Morrissey – World Peace is None of Your Business

 

 

Everyone’s favourite middle aged moaner returns with another eagerly awaited collection of embittered crooning performances. And very good it is too, despite all the anti-hype that generally accompanies every Morrissey release. This time the twist to the standard template is the adding of a global element, both lyrically and musically, with Mozza moaning on about world conflicts, bullfighting and the generic cruelty of humanity. The Boz Boorer backing track, without ever approaching authentic ‘world’ music, at least tips its hat at some latin inspired flamenco style guitar on several tracks. The prospect of Morrissey actually singing along to some serious world music exponents is almost too mouth watering to contemplate and unfortunately it will never happen, but I can dream.

 

On the upside it’s a very contemporary album lyrically and our hero not only deals with global conflict but throws in some attacks on A-Level pressures, animal cruelty, art critics, as well as his own introverted pain and loneliness. The surprising thing is that after all these years and a staunch refusal to reinvent himself (Bowie style), it’s still one of the best albums you could wish for, with some sing-a-long stormers mixed in with the thoughtful melancholy ballads. Surely he should be knocking out a CD out every year Eels style? How difficult can it be?

Just like REM albums, it’s difficult not to like something about every track and they all have their individual merits. The highlights however are probably the archetypal Morrissey bellowing yodel of ‘Kiss Me A Lot’, the sixth formers anthem ‘Staircase at the University’ and the philosophical classic that is ‘Earth is the Loneliest Planet’. My favourite is on the excellent bonus disk, which is incidentally well worth the extra expense, in the form of ‘Art Hounds’ which is a bitter rant at highbrow art critics, but contains one of the best false endings in history and a fantastic call to arms from Mozza to ‘take my hand if you cannot stand this fake world’. It’s a work of genius.

It transpires that Morrissey has been unwell and we wish him a speedy recovery and the encouragement to keep making albums. They are just as relevant and enjoyable now as they ever were and perhaps more so with the current dearth of intelligent and original artists. Ignore the poor reviews, this is up there with his best.

 

 

 

Saint Etienne - Only Love Can Break Your Heart

Classic Track - Only Love Can Break Your Heart

 

 

I never liked anything else they did before or after this blissful indie/dance crossover single. It seems a travesty of justice that the excellent Moira Lambert got the push in favour of Sarah Cracknell, but at least she didn't outstay her welcome; I wonder what she's up to now? Check out the typically early 90's video; the combination of football table and this song never fails to send me into a frenzy.

 

 



Savages – Silence Yourself

I bought this album on the strength of the track that was included on the Rough Trade Counter Culture album that sounded like The Joyce Mckinney experience, a group that Evlkeith has championed valiantly over the years. However let's not make any bones about it, Savages wear their influences on their sleeves and the predominant influence is not Joyce. Essentially this sounds like a Siouxsie and the Banshees tribute band! And as such I wasn’t that sure I was even going to give it any air time on the car stereo.

But wonders will never cease; a couple of listens and I was hooked. You soon forget about the Siouxsie-ness that pervades everything and start to realise this is a quality collection of harsh, post punk ditties which take the sound forward rather than revel in the early eighties. I think it probably helps if you actively like the Banshees' back catalogue though.

The drumming is so beautifully harsh at times it takes your breath away and those tribal rhythms permeate every song to enhance the minimal distorted guitar and the howling familiar vocals. The pick of the bunch are the pummelling, relentless opener ‘Shut Up’, ‘No Face’ which sounds like X-Ray Spex at their ragged live best, and my favourite is the epic ‘She Will’ which showcases those pounding drums and Hooky style base to their maximum. Throw in the most saccharin of vocals and some soaring guitar riffs and you’re onto a serious winner.

If you have a soft spot for female vocal punk rock then you can’t go wrong with ‘Silence Yourself’. In a similar way that Elastica actually improved the Wire template, Savages have done a similar thing with the Banshees. It’s undeniably Siouxsie yet more so!   

 

  

Eyes Set to Kill - Infected

Pick of the Week 63 - Eyes Set to Kill

A good old fashioned alternative rock singalong from the critically acclaimed Arizona three-piece. However, it is transformed into something special by the unashamedly Silent Hill homage of a video, with jerky dancing spooky looking nurses aplenty. Their back catalogue looks seriously worth a look. 

Morgan Page - Body Work ft. Tegan and Sara

Worth a Listen 6 - Morgan Page

Not entirely convinced by this dance/pop/indie crossover. However the excellent Tegan and Sara's involvement make it worth a listen...

Evarose - Cough it Up

Worth a Listen 2- Evarose

Unspectacular Paramore sound-alikes but possibly worth a listen?

Bright Eyes – The People’s Key

Another year and another Bright Eyes album is crossed off the list. It’s not an easy listen, but that’s not because of any lack of quality in the songs, rather the annoying pseudo religious diatribe that occasionally fills the space up between the tracks. It’s not that entertaining on first listen and after a few times it starts to drive you mad. Unfortunately the first weird rant is ‘joined’ to the first track so it can’t be flicked and you spend to whole dirge ridden 5 minutes cursing Connor for putting you through this repeated torture. If track one was rubbish I would have flicked the whole thing, but unfortunately it’s rather jolly. Ok rant over, and onto the songs…

This sits somewhere between the less commercial sound of Digital Ashes and the folky lyricism of Cassadaga, and for the most part it’s the standard issue Bright Eyes that we all know and love. It’s not until the last few songs that the album kicks into overdrive however. The last four tracks are sublime lyrically, beautifully crafted and up there with his best work.

‘Triple Spiral’ kicks off the quartet with straightforward rock and tender sentiments, ‘Beginner’s Mind’ is stunning, profound and so catchy it refuses to be flushed out of you self conscious and ‘One for You, One for Me’ completes the set with passion, simplicity and lyrics from a genius. Oddly, the stark piano driven dialogue of ‘Ladder Song’ is the album's most memorable moment; it’s touching, poignant and delicate. It’s the musical equivalent being 1-nil up and scoring four goals in the last ten minutes of a football match.

Not a great album, but it’s well on the way to being one of my favourites of the year. It’s not a game changer however, and if you don’t like our Connor’s previous work, don’t expect this to change your mind.

 

 

Ezra Furman – Day of the Dog

Thankfully Ezra Furman is not related to Doncaster Rover’s hapless South African midfielder Dean Furman. Unlike his footballing namesake, Ezra is creative, energetic, pacy at times and actually manages to score sometimes with some cracking songs which ultimately hit the back of the music biz net. Maybe Dean should think about a music career.

They love Ezra on 6 Music. I was so sick of hearing how great he was that I decided to find out for myself and surprisingly he was actually quite great. That’s not to say that this is the most consistent of albums, but most of the songs are at least engaging and four or five are things of beauty. However, it’s quite hard to describe the kind of noise that Ezra produces. It’s original, unique, lo-fi, folky but with a timeless quality that recreates the atmosphere of Bob Dylan or the Byds. If you need further persuasion; he looks like a cool guy, he probably writes these songs in his cellar and his backing band are called The Boyfriends.

The pick of the bunch are the poignant singalong of ‘Cold Hands’, the skiffle-tastic ‘Tell ‘em All to Go to Hell’ and the stunningly atmospheric ‘Walk on in Darkeness’ which sounds like a cross between Surfa Rosa era Pixies and the Cramps on a good day. I often find myself singing ‘Maybe God is a Train?’ as well. And who knows, maybe God is a train? Maybe a train invented Honky Tonk angels? ‘My Zero’ also has some appeal on the catchiness continuum.

This is a great introduction to his work and I’m instantly hooked and looking forward to the next Ezra album I can get my hands on. Hopefully Dean will take note and prove to be more dynamic, creative and speedy in the future just like Ezra.

The Soft Pack – Strapped

The Soft Pack are generic indie goodness hailing from San Diego. They unashamedly wear their influences on their sleeve and these influences are not the standard boring Joy Division or Echo and the Bunny Men that are so prevalent in the 2014 incarnation of the genre. The Soft Pack stir up a punch bowl that combines The Bodines, Weather Prophets, Sebadoh, Bob, The Teardrop Explodes, Haircut 100, the Higsons, Inspiral Carpets, the Primitives and Mighty Mighty in a mouth-wateringly straightforward concoction. It’s a fun, fruity and effervescent vintage.

Sadly, they’re almost certainly headed for the obscurity of our pages rather than the real media of the NME or radio air play. They’re too wholesome, too standard and have too much quality to engage with the proper music biz. And that’s a really positive attribute. If you loved ‘Played’ and wonder why that kind of music had to disappear, well it didn’t, it’s the sound of the Soft Pack.

All the tracks are stonkers, but my personal favourites are the adrenaline fuelled charms of ‘Chinatown’, the eighties throwback of ‘They Say’ and the Teardrop-esque ‘Tallboy’. Best of all is the strange hybrid of the Bodines and Serious Drinking that is ‘Second Look’ resplendent with tooting horns and twanging guitars.

A fantastic album, a refreshing change and well worth searching out. Fingers crossed for a new album in the near future.

Allo Darlin’ – Allo Darlin’ LP

Regular readers will know how much we loved Allo Darlin’s 2012 LP ‘Europe’ so it seemed only polite to give its predecessor, 2010’s eponymously titled album a spin. In some ways it’s a disappointment as it never quite lives up to the consistency and quality of ‘Europe’, however this is still a great album by anyone else’s standards, and throw in the flagship single ‘Dreaming’, which I’d already played to death, and you’re onto a winner. It’s quirkier and more twee than its more polished successor but there are odd flashes of brilliance if you can get past the irritation factor.

Top of the irritation list Elizabeth Morris’ accent on several tracks which sounds at best false and at worst attention seeking, with the worst offender being the chorus of ‘Kiss Your Lips’ where I almost needed subtitles to understand what was going on (I kassed your laps and they were kinduv salteee.). It’s not an Aussie drawl or a twee British stiff upper lip, it’s like nothing I’ve ever heard before! And secondly there’s the super twee nature of some of the lyrics, exemplified by the excruciating ‘Heartbeat Chilli’, with its introverted cookery related monologue.

Anyway that’s the rant over. This is actually a solid and enjoyable album that chugs along with consistency and singalongability. If it wasn’t for the accent then ‘Kiss Your Lips’ would have been the standout track, but with its obvious limitations I’d have plump for the quiet confidence of ‘Let’s go Swimming’. Also worthy of a mention are the beautiful silky ‘Silver Dollars’, the desperation of ‘If Loneliness was Art’ and the slightly cloying but catchy ‘Woody Allen’.  

The whole thing is a bit too sickly sweet for my tastes, but the song-writing shows the promise that would ultimately lead to Europe. Hopefully there’s and even better album to come in the near future.

Bleeding Rainbow – Waking Dream

Pick of the Week 58 – Bleeding Rainbow

Distinctly old school indie from this Philadelphia based combo. Reminiscent of early Lush, the Charlottes and the Shop Assistants, this has grown on me a lot over the past year. They could win awards for looking the most awkward and uncomfortable in this video, but that’s no bad thing. A band to watch out for in the future.  

Bob - Leave the Straight Life Behind

The year was 1988 when I first heard BOB. It was their first session for John Peel and what a cracker it was, including the classic 'Trousercide'. I set about quickly buying as many Bob records as I could: 'Swag Sack', 'Kirsty' and 'Convenience'. 

Not long after I saw them live in Hull at The Adelphi and it was a smashing do. After that I was completely hooked and I waited for every new release with a sweaty anticipation, buying records from a mail order booklet called Rhythm. The news of a new album, 'Leave the Straight Life Behind', nearly gave me a fatal attack of giddiness. Sadly, it wasn't quite as good as their previous stuff, too well produced. Nevertheless, I saw them again a couple of times live and they were without doubt some of the best popular music concerts that I had the pleasure of going to. Then that was it. No more BOB. Just a little bit, life dimmed.

Until recently, when I was lurking around HMV window shopping and there, there on the CD rack was a brand new pristine copy of 'Leave the Straight Life Behind' on CD. Those old feelings came rushing back. Wait a minute, £15! HMV, you're having a laugh. But then Mrs. evlkeith noticed a number of bonus tracks: all of the five BOB sessions plus four additional songs. New BOB material! 

So why have I got this obsession with BOB? What's so great about them? They are perfect pop. And that's it. Twinkly indie guitars, lead lines played as intervals on the top two strings, a bit of organ and two blokes singing in harmony, one guy with a slight (very slight) hint of gravelly lowness and the other bloke with a lighter tone. Their voices mesh like Heinz tomato soup and cheese. Some ditties are designed purely for dancing and some are more laid back numbers that I always imagine would be great for listening to when lying on warm grass at the end of a summer's day.

Of the new stuff there's nothing that tops their previous classics but still, it's great to hear them. The biggest surprise was a different version of 'Bloodline' that is fast becoming one of my favourites. There's also a BBC Radio Humberside Live Session version of 'Convenience' but it's not as good as the single version. Here's hoping that someone releases all of the other older BOB stuff soon on CD.

If you've never heard any BOB, then dip your toe into their soda streamed poppy waters. You would have to be very harsh of heart to dislike their jingly jangliness.

evlkeith=

The Geraldine Fibbers – Butch

After the Geraldine Fibbers festive fifty entry this year with ‘Fancy’ I famously stated ‘Where have the Geraldine Fibbers been all my life?’ Sadly, this may have been a little rash on my part. ‘Butch’ is a hotch potch of semi-alt-country soundbites that often don’t quite hang together as songs, let alone as a full album. It’s reminiscent, in spirit anyway, of albums by Sufjan Stevens, Done Lying Down and Guided by Voices. There’s just something  that doesn’t gel.

That’s not always a bad thing, but in this case it is. ‘Butch’ is seriously hard work apart from the way too catchy opener; ‘California Tuffy’ and the dark growl of ‘Toy Box’ which is a cracking little song. The rest just gets flicked.

The Geraldine Fibbers sound much better when the female singer provides the vocals. I’m assuming this is Carla Bozulich and I’d be really keen to hear some of her other work. Apparently she’s been quite a prolific artiste. Maybe it should have been ‘Where has Carla Bozulich been all my life?’ I hope so anyway.

2014 has been a tough year at the Into the Valley office and it’s already the end of April!

Anavae – ‘Invaesion’

Pick of the Week 56 – Anavae

Another Paramore sound alike band and even though I’m not too keen on Paramore I quite like their less polished imitators. A London based rock duo featuring  Rebecca Need-Menear and Jamie Finch, Anavae may be headed for mid-table obscurity, but I really like the uncompromising sound and wailing vocals. Creepy animal masks are always fun, but better on wrestlers than pop stars in my opinion.

Bob Mould – District Line

It’s a Bob Mould album so it’s obviously worth a listen, but it has to be said it’s not one of his best. It sits somewhere between the downcast beauty of ‘Black Sheets of Rain’ and the chugging straightforwardness of ‘Life and Times’ on the Mould continuum, but never actually reaches the heights of either. There’s a more acoustic feel at times with the lyrics heartfelt and unusually mellow, but the calm is occasionally punctured with machine gun bursts of pure rock. Sadly, there’s some odd experimentation with a vocoder thrown in for good measure now and again.

It’s an album that’s hard to dislike, but difficult to love. All the tracks have their merits and pleasantly pass the time of day, but there’s  a certain ‘saminess’ to the album that is great for consistency, but strangely risk averse.

Apart from the storming beauty of ‘The Silence between Us’, there’s little to choose between the songs on the album. If I was pushed I’d highlight the pedestrian ‘Minature Parade’, the standard issue mould track ‘Return to Dust’ and the delicate ‘Again and Again’.

It’s one of those albums where if you like the artist you’ll like the LP. If you don’t already like Bob Mould then this is not going to change your mind.

Nikki and the Dove - Mother's Protect (Goldroom Remix)

Pick of the Week 54 – Nikki and the Dove

Scandinavian action with indie meets electro combo Nikki and the Dove. They hail from Stockholm in Sweden and this is an infectious slice of vocal electronic music with slightly astringent vocals, but an overall intense feel good factor. They have released one album ‘Instinct’ that I will be checking out at some point this year. Not sure what the dove brings to the table as there's a distinct lack of cooing in evidence on the song.

Ladytron – Witching Hour 2005

After buying their first album ‘604’ in 2001 I never returned to Ladytron until now, which is strange as I’ve always had a soft spot for them. For some reason I’ve gone out of sequence and bought 2005’s ‘Witching Hour’, but I’m so glad I did. This is a return to simpler more innocent times when a decent indie tune and a melodious voice was all I needed to be away with the fairies. It’s solid, but gorgeous unspectacular indie tinged with flecks of electronica and it’s like a breath of fresh air in 2014.

It’s an uncomplicated album, unfazed by fashion or expectations. Guitars, base and drums intertwine with subtle synth rhythms and the girls’ voices lash the whole thing together ribbons of pure digital clarity. There’s a nod to the old Russian influences on 604 but by and large this is indie music at its simplest and most organic.

‘High Rise’ will take most of the plaudits with its robust soundtrack complete with delicate vocal like a more accessible and direct version of My Bloody Valentine. It sets the tone for the rest of the album with its uncompromising beauty. ‘Destroy Everything You Touch’, ‘International Dateline’ and ‘AMTV’ are all worthy of a mention, but every track is a winner.

A great album from a great band rediscovered. Now to search out one of their other albums for next year. 

The Shins – Port of Morrow

Anyone fearing that James Mercer’s busman’s holiday with Danger Mouse in Broken Bells may have jolted him into new and adventurous regions of music needn’t have worried. James returns to the familiar Shins territory and song structures like a duck to water, with the only slight deviation that some of the lyrics and musical twists sound more Morrissey-esque than usual, but that’s no bad thing. This is a consistent, high quality and enjoyable album that’s up there with his best.

Opinion seems to be split on Port of Morrow, but I’m definitely for this comfortable return to form, with James happily ploughing his own furrow as usual. If anything it’s a bigger, more epic and expansive sound than previous Shins albums, but it’s nonetheless as introverted and personal as its predecessors. It’s possibly going to get filed as one of those vastly under-rated albums akin to ‘New Adventures in Hi-Fi’, but history will prove this is one of Mercer’s finest moments.

The standout tracks are the philosophical charms of ‘Simple Song’, the downbeat melancholy of ‘September’ and the anthemic but intimate ‘Port of Morrow’. Best of all is the classic ‘It’s only life’; a stirring homage to Morrissey, but obviously sung in the style of the Shins. And let’s be honest we all spend a little time going down the rabbit hole don’t we? ‘Bait and Switch’ is also cracker.

So a another polished album from an original and unique artist, but one question remains unanswered… What exactly is that thing sitting on top of the mountain on the front cover? A rabbit? A shamen? A cactus? The little helper fellow from Crash Bandicoot? The pupil of an eye? Is it even a mountain? Who knows?  

We Caught the Castle - That Poor Boy

Pick of the Week 52 – We Caught the Castle

Fresh and fun hardcore from a band showing great promise at the moment. This is a surging, hi-octane stormer that sits somewhere between accessible screamo and emotional hardcore of the Husker Du variety. And what a voice the singer possesses! They should wrap her in cotton wool, feed her on a diet of honey and Lurpak, then get her tonsils insured for about £5 million. Destined for great things and remember you heard it here first. I like it a lot!

Aria – Your Underling

Pick of the Week 51 – ARIA

Dismiss them as unassuming Paramore wannabes if you like, but Aria are a bit special and much better than the standard female vocalist fronted rock ensemble. This song worms its way into your mind and refused to be flushed out. It’s no nonsense rocky indie with a twist of something different and as they are so keen to keep telling us on the X-Factor ‘they’ve definitely got the likeability factor!’ It’s fun throwaway pop music and there’s nothing wrong with that.