crosstown Rebels) OOO . its beefy. 80$ rant 3 world away from the yearning. hypnotic whispering of Aphrodisiacs on ‘In the Name of the Father' (demo) .00
Apparently courting the Daniel O'Donnell market. Trashcan Sinatras' humble ‘Wild Mountainside (Everymatic) 00. is the Chrimbo pick. Somehow shirking the twee tag James Yorkston’s latest gentle. folksy set ‘Hoopoe’ (Houston Party) .0000 is love on a shiny. plastic coaster and would be drifting away with Single of the Fortnight if it weren't a little unfair to the unsigned outfits. So flouting convention, the rosette is being handed down to the mysterious Nut Bros who sound not unlike the unlikely, Io-fi bastard offspring of Hall & Oates. Steve Miller and Prince, and whose ‘Untitled' (demo) coco is also testament to the fact that you should never judge a demo by the artwork. (Mark Edmundson)
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WORLD COMPILATIONS VARIOUS Beginners’ Guide to Blues
(Nascente) coco Beginners' Guide to World Lounge (Nascente) 0000 Asian Lounge (Putumayo) CO
Arguably the source of the torrent that is popular music. the Beginners' Guide series has taken its time getting around to the blues. A fine introduction to such a massively influential phenomenon, this triple pack is of a typically high standard. There should be no complaints with representations of the Delta‘s roots blues and its slick. inner-city offspring. ln bringing matters up to date. as ever. we're offered something of a purist's selection. with the Black Keys and Taj Mahal the only concessions to a wider divergence from the form.
Unsurprisingly. the first of Nascente's ‘Lounge' series boasts a similarly comprehensive line-up. Fired up or chilled. every track's a winner. though three hours with Future World Funk‘s Ross Jones' picks is verging on the overkill.
Of course the light end of contemporary world music should more generally be approached with a degree of caution. lnoffensive but not
overly inspiring. there's something very middle of the road about this Asian Lounge collection. It's little more than lobby music and you would have a clearer idea of what was to come if. . . Moods had been tacked onto the title.
(Mark Edmundson)
CLASSICAL
ALINA BZHEZHINSKA Harp Recital (Amadeus Records)
More usually heard orchestrally — barring the occasional palm court - Alina Bzhezhinska proves that the pedal harp can be equally striking when played solo. Repertoire in Harp Recital. Bzhezhinska's debut album, is wide- ranging. The sparkling glissandi that conjure up the quintessential image of the harp are plentiful in Carlos Salzedo's ‘Granada' and ‘Song of the Night'. More unusual. but moodin sultry too. is Allan Rae's ‘Fantazzia'. while Bzhezhinska's own folk song arrangements are simple. but attractive. Showing both her and her instrument's versatility she moves upbeat for Carrol McLaughlin's artful arrangements of 'Take the A Train' and 'Alexander's Ragtime Band'. (Carol Main)
METAL
SYSTEM OF A DOWN Hypnotize (American) 0000
What at first felt like a marketing managers cynical ploy. releasing two albums within the space of a few months suddenly makes perfect
sense. Absorbing 23 slices of avant garde metal in one sitting would have been too perplexing. Now we've had time to cogitate over the sublime Mezmerize. the second serving is all the more satisfying. Eventhoughthe screamed sentiments and political slogans can get to much. this is a deeply personal record. Guitarist, writer and second vocalist Daron Malakian has created his own universe. and we can only thank him for letting us glimpse the harsh musical genius that lies within. (Henry Northmore)
EASY LISTENING BOZ SCAG-GS Fade Into Light (Virgin) O.
Unlikely as it now seems. there was a moment 30 years ago when a well-pressed pair of slacks and a 802 Scaggs album were all the evolved 26-year-old needed to be cool.
Pal! I“. Ugh : M 544.:
The adenoidal Scaggs had the slim-panatella crowd tapping their toes to feather-light soul jazz while the hellhounds of punk were gathering behind the Habitat sofa. and from the Syrupy sax which introduces it. Fade Into Light is as quaint as a sepia picture. The press release describes the revisions of Scaggs' best-known songs as ‘understated'. which begs the question of just how stated they could possibly ever have been. (Ninian Dunnett)
JAZJ
MARC JOHNSON Shades of Jade
(ECM Records) .00
Bass player Marc Johnson originally secured his international reputation as a member of pianist Bill Evans' final trio. and that association is reflected in the
evocative. shimmering textures of the title track here. a kind of abstract meditation on bass genius Scott La Faro's ‘Jade Visions'. recorded with Evans in 1961. Johnson and pianist Eliane Elias share composing credits for the session. and they are joined by drummer Joey Baron and two notable guests. saxophonist Joe Lovano and guitarist John Scofield. They add extra lustre whenever they are featured. but the whole set has a notably integrated ensemble feel. (Kenny Mathieson)
POP-PUNK
SON OF DORK Welcome to Loserville (Mercury) 000
Busted are back! No. wait. it‘s . . . Son of Dork. Ex-Busted songwriter James BOIIrne returns with a new group and essentially it‘s Busted gone American. Busted already verged on the mall-punk sound but tracks like ‘Ticket Outta Loserville' and ‘Eddie's Song“ have New Found Glory written all over them.
Bourne's ability to pen a hook is undeniable. so the CD:UK contingent should remain happy but with this beefier SOund yOu have tO wonder if Bourne w0uld rather leave them behind and start sharing stages with his American peers. How much yOu hope he achieves that goal depends on your fondness for radio- friendly. saccharine- sweet. pop-punk. (Andrew J Borthwickl
ALL CDS WERE REVIEWED ON A SYSTEM SUPPLIED AND INSTALLED BY LOUD & CLEAR
72 THE LIST ls 1?) Dec 200:”)