Category Archives: Album & EP Reviews

DEAD GIVEAWAYS – Underneath Everything

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At the beginning of 2011, Dead Giveaways released their debut EP.  Across four songs, the Washington based band showcased a great energy, promising better things for their upcoming full-length release.   ‘Underneath Everything’ – that full length – features thirteen high-speed punky romps, and  if it’s high octane thrashiness you’re after, with its tales of partying, infidelity, partying, girls, booze and more partying, this should make an impression.

First off, the general edge to the band’s music, coupled with Aaron Moses’s slightly ragged vocal style, puts this firmly in the punk category as opposed to pop-punk.  Also, even though the band big up the rock ‘n’ roll elements in their sound, they’re not always as pronounced as they could be (unlike The Computers’ full-length for example).  With these elements combined, what we do have on our hands is a great high-energy disc and on numbers like ‘All Right Tonight’ and ‘The Best Thing’, the band proves they’re a force to be reckoned with.  Both numbers are straight up punk delivered with some simple but distinctive guitar leads, which recall moments from The Queers and Screeching Weasel back catalogues.  That should be enough to reel some of you in for a listen…

‘Right Now’ combines the speed of The Queers during their ‘Beat Off’ days with another infectious guitar riff which also echoes the best work of that band, while fusing it with a slightly more ragged lead voice.  As such, it doesn’t stretch the band’s talents, but is ultimately very enjoyable.  ‘The Devil On My Shoulder’ has a punk intensity, but hiding behind a wall of guitars is what’s essentially a bar-room country hoe-down played at breakneck speed.  A tale of cheating on your girlfriend is dressed up with fist-in-your-face subtlety and a sloppy guitar solo.  Joe Deal is a shining light behind the wall of sound; his fast bass runs – often very clear in the mix – save this tune from being one of the band’s more ordinary offerings.

‘Hell Yeah’ takes the power of numbers like ‘The Best Thing’ and injects a little rock ‘n’ roll edge, while never quite reaching the heights of punk ‘n’ roll.  There’s a definite influence from Supersuckers, and here, Dead Giveaways’ penchant for simple, infectious hooks is as subtle as a brick, making this one of many standouts.  Likewise, the hook from ‘Love Song’ is purposely designed to annoy and entertain in equal measure with its repeated line of “I want sex tonight!”  Musically, it’s yet another no-nonsense punky thrasher that’s a definite winner.  Originally featured on the band’s EP, ‘Dear Liver/9 Shots’ fuses punk with a hint of old style country (surely another influence from Tucson’s Supersuckers) and that drunken country vibe comes across stronger on the first half of this number than anywhere else on the release.  ‘Dear Liver’ acts as an intro sounding like an old scratchy record, while ‘9 Shots’ is another slice of punk with a slight influence from a country stomp.  While it could be described as great fun, chances are you’ll have heard something similar from a NOFX album in the past. Originality aside, the band are on form once more, with Matt Jones’s drumming sounding tight and furious…and yes, if you came hoping for another shout-along chorus, you’re not going to feel short-changed.

No decent punk album is complete without a cover tune, and ‘Underneath Everything’ is no exception.  While not an especially original choice (having already been tackled by fellow punks Humble Gods and ska-pop-punk band Dance Hall Crashers), Tom Petty’s ‘American Girl’ gets another airing here.  What it lacks in inspiration it makes up for with sheer speed, since Dead Giveaways hammer through it as fast as they can: the twin guitars of Erik Gidney and Aaron Moses buzz away, while Jones’s drums and Deal’s rumbling bass provides most of the power.  The brilliance of Petty’s composition seems to shine no matter who’s in the driving seat and this is no exception, especially once these guys soften up for the bridge section… File under “inessential, but fun”.

With regard to musical tightness, Dead Giveaways mightn’t always be as consistent as some, but they have a great energy and their gift for penning infectious choruses constantly wins out.  Though it’s not a perfect album by any means, ‘Underneath Everything’ comes loaded with enough hooks to make it a punk disc that’s well worth investigating.

October 2011

KATE BUSH – 50 Words For Snow

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For most of her career, in the minds of fans and music journalists alike, Kate Bush has almost been above and beyond criticism.  That’s certainly true of her work up until ‘The Red Shoes’, after which, she disappeared for over a decade.  When she finally re-emerged with the long-awaited ‘Aerial’ in November 2005, most fans were delighted.  The album had a wandering nature and wasn’t always on par with her best work, but it was great to have Kate back.

After that, Kate disappeared yet again.  Six years later, with almost no fanfare – and certainly none of the anticipation surrounding ‘Aerial’ – she released ‘Director’s Cut’, a collection of partially re-recorded tunes from her ‘Sensual World’ and ‘Red Shoes’ albums.  Responses were more than mixed.  While some fans were predictably sycophantic, others were scathing.  This was the first time Kate had received such a negative response in high numbers.   An artist once beyond criticism had released an obviously sub-par work.  What she’d kept almost entirely under wraps, however, was her work on brand spanking new material at the same time.

Not a genuine concept album, but certainly themed, ’50 Words For Snow’ – released almost six years to the day after ‘Aerial’ – had plenty riding on it.  Not only would it need to restore faith in those who’d despised everything ‘Director’s Cut’ stood for, but it also had to equal ‘Aerial’ – ‘Aerial’, of course, being the obvious reference point; since [a] it was Bush’s most recent completely original work, and [b] it would be unreasonable to expect it to reach the heights of Kate’s 80s output – so much time has passed since then.

The first thing that’s notable about the album is its wandering nature.  ‘Aerial’ had its drawn out moments – particularly on the themed second half, but that was nothing compared to ’50 Words For Snow’.  In fact, most of ’50 Words’ is nothing remotely like ‘Aerial’, or anything else in the Kate Bush catalogue – it’s not even like anything you imagine it to be before hearing it.  Presenting just seven songs in over an hour, the album has an epic quality to say the least.  Right from the opening piano chords of ‘Snowflake’, the music represents a cold, wintery quality – much like Tori Amos’s ‘Winter’ had – and as those piano lines roll by, their bleakness pulls in the listener.  For almost ten minutes, this opening number features Kate plus piano, augmented by occasional electronic sounds and an orchestral minimalism providing atmospheric bottom end.  As for percussion, you’ll find that’s at the minimum too – drum rolls occasionally rear up like the wind, but roll away again just as quickly.  Kate’s voice understated and husky – barely the voice which made her fortune – but against such stark arrangements her mumbling style works well.  Any high notes she may have once hit are provided by a youthful choral singer, which too kind of befits the cold and wintery atmospheres.  It’s not like anything Bush has ever recorded before – any layers here are slight, only revealing themselves after a few plays – but ‘Snowflake’ is an intriguing opening statement and one which sustains its ten minute duration surprisingly well.

The beginning of ‘Lake Tahoe’ is horrible. A choir sounds slightly jarring at first and then even more so once a few discordant elements are thrown into the arrangement.  In contrast to the opening track, any peaks – of which there are few – are provided by orchestration as opposed to percussion; that orchestration simple, but breath-taking in places.  The piano playing swells as the track moves it’s slow, snow-filled journey; overall, it’s a much more traditional tune than on ‘Snowflake’,  a tune on which Kate’s voice has a greater presence.  Not even the softest moments of ‘Aerial’ even hint at this kind of ambience.  The only downside is that, despite some lovely moments, ‘Lake Tahoe’ just can’t sustain eleven minutes without sounding like a four minute track that’s been left on repeat.  Later listens do little to change this feeling… Half the length and minus the choir, it could have been one of the album’s better numbers, but in this form, it’s definitely of an acquired taste.

‘Misty’ offers a similar atmosphere to that of ‘Lake Tahoe’, but without the nasty guest vocalists.  That alone makes it far superior… The pianos swirl and the orchestra lulls and Kate paints more lyrical pictures of snow filled landscapes.  This is perhaps the closest ’50 Words’ gets to wholly familiar territory – surely to become a fan favourite.  The jazzy drums and an upright bass lay a gentle backbeat in places against piano lines full of minor keys.  And, most importantly, Bush is in better voice here, never overstretching her now more limited range.  At over thirteen minutes, this is epic in every sense of the word, even reaching a genuine climax in a way that most of ’50 Words For Snow’ threatens but rarely ever does.  One final thought: as superb as this is, can we hear Tori Amos sing this one now? Please?

The second half of the album is rather more upbeat.  The first track released from the album, ‘Wild Man’ changes the mood instantly.  The pianos are gone and, in their place, some dated keyboards provide the basis of the tune.  Luckily, these are balanced out by some lovely acoustic guitar work – one of the only times are guitar comes to prominence.  Kate whispers her vocal, occasionally breaking into actual singing, backed with other voices.  For most people – non-fans especially – this track certainly sounds more like the Kate Bush they’re familiar with.  Although it provides the album with something more immediately accessible, it feels horribly out of place, not unlike like a left-over from 1993’s ‘The Red Shoes’.   As with ‘Lake Tahoe’, there’s a strong feeling of unnecessary padding here too – this four minute tune is dragged out to over seven minutes, severely outstaying its welcome.  Synths sit at the heart of ‘Snowed In At Wheeler Street – another definite high point – but their reverbed sounds only provide a mechanical heart, as opposed to leading the piece in any way.  The basic tune, yet again, comes from the piano, but in some ways any music is secondary to the vocal performances.  Kate hits the heights of her ‘Aerial’ vocal styles – outshining them in places – while on second vocal, Sir Elton John offers a booming, overtly theatrical accompaniment.  He could easily be accused over over-singing, but since the piece demands such an almost ridiculously overwrought performance, he sounds great, particularly as ‘Wheeler Street’ reaches it’s inevitable climax.

What comes next could never have been imagined, even in jest.  The title track could be described as eccentric, but that would only begin to cover it. Over a groove that fuses adult pop/rock with an ambient danceable groove, Kate counts to 50 slowly while Mr Stephen Fry reads out fifty names for snow in corresponding foreign languages.  It works wonderfully thanks to Fry’s distinct tones.  From other artists it may have been considered frivolous – stupid even – but for a woman who has collaborated with Rolf Harris on more than one occasion, it’s all part of the Kate Bush experience.  What the track could have done without, however, it the sung refrain between the blocks of counting.  Kate sings “come on, we’ve got [insert number here] more to go / Come on, tell us your fifty words for snow!”.  This pushes listener goodwill a bit too far.  Eccentric is fine, but deliberately bonkers just ends up sounding a bit desperate.  Aside from this faux pas, the music is great, with theeight and a half minutes feeling surprisingly brisk.  Bring our journey full circle, ‘Among Angels’ is a slow brooding piano ballad; while not as minimalist as ‘Snowflake’, nor as grand as ‘Misty’, it brings proceedings to a close with another highlight.  Kate’s voice has a clarity not always heard on the other tracks, while the piano and strings have a drifting simplicity which creates an almost cinematic nature.  It’s the sound of an artist maturing gracefully and a perfect closing statement.

So, six years in the making, ’50 Words For Snow’ has moments which are surprisingly sparse – the kind of album other artists could have made in a quarter of the time (although it must be said, ’50 Words For Snow’ is an album most other artists just would not make).  Parts of it could stand up proudly with some of Kate’s previous recordings, but some of it misses the mark – not due to a lack of vision, but perhaps maybe too much vision.  As for the best bits, Kate once said that December would be magic again…and ’50 Words For Snow’ suggests that, for Kate Bush fans, the future winters now have a magical soundtrack forever more.

November 2011

DEXYS MIDNIGHT RUNNERS – Searching For The Young Soul Rebels

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At the end of the 1970s, as punk faded, there were various British bands keen to pay tribute to a musical past. Each paying tribute to the 1960s in their own way, the 2-Tone label gave birth to a second wave of ska music, while The Jam, Dr Feelgood and various other bands paid homage to rhythm & blues and mod scenes. Often gaining fewer accolades by comparison, Birmingham’s Dexys Midnight Runners were heavily influenced by soul – particularly of the horn-based variety, as championed by the legendary Stax label.  Their first album ‘Searching for the Young Soul Rebels’ captures the original line-up of the band in fabulous form; with plenty of ego and so much to prove.

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VARIOUS ARTISTS: ZZ Top: A Tribute From Friends

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At the beginning of ZZ Top’s fifth decade as recording artists (still featuring the original three guys as of 2011), the band have finally scored their own tribute album. The unimaginatively titled and poorly packaged ‘A Tribute From Friends’ is better than it initially appears and includes contributions from a couple of rock heavyweights alongside a couple of artistes you’d never expect to find on such a record.

With a steady blues-pop groove that’s so unmistakably the work of 80s ZZ Top, it’s out with the big guns first, for an all star rendition of ‘Sharp Dressed Man’. In the rhythm section are the incomparable John McVie and Mick Fleetwood. The pair get to rock harder than they have in many a year, but still bring their usual stately and solid approach to this session. Fleetwood’s drums never break from their groove – adopting the kind of slow pounding as heard through the band’s ‘Rumours’ – abetted all the way by McVie’s bass, similarly elephantine in its unshakable style. The pair have never felt any need to be flashy, always believing a rhythm section are exactly that – and this is no exception. Combined, they really are a force of nature. What band could befit such a pair? Step up blues prodigy Jonny Lang on guitar and Steven Tyler on vocals! Lang adds some gritty lines in the Billy Gibbons tradition while the Aerosmith mouthpiece clearly relishes yelping his way through the classic number. Rounding out the makeshift band is keysman Brett Tuggle, whose electric piano work brings with it plenty of flair. All-star collaborations don’t always work, but this band – credited as The M.O.B. – sound like a natural combination on a track which would make a near essential collection filler, especially for Aerosmith devotees.

Perversely, the often questionable Nickelback offer another of the best covers here with a really chunky version of the tres hombres’ world-wide hit ‘Legs’. The southern groove and general spirit of the original cut is still very much present; the only major change Nickelback have made is to play it about three times heavier. Shifting the tune away from its original mechanical eighties muscles and giving it a bigger crunch works strongly in its favour. Whether Nickelback chose ‘Legs’ because it suited their style or whether Chad Kroeger was amused by its blatant levels of sexism remains to be seen, but let’s not knock it too much, a good cover is a good cover. Balancing out the sexist elements of ‘Legs’, the even more sexist ‘Tush’ gets the once-over by the female led Grace Potter & The Nocturnals. Most of the swagger of ZZ Top’s 1975 cut is evident, but isn’t always quite as natural sounding when delivered by this Vermont based blues outfit. To make up for a slightly stilted drum part, Potter’s lead vocal comes with plenty of charm, stretching her range with relative ease. It’s good to hear a woman tacking this song; it would have been better if Heart’s Ann Wilson had recorded a cover instead, but as they say, you can’t have everything.

Duff McKagan’s upfront bass style and gravelly rock vocals put so much of a his stamp on Loaded’s version ‘Got Me Under Pressure’, it’s hard not to imagine this track appearing in their live sets from time to time. It’s meaty, it’s trashy – it’s not especially sophisticated, but then neither are most things by ZZ Top. In all, though, it’s another job well done. ‘La Grange’ is left in the hands of country rocker Jamey Johnson whom, thankfully, really delivers the goods on an eight minute extended workout of what could perhaps be the finest of ZZ Top’s tunes. The groove hits the mark consistently, over which Johnson’s slurred vocals are top drawer. Most importantly, during the instrumental parts, he and band really sound like they’re having a great time, especially once the two guitars trade solos with an old fashioned organ and harmonica. The eight minutes just zip by and, with at least five of those dominated by solos, you’ll wish this boogie rock tour de force had gone on for longer – perhaps even much longer.

Heavy-hitters Mastodon trade in their usual monolithic riffs for plenty of fuzzy southern grooves throughout a rendition of ‘Just Got Paid’ which showcases a loud drum kit, plenty of slide guitar work and a gravelly vocal. It’s like listening to seventies ZZ Top re-worked by a particularly aggressive Molly Hatchet and certainly none the worse for that. They ought to tackle southern rock more often, since it really suits them…while never losing the feel a band you’d never want to mess with. ZZ Top’s eighties pop hit ‘Rough Boy’ gets the once-over by one time Fugees man Wyclef Jean. As you’d expect, he takes the track and casts it in his own black pop style. The mechanical music is soulless empty – emptier than the now dated original version – so you’d hope that a decent vocal would balance things out. Sadly, you won’t get that either, since Wyclef’s voice has been horribly autotuned. It’s just nasty. Yes, there are a couple of non-rock inclusions to be found on this tribute, but how Wyclef made the cut with this atrocity is just baffling. There are a couple of artistes not represented here whom could have fit the bill nicely – and either Black Stone Cherry or Black Label Society would have been a more than welcome substitution for the woefully misplaced Wyclef.

Elsewhere, you’ll find enjoyable offerings from Coheed & Cambria (terrible vocal, top tune) and US talent show winner Chris Daughtry (a man with a great voice), alongside the seventies-inspired Wolfmother and industrial merchants Filter. All four acts achieve relatively decent results with their chosen covers, though not always reaching the peaks of this album’s best results. On the whole, as tributes go, ‘ZZ Top – A Tribute From Friends’ is all fairly respectful. That’s not to say that ZZ Top’s fans would like this tribute of course, but then, it wasn’t really created with them in mind. It could be argued that perhaps more of the bands could have remodelled these tunes into their own image – as per Wyclef Jean and Duff McKagan – since it may have made things more interesting, but that wouldn’t have necessarily made the album any better. Even if you’re not entirely convinced by this album as a whole, at least check it out for the Jamey Johnson track – you won’t regret it.

November 2011

CHRIS OUSEY – Rhyme & Reason

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His input on the Virginia Wolf albums and Heartland’s debut release back in the 80s would have been enough alone to secure Chris Ousey a place in the AOR hall of fame. However, Chris Ousey’s musical journey did not end there: although from that point on, his career moved toward more of a cult following, throughout the 90s and beyond, Ousey continued to be one of the UK’s hardest working voices in melodic rock.  Heartland’s career moved apace, releasing various albums for the Escape Music label throughout the 90s and beyond, and in addition, Ousey also embarked on a side project with Pokerface’s Kenny Kaos entitled The Distance (not to be confused with the similarly-named American band featuring Robert Hart).

Released almost two and a half decades after the Virginia Wolf debut put Ousey on the map, you could say his solo debut was a long time coming – and you’d be right.  Some things, however, are worth the wait.  2011’s ‘Rhyme & Reason’ is not simply a continuation of the Heartland saga; it presents something far better.  For this record, Ousey pits his instantly recognisable voice against some of melodic rock’s other premier talents.  The respected Tommy Denander joins Ousey’s band on guitar alongside the absolutely legendary guitarist/producer Mike Slamer, while ex-Whitesnake bassist Neil Murray and sometime David Lee Roth/Joe Satriani drummer Gregg Bissonette fill the rhythm section.  As far as session bands go, that’s quite a line up.  Across this album’s dozen tracks they sound truly inspired, as if this bringing together of various talents yielded the kind of spark long lost in some melodic rock quarters.

There are no weak songs to be found here – all twelve tracks on ‘Rhyme & Reason’ offer something enjoyable for the discernable melodic rock fan.  Naturally, of course, there are a few clear standouts.  The stabbing keys and overdriven guitar riff which provide the heart of the opening track ‘The Mother of Invention’ are in a style which sets the tone for the rest of the record.  Ousey’s lead voice sounds powerful and the music, in melodic rock terms at least, comes with a big presence befitting of such a vocal.  The keyboards bring a mechanical muscle in places, and although this gives a late 80s feel to the track, it never feels fake in any way.  The lead guitar work is of a great standard – as you’d expect from both Denander and Slamer – showy, but not too showy; these guys know that, first and foremost, this is Ousey’s record.  The bar gets raised a little higher still on ‘Motivation’ which features some clean guitar lines during the intro which in turn give way to another great, slightly dirtier riff.  The overall mood is funky without opting for a full-out funk rock workout and the band sounds tight throughout.  Despite the dominant guitars, mechanical keys still provide the musical glue which holds everything together.  Ousey doesn’t hit as many big notes as he is capable on this number, but in some ways there’s no need – the choppy rhythms speak for themselves and carry everything well enough.

Something softer, ‘A Natural Love’ really highlights Ousey’s top vocal skills as he stretches his lines with relative ease.  Backed by a by a fairly predictable – yet still great – AOR arrangement, his voice sounds wonderful on a number which could have graced any number of Heartland albums in the past, except for one key difference: Mike Slamer is a far better guitarist than Heartland’s Steve Morris (sorry Steve!) and here, with the help of Tommy Denander he adds some great sweeping guitar lines which are absolutely perfect for the piece.  Those looking for something punchy need look no farther than ‘Give Me Shelter’, a three minute burst of rock, which aside from carrying another driving, arpeggio filled riff, has plenty of pompy keyboards.  Not to be outdone by such a solid musical backdrop, Ousey goes all-out here, delivering a vocal which could proudly stand alongside his best.  His voice has held up well over the years and this only proves it.

‘Watch This Space’ offers something a little lighter in places once again, as Ousey lends his voice track which wouldn’t have sounded too out of place on Toto’s ‘Kingdom of Desire’ album with its slightly fuzzy guitar riffs.  When it’s Ousey’s turn at the microphone, the guitars take a back seat as he places his vocal across a keyboard based groove – his voice every bit as strong as his more famous peers.  As a piece of music, this uses all the hallmarks of classic melodic rock – the featured guitar solo providing another high point, while the clear separation between guitar, keyboard and voice allows Slamer’s almost faultless production a chance to really shine.  In a similar vein, ‘The Reason Why’ showcases perfect performances from Ousey and band – the riffs and harmonies peaking in a great AOR chorus, topped yet again by a immaculate guitar solo, brimming with huge notes.  Looking beyond melodic rock’s well worn (but still well loved 80s hits), this is a good example of why some people still love what is an often derided musical genre.  ‘Rhyme & Reason’ is a great album all round, but this track is just fantastic.

Almost everything involving Mike Slamer is melodic rock gold, and this album is no exception.  Although most of Chris Ousey’s output is of a reasonably high standard, parts of ‘Rhyme & Reason’ are a cut above, and certainly far sharper than a lot of the post-1997 Heartland releases.  While Ousey’s fans are sure to lap this up, there are enough guitar chops here to potentially reel in a fair number of Slamer and Denander devotees too.  With such a winning combination of musicians and some genuinely great songs (given a decent production job), ‘Rhyme & Reason’ is a melodic rock album that’s not to be missed.

November 2011