It's Autumn again and. as ever. there are a sack full of new singles stmggling to squeeze into limited radio rotation spots like fat men caught in a revolving door.
Just as scientists have a tough time predicting natural disasters. gauging how successful a James Blunt comeback will be is a tricky business. As hard as Mr Blunt has worked on sounding convincingly melancholy. ‘1973' (Atlantic) 0 possesses about as much feeling as a shrinkwrapped ready meal. and it would be deeply wonying for the nation’s collective soul if it clings to the chart summit like last time around.
After this mildly traumatic start there are some of the more middling participants in this frantic seasonal stampede. Squashed against the sides is UK rapper Example with the disappointing ‘So Many Roads' (The Beats/679) ee . By taking the gamble of sampling The Carpenter's ‘We've Only Just Begun' his tight delivery ends up drowning under thick fromage. the production ambling about like a confused Kanye West cast-off wearing a shell suit. Giddy on both style and stupidity Does It Offend You YeehT's ‘Let's Make Out' (Virgin) eee is similarly underwhelming but bawls about with enough energy to almost compensate for the singer's mall punk sneer. Better though is Sun-ellan Pumpklne' 'That's the Way' (Reprise) 000 He may have lost half of his band mates but Billy Corgan's reformed outfit come far closer to capturing the soaring sound of their first three albums than his more recent efforts.
Luckily however. here to fully rebalance the scales of musical karma after Blunt's crimes are Brighton's The Go! Team with a soothing tonic of Motown-tinged chanting on “Doing it Right' (Memphis industries) eeee . It's just a shame that its even better B-side ‘Milk Crisis' wasn’t the lead single. Matching them for raw enthusiasm are Bonde Do Role with the baile funk Super Mario stylings of Sofia O Frango' (Domino) eeee . a track so undeniably catchy it could probably induce a fit of foot tapping at a Conservative Party conference. In a tight finish it's this theoretical ability to get middle-aged politicians to shake their mmpa that sees the Brazillians snatch the Slngle of the Fortnlght crown. (Miles Johnson)
Proclaimers. and this consummater crafted
Reviews
we and soulful album can onl add to their wide
PROOLAIMERS .y
. gnns.
L'fe W'th Y°“ T'tl t k‘Lif W'th
(W14)eeee '8 fee 9 '
You' is as big and With the Comic Relief blustery a singalong single and a musical based on their songs. 2007 has already been a
great year for The
singles. and it kicks off
Reid brothers blending
OOTHE LIST 6—208e02007
classic as any of their hit
an album which sees the
the personal and political With typical gusto. It's no easy trick tackling complex emotions and tOpics in Simple. effective lyrics. but time and again, from the comscating ‘S-O—R—R-Y' to the plaintive ‘Harness Pain', The Proclaimers nail it every time.
(Doug Johnstone)
INDIE
SWIMMER ONE The Regional Variations (Biphonic Records) OOOO
There's a lot of idiotic soulless electro pop around. so it's a good job that Swimmer One are here to redress the balance. This stunning debut effort more than meets expectations raised by the Edinburgh and Glasgow-based duo's promising set of single releases. and might just be the find of the year for the as-yet uninitiated. Kicking off with the mighty force of “Drowning Nightmare 1"s
soaring melody and anthemic fan favourite ‘Largs Hum'. The Regiona/ Variations combines catchy choruses with minimal beats. atmospheric soundscapes and some incredibly original subject matter. Like a stripped- down Scottish Pet Shop Boys without the funny hats or a more melancholy synth-based Pulp. Swimmer One’s brilliance should be shouted from the rooftops. (Camilla Pia)
JAZZ
RAYMOND MACDONALD & GUNTER ‘BABY’ SOMMER Delphinius & Lyra (Clean Feed) 0..
More recorded documentation from the
undOubted leader of the Glasgow school of free imprOVIsation. saxophonist Raymond MacDonald. Hard on the heels of the Glasgow lmprowsers Orchestra's latest opus. Fa/iurk (FMR). comes this collab0ration With German drummer Gumer SOinmer. The duo grew out of an earlier GIO proiect commemorated in the title Of the Opening imprOVIsation here. ‘GIO and the Dresden Free Team'.
iv?- i.._‘: ‘V , r .;
RAYMOND MACDONALD GUNTER BABY souuen
Sommer is a long- established figure in European free improv. and MacDonald has been building a growing reputation on that small but passionate scene. They combine to coruscating effect on this unusually packaged disc. with MacDonald's biting. intelligent and heartfelt alto and soprano howling around Sommer's agile drums and fierce vocal interjections. Not everybody's cup of tea by any stretch of the imagination. but another vibrant addition to the saxophonist '5 already copious discography. although he has a bit to go to catch up with the likes of Anthony Braxton or Evan Parker.
(Kenny Mathieson)
JAZZ
CHARLIE HUNTER TRIO Mistico
(Fantasy) eee
Guitarist Charlie Hunter changes tack with this trio outing. which moves even further into rock territory than its more funk-oriented recent
predecessors. and
consequently, further from Hunter's earlier and more overtly ‘iazz' work
as well The music is recorded as close to live as possible. stringing together a series of earthy. deliberateh lo-fi werkouts over crunching backbeats from the guitarist. drummer Simon Lott and keyboard player Erik Deutsch. variously featured on piano. Fender Rhodes and CasioTone.
Hunter has also modified the signature sound of his familiar eight~string Novax guitar by removmg one string and shavuig down the neck. but he still manages to extract a huge range of torn and tWIsted some variations from it. By jazz standards it is pretty baSIc stuff in the harmonic and rhythmic departments. but disctinctly and enloyably exploratory in terms of raw energy. sonic experiment and off-kilter guitar and keyboard textures.
(Kenny Mathieson)
FOLK POP
KING OREOSOTE Bombshell
(679) OOOO
His prodigious output thas been celebrated no end in the past but Kenny Anderson has now been ingested into the muSicaI machine in earnest now but has lost none of his wayward spirit. Sure. this could be argued as his most conventional album yet. a full band backing again but there's even moments that go so far as to ‘rock' when left unaflended.
What continues to shine through however is his special way with words. his lyricism takes peculiar turns but never sounds clever-clever. Similarly, his wistful melodies feel a little bit awkward initially when bolstered by such rambunctious backing but this only highlights the versatility of his songs. Yet another Victory for the King. (Mark Robertson)
Rt \‘h
RILO KILEY Under the Blacklight (Warriors 0.
Rilo Riley's last album and singer Jenny l.eWis's subsequent solo debut both containixl a handful of indie-(touritry stonewall classics. but this lacklustre and scattershot offering shows none of the same spark. despite lirWis' ever Wonderful and expressive V()l(2t? More eclectic than pieVious outings. Under the Bli'lCA/lg/lf attempts everything from i atino rock to disco. soul to surf rock. With Wildly varying results. “The Moneymaker' at least struts along With some soulful sass. and 'Breakin' Up has a passable dancetloor sheen, but these are the best of a bad bunch. frankly. The rest is either indie filler or. worse. embarrassingly half baked and soulless forays into random genres.
(Doug Johnstone)
FOLK
MARTIN SIMPSON Prodigal Son
(Topic Records) 0000
Like Christy Moore. Martin Simpson has an unconvenfionaland idiosyncratic mice that is not technically great, but knocks spots of most of the competition in expressweness and know-how. He has the priceless ability to make any song he Sings his own. and delivers With undemonstrative authonty and expresswe power. His famed prowess on gunar (and banjo) is entirely eVident, both on the instrumental tracks and when accompanying his