Coming four years after ‘No Justice’, the world was overdue a new Federale album at the time of this release, but ‘Reverb & Seduction’ isn’t “just another Federale disc”. In the words of main man Collin Hegna, the album is “the culmination of 20 years of sonic exploration” and an attempt to bring all of Federale’s eclectic moods and influences together in one package. The result is an eclectic treat, with elements of Spaghetti Western soundtracks, indie, rock, cosmic country and dark singer songwriter moods all jostling for the listener’s attention, and without any one of those styles becoming a particular, dominant force.
Category Archives: Album & EP Reviews
Listen: Bottlemoth return with superb new track ‘Landslides (People Change)’
Bottlemoth’s debut single ‘Tattoo’ introduced listeners to a band who clearly understood the value in a great melody. A few months on, ‘Landslides (People Change)’ captures another really accessible guitar driven tune that’s just a little more thoughtful than most indie rock fare.
CASII STEPHAN – Relationship Status EP
When Casii Stephen released her single ‘Can’t Handle Me’ in March 2024, it was immediately clear that the world was about to encounter a performer with a huge talent. It was also clear that in the two years since she recorded ‘Trust Fall’, the singer songwriter’s primary influences had changed. Whereas ‘Trust Fall’ – great as it was, and still is – played like a mellow variant of the 90s songwriters associated with the Lilith Fair festival, ‘Can’t Handle Me’ looked even farther back when searching for a groove. With a soul-pop backdrop and massive vocal, that three minute track was as big a homage to a soul fuelled past as an on form Amy Winehouse’s work, and Stephan’s vocal was almost as strong. Her voice also sounded about ten times bigger than its younger self. There was no doubt, this single would be the precursor to great(er) things.
AVNEYA – Road To I
As guitarist and vocalist with progressive metal band Obsidian Tide, Oz Avneya is no stranger to crushing riffs and complex time signatures, but on his solo debut ‘Road To I’, the Israeli musician stretches his musical boundaries just a little further. The occasional nods to melodic death metal within his band’s work sometimes take a bigger role here, but to balance out any pure aggression, this album also explores a couple of far more interesting musical avenues. When not cranking the riffs, Avneya can be found teasing the listener with elements of world music, and there’s also a much bigger concession to melodic prog.
THE SLACKERS – What We Gonna Do Now? / Pick ‘n’ Choose
Although they’ve always been lumped in with the third wave of US ska bands, The Slackers have often presented more of a mature sound. Much like The Toasters, The Pietasters and Hepcat, their musical approach has drawn far more from a reggae pool over the years, and although their studio catalogue isn’t as extensive as some of their peers, it’s more than worth exploring. Although it may be short, this two track release will certainly please their fans.