Review: Clinic - Bubblegum

Oct 212010

It can hardly be said that Clinic have changed much over the past 10 years. Right from their initial releases up to 2008’s “Do It” they’ve kept that same dense gothic sound, with its fast paced guitar rhythms, humming electro organs, and creepy, sometimes hilarious lyrics. But for 2010’s “Bubblegum” they’ve decided to alter the mix and shake things up with a new sound. Or have they?

“Bubblegum” is a non-committed reinvention, the band deliberately trying to make a non-‘Clinic’ album. The sound is certainly softer, featuring many acoustic guitar driven tracks, but in making this change they’ve sacrificed the intensity and unique feeling of frenetic gloom that made them interesting in the first place. Soft guitar ballads, slow atmospheric rock, these things can be found from ten-a-penny bands, musicians who don’t have half the ingenuity or wit of this Liverpool four piece.

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Review: The Chemical Brothers - Further

Jun 242010

A new Chemical Brothers album. Not news to stir the emotions is it? Five years since their last decent track (Galvanize, if you were wondering) and much further back since their last full length really hit the spot; you could be forgiven for immediately writing Further off without a second thought. Stick with it though and Tom and Ed’s seventh studio album reveals a partial return to form. Gone are the odd guest vocalists that plagued the last few records, and back is the expansive and ever-so-slightly psychedelic twisting electronica that we all fell in love with, ooh fifteen years ago. This is no mere big beat revival though, Further contains some of the most experimental tracks the duo have produced outside their Electronic Battle Weapons series.To continue the experimental theme, the album comes with an accompanying disc of visuals too – a dose of the famed Chemicals live experience in your living room.

Why only a partial return to form? Some of the tracks lack the propulsion to get them over the finishing line. Escape Velocity struggles to live up to its name, and its nigh-on 12 minute length; accelerating but ultimately remaining Earthbound. When they do re-tread old ground it’s pretty decent, Horse Power feels as if lifted straight from Surrender, piling on snatches of sound that recall previous singles in abundance. It’s with Horse Power that Further really starts to come alive, leading into a great run of tracks to close the record out. Recent single Swoon is the album standout, shifting and stretching layers of synths set to a bouncing bassline – reminiscent of Orbital’s halcyon days. Although you’d struggle to pin another single out of the remaining tracks there’s no filler here. So, shake off your apathy and giver Further a whirl – there’s life in the old dog yet.

Rating: ★★★★☆☆

The Chemical Brothers – Swoon (mp3)

Review: Laura Marling - I Speak Because I Can

Apr 012010

Laura Marling’s second album has a fair amount to live up to. Her debut LP was Mercury nominated, critically lauded almost universally – rightly so. It was a quiet, sometimes fragile album with many moments of wispy beauty. At times on her debut her youth revealed itself; her wonderful voice at times hiding amongst the shadows.

The follow up is more strident, from the title onwards. Marling’s voice is front and centre throughout, stronger and clearer than before – and it is still an instrument that belies her age. This set of songs is more emotionally hard-hitting too, built around her recent breakup with him from Noah & The Whale. There’s so much experience evident on this album that at times it leaves the listener thinking if Marling is performing a songbook; these tracks could be Carole King’s, Joni Mitchell’s or any of the alt-folk luminaries you’d care to mention.

The highlights on I Speak Because I Can are many, from the almost fairground-esque swells of Alpha Shallows to the beautiful Goodbye England; the first – and destined to always be the best – track to recall our recent deep freeze. My favourite is the slow burn of the coruscating Hope In The Air, building from a simple guitar line to a full-blown, teeth-bared tirade. All the tracks are underpinned by a cleaner production than on her debut, which suits her fine guitar playing, the backing from Mumford & Sons, and both her delivery and subject matter.

All this leaves Marling with a potential millstone, with two albums this good so young what can it possibly leave for the future? Leaving that sobering thought aside though, I Speak Because I Can is a tremendous album – one that propels this young star way ahead of her contemporaries. Stunning.

Rating: ★★★★★½

Laura Marling – Alpha Shallows (mp3)

Buy I Speak Because I Can

Listen in full on:
Last.fm
Spotify
We7

Morton Valence: Bob And Veronica Ride Again

Jun 192009

Morton Valence
Morton Valence: Bob And Veronica Ride Again
Released 4th May 2009
Bastard Recordings

Morton Valence’s debut is an achingly British slab of pop, so desperate to tell us the story of the title’s namesakes that it comes packaged with a romantic novella. Thankfully, unlike many concept records, the album forms a coherent whole and begs to be listened to from start to finish. It does this whilst constantly shifting in style; dipping from Jesus And Mary Chain style shoegaze on the fantastic “I Must Go,”Said Veronica, “But I Will Always Come Back” through to classic electropop reminiscent of Saint Etienne or Black Box Recorder . The similarities to the latter don’t end there either, with Anne Gilpin recalling the glacial delivery of Sarah Nixey.

Whilst treading the same well worn boards as their pop peers Morton Valence carry the whole thing off with such charm, wit and panache that it never comes across as anything but original. I can’t wait for word to catch on about this glorious piece of work, and I suspect neither can the fans who invested in ‘shares’ of the album to ensure its release. A wonderful album that deserves to be near the top of the pile come the year end reckoning.

Rating: ★★★★★☆

For our London readers there are a couple of opportunities to catch Morton Valence over the next few weeks in the city. The first is on June 25 at the last of their Bob And Veronica Book Club events at The Enterprise, and also a chance for a bit of a boat party on July 9 as they play the Battersea Barge.

Morton Valence – Hang It On The Wall (mp3)
Morton Valence – Chandelier (video)

Band site

Last.fm

Myspace
You can buy the CD version of the album that comes with the novella from the band’s website.

Stereolab - Chemical Chords

Sep 062008

Chemical Chords
4AD / Duophonic
Released 19th August 2008
Buy

Stereolab are a band I’ve long admired from a distance. The snippets of songs I’ve heard have been intriguing, but never enough to stir a purchase. When Three Women surfaced on the net several months back something changed, and Chemical Chords became an essential purchase. Fast forward to having the beautiful double-LP on the deck, and the record suitably impresses.

The album sounds exactly how I expected a Stereolab album to sound; insistent, wistful and melodic. The bolshy Three Women remains a favourite, joined by the noir swirls of The Ecstatic Static. Pop immediacy flows through the album, interrupted briefly by the distortion of Pop Molecule with its driving rhythm and twisted beats. Frequently the pop feel flirts with retro novelty, absurdly squelchy analogue synth stabs burst into life on tracks like the breezy opener Neon Beanbag.

This retrospection only adds to the charm of this album. This set of tunes not only has that immediacy to pull the listener in, they have the sheen of songs that live in the memory and bear out further plays. Chemical Chords is no revelation though, merely the confirmation that Stereolab are, on this form at least, a fine groop!

Tickets for Stereolab’s December UK tour can be found on Gigantic (Brighton only) and the evil Seetickets.

Stereolab – Three Women (mp3)

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