Category Archives: Album & EP Reviews

ISSA – The Storm

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Despite members of the melodic rock community proclaiming her Issa’s debut album ‘Sign of Angels’ a work of genius and suggesting the record sounded like a female fronted Journey, that wasn’t really accurate. Fact is, being Norwegian, huge chunks of Issa’s first album had a distinctly Scandinavian feel. There was nothing particularly wrong with that, but it just wasn’t American enough to gain Journey styled comparisons. Regardless of Issa’s best efforts, the bulk of that album’s material was solid, but often unremarkable – certainly not really “genius” by most people’s standards.

It would be wrong to suggest Issa had broken any new ground with her second record, ‘The Storm’ – it’s still loaded with some very predictable melodic rock chops – but the record has a distinctly more American feel at times. More importantly, she’s contributed to the song writing and – perhaps as a direct result – sounds more at ease vocally. Although not as sharp as those from a classic Survivor album, for example, the production values (courtesy of Daniel Flores) are also superior to the slightly muddy dynamics present on Issa’s debut release. Each of these factors make ‘The Storm’ an infinitely more enjoyable listening experience.

‘Looking For Love’ is a strong opening statement: David Siviland’s rhythm guitars have a pleasing soft metal choppiness over which Issa’s vocal is strong. An extra sense of depth is provided by a pompy keyboard line throughout which is perfectly judged rhythmically, though perhaps the squealy 70s style solo could have been avoided. Overall, it’s a decent opener, but it’s the softer bridge section and featured guitar solo (courtesy of Work of Art man Robert Sall) which lends the listener to believe this is only the beginning and, perhaps, ‘The Storm’ has even better material up its sleeve. ‘Please Hold On’ cements such theories, pushing things into slightly more American sounding 80s hard rock territory. Issa takes this number and pulls the best from its vocal – particularly on a classic sounding chorus. Many of you will have hundreds of songs in your AOR collections which achieve similar results – but when those songs are as good as this, there’s always room for one more! As before, Siviland provides a suitable amount of musical meatiness in the guitar department; this time around, though, he’s totally outshone by Daniel Flores on the keyboards, whose work echoes many 80s classics with his tinkling and rather bell-like accompaniments. Those keyboards alone would be enough to remind you all of melodic rock’s glory years, but a predictably perfect key change for the last chorus just adds to the goodness, making this one of the album’s essential tracks.

The intro on the title cut is lovely: the guitars ring with an absolute clarity, while the piano also adds a great deal of charm to a very 80s mood. When the drums kick in, they do not dominate – instead settling for providing a suitable backline, thus allowing the choppy guitars carry most of the tune. Compared with a few of the album’s choicest cuts, the chorus here is weaker and as the number progresses, a slightly cheesier mood doesn’t quite live up to the intro’s great promise. Still, it’s not a dud by any means – but it certainly could have been better. Moving things into a rockier mood, ‘You’re Making Me’ is slightly pompy – driven by a pounding bass and reasonable guitar riff. Issa proves here she’s as adept at rockier outings as she is the more dramatic offerings. Overall, it’s more in keeping with some of the material from ‘Sign of Angels’ and is a little more throwaway, but it’s given a lift by the presence of Christopher Vetter on lead guitar who offers up a more than commendable solo spot. ‘Two Hearts’ is slightly more Scandinavian sounding once again; this has much to do with its being penned for Issa by Xorigin’s Johannes Stole and Daniel Palmquist. What it offers musically is something hugely melodic – a number loaded with twin guitar harmonies and another big chorus. The mid-paced approach will likely appeal to a lot of melodic rock fans; Issa is in good form and even though her band don’t get to show themselves off as much here as on some of the other cuts, it has to be said that Palmquist’s lead guitar work – the solo in particular – is cracking.

‘Too Late For Love’ runs through many of the usual clichés, but is well arranged with a strong vocal pitched against clean guitar work. A harmony-filled chorus carries itself reasonably well, although it is perhaps not quite as strong as it ought to have been. You know what to expect and, although it’s far from a let-down, it shouldn’t have just settled for being a good track; with the level of quality shown elsewhere, this could have been great. With regards to power ballads, ‘Invincible’ is much better all round. Containing one of Issa’s best vocals it already starts with best foot forward, but a simple arrangement adds to its overall strength. The guitars are played with just enough crunchiness to put this track firmly in the rock bracket, yet extensive use of piano lends the softer passages an extra depth. Melodic rock by numbers it may be, but it’s spot on. Had this been written for any number of artists back in the 1980s, it could have been a hit. Alongside ‘Please Hold On’, this provides ample reason for investigating this release…even if you weren’t especially swayed by Issa’s first attempt.

It may not be edgy, but this album is well-crafted. It shows that Issa had a strong enough sense of vision to take the best elements of her previous work and make them work much better for her this time around. Granted, ‘The Storm’ isn’t as good as the female fronted AOR/melodic classics from the genre’s heyday – of which Robin Beck’s ‘Trouble or Nothin’, Heart’s ‘Bad Animals’ and Cher’s self-titled record are still at the absolute pinnacle – but on its own merits, Issa’s second outing is potentially one of the best examples of the genre offered in 2011.

November 2011

HOLMES – Covers

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Although he may already be familiar to some as producer Jazzelicious (aka The Tao of Groove), multi-instrumentalist Roy Shakked also records retro-influenced pop albums under the moniker of Holmes.  His earlier works in this field have gained comparisons to Ben Folds and Beck.  Since Holmes was already working on new self-penned material in 2011, this third record – made up of cover tunes – is essentially a stop-gap.  That’s not to say it’s in any way inferior; across thirteen tracks, Holmes painstakingly recreates some very familiar artists work, often in his own image and while it was recorded in a home studio on a small budget, it still sounds like an expensive, very professional recording.

Fancy hearing Ice Cube’s ‘It Was a Good Day’ in the style of Ben Folds? That’s precisely how Holmes chooses to make his entrance on this release!  The general pace is similar to that of Ice Cube’s original track, but in place of the big beats Holmes strikes some crystal clear piano chords.  Naturally, Ice Cube’s spoken delivery is dumped in favour of a vastly superior sung vocal.  The combination of piano, strong vocal and funky basslines makes a great opening number.  As with Folds’s own similar version of Dr Dre’s ‘Bitches Ain’t Shit’, it has to be said the bad language really greats within such perfect power pop confines – but there’s no getting around that if these things are to be done properly.  A low-key rendition of INXS’ ‘Need You Tonight’ feels unsettling at first, with Holmes choosing a piano style which sounds as if it’s been lifted from a John Carpenter horror movie, but the addition of accordion and bass soon gives things a distinctly European flavour.  By the end of the first chorus, it’s quickly obvious this isn’t about to break into anything grander.  How Holmes decided the song would fall so easily into such cinematic spaciousness shows great imagination and foresight: while he should get kudos for thinking way outside the box, the jury is out as to whether it works or not.  It’s certainly the polar opposite to Powerman 5000’s hugely straight-ahead cover of ‘Devil Inside’.

It would have been too predictable for Holmes to take ‘Why Didn’t You Call Me’ by Macy Gray and base it around a funky electric piano/clavichord arrangement a la Stevie Wonder.  That’s probably why he’s decided it would work even better as a raucous glam-rock stomper!  Combining fuzzy guitars with a nice live sound in the rhythm department really gives this track an edge without ever sacrificing melody.  Buried somewhere in the mix there’s also a stabbing keyboard which is augmented by handclaps; in all, it’s a fantastic track – a great and very inventive take on one of Gray’s best numbers. The electric piano that was so expected on the Macy Gray number makes a belated appearance throughout ‘Don’t Be Cruel’.  This maudlin, yet still brilliant, run-through of Elvis Presley’s 1956 track couldn’t be farther from The King’s recording if it tried.  In a slowed down, thoughtful rendition, it actually owes far more to the works of Electric Light Orchestra and Wings as it does the early days of rock ‘n’ roll.  At a slow pace, it really hammers home the sentiment behind the lyric.  This kind of reimaging works in a similar fashion to Howie Day’s cover of The Beatles’ ‘Help’ and comes far better suited to the lyrical content.  Move over Cheap Trick – your cover isn’t really needed any more.  Holmes takes a similarly perverse approach to the Genesis hit ‘That’s All’, where he throws away the distinctive piano riff and replaces it with acoustic guitars.  Essentially a lightweight hoedown, it works well in this format, particularly with a twanging upright bass with banjos and dobros flesh out the sound.  Even without its overly familiar piano part, this will be just as instantly recognisable to Genesis fans due to Holmes’s insistence on retaining all of the original song’s vocal melodies.

The second hit by synth-pop duo Yazoo (Yaz in the US) is reworked here as a bouncy piece of pop which melds a strong bassline with an acoustic guitar part which sits somewhere between a latin shuffle and cocktail lounge music.  A mid section with a jazzy piano interlude pushes the envelope of invention even father, but perhaps the tracks biggest quirk comes from Holmes taking the original synth line and reworking it in to a counter-vocal.  This is something which works just brilliantly.  There are a few 80s synths scattered around the place – complete with a tone befitting a Vince Clarke composition – but they don’t necessary turn up where expected!   With some of the off-beat elements at the centre of most of these covers, you’d expect Holmes to have an absolute field day with a Queen number, and yet on his recording of ‘Bicycle Race’, he plays things as straight as possible – perhaps just as Jellyfish would have done, had they ever thought to record it.  The multi-layered vocals are pleasing; in fact, although it’ll never replace the Queen original in your affections, the whole arrangement is tight.  The only major change comes during the fast section, where Holmes replaces Brian May’s chorus pedals with some jarring seventies keyboards.  On the whole, this cover shows a great respect and an even stronger love for one of the world’s greatest bands – more respect than Brian May and Roger Taylor have given the Queen name since Freddie Mercury’s untimely departure…

A brave version of Electric Light Orchestra’s ‘Mr Blue Sky’ takes what was always essentially a piece of fun (but somewhat self-indulgent) seventies pop and twists it into an a cappella workout.  The adventurous approach of taking about a dozen different vocals and then going crazy with them in the studio really suits Holmes.  Despite dispensing with the orchestrated elements and various layers of the Jeff Lynne original, against the odds, this version still features nearly every nuance of the main part of the familiar ELO number.  It sounds as if it took a long time to piece together, but it was definitely worth the effort.  It mightn’t be as wondrously off-the-wall as Petra Haden’s similar re-working of the whole of The Who’s ‘Sell Out’ LP, but the love for this track really comes through.

Covers albums either work or they don’t, but this one certainly falls into the first category.  While 2011 saw more than enough covers albums hit the market, this one by Holmes is not to be missed.  Throughout, Holmes shows a strong sense of musical vision and puts his studio know-how to fantastic use.  Classy pop arrangements, other people’s material and a bit of imagination have rarely sounded so good.

November 2011

ZANE STAFFORD – Lighting Up The Black

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Zane Stafford is a musician from Stockton, California. His general sound is very much acoustic based, but instead of taking the sappy confessional route, he strives for something more concerned with moods and atmospheres. Across the ten songs featured on 2011 his release, his work combines airy vocals with a slight indie/emo edge and, naturally, this produces varying results.

With down-tuned sounding chords and a slightly alternative vibe, ‘Jericho’ suggests immediately that this disc isn’t just another run-of-the-mill piece of acoustic sappiness. Stafford’s chosen chord pattern is from the nineties school of song writing, but he combines the alternative feelings with ringing, clearer chords and a soft, natural vocal leading to something which makes for a strong opener. By the time the track reaches a climax, he’s also backed by organ and synth strings which both help give things a fuller sound. ‘The Signal’ follows with a rhythmic number, showcasing the more straight ahead elements of Zane’s sound. The song writing is solid once again, with Stafford breaking up the wordiness of the verses with a somewhat punctuating cry of “hallelujah!” The track also introduces a few electric guitars, which like most other elements on this album are concerned with mood rather than any kind of showiness. While these songs are enjoyable, there are others featured on ‘Lighting Up The Black’ which are a much better showcase for his talents.

‘Down With The Ship’ is such a number, and even though the core of the song remains with the previous acoustic vibes (and this time with a few great harmonics thrown into the intro), the performance is far stronger. The acoustic elements are underpinned by a far more effective use of echoing electric reverb, while Stafford’s unobtrusive voice stays in the realms of wistful. With a light influence from Iron & Wine, this recording has the scope of a movie soundtrack, and as such, brings a whole extra dimension to his breathy style. Similarly moody is the almost purely acoustic ‘Into The Black’. It’s a number which makes the best usage of the gently picked guitar, but it’s during the second half where the arrangement really comes alive, as the acoustic sounds get swamped by echoing electric guitars and a chiming piano chord. Meanwhile, Zane’s vocal holds its own, eventually meshing with backing voices to create a climax.

The use of relatively simple rhythmic chords ensures ‘Walls’ has potential, especially once those acoustic lines are juxtaposed with a few electric jangles. While the vocal isn’t quite as assured as that of ‘Down With The Ship’, when Stafford’s lead voice is coupled with a selection of backing voices (in a busier arrangement than those heard during ‘Into The Black’), it becomes one of his fullest sounding numbers. The return of a hallelujah refrain creates somewhat of a low point, since an idea can be overused; but on the whole, ‘Walls’ still a very agreeable number. ‘The End’ is a little more straight ahead acoustic alt-pop than some of the previous outings, with a tiny hint something Smashing Pumpkins would have toyed with back in the mid 90s. Since over the shimmering chords Stafford sings of “a glass for pouring poison in, if I’m the beginning then she will be the end”, maybe it’s the slightly darker lyrical content that occasionally makes this reminiscent of something from the bands of that period… Without too much analysis, though, this closing number stands alongside ‘Down With The Ship’ and ‘Into The Black’ as reason enough to listen to this album.

On the negative side, it could be said that Stafford’s arrangements feels somewhat one-paced when the album is listened to as a whole but, when listened to individually, each of the album’s ten songs comes with enough depth of feeling for them to stand up individually. If you find some connection with Zane Stafford’s music and occasionally dark and questioning song writing, it’s likely you’ll find this an enjoyable listen, though the moody atmospheres of ‘Lighting Up The Black’ may not appeal to everyone.

August 2011

SCORPIONS – Lonesome Crow

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Recorded in October 1971 and released in February 1972, eight years after the band’s original formation, the Scorpions’ debut album ‘Lonesome Crow’ contains just over forty minutes of music which represent a young band feeling their way.   Barely touching on the direct style of Germanic hard rock which would become their signature, unsurprisingly, the album isn’t often spoken of very positively among rock and metal fans.  This is a great pity since, if taken on its own merits, ‘Lonesome Crow’ contains some superb musical performances, even though it doesn’t really excel in the actual song writing department.

Like Thin Lizzy’s debut, or the three criminally underrated discs by Deep Purple Mk I (released between 1967-69), ‘Lonesome Crow’ is an album that isn’t very representative of the band Scorpions would evolve into a few short years later. If it gets mentioned at all, it’s usually for it’s being the only Scorpions album to feature founding guitarist Michael Schenker on all tracks.  Looking beyond that, the album ought to be re-appraised for its interesting musical qualities, particularly those from the rhythm section.  Combined, drummer Wolfgang Dziony and bassist Lothar Heimberg are fantastic pairing, and while Dziony isn’t always stunning as a drummer in his own right, his interplay with Heimberg is top notch on various tracks featured here.  Heimberg, however, is a fabulous bassist, with his complex basslines often lifting the band’s experimentation above mere meandering.

It’s Dziony whom gets to open the album; during the intro for ‘I’m Going Mad’, he at first breaks into a fill which sounds like it could power a drum solo, before his toms lay a basic pattern which is intercut with woodblock percussion.  This is complimented by a solid bassline from Heimberg which has plenty of peaks and troughs; Rhythm guitarist Rudolf Schenker fills spaces with a basic chord structure, over which his brother Michael lays down a couple of reverbed leads.  Aside from a selection of wordless ahh’s, vocalist Klaus Meine is given relatively little to work with initially.  Even the inclusion of an early Deep Purple-esque spoken vocal adds little to the general mood, by which point ‘I’m Going Mad’ sounds like a bunch of half-jammed musical ideas welded together in the hope of something igniting.  It’s enjoyable in a pseudo Uriah Heep kind of way, but the number doesn’t entirely work as an opening statement. Even when the band hits their stride during the closing moments – with Michael Schenker’s playing featuring a harder edge and Meine’s vocal nearing a full-on wail – there’s a sense that the track ought to have had a little more overall structure.

For the next couple of songs, there’s a marked improvement.  ‘It All Depends’ demonstrates how the fledgling Scorpions can hold their own in a hard rock environment.  This number is a little more direct than the opener, thanks in part to a main riff which resembles Black Sabbath’s ‘Rat Salad’.  Also giving a sense of urgency is an extensive use of muted strings – undoubtedly influenced by Ritchie Blackmore’s work on Deep Purple’s 1970 cut ‘Flight of the Rat’ – and Dziony’s Ian Paice-esque drum fills.  The amount of general Deep Purple influence cutting through this number cannot be understated; the feel is all there, and the general tone of Michael Schenker’s lead guitar work really hammers the influence home.   Even though Meine’s vocal performance is limited to a short verse leading into what is essentially a two and a half minute showcase for Michael Schenker’s ferocious playing, he also seems to relish the brief opportunity to cut loose.  While Mr Schenker undoubtedly believes he is the star of this show and we all should be listening to him, nothing he plays is nearly as fascinating as Heimberg’s busy basslines.  Heimberg is amazing here and his lead bass work could certainly rival that of anything to be heard on the much bigger albums of the day – be they by Deep Purple, Black Sabbath, Led Zeppelin or Uriah Heep.

Uriah Heep could have recorded ‘Leave Me’ as part of their ‘Very ’Eavy, Very ’Umble’ debut.  Not only do Meine’s lead vocals occupy a similar space throughout to those of David Byron, but listening to the overblown choir of backing vocals, any comparisons with Heep are absolutely unavoidable.  Taking a slightly more laid back route than the previous numbers, Meine is given ample opportunity to stretch his vocals, while Rudolf Schenker’s rhythm guitar work takes an untypically jazzy tone.  Michael Schenker’s lead work is superb during his first solo spot, and while he takes an obvious blues-rock stance, his playing is slightly more subdued than previously; he wisely recognises that ‘Leave Me’ is a very vocal piece.  He can’t hold it in forever, mind, and for his second turn in the spotlight, the entire band quickens their pace in order for him to shoehorn in a more obvious hard rock solo.

The opening bars of ‘In Search of the Peace of Mind’ with its twin leads would suggest we’re headed for a hard rock blast – something more akin to the sound Scorpions would hone to perfection over their next two releases.   And then, after a brief foray into Uriah Heep-esque choirs, things take a u-turn.  The hard rock mood dissipates as quickly as a balloon struck with a pin, and Schenker pulls out the acoustic guitar.  While the main musical refrain is pleasing enough, its flowery nature soon becomes in need of something grittier.  That grittiness soon comes, but when it does, it doesn’t quite know what to do to make an impact.  Dziony hits harder behind his kit, though never making it far out of the musical starting blocks, while Meine’s rock voice sounds very uncomfortable (and not especially tuneful).  A couple of good musical ideas sound like they could be lurking within, but on most levels, this is a tune which just does not work.   The atmospheric, spacey ‘Inheritance’ has a similar mood in places, but fares much better due to a top vocal performance and Michael Schenker’s guitar prowess.  Those looking for a chorus are as likely to be left wanting (as is most of ‘Lonesome Crow’s wont), but musically, Schenker’s blues runs, rock posturing and general bluster is just about strong enough to carry this number alone.

‘Action’ is one of the album’s best offerings, with the band sounding much tighter than on many of the album’s other cuts.  The real draw here is that aforementioned connection between Heimberg and Dziony, as the walking basslines find a great space between the jazz-rock drum patterns.  Over the fusion rhythms, both Rudolf and Michael Schenker are able to play a simple guitar line.  Simplistic it may be, but it’s just enough to help everything gel.  While still somewhat distanced from straight hard rock, Meine’s lead vocal stretches outside of its previous cagey approach, to break into a few louder tenor moments, far more akin to the vocal style he would adopt over the subsequent Scorpions releases.  The arrangement is still rather more flowery than that of the Scorpions’ work which would follow, but here, they prove they are capable of hitting hard, and particularly so during Michael Schenker’s brief but sharp lead guitar solo.

While most tracks on the album have their moments, everything gets dwarfed by the grandiosity of the title cut, which closes the album, filling thirteen-and-a-half minutes of the albums second side in the process.  A long intro featuring drones and echoes gives way to a lead bass riff – clear and precise – accompanied by gentle jazzy guitar inflections and Klaus Meine’s lead voice – booming with a presence rarely heard on the album prior to this moment.  Meine has still yet to settle on the signature sound he would adopt from 1975’s ‘In Trance’ onward, and granted, his heavy accent makes any of the lyrics hard to pick out; still, it must be argued this is a powerful vocalist in the making.  Despite this, as the rest of the band break in to the track’s first instrumental break, it’s obvious that despite his best vocal efforts, he’s kicked to the kerb by the rest of the band.  Michael Schenker’s lead work is bracing, containing a great fiery passion, under which Heimberg plays busy bass runs, possibly surpassing many of his already fantastic performances.  At the end of this instrumental tour de force, ‘Lonesome Crow’ could have reached a natural conclusion, since in many ways the track has already reached its peak, but there’s much more to come.  After such a rock-filled lead break, it’s time for the Schenker brothers to step back and let Heimberg take control… His bass solo is jazz-rock oriented, and although you’ve already heard Heimberg achieving similar results during ‘Action’, this is certainly no weaker; throughout a couple of minutes, he holds a commanding presence.  Dziony backs him suitably with a jazzy backbeat.  It’s easy to imagine that both Heimberg and Dziony had been playing with such jazz-rock ideas during quiet moments in rehearsals, but it’s far more impressive that such a jam could take pride of place within such an epic number.  Naturally, soon enough Michael Schenker wants back in on the action, and throws a brief solo over the jazz-rock bones.

The second half of this long workout is noticeably weaker, since it is entirely constructed of filler and repetition.  A couple of minutes of drums played at a relatively funereal pace – coupled with Klaus Meine wailing – really loses momentum.  Even the addition of vibrato filled guitar leads does nothing to help.  ‘Lonesome Crow’ could have dispensed with these couple of minutes, but it’s soon clear this is mere mood setting, a lull in which to prepare the listener for Michael Schenker’s killer lead guitar work waiting around the corner.  Breaking into his second major solo, Schenker’s spiky leads sit atop an equally busy lead bass, with the band settling into the groove which began the number, bringing things full circle.

Unsurprisingly, given its preference for experimentation, ‘Lonesome Crow’ was not a great commercial success.  Back in the early 70s though, bands were rarely dumped straight away if they were not an overnight sensation: and luckily so for Scorpions, since they obviously came with plenty of potential – they just needed more time to refine their sound.

After the album’s release, the band suffered a major loss of personnel as bassist Lothar Heimberg and drummer Wolfgang Dziony left the band.  By 1974, lead guitarist Michael Schenker moved on too, joining UFO for their third album ‘Phenomenon’ after having been invited to fill the position after Scorpions supported the UK rockers on tour. Klaus Meine and Rudolf Schenker, meanwhile, were left to pick up the pieces. They couldn’t throw in the towel just yet…

July 2011

THE JOHN STEEL SINGERS – Tangalooma

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Their name may sound like a community choir, but Australian band The John Steel Singers aren’t named after a man. John Steel, in this case, refers to a small toy horse named by frontman Tim Morrissey.  Since their choice of name leans towards the surreal, you would perhaps expect their debut full-length release to be quirky, and it many ways it is. But make no mistake, quirky in this case doesn’t usually mean humorous or novelty; ‘Tangalooma’ blends various 60s influences and serves them up with a hint of 90s alternative rock, sometimes achieving interesting results.

‘Evolution’ presents The John Steel Singers in one of their most accessible moods.  There’s a solid bassline, banjos and occasional reverbed guitar fills, served up with a choir of voices.  If that wasn’t enough to convey a certain kind of sunshine pop, there’s also a bit of brass thrown in for good measure.  With the bouncing, almost march-along nature of this number, a reasonable reference point for this would be Mercury Rev during one of their more throwaway experiments meeting Small Faces on one of their cockney walkabouts (or perhaps ‘Care of Cell 44’ by The Zombies, albeit with none of the sparkle which makes that tune so endearing).  If they were going for feel-good, they’ve had a good stab at it hit here; it’s worth remembering how difficult it is to convey this kind of mildly eccentric groove without venturing into annoying territory (which is something The John Steel Singers fall foul of elsewhere on the album, with a relative regularity).  Far more interesting – though still accessible – ‘Toes & Fingers’ uses lots of 60s influences during its opening verse.  A hushed vocal sits atop a slightly haunting arrangement of bass and piano, punctuated by simple glockenspiel notes. The vocal harmonies – although slightly dark – are spot on; and then, just as you think you know what’s in store for the rest of the number, the band change tack completely. Things then move into a more upbeat arrangement, driven by Dion Ford’s bass; a choir of vocals chip in, as the glockenspiel takes on a busier role – and it’s hard not to think of Norway’s Team Me.  As the vocals take a stap back, muted trumpets fill the space, while other passages are dominated by retro twanging guitars.  Being two or three musical ideas glued together, it shouldn’t work, yet somehow it does… It’s definitely the album’s stand-out track – and by some distance.

‘Cause of Self’ has a darker vibe, thanks to a great reverbed guitar part and unexpected piano accompaniment.  Vocally, the slightly hushed tones add to a relative unease, and upon first listen it’s impossible to second guess how the number will end.  While The John Steel Singers are clearly in experimental mode here, lots of the track’s subtler elements are crushed by a ringing rhythm guitar which drowns out half the track.  If the band wanted to unsettle their listeners, they’ve succeeded.  It’s a reasonable number in all, but one which would definitely have been better without the noisy guitars.  ‘Once I’ has an unavoidable 60s influence, but delivered with the band’s own style.  Here, over a four-four time signature which often sounds as if it’s desperately trying to break into something more interesting, there’s a selection of banjos, trombones and retro keyboards.  Its gentle air could have been soothing, but as with much of The John Steel Singers’ material, the idea it could break into an unknown quantity at any moment takes away any idea of comfort.  ‘You’ve Got Nothing To Be Proud Of’ showcases more sunny grooves – the electric pianos and upfront basses add nice flourishes throughout, while a multi-layered arrangement shows a great understanding of a band’s ability to really get the most out of their studio environment.  The music often much better here and, as such, the slightly discordant vocal can be overlooked – after all, being slightly out of tune never hurt Stephen Malkmus.

A slight Beach Boys vocal style permeates ‘Dying Tree’, a number with a very dark edge.  Plenty of reverb a plenty unsettles what could have easily been an otherwise easy to like sixties pastiche.  Looking beyond the reverb, though, there are some decent harmonies on show and an interesting – albeit sinister – musical base.  It’s not a number which stands out at first, but perseverance could uncover what is potentially one of ‘Tangalooma’s best offerings.

Beyond those numbers, this album is a mixed bag of potentially failed experiments.  With another marching beat, ‘Overpass’ should have been a bedfellow for ‘Evolution’, but the band take their Zombies-ish marching pace to extremes – almost to the point of absolute annoyance.  Yes, the bass line is solid and harmonies are fairly tight, but the end product is best described as grating.  The only respite comes from a couple of brief sections which hint at psychedelia, but these are duly stomped over by the rumpty-tumpty marching band.  Possessing a tune which rarely changes from its original three or four opening bars, ‘Rainbow Kraut’ – aside from having a really awful title – treads a fine line between trashy and mildly eccentric.  At first, the staccato guitar riff sounds like its building up to something more interesting, but it never goes anywhere. The mariachi horns provide a small amount of interest during the closing section, but no matter how good, these are really no substitute for a chorus (sadly missed).  Parts of this track sound like something the band found among Frank Black’s pile of rejects.  After a few plays, it sounds better than it did on first hearing, but then again, a few spins after that, it’s somewhat of an irritant once again – and barely recognisable as being the work of the same band capable of something as good as ‘Toes & Fingers’.  During the short acoustic number ‘Great Divided Self’ the band sound like they’ve stopped trying altogether. The vocals and guitar sound like a busker, which could be excused if the material was of a better quality, but sadly it sounds like something which was tossed off in ten minutes.

Despite their off-days, this band has something.  It’s not always obvious what that something is, but whatever it may be, it was enough to entice ex-Go Betweens man Robert Forster and Animal Collective’s Nicolas Vernhes on board this project (the pair take on producing and mixing duties respectively).  As such, the production is always great, even when the band’s material doesn’t quite work.    And when the material works, The John Steel Singers have a fair amount of potential. ‘Tangalooma’ presents a handful of attention-grabbing ideas; ‘Toes & Fingers’ in particular sounds like the work of a very interesting band.  If they could have been a little less reliant on marching beats and move farther towards the dark psychedelic elements they’d hinted at on a couple of tracks, it certainly would have been a step in a better direction.

October 2011