Category Archives: Album & EP Reviews

SUNDAY SUN – II EP

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On their debut EP, Dutch quartet Sunday Sun celebrated power pop in all its glory and power pop fans across the internet – rather rightly – rejoiced.  With regard to this second release, Sunday Sun could have chosen to deliver much more of the same, and those who loved the debut would have undoubtedly been very happy.  That would have been the easy option, but not necessarily the right one – after all, bands shouldn’t really stagnate/settle for over familiarity so early on, especially a band with so much to give.

While the band’s core sound remains intact, this time out, Sunday Sun has wisely chosen to branch out a little.  In fact, on ‘Take a Left’ the music packs a punch far harder than ever before. With Jan Teerstra’s bass firmly set to “fuzz” and Koen-Willem Toering’s guitar cranked, Sunday Sun totally rock out for thee and a half minutes on a tune which works itself around a stomping riff.  When the chorus appears, the seventies pop vibes are far stronger – driven by a very strong McCartney/Wings influence – and the balance between fuzzy rock and pure pop makes this track a belter.  On the first EP’s ‘I Love You So Much’, Sunday Sun dipped their musical toes into the world of the more melancholy. Although some enjoyed that short track, it doesn’t really prepare the listener for the much more epic ‘You’, a fully-formed, introspective number which, at first, sounds like it’s not going to go the distance.  The tune – possibly inspired by similar marathons of misery from Big Star’s ‘Third’ – is slow and maudlin, and while the vocal is heartfelt, it just doesn’t seem to be able to hit its mark.  …And then, something happens which completely turns the piece around: a couple of minutes in, Sunday Sun introduce a brass band arrangement, which adds that missing ingredient.   Between the brass, the relatively minimalist tune and aching vocal, the song eventually becomes enjoyable in its sadness…but it is unlikely to become a fan favourite.

Although its intro comes drenched in harmony vocals, ‘Ready’ is not the Beach Boys pastiche you may be expecting on first listen.  While similar harmonies are on hand to power the chorus, they do not actually provide the song’s main drive.  That, instead, comes from another fuzzy bassline, which when pitched against a marching drum (supplied here by Wouter Rentema) could be likened to Jellyfish (as always).  Although very much in the power pop genre, there’s something a little more raucous lurking underneath, giving a slight hint of 70s glam as well as the usual power pop.  As with ‘Take A Left’, this slight toughening up of traditional power pop elements seems to really suit this band.  Beginning gently with some echoing guitars, ‘Summer Holiday’ quickly gains a solid footing via a simply pounded drum and some handclaps.  After the initial promise, it does very little else for almost four minutes, so it’s not especially gripping. While the end sound is as polished as most of Sunday Sun’s work, the melodies seem a little unfinished, as if they’re always waiting for that eventual big key change to kick in.

Listeners who wanted something more akin to the first EP will find plenty of thrills within the remaining couple of tracks. ‘Ordinary Love’ is a brilliant pop/rock tune, utilising handclaps, electric piano, sharp rhythmic acoustic strums and a very catchy chorus.  Yoshi Breen is in brilliant lead voice throughout and – as with the best Sunday Sun tunes – an accompanying backing vocal choir gives everything a huge lift.  With a sixties-esque beat – dressed up in the usual power pop revival way – ‘Now Is Now’, is a hugely uplifting tune that really brings out their best qualities.  There are some tight harmonies on a very accessible hook, while the music breezes along with absolute abandon.  Like The Genuine Fakes meets Fountains Of Wayne (and with another superb bassline) ‘Now Is Now’ is just wonderful – easily this second EP’s shining star.

Both ‘Summer Holiday’ and ‘You’ slow down this EP’s momentum, so upon early listens ‘II’ doesn’t always feel quite as strong as ‘I’.  That said, ‘Ordinary Love’ and ‘Ready’ provide more great examples of Sunday Sun’s talent, further making their mark upon the genre, and ‘Now Is Now’ ranks among the band’s absolute best songs.  If you enjoyed the first EP then ‘II’ will still be required listening, and if you have yet to acquaint yourself with this fine band…what are you waiting for?

[For a limited time, this EP can be downloaded FOR FREE from the Sunday Sun website: http://sundaysunmusic.com/ep2.html]

 

September 2012

CANTO – Ha Ha Ha

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According to their website bio, Canto are a band who consider their music to be “influenced by the rock music from the sixties and seventies”.  While their music takes in a little blues, some funk rock, a little indie and huge chunks of fuzzed up blues-rock  – all of which come together to create a very accessible sound – this trio of brothers sound more like they’re channelling a 90s style revisitation of the 70s than anything else.

Their debut release ‘Ha Ha Ha’ kicks off with a short instrumental, ‘Adam & Eve’.  A good showcase for the band’s musical chops, this piece features a very seventies sounding lead guitar, underpinned by a superb bassline – the kind of thing a well-established jam band could turn into a tour-de-force.  ‘Sandpaper’ turns the funk grooves up to the max via a busy bassline, over which wah-wahed guitars churn out blues-rock riffs.  This alone provides a solid listen, and then Canto unveil the element that makes them sound a little different to other ‘retro’ outfits: Seamus Blackwell’s voice.   Whereas most similar bands would likely choose someone with a big voice, Seamus’s approach sounds more suited to an indie pop band than a band serving up funky retro rock.  In fact, on occasion, his voice bares more than a passing resemblance to Tim Booth (of popular 90s indie-poppers James), which probably lends a huge amount of weight to the overall feeling that Canto’s music shares as many influences from the 90s as it does from earlier decades.

A little off-centre, ‘The Big House’ works around a spiky riff and ringy countermelody.  Despite initial promise, it never completely finds its feet; perhaps a lack of chorus is to blame here, since it’s certainly not the Blackwell brothers’ standard of musicianship.  Mixing an indie jangle with another funk-rooted bassline, ‘Cardigan Sweater’ shows Canto in a better light, as they blend an upbeat, optimistic tune with a simple hook.  While Seamus’s guitar has a very pleasing tone and his vocal style is well suited to the piece, it is bassist Aiden Blackwell, whom – once again – brings most to the table.  His fluid style (pushed high in the mix throughout) is what often gives Canto’s music it’s most enjoyable quality, and this is no exception.   The single release ‘Farewell Well Well’ is an exceptionally tight workout where drummer David Blackwell moves between hard rock drumming and funk rhythms (with plenty of fills and hi-hats) with ease.  Despite a simple hook and a closing section with a meaty riff, this tune firmly belongs to the rhythm section.  The interplay between bass and guitar during the number’s first half makes this track Canto’s best, hands down.

On ‘William Byrd & His Contemporaries’, Canto move away from the more pointedly funky:  the guitars lay down a thick rhythm, the drums pound out a basic backbeat and the bass takes more of a simplistic approach.  On this number – although still recognisable as the same musicians who performed on those more groove-laden tunes – Canto offer a track which sounds more in keeping with 90s alternative.  Its simplicity doesn’t necessary make it any weaker…just different.  It would be unfair to say it does not suit the band since they prove equally adept here – it just feels a little misplaced among the other album cuts.

Quibbles about the seventies-ness of their chosen niche aside, Canto are obviously talented.  While ‘Ha Ha Ha’ isn’t a classic debut, the songs often have enjoyable moments.  If their whole sound doesn’t keep you listening, the intricacy within some of the basslines should provide sporadic entertainment.

August 2012

LIZ WOOD – Into My Own EP

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Most of this second EP from Connecticut-based singer-songwriter Liz Wood moves away from the adult pop style that provided the basis of her debut release.  It’s darker tone was inspired by the end of a five-year relationship and finds Wood looking inside herself, moving through the various emotions associated with such a shake-up.  As if to resemble a sense of rebuilding, two of its four songs have a very stripped down feel.

‘Ruin’ is sharp and a little bitter. Backed by a simple acoustic riff, Wood rings emotion from every line, exploring a relationship where someone else “called the shots”.  As the song progresses, slightly discordant electric guitars round out the sound while mechanical rhythms add a real edge.  The tension is wound throughout, but essentially at the heart of the piece is Wood’s anger and insistence that she is not at fault; her delivery of the feeling that “you fucked up not me” providing the track’s main hook and central point.  She could not have picked any less a subtle jumping off point, but it’s a very strong opening statement.

‘Hanging On’ and ‘Can’t Hide’ are very intimate, featuring just Wood’s voice and piano. The former has a lovely light tune, reminiscent of Tori Amos and so many other chanteuse pianists.  Although less spiteful, a fantastic vocal, fuelled by another deeply personal lyric, makes it, perhaps, Wood’s best number this time out.  Whereas ‘Hanging On’ has a questioning tone, ‘Can’t Hide’ finds Wood in a position of strength, emotionally, vocally and musically.  Again, the piano arrangement is smooth, lending a great backdrop to Wood’s innermost thoughts with great results.

‘Fall Again’ provides a sharp contrast to the other three tracks, presenting Wood fronting a whole band and in a more optimistic frame of mind.  The drums have a real presence throughout, but they never completely overshadow Wood’s guitar lines which keep the tune motoring.  Wood’s vocal, meanwhile, is the strongest element here; her wordy performance straddles a fine line between strength and that previous vulnerability, showing a strong influence from the wonderful Lisa Loeb – something particularly obvious in her wordy delivery.  In terms of overall feel, this has far more in common with Wood’s previous self-titled EP. “Let me fall for you again and I will sink under your skin”, she sings, “no regrets”.

Given the strong feelings that rise to the fore within relationships (both during and in their aftermath), Liz Wood could have likely blessed the world with a full album’s worth of emotional outpourings.  As it is, the EP format is very effective: the shorter running time never makes it feel like she is labouring her point lyrically, while musically, its three distinctly different styles present a broad range of the artist’s talents.   While not the most uplifting of listens – understandable, given those circumstances in which the songs were born – this is a terrific release.

August 2012

EVOLETAH – Sleepwalker

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Mixing elements of alternative rock, indie jangle and a just a touch of dream pop, Australian rock band Evoletah create sounds for people who like their rock music with a nineties vibe.  One of the first things notable about ‘Sleepwalker’ – the band’s third full length – is that the album’s live in the studio sound really favours the drums.  Even at times when the rest of the instruments are allotted an equal space in the overall mix, those drums still have the edge.  An indie rock approach to the guitar riffs often gives the band a centre-point from which to spiral out, but perhaps the strongest element of Evolateh’s sound is frontman Matt Cahill’s vocals.  The ex-Violets vocalist has a laid-back approach which sometimes hints at a fellow Aussie, The Church’s Steve Kilbey.

Released as the album’s first single ‘Cain & Abel’ is a mid paced tune. Throughout the verses, the guitars don’t break from their initial jangle, leading the listener to think that by the time the chorus rocks up, everything will reach a peak in a suitable blaze of glory.  While this is certainly true of the drums, nothing else really changes tack.  In this respect, the track is best described as vocal led, since it’s only frontman Matt Cahill’s voice doing anything really interesting.

‘Shortly After Takeoff’ is a professionally constructed slab of indie rock which builds tension during its first half, and then gives way to a rousing performance from Jason Eyers-White, while ‘The Hurting’ has a jangling, marching base, over which Cahill delivers an emotive performance.  Despite best intentions, the lack of obvious hook means the audience has to be totally into Evoletah’s sound almost from the get go, since there’s not always much else (hooks, mainly) to help win anyone over.  ‘Invisible’ has a cool vibe, as the band adopt a waltzing time signature, topped with more solid jangling.  These elements don’t necessary hold the interest alone, but a brief trumpet solo along the way adds something extra.  …And while the band are more than musically competent, this highlights that it’s that little “something extra” so many of ‘Sleepwalker’s tunes often miss.

Much better, the lack of drums during ‘Northern Gentleman’ allows a brief glimpse into something more intimate.  Andrew Boyce lays down a noodly guitar line which blends elements of pop rock with a touch of seventies prog, while occasional cello is on hand to add colour.  ‘Minutes Into Years’ is perhaps the album’s finest moment; a track of two distinct halves, the first takes a similar approach to the majority of Evoletah’s best songs, allowing Boyce to work a dreamy, clean-toned riff, over which, the vocals are wistful and breathy.  Occasionally, as the notes drift from the speakers, ‘Minutes’ has the majesty of a tune which could have been recorded by the aforementioned Church during their ‘Priest=Aura’/’Sometime Anywhere’ days.   For the second part, things really rock up, as the guitars crank out some distorted electric riffs to bring things to a climax.  Like ‘Invisible’, this number proves that despite their often middling outcomes, Evoletah are a band with a lot of potential.

Aside from ‘Northern Gentleman’, almost everything is of a mid pace, which after a while makes things start to blur. Although this release has a good end sound – giving some indication of how the Australian four piece possibly sound like in a live setting – and Evoletah are clearly quite talented, ‘Sleepwalker’ would have definitely benefitted from a change in pace once in a while.   As it is, though, you’ll find a few enjoyable tunes buried within, and picking up a download of ‘Minutes Into Years’ should definitely be on your “to do” list.

August 2012

PLACE CALLED RAGE – Place Called Rage

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Both already well-known faces on the melodic rock circuit, in 1995, guitarist Al Pitrelli (ex-Widowmaker/Asia) and ex-Saraya drummer Chuck Bonfante teamed up with vocalist Tommy Farese and bassist Danny Miranda to create some new music.  The resulting album – recorded in just one week and released under the name Place Called Rage – was subsequently only ever released for the Japanese market.  That is until 2012, when UK label Escape Music picked up the licence and issued a remastered version of the disc, thus making it easily available for European audiences for the very first time.

‘I Know Where You Been’ lays the foundations for the bulk of Place Called Rage’s music.  Pitrelli offers up a meaty riff, mostly of the no-nonsense hard rock variety, while an old-fashioned layer of organ mixed with some bar-room piano and Farese’s strong and slightly raspy vocal delivery leans far more towards a classic brand of blues rock.  The arrival of a pitch perfect solo from Pitrelli mid-way ups the ante somewhat with a selection of noodly notes (again with an accent on bluesy hard rock) making a strong opener, overall.  Better still, ‘One Child’ is delivered with some solid bluesy foundations in a Little Caesar and (middle-period) Whitesnake fashion.  On this particular number, the no-frills production sound is beneficial in bringing out the natural sound of Bonfante’s drums, lending a real energy to the performance.   Those looking for something a little moodier may find enjoyment from ‘What These Eyes Have Seen’.  Again, there are many elements recalling classic seventies rock bands; the riffs are simple and uncompromising while another appearance from the organ just adds to the old-fashioned/classic mood.  Despite being rhythmically sound, it’s the two lead performances which ultimately win out.  On a slower arrangement such as this, Farese really gets the chance to shine vocally with his voice coming across like a raspy Glenn Hughes on occasion, while Pitrelli’s lead work is impeccable – shifting between hard bluesy notes and melodic metal shredding with ease.

Elsewhere, ‘Thunderbox’ celebrates a trashier rock ‘n’ roll sensibility with a simple riff and more organ backing.  As the track progresses, although it never gets any more complex on the surface, close attention should be paid to Miranda’s bass playing; between the unfussy pumping notes, he inserts fluid fills without ever sounding like he’s shoehorned them in for the sake of flashiness. His playing lifts the track above the status of “run-of-the-mill stomper”, even though a few of the lyrics seem destined to bring it crashing back to earth.   Beginning with a classy piano riff (played by Pitrelli, who handles all keyboards on this release), ‘Jenny Doesn’t Live Here Anymore’ offers the listener something much softer than most of Place Called Rage’s stock-in-trade sounds.  On this co-write with AOR legend Mark Mangold, the piano, acoustic guitars and a live sounding drum create a simple – yet ultimately very satisfying – base which sounds a touch like the Faces with an early seventies vibe, before moving into something more hard rock based.  For the track’s second half, the realm of the rock ballad looms large, with Place Called Rage just about holding onto their retro-rock roots.  By the time Farese gets into things, it really ought to have been the album’s stand out track, but, in places, his raspy vocal is so overworked it makes difficult listening. [Luckily, recognising this track’s great potential, Pitrelli and Bonfante chose to re-record it with a far superior vocalist a couple of years later].

A true stand out, the band’s eponymously titled tune throws away the more obvious blues-rock chops for something very funky.  While Pitrelli’s main contributions stay as hard as before, bassist Danny Miranda really gets to show off his skills, offering up a truly funky bass riff almost consistently.  The political message within the lyrics comes across as rather heavy handed, but musically this is so good, that can be overlooked just enough for the whole package to remain enjoyable. Another of the album’s best numbers, ‘We’re Not Coming Home’ starts slowly, with a heavily filtered vocal meeting some clean-toned guitar.  By the time it kicks in, the band’s typical sound present, before being pushed a touch farther into a hard rock/funky blues direction.  This slight shift creates one of the album’s strongest arrangements – the kind which again would have suited David Coverdale in the early eighties.  While Pitrelli’s tone is great throughout (and a solo is greater) it is not always the music that is the most striking feature.  Unusually here, it is a few of its lyrics that make an impression, tackling the plight of the Jews during the Second World War…and somehow, they do so without, at the very least, seeming wholly misguided.  [While still not the best politically based lyric writing you’ll ever hear, on this pair or tunes, Place Called Rage achieves the rarity of fusing melodic rock and politics without any huge embarrassment.  The two things don’t always mix: see Gary Barden’s 2011 release for Escape for a howling example of “when rock music and political comment goes horribly wrong”].

Just as quickly as they formed, Place Called Rage subsequently disbanded.  Farese went on to work with Trans Siberian Orchestra and Miranda achieved success with the hugely popular Blue Oyster Cult.  For fans of this Place Called Rage disc, however, Pitrelli and Bonfante’s next move would be of much stronger interest…  After drafting in songwriter keyboard player Mark Mangold full time and hooking up with Tyketto’s vocalist Danny Vaughn, another, even stronger blues-rock band was born.  Taking the name Flesh & Blood, in 1997, that band’s sole release (‘Blues For Daze’) proved to be a logical continuation of the Place Called Rage sound (something truly cemented by including re-recordings of ‘I Know Where You Been’ and ‘Jenny Doesn’t Live Here Anymore’).

Reissuing this album was a smart move on Escape Music’s part, since although ‘Place Called Rage’ isn’t a bonafide classic – or indeed, quite as good as the Flesh & Blood disc – these gritty performances definitely should have been allowed to reach a larger audience the first time around.  For those who enjoyed the Flesh & Blood disc, Place Called Rage (both the band and album) provides an enjoyable companion piece.

August 2012