Category Archives: Album & EP Reviews

HUMAN TEMPLE – Halfway To Heartache

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Human Temple’s debut album ‘Insomnia’ was released back in 2004 via the now defunct European melodic rock label MTM Records.  It took the band another six years to follow the release, by which time the band had secured a place among the roster at Escape Music, a UK independent label with a similar outlook to that of MTM.  With that second album, the Finnish rock band achieved a small amount of cult success and good reviews.  This was seemingly enough for Escape to consider it worthwhile releasing their third outing, 2012’s ‘Halfway to Heartache’.

A huge intro opening the album suggests Human Temple believe this third album to be something special.  By the time that intro – all militaristic beats, riffing guitars and sirens – subsides, ‘I Will Follow’ becomes a reasonable, expertly played – though not especially groundbreaking – slice of Scandinavian hard rock.  It’s not of the “jaw-droppingly special” variety, but in reality – at least for what it does – it’s really not bad either.  The riffs are hard edged yet surprisingly melodic, while the lead fills are twiddly (technical term) without being overtly showy.  The only thing which appears musically misjudged is the keyboard solo: for the first few bars, it’s all bell noises; the kind better suited to American AOR as opposed to full-pelt Scandi hard rock.  To accommodate this, the band moves away from their standard hard rock chops and further into progressive metal territory.  While it’s well executed, the song isn’t necessarily improved by this – in fact, it’s a bit jarring. The second part of the solo is better since it uses a more squealy synth tone (something not often better, just better here), while the rest of the band take an opportunity to swiftly return to something resembling the main riff.  All the while, Janne Hurme turns in a more than reasonable vocal performance on a song which carries just enough of a memorable hook to balance out the levels of bombast.  If you’re still curious by the end of this track and those keyboards didn’t put you off, it’s likely ‘Halfway To Heartache’ will appeal.

‘Like a Beat of a Heart’ is a softer number which allows bassist Harri Kinnunen to carry the verses.  A great piece of mid-paced rock music, it features a couple of commendable solos and plenty of old-school fist-pumping enjoyment.  Compared to ‘I Will Follow’, the band appears far less in-your-face, allowing simple melodies and a good chorus to win out over musicianship.  With its Scandinavian bent and a strong focus on backing harmonies, it would be fair to say if you’ve always enjoyed Talisman (and in particular, their debut record), there’s more than a chance you’ll love this.  Similarly, ‘Our World, Our Time’ features some more memorable melodies and a stronger hook, strung together with some lovely guitar work in both the lead and rhythm departments. The staccato rhythms which sit in the backseat are particularly pleasing, although not entirely original. If you can make it past the unashamedly cheesy lyrical content, it’s another stand-out.

‘Because of You’ comes with more choppy riffing, creating a tune on which the band sound very assured.  It may have a great tune, but sadly, the vocal just doesn’t sit quite right. Hurme’s lead voice is just a little too full on for what’s essentially a bouncy affair: his long notes are too overbearing for the job in hand.  That’s a shame, since he doesn’t always attack his material quite so aggressively – ‘Our World…’ came with a suitably restrained performance, after all.  ‘Some Things Are Never Long Time Ago’ [sic] has a great intro utilising some decent hard rock guitar chops, overlaid with some equally effective keyboard, presented highly in the mix.  To be fair, throughout this number, Jori Tojander’s choice of keyboard sound is spot on – very 80s – albeit often played in a blanket style arrangement as opposed to classic AOR stabbing.  Once again, the band present a more than reasonable chorus to back up the musical goodness, but the shining moment comes from a twin lead guitar solo, with just enough flashy techniques to sound impressive without being overdone.

‘She Talks To Angels’ is a sappy ballad where, once again, Hurme could be accused of oversinging. Human Temple fare far better when they keep things upbeat and punchy; once they slow down, things just get too syrupy.  While Hurme is a great rock vocalist, he just doesn’t seem to have the right kind of voice for the slower stuff.   The fact that this track is dragged out for over six minutes doesn’t help its potential weakness, varying vary little from the musical motifs it presents during the first verse.  Aside from that, the track features a few enjoyable lead guitar parts – with plenty of vibrato – so it’s not quite a dead loss, but you’ll certainly find far more enjoyable material scattered elsewhere throughout this disc.

Joining the band’s self written material is an oddly chosen cover tune.  With potential for being an outright disaster, Fleetwood Mac’s 1987 hit ‘Little Lies’ turns out surprisingly well moulded into Human Temple’s hard rock blueprint.  Despite the hard rock guitars, this tune is recognisable from the off thanks to Tojander reproducing the keyboard line faithfully, albeit with an unsubtle 80s rock sound.  Hurme’s curly lead voice does its best to pull emotion from the original lyric and although he oversings a tad (again), it’s a reasonable performance on a track which really shouldn’t work in this format.  Maybe the fact that it works at all is tribute to Fleetwood Mac’s gift for writing timeless songs…or maybe it was dumb luck.  Naturally, none of this Finnish band’s chutzpah makes up for either Fleetwood Mac or Lindsey Buckingham’s level of finesse, but all the same, it’s quite fun.

You certainly won’t find any surprises on this album (save for perhaps the audacity of tackling the Fleetwood), but more often than not, what Human Temple do, they do very well within their chosen sub-genre of (very) Scandinavian hard rock.  In fact, it’s fair to say that if you’re undemanding and have a liking of old-school arrangements, this is a band which ought to be on your radar, assuming they aren’t already.

February 2012

TICKTOCKMAN – Ticktockman

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Seattle band Ticktockman self-released their debut EP ‘Periscope’ in February 2010.  This debut full-length – released a full two years later – was also issued without the backing of a label.  Like most releases, it has its obvious strengths. The first thing that’s striking is the fact that for a DIY project, the production – handled by Derek Moree – is superb.  The second thing that hits the listener is that, in Brock Lowry, this band possesses a terrific drummer.  Within a minute of the opening number ‘Archaic Republic’ he’s attacking his kit in a manner which recalls the mighty Dave Grohl in his youth.  Unfortunately, beyond these two aspects, there’s not much that’s particularly enduring about ‘Archaic Republic’ – the riffs are fine, though rather ordinary and the vocals are a tad lightweight.  Repeated listens help highlight the enjoyable qualities – as does cranking the volume knob – but overall, Ticktockman bring little that’s new to their chosen brand of alt-rock on this opening statement.

In fact, it’s not until track three, ‘The Architect’, where the band steps things up to a level that hints at something potentially special.  Lowry is given ample opportunity to lay down a few interesting drum parts and between the full-on rock moments, he can be heard playing some cool fills interspersed with some off-kilter stops.  Those drums are most effective when combined with Andy Lum’s lead guitar parts – full of overdrive in a Dave Navarro style, combined with what sounds like a touch of wah-wah pedal.  A few of the riffs recall bands like Oceansize, the LOUDquietLOUD technique is in full flow and the vocals are more atmospheric too, subjected to echo and other studio trickery.  With the full on drums balanced by some superb atmospheres and subtle guitar lines towards the end, maybe Ticktockman would have been wiser to use this as their opening number… It certainly showcases a band with a better – and more interesting – musical range.

Also excellent is ‘Jungle Cutter’, with its heartfelt vocal and solid rhythmic base.  Simpler than so much of Ticktockman’s material, and so much the better for it too: in addition to the great features already mentioned you’ll find a lovely bassline and noodling guitar solo to flesh things out even farther.  The first solo kind of ambles, but never in a way which feels like it’s merely playing for time.  It could be said there are slight resemblances to similar approaches employed by John Frusciante, though with fewer sharp edges.  The second solo (presumably played by the other of the band’s two guitarists) is more in keeping with the main riff itself; a touch of wah, a heavy dose of retro feel in the tone and served up with bags of attitude.  Brief and to the point, it’s a decent companion to the song’s main riff, which in terms of swaggering bravado is probably the album’s finest.

The rest of the album isn’t without its enjoyable moments – the riffs come thickly laid throughout, and as already said, Brock Lowry is an excellent drummer – but there’s nothing that’s really on a par with ‘Jungle Cutter’ or ‘The Architect’.  ‘The Mighty Veil’ has another meaty riff, ‘Expose of New Orleans’ possesses a tight rhythmic pattern worthy of Tom Morello jamming with UK metallers Mishkin (as well as a couple of unexpected Mexicana styled moments), or the atmospheric end of ‘Dirty Ole Sunset’ puts a mix of vibrato filled guitars and slightly distorted electric piano motifs to best use – every one of these statements helps paint a picture of Ticktockman’s sound – but none of this technical brilliance distracts from the fact that very little of the material is that memorable in the long term.

In accordance with their self-imposed mission statement of “bringing loud music back to Seattle”, Ticktockman can consider this album a success.  While, on a technical level, there’s really nothing wrong with this record – it’s well played and brilliantly produced, and individually none of the tracks could ever be dislikeable if you like alternative rock served with big riff – there are plenty of times when it could do with a few choruses to help cement the tunes inside your head after they’ve ended.  It’s entirely possible that lots of alt-rock fans will enjoy what’s offered by Ticktockman, but despite some great musical chops their material can feel oddly unsatisfying if you’re looking for something enjoyable in the long term.

February 2012

ANTLERED MAN – Giftes 1&2

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Grinding, confrontational, ambling, potentially scary: just a few of many words which could describe ‘Giftes 1&2’, the curiously titled debut album from UK art/alt-rockers Antlered Man.  There’s no point pussyfooting around here – since Antlered Man rarely do – it’s a bloody difficult record in lots of places.

‘Outrages 1 ta 3’ starts easily enough, as a fairly clean guitar lays down a mid-paced riff, under which a pleasingly upfront bass takes most of the tune’s overall weight.  Once the drums and keys are pushed into the mix, everything takes on a slightly eastern vibe; there’s an odd coldness at the heart of the band’s sound, reinforced by a slightly unemotional vocal.  The main thrust of the tune disappears after three minutes or so, at which point would have been a good time to move onto something new – but Antlered Man launch into a two minute coda, which if anything could be more appealing than the main tune itself. Oliver Parker’s drums crash and move things towards a thrashier sound, while Sam Ray’s bass continues to wander down a similarly aggressive path as before.  If anything at all is holding this together, those basslines are absolutely essential.

Although ‘Outrages…’ has its hard-going and wilful moments, it’s fairly straight ahead and easy listening compared to ‘If You Can’t Beat Them, Try Solvents!’ where the band opts for a mechanical grind and tops it with distorted and cold keyboard sounds for good measure.  The end result sounds like Wire jamming on the Killing Joke debut, produced by Steve Albini with Mike Patton’s sense of the unsettling.  The electronic noises are so loud in the end mix, they drown out some of the vocal, and even a few drums and guitars in other places: bend your ears around the cacophony though, and Ray’s bass can still be heard laying down some interesting patterns.

Following a deliberately oddball intro comprising a high pitched bass riff and equally suitable vocal, at first ‘Platoono of Uno’ steps into another world of angular grinding. Midway, however, the band steps up a gear, changing the mood almost entirely.  The best part of this number showcases Antlered Man in the guise of a full-pelt, alternative rock/punk hybrid, creating music mot unlike Jello Biafra’s outings with (the) Melvins.  Over these fast sections, the vocal takes on a manic stance and the lyrics an air of confrontation.  Such a high speed approach suits the band very well indeed – especially Damo Holmes’ vocals.  An album highlight, ‘Surrounded By White Men’ is a colossal slab of distorted alt-rock, driven by a superbly fuzzy bass and insistent drum line (which at first, sounds like it could break into XTC’s ‘Making Plans For Nigel’ at any second!).  While the drums vie for listener’s attention throughout, the ringing guitars stand out, as does another slightly tension-filled vocal.  This is the sound of a band whom would have been label mates with The Jesus Lizard or Girls Against Boys back in ’94…

‘Misruly Roo’ takes a bassline that has the presence of Jean-Jacques Burnel’s early (great) work and then fuzzes that up for maximum effect.  The drums and guitars flesh out a spiky rhythm – effectively creating one of the album’s most endearing musical structures, over which the vocal is surprisingly sedate.  Taking most of the best elements of Antlered Man, it presents another of the album’s best tracks.  Although they never stretch far beyond the intro’s musical blueprint, the track never drags – even when stretched out for over seven minutes.  It comes as no surprise that huge chunks of ‘Balloons, Needles, Sunlight and Evil’ come drenched in downtune and distortion – almost to stoner rock levels in places – but intercut with the general dirginess, there are a few musical flourishes which stand out.  As before, Oliver Parker’s drumming has a strong presence, while on the quietest parts, Danny Fury’s guitar lines hark back to alternative rock’s mid-90s glory days for maximum retro cool.

While not always big on direction, ‘Giftes 1&2’ offers the listener a whole world of edgy tunes, delivered with amps cranked for fair amounts of intensity.  However, it doesn’t quite match the all round greatness of ‘Constellation’ by Seattle noise merchants Mutiny Mutiny (a hard act to follow in this field), despite Antlered Man’s best efforts.  But, since this is a band with some great ideas and enough of their own flair to build on such promise, for fans of grinding alt-rock, this album should definitely strike a chord (metaphorically speaking) at least on a few tracks.

January 2012

RINGO STARR – Ringo 2012

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Ringo 2012While Ringo Starr’s solo works have rarely gained the accolades of his former Beatle bandmates, many of his releases feature some great songs.  Never more was this more obvious than on 2003’s excellently titled ‘Ringo Rama’, 2008’s ‘Liverpool 8’ and 2010’s ‘Y Not’, for what they represent, are albums (almost) beyond criticism.  These albums – which are awash with tight, yet often unimposing arrangements, bolstered by autobiographical nuggets and themes of peace and love – deserve a place in the collection of any true Beatles fans.

In theory, ‘Ringo 2012’ – remarkably, Starr’s seventeenth outing – offers more of the same.  Sadly however, this time around, Mr. Starkey appears to be firmly on autopilot, on what is a short outing by most people’s standards, clocking in at just twenty nine minutes.  That, in itself, isn’t necessarily a problem, but ‘Ringo 2012’is also subject to a fair amount of what could be considered padding.  Ringo brings only five brand new songs to the table; the rest of the disc is filled with two re-recordings and two covers (one of which was released in identical form in 2011).

Despite the makeshift feel of this release, if you can take the songs at face value, ‘Ringo 2012’ is a fine enough record, though never really outstanding by any stretch of the imagination. ‘Anthem’ returns to a well-worn theme as Starr sings of peace and love, peace and love… While his instantly recognisable tones feel like a return of an old friend or a comfortable pair of shoes, maybe things are just that little bit too comfortable.  Musically, we’re presented with a marching beat – so distinctly the work of Ringo – over which jangly guitars call out slightly jagged chords.  Such a solid arrangement could make a good opening statement, but once Starr starts to sing “This is an anthem of peace and love”, it has to be asked if Ringo couldn’t have come up with something less predictable.  There’s nowt wrong with wanting peace and love, but with Ringo, it feels like he’s labouring a point now.  The same topic was tackled in a vastly superior fashion on his 2010 track ‘Peace Dream’, using a much nicer lyric and melody.

The lightweight blues-rocker ‘Slow Down’ is also okay but nothing special, despite sometime Eagles man Joe Walsh’s attempts to tear it up on slide guitar. Best described as workmanlike, it trots out the kind of mid-pace that Ringo is best at, while his voice occasionally gets a little lost with its lack of edge.  There’s something slightly amiss: maybe it could have been a little faster, maybe it needed a better hook, maybe more needed to be made of the organ part lurking in the back…  Whatever, you’ve also heard Ringo do this kind of thing better, many times.  ‘Wonderful’ pootles along in a sub-Wilbury style, with its mix of acoustic and electric guitars backed by old style organ.  Ringo adopts his usual optimism, while the rest of the band do their best to make his lyric nice and buoyant. Again, it’s not much more than Ringo Starr by numbers – especially for those familiar with the man’s previous couple of albums – but even so, an enjoyable lead guitar line and chirpy chorus make it worth almost four minutes’ listening time.  ‘Samba’, on the other hand, drenched as it is in Hawaiian style guitar work and accordions, has a general air of syrupiness and is just horrible.  There is no other word which fits the bill; it’s just horrible.  Some of the music sounds like tape that’s been warped – though this is probably not the case, it’s more likely the work of too many layers at once.  Bad music combined with Starr’s limited vocal, there are no redeeming features here:  simply put, it’s one of Starr’s worst post-eighties recordings.

On the previous albums, Ringo’s autobiographical cuts have been a high-point, and so it remains the same here.  There’s something utterly charming about such numbers, and while Starr could be accused of trotting out another tried and tested idea, there’s still that extra something which makes it endearing.  The guitars adopt another sharp, ringing tone as Starr tells us “in Liverpool the sun always shone in his mind” while recounting a tale of his old childhood gang and bunking off school.  A simple rumpty-tumpty passes for a tune – severely lacking the funkiness of ‘Y Not’s ‘The Other Side of Liverpool’ – and lyrically, although it’s not as heart-warming as ‘Liverpool 8’, it hits the goal it sets out to score.   Overall, it represents what Starr is best at; uncomplicated music coupled with an uncomplicated sentiment.

The two re-recorded numbers are surprisingly good – though good in this case is relative, since newly written songs would still have been preferable.   A track originally featured on ‘Ringo’ [Starr’s relatively popular 1973 elpee], ‘Step Lightly’ appears here in a superbly moody variation, where a warming bass and some old fashioned electric piano lines are a near perfect compliment for Starr’s slightly woozy voice.  In terms of arrangement, it’s similar to the 1973 cut, but replacing the clarinets and oompah horns with something more blues oriented proves a much better, much classier choice.  It’s one of the album’s sure-fire winners: certainly something which makes ‘Ringo 2012’ worth checking out.  Likewise, the re-jigged ‘Wings’ (originally from Starr’s 1977 flop ‘Ringo The 4th’) is enjoyable with its reggae chops, female harmonies and brass fills.  The sharper band and arrangement make the late 70s version sound flat and demo-like in comparison.  While artists revisiting old works to improve them can sometimes be disastrous (Kate Bush’s ‘Director’s Cut’ being a glaring example of such empty vanity), with this pair of tunes, Starr has made the right decision, since with his band of arguably superior musical chums in tow, these tunes have been re-worked for the better.

As for the covers, the Buddy Holly track is endearing but ultimately inessential (once again, though, Ringo and co sound like they’re having fun, and in lots of ways, that’s what Ringo’s solo career has always been about), but a cover of the old chestnut ‘Rock Island Line’ suits Ringo rather well (certainly much better than it suits Graham Bonnet!).  On this Leadbelly standard, with his steady drum pace and equally steady vocal, he sounds perfectly at ease, as if he’s played the song a thousand times (and probably has).  Augmented by some great slide guitar, a more than worthy solo and lovely bar-room piano, it’s a good, solid number.  Although nothing too out of the ordinary, it has to be said, at the centre, there’s the sound of Starr and his chums enjoying what they do, and even Starr’s most vocal detractors would be mean to deny him that.

It’s easy to feel short-changed by ‘Ringo 2012’ (certainly on the first few plays, at least).  While there’s some enjoyable material to be heard (and the re-recorded ‘Step Lightly’ has a very pleasing arrangement), this release feels like a total rush job – especially compared to a few of his previous efforts.  Being an ex-Beatle and certainly not having to attract an audience, you could argue that Ringo is Ringo and can do what he likes; however most would probably find it hard not to agree with the idea that even Ringo can do better, even after taking on board some of the album’s best moments.  Regardless of its patchwork quality, if you’ve dug Ringo’s output from the nineties and beyond, ‘Ringo 2012’ is still worth investing in, though…but only if the price is right.  For everyone else, the best advice is to give this a miss and give ‘Ringo Rama’ and ‘Liverpool 8’ a listen with an open mind instead.

February 2012

BILL DeMAIN – Extended Stay EP

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Extended Stay EPBy the end of 2011, Bill DeMain had already released nine albums as one half of Swan Dive (a band who’s 2009 release ‘Mayfair’ featured several co-writes with cult singer-songwriter David Mead), but surprisingly, this 2012 EP marks his first foray into recording as a solo artist.  The release of ‘Extended Stay’ comes at the end of a distinctly wobbly time for the Nashville singer-songwriter, first having his home flooded – losing various irreplaceable notebooks in the process – followed by losing that home entirely due to a fire; a fire which lost him 80% of his belongings.  The title and suitcase adorning the sleeve represent the bohemian existence DeMain was forced to adopt for a year following the disasters.

Given the events which preceded the EP’s release, you might think ‘Extended Stay’ would be a soul-searching, perhaps even naval-gazing, downbeat affair. Yes, it’s largely structured around pieces written for acoustic guitar or piano and yes, in places, there’s often a focus on the lyrics; it’s even possible to say most of the tunes have a softness and reflective quality uniting them, yet somehow it rarely feels like a down release.

The main hook from the opening cut works around its title, ‘Looking for a Place to Live’, yet bizarrely, the lyric pre-dates the fire.  DeMain’s soft wocal style weaves a pleasant melody against an equally lovely finger-picked guitar, as the time signature is laid out in a foot-tapped rhythm (not unlike McCartney’s well-worn composition ‘Blackbird’).  That’s enough to make the tune work on its own merits, but as it progresses, DeMain brings in some harmony voices, a cello and electric piano to fill out the arrangement.  In all, it’s one of the EP’s most enduring cuts.  Need another incentive to check out this tune?  It’s co-written with another Nashville musician, Daniel Tashian, who is one of the finest pop writers of his age; in fact, ‘Chateau Revenge!’, the 2010 release from Tashian’s band The Silver Seas ranks among the finest retro-pop/power pop releases ever.   Although retaining an acoustic backbone, ‘St. Joes ’75’ has a more flippant mood, coming as it does with more than a dash of rhythmic inspiration from Bowie’s ‘John, I’m Only Dancing’, before morphing into something that sounds like T.Rex reworking an idea from Brian Wilson.  DeMain sounds solid vocally and the acoustic work provides a good basis, but for that all-round 1970s feel  – which it’s obvious DeMain is striving for – the saxophone is key.  There are plenty of saxes throughout these three-and-a-half minutes, pushed high in the overall mix; at times the sax work appears jaunty, at others, just a little too obtrusive.  As a disposable piece of glam-tinged pop it works well enough, though its religious bent mightn’t be well received by all.

Perhaps the EP’s best tune overall, ‘Common Love Song’ combines guitar and piano on a mid-paced arrangement which has a McCartney-ish air.  More specifically, it’s a number which could have graced any number of Wings albums in the 70s.  After what sounds like it could’ve been a false start, DeMain’s smooth vocal calls out gently above a drum beat and simple piano chords.  This would have been a good enough number as is, but a ringing guitar on the chorus gives things a slight lift.  To hammer home the seventies-ness (and the track’s only real weak link), some ugly, unquestionably dated keyboards fill a space which could have been better filled by a tasteful guitar solo.  There’s a fine line between cool and retro and trying too hard…and DeMain comes dangerously close to crossing that line here, but since most of ‘Common Love Song’ sounds like an almost classic piece of singer songwriter pop, he can be excused!

The rest of the EP takes on an often more subtle vibe.  ‘In Your Letter’ offers a very interesting piano melody, over which DeMain’s vocal is fairly saccharine, but totally sympathetic to the mood.  As with ‘Looking For a Place to Live’, it’s the addition of strings which really gives the tune strength.  Vocally, however, there’s nothing striking here – though perhaps “obviously striking” was never DeMain’s intention; even the best cuts on this EP can take a few spins before they start to take a hold.  More analog synths appear in the middle of ‘Honeylove’, an otherwise sweet acoustic ditty.  Short and simple, it’s DeMain’s vocal which really carries this song.  As a standalone track, it may not feel like much, but as part of the complete picture, it’s another good example of DeMain’s gentle touch as a songwriter.  ‘In Your Letter’ and ‘Honeylove’ definitely don’t hold as much magic as some of the better tunes here, but it’s unlikely you’ll find the urge to skip either of them.

With its hint of New York and Randy Newman, ‘Raggedy Man’ (a co-write with David Mead) is reminiscent of parts of Mark Bacino’s ‘Queens English’.  As a piano and kazoo lead their way through a well constructed but – on the surface – somewhat childlike arrangement, it’s hard not to feel that DeMain isn’t channelling Newman’s often untrustworthy narrator.  For those who’ve always enjoyed things in such a style, it’ll almost certainly have a little charm, especially for those who’ve followed Swan Dive’s works.

‘Extended Stay’ isn’t a bad EP by any means, not bad at all, but in a few places it lacks that extra spark.  So far into a cult career, it’s great that DeMain has felt the need to stretch his legs and explore a few (slightly) different musical avenues, but, with the sheer amount of singer-songwriter material out there just waiting to be discovered, this is a release which feels like a solid collection filler as opposed to the essential item it could have been.

January 2012