Category Archives: Album & EP Reviews

TEAM ME – Team Me EP

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PhotobucketWithin minutes of the opening number on Team Me’s debut EP, it’s obvious the release is something special. The Norwegian outfit’s brand of heavily orchestrated indie-pop may borrow influences from Arcade Fire and Mercury Rev, but they throw enough of their own style into the multi-layered arrangements to not sound like mere copyists.

‘Weathervanes and Chemicals’ opens the EP with one of Team Me’s strongest offerings. Beginning with a cymbal-less drum line and a barrage of strings, it has a pompy nature which is hard not to compare to Arcade Fire, especially so once a glockenspiel tops off the already busying arrangement. The track’s verses have a soft air, with touches of Flaming Lips and Mercury Rev before the chorus kicks in. While the chorus is wordless, it features a choir of voices which are very much reminiscent of those which dominate Red Box’s cult 80s album ‘The Circle and Square’. It is almost impossible not to get swept along with the hugeness and feel-good vibes Team Me put across here. By the song’s closing moments, the choir is overlaid by lots of electronic noise, drums and something which may well be a melodica. Sounds messy when described, but in reality, it’s a three minute burst of sunshine. Opening with a very 80s keyboard line, ‘Come Down’ has a slightly punchier atmosphere in places, it’s basic structure fitting neatly into the indie-rock pigeonhole; to keep things interesting, Team Me beef up the arrangement with almost as many layers as ‘Weathervanes’. The huge vocals and strings still provide the heart of Team Me’s sound, but it’s the addition of tinkling percussion (or keyboards approximating the sounds of bells) which provide one of the best elements on a number which was already fairly complex.

‘Dear Sister’ is quirky and full of gorgeous harmony vocals. Its main riff has a circular feel which barely stops throughout the track. Ringing string sounds lead into to something which sounds like it has about fifty layers, overlaid with a choir. While not as hugely appealing as ‘Weathervanes’, it’s still a number which captures Team Me’s multi-layered sound well. ‘Me and the Mountain’ begins with a stronger drum line, settling for a more basic pounding approach – which fills the instrumental breaks and chorus sections; for the verses, Team Me offer more of their heavily keyboard and string led atmospheres. The overall vibe has echoes of Mercury Rev once again, but the occasional harder edges make it sound like a Mercury Rev number that has been influenced by the grandiosity of Arcade Fire – which is not necessarily a bad thing. The closing number ‘Kennedy Street’ finds Team me in a far more laid back setting begins as an echoing guitar riff provides the basis of the number, over which the vocal finds a place for an equally unfussy melody. A harmony vocal joins for the chorus which rounds out the sound beautifully, lending everything an atmosphere which would make Mercury Rev proud they’d passed on so much influence. For the close of the track, a piano joins the arrangement and the drum which has been softly pulsing breaks into a rumble for the last few bars, overlaid by a different collection of vocal sounds – and just when you think we’re going in for a big climax, Team Me stop dead, naturally leaving you wanting so much more.

Team Me worked hard at making a name for themselves prior to this release, playing no fewer than eight Norwegian festivals in the summer of 2010, plus various other gigs along the way – including a couple of support slots with British Sea Power and The Wombats in London in February and March 2011. This EP sounds like the work of a band who’ve strived to get their sound – it’s seriously good, maybe even amazing. If you’ve ever had a passing fancy for The Flaming Lips, Mercury Rev or Arcade Fire, you need this. It’s probably the most exciting record to come from the orchestrated indie-pop niche since ‘The Beginning Stages…’ by The Polyphonic Spree.

May 2011

JOURNEY – Eclipse

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PhotobucketAlthough a relative late-comer to the fold, vocalist Steve Perry will always be synonymous with the classic Journey sound, having performed on all of the band’s hits and classic albums, from 1978 to 1996. After Perry’s departure, the band enlisted former Tall Stories/Tyketto frontman Steve Augeri to take over the role of vocalist. His work on 2001’s ‘Arrival’ was stellar but it did not last, with 2002’s ‘Red 13’ EP possibly being the worst thing in the Journey back catalogue to date. Augeri also appeared on the 2005 album ‘Generations’ but by then, in the UK at least, it seemed to be only the hardcore fans who were taking notice.

Augeri subsequently left Journey in 2006 and the legendary Jeff Scott Soto was hired to fill in the vacant position, a role he held until 2007 when Arnel Pineda took on the role of vocalist permanently. The resulting album (‘Revelation’, released in the same year; eventually becoming a platinum certified seller in the US) featured lots of the Journey magic which had been missing for the previous few years. However, Pineda has been accused of being a Perry clone and listening to ‘Revelation’, it’s easy to see why. The album even included a bonus disc of re-recorded classic Journey hits, with Pineda absolutely nailing the performances throughout.

Journey’s 2011 release (and second with Pineda upfront) is not ‘Revelation Part II’. For the most part, it represents Journey’s rockiest instincts; the side of Journey rarely heard on their more popular cuts. The opening number ‘City of Hope’ makes this abundantly clear as the band lay down a meaty arrangement over a brilliant ringing, circular guitar riff from guitarist Neal Schon. While heavy by Journey’s standards, it still has plenty of melody too, particularly on a harmony-fulled chorus, which despite the hard rock nature, sounds very much like a Journey chorus. Also, between the huge riffs, Deen Castronovo’s hard rock drumming and Ross Valory’s bottom end bass work, there’s still room in the mix for Jonathan Cain’s piano to cut through. At over six minutes, it’s a bit of an epic workout (as is a good proportion of this album), but nothing feels like padding. By the time Schon breaks into a guitar solo near the end, it’s a track which, frankly, rocks like a bastard. ‘Edge of the Moment’ is similarly hard edged, with some of Schon’s riffing holding a fair amount of power, but song-wise it’s not as appealing, since in places it feels a little chuggy for the sake of it. Despite this, Arnel Pineda is in particularly good voice, having found the confidence to sound like more his own man as opposed to a Steve Perry impersonator, and the chorus is another melodic high point.

‘Chain of Love’ hints at atmospherics with a piano intro, reverbed guitar sounds and a strong vocal performance, but then reverts to similar hard rock thrills as offered by the pair of opening cuts. This time though, Schon’s riff takes a slightly Eastern route with its approach, although probably more Lenny Wolf’s Kingdom Come than Led Zeppelin’s ‘Kashmir’. Journey should be commended with their ability to meld this into a full scale, harmony-driven chorus though, which sounds a little unexpected after such a pompous verse.

‘Eclipse’ may be harder than most Journey releases, but it’s not all bluster. ‘Tantra’, one of a few softer numbers, is a great showcase for Jonathan Cain’s piano style. The number begins with just voice and piano augmented by soft string sounds (in a ‘Faithfully’ style), before the rest of the band join a couple of minutes in. Schon’s guitar lines are gorgeous and the vocal harmonies are lavish, as they should be. Although most of ‘Eclipse’ doesn’t set out to emulate the older Journey numbers, this is one of a couple of numbers where they absolutely play it safe. Its predictable nature isn’t disappointing though – and it wouldn’t be a Journey album without something written in the Steve Perry vein. Also more “traditionally Journey”, ‘Anything Is Possible’ also really hits the mark, and in terms of melodic rock in its purest form, it is certainly ‘Eclipse’s stand out track. A solid drum line from Castronovo and shining piano motifs from Cain are joined by a fantastic performance from Pineda over a very much tried-and-tested, mid paced riff (the kind which usually accompanies AOR tunes called ‘Don’t Walk Away’). Schon’s guitar leads are full of vibrato-filled magic – which, in short, makes this a classic Journey number.

The semi-acoustic base of ‘She’s a Mystery’ also provides a little respite from the huge riffs, and also allows Pineda another opportunity to exercise the softer end of his range. Here, he reverts back to the kind of Steve Perry influenced performances he gave on ‘Revelation’, but with a slightly husky edge, more in keeping with Steve Augeri. This number’s simplicity is great, not even tarnished by a pre-programmed drum part; Schon proves, once again, he’s a master at all guitar styles, while Cain’s keyboard parts add a lot of atmosphere. Even here, though, Journey can’t resist lapsing back to solid hard rock riffing… The second half of the number adopts a slightly Led Zeppelin influenced riff, over which Schon breaks into a screaming solo until the track fades. Another highlight, ‘Someone’ is a bouncy pop-rock number capturing lots of the old Journey spirit. With 80s style stabbed piano and synths used in a shameless manner and Pineda in top form vocally, it would be great enough; but once Schon steps in with a sweeping solo (the kind which filled their ‘Escape’ and ‘Frontiers’ discs), this number has a sound which could convince the listener it had been left on the shelf from the band’s glory days.

Afer over an hour of surprisingly hard rock cuts, Journey offer an even fiercer closing statement. The instrumental cut ‘Venus’ opens with a few majestic guitar chords, overlaid by Cain striking some bass chords on his piano. Schon wastes no time in breaking into an overly complex solo which appears to feature more notes than expected, or perhaps even necessary, while Castronovo provides a ridiculously heavy backbone with his drum line dominated by double bass pedals. Symbolic of so much of ‘Eclipse’, this is Journey without a safety net.

‘Eclipse’ is not a great Journey album in the traditional sense. However, it is an absolutely stunning rock album in its own right. If you came looking for radio friendly songs in the vein of ‘Don’t Stop Believin’’, ‘Who’s Crying Now’ and ‘Be Good To Yourself’, you won’t find too many of those here, so you’ll be much better of investigating ‘Revelation’ if you’ve not done so already. If, however, you’re a huge fan of Neal Schon’s distinctive guitar work, hard riffs and extended arrangements, ‘Eclipse’ delivers more of those elements than any Journey release for years, maybe even ever. For those still bemoaning the absence of Steve Perry, be thankful for what you’ve got here – at least musically – and if you still don’t like what Arnel Pineda represents, be thankful that Journey didn’t hire Hugo.

May 2011

DOM LIBERATI – The Good Hurt

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domFollowing on from his first two self-released discs (‘Humans’ in 2007 and the acoustic ‘Frailty EP’ in 2008), Dom Liberati’s third release takes the sounds of his previous work and tightens them considerably, while bringing in some extra punch. Combining great hooks with a commercial alt-rock edge, ‘The Good Hurt’ is an album which captivates the listener from the first listen.

The lead track ‘We Own The Night’ begins with a jangly acoustic intro before kicking in to an alternative rock arrangement which has a bouncy air. The track has a very radio friendly quality and is a mix of influences – from new wave keyboard bleeps, to alternative rock moments in the vein of Goo Goo Dolls. Liberati’s vocal style has a tunefulness which often makes him sound at ease with this guitar driven alt-rock; however, for the chorus, Liberati’s vocals aren’t quite as restrained – their carefree manner tips the hat to Kings of Leon mouthpiece Caleb Followill [all the goodwill in the world still prevents me from calling that man a singer]. The simple hook and effective use of a ‘whooah’ make it a tune which sticks in the head. As such, it starts ‘The Good Hurt’ with a strong number.

‘Love Holds It Down’ has a bigger groove, due to a prominent bass line and a crunchy riff. Again, the hook is a very strong one, but it’s from this point on, it becomes clear that although Liberati is gifted as a songwriter, it’s his arrangements which really shine. The rhythm guitars are sharp – though never outdone by the fantastic bass work – and the drum parts are quirky, occasionally in a way which would make Stewart Copeland proud. ‘Burn’ takes those Police influences and makes them as obvious as a fist in the face. It’s a number full of hi-hats and tight drumming, which alone would be enough to warrant being likened to The Police in places, but once the track weaves its way around a fantastic bass line that’s more than reminiscent of ‘Driven To Tears’, those influences and comparisons become so, so unavoidable. Frankly, though, as far as influences go, Liberati could do far worse! The chorus brings an upbeat, jangly guitar riff, over which Liberati’s vocals are hard sounding without being aggressive.

‘Next To You’ offers something softer, with acoustic vibes overlaid with subtle electric leads. Liberati’s hushed tones have a slight Americana leaning against an atmospheric arrangement. The electric guitars and drums have a great amount of reverb and the electric piano compliments them well. The hushed vocal tones are at the other end of the scale to Dom’s louder performances on ‘We Own The Night’, but this change sits rather well among the rockier numbers. ‘Lookin’ Around’ comes with a similar laid-back quality, here capturing Liberati in a mood which would suit the under-rated Pete Droge. It’s a number which rarely breaks from an easy groove, with both Liberati’s under-stated vocal and a slide guitar solo providing the high points.

‘Won’t Let You Down’ is a mid-paced number full of staccato rhythms on the verses, which settle into fairly generic chiming guitars on the chorus. The musical approach lends itself to another Kings of Leon comparison. It’s safe, stadium rock approach makes it one of ‘The Good Hurt’s more predictable numbers, but even then, a ringing lead guitar part towards the track’s end and a rumbling bass provide some appeal on a number absolutely designed for radio. For ‘Meltdown’ a greater focus is put up on the drums with their pounding approach; over the drums, the guitars have a simple, yet fairly dominant twang. Vocally, Liberati keeps things restrained and manages not to slip into those Kings of Leon-isms on the louder moments, often being joined by a blanket of backing voices. The uber-dominant bass returns for ‘The Solution’, a number which features a great vocal, a better chorus and even better bassline, as Liberati offers something which mixes the sound of 21st century alt-rock with the quirks of late 80s hi-tech rock in the vein of Baxter Robertson (specifically the backing vocals) and ‘Power Windows’ era Rush (there’s more than a hint of Geddy Lee’s bass style throughout).

With no duff tracks and nothing which could especially be called filler material, ‘The Good Hurt’ is a very accomplished release; one which showcases a brave mix of styles without ever becoming overly flashy or outlandish. Although it plays host to plenty of top notch songs, it’s often the level of musicianship – particularly those busy basslines – which makes ‘The Good Hurt’ so good. A highly recommended listen.

May 2011

EDDIE VEDDER – Ukulele Songs

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EVPost ‘Yield’, Pearl Jam’s career seemed to go more than a bit wobbly. Their sixth and seventh albums (2000’s ‘Binaural’ and 2002’s ‘Riot Act’) were largely sub-standard. 2006’s self-titled offering offered some improvement, even scoring a US #1 single, but even so, Pearl Jam’s best days seemed long gone. And then…2009’s ‘Backspacer’ represented an unexpected return to form, quite possibly their most cohesive work since 1994’s ‘Vitalogy’.

It’s surprising that in all the years of being Pearl Jam’s frontman (and instantly recognisable voice) it took Eddie Vedder so long to record his first full solo album. That honour went to the soundtrack for the 2007 movie ‘Into The Wild’ (although Vedder was no stranger to soundtracks by that point, having already contributed recordings to the soundtracks for ‘I Am Sam’ (solo) and ‘Dead Man Walking’ (two recordings with Nasrat Fateh Ali Khan). This, Vedder’s first non-soundtrack work, still sounds like it ought to accompany a movie. ‘Ukulele Songs’ does exactly what it says on the tin: a bunch of recordings featuring Edward Louis Severson III and his uke. It offers sixteen pieces of music – some original compositions, some covers – with the Vedder-penned numbers, supposedly written between 2001 and 2011.

A re-recording of the 2002’s Pearl Jam track ‘Can’t Keep’ opens the disc, where after a muted strings intro Vedder busily hammers at his ukulele. His vocal has a strong delivery in places, but the stripped back nature of the arrangement painfully highlights his limitations as his vocal wobbles off-key in various places, particularly during the longer notes. It sort of works on the ukulele, but then it was supposedly on the uke that Vedder wrote his original demo of the number way back when. With the token gesture to Vedder’s rock career out of the way, ‘Sleeping By Myself’ brings a folk vibe, with a vocal much softer around its edges and the ukulele similarly toned down. Although the idea of Vedder + uke may seem like a mere quirk, this has a campfire charm and wonderfully intimate nature. Similarly, the gentle ‘Without You’ features Vedder’s best vocal, with more bass end than some of the other tracks, but essentially capturing the brilliant softer sounds of his range, in a recording which could stand alongside Pearl Jam’s ‘Better Man’ in terms of vocal greatness. Elsewhere, the ringing tones of ‘You’re True’ (a number which, although fine, would be even better with a mandolin included too) and relatively sparse ‘Light Today’ provide enjoyment, if not a lot of variety.

While some of Vedder’s self penned tunes have a one-take DIY charm, it’s a couple of cover tunes which perhaps leave the strongest impression. ‘Sleepless Nights’ (best known in versions by The Everly Brothers and Gram Parsons with Emmylou Harris) finds Vedder joined by The Frames’ Glen Hansard. With that second harmony voice, Vedder sounds more natural, and although his voice is louder – more distinctive than Hansard’s – the two performers sound good together. Cat Power guests on a version of the 1920’s song ‘Tonight You Belong To Me’ (possibly best loved in its 1979 rendition by Steve Martin and Bernadette Peters from The Jerk), and as expected, with Vedder providing the lower registers and slightly mumbly delivery and Cat delivering a distinctive female counter melody (with their male/female parts in reverse of Martin & Peters), it’s schmaltzy simplicity is lovely. He really pushes his luck a little far on an empty rendition of The Mamas and Papas ‘Dream a Little Dream’, though, where the baritone vocal is almost inaudible.

‘Ukulele Songs’ certainly adheres to that old saying that a solo work should be markedly different from a performer’s “day job”. The album is enjoyable in places, though its sparse qualities understandably show up Vedder’s occasional vocal raggedness. Also, the fairly uniform nature of the material means ‘Ukulele Songs’ doesn’t always sound like it was designed to be heard in one sitting; even with the relatively short running time of 35 minutes it can feel a little one paced. Even so, there are a few great tracks to be cherry-picked.

May 2011

BOWERY BEASTS – Heavy You EP

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bbBowery Beasts have been hyped as the best band to come out of Los Angeles for years. Former Sex Pistols man Steve Jones has been very vocal about them. Their ‘Heavy You’ EP is a fairly intense mix of alternative rock sounds, which initially isn’t so easy to grasp.

‘He Was Your First Tattoo’ works around a groove-led drum rhythm, which at first makes the listener think we’re headed for garage rock territory. However, those drums are a bit of red herring, as once the chorus rolls around, the band have settled into a mid-paced alt-rock groove. The drums retain a great live sound throughout. In places, the rhythm guitars jangle from the right speaker, at the bottom of the mix overlaid by a whole world of other guitar parts. Marion Belle’s vocals fuse elements of alternative 90s rock and 1970 rock star wailing in such a way that gives Bowery Beasts a proper edginess. It’s a number which requires a few spins for it to reveal all of its many layers, but after a while, Bowery Beasts’ style seems to work…even though at times you might try and convince yourself it shouldn’t.

After a brief intro of feedback, ‘White Diamond Babe’ provides jangly guitar rock in a fairly predictable fashion. The most striking feature is another rock solid drum part until the chorus where Belle pushes his vocal to extremes, at times hitting a piercing banshee wail. Among the more ordinary indie-rock elements, there’s a moment which appears a little darker with fuzzy sampled voices and reverb. Underneath the layers of guitar, there are hints of a great bass line. The upbeat ‘Young Rockers’ shows Bowery Beasts at their most accessible – at least in terms of radio friendliness – with a strong hook, more restrained vocal and multilayered guitars. It’s the EP’s most sing-along offering, certainly, but it’s relatively safe approach means it’s not always as distinctive as Bowery Beasts are capable of being.

‘Amulet’ provides a change in mood, with plenty of acoustics overlaid by ringing electric guitar, The vocals harmonise for a huge part of the number, which uses of lots of retro rock elements, both from the 90s and 70s, with a reverb filled guitar solo filling several bars towards the track’s end. Its familiarity is certainly comforting, though Belle’s shriek which cuts through a good proportion of the track will not be easy listening for everyone. The closing number, ‘Rock N Roll Queen’, continues in a mellow vibe, as acoustic guitar work is joined by sparing piano lines and the sound of flutes. Each of these elements combined create something magical. It provides a great contrast with the darker edges present on ‘White Diamond Blue’. Belle’s vocal style features moments where you’d think he was evoking the spirit of Mother Love Bone/Malfunkshun legend Andrew Wood; something which becomes really obvious when he delivers the word “honey” with almost exactly the same affectation.

‘Heavy You’ is unlikely to click with you on first hearing. It may not even click with you on the second. Some of you might not even get it at all. It may not always be easy listening (and most of it isn’t as dreamy and smooth as a few of the non-EP tracks floating around the net, ‘Jean’ in particular) but perseverance definitely pays off, since this release features some great moments.

May 2011