MuSidRecord Reviews 7
SINGLES & DOWNLOADS
(Just) 00
Gods) m
When is an EP not an EP? When it's basically a single plus three forgettable remixes, ala Future Loop Foundation’s ‘The Sea 8. the Sky EP'
— a decent floaty chill out tune all told, but surrounded by such unnecessary filler tracks as to do a disservice to the good name of real extended players everywhere.
New Rhodes' ‘The Joys of Finding and Losing That Girl’ (Salty Cat) 000 boy finds girl, boy loses girl, boy writes sissy indie rock song about, well. you get the idea. Like cockroaches after a nuclear spat. tunes such as this will somehow always endure. and perhaps that's no bad thing. Also doing derivative, but at least doing it pretty well: Sky Larkln with rackety indie rock fuzz bomb ‘Beeline’ (Wichita) ”O
Cruisers trans-Atlantic creation (the vocals were recorded in Minnesota and the music Fife) 'A Gentle Press' (KFM) m thing informed by Mercury Rev's mellower moments. On the basis of “You're A Star' (Future Ex-Mull Historical Society man Colin Macintyre is clearly still a dab hand with a big ol‘ melody. While we're sampling the local, lets applaud the return of Franz Ferdinand with ‘Ulysses' (Domino) .0” a slinky, strutting glam corker which suggests they've pulled off that difficult trick of freshening things up while still sounding recognisably like their dandy old selves.
Less dandy than Hasidicly hirsute are beat poet and DJ combo Dan Le Sac vs Scroobius Pip. who've teamed up with De La Soul's Pos Plug Won for this re-jig of the belting 'Thou Shalt Always Kill' (Sunday Best) ”00 and given a freshening up to their freshening up of the ten commandments. hip hop-style.
Also arriving stamped with a postmark from heaven, Single of the Fortnight: 'M.A.G.l.C' (Labrador) 00000 a bona tide future pop masterpiece by new Swedish duo The Sound of Amm. Think The Avalanches. but with the genius sampling representing merely the cherry on the cake of their fresh. joyous, swoonsome craft. rather than the sponge. the jam and the cream to boot. Stick it on repeat and brighten up your day over and over again. (Malcolm Jack)
is a familiar tale of
is a breezy. ambient
INDIE ROCK THE VIEW Witch Bitch? (1965) 0...
Packing indie festival anthems. bar room garage. cheeky backstage ditties. stadium rock and
orchestral grandiosity The Views follow-up to 2007's Hats off to the Bi/skers has it all — all beSIdes a coherent identity that is. As an album Witch Bitch? is all over the shop. With 14 disparate tracks united only by a familiar upstart attitude. unchecked ambition and TaySide patter. Producer Owen Morris is on board again and can probably take some credit for the Winning largess. along with a portion of the blame for some more
58 THE LIST 22 Jan—5 Feb 2009
pox, 'Ylf)ft‘.v:f‘.l8_ while '2 s the orchestration and range of -nstriintentatio'i that raises the whole protect to 'prolect' status and makes. this a ‘.'.'r;.'th, follov. up tr‘ a [)iillll‘llll‘ selling debut. and a prorriise of future greatness
iMark l dmiindson
BAROQUE PUP ANTONY AND THE JOHNSONS The Crying Light (Rough Trade) .0.
Mr flegarly returns. Willi his mesiiierising Whine and theatrical warble grabbing the back of the neck like frosty fingers. the follow up to the Mercury pri/e Winning / am a Bird Now explores the spaces between male and female, shelter and despair, but Where former collaborations (With Hercules and love Affair or BJOTK. Who thought Hegarty was a black woman after hearing his voice) contrasted his eerily soothing voice against experimental melodies or camp ()lUClTOtlISCO. his AATJ work seems much less interesting. Too often, Nico Muhly's orchestral arrangements steer Hegarty's histrionic melodrama towards emo overindulgence and away from off-killer energy and innovation. (Claire Sawers)
lNDlE: JANGLL POP BRICOLAGE
Bricolage
(Creeping Bent) m
Glasgwegians Bricolage are up to their necks in thrall to the jingle. tangle and dodgy knitwear of early 80s indie as espoused by Vic Goddard. Aztec Camera and Orange Juice. Indeed, singer Graham Wann affects Edwyn Collins' pompous croon with such preCision at
times that this debut could almost be a long forgotten Orange Juice basement tape
lhere's nothing wrong .‘.’llll simple iriiitation when it's done honesth and this well, and tile dreamy nostalgic melodies clearly come straight from the heart But it would lust have been so much more satisfying to hear Bricolage let the head rule too and bring something fresh to the eguation. (Malcolm Jack)
Al l l’( )l’ ANDREW BIRD Noble Beast
(Bella tlnion) ”O
Crafted from hand claps. Whistles. glockenspiels. Violins. guitars and drums. this grower of an album from the intelligently eccentric Andrew Bird sneaks tip on you after the third or fourth listen. lhe warm altpop melodies on Nob/e Beast purr rather than roar but after
savouring the tongue- tWIstery lyrics and geeky, library-raiding wordplay, the lack of high octane thrills are made up for by swaying, wordy sing-a- longs. The sound of bright lights being shone from underneath a bushel. Chicagoborn Bird's multi-instrumental talents are given less baroguely rich arrangements than on 2007's Arrric/iair Apocrypha. but his smart, delicate style still sucks you in.
(Claire Sawers)
DRUM a BASS AND BEYOND THE QEMISTS
Join The Q (Ninta Tune) .00
This debut album for Brighton-based producers The Oemists smacks of the rock and drum 8. bass hybrid that pushed the likes of Pendulum too far centre- field. but it‘s subtler than the Ausse troupe's dance-rock racket — and more colOured and more intelligent. Working With
vocalist Mike Patton grime master Wiley and th’lltl‘fllldfl, in amongst a host of [MR names Jenna (3. MC Nangator and l riction's MC ID
lhe ()emists stir in many different dancehall. electro, hip hop and grime flavours. Wiley brings the filth, Alabariia Ll's /oe Devlin l ove proVides the sublimelv sweet vocals. and The ()emists get the drops in. A live outfit surely beckons
(Rosalie Doubal)
JA// DAVE MILLIGAN TRIO
Shops (lobar) ”0.
Hard on the heels of the recent release of Aidan O'Rourke's Ari lobar on NaVigator Records comes another excellent protect instigated by the go-ahead Toberriiory art centre An Tobar. this time on their own label. It is a welcorrie addition to pianist Dave Milligan's all too sparse discography under his own leadership, and an enioyably guirky creation that reflects its specific context While remaining muSically satisfying.
The An Tobar commission allowed the trio — Milligan, baSSist Tom Lyne and drummer Toni Bancroft — to spend a Week exploring Tobermory's shops and composmg music in response to their findings. The seven composmons are augmented by Bancroft's ‘30undscapesZ containing looped and processed snippets of interVIews With various shop owners. The music has already proved Within their live shows that it stands up well for audiences beyond its
spet‘ific origin. and reflects the lll\(‘f)ll0fl, positixe energx and genuine group tiel of this empathic trio
th‘llll\ Mathiesonl
llltilRthtiA VARIOUS Somabeta 002 (Soniahetai m
ltkthnophiles hold tight Here come Soma With yet another mighh. compilation of brand spanking new eluttronica talent Right down to the artWork for this vanguard album, an innovative design plucked the Soma 9008 Artwork Competition. ()ffshoot Somabeta is wholly dedicated to the emerging cause. South Ariierican duo Audiofillia
shine, cutting the album Willi 'Fa/y'. a unnerVIngly charged sci tech ascension. Young producer Jean Rarriesse recently won Let's Go Outside's remix competition, and here reworks the leasing ‘You Make Me Struggle' to devastatingly good effect. Glaswegian talent Gary Beck also gets a nod, whilst last year's Soma recruits Mr Copy and Harvey McKay merely wane in the newbies' dust. TrailbIa/ing stuff. (Rosalie Doubal)
liOl K
PATSY REID Bridging The Gap (Vertical Records) ”O.
Fiddler Patsy Reid's contribution to last year's New Voices series at Celtic Connections allowed her to exercise both her expertise in traditional music and her classical training in 8 Suite deSigned to bring those poles together. It is structured in three movements in reference to the classical concerto form, but with each segment within the movements based on a traditional reel. jig, slow air, march, Strathspey or hornpipe. set in a specific mode.