Category Archives: Album & EP Reviews

TOMMY STINSON – One Man Mutiny

Posted on by

one man mutinyTo those without a proper musical education, Tommy Stinson is the bassist with Guns N’ Roses. Everyone else will be aware of his cult legendary status as an ex-member of Minneapolis punk/alternative/college rock band The Replacements and live member of Soul Asylum. In addition, Stinson has recorded solo works and fronted a couple of cult bands. The Bash & Pop album ‘Friday Night Is Killing Me’ (released back in 1993) is essential listening, capturing Stinson’s post-Replacements brand of trashy rock at its finest.

There seems to be an unwritten rule for any musicians once associated with The Replacements, the rule being that most of their post-Replacements work contains a strong echo of that band (it’s even true for the four solo releases by drummer Chris Mars). Stinson’s second solo release, ‘One Man Mutiny’ is no different – and for longtime fans, does exactly what it says on the tin. Across ten songs, TS taps into a brand of rock which combines roots and Americana, but more often than not served up with a liberal bar-room swagger which would make Mick and Keef proud.

With its basic stomp and drawled vocals, ‘Don’t Deserve You’ comes across as particularly heavy handed (even for Stinson), but it’s given a timely lift by some top-notch lead work played in an angular fashion. Hardly Stinson’s finest hour, but it’s an improvement from then on. ‘It’s a Drag’ taps into Stinson’s beloved Rolling Stones fixation, with ‘Gimme Shelter’-esque rhythm guitars, aggressive slide and Stinson’s nasal vocals backed by female harmonies. This is why you’ve always loved Stinson, and although you’ve heard him churn out variants of this kind of thing time and again, it’s what you came looking for when you chose to check out ‘One Man Mutiny’. Since this kind of thing has been effective for Stinson for a couple of decades, there’s no reason for him to change.

With the almost wholly acoustic ‘Zero To Stupid’, Stinson taps into the psyche of former bandmate Paul Westerberg, with a sneering vocal across a country number which celebrates the inability to hold your drink. While the arrangement remains percussion-free throughout, an upfront bass does a great job at marking time, and while a few of the yodely vocals are a little unnecessary, the lapsteel accompaniment brings an element of class, albeit in a slightly inebriated style. The lapsteels carry over to ‘Match Made In Hell’, which is perkier all round thanks to some plinky-plunky ukulele sounds and glockenspiels. While Stinson doesn’t sound as at home here as he does churning out Stones homages, this is enjoyable enough, with his nasal voice well suited to the arrangement.

‘All This Way For Nothing’ also sounds different at first with a bouncy pop arrangement featuring prominent keys, though within a couple of bars, Stinson reverts to what he knows best: the slide guitars kick in and his drawling voice carries a rousing pop/rock number with a simple chorus. The hallmarks of a Replacements related recording are here in spades; if you’re a fan of that band and its various solo offshoots, this’ll grab you instantly. The jangling guitars which drive ‘Meant To Be’ and ‘Sieze The Moment’ are even further in keeping with the Replacements work circa ‘Don’t Tell A Soul’; even the vocal structures lends themselves to something which would have suited Paul Westerberg. You’ve heard it all before, so often in fact that no further elaboration needs be made; even so, in terms of well-rounded, well-written numbers, this pair represent ‘One Man Army’s real gems.

The title cut is a simple acoustic workout which was cut live in a hotel at 3am. After a false start, Stinson’s voice wavers as he stretches his voice and occasionally fudges lyrics as if they’re not quite complete. While not the best cut on the album, it’s raw, intimate nature brings the listener closer to the artist. Not a patch on Paul Westerberg’s similar work from his ‘Stereo’ disc, but it’s not without a certain rustic charm.

Although a little rootsier and more retrained than some of his previous works, Stinson is unlikely to win new converts with ‘One Man Army’. That said, it’s great that he’s returned to studio work and for his army of devoted followers, this release will be essential.

August 2011

ANDREW DANSO – f i n d

Posted on by

Andrew Danso is an independent musician who dabbles with ambient and progressive soundscapes. ‘f i n d’ is his second solo release (third overall, including an album credited to Tera), and is more experimental than his previous works. Those interested in prog rock or ambient music will find much to enjoy with ‘f i n d’, although perhaps those likely to enjoy it the most are those who enjoy a solid fusion of the two subgenres.

Beginning with an almost world music meets ambient style, ‘Go Again’ has a main thrust which derives from a percussive beat. This isn’t especially interesting on its own, but when combined with Alan Danso’s relatively simple but bendy bassline, it has plenty of appeal. Over this musical loop, Andrew Danso’s lead vocal sounds a little wistful. There’s something about this number which lends itself to The Pineapple Thief; and although this would likely be considered filler material for those guys, it provides a decent opener into Andrew Danso’s 2011 work, setting the general mood effectively.

‘Ear To Earth’ opts for something even more new age, as electronic loops mesh with the sounds of rainfall and the occasional interruption of a city traffic and sirens. Danso puts his own mark on the piece by way of some seemingly unrelated guitar notes, which drift in and out as they please. While his playing never forms the structure of an actual tune, his jazzy tones are marvellous. Realising that a similar follow up could potentially allow things to sag, Danso follows this with something in an absolute contrast. The ringing chords which begin ‘Walk Walk Sunshine’ – a more standard pop/rock number – are similar to The Police’s ‘Everything She Does Is Magic’ (pure coincidence, surely); after a brief intro, Danso’s guest musicians get more to do here than anywhere else. The whole band launch into what is essentially a fairly ordinary rock tune, over which the vocals are slightly distorted. The alternative rock grooves stick out half a mile here among the ambient stuff, but you have to give Danso credit for mixing it up just a little.

‘Electronic ABC’ is perhaps the releases most promising number. It begins with Morse-style rhythmic clicking, augmented by a bottom end pulse. As the layers build and Danso’s guitar work sits over the top, it all becomes more than reminiscent of early Porcupine Tree. Rather more specifically, it sounds like a movement from that band’s epic ‘Voyage 34’. Promising, yes, but it had so much more potential than it actually achieves… A big downside is its length. By the time the pieces fit together and Danso really starts to get a groove going, it’s almost over; ambient pieces in this vein certainly benefit from extended grooves, and it would have been so easy for this track to fall in line. ‘Boy, Man, 11’ is one of ‘f i n d’s longer pieces, and as with most of the release, it’s primary concern is that of atmosphere as opposed to a being a obvious song of any kind. Danso’s guitar weaves patterns full of echo and the vocals are hushed. It’s mellow, somewhat trippy mood puts it in a similar frame to Devin Townsend’s ‘Ghost’, though perhaps reimagined by The Pinapple Thief’s Bruce Soord. It manages to sustain its four minutes well, by introducing various drum loops, though these never reach any kind of climax.

Bringing back a few of the jazzy tones from ‘Ear To Earth’ and mashing them with a constant jangle, ‘Rain, Go’ is another of the releases most upbeat numbers. Drummer Ben Simpson plays a solid backbeat, while Danso’s vocal has been heavily filtered. Once again, the influence from early Porcupine Tree is unavoidable, but here the mood is very much one inspired by Steven Wilson’s ‘On The Sunday of Life’ bedroom experiments, as opposed to the rather more lavish tones of ‘Voyage 34’ or ‘Up The Downstair’. Like ‘Walk Walk Sunshine’, ‘Liar MD’ is a little out of place with the overall sound of the disc with its louder guitars, but whereas ‘Sunshine’ has a hint of something song based, ‘Liar MD’ never really gets off the ground… Although the multi-layered vocals provide some interest, even these aren’t among the album’s better selection of voices. Much more effective is the way a selection of multi-layered voices gets used on the title track. Wordless vocals are set against each other to create something not too far removed from a chant, while the guitar harmonics create an ambient drone. Listening to it, Danso has obviously been inspired by Devin Townsend here, and generally that’s a good thing.

When Danso’s arrangements strike the right balance between progressive sounds and atmosphere, the disc is very enjoyable. There are times when those atmospheres get hampered by meandering (as with ‘Pour’, a two minute guitar loop and some rain sounds) but given the particular musical niche, that’s to be expected. Granted, lots of Danso’s musical soundscapes are indebted to Porcupine Tree and The Pineapple Thief in some way, but that’s not to say ‘f i n d’ is any the weaker for it – quite the opposite. When used effectively, homage can work very well indeed.

August 2011

 

STEPHIN MERRITT – Obscurities

Posted on by

For the uninitiated, Stephin Merritt is one of New York’s best songwriters.  His combination of wry wit and baritone voice makes him the Stateside equivalent of Neil Hannon and his Divine Comedy.

Despite years of hard work, it was only with The Magnetic Fields’ 2001’s sprawling triple set he gained a wider press, and while that album has little quality control, half the joy with regard to that release comes from discovering the sparkly diamonds among the trash.

‘Obscurities’ pulls together fourteen rarities (a bunch of stuff from 7”s and other oddities, but most importantly five previously unreleased cuts) from Merritt’s pre-2001 breakthrough; tracks from various projects, but each one essentially containing the sparks of genius you’ve come to love from Merritt’s musical theatre, alternating between sneering, wistful and occasionally high camp.

An early Magnetic Fields number ‘Beach-a-Boop-Boop’ combines a lo-fi guitar and youthful sounding vocal with a tune that sounds rather a lot like Cat Stevens’s ‘Here Comes My Baby’ and as such, it’s easy to see why it’s languished in obscurity.  As is often the case with Merritt, though, it still has charm…and an annoying tendency to wedge itself inside your head. Further back in the time capsule, Buffalo Rome’s ‘Plant White Roses’ is a simple acoustic based country-folk hybrid, made more whimsical by Shirley Simms’s vocal.  So much more mature than ‘Beach’, but perhaps more importantly, easier to digest than the futurist electronica of a couple of the featured numbers. It’s testament to Merritt’s gift from writing songs in different styles, if nothing else.

‘Riot In The Sun’ (credited to The 6ths) is one of the collection’s clear standouts, even though the aggressive programmed electronic elements, at first, sound as if they’re going to be impenetrable.  After a few bars, they prove otherwise and once Merritt’s deep croon finds a home among the noises, everything works well.  The track is a short tribute to the man’s perverse genius and ability to blend styles that really shouldn’t be blended. [Other previously released works by The 6ths feature a host of guest vocalists, including Lou Barlow, Bob Mould, Gary Numan and Marc Almond].

‘When I’m Not Looking, You’re Not There’ is an unreleased cut from The Magnetic Fields, and unusually, it’s one of the tracks here which ought to have stayed buried.  Yes, Merritt’s baritone oozes its usual self-assured charm, but the music…the music is a collection of disjointed electronic bleeps which frustrate more than they entertain.  Similarly, an alternate cut of that band’s ‘I Don’t Believe You’ is comprised of electronic nothingness, spoiling what is one of Merritt’s best ever songs.  Thankfully, he later went back to the drawing board and came up with a gorgeous folk-pop arrangement for this number (as heard on the finished version, released on ‘i’ a few years later).

Utilising dark synths and a liberal dose of oddball song writing, The Gothic Archies’ ‘You Are Not My Mother and I Want To Go Home’ is an unreleased track written for an audiobook of Neil Gaiman’s ‘Coraline’.  It is somewhat unsettling.  The synth loop is one which doesn’t break from its initial pattern and this becomes rather threatening, especially after a minute or so.  Over the drones, Merritt muses “…you want me to be your garden gnome…”  Okay then.  Occasionally, though, the electronic edges are used brilliantly. ‘Rats In The Garbage of the Western World’ is such a moment, where Merritt takes on a very new wave mantle.  Musically, it transports the listener back to 1981 and the works of bands like Visage and Landscape, all the while dressed in Merritt’s own vision.  The sneer is present and at first it sounds scathing, but there’s a typically twisted pay-off line: “We’re rats in the garbage of the western world…so let’s dance!”.    Bubbling synths and an Art Of Noise-esque sampled voice provide the base of ‘Song of Venus’, a song from an unfinished musical by Merritt and Lemony Snickett.  As expected, a throwaway lyric means it’s not got the charisma of some of Merritt’s better works, but as is so oft the case, his vocal has a huge confidence and that alone pulls the listener in.  Very few people bring such charm to the absurd.

Other high points include the unreleased  ‘When You’re Young and In Love’, which showcases Merritt’s semi-acoustic side, which revels in its relatively simple arrangement and ‘Take Ecstasy With Me’, another Magnetic Fields rarity, which cleverly blends heavy world music style drumming with some keyboard vibes which would befit Vince Clarke.  The drums drown out the vocal on occasion, but overall it’s a number which works, even if to provide the most obvious respite from the dominant synths on a few of the other tracks.

Usually, such a ragbag collection of leftovers would be purely for longtime fans (see Tom Waits’s ‘Orphans’ for the best/worst example ever), but Merritt’s work is often of a very varied style; that alone makes this feel more coherent than perhaps it should.  No matter whom he collaborates with – be it The Magnetic Fields, The Gothic Archies or any of his other projects – it’s always Merritt’s distinctive song writing at the fore.   His many fans will welcome the release of ‘Obscurities’ for sure; those yet to take the plunge into Merritt’s world, meanwhile, should still glean some enjoyment from the album’s fourteen leftovers.  It may be inconsistent, but Merritt’s hit and miss approach is what often fuels his brilliance.

August 2011

ILIUM – Genetic Memory

Posted on by

Although the roots of Ilium date back to the early 90s, as a recording outfit this largely Auatralian power metal band released their first EP in 2002.  Other releases followed, but perhaps the band’s largest change in fortunes came in the late 00’s when vocalist Lord Tim quit the band and was replaced by ex-Riot/Masterpan mouthpiece Mike DiMeo.  With DiMeo on board, Ilium recorded ‘Ageless Decay’ (their fourth album overall, but first for the Escape Music Label), which gained the band accolades from various specialist rock websites.

2011’s ‘Genetic Memory’ picks up where the previous release left off – and with DiMeo still occupying the vocalists slot – the band brings eleven more slabs of power metal with a strong element of fantasy within the lyrics.  From the off, the music smacks the listener in a rather gung-ho fashion as the guitars tear into some big riffs, which when coupled with DiMeo’s rather gravelly vocal delivered at full-on belt means that any kind of subtlety is rarely on the agenda. Within the first half of the number, although the bands intentions are plainly obvious, Martin Kronlund’s mix is lacking anything resembling bottom end.  Sure, DiMeo’s vocals have a huge presence (whether you like his style or not) and the twin lead guitars are where they should be in the end mix, but there’s not enough focus on Adam Smith’s bass and Tim Yatras’s drums sound like plastic tubs.

By ‘Grey Stains The Rainbow’ – track three – things sound a little better in the production department (or maybe it’s a case of tuning in and expecting less) and thankfully Ilium have slowed down a little. The guitars are melodic throughout (with some decent lead work) and the accompanying keyboards bring an extra dimension, often lost elsewhere.  DiMeo reigns in his vocal, especially on the verses, where he’s also accompanied by a few harmonies.  Also better is ‘Fevered Tongue’, a track which comes equipped with a musical structure that Dio may have enjoyed.  That said, although Ilium do their absolute best musically, DiMeo’s end performance lacks absolutely all of the class the legendary Ronnie James would have bought with him, particularly to such a ridiculous set of lyrics… Since the track provides guitar highlights with a great mix of choppy rhythms, twin leads and reasonable solos, it still shows Ilium in a far better light than most of this release.

For the title cut, it initially seems that Ilium are about to take the listener on a journey into something more atmospheric, as twin guitars lay down a gentle melody, but this soon breaks into an old school metal riff, which in turn breaks into a world of double bass drum pedals with the guitars riffing as fast as possible.  The instrumental breaks are better – particularly a slightly Iron Maiden-esque twin lead – but once again Ilium insist on playing everything with maximum speed.  ‘Hostile Sky’ – a mid-paced rocker – has elements of great sounding metal: a fantastic twin lead guitar, a decent song-structure with something resembling a chorus and pleasing keyboard work (low in the mix, mind).  In principle, Ilium would have a far better album on their hands if they could throw in a few more numbers like this one (and ‘Grey Stains The Rainbow) – numbers which give the listener more time to breathe.  DiMeo – as usual – powers through his vocal, sounding as if he’s about to burst on occasion, but that’s hardly a great surprise.

The eleven minute epic is another of Ilium’s better numbers, with plenty of hard rhythm guitar work driving the lengthy piece along, but despite some good elements, it could have been pulled in at half the length without losing any of the impact.  The performances are all solid enough, but in the power metal stakes, it’s incredibly weak up against the best moments of Symphony X, for example.  The didgeridoos are a nice touch though; just enough to remind the listener that Ilium are from Newcastle, Australia and are not as German as they sound 97% of the time!

There are a couple of numbers where Ilium show promise with regard to their chosen subgenre of metal, but it’s always on the slower numbers.  Those aside, ‘Genetic Memory’ is too bombastic by half. If you didn’t like power metal before, this album isn’t ever going to win you over.  If you’re not a fan of Mike DiMeo’s vocal style, he’ll do nothing to change your views here either; those things combined could lead to a musical headache.  A bigger budget and a better gift for song writing would certainly help here, but with ‘Genetic Memory’, Ilium are preaching to the converted at almost every step of the way.

August 2011

STEPHEN MALKMUS & THE JICKS – Mirror Traffic

Posted on by

Stephen Malkmus’s first solo album is potentially the best album his band Pavement never made. That’s hardly surprising since some of the songs were being worked on for a Pavement record prior to their break-up. His follow up release ‘Pig Lib’ – delivered a couple of years later – is angular and wilfully difficult in places, as if he wished to take a step back from the (relatively) commercial edges his music had moved towards. His next few releases have their moments, sometimes moving towards psychedelia and even farther away from Pavement-esque sounds.

In 2010, Pavement reformed for a bunch of live shows, though rather unsurprisingly, no new material was recorded. His first work since that brief reunion, Malkmus’s 2011 release ‘Mirror Traffic’ could be his most consistent release for a decade; with well crafted tunes and often oblique lyrical slant, most of its fifteen numbers are on a par with those from Malkmus’s solo debut. Whether or not it was a direct influence from those live shows, this album has more in common with Malkmus’s former band than his previous couple of releases. Fans may choose to debate the amount of Pavement-ness at the heart of ‘Mirror Traffic’, but whatever, SM and his band sound really inspired throughout; the songs themselves are given an extra lift by a great production, courtesy of one of their closest peers – the legendary Beck.

The lead single ‘Tigers’ is a brilliant, brilliant piece of slacker-pop. A ringing guitar lead, soft harmony filled chorus and slight country edge are all topped off with SM’s Lou Reed-esque vocal wandering. It’s an almost perfect marriage of alternative rock and radio friendly pop chorus. The lead guitar works a riff which is almost a hook in itself, while a steel guitar lurking in the background lends that air of country rock which pulls everything together. The fuzzy rock and roll of ‘Tune Grief’ showcases a far more throwaway rock n roll side to the band, with SM’s semi-distorted vocals counterbalanced by some sharp male woo-woo’s and some female harmonies. This, too, is enjoyable (albeit in a completely different way), but it’s with the slacker-rock of ‘Forever 28’ the band excels once again. The track combines an ELO style rumpty-tumpty strut, combined with Pavement-esque changes in pace (almost as if the band are winding down like clockwork) and a few interesting guitar leads. There may be imitators, but this number represents the kind of thing that only Malkmus manages to such exceptional levels.

With its harsher vocals and almost constantly shifting time signature, the offensively (and unnecessarily) named ‘Spazz’ is the closest ‘Mirror Traffic gets to ‘Slanted and Enchanted’ or ‘Crooked Rain’ territory, and even then, there’s a degree of sophistication here that’s lacking on those earlier Pavement records (probably the lack of Bob Nastanovich’s shouting!). The verses combine a quick pace and an offbeat to superb effect, but it’s the slower tempos creeping in which are most reminiscent of Pavement. The track’s best moments are during the slow, mostly instrumental mid-section where the guitars have a hint of the Grateful Dead and the vocals pull together for a wordless harmony. The slow, brooding ‘Share The Red’ is a rather ordinary indie-rock/slacker number, with a touch of Pavement numbers like ‘Transport Is Arranged’ present. The noodling guitars provide some enjoyment, but long time fans are likely to sense some déjà vu here.

‘Jumblegloss’ acts as a brief interlude, but it’s minute and a quarter is great in its own right, with SM’s reverbed guitar lines laying down something which sounds like a movie score, set against Jake Morris’s slightly jazzy drum part. ‘Asking Price’ is understated; Malkmus’s almost spoken delivery finds a great place atop of clean guitars, a solid bassline and some electric piano. In terms of overall feel, it’s not too far removed from the gentler end of Pavement’s ‘Terror Twilight’, but the addition of the electric piano is definitely a plus, even if it could have been used a little more. ‘Stick Figures In Love’ ups the pace and isn’t anywhere near as good, despite the inclusion of a breezy guitar riff providing an instant hook while, once again, Morris’s occasionally offbeat drumming is allocated plenty of room in the mix. It’s not a bad track by any means, but since the quality threshold of this album is so high, this feels like more like filler than perhaps it would have done, had it appeared on any of SM’s other records.

‘No One Is (As I Are Be)’ is an acoustic workout, with finger-picked guitar lines and buzzing strings. Rather uncharacteristic for SM, this number has a sixties vibe and shows the band in a great light when tackling something relatively simple. The instrumental break – where you’d probably expect a slightly distorted guitar – appears to feature a slightly distorted trumpet (or maybe a French horn), which eventually gets complimented by a piano and tinkling glockenspiel. It’s lovely stuff indeed, which brings maturity without sounding tired or stale. ‘Fall Away’ is also soft, but with a bigger focus on vocal arrangements, as the whole band sing harmonies against an otherwise ordinary number.

With Stephen Malkmus’s off-centre approach to song writing and musical structures, there’s always a strong possibility of any of his albums missing the mark, but ‘Mirror Traffic’ is great, with no obvious skippers. It’s one which, in the main, fans will certainly enjoy, but it’s also a reasonable entry point to the works of Steven Malkmus for the uninitiated.

August 2011