1st October, 1999
ACT
01 Dating
02 Picnic
03 The Chapel
04 Dodge The Dodo
05 From Gagarin's Point Of View
06 The Return Of Mohammed
07 Cornette
08 In The Face Of Day
09 Subway
10 Definition Of A Dog
11 Southwest Loner
The consummate piano trio for the new millenium, whose work was tragically curt short by the early death, aged 44, of the leader in an unfortunate accident.
This was their first album for major lable ACT. For the listener this is almost like a complete club set with the tunes morphing into one another with apparent ease. Svensson lyricism and eye for a melody emerges with the refrain of the jaunty "Picnic" and the deliberate and delicate "The Chapel". Throughout the exemplary rhythm section of Magnus Ostrom (drums) and Dan Berglund (Bass) and light and shade to the explorations of Svennson who plays both acoustic piano and synthesizers.
The funk gets going with the excellent "Dodge the Dodo" a driving beat with a lyrical piano figure that has a great tension and release created by the structure of the piece. Berglunds sonic excursions on the bass are compelling and Ostrom provides surging polyrhythms.
Short wave radio sounds zero into the album's title track a beautiful melody over a leisurely beat where alien sounds create tension and release. "The return of Mohammed" features another great set of melodies over a mid-tempo shuffle, some fleet playing from Svensson creates a sense of joy and freedom over. This is further demonstrated on the manic "Cornette" which appears to be a paean to the harmolodics of Ornette Coleman with its brisk flurries of notes and skitterish structure....Esbjorn gets into Bud Powell territory here with some intense playing.
The lengthy "In the face of day" is perhaps the most introspective piece on the album slowly developing to a sad ballad. The shorter "Subway" is equally down beat with sonorous doulful bowed bass taking the lead. Matters pick up for the mid tempo "Definition of a Dog" with its extended melody/riff tracking over several bars to create a convoluted/complex structure which feels free in parts.
The closing "Southwest loner" is aptly titled a slow reflective piece which ends abruptly.
Whilst not a 100% classic throughout this album features some of ESTs most memorable melodies coupled with exquisite and impossibly tight playing.
Saturday, 13 June 2009
Sunn 0))) - Monoliths & Dimensions
May 26th, 2009
Southern Lord
01 Aghartha
02 Big Church [megszentségteleníthetetlenségeskedéseitekért]
03 Hunting & Gathering (Cydonia)
04 Alice
Doom Metal?
Yes, and well, no.
Thanks to Stuart Estell's recommendation/exhortations I had the sense to purchase this album. OK so you need to work your way through about 5 minutes of searing guitar noise at the beginning of "Aghartha", but hopefully you will use that time to abandon any preconceptions about what this is going to be like.
Stephen O'Malley and Greg Anderson employ their usual drone rock but in this album holds a whole new range of sonic variations are in place including chittering noises, synthesizers, strings, a women's choir, French Horns and some exemplary jazz trombone. Oren Ambarchi is essentially a third guitar from the bulk of the album
The use of a wide range of additional musicians is a new departure for Sunn. Vocalist Attila Csihar, is essentially a fourth member for this outing with lengthy guttural (evocative) perorations. Amongst many others, Earth's Dylan Carlson; trombonists Julian Priester and Stuart Dempster; trumpeter Cuong Vu, multi-instrumentalist Steve Moore and viola player Eyvind Kang all add depth to the material.
"Big Church" is the revelation of the album. A female choir, four electric guitars, throat singing from Csihar and synthesisers all meld together into something which is more Ligeti than Iommi. The Cageian silence, a tolling bell and then distorted guitars interspersed with the choir are moving.
"Hunting & Gathering (Cydonia)," starts with constipated guitars and slowly around layers and layers of sound into an epic journey of soundtrack proportions. Perhaps the most Sunn like thing on the album.
The closing "Alice," with trombone, woodwind, reeds, found sounds, and the trade mark guitars, is an "In a silent way" for the 21st Century. A huge canvas creates the new avant-garde as this listener is slowly taken from doom metal drones, through Arvo Part, and to something derived from Miles Davis's sonic excursions in Osaka in 1975 (but without the funky back beat). Guitars and horns surge creating tension which is close to operatic in its delivery. About ten minutes in the solo trombone picks out a careful tender melody which floats over the guitar barrage like Miles floated over McLaughlin in 1969. The guitars subside and keyboards pick out simple phrases and shards of metallic sound provide a distant backdrop. Priester starts a slow improvisation and a whole new soundscape emerges with harp and trombone drawing matters to a close.
This is a revelation of an album and takes this music to somewhere completely new.
Southern Lord
01 Aghartha
02 Big Church [megszentségteleníthetetlenségeskedéseitekért]
03 Hunting & Gathering (Cydonia)
04 Alice
Doom Metal?
Yes, and well, no.
Thanks to Stuart Estell's recommendation/exhortations I had the sense to purchase this album. OK so you need to work your way through about 5 minutes of searing guitar noise at the beginning of "Aghartha", but hopefully you will use that time to abandon any preconceptions about what this is going to be like.
Stephen O'Malley and Greg Anderson employ their usual drone rock but in this album holds a whole new range of sonic variations are in place including chittering noises, synthesizers, strings, a women's choir, French Horns and some exemplary jazz trombone. Oren Ambarchi is essentially a third guitar from the bulk of the album
The use of a wide range of additional musicians is a new departure for Sunn. Vocalist Attila Csihar, is essentially a fourth member for this outing with lengthy guttural (evocative) perorations. Amongst many others, Earth's Dylan Carlson; trombonists Julian Priester and Stuart Dempster; trumpeter Cuong Vu, multi-instrumentalist Steve Moore and viola player Eyvind Kang all add depth to the material.
"Big Church" is the revelation of the album. A female choir, four electric guitars, throat singing from Csihar and synthesisers all meld together into something which is more Ligeti than Iommi. The Cageian silence, a tolling bell and then distorted guitars interspersed with the choir are moving.
"Hunting & Gathering (Cydonia)," starts with constipated guitars and slowly around layers and layers of sound into an epic journey of soundtrack proportions. Perhaps the most Sunn like thing on the album.
The closing "Alice," with trombone, woodwind, reeds, found sounds, and the trade mark guitars, is an "In a silent way" for the 21st Century. A huge canvas creates the new avant-garde as this listener is slowly taken from doom metal drones, through Arvo Part, and to something derived from Miles Davis's sonic excursions in Osaka in 1975 (but without the funky back beat). Guitars and horns surge creating tension which is close to operatic in its delivery. About ten minutes in the solo trombone picks out a careful tender melody which floats over the guitar barrage like Miles floated over McLaughlin in 1969. The guitars subside and keyboards pick out simple phrases and shards of metallic sound provide a distant backdrop. Priester starts a slow improvisation and a whole new soundscape emerges with harp and trombone drawing matters to a close.
This is a revelation of an album and takes this music to somewhere completely new.
Sigur Rós - Með Suð í Eyrum Við Spilum Endalaust
2008
Beggars Banquet
01 Gobbledigook
02 Inní Mér Syngur Vitleysingur
03 Góðan Daginn
04 Við Spilum Endalaust
05 Festival
06 Suð í Eyrum
07 ára Bátur
08 Illgresi
09 Fljótavík
10 Straumnes
11 All Alright
In which Icelandic post prog monsters go pop.
A delightful confection of pop oriented tunes which the occasional e-bow guitar, mellotron, angelic choirs occasional slip through betryaing past releases.
The title means "With a buzz in our ears we play endlessly" which perhaps describes the cathedral like ambience of their previous albums and not this generally low key selection. The album has a real "live" in the studio feel with little of the reverb/echo the band have traditionally used.
Stand out tracks are the catchy "Inní Mér Syngur Vitleysingur" and the indie-pop stylings of "Við Spilum Endalaust" - the rest is the usual fayre although the album tends to tail off towards the end.
Beggars Banquet
01 Gobbledigook
02 Inní Mér Syngur Vitleysingur
03 Góðan Daginn
04 Við Spilum Endalaust
05 Festival
06 Suð í Eyrum
07 ára Bátur
08 Illgresi
09 Fljótavík
10 Straumnes
11 All Alright
In which Icelandic post prog monsters go pop.
A delightful confection of pop oriented tunes which the occasional e-bow guitar, mellotron, angelic choirs occasional slip through betryaing past releases.
The title means "With a buzz in our ears we play endlessly" which perhaps describes the cathedral like ambience of their previous albums and not this generally low key selection. The album has a real "live" in the studio feel with little of the reverb/echo the band have traditionally used.
Stand out tracks are the catchy "Inní Mér Syngur Vitleysingur" and the indie-pop stylings of "Við Spilum Endalaust" - the rest is the usual fayre although the album tends to tail off towards the end.
Traffic - John Barleycorn must die
1969
Island Records
1. Glad
2. Freedom Rider
3. Empty Pages
4. I just want to know
5. Stranger to Himself
6. John Barleycorn (must die)
7. Every Mothers Son
8. Sittin' Here Thinkin' Of My Love
9. Backstage and Introduction (Live)
10. Who knows what tomorrow may bring (Live)
11. Glad (Live)
Tracks 9-11 from Fillmore East NYC 18/19 November 1970
With Traffic reduced to the trio of Steve Winwood, Chris Wood, and Jim Capaldi, the question at the time was what could they produce to develop from the prior works of the band. The answer - a classic. One of the major albums of the early seventies with Winwood's blue eyed soul mixing with a progressive jazz/rock feel, but also capturing the blues at their most basic level.
Of necessity Winwoods keyboards, and Woods horns dominate the proceedings with the Hammond Organ taking the lead and rhythm.
The album is stuffed with classics including the opening instrumental "Glad" which is a rich cocktail of styles and influences, the exceptional pairing of "Freedom Rider" and "Empty Pages" are songs that would grace any performance with thier eloquence and melodic content.
The guitar is used sparingly on the oddly short "I just want you to know", and with more effect on the bluesy "Stranger to himself" both jammed full of soul.
How odd then, in the context of what has gone before, that the title track introduces a folk motif with Winwood's take on the traditional song. Wood's flute carries an improvisational edge which takes it beyond the idiom but this is taken fairly straight, with the percussion at a minimum.
After this diversion the classic "Every Mother's Son" with its achingly good slide guitar signature is the highlight of the album, perhaps best capturing the prevalent music scene at the turn of the decade with its nod to the other side of the Atlantic, not in any way signalling the prog-madness that would descend on the nation over the next few years. The interplay between the group here is exceptional.
The concluding track on the original album is the reflective "Sittin' here thinkin' of my love" which is perhaps is the least satisfying song on the album and a feeling that Winwood is over-singing. It has a sort of Beatles feel about it (McCartney rather than Lennon) and does not seem to fit with the rest of the material.
The Island remasters version of the Album has three extra tracks one of which is a gratuitous backstage recording. Ric Gresch joins on bass and drums for the weak "Who knows what tomorrow may bring" which lacks any real sense of purpose. The horns are mixed ridiculously high which detract from pleasurable listening. Far better is a live version of the album opener "Glad" which has a superior mix.
The original is 90% there as a classic album from the 70s - the CD extras are mostly disposable in the context of the original.
Island Records
1. Glad
2. Freedom Rider
3. Empty Pages
4. I just want to know
5. Stranger to Himself
6. John Barleycorn (must die)
7. Every Mothers Son
8. Sittin' Here Thinkin' Of My Love
9. Backstage and Introduction (Live)
10. Who knows what tomorrow may bring (Live)
11. Glad (Live)
Tracks 9-11 from Fillmore East NYC 18/19 November 1970
With Traffic reduced to the trio of Steve Winwood, Chris Wood, and Jim Capaldi, the question at the time was what could they produce to develop from the prior works of the band. The answer - a classic. One of the major albums of the early seventies with Winwood's blue eyed soul mixing with a progressive jazz/rock feel, but also capturing the blues at their most basic level.
Of necessity Winwoods keyboards, and Woods horns dominate the proceedings with the Hammond Organ taking the lead and rhythm.
The album is stuffed with classics including the opening instrumental "Glad" which is a rich cocktail of styles and influences, the exceptional pairing of "Freedom Rider" and "Empty Pages" are songs that would grace any performance with thier eloquence and melodic content.
The guitar is used sparingly on the oddly short "I just want you to know", and with more effect on the bluesy "Stranger to himself" both jammed full of soul.
How odd then, in the context of what has gone before, that the title track introduces a folk motif with Winwood's take on the traditional song. Wood's flute carries an improvisational edge which takes it beyond the idiom but this is taken fairly straight, with the percussion at a minimum.
After this diversion the classic "Every Mother's Son" with its achingly good slide guitar signature is the highlight of the album, perhaps best capturing the prevalent music scene at the turn of the decade with its nod to the other side of the Atlantic, not in any way signalling the prog-madness that would descend on the nation over the next few years. The interplay between the group here is exceptional.
The concluding track on the original album is the reflective "Sittin' here thinkin' of my love" which is perhaps is the least satisfying song on the album and a feeling that Winwood is over-singing. It has a sort of Beatles feel about it (McCartney rather than Lennon) and does not seem to fit with the rest of the material.
The Island remasters version of the Album has three extra tracks one of which is a gratuitous backstage recording. Ric Gresch joins on bass and drums for the weak "Who knows what tomorrow may bring" which lacks any real sense of purpose. The horns are mixed ridiculously high which detract from pleasurable listening. Far better is a live version of the album opener "Glad" which has a superior mix.
The original is 90% there as a classic album from the 70s - the CD extras are mostly disposable in the context of the original.
Wednesday, 10 June 2009
Sonic Youth - The Eternal
8th June 2009
Matador
1 Sacred Trickster
2 Anti-Orgasm
3 Leaky Lifeboat (for Gregory Corso)
4 Antenna
5 What We Know
6 Calming the Snake
7 Poison Arrow
8 Malibu Gas Station
9 Thunderclap for Bobby Pyn
10 No Way
11 Walkin Blue
12 Massage the History
First album with new bassist Mark Ibold, returning to the three guitar attack line-up, and a bloomin' good job too as this is Sonic Youth at its best. And what I mean by that is when the band use the guitars to full effect to bring out the dynamic and melody of their songs then something special occurs.
My stand-out album from the band in the last decade is the memorable "Murray Street" so I always - perhaps somewhat unfairly - use that album as some sort of litmus test. So, how does it compare? Very well in fact.
Matters start well with "Sacred Trickster" a Kim Gordon vocal over trademark riffing of the highest order - a statement of intent, perhaps. Thurston and Kim share vocals on the polemic "Anti-Orgasm" - a not untypical SY structure and fine for that. "Leaky Lifeboat" is Lee with Kim on la-la-la backing vocal - perhaps the poppiest tune on the disc.
Matters are then taken up a gear or two with the sublime "Antenna" and brash, and yet, melodic Thurston focused song. Layers of guitars and guitar sounds drive a head shakingly memorable laconic song around radio's and things. Lee's "What we know" - seen recently on Joolz H*lland - is a pile-driving noisy thing and features some intense guitar abuse that only this band can deliver with any degree of quality. When the sound drops away to bass and drums and the band kick back in you really do a get a sense of the power of this band to deliver those layers of guitar noise in infinitely clever ways.
"Calming the snake" is similarly challenging - a simply bass-drum intro gets invaded by shed loads of interlocking guitar noise. Kim's vocal is suitably sexy in a sort of scary way and the last minute or so is a sublime celebration of noise and the power of the chord. "Poison Arrow" is more of the same with Thurston sounding a tad Dylanesque, and Kim doubling on the chorus. The signature riff/high note figure/staccato chord structure is so familiar but also sounds so new in this context.
"Malibu Gas Station" slows things down to sort of pastoral level with an opening set of guitar figures and then kicks into a mid-tempo pop song - there is a lot of hard chording here which doubles up with Steve's driving drum work. Kim sings and there is a real motorik feel to this.
"Thunderclap for Bobby Pyn" is a suitably manic hommage to Darby Crash and if anything reinforces my only complaint about the album which is that Steve Shelley is mixed a tad to low in places.
Back to pop-rock land with a "No Way" but there is a signal of perhaps a change to new schema - dextrous guitar work and some clever variations in form and structure. Alien guitar sounds introduce "Walkin' Blue" - perhaps the most complete and compelling song on the album. Matters conclude with the lengthy "Massage the History" - a medium tempo piece which is comparable to Murray Street's "Rain on Tin" with its shifts in structure and tension and release. Breathy Kim Gordon vocals move from seductive requests to some stark observations about the state of the world. The understated end leaves this listener with the question where next for this group of talented musicians?
All in all a worthy piece of work with some evidence of a potential shift in direction if some of the more challenging parts of this album are developed further.
Matador
1 Sacred Trickster
2 Anti-Orgasm
3 Leaky Lifeboat (for Gregory Corso)
4 Antenna
5 What We Know
6 Calming the Snake
7 Poison Arrow
8 Malibu Gas Station
9 Thunderclap for Bobby Pyn
10 No Way
11 Walkin Blue
12 Massage the History
First album with new bassist Mark Ibold, returning to the three guitar attack line-up, and a bloomin' good job too as this is Sonic Youth at its best. And what I mean by that is when the band use the guitars to full effect to bring out the dynamic and melody of their songs then something special occurs.
My stand-out album from the band in the last decade is the memorable "Murray Street" so I always - perhaps somewhat unfairly - use that album as some sort of litmus test. So, how does it compare? Very well in fact.
Matters start well with "Sacred Trickster" a Kim Gordon vocal over trademark riffing of the highest order - a statement of intent, perhaps. Thurston and Kim share vocals on the polemic "Anti-Orgasm" - a not untypical SY structure and fine for that. "Leaky Lifeboat" is Lee with Kim on la-la-la backing vocal - perhaps the poppiest tune on the disc.
Matters are then taken up a gear or two with the sublime "Antenna" and brash, and yet, melodic Thurston focused song. Layers of guitars and guitar sounds drive a head shakingly memorable laconic song around radio's and things. Lee's "What we know" - seen recently on Joolz H*lland - is a pile-driving noisy thing and features some intense guitar abuse that only this band can deliver with any degree of quality. When the sound drops away to bass and drums and the band kick back in you really do a get a sense of the power of this band to deliver those layers of guitar noise in infinitely clever ways.
"Calming the snake" is similarly challenging - a simply bass-drum intro gets invaded by shed loads of interlocking guitar noise. Kim's vocal is suitably sexy in a sort of scary way and the last minute or so is a sublime celebration of noise and the power of the chord. "Poison Arrow" is more of the same with Thurston sounding a tad Dylanesque, and Kim doubling on the chorus. The signature riff/high note figure/staccato chord structure is so familiar but also sounds so new in this context.
"Malibu Gas Station" slows things down to sort of pastoral level with an opening set of guitar figures and then kicks into a mid-tempo pop song - there is a lot of hard chording here which doubles up with Steve's driving drum work. Kim sings and there is a real motorik feel to this.
"Thunderclap for Bobby Pyn" is a suitably manic hommage to Darby Crash and if anything reinforces my only complaint about the album which is that Steve Shelley is mixed a tad to low in places.
Back to pop-rock land with a "No Way" but there is a signal of perhaps a change to new schema - dextrous guitar work and some clever variations in form and structure. Alien guitar sounds introduce "Walkin' Blue" - perhaps the most complete and compelling song on the album. Matters conclude with the lengthy "Massage the History" - a medium tempo piece which is comparable to Murray Street's "Rain on Tin" with its shifts in structure and tension and release. Breathy Kim Gordon vocals move from seductive requests to some stark observations about the state of the world. The understated end leaves this listener with the question where next for this group of talented musicians?
All in all a worthy piece of work with some evidence of a potential shift in direction if some of the more challenging parts of this album are developed further.
Tuesday, 9 June 2009
Ill Ease - The Exorcist
2nd February 2004
Too Pure
01 Jersey O Matic
02 Winter In Hell
03 You Know You Make Me Wanna Hate You
04 The Skank
05 Malfunction Junction
06 Junkie Go Home
07 You Look Like Hell
08 Walking Catastrophe
09 Boss Mayor
I'm listening to the original album here and not the bonus version with the five additional tracks.
Elisabeth Sharp's fourth, but first album on a more established lable, is more of the same, with percussion taking the lead and the laid back street scape lyrics not far behind. There is something uncomfortably compelling about this music which melds para jazz-prog riffs, chittering drums and garage guitar with delicate almost wistful delivery. This is not a pop record, there are too many non-standard rhythms and the guitar is mixed high in a garage sense, and the material is decidely noir in content.
If I was being pointed I would say only the New York scene can produce this sort of nervous jerky material. The overt sexual nature of the material might alienate some.
Too Pure
01 Jersey O Matic
02 Winter In Hell
03 You Know You Make Me Wanna Hate You
04 The Skank
05 Malfunction Junction
06 Junkie Go Home
07 You Look Like Hell
08 Walking Catastrophe
09 Boss Mayor
I'm listening to the original album here and not the bonus version with the five additional tracks.
Elisabeth Sharp's fourth, but first album on a more established lable, is more of the same, with percussion taking the lead and the laid back street scape lyrics not far behind. There is something uncomfortably compelling about this music which melds para jazz-prog riffs, chittering drums and garage guitar with delicate almost wistful delivery. This is not a pop record, there are too many non-standard rhythms and the guitar is mixed high in a garage sense, and the material is decidely noir in content.
If I was being pointed I would say only the New York scene can produce this sort of nervous jerky material. The overt sexual nature of the material might alienate some.
Martial Solal & Dave Douglas - Rue De Seine
3rd April 2006
Cam Jazz CAMJ 7780-2
01 July Shower 05:24
02 Blues To Steve Lacy 05:56
03 34 Bars Blues 05:12
04 For Suzannah 03:27
05 Fast Ballad 03:45
06 Elk's Club 05:08
07 Have You Met Miss Jones 04:28
08 Body And Soul 05:20
09 Here's That Rainy Day 03:20
10 All The Things You Are 06:35
Described elsewhere as a complex dialogue between the two artists. The first six tracks are Solal and then Douglas tunes respectively. It's interesting to hear material that DD tends to perform through his Jazz Standard quintet to deliver, in this stripped down duo setting.
A particular favourite here is the trio of "For Suzannah" (the descending motif and the familiar horn parts taken in a revolving reading of rich chords and then individual notes by Solal as a solo piece), the brisk "Fast Ballad" (a rich cornucopia of urgent trumpet and restless piano), and the quirky "Elk's Club" where Douglas deploys the mute in a sensuous blues intercut with cartoon soundtrack bridges which fly off in all directions.
The remaining four numbers are jazz standards including, of course, Rigby's ballad to the lost love of his life. The inevitable comparisons emerge with something as known as "Body and Soul" however there is significant reconstruction and re-interpretation to give this version enough legs of it's own to stand on.
Simply put two masters of their instruments locked in an interweaving conversation.
Cam Jazz CAMJ 7780-2
01 July Shower 05:24
02 Blues To Steve Lacy 05:56
03 34 Bars Blues 05:12
04 For Suzannah 03:27
05 Fast Ballad 03:45
06 Elk's Club 05:08
07 Have You Met Miss Jones 04:28
08 Body And Soul 05:20
09 Here's That Rainy Day 03:20
10 All The Things You Are 06:35
Described elsewhere as a complex dialogue between the two artists. The first six tracks are Solal and then Douglas tunes respectively. It's interesting to hear material that DD tends to perform through his Jazz Standard quintet to deliver, in this stripped down duo setting.
A particular favourite here is the trio of "For Suzannah" (the descending motif and the familiar horn parts taken in a revolving reading of rich chords and then individual notes by Solal as a solo piece), the brisk "Fast Ballad" (a rich cornucopia of urgent trumpet and restless piano), and the quirky "Elk's Club" where Douglas deploys the mute in a sensuous blues intercut with cartoon soundtrack bridges which fly off in all directions.
The remaining four numbers are jazz standards including, of course, Rigby's ballad to the lost love of his life. The inevitable comparisons emerge with something as known as "Body and Soul" however there is significant reconstruction and re-interpretation to give this version enough legs of it's own to stand on.
Simply put two masters of their instruments locked in an interweaving conversation.
Monday, 8 June 2009
Danny Short - Collected Times
May 2009
Invisiblegirl Records
1 Dee
2 On The Ceiling
3 Leaving The City
4 Asleep
5 Stranger In The Snow
6 Dream
7 To Be Different
8 People On The Hilltop
9 This Year Is Ours
10 An Idea
11 Just Before You Disappear
12 Truth Made A Man Of Me
The debut solo release from Horwich's (it's near Bolton) multi-instrumentalist and all round talented guy Danny Short. The ex Big Arm drummer has put together a history of his song writing demonstrating an eclectic mix of pure pop, post punk,para-prog and experimental.
All recorded at a home studio this album is a fantastic musical journey.
The opening "Dee" a piece of pure pop synthesizing the collective mores of UK pop into a bundle of pure fun with intelligent introspective lyrics. The following "On the ceiling" taken at a guttural key that Danny seems to struggle with initially but transforms into a gentle pop classic. Matters then turn into something rather special - the evocative "Leave the City" - reminds one of pre-prog classics seen on the first Genesis albums, or the long forgotten Gnidrolog (whose classic album "In spite of Harry's toenail" I must dig out and review). This is a superb piece of writing and playing where banjo's dance with hard core guitar into a maelstrom of Hugh Banton like organ runs redolent of the seminal "Aerosol Grey Machine" album - Lindisfarne meets Van Der Graaf Generator. Breath-taking.
"Asleep" a simple picked guitar leads into martial driven grandeur - a distillation of a range of inlfuences which gestates into something new - post prog meets post punk into a glorious celebration of noise. Sort of Porcupine Tree with attitude and without too much flummery. Similar picking leads to the elegiac "Strangers in the Snow" a haunting graceful tune built around a simple melody with flocks of alien noises floating overhead. This trilogy of wonder is completed by the achingly beautiful "Dream" - a song that leaves you wanting much more.
Matters get a tad "Fall" like and Danny gets his pub-rock head on with a riff sort of borrowed from "Mountain Energie" that morphs into a real good time number.....Julia should release this as a single and test the market - we need some decent music in the charts! Joyous.
The pastoral stuff returns with "People on the Hilltop" which has an early Barclay James Harvest feel - a beautiful tune with great production values. Danny chucks in some alien sounds which add value and this is a tempting little hors d'ouevre to the remaining four tracks on the album.
"This year is ours" descending arpeggios, lush vocals, shimmering chords, choirs of ethereal voices, slithering sounds - a fantastically structured song. "An Idea" a slovenly, slutty riff of a thing with enough repressed sexual tension to driven one of Fred Dibnah's steam engines. The nub of this, and the album as a whole is Danny's chord progressions which are always on the button and call to mind past classics without apeing them. "Just before you disappear" is simple picked guitar with whispered vocals - there is a real 60s feel to this, also a real 70s and 80s and 90s feel. This artist seems to be be able to capture the best of each decade and translate it into something modern. This chronotransduction is simple but extremely effective. Muttered sounds and echo chamber dub with quirky sounds finish the song.
Matters conclude with a throbbing, pulsing post techno number "Truth made a man of me" - Short is buried deep in a pulsating sound mix of clashing synthesis - the Reid Brothers without the guitars.
I am not sure that I will hear anything as eclectic, and the same time as so relevant and consistently well put together this year.
Invisiblegirl Records
1 Dee
2 On The Ceiling
3 Leaving The City
4 Asleep
5 Stranger In The Snow
6 Dream
7 To Be Different
8 People On The Hilltop
9 This Year Is Ours
10 An Idea
11 Just Before You Disappear
12 Truth Made A Man Of Me
The debut solo release from Horwich's (it's near Bolton) multi-instrumentalist and all round talented guy Danny Short. The ex Big Arm drummer has put together a history of his song writing demonstrating an eclectic mix of pure pop, post punk,para-prog and experimental.
All recorded at a home studio this album is a fantastic musical journey.
The opening "Dee" a piece of pure pop synthesizing the collective mores of UK pop into a bundle of pure fun with intelligent introspective lyrics. The following "On the ceiling" taken at a guttural key that Danny seems to struggle with initially but transforms into a gentle pop classic. Matters then turn into something rather special - the evocative "Leave the City" - reminds one of pre-prog classics seen on the first Genesis albums, or the long forgotten Gnidrolog (whose classic album "In spite of Harry's toenail" I must dig out and review). This is a superb piece of writing and playing where banjo's dance with hard core guitar into a maelstrom of Hugh Banton like organ runs redolent of the seminal "Aerosol Grey Machine" album - Lindisfarne meets Van Der Graaf Generator. Breath-taking.
"Asleep" a simple picked guitar leads into martial driven grandeur - a distillation of a range of inlfuences which gestates into something new - post prog meets post punk into a glorious celebration of noise. Sort of Porcupine Tree with attitude and without too much flummery. Similar picking leads to the elegiac "Strangers in the Snow" a haunting graceful tune built around a simple melody with flocks of alien noises floating overhead. This trilogy of wonder is completed by the achingly beautiful "Dream" - a song that leaves you wanting much more.
Matters get a tad "Fall" like and Danny gets his pub-rock head on with a riff sort of borrowed from "Mountain Energie" that morphs into a real good time number.....Julia should release this as a single and test the market - we need some decent music in the charts! Joyous.
The pastoral stuff returns with "People on the Hilltop" which has an early Barclay James Harvest feel - a beautiful tune with great production values. Danny chucks in some alien sounds which add value and this is a tempting little hors d'ouevre to the remaining four tracks on the album.
"This year is ours" descending arpeggios, lush vocals, shimmering chords, choirs of ethereal voices, slithering sounds - a fantastically structured song. "An Idea" a slovenly, slutty riff of a thing with enough repressed sexual tension to driven one of Fred Dibnah's steam engines. The nub of this, and the album as a whole is Danny's chord progressions which are always on the button and call to mind past classics without apeing them. "Just before you disappear" is simple picked guitar with whispered vocals - there is a real 60s feel to this, also a real 70s and 80s and 90s feel. This artist seems to be be able to capture the best of each decade and translate it into something modern. This chronotransduction is simple but extremely effective. Muttered sounds and echo chamber dub with quirky sounds finish the song.
Matters conclude with a throbbing, pulsing post techno number "Truth made a man of me" - Short is buried deep in a pulsating sound mix of clashing synthesis - the Reid Brothers without the guitars.
I am not sure that I will hear anything as eclectic, and the same time as so relevant and consistently well put together this year.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
