Music RECORDS JAZZ & WORLD
JAZZ JOHN MARTIN QUARTET Dawning (F-ire) ●●●●● Approving testimonials from the great Kenny Wheeler and Iain Ballamy immediately create certain expectations on the likely structures and soundscape to be found in saxophonist John Martin’s first album. The music is often understated, but there is always plenty going on around the saxophonist’s
compositions, including a distinct Afro feel on ‘Moving On’. Hints of Ballamy himself, Andy Sheppard and even Jan Garbarek surface in Martin’s tenor and soprano playing, but never to the point of eclipsing his own voice, and pianist Jonjo Grisdale leads a responsive rhythm section in an engaging debut. (Kenny Mathieson)
JAZZ MATTHEW HALSALL On The Go (Gondwana Records) ●●●●● I first heard this Manchester trumpeter through his impressive work on saxophonist Nat Birchall’s Guiding Spirit, and this album – actually his third as leader – lives up to expectation. Birchall returns the favour here, and the rhythm section grooves effectively. Halsall cites Miles Davis’s improvised-in- the-studio soundtrack for Louis Malle’s 1958 film Lift to the
Scaffold as an inspiration, and creates a shifting scenario that takes in the bop- influenced ‘Music for a Dancing Mind’ and ‘The Move’, the Buddhist-inspired pairing of the Coltrane-ish ‘The End of Dukkha’ and ‘Samatha’ (with additional harp), and the bouncy ‘The Journey Home’. (Kenny Mathieson)
WORLD SONGLINES MUSIC AWARDS 2011 (Songlines) ●●●●● Kicking off with Femi Kuti’s throbbing Afrobeat anthem ‘Dem Bobo’, this is a superbly varied, fluent sequence of top tracks from the 16 nominees for the 2011 Songlines Music Awards. The international music magazine stepped into the breach when the BBC ended their inspired Awards for World Music which boosted artists’ profiles worldwide while often raising
reputations back home. Recently announced winners Femi Kuti, Bellowhead, AfroCubism and Raghu Dixit have each produced great albums. Still, noticeably, while there are a couple of women nominees and women in groups, gender representation suggest the music biz remains predominantly male. (Jan Fairley)
WORLD SUSANA BACA Afrodiaspora (Luaka Bop) ●●●●●
Grammy award-winning Afro-Peruvian singer Baca was an early signing to Talking Head David Byrne’s Luaka Bop label and her latest album sees her explore rhythms of the African- Latin diaspora. Her clear yet mellow voice roves over various types of guitars, bass, percussion and choruses with songs that move from Venezuela to Brazil and Spain. Upbeat moments see Baca duet with guests like Calle 13’s hip hop René ‘Residente’ Perez on ‘Puerto Rico’ while the glorious ‘Hey Pocky Way’ takes us to the funky fire of New Orleans artists where Baca was working when Hurricane Katrina struck. (Jan Fairley) ALSO RELEASED
SINGLES & DOWNLOADS
The phrase ‘singer-songwriter and professional footballer’ would have most reviewers frisbeeing a CD into the bin faster than you can say ‘super-injunction’, but fortunately enough for Kevin Rutkiewicz it’s a fan of his club, the mighty Dunfermline Athletic, who has been tasked with sifting the singles this month, so a sympathetic ●●●●● to his weepy Paolo Nutini-style ballad ‘Time on Tick’. Though it’s defeated by a toe-poke from sometimes List writer Doug Johnstone with the charmingly lo-fi indie shambling ‘Keep It Afloat’ EP ●●●●●✌ who’d have got an extra star if he was any good at keepie-uppies.
An EP wrapped-up in ribbon and titled ‘Twee Love Pop’
●●●●● (Heroes and Gluepots) would be hilarious were We See Lights of the death metal persuasion, but it’s without a hint of irony that the sub-Mumford Edinburgh banjo-ticklers have us scrambling for the sick pail. A more satisfying offering from the capital comes in the shape of a vinyl split double A-side via boutique studio Tape’s singles club, featuring Dead Boy Robotics’ dark electro-stomper ‘Ever’ ●●●●● , and on the reverse the rather excellent shoegazey disco banger ‘Girly’ ●●●●● by The Machine Room. A brief nod to the woozy Hammond washed ‘Don’t Worry’
(Domino) ●●●●● by Alex Taylor of Hot Chip’s About Group, and King Creosote & Jon Hopkins’ exquisitely frazzled alt-folk amble ‘Bubble’ (Domino) ●●●●●. Undisputed Single of the Month goes to New York robo math-rockers Battles (pictured) with ‘Ice Cream’ ●●●●● (Warp), a sweet scoop of vaguely orgasmic grunting, pitch-shifted guitar and industrial-strength drumming recorded in a blender by the sound of it. (Malcolm Jack)
Milk Maid Yucca (Suffering Jukebox) ●●●●● Alarm bells usually ring when the rhythm section break for centre-stage but ex- Nine Black Alps bassist Martin Cohen is no songwriting slouch. His broken pop channels The Vaselines and The Jesus and Mary Chain. Unremittingly good. FM Belfast Don’t Want To Sleep (Morr Music) ●●●●● It’s exhausting listening to FM Belfast. Relent- less and bursting with dance-inducing rhythms that cause shin splints, the Icelandic group’s second LP is packed with well put together electronica, and beautiful quirky vocals.
Okkervil River I Am Very Far (Jagjaguwar) ●●●●● This is OR’s sixth album and easily their most ambitious. A brilliant, chaotic mess of rock and pop influences (from Roxy Music to Springsteen); it somehow all fits perfectly into place after three or so listens.
Viva Stereo Endure the Dark to See the Stars (De-Fence Records) ●●●●● VS’s fourth album in 10 years moves away from heavy electro rock towards something more introspective, drawing on country and Krautrock influences. ‘Vultures’ is a storming opener.
Francis Macdonald Maculate Conceptions (Shoeshine) ●●●●● Amazing what one man can do with a Mac and GarageBand, but then he is Teenage Fanclub drummer and Shoeshine/Spit & Polish boss. An instrumental album (made on a recent Fannies tour) of essential driving music. Seasick Steve You Can’t Teach An Old Dog New Tricks (Play It Again Sam) ●●●●● There can’t be many tricks Steve has left to learn. What the living legend doesn’t know about blues-rock is not worth a hyperlink on Wikipedia. Impeccable playing. (Rachel Devine)
102 THE LIST 26 May–23 Jun 2011