Issue 5 - When The Gramophone Rings by Andrew Evans

WHEN THE

GRAMOPHONE RINGS ISSUE 5

HAIM, MUMFORD & SONS, THE KILLERS, GRIZZLY BEAR, ANIMAL COLLECTIVE

t’s been an incredible summer here in London, with the visit of the Olympic and Paralympic Games - an opportunity to showcase the best of British to the entire world. While the athletes ensured that the spectacle never dropped from the highs of spectacular, through the opening & closing ceremonies of both formats, one thing we highlighted time and time again was that we do music better than anyone. From The Beatles to Tinie Tempah via Arctic Monkeys, Frank Tuner, Pink Floyd, The Who & Coldplay, it emphatically made our claim as the biggest and best exports of POP across the globe. It’s been a while since

we’ve done one of these magazines, such is the growth of our output and our team. We’re now up to 15 writers, all of whom take the time to soak up new music while holding down full-time jobs. I think we’re onto a good thing here, so I would like to thank each of them for their contributions. Alot of good records have come out since we last put together this mag, so head down to our review section for the best bits of the last few months. We discuss the return of The Killers, Mumford & Sons, Grizzly Bear, Bloc Party & The xx. Elsewhere, we’ve interviewed some of the bands we’re most excited about, and in our introducing section you’ll find features on Haim, The Lighthouse

THE CALIFORNIA WIVES

ucceeds on the simple pleasures of big hooks, proper melodies and the hard-to-resist swooning indie-pop of John Hughes movies…

WELC O M E

and the Whaler, Paul Thomas Saunders and Bleached, who we’re sure will have a big 2013. Continuing our championing of new music, we’ve pulled together all the best songs from the freshest acts so make sure you get to know great new acts such as Benbrick, Trails & Ways, Saint Lou Lou & Seasfire. For those of you on Spotify you’ll be pleased to hear that we’ve just launched or Autumn 2012 playlist, which is the essential mix of everything

LISTENING FRANK OCEAN

ith a collection of memories sung with painful honesty, Frank Ocean is certainly not your typical r’n’b singer…

GRIZZLY BEAR

eeping up the layered vocals and unusual lyrical arrangements, ‘Shields’ sees them continue to stand shoulders above the competition

featured on the site throughout September, October & November. Make sure you subscribe to keep upto-date. If you’re a proud iPhone owner, you can now listen to all the songs featured on WTGR through the excellent Shuffler.fm app. Head to the site for more info. All in all, it’s taken a while to get this issue done, but it’s now bursting with great new music. All of us here at WTGR hope you enjoy it. Andrew - Editor

POST

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NEW KIDS ON THE BLOCK > THE BEST OF NEW MUSIC < 4&5

Benbrick Holograms Trails & Ways The Night Saint Lou Lou Pair of Arrows Casablanca California Wives Seasfire Kyla La Grange Battleships Paul Thomas Saunders

INTRODUCING... 8 - 23

Bleached The Lighthouse and the Whaler Haim Paul Thomas Saunders

REVIEWS 24 - 47

Mumford & Sons The xx The Killers The Walkmen Grizzly Bear Dinosaur Jr. Animal Collective The Vaccines California Wives TOY The Soft Pack Two Door Cinema Club Purity Ring Wild Nothing Frank Ocean Bloc Party The 1984 MoRo Matt Corby

NEXT ISSUE...

T S

NEW KIDS on the block THE BEST OF THE UP&COMERS

BENBRICK

H O LO G R A M S TRAILS & WAYS

A dab of Drake here, a touch of straightup Timberlake pop there. Sleek, modern and all in very impressive indeed.

A slap-in-the-face slice of primary coloured, trebley indie-punk that rattles with the boredom of youth and the want for something better.

THE NIGHT

SAINT LOU LOU PAIR OFARROWS

A chiming, jittery, swooping mini epic that is reminiscent of both M83 and Arcade Fire, it pushes and pulls before settling into a neat alt-rock groove.

What a debut single they’ve produced. I mean, seriously, this is GOLDEN. Think Del Rey. Think Washed Out. Think bliss.

THEY ALL SAY F E V E R MTN

THIS MAYBE

TUNE

A gorgeous stab of spikey-yetgooey-on-the-inside indiepop in debt to Vampire Weekend, Wu Lyf and Local Natives.

YOU V E S T I G E Calling themselves an indie/electronic, glitchy, xx-style introvertion mixing with dreamy noir-pop and and an extra helping of beats. It’s lovely.

SEASFIRE

CASABLANCA

CALIFORNIA WIVES

Groove? Present and correct. Melody? Straight as a die. Production? Crisp. Outcome? A rather promising debut single.

A gorgeous slice of melancholic indiepop that both shimmers and glimmers. Readying their upcoming debut album, Art History.

It’s another slab ly bass-led RnB. dirty, and very Watch out for

KYLA LA GRANGE

BATTLESHIPS

PAUL THOMAS SAUNDERS

A driving, moody beast that continues ‘In Retrospect’s’ snapping psych-rock while adding superior melodies and greater depth than their first tune.

One of the most beautiful songs on the EP, ‘The Trail Remains Unseen’ has been given the acoustic treatment. Isn’t it utterly gorgeous?

MTN

TUNE P U R P L E U N D O N E

LOVE YOU BETTER YOUR WORDS THE Intimate, haunting & featuring none of the bombast of the original, this is a stripped down gem of a cover with La Grange’s delicate vocals.

THE BEST OF THE UP&COMERS

of deliciousIt’s swampy, very good. these guys.

TRAIL

NEW KIDS on the block

COLDPLAY RIHANNA & JAY Z bring scintillating summer to a close at Paralympic Games

oldplay did a damn fine job of the Paralympic Closing Ceremony, unleashing hit after hit…. after hit. One of the highlights was a wonderfully bass-heavy rendition of ‘Paradise’. The band clattered through songs such as ‘Viva La Vida’, ‘Yellow’, ’42′, ‘Every Teardrop Is A Waterfall’, ‘Princess of China’, ‘Us Against The World’, ‘Charlie Brown’ and ‘Up In Flames’. It was their encore however that proved to be truly star studded, as the four Devon boys invited long time pal Jay Z, and recent colloborator and princess of pop Rihanna up on stange for, among other things, this take of ‘Run This Town’. Rihanna’s vocals sound great, with Chris Martin & co happy to play backing band, and Jay doing what he does best in the verses.

news...

I N T R O D U C I N G...

bb ll ee a a

SISTER //

On Friday 4th May, came the immensly sad news that Adam Yauch, founding member of The Beastie Boys, passed away after a three year battle with cancer. A multi-talented man who was loved and respected the world over, Yauch leaves behind a wife and a daughter. The Beastie Boys have made an official statement. Tributes and condolences have been pouring in from across the globe, including musicians and fans. One of the first weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve seen is this, a cover of Fight For Your Right performed by Coldplay on the evening of his death. That there is such an emotional response at a Coldplay gig shows exactly how far the reach of Yauchâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s work really went.

cc hh ee dd

/ SISTER

“We started playing music in our garage and went to a lot of punk shows growing up…” –– Jessie Jessie Clavin Clavin

in our garage. We went to a lot of punk shows growing up and thats what pretty much inspired us to start our own et’s get things straight from the beginning: band. Bleached are rad. Having risen from the ashes of the deHow has Mika Miko informed what you’ve done mise of pop-punkers Mika Miko in 2010, Bleached are just with Bleached? two girls. Two sisters in fact – Los Angeles sisters Jennifer Jessie – Mika Miko has for sure helped us in Bleached to and Jessie Clavin. Their racket is more finely tuned than know how a recording process works, writing music, workthat of their previous outfit, specialising in short, sharp ing together, and a lot of touring! blasts of trebley, suagary riot grrrl powerplays. You’ve recently been in Europe playing a tonne of Channeling both The Ramones and The Ronnettes shows. How were they? and, more recently, Best Coast, the girls are yet to Jessie – They were a lot of fun. The hospi release anything other than a few grade A tality over there is awesome and the singles, but what we have heard is people that came to see us were enough to convince us that they stoked for us to be there. have it. What’s it we hear you Jennifer- Yeah that tour was ask? Well, you know….. it! amazing. ‘Searching Through The Your tunes seem to Past’, perhaps their poppiest be very Americana moment, is three-and-a-half driven. Is music from minutes of rudimentary, the UK important to fuzzy guitars held together you? by the most upbeat of Jessie – There’s a wide va melodies. ‘Electric Chair’ is riety of music that is im fuzzier still, with the girls portant to us one being yelped vocals sounding as music from the UK. Dif they’ve been run through a ferent eras from 60s to dozen Instagram filters before now. Our friends bands being put to tape. Any faux from the UK are also im retro arguments are soon lost portant to us, with all the to the sheer wonderfulness of a touring we do I realize that a whistling solo and some dreamy big part of our friends are bands ‘oooohs’. ‘Think Of You’ continues and people we meet on the road. the three-chords-and-a-heap-of-distortion Jennifer – There are definitely many -should-do-it train of thought. This is UK bands we are inspired by like Siouxsie & primitive, three-minute rock ‘n’ roll at its sharpest, The Banshees, The Slits and many of the early UK punk bringing to mind the minimalist rawk of early The White bands, and also 1/2 of Fleetwood Mac! Stripes. Is there a debut album in the pipeline? After a whirlwind tour of the UK just a few months Jessie- Once Jen and I are ago, including a barnstorming set at London’s Shacklewell back from 4 knots we are Arms, we caught five minutes of the sisters time and talked going to be recording for a watching punk bands, a little bit of Mika Miko and half of new record. Fleetwood Mac Jennifer – Yeah we have a Let’s get to know each other. Could you tell us bunch of demos written a little bit about yourself? now. I’m really excited to Jessie – Jen and I are sisters and have been playing music record them all! together for a while. We’re from Los Angeles, grew up in the Valley where we started playing music in our garage. It’s safe to say, we are too. We started Bleached about 2 years ago and before that have been in other bands together. We’re from Los Ange‘Searching Through The les, grew up in the Valley where we started playing music Past’ 7″ is out now.

BLOC PARTY ANIMAL COLLECTIVE GRIZZLY BEAR THE ROYAL CONCEPT THE 1975 MORO KYLA LA GRANGE

catch us on spotify our essential autumn playlist is now available THE XX THE VACCINES TWO DOOR CINEMA CLUB TRAILS & WAYS LUCY ROSE THE KILLERS PAUL THOMAS SAUNDERS POOR MOON WILD NOTHING THE SOFT PACK THE AVETT BROTHERS HOLOGRAMS PAIR OF ARROWS MATT CORBY THE LIGHTHOUSE & THE WHALER CALIFORNIA WIVES HAIM PURITY RING

ON TH W

hen you erâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s mini EP â&#x20AC;&#x201C; re upcoming secon statement of int but the shift in s whipsmart indie Since the Cl released debut a building a slow a the last year, bee Foxes, Johnny F Metric, Gossip)

introducing...

ightouse &

whaler

HE CREST OF A WAVE

u first pressed play on The Lighthouse and The Whaleleased a few months ago as a sneak peak of their nd album – you realised you were listening to a bold tent. Not only was the step up in quality so obvious, sound away from pastoral folk towards hook-laden, e-pop was so delightful, you couldn’t help but sit up. leveland, Ohio five-piece’s self-produced and selfalbum dropped back in 2009 the group have been and stready fanbase and have, for the best part of en holed up in the famous Bear Creek studio (Fleet Flynn, Ra Ra Riot) with Ryan Hadlock (Ed Harcourt, manning the production desk.

What they’ve produced is This Is An Adventure, an album full of wide-eyed wonder and indelible melodies that bubbles, fizzes and often soars, building from the foundation that the aforementioned EP laid down. Then came ‘Venice’, the first single proper from … Adventure, and showcased a deeper, more reflective sound. The shining moment however comes in the form of ‘Burst Apart’, which best highlights Michael LoPresti’s lighter-than-air vocal and the group – made up of Matthew LoPresti, Mark Poro and Steve Diaz – musicianship underpinning the ebb and flow of LoPresti’s delicate melodies. With the release of This Is An Adventure now around the corner in September, we caught up with Steve Diaz to discuss it’s making, 14 hour recording sessions and arriving at a formula that is ‘pure gold’...

from your debut album. We’re assuming they will grace the record? his Is An Adventure. Is that Yes, they will! The Pioneers E.P. how you felt about the record? was a taste of what is to come…it’s like Steve Diaz: Exactly! We had a great that appetizer platter you can order at time writing and recording this album. restaurants that samples a bunch of There is definitely a feeling of being part things on the menu… of something larger than all of us, and What sort of things moulded we can’t help but enjoy it for the adThis Is An Adventure? venture it is! A lot of really great things That’s tough. Between the five of have happened so far and the sky is the us, we listen to so much music – it is limit as far as we are concerned. scary. Each of us has his own influences One of the key things to hapand the beauty of our songwriting is pen is the growth in your nummashing all those influences and ideas bers. How has that changed your into a song. As far as things that inspire sound? us…circles , as in the shape, open water, Yeh we’ve been a five-piece for a and gastronomy (specifically East solid year, and in that year we’ve devel- Asian). oped a sound that proves us to be pretty How important to the reunique among indie-folk-pop bands. cording of this record has your set We kept the folk instruments, added up at Bear Creek been in shaping some extra percussion, and blended in- its sound? fectious pop melodies with whimsically Well, we had written most of the sentimental lyrics. It is pure gold! music before setting foot in Bear Creek, You’ve recently released but the album is as much about the Venice. Is this a big hint to how experience of Bear Creek as it was the the rest of it will sound? music played there. So I’d say it was not Well, Venice is a special song in only important, but vital. It was like we its own right. But it is representative of had the soundtrack to the adventure, the album as it shows off the new sound but needed to actually have the advenand inspiration. ture to complete the record. And now, The tracks on the Pioneer hopefully, everyone listening to it and EP are a noticeable step forward

having their own adventures can enjoy it all the more. How has working with Ryan Hadlock been? Ryan and his staff have been great! We formed really great relationships at Bear Creek and some unforgettable memories. We worked some pretty long days recording – for fourteen hours straight a couple times. It was good to be able to work really hard, then step back and monitor the progress. It was also cool to watch Ryan (and Jerry Streeter) work his (their) magic behind the console. Your debut LP was self-released, what’s the deal with this one? This is An Adventure will also be a self-release. This is the DIY age, man! We have actually spent a lot of time talking to record labels and discussing record deals, but we just haven’t found the right fit yet. We are very interested in building a support system that helps our team grow. We don’t just want to sign a deal, we want to find the right deal. So for now, we are being patient and just doing our thing! This Is An Adventure is out on September 17th.

e got alot of love for The Weeknd here at WTGR. We named House of Balloons the fifth best album of last year. The first part of a trilogy of albums which will all now be remastered, remixed, edited and released as the suitably titled Trilogy album in November. The first snippet we have is this, a re-dressed version of House

of Balloons’ ‘Wicked Games’, the pinnacle of said record. It keeps The Weeknd’s USP – that being Tesfaye’s sugarysweet vocal – and suggests that Trilogy will have a sole purpose of getting The Weeknd nearer to a mainstream audience. The anonymous, lets-givethe-album-away-for-free shtick got him noticed, now it seems Trilogy will get him massive.

something

for

THE WEEKND

HAIM

INTRODUCING...

UR O F O RT IT…” A P IB G D BY A NCE H UC FLUE S S I. T’ BE IN CH UT A E B B E ELP E H H T H T D T N O , A ANN N SU E C F E O W H T NG E V INGI O L R E B “W UP

D N

O S

M U

With the EP’s three tracks proving to be all they want to release at the moment, the girls have spent time in the UK, hile it may not keep many of us up night, we do, wowing audiences at Brighton’s The Great Escape in May, at last have an answer to the question of what Fleetwood and have one eye on “finishing up the record” after some Mac would sound like if they ditched the blokes and hired a summer slots with Mumford & Sons. Before that, we spoke to fancypants studio hand to give them a modern RnB sheen. Este Haim about making friends with the UK, loving the sun As bizarre as that may sound, at a time when the 70′s softand showing people a good time. rockers seem as popular and relevant as ever, Haim – with Let’s get to know each other. Could you tell us a their rootsy, sun-kissed rhythmic pop – have never made bit about yourselves? more sense. Este: We’re a sister band from the San Fernando Valley! We Consisting of three San Fernando Valley sisters (and an love watching Americas funniest home videos and drinking unnamed mister), the girls – Este, Danielle, and Alana Haim slurpees. – learnt their chops playing in Rockinhaim, a classic rock You guys absolutely killed it at both SXSW and band fronted by their musical parents, who reunite for “one The Great Escape. How does it feel to be getting such gig a year”. With the ‘rockin’ behind them, the trio stumbled strong, positive reactions after just one EP? upon a sound that while unique enough, sounds exactly what It’s exciting! We just want to show people a good time and wonky popstars should sound like 2012. put on the best shows possible. You’ve recently been over in the UK playing a The title track of their recent Forever EP is a good start- few shows and doing promo. How have you found ing point, mixing trebley guitars with big beats, handclaps the UK so far? and polished vocal harmonies courtesy of a childhood We’re in love with it. Its hard not to be. We’ve made some re“listening to so much music that its hard for us to stick to just ally good friends in London. Now it’s onto the rest of the UK! one vibe in a song.” They’re not wrong either. Songs shift in You cover Fleetwood Mac in your live set and shape with little or no warning, while opposing genres are make music that is distinctly west coast. Is there begrudgingly mashed together. something about the sun that can’t help but seep

i I s c

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r t I a m

W m E

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into a bands output? I think the weather definitely has an effect on us. We love the sun, and the beach. It’s such a big part of our upbringing we cannot help but be influenced by it. So, what’s the story with Rockinhaim, and when and why did you lose the ‘rockin’? We just lost the rockin in the name. Rockinhaim still plays 1 gig a year. And we probably always will. Was the mashing together of the rootsy and the rnb a deliberate thing? Was there ever a conversation about it? It just sort of happened that way. its the way we write songs and its the melodies we want to hear. We listen to so much music that its hard for us to stick to just one vibe in a song. Who else are you digging at the moment? We are loving Jai Paul right now. We also just made a summer playlist with songs from our friends FRIENDS and Electric Guest. They’re both great. What are your plans for the rest of the year? Any news on an LP? We’re hopping on tour with Mumford and Sons this August, and then finishing up the record!

The Forever EP is out now.

L I S T E N :

E L L I E GOULDING A N Y T H I N G C O U L D That the word folk was ever used in the same sentance as Ellie Goulding when she first arrived on the scene a few years ago was pretty ridiculous. And now that she’s back with the first single from her forthcoming follow-up Halycon, it’s going to seem even more bizarre. ‘Anything Could Happen’ is a neon-drenched stab of disco-pop, which at times drifts into territory that has more than a faint hint of Annie Lennox. As her big comeback single, we have to be honest and say we’re a little underwhelmed, but the first single is rarely the highlight of any album. We’re keeping our fingers crossed for something with a little more of….something to follow it up.

“A NEON-DRENCHED STAB OF DISCO-POP”

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

* introducing... * * * * * * * * * “DISCOVERING * SOMEONE’S MUSIC * AT AN EARLY STAGE * IS MORE ORGANIC. THERE’S STILL A VERY * PERSONAL * ATTACHMENT TO IT…” * * t can be rather disconcerting when * an artist of tender years is described as ‘mature’. Often a byword for boring, * pretentious or old before their time, it could, for a 22-year-old songwriter * be seen as criticism. But let make this very clear early doors yes? Paul Thom- * as Saunders – a fresh-faced emerging * talent that knows his way around reverb-drenched, acoustic-lead dream* pop – possesses a sound that can only be described as mature. Due to the * fact that it’s mixed with the wide-eyed wonderment of an inquisitive mind, it * doesn’t however stop him being one of the most excting new artists we’ve * heard in a very long time. His second EP, Descartes * Highlands, released last month, saw Saunders make a huge step up from * his debut by producing four songs of * stunning emotional depth and lucid pop melodies. He sounds, in his own words, like “Justin Beiber slowed down * 800 times”. Lovely. *

PAUL

THOMAS SAUNDERS

Let’s get to know each other. Could you tell us a little bit about yourself? There isn’t much to know really. I’m allergic to alcohol and I’m an excellent liar. Your second EP came out recently. It’s quite lovely. What has the reaction of it been from fans so far? People have been really kind and supportive of Descartes Highlands so far. It’s been encouraging. I think when you’re relatively unknown like I am, it tends to be those who root for your music that are vocal. I think it has something to do with the fact that their path to discovering

When can we expect that? We’re not very patient. It sure has, tt’s being recorded at my home throughout the rest of the year and it should be ready by 2013. We’re told you live in the grounds of an old hotel. Ever get tempted to dial room service for some grub at 3am? I do, it’s tempting, but why pay when you can crash the funeral receptions. The video for recent single A Lunar Veteran’s Guide to Re-entry is quite something. How did it come about?

your music at an early stage is more organic, so there’s still a very personal attachment to it. When you pick up more momentum as an act, and your music starts to become almost forced upon people, it’s instinctive to kick back i think. Is it a progression from your first EP? I hope so, it’s definitely different, but it might be a side step rather than a step forward. I prefer the arrangements of Descartes Highlands, we were slightly more meticulous and relied a little less on intuition, which sounds far less romantic, but you have to approach things in ways that are novel to you, otherwise it can become quite dull in the studio. If nothing else, with Descartes Highlands I feel like everything is almost in it’s right place. There are obviously things we’d like to do differently now, but hopefully we’ll get it right for the album. Has work started on an LP?

Thank you very much, It was a labour of love made and directed by our good friends at Left Eye Blind who are an Independent film company from Leeds. We’ve collaborated with them quite a lot over the last year or so, so they were an obvious choice. It was directed by Matt Maude and his ‘directors cut’ of the video is equally as beautiful. I feel quite fortunate to have met them, they really understand the music I’m making, and their vision always handles it so appropriately and tastefully, they’re an intimidatingly talented bunch. You recorded and produced the EP yourself? Is there anything you can’t do? I co-produced the E.P’s with Max Prior, the guitarist from my live band The Fever Dreams, we’ll be producing the album too. I’m pretty bad at singing without reverb, and my timing is skew wiff to say the least. I suppose thats why

I’m iron willed on producing my own music, it helps me preserve the illusion. Your songs have an incredible maturity about them. Have you always been a wise old owl? Thank you, but I’m more of a wide eyed Slow loris. Descartes Highland is out now.

“I’M

IRON

WILLED ABOUT PRODUCING

M Y

OWN

MUSIC” _____________ p a u l t h o m a s saunders _____________

L I S T E N : everything everything COUGH COUGH

This is the sound of a band turning from something promising into something positively awesome. Let your senses be overwhelmed. Let your eyes cry tears of joy. Let your hand bring the mouse back round to the repeat button. Yes, it’s a belter.

LISTEN: THE VACCINES TEENAGE ICON

“THE WORK OF A BAND PENNED IN BY THEIR OWN SOUND...”

SOME I

t was 13th February 2011 when Marcus Mumford and his band of merry men must have realised that their brand of banjo-toting folk-pop had got bigger than anyone ever could have expected. For this was the day that, with waistcoats on, neck ties tied and trucker cap firmly clamped on top of brow, Mumford & Sons performed alongside their musical godfather, Bob Dylan, at the 53rd Grammy Awards. It highlighted two things: firstly, how much America had embraced these four gentleman as their rootin’, tootin’ own, and secondly that, against all the odds, this group were suddenly big game players, selling well over three million copies of debut album Sigh No More. Like all big game players, they certainly have their detractors. While an unfortunate acronym match with a safe and rather middle class supermarket make them an easy target, there was and remains a collection of those unconvinced at these boys attempts at playing dress up. While the music will always be up for discussion – as is its nature – both the band’s rollocking road trip movie ‘The Big Easy Express’ and keyboardist Ben Lovett’s wonderfully organic Communion label – home to Michael Kiwanuka, The Staves,

Matt Corby, Ben Howard and Daughter among others – in fact suggest a group of young men utterly enthralled by this rootsy way of life. So, if Sigh No More was fine of tune and marked the first time in a while that the banjo was so regularly Radio 1 A-listed, Babel – which arrives three years after its predecessor – has the tricky job of being released into a marketplace that know exactly what Mumford et al are about. The relative surprise has gone, and like any second record, now it’s time to face the music. Babel, in the main, pulls no punches. There is no seismic shift in emphasis. Vocals are bellowed. Harmonies and horns swell. Bass drums thwack. Banjos are plucked. In the cold light of day there isn’t a single song here that would have sounded out of place on ‘Sigh No More’. None of which are necessarily bad things – many classic albums have been made without the need for a complete overhaul in sound –but in order to succeed this evolution-not-revolution approach relies on a few things: sharper melodies, craftier arrangements, better instrumentation. Babel’s downfall comes in the fact that these characteristics aren’t present throughout; the musical equivalent of boarding a

MUMFORD & SONS - BABEL plane knowing you’ve taken this flight before, but only this time you’ll be doing it in economy rather than stretching your legs in first class. ‘Whispers In The Dark’ starts positively before succumbing to the well-trodden ‘chung-cha, cha-da chung cha’ strumming pattern, a singular,stomping bass drum thump and a weak melody line. ‘Reminder’ aims for the intimacy of ‘Timshel’ or ‘After The Storm’ however resorts to clichéd lyrics of being ‘lost with you’ while asking his love not to ‘fade away’. ‘Hopeless Wanderer’ grabs your attention briefly before settling back into the what-must-now-be-patented Mumford groove mentioned before. It’s a tried and tested trademark yes, but it’s still one that, when done right can be hugely effective, as seen on first single, the rollocking ‘I Will Wait’, one of the few moments when the group let you pull back the polyester curtain of economy and glimpse at the horizontal beds of those up front. Throughout Babel there is a sense of a group already penned in by their own sound, a fact highlighted by the few moments in which the band add new colours to their palette. The acoustic post-punk sections of ‘Hopeless Wanderer’ are the aforementioned attention

grabbers, while the straight, half-time finale of ‘Below My Feet’ sees a full drum kit enter the fray to devastatingly good effect. It is the drum kit again that makes the difference on the high water mark ‘Lover of The Light’. With the group wrapping themselves round a groove they haven’t yet encountered, and a heightened contrast between light and dark, it is a truly sublime moment. Anthemic yet delicate, singalong yet serious, it is perhaps worth the price of admission alone and frustratingly hints at what Babel could have been. It also happens to be one of the few times across the album that Winston Marshall’s banjo playing really comes to the fore. For the masses that devoured Sigh No More this is a record that may well suffice – it’s big of spirit if not execution. However, with the lack of a ‘Little Lion Man’ or ‘The Cave’ you also suspect that for many the lingering feeling come the end of Babel will be a sigh of disappointment. At times it reaches glorious peaks, but for too long feels like a poor rehash of what’s come before. Make sure you’re seat’s upright and your luggage is stowed in the overhead bins; you’re now flying Mumford Economy. We hope you enjoy the flight.

P U R P O S E

the coexist coexist F

rom the same school that produced Hot Chip, Burial, Fou Tet, and Xan Tyler, but denying its influence, The xx seem to hav been shrouded in an undeniable sense of nonchalant cool since their conception in 2008. Their debut album, xx, was received w unprecedented acclaim – everyo trying to get in on the glamour o their quietly sexy sound. Yet, tru to their creatively independent nature, The xx made us wait – q impatiently – while they toured explored their creativity, and pe fected their second album. Thre long years later, Coexist is here. While Coexist is clearly the work of The xx, it is, at the same

C R E A T I V I T Y

xx tt

time, a surprising departure from the darker mood that characterized their debut album. The album artwork itself symbolizes the contrast t between Coexist and xx, as the airy, ur white artwork of Coexist invokes its g lightness. ve While xx affirmed their talent, e Coexist demonstrates the artistic range The xx possess. While a r with similarly dark album would’ve one been welcomed, as their sound is so unique even in this seemingly of boundless age of music, that the ue brighter attitude of the album is quite ridiculously bewitching. Opening with ‘Angels’, which d, was released earlier this summer, erthe listener is struck by the remarkee ably lighter quality of the sound . and the noticeable optimism of the lyrics. Similarly ethereal, but more e

reminiscent of an as-yet-unseen lightheartedness, this album is marked by stronger beats that feel more confident and positive. Coexist is also clever, incorporating unanticipated sounds, like in ‘Reunion’, which sounds like it was influenced by tropical island instruments. ‘Swept Away’ invites a heavier, enticing beat into the whispery mix. The way ‘Try’ seamlessly sews together several seemingly disparate sounds is a testament to both The xx’s ability and ear for beauty. Yet, not every track is quite so golden, with some songs feeling like filler in between the true gems. ‘Missing’ feels like it belongs in xx. This, however, is not even able to detract from the album, for in its own way it is beautiful. The xx

leave you feeling that every nuance of this record was deliberate, purposeful, and whole-heartedly artistic. One would not anticipate that such a diverse sound could meld together as well as it does in Coexist, yet it does it in a fashion that lets you feel every beat and melody. The purpose and creativity behind every song is so apparent throughout the album, that even though it may take a few listens, Coexist becomes infectiously appealing. With their knack for arousing emotions, The xx have produced an album rivaling the beautiful simplicity of their firsts that so captured the world’s attention. Makenzi Hogan

WELCOME THE KILLERS

BACK

BATTLE BORN

t’s funny to think now that at one point, around the eyeliner-wearing, spangly jacket-sporting, Brightside-booming year of 2005 that The Killers were the coolest band on the planet. Arriving fully formed, all cheekbones and anglophilic references, Brandon Flowers and co. quickly became the UK’s bezzy mate, headlining festivals, hogging radio airwaves and indiedisco playlists alike. It was in the build-up to 2006’s Sam’s Town that, over here in Blighty at least, the veneer of

untouchable coolness started to crack. First there was the unashamed ambition – for nothing is less British than openly wanting to be hugely popular –in Flowers’ ‘best album in 20 years’ claims, quickly followed by an eager desire to cover Dire Straights. Add to the mix the revelation that Flowers was a practicing Mormon and the unwise decision to involve a farty sax on 2008’s disappointing Day & Age, and upon the announcement in 2010 that the group were going on hiatus they rather did so with their tail, if not

between their legs, certainly not wagging as it once was. In the cold light of day, each Killers album has sold fairly significantly less than its predecessor. Yet, as the old adage goes, absence makes the heart grow fonder. In preparation for this review a swift revisit of their three albums to date affirms that Hot Fuss is a genuinely classic record, Sam’s Town, while a moodier, more guitar-heavy beast is criminally underated in both its melodies and lyrics. Unfortunately Day & Age remains a little limp.

Where then will Battle Born take The Killers? Back to the indie-disco? Further down the dusty road of widescreen Springsteenisms? The answer, as it happens, veers towards the latter. You see, Battle Born is the moment when The Killers become the musical equivalent of Top Gun, a piece of work millions of people will adore and a few cooler-than-thous will continue to sneer at, a collection that what you get out is in direct correlation to the frame of mind you enter in on. This is a record with

more than its fair share of big, unashamedly midtempo mega ballads as well as power-chord thrashing wannabe anthems. Enter free of cynicism and you may just find an absolute gem lurking beneath. What is undeniable, no matter where you’re coming from, is that Battle Born is home to a number of topnotch Killers songs. Four of them in fact, come straight out of the paddock in what is a rousing start. All four fit comfortably into the two song categories mentioned earlier, with fantastic first single ‘Runaways’ and the bruised, bloodied juggernaut of ‘Flesh and Bone’ – both of which offer some great Americana imagery

SAM’S in Flowers’ lyrics – reaching for and easily hitting the button marked ‘epic’. ‘Here With Me’, all reverbed snare shots, rung out guitar chords and a devastatingly emotional melody recalls the records Springsteen made in 80’s without the E Street Band and is perhaps the best down tempo The Killers have put their name to. The brilliantly captivating soft-rock sheen of ‘The Way It Was’ sees Flowers getting all nostalgic, ‘driving daddy’s car to the airfield’ before looking back over his shoulder and remembering that ‘back then this thing was running on momentum, love and trust, that paradise is buried in the dust’. Elsewhere, the primary

TOWN

coloured pop-rock of ‘The Rising Tide’ is the simplest pleasure here, uncomplicated in its three-and-halfminutes of melodic hooks and swathes of fuzzy guitar. The widescreem bluster of ‘Miss Atomic Bomb’ sees Flowers reminiscing again, both lyrically and musically as the riff from Mr Brightside crops up unexpectedly. Not everything works though, as with almost every Killers album there is a smattering of real filler. ‘From Here On Out’ is a stab at alt-country only deserving of the cutting room floor and joins ‘Joyride’ in the list of cringe worthy attempts of straying too far from their comfort zone. The closing title track is so desperate to

fulfil the role of the huge, all encompassing album closer that it leaves any discernible melody at the door. Throughout Battle Born Flowers sounds glorious, his voice floating above the crisp instrumentation in a higher-than average croon that threatens to break into falsetto at almost any moment but never quite does. It is his finest vocal performance to date. While the same can’t be said of Battle Born itself, there are enough moments throughout this record to make you believe that The Killers are back doing what they do best. They’re the musical Top Gun, but they can be our wing men any time. Andrew Evans

the family men cometh the walkmen heaven

here was a time when it looked like The Walkmen could well hit the big time. It was 2004 and the band had just played what was probably the most high profile gig of their career to date. It took place under the dazzling lights of The Bait Shop, Josh Shwartz’s fictional club in pop-culture megashow The OC, the band pounding through recent single ‘Little House of Savages’, a song which alongside ‘The Rat’ made it possible to imagine the New York five piece following fellow The Bait Shop graduates The Killers into indies platinum elite. Yet, it never quite happened. That two years after Bows & Arrows – the album that housed the two aforementioned singles – was released the group put out a track-by-track cover of Harry Nilsson and John Lennon’s 1974 album Pussy Cats suggested a group unfussed by grabbing their moment. For a decade The Walkmen have been delivering albums of deliciously tailored indierock and for a decade they’ve failed to capture the attention of the wider music

world, which is no bad thing when you consider the fates of Jet and The Thrills – two other groups that since gracing The Bait Shop’s stage went on to be flavour of the month before fading even faster than they’d come. Whether Heaven – the groups seventh album – will be the album that changes the situation is yet to be seen, but one thing is for damn certain, it deserves to. Not least because there are great songs aplenty here, but also because it manages to be one of the most accessible records the band have made without relinquishing an ounce of what made them so special in the first place, a compliment of course, to both the band and producer Phil Ek. And it’s to Ek’s contribution we come to first, as Heaven is a record that

sounds utterly gorgeous. Where they have always been a band that excel in the analogue glow of guitars, there is here a generous slab of warmth here that has been missing from previous releases, as if the band’s vision has suddenly been pulled into sharp focus. Throughout Hamilton Leithauser’s vocal’s soar, while Paul Maroon’s lone guitar on ‘Line by Line’ positively shimmers, evoking a nostalgia for a time when an electric guitar and a captivating vocal where enough. The track itself, all brooding melody and reflective lyrics – “now I know how the story goes, the wicked all will die” – acts as the record’s stunning centrepiece. That it’s followed by the near country-pop of ‘Song For Leigh’ highlights the fact that Ek’s simple, yet elegant production would be almost obsolete when paired with anything less than quality songwriting. As its chorus takes flight, dripping with melody, a pained Leithauser vocal gives you an insight into a group that have more than paid their dues as he croons “patience will

fter a gap of three years from their highly acclaimed third album Veckatimest, the Brooklyn based quartet bring their large following of fans the highly anticipated Shields. Blending, as they do, both the traditional and the electronic, team GB’s sound has been categorised as a harmonious melting pot of folk, indie and rock and with this, their fourth album, the Brooklyn four-piece are clearly keen to progress their sound even further. Kicking off with the album’s first single ‘Sleeping Ute’ – in fact a reference to the nickname given to the Ute Mountains in Colorado – creates, through its spidery guitar and smattered drums, an almost dizzying effect. That this nausea is mentioned by the group themselves highlights its hypnotic quality and contrasts with the peace of the song’s subject matter. ‘Speak in Rounds’, following immediately after, progresses in typical freak-folk vein, with the central section bursting open to experiment with some neat vocal harmonies, while its immediate neighbour ‘Adelma’ creates a sinister interlude, at odds with the relatively jolly tone of the opening duo, which use mellowing keep you alive” and “it might take a while but you never know”. Second track ‘Love Is Luck’ – a cousin to ‘Song For Leigh’ in its slower-paced, singing out on the porch vibe – is equally charming and again showcases an airy take from Leithauser. That it’s followed by the KingsOf-Leon’s-The-Bucket-meetsPrimal-Scream’s-Country-Girl footstomper of lead single ‘Heartbreaker’ ensures that the album quickly sets the tone, and the quality that is present throughout. However, despite much of Heaven adopting a pace that is more suited to five middle-aged gentleman that are all fathers, that’s not to say their aren’t a few moments of the frenetic pace and unhinged sounds that those that may have only heard their earlier work would expect. ‘The Love You Love’ is owner

creature comforts

of pounding drums, shrieking chords and a barked, staccato chorus. It’s an unbridled shot of adrenaline proving that when they want to, these dads can still rock as well as they croon. All in all Heaven is almost without blemish, so sure-footed and bloody-minded in its calibre is it. It sounds like neither a last-ditch attempt at massconsumption or an album made by a group of men that have given up. It is in fact the sound of a band completely and utterly at ease with their place within the modern music world. “I’ve seen how the whole thing ends, the honest man survives” sings Leithauser on ‘Line By Line’. The Walkmen, as honest a band there is, have not only survived but are sounding as vital as ever. Andrew Evans

grizzly bear shields

guitars and echoey, soft drumbeats to lend the record its overarching aural feel. Elsewhere, ‘Yet Again’ slows the pace sligtly, with lyrics discussing a relationship which has unsolvable problems yet always seems to continue. “Lately it’s about all I can take…We take it all in stride, speak, don’t confide”. ‘The Hunt’ slows things down even further with its unhurried, melancholic guitar chords, limited in their range of notes alongside prominent solo vocals, and adds up to a simple, honest song. It is Shields‘ most tender moment. Bringing the album into a more upbeat mood with a touch of playful lightheartedness, ‘A Simple Answer’ is an infectiously sunny tune, reminiscent of a mellow American summer road trip and definitely a firm favourite. It shows that when they want, Grizzly Bear can write fantastic pop songs. Lyrically, the album plays with a relatively straight bad and although the band clearly know their way around a nifty couplet, it is the melodies held within Shields that will really excite. With this record Grizzly Bear have remained comfortably within their broad tag of indie rock, yet have created subtle strength in each song – particularly the choruses – with intricate musical evolution as opposed to all out revolution. This deserves every success that will surely come its way. Rosy Sennett

hile a new crowd of young acts (Yuck, Male Bonding, Milk Maid among many others) now ply their trade producing this sort of racket, it is interesting to hear the ones who began it all still plugging away themselves. And listening to I Bet on Sky you can tell that Dinosaur Jnr

– a band in their 26th year no less – are a much-experienced, well-oiled machine. Opener ‘Don’t Pretend You Didn’t Know’ is a real gem, a direct and understated piece of work from these rock-pop pioneers, who are now on their third full-length since their second coming six years ago. Things slow down– one could even say revert

to type—during ‘Watch the Corners’ which brings us more of the lovelorn, slacker-grunge sound they’ve harnessed so well and have come to take ownership of. ‘Stick a Toe In’ does all of the above and more, with what it lacks in energy and hooks made up for in the use of some oddly apropriate one note piano. There is an effortless, under-

the-radar feel to this new material, as if the hype and headlines that marked their return have long gone, with the band now settling into some middle-aged comfort zone that allows them to just get on with it. It suits them. The chirpy restraint of ‘Almost Fare’ is another piece of effortless brilliance, while ‘Rude’ takes us right back to those brief and lo-fi,

early-’90s Sebadoh gems. ‘Recognition’ is a true belter of a tune, where Lou Barlow takes up the mic again, sounding like something that could be found on the excellent Bakesale album from 1994. ‘I Know It So Well’ brings us some funky guitar shuffling, like some sort of Madchester-Grunge collision All the ingredients are here,

DINOSAUR JR. I BET ON SKY

including those friendly guitar-solosfor-people-who-don’t-normally-likeguitar-solos, and J Masics’ understated and instantly recognisable, er, singing. I Bet on Sky is a loose album that throws in plenty of shapes and sizes, some moments certainly fare better than others, but it’s without doubt an enjoyable listen. Phillip Neeson

animalcentipede collective h z

ering that – and this writer might be alone in this – Animal Collective, with his is the return of the mighty their weird, alternative soundscapes, Animal Collective after three-and-aare not a band whose lyrics are of great half years without a proper LP, the concern. For instance, the typically breakthrough album Merriweather tricky yet occasionally catchy ‘ApplePost Pavilion, the moment all the sause’ includes the following: “when plaudits they had been receiving up a farmer picks a good thing / then a until then was suddenly matched by kid he picks a good thing / then a chef commercial appeal and wider recogni- she makes a good thing / then a mayor tion. Merriweather’s brand of sunny eats a good thing”. This band doesn’t experimental psychedelia hit the spot write songs about break-ups, that just for many, coming along at just the wouldn’t suit their lovable bonkers right time, and sounding like not much style. Listening to Centipede Hz it’s else around. While there are now a no unmissable to hear interesting plethora of copycats, Animal Collecsimilarities with ’80s-era Peter Gabriel, tive are the only people to sound like which is certainly not in any way an Animal Collective, and this new record outlandish comparison. Ahem. unmistakably underlines that point. The single that preceded the The CD sleeve of Centipede Hz album’s release, the modern-day informs you that this time round the sprightly psychedelia of ‘Today’s lyrics are printed, an odd treat consid- Supernatural’ is arguably the most

convenient or ‘commercial’ thing on here, but it is by no means the best, while the more dreamy and contemplative, synth-strewn ‘New Tom Burnout’ and ‘Pulleys’ sound close to something from the solo Panda Bear record, as opposed to something off Merriweather. The production across much of this LP is more tightly knitted together, less airy and wide-eyed, not as wholly spangle-coloured when set against Merriweather Post Pavilion. Winners such as the always changeable ‘Amanita’, and ‘Monkey Riches’ contain mesmerising vocal harmonies that have the listener unsure of where exactly the tracks are heading. Backed by music of tribal-like, almost nasea inducing motion, they are what saves the LP in the end. Phillip Neeson

A DELICATE BALANCE...

tinged ‘Weirdo’, a track clearly heavily influenced by Radiohead’s ‘Creep’. Small steps yes, but steps none the less. he Vaccines have been on a meteoric rise in the music They manage to seamlessly transition back to first world since they put out one of the best albums of 2011, the album form in what is probably the best track of the album, critically acclaimed and commercially successful What Did the excellent ‘Bad Mood’. While it doesn’t have particularly You Expect From The Vaccines?. After following this up thought provoking lyrics, it provides an incredibly memowith a hardy stint on tour, the only thing that looked like rable, rocky sound that will be in your head for weeks. it could hold them back were the oft-strained vocal chords Contrast that harder rock song with the more refined guitar of lead singer Justin Young, a malady that has since been hooks and vocals of ‘I Wish I Was a Girl’, and you can corrected. Expectations are therefore pretty high for their quickly see that The Vaccines have a range here not readily sophomore album, and with Come of Age, The Vaccines apparent on their first album. have undoubtedly delivered. Through these songs, The Vac Having already released two cines have shown that they are top-notch singles – the uptempo more than the one-trick pony that toe tapper ‘No Hope’ and many may have thought they were. incredibly catchy ‘Teenage Icon’ They have fashioned an album where – one might have inferred they nearly every song has the capacity had a reasonably good idea of to get stuck in your head, despite where this album was going. However, it quickly becomes having a large variety of disparate sounds. Even the stanobvious that The Vaccines are looking to explore other dalone weakling on the album, the dull and vapid ‘Ghost directions as well, and on Come of Age they’ve managed to Town’, has a catchy bass line that manages to worm its way nail a delicate balance of what made them so successful on into your mind. their debut album, while simultaneously branching out. In fact, it’s hard to find fault with the rest of these After the aforementioned singles dominate the first songs, other than the relative shallowness of some of their part of the album, ‘Aftershave Ocean’ brings a radical lyrics. But that’s The Vaccines. Despite this minor flaw, departure from their typical fare by bringing a definite Come of Age is a first-rate album, and after hitting such smoothness to the melody. Even after they start into a terheights in so many different directions, it will be very excitrific guitar solo two-thirds of the way through the song, you ing to see where this band heads on album number three. still feel that this is very different from anything they had Christopher Gray done before. They follow that up with the grunge/alt rock

THE VACCINES

COME OF AGE

CALIFORNIA WIVES T

here aren’t many people on this Earth that, when deciding upon their future career, genuinely gets to ask the question: doctor or rock star. Jayson Kramer, lead singer of Chicago four-piece California Wives got to ask himself that exact question back in 2009. On the basis of this, his band’s debut album, we’re bloody pleased he chose the latter. Art History, to be blunt, is one of those records that doesn’t reinvent the wheel, doesn’t even try to, but succeeds instead on the simple pleasures of big hooks, proper melodies and the hard-to-resist swooning indie-pop of John Hughes movies. While the nods to 80’s nu-wave are present and correct, this does sound, somehow, sound like a record made in 2012. This isn’t pastiche. The 16-beat surge of ‘Purple’ perhaps best sums up what makes California Wives so delicious; urgent drums, and squalling guitar are paired with a lush, inch-perfect melody before everything melts away only to build once more to a devastating, shouty climax. And then, after only 160 seconds, it’s gone- the indie-pop equivalent of the one inch punch. Much of Art History doesn’t hang around. The hooks are front and centre, waiting to be sung back after

OY have been garnering good reports from both big publications and fellow buzz bands – The Horrors, who TOY have already supported, among other people – and this debut LP follows a couple of earcatching singles. Despite their young ages the group are reminiscent of acts such as Neu (the Sunday Times in their review already latched on to the fact TOY rhymes with Neu), the Telescopes, House of Love, and more recently, Early Years, eschewing the pop-with-the-slightest-indie-twist homage to Bloc Party and Vampire Weekend that far too many young new UK guitar bands have gone for. They all have a

its rus lose you tho will pac too Lov can wic thro Tom er o he’l of l

art history

only a few listens. On the fantastic opening ‘Blood Red Youth’ you’d be hard pushed not to be singing along by the time the group launches into only its second chorus. Another high point, the throbbing, U2-esque instrumental ‘Photolights’ plays out its delightful chime well under the three minute mark. ‘Los Angeles’, which rides along on a sea of jangly guitar and a sweet synth motif is another particularly fine moment and is perhaps the most ‘Hughesy’ moment here, with Kramer cooing ‘when you wake up on your own and you know that you were wrong’ during an echoy, arena-sized chorus. There are moments here that pass you by, when the standard drops just a fraction, particularly in the album’s final throws, however the swooping closer ‘Light Year’ makes sure that Art History bows out on fine form. When, three years ago, Kramer made the decision to follow music, scraping a living and sleeping on friends floors rather than stepping onto the medicine ladder with a rather fuller wallet, there must have been doubts. In Art History he has everything he’ll ever need to know he made the right decision. Andrew Evans

TOY tendency to look similar. If you take a look at any pictures of this band they can’t be accused of looking the same as everyone else. TOY are less obviously pop. They are not totally adverse to the verse-chorus, over in under four-minutes thing but they are also quite fond of veering off midway through a song, all jamming in half-parts shoegaze, half-parts psychedelic freakout. Even when they do this however, they don’t do it in a manner that’s too difficult to grasp or too selfindulgent. It’s all pretty friendly and bright. When they do decide to go down the more ‘normal’ route they, in a strange and contradictory way, actually come up with possibly the record’s strongest tune, the lovely ‘Lose My Way’. It’s a love song and

son eas by was tain qua this men war voc tun like nym Rai as

ing, ther a p enc to s

dreamy, swirling keyboard-coated chois worth quoting: “I never thought I’d e my way over you / what did I do / u never thought the kind of pain I went ough / now it’s coming for you / what l you do”. ‘Dead and Gone’, a slower ced, steady grower of a tune impresses o and certainly reinforces the House of ve comparisons, to the point where you n really imagine the voice of Guy Chadck singing on it. While we’re on topic, oughout the record is becomes clear that m Dougall’s voice isn’t one of the strongones in rock. Maybe this is something ll improve on, or maybe another way looking at it is, does it actually matter? ‘Heart Skips a Beat’, another love

ng, is another pretty piece of pyche-rock sy listening and is given a helping hand Alejandra Diez’s high-tuned keyboard shes. In fact, much of TOY is given a cern look-up-at-the-sky-in-wonder, pretty ality to them, and is to Diez that it owes s trait. ‘Strange’ is another one worth ntioning, firing straight in on a wayrd jam before things get quiet and the cals arrive. It’s certainly an interesting ne, squeels of feedback and broodiness e the kind of thing Echo and the Bunmen mastered on their fabulous Ocean in record. It’s also an example of TOY experimental, and it’s not bad at all. For TOY, you see, it’s about the feel, the imagery, the music. They are not re yet, but with this album it’s certainly pretty cracking effort. With their influces in the right place and enough talent say something new, the signs are healthy. Phillip Neeson

ands are always put under the microscope following a successful debut album. It’s how it works. After their self-titled introduction – stuffed full of breakneck indie-rock – shined when released in 2010, The Soft Pack are now subject to this increased level of scrutiny. The San Diego four-piece responded by writing over 80 songs over the next few years before whittling them down to the 12 you see on Strapped, their sophomore effort coming out later this month. Things get off to a flyer with first single ‘Saratoga’. They aren’t straying too far from their roots – it sounds like it could have come off of their first record – however, that’s far from a bad thing, and the upbeat, summery melody is excellent, perhaps sparing the blushes of a frustratingly repetitive guitar line. ‘Tallboy’, the other single already released off of the album, impresses also. Starting off by kicking into a strong groove that transports oneself right back to the beginning of the summer, the self-effacing lyrics provide an interesting contrast to the majority of the other songs the group have released thus far, and the myriad of other instruments added to the track – most noticeably a needling keyboard smudge – adds a fascinating element to the group. The outstanding ‘Bobby Brown’ is one of the few other standout tracks on the album, the sound of a band refreshingly wondering into pastures new, exploring.

THE s

The beat is calmer and slower and the vocals are strong as well. Things really shine at the halfway mark, where the band go for broke and introduce a terrific sax solo. You could quite reasonably call it – now whisper this – a damn fine pop song. ‘Chinatown’, the subsequent song, reverts back to the catchy melodies that earned them their fame and will raise comparisons to bands such as Real Estate and Surfer Blood. Despite not breaking into new territory, it song works as a poppy little tune. Sadly, the rest of the album fails to live up to these relatively high standards, with no other real gems among the stash. ‘Oxford Ave’, an instrumental, tries something totally different, laying tons of different beats and instruments onto the track. However, it feels unfocused, like they entered studio and tried the “everything but the kitchen sink” approach, and the listener, sadly gets overwhelmed. Strapped‘s closing number, ‘Captain Ace’ is the band’s attempt at capturing the jam band aesthetic, and while it may undoubtedly succeed live, its recorded equivilent is a disjointed effort that goes on far too long. There are definitely several very good, if not excellent tracks on this album. However, in terms of being a first-class album, it’s just not there. Strapped will keep them solidly in the middle of the pack when it comes to being an indie surf-rock band. The Soft Pack will need to wait until their third album before trying again to reach the top-tier. Christopher Gray

SOFT

PACK e

tc wi on e d m o a o rc b e a c o l I u b t’s been an exciting summer for Two Door Cinema Club lead singer Alex Trimble. What with being hand picked by Danny Boyle to perform at the Olympics opening ceremony, rumours that Barrack Obama’s camp are huge fans of the three-piece, and a world-wide tour on the way, it seems the Irish trio are forging a flourishing reputation. So the highly anticipated second album has arrived with a weight of expectation that it will not only match, but outdo the success of its predecessor. Rest assured however, as Beacon quickly reveals itself to be a well produced and distinctively authen-

tic effort that sees the group seamles on from Tourist History, building on foundations to achieve a more matur indie pop sound. Trimble has descri as ‘deeper and definitely more emoti last effort and it’s true, yet it still reta vering youthful positivity. Opening anthem ‘New Year’ imm plodes into life; a dreamy atmospher Trimble’s pure and innocent vocals a scene for more to come. It’s clear to s is missing home and this theme cont out the album ’i’ll be home for next y

ssly following n their debut’s re and refined ibed the album ional’ than their ains their unwa-

mediately exre compliments and sets the see that Trimble tinues throughyear darling, ill

be home for next year’. ‘Sun’ showcases more musical diversity than previously seen with an addictive chorus that leads om to ‘Someday’, where energetic instrumentation fills your ears and displays that same upbeat urgency used throughout Tourist History with a glistening guitar hook that becomes increasingly more infectious with repeat listens. First release of the album, ‘Sleep Alone’ – revealed to be inspired by drug induced dreams – instantly reminds you of the Bravery’s ‘Honest Mistake’ in the momentum-building intro until washed away with Trimble’s dulcet vocals pierce through, creating a light, airy feel ontop of the spiky guitar pop. The track has the same engaging and earworm catchiness of Tourist History, suggesting their reluctance not to stray too far from their signature sound, but this time delving into more introspection and thought-provoking lyrics. The album reaches a more reflective moment in ‘The

World Is Watching’ , highlighting a new dimension to the band that displays more depth than anything heard to date. By experimenting with backing female vocals from London singer Valentia, it makes for an even more intimate listen. It is a quite beautiful mix. ‘Settle’ displays the more emotional dimension that Trimble hinted while emphasising his own isolation ‘this isnt home, I couldnt feel more alone’ while ‘Spring’ raises spirits momentarily before leading into the moody and more ominous ‘Pyramid’ which seems the most out of place song here. All in all Two Door Cinema Club have managed to craft an entirely confident and self aware album that is incredibly, joyously accessible. Beacon aims for and achieves a more accomplished sound than their last effort and nicely eschews the second album pitfalls that many of Two Door’s contemporaries have fallen victim to. Catherine Hawkes

PURITY RING shrines

agerly anticipated as the album that will cement Purity Ring’s status as one of the best new bands of 2012, Shrines does not disappoint. The first full length release of Canadian duo Megan James and Corrin Roddick is a haunting, vigorous testament to the talent that the band possesses. Featuring words written by James that were never intended for an album, the lyrics are reminiscent of a Tim Burton film, but the music ensures that the overall sound is something much younger and fresher. Although exciting is a strange word to attach to such a dark and arcane album, that’s exactly what it is. A different, experimental album, Shrines seamlessly marries sick beats and synths with eldritch lyrics. Purity Ring produces music that yes, you

can see yourself dancing to (albeit very slowly), but also crying too – such is the versatility (and paradoxical quality) of Shrines. And while the sound is reminiscent of the magical, transcendental sounds of M83, Shrines has a sound that is consistently much bigger and faster paced. These two do not hold back. These are robust and undeniably creative songs, with Roddick drawing from all genres and sounds of music, and James pulling from an unbelievably dark and confusing nightmare. From the full and fast paced sound of ‘Fineshrine’ with James’s unnerving baby doll voice calling for a sternum to be “cut open”, to the lighter beat of ‘Amenamy’, the breadth of the duo’s ability is exhibited. While ‘Ungirthed’ was the track that rocketed Purity Ring to relevance, ‘Belispeak’ may

be the true gem of the album. The heavy, dramatic feeling of the song draws you in, but the diversity it features keeps you interested. Yet, for the talent exhibited on the album, Purity Ring is not without its stumbles. ‘Crawlersout’, for example, is plodding; a botched attempt easing listeners into the heaviness of the album. Although an interesting sound, ‘Cartographist’ too is not as memorable as the other offerings and therefore gets lost in the middle. Despite these misgivings, the album is ablaze, and James’s disturbing images are irrevocably intertwined with Roddick’s sound, serving as a testament to promise of this budding band. Makenzi Hogan

serving as one of the album’s mushier songs, with Tatum singing “She is so octurne, the second album Jack lovely, she makes me feel high. Oh, ’cause Tatum has produced under the Wild I’m with Heather. Only Heather can make Nothing moniker, is in itself is not much me feel this way” as some airy tones flutter different from his debut album, Gemini. in the background. Yes, the production is a bit flashier as ‘The Chain Won’t Break’ possesses a Tatumn upgrades to better equipment nice deconstruction in the middle where and a live drummer instead of the drum Tatum lets most of the accompanying machines used on his previous record, but music fall away until what’s left is a very it maintains all of the charm. Altogether, prominent snare, the occasional cymbal although it takes a few listens, Nocturne and his voice singing “And I don’t know grows on you quickly and fits wonderfully just what I got myself into, but all I know into the days that have been just a little is I can’t let go” before allowing the other too far past “busy”; when the only thing instruments to come back into the track. left to do is sit in your bed and relax. It’s one of the standout moments here, The opening song, ‘Shadow’, along highlighting why Tatum is known as a with most others on the album, has a very wonderful tunesmith. mellow sound, but is still upbeat enough Two songs later, to be considered sprightly. The falsetto ‘Paradise’, while not tone in Tatum’s voice has a nice contrast offering much in to some of the deeper tones in songs such the lyrical sense is as ‘Only Heather’ or ‘Paradise’, the former

home to some neat production as the shift in balance of the left and right headphones around the 2:30 mark creates a glorious back-and-forth sensation before picking up again around the 4 minute mark. Very simple, but it sounds great. Since the creation of Wild Nothing in 2009, it’s clear Tatum has now left behind the world of basements and Virginian dorm room production for better things, but his music still has that soul that can only come from a passionate musician who’s spent hours on his own perfecting his song just for the sake of making music. This is a gem. Ashlee Bardin

wild nothing nocturne

espite last year’s release of the mixtape Nostalgia, Ultra, even less than one month ago Frank Ocean would have slipped (relatively) under the radar, having had only gradual songwriting success for artists such as John Legend and Brandy. Now, his time has come, and not just because of his first major studio album Channel Orange, but perhaps because he has decided to announce his bisexuality on the eve of it’s release, something which has now ensured he is the most talked about man in r’n’b. But, with the spotlight shining brightly on him, will Channel Orange see him seize his moment? The album begins strongly, with Frank’s velvety vocals in first single ‘Thinkin’ of You’ – a song which has already created a buzz having been available online since 2011 – finely setting the precedent of what’s to come with soulful vocals placed over a slow, spacey beat, resulting in an incredibly honest account of relationship insecurities to create one of the standout tracks of the album. ‘Fertilizer’ – which has something of a radio jingle about it – nicely bridges the gap to continue with the hazy melodies of ‘Sierra Leone’, and as the album progresses, money becomes an apparent theme. Third single ‘Sweet Life’ (co-produced by Pharrell) is a jazz-lounge track depicting sun drenched landscapes with lyrics of “So why see the world, when you got the beach?”. After a thematically related interlude of ‘Not Just Money’, the album then leads somewhat contrastingly to a more pessimistic view of money’s harsher qualities: absentee parents are present in ‘Super Rich Kids’ (ft. Earl Sweatshirt), which happens to feature piano chords strikingly similar to that of Elton John’s ‘Benny and the Jets’. The mesmerising centrepiece of Channel Orange is lies in the single ‘Pyramids’ which, without a doubt, is a truly unique moment; giving us the longest track of just under ten minutes with an initial uptempo beat woven within elements of synth-funk. The story begins with Cleopatra’s betrayal

which at first seems to be inconsistent to the more personal tales of Frank’s own experiences, however as the track flawlessly merges into it’s second half, Frank’s storytelling re-emerges to the present day – Cleopatra in fact being a modern day stripper working at a club called ‘The Pyramid’. From here momentum really builds with ‘Bad Religion’ and ‘Pink Matter’ (ft Andre 3000). The former featuring the backdrop of Church organs placed behind the vulnerable yet confessional lyrics of bearing a disguise – something which will undoubtedly be linked to Frank’s recent announcement. Against a soft orchestral background, the latter showcases the height of Frank’s impassioned voice continuing his inner battle, discussing how pleasure with a woman consumes him like a drug rather than being something of importance; “Sensei replied, what is your woman, is she just a container for the child?”. The finale track of ‘Forrest Gump’ likens a crush to the titular character of the film, and as a simple light-hearted melodic track it doesn’t strike as the ultimate finale of the album feels like it should. However, with lyrics of “You run my mind boy, runnin’ on my mind boy” it is assumed that previous inner turmoil might be starting to fade, and as the song draws to a close it is clear that the final lyrics of “this is love, I know it’s true, I won’t forget you” are highly symbolic and perhaps an overall illustration of self-acceptance. Musically, Channel Orange stays largely within the comfort zone of placing the traditional sounds of soulful r’n’b over largely modernised hooks and beats. It is the lyrics and tales that are told within this album that should be praised. Take a step back and such a unique and almost baffling mix of stories shouldn’t work together, however we are not listening to the ‘norm’ of r’n’b culture of clubs and drinking; instead we have been given raw emotion of how memories of life’s highly influential moments can be blissful yet at times cause torturous pain, and Channel Orange thus works, because ultimately, this is something we can all relate to.

frank ocean

channel orange

come to the fore T

he return of Bloc Party – along with a fourth studio album, aptly titled, Four – came as a bit of a surprise after rumours circled that Russel Lissack, Gordon Moakes and Matt Tong were auditioning for new singers after Kele Okereke went to pursue his solo career. But it seems that Okereke has expelled his electro dance compulsions with the release of his debut album the Boxer and reunited with his old friends to do what he does best. After the disappointiment of 2008′s Intimacy that saw Kele dragging the band deeper into world of electronica, gone were the days that that they were commanding the indie dance floor with the likes of Banquet and Flux. The glimmer of hope that Four would not continue where Intimacy left off but recapture the resounding success of Silent Alarm brilliantly comes to fruition as Four sees the quartet replacing their electronic experimentalism with soaring guitars and bludgeoning beats. ‘So He Begins To Lie’ proves the band have lost none of the vitriol with Lissack’s crunchy riff and Tong’s unruly athleticism on the drums driving the song forward to make an impressive opener with ’3X3′ continuing in the same vein with gothic vocals and menacing guitars. The first release of the new album, the jittery dance-rock track ‘Octopus’, showcases the most guitar centric approach from the foursome in years. Complete with a stuttering rhythm and assured vocals, the fast paced urgency of Silent Alarm is still there with

Okereke seeming to have replaced his previous angst with irresistible confidence. An impressive return from the quartet that will get stuck in your head with repeat listens. The album takes a tender approach with fragile falsettos in ‘Real Talk’ which provides some much needed respite after the crashing drums of the previous tracks. Proving they’ve got a sensitive side too, ‘Day Four’ is an instantly appealing and subdued track complete with dreamy guitars and honest vocals that closes on a beautiful guitar finale led by Lissack amongst a background of haunting wails. The most exciting point in the album arrives with ‘Coliseum’, a track that deceptively begins with a blues infused introduction that drastically merges into Okereke’s deathly howls, furiously shaking up the album, whereas ‘V.A.L.I.S’ contrasts this explosiveness by revealing itself to be an intimate indie pop song with an air of melancholy The beguiling penultimate track ‘The Healing’ demonstrates the sheer extent of Bloc Party’s musical depth whereas the final track ‘We’re Not Good People’ finishes with an almighty bang. Kele is unrestrained giving the most energetic performance of the album ‘’todays the day you’ve been set free’’. Four delightfully sees the party return to their previous good form with Kele giving his band member more musical freedom. Working as four equals, they’re starting to remember what it was that made them so good in the first place and therefore takes for a thoroughly satisfying listen. Catherine Hawkes

bloc party f o u r

THE NEW FRONTIER ................................

THE 1975 FACEDOWN

fter a couple of early songs dripped out onto the internet and having gone through few name changes, Manchester’s The 1975 arrive armed with their debut EP. Shrouding themselves in secrecy – our interview request was, after some thought, turned down – and posting not much other than some anonymous black and white photographs onto their minimal Tumblr

page, this four piece understand that a listeners imagination can write a far better story than an eager to please press release ever could. And, you’d have to say it’s working, with lead single ‘The City’ being picked up and spun by Radio 1 tastemakers Zane Lowe & Huw Stephens. You can see why they were drawn to it. An industrial, heavy beat underpins some throbbing bass and glitchy guitars before bursting into a glorious, repetitive chorus that will niggle away at your for days and weeks to come. It’s upbeat, it’s catchy and it’s extremely accom-

ne thing is clear after listening to Australian singer/songwriter Matt Corby; he certainly doesn’t need big studio production to create heartfelt tracks which showcase the wonderful emotional depth of his voice. An amalgamation his two most recent EPs, both of which sold spectacularly well in his homeland, ‘Made of Stone’, begins with its title track, a melancholic piano playing, similar to that of Sia’s ‘Breathe Me’ which leads to Matt’s silky vocals slipping ontop of the lush music. The lyrics are relatively short and simple – repeating twice the message of having a heart of stone as opposed of one of emotion – something which appropriately blends into the darkness of the melody.

plished. That it stands out like a sore thumb compared to the EP’s three other, more reflective tracks, suggests a band with incredibly sharp pop instincts uneasy about throwing all their musical gold into their first release. So while the opening title track acts as a gentle introduction to the EP, it is the final two songs that make sure it ends on a more intimate note. ‘Antichrist’ sees singer Matt Healy adopt a deeper, darker baritone in the track’s spacey, pared down opening segment before they group changes gear and build it’s close into an epic, M83-esque wall of noise and Healy’s howling vocals. The finale of ‘Woman’ however, strips away all of that bombast and features just Healy and an echoey, reverbed electric guitar. It highlights the emotional resonance of Healy’s voice in a way that the other three tracks can’t, and makes sure the EP bows out on a thoughtful whisper rather than screamed rhetoric. Overall, the Facedown EP is a hugely promising, even interesting group of songs. While The 1975 have done well so far to remain mysterious, if they continue producing stuff of this calibre they may well not have a choice but to step out from the shadows. Andrew Evans

‘Breathe’, while similar in emotion to ‘Made of Stone’, provides us with a slower pace and gently weaves orchestral accompaniment into the mix to compliment the piano background. Ironically on this piece, it sounds like Matt takes little breath himself to create his quiet husky tones which, combined with lyrics of “I didn’t know where I was, or where I was running to” results in an image of becoming emotionally lost. The track beautifully fades with Corby’s vocals drifting into hushed piano notes leading straight into ‘Winter’, the final track of the EP. Consistent with his apparent style of keeping repetitive lyrics relatively simple, creating something based more on the emotion felt through the melody – this time with the accompaniment of a guitar – ‘Winter’, as with ‘Made of

M O lay down your ghosts ep

ramming it down your throat. It sounds like it was written for arenas. hen we last caught up with MoRo, it was on a warm Its ambition is matched throughout, particularly in the autumn evening in the run up to the release of last year’s echoed ‘woahs’ of the fantastic ‘Hunting For Gold’ in which debut album, Slow River, a record that unexpectedly mixed Hughes is ‘playing poker with the devil’. It’s the most interSpringsteen’s soul with Motown’s heart across its retroesting song here, morphing from industrial verses to beefy leaning 10 tracks. choruses via a delightful middle eight and some brilliant Well now they are back with a brand new EP, which the guitar work. And it’s the guitar of the uptempo rocker ‘Mogroup have been talking up as, while not exactly a complete torcade’ that, musically at least, best links the MoRo of Slow 180 degree change in direction, certainly a quite obvious River with their new look, providing some fun flourishes side-step. So while Slow River, with its vintage brass and reminiscent of their early single ‘Something I Can Feel’. classic song structures, modelled itself on Amy Winehouse’s Ending on the EP’s most jaw-droppingly beautiful moBack To Black and Paulo Nutini’s Sunny Side Up, the Lay ment showcases Hughes’s stunning vocal range and confirms Down Your Ghosts EP sees the introduction of MoRo 2.0, an it to be the groups trump card. ‘Don’t Need Your Love’, a tale upgrade that sees the group free themselves up and write a of growing apart from the one love – “she’ll be shopping, and collection of songs that you suspect are far more reflective of I’m drinking alone” – means that MoRo say goodbye on a the band members themselves. sombre, spectacular note that will ensure that while the Lay It suits them too. Incredibly well. As the opening title Down Your Ghosts EP starts with your feet tapping, it ends track shimmers into view on a wave of delayed guitar and with a lump in your throat. Steve Hughes’ falsetto croon, you get the sense that MoRo They say a change is as good as a break, and for a band 2.0 could be a whole lot of fun. When, at the 30 second that boast an incredible work rate – these songs come just 8 mark, a killer drum groove and bubbling bass pattern join months after the release of their debut album, and a third EP the party it’s confirmed: new MoRo sound good. When the is already in the works – it’s a good thing, because there is no supersized chorus drops just twenty seconds later it is the sign of them slowing down. When the songs are as good as sound of a band not only underlining the point but physically this, you wouldn’t want them to. Andrew Evans

MATT CORBY MADE

STONE

Stone’, lifts to a mild crescendo as it draws to a close, nicely rounding off as a finale piece. Matt Corby’s sound – subtle, subdued and stripped back – is pretty unique within the music industry at the mo-

ment. With glimpses of haunting tones you can understand why he’s been labelled ‘Australia’s answer to Jeff Buckley’. Quite simply, Matt’s latest installment certainly won’t disappoint. Rosy Sennett

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Lucy Rose