Category Archives: Album & EP Reviews

OFF! – OFF!

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It’s often said that as punks get older they lose their edge.  Not Keith Morris, it seems.  He may have sounded like a little more restrained on parts of those later Circle Jerks releases between 1985-87 (and their 1995 reunion disc), but he’s more than making up for that here.   As frontman of OFF! – also featuring Burning Brides guitarist Dimitri Coats, drummer Mario Rubalcala (ex-Rocket From The Crypt) and Redd Kross bassist Steve McDonald – the original Black Flag frontman sounds like a barely comprehensible ball of rage.

This self-titled release from 2012 follows the release of four 7” EPs, a live release and a split 7” with Washington noisemakers (the) Melvins.  Just as those EPs comprised uber-short hardcore punk tunes, their first full-length record offers more of the same.  Full-length, of course, is relative: Sixteen tunes in under sixteen minutes, this release barely allows OFF! time to take a breath.

By the time the first three numbers have torn past in a relatively pacy fashion, it is abundantly clear that Morris sounds as vibrant – and as angry – as he did back in 1978, as the energy emanating from the 56 year old vocalist is absolutely immense.  Although his vocals have been slightly distorted, he sounds as edgy he did on those Black Flag recordings he made in his twenties.  Remarks like “You think you’re the king of the scene you created” (‘I Got News For You’) and “my life was saved by Darby Crash”(‘Jet Black Girls’) are delivered with brilliant arrogance, while ‘Cracked’s line regarding the “hardcore karaoke retirement home” shows more of the self-mocking streak which has often had a place in his lyrics.

While it could be easy to dismiss OFF! as primarily Morris’s vehicle, the rest of the band are equally awesome when it comes making these short, angry tunes truly burn.   Dimitri Coats churns out buzzing, fuzzy and dizzyingly brilliant chords at breakneck speed, very much in the spirit of classic Black Flag and the earliest Circle Jerks (although he’s never tempted to reproduce anything that sounds like one of Greg Ginn’s atonal jazz influenced lead breaks), while the rhythm section are superbly tight.  Coats’ tone and approach is particularly amazing considering his “day jobs” have been on the hard rock scene and not in punk (hardcore or otherwise).

Mentions of Pollywog Park (the location of a particularly badly received Black Flag show in ’79) and Redd Kross are notable in one of the record’s best numbers ‘Feelings Are Meant To Be Hurt’, a minute long flashback to Morris and McDonald’s place during the scene’s formative years.  As he spits “you cannot take what belongs to me!” Morris is a force to be reckoned with, taking on the hardcore bands that have had careers modelled on his influence from the early eighties scene.  What sets OFF! apart from so many post 80s hardcore bands, though, is the near-purity of their sound. Yes, Morris’s voice may appear distorted in a way that it just wouldn’t have been back in the late 70s, but looking at the big picture here, unlike lots of hardcore recordings, there’s absolutely no influence from other genres (most notably metal) creeping into their sound.  The old-school vibes have a lot to do with two of OFF!’s members being important faces on the early eighties scene and the presence of Raymond Pettibon sleeve art. But there’s another factor that just as important in the end result: thanks to Coats’s minimalist production, these recordings capture lots of the same spirit of Black Flag’s ‘Nervous Breakdown’ EP, Redd Kross’s ‘Born Innocent’ and Circle Jerks’ ‘Group Sex’.

There have been an abundance of great hardcore punk bands since the scene flourished in the very early 80s, but only a few have equalled the raw brilliance of ‘Group Sex’ by Circle Jerks, the earliest Husker Du outings and pre-1985 Black Flag.  OFF! – both the band and debut “full-length” record – brings classic hardcore back to its truer roots. Unlike some other punk stalwarts, Morris still has plenty of fire in his belly and and this release sounds like it comes from the heart.  Essential.

July 2012

JOSHUA KETCHMARK – The Ignited EP

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‘The Ignited’ is Joshua Ketchmark’s third release of 2012, concluding a trilogy of EPs showcasing the Tennessee-based singer-songwriter’s many facets. Following the power pop-ish ‘The Bittersweet’ and the wonderful, alt-country infused ‘The Dreamers Disease’, ‘The Ignited’ offers four energetic alt-rock tunes and presents the louder elements of his sound.

The opening track ‘About To Break’ is also the edgiest, as it powers ahead with some serious staccato riffing.  The most alt-rock tune in Ketchmark’s EP trilogy, it firmly sets out his intentions, while his technical team of Davey Julson Riley and Jeremy Hatcher (best known for their work with Elvis Costello and Black Veil Brides, respectively) bring the song to life with a very crisp studio sound.  Ketchmark attacks his lyric with a suitably sneering (slightly drawled) performance, while the rest of his band goes all out.  There’s a rumbling bass which isn’t too high in the end mix (it really should have been pushed upfront); to make up for this, the drums attack in a fashion rarely heard on Ketchmark’s previous outings.  In all, it’s a bit trashy, but a fine way to kick things off.

A fine balance between rock edge and pop sensibilities makes ‘Fallen’ shine.  Ketchmark is in strong voice throughout, but it is only really with the chorus this one really grabs.  A simple hook line and some soft backing harmonies are on hand for a full radio-friendly sound.  Treading on Butch Walker’s coat-tails with its blend of pop/rock and alternative edge, you should be able to have a guess at how this sounds.  While you’ve heard it all before – and many times, no doubt – if tuneful, slightly alternative rock is your bag, this should greet your ears somewhat favourably.  Despite its predictable nature, ‘Fallen’ is ‘The Ignited’s recommended listen.

‘Hurt’ works on a little too much of a tried and tested formula, but if you can accept that there’s nothing new here, like ‘Fallen’, it’s got a pretty decent heart, even if it doesn’t always quite reach the stratospheres it’s aiming for.  Hook-wise its strong, but musically it is a mixed bag: the pounding drums and rhythm guitars are enjoyable enough, but the guitar solo isn’t much more than a rudimentary offering.  If Ketchmark had pulled out the stops on the lead guitar front, it could have, perhaps, been a match for ‘Fallen’, but as it is, it’s okay.

Finishing with a big emo-ish power ballad, ‘Without You’ is a mid-paced affair, where Ketchmark’s slightly filtered, slightly overwrought vocals lead the way.  Musically, a few chiming guitars are its high point, but those – combined with reasonable song writing – just aren’t enough to make this any feel any more than bog standard.  If Ketchmark were aiming for that alt-rock hit, there’s something missing here; maybe it’s a more instant chorus, maybe it’s a slightly bigger punch that’s needed…but it’s a case of “is that all?”

While it is obvious to see why Ketchmark has chosen to end his trilogy here – very much on a rock-fuelled, mostly upbeat note – it’s not necessary the sound of a musician going out with all guns blazing, especially in comparison to his previous EPs.  There are some very enjoyable moments throughout, but these four numbers are not always loaded with of the kind of fireworks they could have been.  These songs would’ve, perhaps, had a much greater appeal if he had chosen them to open the trilogy instead…but after ‘The Dreamers Disease’, ‘The Ignited’ sounds like a musician playing for safety.  That’s fine of course, but as a parting statement from a body of work slowly unfolding over the course of a year, this EP should have been more than that.

September 2012

MICHAEL ADDISON – Blinding Shadows

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Michael Addison’s ‘Blinding Shadows’ has a few songs on it that, in theory, should appeal to those listeners who love melodic indie/alt rock from the nineties; people for whom albums like Goo Goo Dolls ‘A Boy Named Goo’ still hold a very special place.  On most of this release, the guitars chime like its 1994 and although a lot of the material becomes a bit formulaic after a while, there are a few strong choruses.

Sadly, most of those potentially enjoyable moments have the life squeezed from them thanks to far too much studio shine.  On the first three tracks in particular, Addison’s voice is filtered so heavily it seems to have no natural edge anymore. This sort of thing mightn’t be so much of a problem on the pop scene, but musically, these songs clearly aren’t meant for such an auto-tuned disposable market.  With the volume of the guitars, everything here deserves far more grit than it has been given and, with that, more real emotion.   The worst offender is ‘Alone’ (the album’s first single), where Addison barely hits any long notes and if he does, there is clearly a whole world of auto-tuning going on.  If you can make it past that, the ringing guitars and general radio-friendly tone shows off a solid song-writing talent, but for most of you, those vocal filters will be truly annoying to the point of distraction.

There are some (slightly) less clinical moments on ‘Blinding Shadows’, as evidenced on the quieter ‘All Your Might’ where Addison’s hushed tones were seemingly allowed to escape with something approaching a human quality.  Even here, though, it seems the focus gets shifted away from Addison as quickly as possible and subsequently thrust upon a female counterpart and the instrumentation (in this case, muted guitar rhythm and soft cello fill the space).  In terms of harder rock, ‘Tell Me Lies’ is a high point as it’s louder guitar-driven moments are very slightly reminiscent of sounds from the Minneapolis alt-rock scene of the very late 80s.  On closer inspection, beyond those ringing guitars, there’s not so much happening; Addison’s delivery, although far less filtered, appears mumbly and indistinct (this is something which really hits home once a louder female backing vocal appears).   At this point, you may find yourselves wondering why Addison didn’t settle for giving his (often) well-written tunes away to different performers…

Hard to believe given the amount of over-processed, shined-up-within-inches-of-its-life music on this disc that Addison’s press materials claim that ‘Blinding Shadows’ is “full of raw, hard rock energy” with “intense vocals”.  It is anything but.  While this album shows Addison to be a solid enough songwriter, his performances are absolutely lacking in any real dynamism.

If he chose the auto-tune and vocal filters for stylistic effect, it was a terrible choice.  If, on the other hand, those filters were employed to disguise any shortcomings within his natural delivery, why would he want to do that?  He would have been better off just embracing any idiosyncrasies in his performance (let’s face it, being less than perfect never hurt Paul Westerberg, Neil Young or many other heroes).  Ultimately, Addison offers ten songs that are too rock-driven for the pop market, but too clinical for almost any rock fans to connect with fully – and that’s rather unfortunate.

October 2012

WIMPY AND THE MEDALLIONS – Still Headed Nowhere EP

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A stalwart of the US punk scene, Wimpy Rutherford was the original frontman for pop-punk legends The Queers, contributing vocals to their first couple of EPs.  As fun as those records are, a ridiculously low budget combined with Wimpy’s unrestrained growly vocal makes those releases (later reissued as part of the ‘A Day Late & A Dollar Short’ comp) only of real interest to Queers completists.   Although Wimpy left the band shortly after,  as the their career took off, The Queers always included a few of his songs in their live set.

Wimpy returned to the band a few more times later on – seemingly whenever he fancied doing so – guesting on a couple of 7”s in the mid-90s and contributing to their 2000 LP ‘Beyond The Valley…’ [An almost wholly objectionable work, its over-reliance on shock value material easily makes it the worst Queers album released during their first 30 years].  Following a stint fronting a new band, The Jabbers, in 2005 (yielding one album, ‘American Standard’), Wimpy returned briefly to The Queers yet again, performing vocals on ten songs on the ‘Weekend At Bernie’s’ live LP, issued in 2006.

Six years on, Wimpy appeared fronting his own eponymously named band.  The title of their debut EP ‘Still Headed Nowhere’ seemingly mocks the New Hampshire vocalist’s approach to his career and connection with anything long-term; since all four songs were written and recorded within 48 hours, even the approach to its creation suggests a “living for the moment” attitude.

In The Medallions, Rutherford has a strong line-up behind him.  As well as collaborating with the expected  – ex-Queers/Nobodys guitarist Geoff Useless – he is also backed by one of the best musicians of his on again-off again career: namely pop-punk/power pop singer-songwriter Kurt Baker, here stepping into the role of bassist.  Wimpy’s gravelly bark of a voice, meanwhile, remains an acquired taste, but it has nevertheless softened a little over the years.

Following a count in, the title cut comes full-on with a classic three chord pop-punk riff.  It finds the perfect balance between spiky punk and bouncy rock ‘n’ roll trash, the latter bought to life via a fifties inspired twang from Useless.   The old rock ‘n’ roll vibes get an extra kick through the presence of organ, complete with a rather fun solo (played by Kris “Fingers” Rodgers).  In terms of songwriting there’s a one-line chorus guaranteed to provide dumb enjoyment, which delivered by Wimpy’s unsubtle tones comes with maximum punk sneer.  If you make it to the end of this track, it comes guaranteed you’ll want to stick it out to the end of the EP.

’36 Weeks’ casts aside the band’s more obvious punk roots.  For the bulk of the song, a superbly fat bassline takes the lead, giving everything a cocky swagger.  Given the stripped down sound, Wimpy’s delivery sounds more menacing than ever and a gang backing vocal works excellently on another instantly lovable simplistic hook.  There are bursts of hi-octane punk trashiness, but these are tempered by equally energetic bursts of organ creating something which isn’t merely the work of “just another three chord punk band”.  Unfortunately, The Medallions’ second attempt at slowing things down (‘Draggin’ The Line’) fares less well…

‘Girl’s Gone Psycho’ has a garage rock vibe and each of the musicians does what comes most naturally to them: Rutherford sneers and barks, drummer Craig Sala lays down a solid garage rock backbeat and Baker’s bassline is occasionally more complex than you’d expect from such a tune.  Given the task of topping that off and effectively holding everything together, Useless takes a more tuneful approach, with two separate rhythm guitar parts, each of which can be heard clearly in the left and right channels.  While a little more commercial than the previous two tracks, with the perfect balance between punky delivery and tight(ish) musicianship and another instant hookline, ‘Girl’s Gone Psycho’ is a track which shows Wimpy and The Medallions at their absolute best.  In fact, it’s so good, it should have been used to close the EP, thus leaving the listener with something both upbeat and infectious.

Instead, The Medallions’ bow out with a number that is by far their worst.  On the aforementioned ‘Draggin’ The Line’, Baker’s bassline is another winner, but in terms of enjoyable qualities, that’s almost it.   Wimpy’s limited vocal range just doesn’t hit the mark and it’s not until the whole band join in (relative) harmony on the all-too-brief chorus this particular song offers anything enjoyable vocally.  Even then, while that chorus is fabulous, the brilliant gang harmonies don’t seem to be able to stretch any farther: during the closing moments, the singing is easily the most tuneless on the whole release, as the band tackles a la-la refrain while sounding really, really drunk!  If their brief bio is to be believed, then this is quite possibly the truth.

‘Still Headed Nowhere’ is a little rough and ready, though in comparison to those early Queers outings has a slightly broader sound.   The EP’s hurried creation means it was never really designed to be a classic, but it’s certainly very enjoyable.  Let’s face it, although flawed, the union of Mr Kurt Baker and some chaps from The Queers was never gonna be a bad thing…

[Listen, download/buy this release using the widgets below.]

October 2012

ELECTRIC LIGHT ORCHESTRA – Mr Blue Sky: The Very Best of ELO

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On the surface, ‘Mr Blue Sky’ masquerades as yet another Electric Light Orchestra compilation featuring most of the usual suspects.  There’s more to this 2012 release than just mere “greatest hits” however, since Jeff Lynne has succumbed to artistic licence.  Although many ELO records remain beloved by a cross section of pop, pomp and prog rock fans, Lynne felt that by more more modern recording/production techniques, those old hits could do with a dusting down and polishing up and so, has completely re-recorded each of the tracks included here.

…Or so says his official line.  Earlier in 2012 Def Leppard made threats about re-recording their back-catalogue since they were effectively being screwed by their record company.  If these tunes exist via a similar dispute to the one that plagued the Leps, then fair play to Lynne, he has done a fantastic job.  If, as he claims, these were recorded to tweak and improve and nothing more, he has still turned in a fantastic job.

While these re-recordings undoubtedly please Lynne by fixing whatever he thought wrong with them previously, thankfully he never stretches the fans’ goodwill by adding anything too outlandish; the arrangements (although a little shinier all round) by and large stick firmly to their original blueprints.  As such, they are far more concerned with utilising modern technology and Lynne’s further experience as producer – that doesn’t actually make the works of ELO more palatable for more modern ears.  As such, it would still be easy for a non-fan to accuse them of sounding quite dated in terms of their falsetto vocals, analogue synthesisers and use of vocoders, all dished up with an abundance of flared-trousered, hair-permed goodness.  From a fan perspective, on the other hand, if that’s why you loved (and continue to love) ELO, you certainly wouldn’t want any of that to change.   Leaving no stone unturned on this selection of tunes, the tweaking is only ever relatively minor, but even so, for those who know the hits inside out, the amendments really jump out – and often in a good way.

So what’s so different?  Most obviously, on the always brilliant ‘Don’t Bring Me Down’, Lynne has opted to make the “Bruce!” chorus vocal marginally less silly, but more importantly, taken the piano part near the end and pushed it to the fore.  The result sounds not unlike something from a wild west bar-room.  Despite these two relatively obvious differences, everything else closely mirrors the 1979 recording, so much so that the rattling noise at the very end is even re-recorded!  The differences on ‘Evil Woman’ and ‘Livin’ Thing’ are even more slight: on the former, we are given a crisper rhythm guitar part (a change for the better, probably) while on the latter, the pizzicato strings are more audible than ever before.  Both are certainly changes which fit the claim that Lynne only wanted to improve things rather than change them per se.  Similarly, ‘Do Ya’ benefits from a much louder lead guitar, which too, is a welcome amendment considering its place as one of the band’s rockier tunes.

One of ELO’s signature pieces, ‘Mr Blue Sky’ has become a radio staple and it is almost unthinkable that a version may exist that isn’t exactly the same as the one we’re heard regularly for decades…  Sadly, the spruced up 2012 recording doesn’t quite have the all round greatness of the original (or indeed, most of these re-recordings).  There’s certainly more definition between the chorus vocals and some may see that as a plus, but the drum sound doesn’t quite cut it and Jeff’s lead vocal doesn’t appear quite as sparky as before.  Everything’s almost right, yet – perhaps due to the sheer complexity of the piece – it doesn’t improve on the original version even slightly.  Perhaps ‘Out Of The Blue’s material was trickier to amend, since ‘Turn To Stone’ also comes out rather flat, with a particular weakness during the multi-tracked section of voices at 1:51.  To the non-ELO fan, those voices on the original cut can sound rather ridiculous with their falsetto; here, with a huge phased effect added, they don’t actually sound any less ridiculous or over-blown than before, they just sound a little gurgly.  On the plus side, the strings during the second half are more pronounced (though almost certainly provided by keyboards), but this has the knock on effect of making the drums sound somewhat woolly.  If this disc features any cuts that make you want to reach for your beloved originals rather quickly, these two are the most likely.   [Also, Jeff’s re-recording of ‘Mr Blue Sky’ isn’t as much fun as Holmes’s 2011 cover, which you can hear here.]

There are literally dozens of subtle (and occasionally not so subtle) differences peppered throughout the numbers on this collection; you can spend time spotting the rest for yourselves, since with this kind of project, therein lies most of the fun – after all, you wouldn’t want a review to spoil all of the surprises…would you?!

For those who want more than revisited material, this compilation also features a previously unreleased track.  With roots dating back to 2009, ‘Point of No Return’ is an excellent three minute pop tune, driven by ringing guitars.  A simple chorus and a general Wilbury-esque sound means the bulk of it would have sounded just as good in the hands of Tom Petty if Jeff had passed it on. However,  a subtle backing vocal – slight falsetto, no words – and a brief string sound creeping in at the end helps to give it just a little more of that ELO magic.  Although this sounds a little flat when measured against those Electric Light Orchestra classics, it is a welcome addition to Lynne’s back catalogue and is certainly far more enjoyable than anything included on his 2012 solo record ‘Long Wave’…

Revisiting past works out of perfectionism/vanity (delete as appropriate) can be a tricky business.  When Kate Bush re-recorded a bunch of vocals for her ‘Director’s Cut’ project, the results were more than misguided; when Squeeze invited listeners to ‘Spot The Difference’ in 2010, their approach may have been far more traditional, but when Difford and Tilbrook began to sing, that the “difference” became more than obvious.  With ‘Mr Blue Sky’s revisitations, Jeff Lynne, mercifully, fairs far better than both: he’s created a record that still entertains the casual listener with the ELO hits, while simultaneously giving the hardcore fan something to think about.  ‘Mr Blue Sky’ is a sharp reminder of why Lynne is considered by many to be one of pop music’s master craftsmen.

October 2012