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July 2019 = |
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Sugarfoot |
Bedouine |
Rose
City Band |
Dead
Sea Apes |
Electric
Moon / Terminal Cheesecake |
Fruits de Mer
Various |
Papernut Cambridge |
the
Soft Cavalry |
Ummagma |
Dodson
and Fogg |
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Home |
SUGARFOOT
-
IN THE CLEARING
(LP
on Crispin
Glover
Records)
In
the pages of the Ptolemaic Terrascope between
the years of 1997 and 2003 or so, Øyvind Holm
and his band the Dipsomaniacs could do no wrong.
They appeared at our festivals and their final
and arguably finest album, ‘Praying Winter’, was
released on our feature editor’s record label,
Camera Obscura. The extraordinarily gifted
singer/songwriter Øyvind subsequently hooked up
with guitarist and backing vocalist Hogne Galåen
to form Deleted Waveform Gatherings, a band that
picked up the groovy psychedelic power-pop
popsicle from where Cotton Mather and the Posies
dropped it and released four rather fine albums
(‘Ghost, She Said’ being a personal favourite)
during the years 2006 to 2011.
What
happened next is something I have yet to get to
the bottom of, but in 2012 Hogne Galåen and
Øyvind Holm assembled an entirely new band
around themselves, Sugarfoot.
Intriguingly, the new band also featured bassist
Bent Sæther from Motorpsycho, also veterans of a
Terrastock festival or two. It’s a small old
world, although I still wouldn’t want to have to
paint it.
I
honestly haven’t a clue how Sugarfoot flew under
our radar for so long, but seven long years
later having just immersed myself in their
fifth(!) album ‘In the Clearing’ (Crispin Glover
Records), you can rest assured I’ve been doing
my best to make up for lost ground over the past
week or two.
The
band are simply drenched in the paisley
underground, with a serving of country-rawk on
the side. ‘Leave the Lights’, the B-side of
their gloriously madly packaged ‘Snakes and
Ladders’ 45, sports a 70s sounding pedal-steel
throughout, and the song is quite simply a
masterpiece.
‘In
the Clearing’ itself sounds on first listening
to be a dramatic progression on what’s gone
before. This album is to the rest of their
discography was what Deleted Waveform Gatherings
to the Dipsomaniacs; you didn’t even know you
needed a change, and yet when it happens you
wonder why it took so long. ‘Clearing’ is more
self-assured, features an exceptionally strong
suite of songs and is more lushly produced; but
it’s identifiably a step in the right direction
for Sugarfoot for all that.
Talking
of progressive, opening song ‘Changing Time’
could almost be an outtake from the first Yes
album (when they were still interesting), with
cleverly crafted melody changes, keyboards and
organs bleeding in and out of the mix and the
vocals pitched up towards the top of the range.
‘Cotton Candy Clouds’ is a nod back to
prime-time Sugarfoot, with that pedal-steel
guitar piercing the gloaming like a lighthouse;
‘Original Sin’ over on the B side draws even
more water from the well of what’s gone before,
and is possibly my favourite track on the entire
album. ‘In The Clearing’ meanwhile is a
steam-driven rollercoaster ride through space
and time, at one point passing through the late
1970s when keyboards briefly got funky (file
under the Neutrons)
The
light-hearted
‘Ladybug Fly’ is another strong personal
favourite, a song which has every Øyvind Holm
hallmark known to mankind stamped right through
it like a stick of seaside rock. Over on the
flipside, ‘Pretty Miss Darkness’ is in a similar
vein to this little gem. The real stand-out of
the B side though, and no doubt the one which
will garner the most attention, is the opening
‘The House on the Hill’ which lyrically comes
across as prime space-time Paul Kantner and
Grace Slick (back when they were worrying about
the perceived lack of a future here in Earth for
their new-borns), and musically sounds like a
Motorpsycho outtake, with engines revving to a
crescendo. Which is no bad thing in itself.
Included
in the vinyl package is a 7" with two extra
tracks, ‘Another Tinfoil Morning’ (themed around
the laughable world of the conspiracy theorist)
and the
glorious ‘Valentine’, which wears the band’s XTC
badges on the lapels of its melodies like
skinheads wear Doc Martens; it’s undoubtedly no
coincidence that artist Andrew Swainson, who
is/was responsible for some of XTC’s most fondly
remembered record covers (including the
brilliant ‘Homegrown’) was engaged by Crispin
Glover Records to design the art for this
collection.
And
if that’s not recommendation enough, I don’t
know what is.
(Phil
McMullen)
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BEDOUINE
–
BIRD SONGS OF A KILLJOY
(LP/CD/DL
on Spacebomb
Records)
Bird
Songs of a Killjoy is the second album from
LA-based Azniv Korkejian, better known (and
pronounced) as Bedouine.
She took a long path to get to this
point: Born
in Aleppo, Syria, to Armenian parents, she spent
much of her adolescence in Saudi Arabia.
From there, her family moved to the US,
with stops in Boston, Kentucky and Texas before
settling in California.
The name Bedouine is quite apt for such a
nomad. Korkejian studied sound design and plied
her artisan trade in the film industry before
embarking on her music career.
Which is ironic because she works with
producer Gus Seyffert on analogue tape and her
music is more organic than electronic.
Bird
Songs of a Killjoy is a lush work of baroque
folk where once Bedouine’s pulled you into her
world you don’t want to leave.
The music recalls at once the lovely
laid-back melodicism of Laurel Canyon, the
Fading Yellow series and the quaint, melancholy
sounds of Nick Drake, with arranger Trey
Pollard’s work quite comparable to Robert
Kirby’s timeless string arrangements for Drake’s
albums. Bedouine
has a gentle, deadpan vocal delivery reminiscent
of Astrud Gilberto, but a little warmer – in
fact, she studied Gilberto in developing her
style.
After
a soft count-in from Bedouine, opener “Under the
Night” introduces some of the album’s themes of
wanderlust, nature, and being enclosed, either
voluntarily or involuntarily, in a place or a
situation and sometimes wanting to escape.
A pretty acoustic guitar intro begins
“Sunshine Sometimes.”
The song espouses the charm of spending a
quiet night in with one you love.
The song has a false ending; the lovely
instrumental coda sounds like something by
composer Erik Satie, and segues without break
into the Michel Legrand-like love song “When
You’re Gone.”
“One
More Time” continues the themes of birds,
enclosures and feeling entrapped, with lyrics
like “I’m on an island with no one else around,”
and “Am I to you, some sort of chain/Are you a
bird? Am
I your cage?” “Dizzy”
is a pleasant surprise, a jazzy piece with a lot
going on. The
string arrangement expands to a dreamlike,
exotic instrumental section full of atmospheric
effects and an almost Mahavishnu-like jazz
fusion feel. And
yes, the whole thing’s very dizzy.
It’s one of my favorites on the album.
“Bird”
is one of the record’s most gorgeous melodies -
which is really saying something - and the
string arrangement almost brings one to tears,
it’s that beautiful.
The album’s themes continue, with lyrics
like “And bird, if I held you too tight, if you
were warm through the night, I will let go.”
“Bird Gone Wild” is autobiographical and
personal, recounting her feelings upon first
crossing the Atlantic, and references the tragic
war in her native Syria.
And of course, it has trapped bird
imagery, of “beating ‘round a cage like a bird
gone wild.”
“Echo
Park” is a loving ode to the part of LA where
Bedouine lives (as do many other artists).
The far-too-brief instrumental “Reprise”
is that of the earlier track “When You’re Gone,”
and is Trey Pollard’s orchestral arrangement in
all its restrained, warm sunset glory.
“Reprise” segues into closer “Tall Man,”
a simple tale of a brief encounter.
“Bird
Songs of a Killjoy” is an album that will be
cherished for many years.
Bedouine’s simple, beautiful melodies,
the lush but not overdone arrangements, and the
recurring bird themes all combine to a warm
listening experience and a sense of pleasure
that lingers long after the last note.
Producer Gus Seyffert and arranger Trey
Pollard deserve applause for helping craft such
a wonderful album as well.
(Mark
Feingold)
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ROSE
CITY BAND – ROSE CITY
BAND
(LP
from Jean Sandwich Records)
This
is a new one on me, and very pleased I was too
to make its acquaintance as it belongs
completely at home nestled down into one of my
all-time favourite niches, “the hazy sonic
landscape of private press country and psych
records alongside artists like Relatively Clean
Rivers, Kenny Knight, and countless other
explorers of the pastoral underground” as
someone or another once wrote. Mix into that a
rhythmic core of groovy riffs cloaked in
mind-bending swaths of colourful synths not
unlike a laid-back Nudity (who originated not
that far north of Oregon’s Rose City Band in the
overall scheme of things, up in Olympia,
Washington State) or in places sounding even
like the much revered, hereabouts anyway, Wooden
Shjips – which on reflection is hardly
surprising given that the Shjips’ own Ripley
Johnson produced and recorded this self-titled
debut album. In Saint Ripley’s own words,
"The band was aiming to capture a
timeless, natural sound, not quite of the
present, past, or future, but phasing in between
the consciousness of now and the stoned
dream-state of the eternal. Sort of a back porch
jam just as the shrooms are starting to kick in.
Handmade and human, but also cosmic and
transcendental.”
Amen
to all that. You need to hear the second side of
this album at the very least as it’s
consistently brilliant, building to a gentle
sonic crescendo of sorts with some utterly
gorgeous guitar curlicues on “Fear Song’ before
the band get all Scandinavian on us with the
ringing, chiming and echoing ‘Fog of Love’. A
keeper, for sure. (Phil
McMullen)
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DEAD
SEA APES – THE FREE TERRITORY
(LP/CD
on Cardinal
Fuzz Records)
Once
again Dead Sea Apes have teamed up with the
consistently impressive Cardinal Fuzz Records
bringing to our grateful ears a double album of
delights very different to the last record
‘Warheads’ recorded with singer Adam Stone. The
New Wave edginess of ‘Warheads’ has been
replaced on ‘The Free Territory’ by a return to
long instrumental pieces and over its four
sides, this record travels the spaceways,
navigating a range of musical moods and
atmospheres very satisfyingly indeed.
‘The
Dispossessed’ opens the record and is a big and
brooding 11 minutes or so of slow lingering
chords drenching the track in a dense, doom
laden tension. An almost funereal drum beat
provides the heartbeat over which occasional
waves of feedback and subtly shifting dynamics
keep the grainy black and white drama high
without feeling the need to burst into extended
soloing or raising the tempo at the finale. This
is an exercise in skilful use of dynamics where
everyone knows that the brake pedal is just as
important as the guitar pedal. ‘Falling Moon’ is
again close to 11 minutes long but in contrast
has a spacey ambience where swirling drones and
synths shimmer, glow and fade in a meditative
spectral style. It’s a gorgeous piece of ambient
sound that finds its space and stays there quite
happily radiating pleasure to the listening
ears. ‘The Recognition’ is the shortest track on
the record at a mere eight and a half minutes
and carries on the theme of spacey ambience and
minimal drones but with the gradual introduction
of restrained
percussion and sparsely strummed chords it takes
on a strong minimalist ‘post rock’ feel which is
very cinematic in feel. ‘Diaspora’ once again
takes us over the 10 minute mark and introduces
a slow building raga like guitar melody with a
more prominent psych feel embellished further by
the colours provided by drums and percussion.
Slowly but surely the repetitive guitar figures
start to growl and squeal and the drums raise
the temperature, breaking out into, as it were,
freer, heavy psych territory whilst not losing
the core raga feel.
‘The
Free Territory’ itself is a full side of this
record stretching to twenty minutes. For the
first half of the track a gently simmering,
brooding atmosphere is once more created through
drones, delicate repeating and echoing guitar
notes and subtle percussive colours which slowly
develops momentum with the introduction of new
layers of sound and texture such as organ and
more prominent washes of cymbals. It once again
has a very strong minimalist ‘post rock’ feel
creating an enveloping and somewhat intoxicating
sound that is both captivating and hypnotic. The
second half of the track creates a wall of noise
where all of the elements of the first half are
whipped up into a thrilling storm of distorted,
cacophonous and dramatic melody before slowly
calming the elements once again to a hushed fade
out. It’s a stunning piece of music that
delivers beauty and a steps towards the edge of
abandon in equal measure.
After
such a show stopping twenty minutes ‘Sub Rosa’
wisely calms things down with a sparse, chamber
music feel to its minimal repeating melody,
subtle percussion and general sound palette.
It’s a gentle sound that is a little bit
mysterious and full of internal sounds and
themes that draw the listener into a relaxed but
attentive listening space, in many ways like
Robert Fripp soundscapes or some of Eno’s quasi
classical pieces. To conclude ‘Stateless’ is a
lengthy, but again captivating drone based piece
that shimmers, flickers, pulses and on occasion
growls its way to the end of the record. It is
perhaps more glacial and cold in feel to
previous tracks but nonetheless a fitting
finale.
Dead
Sea Apes take us on a very different and in many
ways unexpected journey through sound on this
wonderful record. They plot a course that takes
in flavours of heavy psych, Kosmische, the
improvised freeform excursions of The Velvet
Underground, the slightly unsettling calm and
hushed beauty of late period Talk Talk and
minimal yet cinematic post rock landscapes with
skill, imagination and style. This record may
have been recorded in Ancoats, Stalybridge, and
Stockport but the sounds created transport the
listener to places a world away. This is mood
music of the very best kind and I highly
recommend that you lend it your ears.
(Francis Comyn)
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ELECTRIC
MOON/TERMINAL
CHEESECAKE – IN SEARCH OF HIGHS VOLUME 3
(LP
on Riot
Season Records)
This
record, the third volume of Riot Season’s
ongoing ‘In Search Of Highs’ series, brings
together the many talents of Electric Moon and
Terminal Cheesecake and as with previous
pairings the combination, albeit perhaps risky
on paper, works very well indeed.
Germany’s
Electric Moon have been producing quality space
rock since 2009 and their contribution to this
record is ‘Beacon Light Hereafter’, an epic,
almost 22 minute track that is a wonderful
addition to their already impressive body of
work. It begins with a simple Floyd like melody
but very soon achieves escape velocity and
becomes a space rock beast that incorporates
many changes in mood and tempo during its trip.
A choppy riff establishes which is soon
enveloped in a swirling, often scalding guitar
and drums space rocker. It gradually ups the
noise and energy to serious head nodding and
hair shaking proportions before a calmer, once
again Floyd-ish middle section with lovely
spacey guitar soloing and a hazier, dreamier
feel takes over briefly. This peaceful moment
doesn’t last too long however and very soon the
guitars and drums return the music once more to
its imperious space rock riff laden roar which
is equal amounts melody and maelstrom. It’s a
thrilling ride and if you are looking for highs,
step right in here and you’ve got them by the
truckload.
Terminal
Cheesecake
from London have been around for many years and
have seen several line ups carry the torch
forward with some fine releases. They contribute
two shorter tracks to this release albeit
neither of them are ‘short’ pieces. The tracks
have a rougher, demo like quality to the sound
but are certainly none the worse for that. ‘Fake
Loop’ begins with echoing spoken word over
fuzzy, distorted guitar, sound treatments and
feedback which is spacey in its own way but it
has a grittier, garage edge that is almost
‘space punk’. It builds up a slightly chaotic
but always gripping jam like atmosphere which
sounds in part loose and improvised but
nonetheless creates an intense swirl of sounds
around the dramatic and increasingly distant
vocal in the mix. ‘Song For John Part 2’ starts
and indeed continues through to the end with a
heavily distorted and monumental wall of sheet
metal riffing where raw sounding drums and
cymbals are hammered hard in a relentless fight
to be heard in a battle of sounds. Brief waves
of guitar soloing and the occasional burst of
distant voice somehow manage to break through
what seems like an impenetrable haze of noise.
It’s a very different beast to the previous
piece and has more structure through its
onslaught of driving rhythm and repetition which
at times reminds me of the type of dynamic
intensity that Swans can whip up from these
basic but wholesome ingredients. The raw, demo
like nature of the sound only serves to
intensify the drama created and indeed may just
pin the unsuspecting listener to the wall, quite
happily I might add.
This
record is certainly one of contrasts but it
holds together very well and celebrates the
differences between the bands and the recordings
in fine style. I would in fact say it’s
definitely a case of opposites attract than
‘Chalk and Cheesecake’ so to speak (ahem!).
Highly recommended.
(Francis Comyn)
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FRUITS
DE MER – VARIOUS
www.fruitsdemerrecords.com
The
latest batch of recordings from Fruits de Mer
will be released at the end of this month and
what a cracking bunch they are, we’ll start with
an excellent 7” from Jack
Ellister. The two songs couldn’t be more
different. Side A is a beautiful, melodic piano
and vocal cover version of Roy Harper’s best
known song ‘When An Old Cricketer Leaves The
Crease’ this is backed with the riff heavy Black
Sabbath song ‘Supernaut’, which stays fairly
close to the original.
Next
is the concluding part of Sendelica’s
sprawling Cromlech Cronicles set of recordings.
This time it’s ‘Cromlech Cronicles IV’. Three
labyrinthine songs make up this concluding three
sided double album (the fourth side being UV
printed). ‘Lightstar’, the first song begins
slowly; a soft questing sax is joined by bass,
drums and keys before Pete Bingham arrives on
guitar. He does have a very self contained style
of playing, no hurry; just allowing the songs to
grow and build. This song has a central motif
which the players return to a few times during
its twenty minute duration.
‘Saturnalia’
starts
slowly, before a motorik drum pattern emerges,
the guitar chimes throughout and all the players
are given time to probe the songs melody, and at
twenty three minutes in length it manages not to
outstay its welcome, it fades out with some cool
synth, billowing about before ushering in the
final track. ‘Nine Miles High- Lightstar
Reprise’, a demented Dalek appears, heavy
crunching riffage and sultry sax lay out the
songs tune, it’s another twenty three minute
song, which builds and decays nicely before
galloping over the finish line.
London
Underground
‘Space Edition’.
A new discovery for Fruits de Mer, London
Underground’s debut for the label is due to be
released on double LP soon. Label owner Keith
discovered the band upon hearing their cover
version of Queen St Gang by the band Arzachel.
Which he absolutely adored, and seeing what else
the band had recorded stumbled across their
latest album ‘Four’ which he immediately loved,
in its entirety, although there was a problem!
It had already recently been self released by
the band. Keith being determined to bring them
to the attention of his club members set about
reissuing that album, along with tracks from
their three previous albums, (none of which had
previously made their way on to vinyl).
The
band have evolved since their inception to
become an instrumental only outfit; a couple of
the songs on the bonus LP do have vocals. If you
like an organ or three, you will be in hog
heaven, as the band certainly features keyboards
as lead instrument throughout all the songs. I
can see why Keith loved ‘Four’ so much as it is
certainly a perfect fit for the label. The
rhythm section is very tight, twisting and
turning as one. Think of the Hammond heavy bands
and artists of the late sixties/ early
seventies, bands like Atomic Rooster, Georgie
Fame, ELP and Egg. The bonus disc is just as
good as the main event and features tunes by
Arthur Brown, Brian Auger and Jethro Tull. It is
an excellent album and will no doubt sell out
quickly, being as it is, limited to only 350
purple vinyl copies.
Next
up is a special limited 12” coloured vinyl by a
collaboration of three bands, Sendelica,
Secret Knowledge and the
Orb.
‘Windmill’ is presented in four different
versions. Consterdine’s
Floyd Mix, Chocolate Orb’s Dubbed Mix,
Consterdine’s Original Mix and Chocolate Orb’s
Chilled Mix. The recording came about following
the passing of Kris Need’s wife Helen Donlon.
Pete got together a group of players to record
one of Helen’s favourite Secret Knowledge songs,
which she named Windmill. (Secret Knowledge
consisted of Kris Needs and singer Wonder
Schneider). Utilizing recordings of Helen’s
speech given at the world’s foremost psychedelic
drugs convention in Ibiza, he roped in Alex
Paterson along with his Orb colleague Paul
Conboy, who duly conjured up two blissful
‘Chocolate Orb pieces. It’s a rare combination
of poignant vocals and sympathetic playing,
producing a wonderful and highly desirable 12”
single.
The
sorely missed Soft
Hearted Scientists have recently
reconvened for a 7” single; they’ve also
recorded a few more songs for future release.
‘Please Read Me’ is their distinctive take on
the old Bee Gees song from 1967. It’s very
sixties but somehow it manages to end up
sounding like The Soft Hearted Scientists. If
you had told me that this was by the Bee Gees I
doubt that I would have believed you! The
b
side is an excellent new song entitled ‘Moths
Mistook Us For The Moon’, a gentle pastoral tune
of quiet beauty, think Syd Barrett accompanied
by Vernon Elliott, terrific.
(Andrew Young)
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PAPERNUT
CAMBRIDGE – NUTLETS 11 (1978
-2001)
Gard
Du Nord Double LP/CD www.garddunordrecords.co.uk
London’s
finest Papernut Cambridge return with their
second set of cover versions, this time dipping
into the punk songs of Adam Ant, John Lydon and
Siouxsie and the Banshees, along with later
songs by Suede and Daft Punk. Most of the songs
are from the late seventies and early eighties,
and it is good to hear modern takes on these
songs, songs which arguably sound dated due to
the production of the era. Again,
much like the first volume, the songs all end up
sounding like Papernut Cambridge songs. Kicking
off with the Psychedelic Furs song ‘We Love You’
from 1978 and ending in the new millennium with
Daft Punk’s Digital Love.
The
album has also introduced me to some songs that
I am unfamiliar with like ‘Did You See Her’ by
Pink Military for example, enlivened by Jack
Hayter’s Stylophone and Monotron.
Along the way we are introduced to a fine
version of Public Image’s ‘Public Image’. Echo
and the Bunnymen’s ‘Stars Are Stars’, which
rings out clear and true. Also we have a
Throbbing Gristle song ‘United’ which I’d not
heard before; although I’m quite sure that their
version did not have Viola and Pedal Steel on
it! A
great version of The Only Ones ‘Deadly
Nightshade’ ends side two.
Joseph
K’s ‘Chance Meeting’ is quickly followed by
Orange Juice’s ‘In A Nutshell’ (of course) and
takes us right back into the classic Postcard
sound. Primal Scream’s Velocity Girl moves us on
a few years and is shown due deference. ‘Bizarre
Love Triangle’ originally by New Order sees
Darren Hayman playing synth and gallops along
nicely. They
do a great version of Big Audio Dynamite’s
‘Medicine Show’ with synth bass by Picturebox’s
Robert Halcrow, plus a lively version of
Siouxsie Sue’s ‘The Killing Jar’ which is an
unexpected delight. ‘Metal Mickey’ by Suede is
delivered faithfully and shows just what a fine
song it is. The album ends with the classic Daft
Punk song ‘Digital Love’. This is yet another
great addition to their growing catalogue of
must have albums.
(Andrew Young)
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THE
SOFT CAVALRY – THE SOFT
CAVALRY
(LP/CD/DL
on Bella
Union Records)
This
debut is by the husband-and-wife team of Steve
Clarke and Rachel Goswell, she of Slowdive fame.
While many will doubtless be drawn by
Goswell, The Soft Cavalry is primarily Clarke’s
work, writing, playing and singing.
Formerly a jobbing musician and tour
manager, he credits Goswell (they met in 2014
and married in 2018) with giving him the
inspiration and motivation to create and finish
the album as a late bloomer.
Rachel contributes background vocals on
most of the tracks, and sings lead on
“Passerby,” but her guidance and positive
influence behind the scenes should not be
underestimated.
The
Soft Cavalry isn’t Slowdive’s shoegaze, but the
12 songs have a dreamlike quality full of
atmospherics. I
hesitate to use the term dream
pop – it’s deeper than that, but in the
same neck of the woods.
Clarke’s writing is highly melodic and
crisp, with many of the lyrics of the
self-encouragement variety.
His voice reminds me slightly of Jonathan
Wilson.
It’s
not a perfect album.
At 56 minutes, it could use some
trimming; the songs “Bulletproof,” with its
poppy electronic beats, and “Careless Sun,” with
its vocoder or Autotune effects, will have you
verifying your Skip button is well-oiled and
fully functioning.
However,
despite the early misfires, the album actually
gets better and better as it moves along, with
most of the second half nearly flawless.
“Only in Dreams” features, well, dreamy,
flute and harmonies, shimmering with hazy
atmosphere. Starting
with “Spiders,” the rest of the album flows with
a “can you top this” song lineup.
“Spiders” is an eerie track which
contains one long, sensational crescendo of a
finale. “The
Light That Shines on Everyone,” one of those
messages of encouragement, has a pretty melody
with lovely string and keyboard synths.
“Home,” another dreamy, ethereal track,
“Mountains,” another lovely melody with a
self-help theme, and big finish “The Ever
Turning Wheel” all transition to huge,
synth-driven, extended widescreen cinematic
climaxes.
You
know the saying that you have your whole life to
make your first album?
Well, here’s that first album from The
Soft Cavalry, and the years that Steve Clarke
put into it do show, along with Rachel Goswell’s
important contributions.
A solid beginning.
(Mark
Feingold)
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UMMAGMA
- COMPASS
(LP on Leonard
Skully )
The multi-award winning duo of Ukrainian
Alexander Kretov and his Canadian wife Shauna
McLarnon offer up an eclectic mix of dream pop,
ambient, cinematic atmospherics, funky grooves
(opener ‘’Rolling’ is an immediate Euro disco
dancefloor-magnet), and gothic tribal beats
(‘Caravan’ reminds of the Cure’s ‘Hanging
Garden’).
Kretov’s
guitarwork throughout slides seamlessly from
flickering waterfalls (‘Caravan’) to spaceage
bachelor pad grooviness (‘Otherwise’, which also
slips in some heavy-lidded reggae vibes), while
McLarnon scales dizzy heights imbuing the rappy
‘Elizabeth 44’ with a sexy Debbie Harry
ambience. The navel-gazing ‘Galacticon’ creates
a lovely sense of floating calm for those in a
krautrockin’ Tangerine Dream mood, its cinematic
atmosphere suggests soundtrack work could be in
their future.
We
also enjoyed McLarnon’s Cocteaus-y vocal
pyrotechnics on the all-too-short ‘High Day’,
and the anthemic ‘Colors II’ crawls up the walls
and your spine, leaving shivers in its wake. A
bit of Genesis, me thinks in the inspiration and
execution, and quite well done at that.
(Jeff Penczak)
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DODSON
AND FOGG - WATCHING
THE
WORLD
(CD on Wisdom
Twins )
The prolific Chris Wade is back with his
third album
this year (adding to his two dozen or so
previous releases, not including side
projects and collaborations), and it’s another
stunner, ‘Opening’ with an
acoustic and vibes dreamscape of trickling
waters, birds calls, and other
nature sounds before morphing into a rather
jolly, medievalesque instrumental.
The sounds of street traffic launches ‘Take A
Good Luck Around Tonight’, an
exercise in awareness training that encourages
us to wake up and smell the
petrol in “the city that never sleeps”. Some
tasty guitar licks complement the
funky, bluesy arrangement. ‘Here and Now’
continues the same theme of taking a
look around and observing the here and now and
doing something about your
plight if you’re not happy with it. Another
blistering solo stops by for a
quick look in.
By
the time
we reach the gentle, acoustic title track, it
seems there may be a concept
afoot – robotic lives living rote routines is
robbing us of our entertainment
and joy of really experiencing what’s all around
us. This encouragement also
permeates ‘You’re Nothing If You’ve Lost
Yourself’, encouraging everyone that
they can be anything they want to be. ‘Where You
Roam’ also features some
wonderful soloing amidst the dreamy, laid back
acoustic vibe (I thought a lot
of Bert Jansch), and I also loved the snappy
little pop ditty ‘Wonderful Girl’,
a summery singalong and a perfect mood lifter.
Another must-have winner from
one of our favourite artists, who keeps topping
his own high standards with
every subsequent release.
(Jeff Penczak)
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