My Top Ten Albums Of 2020

So, 2020 then? A year where nobody was having fun, apart from members of the government at the expense of people’s lives but let’s keep this light, yeah? Despite the troubles, the pandemic had an amazing soundtrack to it. There were so many hours spent cleaning the house to these artists and without gigs that’s as rock n’ roll as things got in my life. Here are my top 10 albums of the year and firstly, my playlist of the year:

10: LIELA MOSS -WHO THE POWER

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“There was always abandon, there was always deception”

The Duke Spirit singer changed direction with immense effect as she used her husky tones for eighties synth tinged doom anthems in place of the bluesy rock. It takes a few listens to fully access the landscapes she has conjured up. Deep bass and heavy drums add to an overall mood of sorrow. That’s not to say there aren’t catchy moments, opener Turn Your Back Around is sublime and Atoms At Me is a relentless anthem. Just don’t think I Think We’re Alone now style eighties.

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9: IDLES – ULTRA MONO

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“Fuck you, I’m a lover”

The Bristol snowflakes continue to be an avalanche. IDLES wear their punk principles on their chest but slay with kindness. Mostly. “Not a single thing has ever been mended / by you standing there and saying you’re offended” Joe growls on the viscous Grounds, Model Village is a fun tirade against small town mentality and The Lover is a gloriously self-indulgent rant against the band’s critics. Nobody is safe from the bands glare, even themselves. While it’s fair to say their verses are getting a bit samey, the musicianship has developed further. Their future is bright but they’re the kind of band that will purposefully fuck it up. Enjoy them while you can.

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8:BUGEYE – READY STEADY BANG

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“Electric fever sensation!”

Bugeye are exactly what 2020 needed. A pop punk disco band that’ll shake off your worries. With their ragged guitars and tinkly keyboards they could just easily be sent from 1995 to come save us. You’ll hear Elastica and you’ll hear Sonic The Hedgehog (yes, Sonic the Hedgehog) but Bugeye’s ability to write an earworm is all their own. Ready Steady Bang is so fun that it could ignite a Britpop revival all of it’s own. Every song is a banger.

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7: THE BLINDERS – FANTASIES OF A STAY AT HOME PSYCHOPATH

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“I am a gentle man of considerable charm and violence”

The Blinders developed their sound with album number two. They got darker, dirtier and grimier but not in the Stormzy sense. A lot of these songs sound as if they were written with the next series of Peaky Blinders in mind. They would and probably will fit into Small Heath perfectly, especially the opening Something Wicked This Way Comes which is only missing a Nick Cave vocal. Mule Track kicks likes one and Forty Days And Forty Nights charges along with all the energy of Arthur Shelby on his way to the drug dealer. Whatever The Blinders plan to to next, it’ll be interesting for sure. Perhaps the Call The Midwife soundtrack?

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6: DREAM NAILS – DREAM NAILS

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“One day we’ll make you pay”

This debut album flies by with ambition and ferocity not often heard. In just 25 minutes Dream Nails fight through issues such as toxic masculinity, sexual abuse, transgender politics and the suckiness of capitalism. To name just some. While there’s justified anger in the likes of Payback, a rage Against The Maschine style assault on the senses and the closer Kiss My Fist (“do you want us your screen / do you want to hear us scream”) there is also a lot of fun at play. Swimming Pool, a pisstake of fifies rock n’ roll being a prime example.

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5: DOVES – THE UNIVERSAL WANT

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“I feel your presence pressing on a nerve”

No band should return with this much splendor after such a hiatus. After eleven years Doves returned to a world very different from 2009. Not just because there’s a pandemic on but because the music industry is unrecognisable from eleven years ago. Yet, with their brand of soothing and soulful anthems Doves just slotted right back in. They felt just like home. Yes, the general formula remains but they’ve excelled themselves with what could be their strongest collection yet. The swirling and atmospheric For Tomorrow might even excel The Cedar Room. It is THAT good. Cycle of Hurt pangs with huge regrets as a beautiful guitar melody floats around it reassuringly. Like a comfort blanket to help with all the hurt. That’s Doves in 2020. WE didn’t just welcome them back, they welcomed us in..

4: FALSE HEADS – IT’S ALL THERE BUT YOU’RE DREAMING

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“The loser leaves in a body bag”

Post punk and grunge combine with exhilarating results. The London trio’s debut is a brash, confident take and injected an energy into a 2020 where EVERYTHING took longer (shopping, working, crying etc). Rabbit Hole is cavalcade of riffs piled on existential angst. Wrap Up is a filthy dirge with added screeching solos. Ink makes it’s mark with an infectious chorus. Fall Around has an almost ditty like quality as they proclaim the Queen to be dead. A riotous album, the kind that some claim aren’t being made nowadays. They are, it’s just not enough people are listening.

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3: JAMES DEAN BRADFIELD – EVEN IN EXILE

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“Bondaged citizens make the best revolutions”

A concept album from the Manics frontman (with lyrics by Patrick Jones) about the Chilean musician, poet and activist Victor Jara. Even In Exile could easily have been a Manic Street Preachers album, in fact let’s just say it’s their official thirteenth album instead of Resistance Is Futile! Bradfield’s voice bring more gravitas to an already huge life story and it is done with affection and compassion. Recalling Jara’s music with a cover of La Partida, his political stance with the solemn There’ll Come A War and his family life on Without Knowing The End (Joans’s Song) – “I lived, I danced, I loved and I fought / This life I had to defend”. Thirty Thousand Milk Bottles is a celebratory stomp despite the subject at hand. Bradfield’s voice sound incredible but it’s worth noting his exceptional guitar work too. Here he does things unheard in the Manics. A resounding musical and political achievement in 2020 and we didn’t get much of the latter did we?

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2: THE BIG MOON – WALKING LIKE WE DO

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“Days like this I forget my darkness”

Walking Like We do is literally a bright light shining in the dark sky so The Big Moon have never been so aptly named. As far as we know they haven’t flashed their bums at anyone anyway. Their second album is like laying down in a silk sheet of musical beauty. Is that a thing IKEA sell? These are lovingly crafted songs, not just in the hooks and melodies but in the lyrical attention to detail. The guitars have been toned down for a more synth based collection but that is not to their detriment. It’s Easy Then has a choir like chant of a chorus and Waves is a relationship breakdown put to a lullaby, Holy Roller has a darker edge involving porno sites and red wine (“I’m gonna start a religion / Something to keep my hands busy”). Barcelona might be the stand out in a packed field of quality. It’s a song about a friend leaving for Spain. The lyrics of “I’m at the party wondering if it’s alright / For me to toast her future and drink heavy for mine” sum up the album succinctly -melancholia and joy together in harmony. And oh, what harmonies.

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1: BLACK FOXXES – BLACK FOXXES

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“THIS IS NOT THE TIME TO GO OUTSIDE!”

Triumph from the jaws of defeat and yet, in the best possible way, it still sounds like adversity. Black Foxxes looked to be over after the three piece lost a bassist and a drummer. Frontman Mark Holley surveyed the ruins and built from the ground. New band members came in and with album number three Black Foxxes have never sounded so vital. Musically there is a spring in their step as they push boundaries. Holley’s words however, are adrift from the new positivity. I Am builds from stark beginnings, an insular anthem howling “I AM ALONE!” before it kicks in and immediately drifts back into the abyss at the end. Sister song Badlands ups the ante, twisting the knife into a self-hate rage fest that pounds and pounds for eight minutes. Each second the guitars feel heavier and the tension more unbearable. The shouted refrain of “Now is not the time to go outside, now is not the time to go outside!” couldn’t be more 2020, In fact, as a mood board of the year just lay these nine songs out. The ambient Panic softly lulls you into a false sense of security before having an electronic meltdown. Swim is fucking glorious. Discordant strums mixed with soothing harmonies that surges into incredible soloing. Pacific is a brass led stunner, Think Morcheeba – until it breaks into a fit that sounds like Nirvana falling down the stairs. The Diving Bell is the final punch to the gut. A nine minute monster that cheekily claims “We can do better” You don’t think they can and then that heavy as fuck moment changes the mood. Black Foxxes will leave you exhilarated and overwhelmed. You’ll love every moment. Stay inside and play loud.

My Top 10 Albums of 2017

 

10): The Charlatans – Different Days

“I’m a known quantity / Too well known for The Machinery not to be interested”

The Charlatans are a band who continue to furrow their own brow and each time they come up with the goods. They survived Baggy, Britpop and everything else that’s come and go because they’ve never really been any of those things. Free of any such labels and with their reputation safe they are free to make the music they want. For  a band that has suffered so much trauma and heartache, Different Days is an LP covered in glorious sun rays. While the world at large stresses out, The Charlies have clearly been lying on a beach immersing themselves in rich, warm sounds.

There a hooks aplenty and even a bit of kookiness by their own standards. There are even spoken word segments, one read out by none other than novelist Ian Rankin. Johnny Marr and Paul Weller also make contributions, which is just showing off. Different Days embraces the listener with a warm glow and is a more than worthy addition to a thirty year back catalogue.

 

9) Idles – Brutalism

“The best way to scare a Tory is to read and get rich”

Idles have named their debut perfectly. It is fucking harsh. Coming across as the narcissistic love child of Slaves and Future Of The Left, the Bristol band have been bubbling under the surface for a few years. Their social commentary is straight to the point and with tongue slightly in cheek. Most of the songs are aggressive mantras that take potshots at people the Tories and people called Tarquin. Let’s face it, Tarquin is probably a Tory. While their approach is well meaning, there’s something about Brutalism that makes you feel sordid. That’s part of the fun though, right?

 

8): Juanita Stein – America 

“Gaze into the night again”

Juanita’s first solo exploration finds her cruising route 66 and other famous American roads I can’t think of. There are elements that sound like her band (Howling Bells) and that is not an insult at all for they are vastly underrated act. The big sounding, catchy Black Winds being the most prime example. When she does go off the beaten track and away from the indie, Juanita literally ends up in the country. Don your stetsons for a soulful, atmospheric album that compliments her soothing voice perfectly.

 

7): Spectres – Condition

“Milking my adrenaline / drink it all in”

Spectre’s second album is a discordant wall of noise which sounds full of rage at the world one moment and then apathy the next. The mood is dark, the tunes are mostly hiding behind metallic guitars and a pounding rhythm section but they are there. It’s an industrial sounding album that sounds like it’s trying to escape the factory.

‘The Beginning Of The End’ and ‘Dissolve’ are sprawling epics, jabs of guitar sporadically breaking out of the mire. ‘Neck’ and ‘Welcoming The Flowers’ are boiling furnaces of rage, unsettling and uncompromising. If you let Condition wash over you the splendour will seep into your soul. Just so long as you don’t want to be in a good mood.

 

6) Royal Blood – How Did We Get So Dark?

“You’re not so hard to forget with all the lights out”

The way Royal Blood dealt with the pressure of the hype and awards their debut generated was satisfyingly simple: If it ain’t broke don’t fix it. The rough edges might have been blunted slightly but the result is still a treat to the ears. An element of glam rock on the likes of Look Like You Know and Where Are You Now? confirms album number two is a bit more pop in its mindset but they still make a noise though. The riffs of Lights Out are enough to cause tremors and Hook, Line & Sinker judders like a metal Stevie Wonder. Next time around, Royal Blood probably need to step away from the short, ten song album formula and they are certainly more than capable of causing surprises should they want to.

 

5): Shed Seven – Instant Pleasures 

“No spunk in your trunk and no fun in your funk”

Sixteen years is a long time ago. The world has changed so much that when Shed Seven last released an album George W. Bush was the worst president in history. In truth, Rick Witter’s band of merry men never truly disappeared as they’ve toured their hits on and off for years. Their greatest hits truly was the indie equivalent of ABBA Gold and anyone who disagrees is just plain wrong.

The biggest surprise that Instant Pleasures offers is that this is their best studio album to date – both instant and pleasurable. Even songs about depression, like It’s Not Easy have a joy running through them Hang On is another example, especially when it breaks out into a hybrid of Sympathy For The Devil and Boyzone’s Picture Of You. They can even be forgiven for aping The Killers with Enemies and Friends because they slay it more than Brandon Flowers has done for years. It’s a heart warming, fun, and beautifully melodic riot that shows Britpop shouldn’t be the swear word its become.

 

4): Trampolene – Swansea To Hornsey

“The silence makes the darkest sound”

“Confidence is a preference for the habitual voyeur of what is known as PARKLIFE!” said the great philosopher Phil Daniels back in the day.  Confidence is also a key attribute for a debut album and Swansea To Hornsea walks the walk and talks the talk in the same way that Oasis and Artic Monkeys did first time round. Those comparisons are not made lightly. Here we have the swagger of the Gallaghers and the poetic sneer of Alex Turner. Singer Jack Jones even uses the album to get exactly those kind of compositions out there with three spoken word rants covering youth, drugs and Poundland. The holy trinity.

For the most part it’s energy is all consuming, Guitars that veer from jangly, heavy and everything in between. Solos that fly out of the speakers, Fantastic bass lines that are groovier than Austin Powers in a washing machine. It’s an unpredictable listen because the softer moments astound just as much as the bluster. Songs, especially those nearer the end, go down different paths to where they were hinting and unlike the album’s title, go off map. It’s youth, with all it’s highs, lows (and awkward fumbles with girls) soundtracked to near perfection. Today they may be at Hornsey but tomorrow it could be…I dunno.. Norwich? Keep believing and maybe, just maybe..

 

3): Wolf Alice – Visions Of A Life

“I dream of death, its violent breath”

The world is there for the taking for Wolf Alice but Visions Of A Life only serves to proof what contrite, perverse gits they are. When they could be stepping up their mainstream appeal in a bid to play arenas they’ve gone further into their own world. They seem oblivious to what’s going on around them musically and while the old school influences that ran through the debut are still here, it’s run through their personal filter. There isn’t a band out there who doing what Wolf Alice are doing. Visions Of A Life is more expansive, more ambitious and more unique. Ellie Rowsell’s ever changing voice fits Wolf Alice’s attention span perfectly.

Heavenward isn’t really shoegaze because  it reaches for the sky and when they aren’t blasting you with punk pop ditties such as Yuk Foo and Formidable Cool they serve up a rich soundscape of the future. Planet Hunter feels like being in a vortex until the bass breaks out at the end. Sky Musings is a Ryanair induced panic attack (and we’ve all had those). Sadboy and St. Purple & Green show off their quiet/loud tricks at their best. The former in particular is a devastating, surreal anthem for the forlorn. The title track’s dark guitars chime as if notifying us of the end of the world but no matter how bad 2017 might have been we survived it, Which is good. We can listen to Wolf Alice more.

 

2): Paul Draper – Spooky Action

“If medication’s no answer then is ignorance bliss?”

The Stone Roses? Elastica? They’ve got nothing on Paul Draper, who finally released an album that was fourteen years in the making. Inspired by an online petition, Paul went back to the drawing board, recorded his unheard solo material and even wrote new stuff, such was his regained passion. It’s magnificent to have his vocals back again and while he may not like his own voice, there are many who have missed it. I was fortunate to be at the first album playback in the summer and will never forget the goosebumps and joy that I felt listening for the first time. Spooky Action, as fans would expect, is an epic jumble of grand ideas, dark themes and utter silliness. There’s meaty prog rock beasts like Don’t Poke The Bear,  dirty disco stompers like Who’s Wearing The Trousers (which has the weirdest “solo” ever committed to tape) and late night, soul bearing epics like Jealousy Is A Powerful Emotion.

His voice sounds more soulful than ever before and as they’re on a record that covers a lot of the Mansun split in the lyrics, emotion coats everything in an HD gloss. It’s almost like watching a fly on the wall documentary of a band falling apart. The production is busy yet crystal clear. There are elements of Mansun’s different eras in the sound but there’s also a refreshing, new feel in the mix too. It’s been worth every minute of the wait but don’t tell Paul that because we sure as hell can’t wait until 2031 for the follow up.

 

1): The Franklys – Are You Listening?

“It started friendly but things got ugly”

Well, are you? If not then why not? This is everything a debut should be and more. Noisy, articulate and confident. It might not match the raw power of their live shows but these ten songs thrive off an adrenaline that would make Ed Sheeran shit himself. They are more than simply “garage rock” because thankfully they’re not The Hives. There’s plenty of snarling, sneering and deliciously squawking guitar solos. The songs batter you round the head with a punk rock energy that puts to shame Bono’s ludicrous “music has got too girly” statement. Since when did U2 rock anyway?

It’s an album that blitzes by pretty relentlessly. The “quieter” moments still stun though. Keeper chugs along, it’s melody barely disguising evil intent. Imaginarium (“I’m imagining a future we will never see”) wears a Sleater-Kinney top with pride and yet shows great ambition. With Bad News the whole thing ends up in a noisy racket of kick ass joy. In short, Are You Listening? is a riot and has more balls than anything Bono has dared inflict on the world. Actually, who needs balls? Bono, you can keep them. The Franklys are proof, as if it was needed that the music industry is actually too manly.

My full and (in my opinion) best of 2017 playlist is here if you want to check it out..

 

 

 

 

My Top 10 Albums Of 2016

10: Catfish And The Bottlemen The Ride

“To every ex I didn’t treat right / To every Monday I called in sick / To every argument I let slide”

At the start of the year I kept seeing the name Catfish And The Bottlemen. On Twitter. On Facebook. On ‘You might like’ suggestions on youtube but other than having a ridiculous name I knew nothing about them and never thought to venture into knowing more about them. Mainly because they had a ridiculous name. A friend then said they liked them and we soon saw them at Radio 1’s Big Weekend and they impressed greatly. Over the next few months I got to know the album very well on said friend’s car stereo. I became a bit of a unwitting convert to Botfish And The Cattleprods (or whatever they’re called).

There are all the elements of nineties Brit rock going: Sneering vocals, basic song structures and most importantly – catchy as fuck. There’s certainly a strong Oasis vibe too. These songs of being unemployed, getting drunk and having arguments with girlfriends are set to be soundtrack of a new generation the same way Oasis were mine. Yes, I’m old thanks for noticing.

 

9: The Duke Spirit KIN

“There you go into the light and break this heart of mine”

The very definition of a slow burner. It took me quite  a few listens to fully get how stunning a record this is. For KIN, the wonderful clattering, dirty sounding rock and roll of The Duke Spirit has been refined into an atmospheric wall of beautiful noise. Chiming guitars take over from full charged riffs. Leila Moss is still prowling your speakers, her husky voice as powerful as ever but the intent is less one of attack and more of contemplation.

Wounded Wing manages to sounds both world weary and optimistic. ‘100 Horses Run sparkles with pure beauty. These are tunes which will subtly enter your consciousness without you even realising. There is still plenty of bite in the stormers too. Side By Side is a brooding, unrelenting juggernaut of bashing drums with a killer chorus.

A different Duke Spirit maybe but this one as still as vital as ever. Get lost in KIN and you won’t want to come back in a hurry. Sometimes the things we have to work at understanding are the most rewarding.

 

8:: She Makes War Direction Of Travel

“We throw insults, the world throws stones”

She Makes war (AKA Laura Kid has lived up to the name of her third long player. It is Goth, grunge, poppy and electronic .Guitars, synths, strings and ukuleles combine to form a rich tapestry of masterful angst. It does indeed have many directions and an plethora of ideas but it is not a garbled mess. It’s focused, mature and incredibly beautiful.

Cold Shoulder is a dirty (in both senses) sounding rant at a lover: “What’s coming for me, ex-girlfriend or STD? / Don’t call me baby”. Then we have In Cold Blood which feels like it was recorded in a darkly lit room with Laura loitering around the corner holding a knife. The downbeat Alone still has a knack of making a chorus that says “We’re always all alone” sound kind of unifying.

Things take  a melodic turn with the lovely Paper Thin, a duet with Tanya Donelly which has an almost fairy tale quality to it. Stargazing is a light, floating string laden piece of epicness. The tune sounds positive despite the lyrics being less so. 5000 Miles is a club banger.. if that club is for introverts only. Mark Chadwick of The Levellers also pops up for a folky duet in ‘Time To Be Unkind’

On another note, Direction Of Travel would win the album cover of the year award. If I could be arsed to do one.

 

7: Muncie Girls From Caplan to Belsize

” For the next few years you can laugh and joke about your next victim / But when you’re all grown up and your daughter cries you’ll be sorry you did this”

Any band who references Sylvia Plath for their album title is more than OK by me. Fronted by the annoyingly multi talented Lande Hekt (singer, guitarist, drummer in a few bands) Muncie Girls have been part of the Exeter scene for a while now and it’s great to finally hear the songs on record.

From Caplan To Belsize is rammed full of what should be punk pop classics with more hooks than coat hanger fetishist cloakroom but there’s much more at play here. The brilliant lyricism which confront issues such as rape culture (Respect) and battling with anxiety (Social Side). The fact that a song called ‘I Don’t Want To Talk About It‘ perversely manages to be a euphoric singalong sums it up. OI! OI! Balloon also needs a shout out for being a tune of stadium sized proportions. It’s loud, bouncy and pretty much over before you’ve even had time to google what a ‘Muncie’ is.

 

6: Emma Pollock In Search Of Harperfield

” To never repeat / Is ambition sweet / These days that last longer / These days feel like weeks”

Emma Pollock fronted one of my favourite ever bands, lo fi pop noise makers The Delgados. They disbanded too soon like most of my favourite bands do. Her voice has always been like honey to me, imagine Sophie Ellis-Bextor with a strong Scottish lilt. This is ABSOLUTELY fine with me.

In Search Of Harperfield, her third solo album has a deep strong sense of reminiscing about a youth gone, the title itself refers to her parents home but there’s no rose tinted glasses being worn here for it is plaintive without being self absorbed, the sadness lifted by beautiful, catchy arrangements. Cannot Keep A Secret is a brilliantly dizzy waltz of an opener and is followed up by the punchier Don’t Make me Wait, shot through with punchy strings. Alabaster is a subtle synth death march (“Bring me the head of happiness dead”). The softly vengeful Clemency purrs “I will clip your wings whilst sleeping / If you venture home again / And I will cut your legs from under you / If you so much as say her name”. With poetry slaying like this, words win over power any day.

A record that drips with raw emotion and life affirming melodies. It doesn’t come with a huge fanfare, or even a small one for that matter. The music does the talking and I for one, am all ears.

 

5: Savages Adore Life

“Is it human to adore life?..”

Savages have stretched their short sharp slabs of military punk and contorted them into something a bit different which makes album number two an evolution from the debut. The bass as ever is at the forefront but the guitar playing and sound is at an extra level. Poetic in its heaviness, graceful in the solos and still sounding nasty as fuck, most notably on Surrender and T.I.W.Y.G. Jehnny Beth’s vocals are fierce, giving the songs an even further dimension of intensity.

There’s more feedback, more reverb, more breakdowns, more build ups, more gaps to let the sense of unease in. Adore ebbs and flows, narcissistically holding off the kick in almost as a form of punishment.

It’s almost a concept album on relationships but don’t worry, they’ve not turned all Adele on us. This is all about the darker side of love (“I’m not gonna hurt you/ ‘Cause I’m flirting with you”) and sexuality (“When I take a man or a woman / They’re both the same / They’re both human”) It’s the same but different. It’s Savages still being Savage and thank badness for that.

 

4: Black Foxxes I’m Not Well

“Just another empty face in this hollow resort”

There was me thinking i was pretty up to date on the local Exeter music scene but.. no. Black Foxxes didn’t enter my world until late in the year when someone told me about them playing in town. I didn’t go. I’m sure they must have played Exeter a few times but I guess lots of bands have the words ‘black’ and ‘foxes’ (albeit spelt correctly) in their title so maybe nothing stood out initially. Who knows. Better late than never I suppose.

I’m Not Well feels like grunge updated. Sort of like Pearl Jam if they had ever been good or rocked. Actually not like Pearl Jam at all then. Forget that. For a debut, the talent on offer is very special and it is also rare for a first outing to be so wonderfully produced. It’s heavy and clear as day. The use of screeching feedback and noise mid songs are a highlight. Mark Holley’s vocal’s sound fragile one second and like Smaug the dragon in an angry showdown with hobbits the next.

So the tune then, oh the tunes. Not exactly what you could describe as easy listening, the songs are shot through with lots of pain and anxiety. Some are instantly catchy and some you may have to break through the shredded guitars and anguish to grasp. Hearts are very much on sleeves, their blood and guts very much on the floor and all for our listening displeasure. It may not a joyous noise but what a fucking brilliant noise..

 

3: Honeyblood Babes Never Die

“HEY, HEY, IT’S JUST A LITTLE HEARTBREAK”

This is Honeyblood’s lo-fi grunge gone a full screen, cineamatic technicolour. Clearly not a band to rest on their laurels, Stina and Cat have raised the bar even higher with a collection of what might constitute as heavy, twisted power ballads (Sea Hearts and Walking At Midnight in particular). Sister Wolf is a dancey slice of sinister fun as is Love Is A Disease with an added kick from “new bassist” Seb. Tour in-joke. Don’t ask.

The heavier moments growl with menace, especially the chugging riffs of Justine, Misery Queen which melodically switches between bitter and sweet.Gangs sounds like Howling Bells on a really bad day. It’s a compliment, honestly. As for Ready For The Magic, it simply kicks arse. The title track too is a raucous feminist anthem about sticking together.

It’s an album which shows a broader range and a vision that truly marks Honeyblood as ones to watch (if there was any doubt before). Babes Never Die conjures up images of dark spirits in a gloomy woodland and a very brightly lit future in the trees.

 

2: Slaves Take Control

“Abide by the rules that were set by the fools”

In a year when we’ve heard the literally meaningless slogan “take back control” spouted again and again by career politicians it’s nice that Slaves have taken back taking control from them. Sort of. Clearly a prolific band, this follows very quickly on from last year’s debut which must mean the quality suffers, right? No chance.

It starts in a fit of rage with the a Mikey flatmate offending Spit It Out, that is all spiky riffs and shouting and they keep hammering at your senses. Consumed Or Be Consumed is a tirade on .. well consumerism with snarling riffs and rapping. It’s like the Beastie Boys let loose on the streets of Laaandan. Money, class and the elite play strongly on their minds. Rich man berates a rich man. Or a man called Richard Man. Maybe. Lies is a heavy blues take on the theme: “Hollow eyes / suits and Ties / power comes at a price / one mans hell / another’s paradise”. It continues “Stopping signs of life in the factory of death / in the shadow of the city, we’ve got nothing left”. As ever with Slaves, the messages are well meaning and (mostly) serious but the soundtrack is so heavy and loud that you don’t have to have a social conscience to have fun. Though please do have one because that would make you weird otherwise. It sweeps you along on pure adrenaline and bravado. It’s all magnificent. Unless you’re a hi-hat. In which case you’re fucked. The People That You Meet is a unique tale of bumping into local characters around town: “I walked into a sex shop / the lady had a beard”.

Then they go and surprise us in the second half. Steer Clear is a low key eighties indie ode to road safety (“Please don’t kill yourself behind that steering wheel”). Cold Hard Floor is an atmospheric dirge driven by deep bass and pained yelping. STD’s/PHD’s is a gloriously moody, chiming club floor filler.. or club floor emptier depending on your opinion. Though “TV meals / self destruction / know how it feels don’t you?” hardly screams Pete Tong. Though society has all gone Pete Tong and Slaves are supplying the best possible soundtrack to our end of days. They might just save the best for last – Same Again is viscous and it’s drum / riff breakdown towards the end is the stuff of dreams. This is not more of the same from Slaves. The best second albums take the work of a debut and adds new twists. Slaves have so much energy, fury and imagination they are already at the top of their game. Wherever they go from here will be noisy, fun and life affirming. If they aren’t headlining Reading by their third album then the world is more wrong than even Slaves think it is.

 

1: The Tuts Update Your Brain

“I can’t cry off my eyeliner flicks for anyone”

A case of faith rewarded, belief justified. When your own personal hype for a band is exceeded it’s not just rare, it’s frankly miraculous. The energy of the band’s personalities and live show has been compressed into twelve soundbites that implode at every opportunity.

It is an album that is extremely fun, deeply serious and very loud. Through indie, punk, ska, pop and rap they take on the media, sexism, politics and to be honest, the whole wide world. It’s confidence is staggering, it walks the walk, talks the talk and has the courage to back up its conviction.

Back in September I gave Update Your Brain 9/10 for much the same reason the judges on Strictly don’t dish out tens in the first week. Put simply, this is only album number one and there are still even greater things to follow. Just wait until you see their next dance.

This is my original review of ‘Update Your Brain’. It has slightly more words.

 

 

The Tuts – Hatchet Inn, Bristol

If you can’t be won over by a band who heckle Boris Johnson by singing “NEVER TRUST A TORY!” to him in a library then you may just have a heart of stone. Wherever The Tuts go things happen. Good things, funny things, crazy things – sometimes all at once. On this, the bands first (literal) invasion of Bristol they tried to break into the nearby O2 academy and blag their way onto the bill for the Jamie T gig. There lies an ambition and fire in them that bursts out much bigger than any library or, in tonight’s case, what feels like a living room above a pub. Which is fitting because if there’s any justice they should one day be playing Academy sized venues themselves as headliners.

The band take to the stage looking spectacular in Halloween themed costumes and as soon as singer Nadia fires up the guitar and crashes into a punky, catchy version of ‘Beverley’ we hear that full on, chaotic intent realised into one three minute pop song. What follows is a powerhouse of what sound like instant hits.’All Too Late’ flows with it’s Liberines-esque earworm melody, ‘Worry Warrior’ is both a call to arms for all the self doubters and a kick in the teeth with it’s “I though you were strong-aah” (officially the best pronunciation of the word stronger in any song ever, and no I haven’t researched it, there’s no need). At one stage a member of the audience is almost beheaded* by Nadia’s flailing guitar. Told you, things happen with these guys. ‘Loving It’ is a joyful but all too short two minutes of riffs and the only flaw tonight is that they didn’t play it twice(!).

Harriet and Bev are a rhythm section having fun, full of smiling glances and gleefully taking their chances to shout things like ‘TUT TUT TUT!” and “ALWAYS HEAR THE SAME SHIT!”, the latter song an assault of punk attitude which though it could be about a person could easily be a tirade against a stale, sexist music industry (“You’ve got no substance, its all just hype”). Closer ‘Back Up’ also has that arrogant streak, a joyful racket preaching “we’re gonna bud and blossom, spread our pollen to the people, make our sound truly ripple” over a frenetic noise and signing out with a truly Tuts-like philosophy “How do you know if you don’t have a go?”. These DIY warriors** are having more than a go and they are getting better and better all the time. Accept defeat, let The Tuts conquer your town too – it’s going to be one hell of a fun time.

 

*Perhaps beheaded was a bit of an exaggeration, more..

** Not these kind of DIY warriors

ALBUM REVIEW: Little Matador: Little Matador

There will be cynics to Snow Patrol’s lead guitarist Nathan Connolly forming a heavy rock band, that a man renowned for mainstream indie is dressing up in new, trendier clothes. The first thing that needs to be done with this self titled debut is forget the who and listen to the why. This is a stripped down, raw and energetic record with a very clear influence at play. If it wasn’t for the vocals (which Connolly excels in) you could easily imagine this as a Queens Of The Stone Age album. The first  half stomps about with confident  riffs and an infectious catchiness,  ‘Stitch Yourself Up’ and ‘Boom Boom’ being the highlights. There is a downturn in quality with the stodgy duo of ‘Give & Take’ and ‘Gimme All You Got’ before things pick up a little – the discordant ‘Cheating Heart’ standing out most of the closing numbers. 7/10

Album review: Mark Morriss – A Flash Of Darkness

Over the years Britpop’s reputation may have been tarnished but Mark Morriss, former lead singer of The Bluetones was always one of its shining lights. ‘A Flash Of darkness’, his second solo album is full of the the same intriguing wordplay and earworm melodies with an engrossing mix of folk, indie, strings and brass. Fittingly for the title, some of the lyrics supply a sad undercurrent most noticeable on ‘Low Company’ and the brilliant ‘It’s Hard Being Good All The time’. There are also two strong covers. ‘Pink Bullets’ (The Shins) keeps true to the original and a total reconstruction of Kavinsky’s ‘Nightcall’ that gives it a weird emotional edge.  The closer ‘Sleep Song’ is the stand out with its exploding “In a dream without pictures / in a dream without sounds” chorus. The man even gets away with ending on a sax solo. His strongest material in years. 8/10