Tag: Reviews
5
"Wake up time" is certainly catchy, but a bit too much of a cliché. Sticking to a formula that works like this isn't necessarily a bad thing, however. It's reminiscent of Shiny Toy Guns and their new-retro style that electro-kids and posers alike will happily latch on to. As an electro-kid myself, I appreciate this for what it's worth – but it's the second track on the release, "Discoperkele", that I really get into. Dirty beats are what electro is all about and Emmon carries this track off with dirty nonchalance. Simplistic lyrics and a constant hammering of 'disco' is, again, a cliché, but the quality of the track makes it one I would want to hear in a club. The first remix of "Wake up time" is a faster version and although Thermostatic have added a couple of interesting sounds, the arpeggio/gating effect is annoying after a couple of listens. The "Helm downbeat mix" is mellow and trippy, which is particularly welcome after the driving beats of the previous tracks. Overall, worth a listen, but not built to withstand the test of time.
- Jude Ainsworth
8
"Solid State" has taken Pluxus five years and because of its complexity, you can understand why. It also took me a long time to find my opinion on this record because, although the good songs are perfect, this means the not-so-good songs are a real disappointment. Having said that, it's an album I want to listen to over and over again. Pluxus are unlike anything I've heard in a long time. This album is atmospheric, they say it's their darkest album yet – but in each song there is something inviting and optimistic, which makes it fascinating. "Kinoton" and "Perm", like I say, are perfect. Some of the others, however, need a little perseverance – which is why it isn't a 10 on the scale.
- Jude Ainsworth
8
As its title and cover (with one of the two band members holding flowers and the other a gun) imply, this is an album of immaculately synthesized contradictions. The feel is slow and moody, but it's got an electrobeat you can dance to (heck, it's hard not to dance to it). It's heavily distorted, dark and fuzzy, but full of crystal clear, bright, new-wave synth riffs. It's warm and emotional, cold and calculated. It's like looking out the dirty window of a train at night, encased in metal, moving quickly through scenes of human experience, empathic and removed. But most of all, it's a really cool record with subversively catchy melodies that demand repeated listening. Shoulda been on my 2006 Top 10.
- Nancy Baym
8
I was slated to review this CD a while back, but couldn't quite get a handle on it. It's really good, but it seemed shrouded in fog upon first listen - one of those platters that wouldn't reveal its aesthetic very easily until I recently I played it again on a bleak, overcast day following yet another midwest ice storm. The Stockhom-based Holiday for Strings sculpt a unique brand of rock that blends fractured guitar tracks, insistent percussion and coolly evocative electronics. The album is mostly instrumental, but the short vocal passages that are present are delivered in a sort of laconic, hazy style that de-emphasizes any sort of tangible theme. It's a fresh, sometimes sparkling, sometimes abrasive soundscape, not easily compared to anything else. The music seems very much adrift and doesn't head towards any obvious destination, but it sure holds your attention, though, and the concluding track "Jump on foot" is particularly captivating.
- Kevin Renick
8
Madrugada frontman Sivert Høyem closes this second solo album by singing: "I must take to the stage/I need nerves of steel/no matter how weak and how weightless I feel/I just wanted to come across strong." It's an ironic and telling line on an album written just after the biggest year of Madrugada's career. While the songs all deal with vulnerability to varying degrees - estranged narrators desperate for human contact, numbed to that contact, or savoring intimate moments of closeness - the sound betrays no hint of weakness and is anything but weightless. To the contrary, it's heavy, strong, and once you accept its borderline-corny sense of drama, downright beautiful. Høyem is gifted with what's likely the best voice in contemporary rock, and every note on here is sung deliberately and milked for maximum nuance. Fans expecting a repeat of his first solo record "Ladies and gentlemen of the opposition" will find this about as similar to that as Madrugada's "The deep end" was to "Grit" - it sounds very little like its predecessor. Where his first mixed folk with rock and blues for an eclectic set of songs, this is one consistent slow dark march in a minor key. You've got to be in the mood, but when you are, it's breathtaking. Let's hope it sees wider distribution than its current Norway-only release.
- Nancy Baym
5
"Between two worlds" picks up, in some way, where Immortal left off. In times when noone knows if said band will record more records, this release from ex-frontman Abbath comes as a great relief. Sure, if you're looking for "true" black metal, this isn't really up your alley as what we're facing here is a dose of classic heavy- and thrash metal. Influences from bands such as Motörhead, Bathory and WASP are very present and in a good way! It just goes to show that the classic metal acts are never to be ignored. However, despite these influences, you can still hear some Immortal-licks, especially in "Mountains". And Abbath's vocals are still as evil as can be. But, and there is a "but" here, not all is jolly good with this release. There are songs that don't quite cut it for me such as the titletrack and the closer "Cursed we are". You gotta love bands that instantly makes you think of favorite bands such as, in this case, Judas Priest, but there are limits. I mean, why buy the new Trivium record when you can purchase "Killers"? Why buy this one when you can purchase "Screaming for vengeance"?
- Jonas Appelqvist
8
This is the fourth record from one of Sweden's best kept secrets. On their first two, singer-songwriter Jakob Nyström, if never quite gloomy, sounded like a seeker out of place in the world around him, a status that lent a certain mystical magic to his already poignant vocal delivery and the band's unusual folky/psychedelic/rock sound. 2005's "Cover the distance" found them alternating that sound with cheer, and on this, their most consistent record, they sound almost (dare I say it?) happy. While touching on many of the same themes - Jesus, secularism, connection and lack of connection to place and people - this time around it's poppy and even bouncy throughout. There are no jaw-droppingly magnificent tracks like "Hemisphere" (from 2001's "Inland traveller") and it's no artistic stretch, but it's Isolation Years all the way, which is to say it's a solid, tuneful, beautiful piece of jangly folky rock that sounds like no one else.
- Nancy Baym
8
First gig of 2007 and a very impressive start to the new year. The SubPop connection combined with great songs should hopefully propel Loney, Dear to great stardom shortly. I'm glad I got the chance to see him in such an intimate venue, I'm sure he'll soon be playing the big corporate ones (or so I hope). Singer Emil Svanänge's got a magnificent voice and, even though I felt a bit weird (after Christmas and cosiness, drunk people and noise aren't exactly what I crave) and annoyed with all the people behind me talking, it managed to entrance me. This happens very rarely unfortunately, the last time I remember it happening was when I saw Jason Molina (aka Songs: Ohia) play the Luminaire in August last year. If 2007 will have more gigs like this in store, I'm starting to warm to the idea of rubbing shoulders with sweaty crowds in smelly and dirty venues all over again.
- Simon Tagestam
7
Need a heaping slab of proggy, psychedelic drone for your next imaginary mental excursion? Råd Kjetil and the Loving Eye of God are here to help. Once you relax and just go with the drone (in six fairly lengthy tracks), you find there's quite a few compelling sonic flourishes to enjoy. There's a long, foreboding intro, a looped toddler's voice that adds a mesmerizing element to one track, strange sound effects and dark, textured ambient layers that are way more than just background. You can hear real musicians at work here, making active decisions about the ebb and flow. If I'd had this album back in college, I can imagine there would've been lots of interest from fellow dormies in the deeply chilled psych-out pouring outta my room. And how can you not love a songtitle like "Dry air static sparks northern skies"?
- Kevin Renick
8
A lot of recordings get filed under the banner "dreampop," but the word is perfectly apt for this offering from Mikko Singh. It's a soft, shimmering collection of ambience-laced tunes that showcase Singh's impossibly fragile, high-pitched voice. His singing suits these wintery, ethereal compositions, which often sound like they're dancing with the snowflakes Tomita told us about years ago. Mikko has a good ear for melody and the blend of acoustic instrumentation and feathery electronica here is consistently pleasing, although it starts sounding a bit samey after awhile. There's also an innocent optimism at work throughout the disc, although the classic Nordic melancholy also pervades. It makes for an effective contrast. All in all, a most impressive debut.
- Kevin Renick
8
There's a new batch of swedish indierockbands out there. The scene is very much alive and kicking, much thanks to bands like Seven Feet Four, Division of Laura Lee, KVLR, Alarma Man, Knife and Ape, LDOA and Logh. On this three track-EP, this Eskilstuna-based quintet deliver the kind of tunes that put them in the same league. I had often come to the conclusion that something was missing after hearing their previous recordings, but not anymore. This is well-played and tight indierock with hooks. Especially the title track that, if there's any justice in this world, should get more airtime and attention. It's about time these guys release another full-length.
- Jonas Appelqvist
7
Building upon last year's free downloadable EP, The Book Of Daniel have created quite a solid full-length album as their debut. That being said, if one is familiar with the EP, then you may be a bit disappointed to learn that four of the albums' ten tracks are repeated. What is most amazing about this album is that it sounds like the band has honed its craft for years and the mature vocals just exemplify this even more. The hooks prevalent in "The camels parade" and "Deadringer deadringer" lure the listener to chime in and sing along, especially with the group vocals on the latter track. This whole album is formal, steadily beautiful and just so confident, it's somewhat alarming to review. "Songs for the Locust King" is just fantastic; one of the more fully-realised debut albums I have heard in a long time.
- Matt Giordano
8
I reviewed EST's last album, "Viaticum", and I was pleased and impressed by their fusion of jazz and rock. "Tuesday wonderland" follows a similar pattern in bringing together the worlds of rock and jazz the way it was meant to be in the first place (Weather Report and Return to Forever be damned). The most significant difference with "Viaticum" is that "Tuesday wonderland" includes electric and electronic instruments, most notably electric bass, as a significant textural and leading instrument through some of the songs, although very little of the work done there could be described as "riffs". The album is also a lot more pop than the previous, without ever reverting to easy listening-Diana Krall-jazz that your father seems to enjoy. Though they do bring together two genres in a way that I have not heard before, they keep one foot firmly in the post-bop composition style that is heard often in jazz these days. Truly a trio that has reconciled two worlds.
- Simon Thibaudeau
7
Prog rock is a somewhat maligned genre these days and any group that chooses to head for the even more rarified air of instrumental prog is clearly confident enough not to worry about detractors. But Sweden's Gösta Berlings Saga are really quite good, and they've staked out a particular niche that listeners should know about. This debut recording offers up the expected banquet of energetic keyboards, propulsive percussion and layered guitars, but it's made more listenable than you'd expect because empty displays of virtuosity are kept to a minimum. The music goes somewhere; the dramatic flow is well anchored, and you can actually tap your foot to the rhythm most of the time. Sure, some of it gets a bit tedious in places, but the seven songs keep you engaged more often than not. Echoes of Yes, Magma and Krautrock artists such as Neu! and Can abound and having a Swedish imprint on it makes for a freshness that really enlivens the sound. All four players reveal impressive chops, with captivating sequences on mellotron and Fender Rhodes standing out the most. No trippy dippy lyrics or dramatic vocals here, just disciplined instrumental work.
- Kevin Renick
Emmon
Samuraj Cities
Isolation Years
The Book Of Daniel
E.S.T. (Esbjörn Svensson Trio)