The Cosmic Dead – The Cosmic Dead

Holy crap! I don’t know much, actually I am lying, I am not aware of ANY band from Scotland at the moment and that’s a reason more I am enthusiastic about this Glasgow based psych/drone/kraut/space rock outfit. The album I introduce you here was released on Who Can You Trust? Records as a cassette tape release, but it’s also available for download through the band’s Bandcamp profile at a cost of measly 5.50 GBP. Yes, it’s measly price considering what you may get out of this very interesting band. And you get 80 minutes of prolific psych-led rock. I will be that pretentious to say that The Cosmic Dead is next big thing and it shouldn’t be surprising that these guys will very soon be a part of large community which embraces many other acts of same genre orientation. Let me add that the band played with legendary Damo Suzuki (check it here). I am telling you, you are gonna like this one. Enjoy!

Consular – Allapattah Blues

Shining – VII: Född Förlorare

With a troubled past and some incredibly disturbing subject matter under their belts, Swedish ’suicidal black metal’ act Shining also has the distinction of having created one of my favourite dark metal albums of all time, 2007’s ‘V – Halmstad’. Although their sound may be given the half-baked comparison to Opeth or Enslaved in the sense that they meld extreme metal with clean dynamics and moderate hints at vintage progressive rock. What makes Shining such a different act than the other two aforementioned acts is the sheer darkness that Shining takes their music (and listeners) into. Even the most melancholic metal acts usually give some small glimmer of hope amidst the despair, but in the eyes, the only true escape of suicide. Kindly enough, Shining has composed another soundtrack to suicide for anyone that may opt to check out early, creating a black metal soundscape that is sometimes beautiful, often aggressive, but constant in its dark atmosphere. ‘VII: Född Förlorare’ may not reach the sort of dismal perfection that ‘Halmstad’ achieved, but Shining’s seventh studio effort is a fitting addition to the band’s saga.

Much like Opeth, Shining’s sense of songwriting is geared greatly around the dynamic between anguish-ridden extreme metal, and introspective acoustic segments. For the majority of ‘VII: Född Förlorare’ though, the listener will be exposed to Kvarforth’s abrasive growls and mid-tempo, almost bluesy guitar riffs.Much more so than alot of other black metal I have listened to, Shining’s formula on ‘VII: Född Förlorare’ (‘born loser’ in English) is a highly riff-based venture, with the main guitars relying on fairly simple, yet darkly atmospheric licks that- were the distortion turned down a little- could fit in a standard rock song, albeit a fairly morose one. Shining’s magic with guitars is found tough in the added textures over the rhythms, as well as the guitar solos. As for the texturing, Shining makes their roots in depressive black metal very clear, managing to sneak some beautiful harmonies and resolutions into the mix that- in most of the sections they are present- are incredibly beautiful. The guitar solos on the other hand, tend not to tug on the heartstrings nearly as much, but they are executed brilliantly, with plenty of bluesy grit flooding through.

The acoustic and other more introspective moments on ‘VII: Född Förlorare’ may be the best. While Shining works their malefic aggression quite well during the heaviest sections, it sometimes feels as if a little more subtlety could have been used to improve them. The quietest moments here are close to perfection however, often making use of mellotrons and a cello overtop the acoustic guitars and classical piano to add to the beauty. Even some industrial percussion can be heard briefly in the intro to the last track, ‘FFF’, although it seems awkward that it is never heard from again in the song.

While there are a couple of guest vocalists here, Kvarforth is the main vocalist. Both his clean singing and growls give off a feeling, and neither is a sound that is often heard in much black metal. The production here has not improved any from ‘Halmstad’, and that’s perfectly fine; Shining has evidently maxed out the studio to their liking, and are free to explore the feelings of loss and despair that they base their music around. ‘VII: Född Förlorare’ is not the best thing Shining has released, but there is certainly depth here, and depth enough to keep me coming back for many listens. An excellent album from Shining, and if I did not have ‘Halmstad’ to compare it to, perhaps I would be more inclined to call this a masterpiece, because there are certainly moments in this album where I am very tempted to.

Tracklist:

1. Förtvivlan, Min Arvedel
2. Tiden Läker Inga Sår
3. Människa O’Avskyvärda Människa
4. Tillsammans Är Vi Allt
5. I Nattens Timma
6. FFF

Line-up:

* Niklas “Kvarforth” Olsson – Vocals, Keyboards
* Fredric “Wredhe” Graby – Guitars
* Peter Huss – Guitars
* Andreas Larssen – Bass
* Rickard Schill – Drums

Links:

http://www.myspace.com/shininghalmstad

Neal Morse – Testimony 2

Neal Morse has been one of the most celebrated figures in the progressive rock scene of recent years. Developing a strong following with Spock’s Beard, Morse has also met some heavy acclaim for his solo work, where he shows no signs of letting up. Although I am an avid fan of prog rock, I have found it often difficult to get into the music of the artists who choose to express themselves through the sound of the original prog legends, rather than truly progress rock music forward. First hearing the work of Neal Morse through the Transatlantic supergroup, that has been my biggest gripe with the man’s work, but while the epic scope of symphonic prog here is far from original-sounding, Neal Morse writes his music with conviction and passion, refusing to compromise his expression even so far into his career. ‘Testimony 2′ is doused in Yes-inspired prog rock instrumentation, recurring themes and skilled musicianship. What I find myself most enjoying about the album however, is Morse’s ability to take these ingredients and make a personal journey out of it all.

For much of what I have heard from Neal Morse in the past, it seems as if the greatest thing he has going for him when compared to the rest of the prog scene is his incredibly sincere attitude towards music. While many artists that create twenty minute suites of music (as Morse does here) go down the route of making their music about some spaced out fantasy or vague philosophy, Neal sings about things that are quite clearly dear to him and his life. As many may know, this includes a great dose of religious themes, since Morse has deemed himself a born-again Christian. Even taking a look at the track listing here may turn off the more secular listeners right off the bat, but unlike a couple less successful Morse releases, ‘Testimony 2′ does not focus solely on his beliefs in God. I am atheistic and was not sure how Morse’s religious themes would strike me before listening, but if anything, they are certainly tastefully done. Instead of blindly shouting out praise to his religion, Neal Morse only moderately dabbles in lyrics about his religion; the songs here are about much wider topics in his life. Among these are songs about his daughter nearly dying in childbirth, or missing his family while he is out on tour, and the straightforward, human way that Morse conveys these topics to the listener is touching.

The music here is very well arranged, but perhaps ‘Testimony 2’s greatest weakness is the fact that it is far, far too long for its own good. While there are albums out there that can make grand use of their long lengths, ‘Testimony 2′ does not feel as if it has enough musical dynamic or rising action to warrant such a long musical experience, which is nearly two hours long. Although the first disc has a nice narrative throughout the three epic chunks of music and Morse keeps the sound nicely arranged and lush, ‘Testimony 2′ stays mainly stays focused on upbeat symphonic prog, staying fairly fixated on vintage prog rock conventions throughout the whole thing. While I can certainly see the revivalist school of prog rock finding no qualm in this, the retrogressive style here tends to leave nothing to the imagination, and becomes very predictable, despite the great musicianship from everyone involved here. As for the second disc, the epic ‘Seeds of Gold’ is as strong- even perhaps a little stronger- than the three parts of disc one, but when compared to the already-lengthy first disc, the latter portion of ‘Testimony 2′ feels like it may have been better left off the record entirely, in order to make this expression from Morse a little more effective.

I was not originally sure what to expect from what was first reaching my ears as a religious album, but it is clear why Neal Morse is one of the rightful kings of the modern-day prog rock scene. While there is still a little fat on the edges of this steak that could have been trimmed off for the sake of ultimate flavour, ‘Testimony 2′ has made a believer out of me.

Tracklist:

CD 1
Part Six: (22:50)
1. Mercy Street
2. Overture No. 4
3. Time Changer
4. Jayda
Part Seven: (22:54)
5. Nighttime Collectors
6. Time has come Today
7. Jesus’ Blood
8. The Truth Will Set You Free
Part Eight: (32:36)
9. Chance of a Lifetime
10. Jesus Bring Me Home
11. Road Dog Blues
12. It’s For You
13. Crossing Over / Mercy Street Reprise

CD2
1. Absolute Beginner (4:39)
2. Supernatural (6:11)
3. Seeds of Gold (25:59)

Line-up:

* Neal Morse – lead vocals, piano, synthesizers
* Randy George – bass
* Mike Portnoy – drums

Links:

http://www.nealmorse.com/

Buy album from:

Bruce Lamont – Feral Songs for the Epic Decline

This album is the latest revelation of mine, I actually discovered it today accidentally (or not) by checking the website of a graphic designer Seldon Hunt. The name of Bruce Lamont is not a total unknown for me, as I am already familiar with his main project, an experimental/jazz/progressive metal outfit Yakuza. Bruce is a multi-instrumentalist who explores the musical diversity and Feral Songs for the Epic Decline is his first full-length solo effort.

Lamont’s solo work takes the listener through tracks of dark Americana intermixed with loops, noise and drone. Acoustic guitar and clean vocals lead to trancelike tribal rhythms, with the sounds of tenor sax flowing over it all. Tribal rhythms lead to grating noise and anguished wails. Erie loops punctuated with Lamont’s accusing voice pass to settling ambient conclusion. Grating noise builds to industrial soundscapes. Tenor flows over baritone sax drones, loops and builds with chilling wails.
Bruce continues to perform his solo material live with all instrumentation provided by himself only. In recent years he’s performed alongside countless musicians, some of which include Scott Kelly (Neurosis, Shrinebuilder), Battles, John Cale (Velvet Underground) Toby Driver (Kayo Dot), OM, Daniel Higgs (Lungfish), Lichens.

Bruce Lamont “Feral Songs For The Epic Decline” by At A Loss Recordings

ProgSphere’s AwesomeCast – Episode 02: Villebråd

In this, the second episode of our podcast, Nick and I sit down (across the Atlantic) with Påhl Sundström of Klotet and Villebråd. Påhl is also ProgSphere’s resident graphic designer, and he has made all of the album covers for our compilations. I don’t know why I’m telling you that again, you should really know by now from all of the thanks we give to Påhl in our compilation notes. Anyway, we talk with Påhl about his bands and his artwork, and we have him play music for us. Nick and I also play music, of course, but this time we made a theme around what his picks were. Our picks are posted below, along with Påhl’s. You guys will definitely recognize many tracks we’re playing, but hopefully you’ll find many more that you’ve never heard before! Enjoy.

By the way! If you would like to comission Påhl to create some artwork for you, perhaps for your home or business, or perhaps for an album you’re about to release, just send him an email at pahlsundstrom@gmail.com!

Download:

@Archive.org
@Ourmedia.org

Tracklist:

01. Bo Hansson – Big City
02. Elephant9 – Aviation
03. Klotet – Dödad av döden
04. Jethro Tull – Heavy Horses
05. King Crimson – Fallen Angel
06. Gentle Giant – Proclamation
07. Villebråd – Liberation Day
08. Zamla Mammaz Manna – The Forge
09. Camel – Air Born
10. The Carpet Knights – Eternal Sleep

Electric Sorcery – Believe in Your Own Best Friend

“Zappa is dead, long live Zappa!”… This could be a perfect caption for Believe in Your Own Best Friend, Electric Sorcery’s third album. The über-eclectic outfit, hailing from Vermont’s Northeast Kingdom, first came to my attention when I reviewed their second release (simply titled Electric Sorcery II) couple of years ago. A dynamic power trio with a twist, whose individual members have played in a number of local bands since the early Nineties, Electric Sorcery are one of the most potentially exciting bands I have happened to come across in my years as a reviewer. With that genuinely omnivorous attitude that is the trademark of the best progressive rock acts, for their third CD release they have taken the plunge and adopted the loved/loathed ‘rock opera’ format, which over the years has produced a number of masterpieces, but also quite a few turkeys.

Quite busy as a live band on their home turf, Electric Sorcery often play covers alongside their original material, with Frank Zappa as ne of the mainstays of their repertoire. While Zappa’s influence on many bands of the RIO/Avant persuasion is quite evident, no one had yet had the audacity to attempt a recreation of his more irreverent, censorship-prone material, rather than the sophisticated jazz-rock of albums such as Hot Rats or Apostrophe.  However, Electric Sorcery have done it, and concocted a whole album revolving around as outrageous a story as they come, which seems to be a perfect fit for the general socio-political climate of the early 21st century – though  viewed through a grotesque filter rather than in the gloomy, dystopian terms of the likes of Queensryche’s Operation:Mindcrime.

On the band’s website, the album is introduced by a hilarious ‘warning’ note (as in a send-up of those “parental advisory” stickers) that quotes Zappa’s own words, as well as mentioning the evils of cable TV. Based on an idea by drummer Micah Carbonneau and developed in writing by guitarist/vocalist Derek Campbell, the background story (the titular ‘best friend’ being a nickname for an electronic sex aid) throws in such taboo subjects as murder and cannibalism, together with the relatively tamer issues of sex with underage partners, drug use, and the inevitable political shenanigans, wrapping things up with a global-scale war. Undoubtedly an outlandish, over-the-top tale, it is also oddly intriguing, in spite of its overtly seedy nature (which is likely to put off the more strait-laced listeners).

Though the music might be expected to take a back seat to the story, it nevertheless manages to break through even the most manic singing episodes, as immediately displayed in album opener “Suite: Yehsu Beelzebobs”, a number of astounding complexity, peppered with sound and vocal effects, and introducing the album’s leitmotiv. Campbell’s deep baritone voice often sounds like a dead ringer for Zappa’s, and the head-spinning tempo changes and sultry sax solo at the end are sure to catch the attention of sophisticated listeners. The following track, “Nauxluv”, introduces one of the distinctive elements of Electric Sorcery’s musical melting pot, a jaunty reggae rhythm punctuated by Luke Laplant’s sax.  After “The Ballad of Bobby”, a brief, subdued instrumental interlude featuring the slow, mournful surge of guest Alex Wolston’s trumpet, the upbeat mood of the first two tracks is reprised  in “Own Best Friend Today”, one of the main narrative pieces with plenty of vocal interplay, and great sax and drum work to push the musical component to the fore.

The second instrumental interlude, the country/folk-tinged “Bobby’s Lament”, acts as a gateway of sorts to the second half of the album, decidedly more experimental in tone than the first. Narrative pieces like the theatrical, drum-powered “Tatisef/Hatihafren” and the chaotic “Party of Friends”, laden with distorted vocals and electronic effects, are balanced by the mainly instrumental direction of the last three tracks, in which the band veer towards decidedly psychedelic territory. While “R Time” features very expressive vocals by Campbell (who is an excellent singer, as I first noticed when reviewing the band’s previous album), “War on Friends” (at over 10 minutes, the longest number on an album clocking in at a very restrained 48 minutes) and “Forever After” have the sparse, loose feel of a jam session, relying heavily on spacey guitar and keyboards, burbling sound effects and dramatic cymbal crashes that create an ominous, cinematic soundscape. While the unstructured nature of these tracks might put off those listeners who like more disciplined compositions – as well as those whose main interest lies in the story line – they provide a fitting conclusion for such an unabashedly wacky, anarchic effort.

Though Frank Zappa is very openly referenced on the album, both musically and lyrically, it would be unfair to call Believe in Your Own Best Friend derivative. It should rather be seen as a heartfelt homage to one of the few genuinely revolutionary musicians in the history of rock, and also as a brave proposition for a band who is still an unknown quantity in most prog circles. Even if I am not completely sure that such an idiosyncratic album may be the most effective way to put them on the extensive prog map, it is an entertaining, lovingly crafted disc by a trio of open-minded musicians who obviously do not care about fads or labels, and will keep on doing the music they want for as long as they enjoy it. The album can be downloaded from the Bandcamp link below.

Tracklist:

1. Suite: Yehsu Beelzebobs (8:07)
2. Nauxluv (2:35)
3. The Ballad of Bobby (2:17)
4. Own Best Friend Today (4:08)
5. Bobby’s Lament (1:35)
6. Tatisef/Hatihafren (3:59)
7. A Party of Friends (6:49)
8. R Time (3:22)
9. War on Friends (10:43)
10. Forever After (6:29)

Line-up:

* Derek Campbell – vocals, guitar, voice of  Advertisement, voice of Friends
* Micah Carbonneau – drums, percussion, bass, upright bass, guitar, keyboards, vocals, voice of Bobby
* Luke Laplant – baritone saxophone, E.W.I. , keyboards

With:
*Alex Wolston – trumpet (3, 9)
* Natalie Cooper – vocals, voice of Mary (4, 7)
* Megan Garrity – voice of Bedsy (7)

Links:

http://lyndonunderground.com/electricsorcery.htm

http://electricsorcery.bandcamp.com/album/believe-in-own-best-friend

The Decemberists at Merriweather Post Pavilion, Columbia (MD) – June 13, 2011

The arrival of warmer weather heralds the start of the big concert season in the northeast US, taking full advantage of the many capacious outdoor venues of the region, as well as the usual indoor venues of every size that are available throughout the year. Obviously, concerts are also held during the colder months, but especially in the summer the offer of live music is so plentiful that even the most dedicated fans must pick and choose what gigs to attend – unless they have an endless supply of time and money.

According to our original plan, at the end of this week my husband and I would have headed out to Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, for our third NEARfest. As most of my readers know all too well, the event was not meant to be, but we found ways to fill the gap in the month of June, picking and choosing among the vast range of live gigs scheduled in our area. Our choice fell on two bands that, in their own very different ways, have become mainstays of our listening routine: The Decemberists and Black Country Communion – one an established outfit with six studio albums under their belt, the other  the latest supergroup to take the rock scene by storm. Neither of those bands, strictly speaking, are ‘prog’, though they have quite a few points of contact with the genre, and both have often been covered by magazines and websites geared towards prog fans.

We had been so lucky as to see The Decemberists for the first time on their celebrated 2009 tour in support of their fifth studio album, The Hazards of Love, a monumental achievement that won them many fans among the often rather conservative ranks of prog lovers. On that occasion, they were joined by Becky Stark and Shara Worden, the two amazing female vocalists that had guested on the album – which was performed in its entirety, much to the audience’s ecstatic reaction. On the other hand, their latest recording effort, The King Is Dead – a slice of song-oriented Americana, offering very little of the intriguing eclecticism of its predecessors, released at the very beginning of 2011 – had left me somewhat cold. We were nonetheless delighted to learn that they would be playing the same venue as two years ago – the quaintly bucolic Merriweather Post Pavilion, a largish outdoor theatre deep in the Maryland woods, almost a stone’s throw from Baltimore.

Such rustic surroundings seem to be the perfect complement for the warmly engaging music of the Portland-based quintet, a seamless blend of articulate, often challenging lyrics and eclectic music rich with diverse influences. In sharp contrast with the suffocatingly humid heat of the previous week, the cool, dry weather of the evening of June 13 made being outdoors a real pleasure – to the extent that some of the people sitting on the lawn rather than under the pavilion were longing for warmer clothing. Our excellent seats allowed us a great view of the stage, and the two big screens placed on either side were a boon to those who were sitting at the back. If compared to the prog gigs and festivals that we usually attend, the nearly sellout crowd was much younger on average, with a definitely higher proportion of women to men. Even if, in my personal view, The King Is Dead is probably be the weakest of the band’s releases, it has undoubtedly been a relatively major commercial breakthrough for them, exposing them to a much larger audience. It also shows a band refusing to get stuck in a rut or taken for granted, and more than willing to surprise their audience with bold changes of direction.

After  a short opening set by supporting band Best Coast, a rather nondescript, female-fronted indie/garage rock outfit who nonetheless seemed to have their own loyal following, The Decemberists came on stage at 9 p.m., greeted deliriously by the crowd. Stripped down to their basic line-up of Colin Meloy, Chris Funk, Nate Query and John Moen, with bluegrass artist Sara Watkins standing in for Jenny Conlee (who is undergoing treatment for breast cancer), they delivered a strong, invigorating set, mainly revolving around The King Is Dead (performed almost in its entirety, with the exception of one track), but also including a number of songs from their back catalogue. According to Meloy, the songs on the setlist had been chosen for their affinity with the summer season – the show opening with the infectious “July! July!” (from their 2006 album The Crane Wife), and  closing with “June Hymn” (from The King Is Dead), performed as a second and final encore.

Though, from a prog standpoint, The Decemberists’ music is not as mind-blowingly complex as the genre’s most beloved bands’ – relying as it does on conventional song structures and the occasional catchy hook – there is no denying that the band’s members know their business, and then some. Watching bassist Nate Query swing a double bass around with the nonchalant ease of a consummate old-school jazz player, drummer John Moen add subtle, intriguing percussive touches, or guitarist Chris Funk wring poignantly wailing sounds from his lap steel guitar, was a feast for the eyes as well as the ears. Sara Watkins (a recording artist in her own right, and already part of the tour prior to the announcement of Conlee’s illness) is also an outstanding multi-instrumentalist, though favouring the fiddle rather than the keyboards. She is also a fine singer, as proved by solo performance of “Won’t Want for Love” – though her voice has more of a gutsy rock feel than Becky Stark’s ethereal soprano, featured  in the song’s original version. Indeed, while the distinctive rumble of Conlee’s Hammond organ may have been missing, Watkins’ talented contribution complemented the alt.country slant of the newer material quite perfectly.

In spite of his nerdy, bookish appearance (this time around tempered by a full beard, which made him look somewhat older and more rugged), Colin Meloy is an outstanding frontman, not afraid to dive into the audience together with his acoustic guitar to be hauled back on stage by the crowd during the rousing encore of “The Chimbley Sweep”, and not averse to peppering his between-song banter with bits of pointed political commentary. While his voice may be an acquired taste, it fits the band’s music to a T, and his witty raconteur personality is undeniably pivotal to their appeal. Furthermore, he is an extremely versatile interpreter, conveying a sense of genuine menace in the stunning rendition of “The Rake’s Song” (one of the highlights of the show, drenched in dramatic red light, and enhanced by Sara Watkins and Chris Funk’s energetic drum-banging), while pleading heartbreakingly in “Annan Water”, and orchestrating the crowd’s enthusiastic response in the eminently catchy “O Valencia!” and “The Perfect Crime # 2”.

As I previously pointed out, I was not as impressed by The King Is Dead as I had been by The Decemberists’ other albums, which all get regular spins in our player. However, the same songs that had sounded a tad flat and uninvolving on CD came alive on stage, and acquired an appealing edge that the polished production did not always adequately get across. For all the polite, somewhat highbrow mien of their music, once on stage they rock with an endearingly old-fashioned intensity, getting the crowd to sing along, clap, dance and wave their arms in tried and true rock’n’roll fashion. Even in the absence of elaborate trappings and gimmicks, and relying only on a good light show and their own stage skills, The Decemberists are one of the most entertaining live acts on the current scene, capable of imbuing their musical output with a rare sense of warmth and genuine emotion. The more listener-friendly approach displayed onThe King Is Dead may have attracted a younger, hipper audience, but this has not turned them into one of those countless “here today, gone tomorrow” bands. With a solid catalogue, a cohesive, highly accomplished line-up and a great songwriter and frontman in Colin Meloy, The Decemberists are a force to be reckoned with, and –  regardless of those pesky tags and labels – a band firmly rooted in that great rock tradition that prog sometimes seems to have  forgotten.

Setlist:

July, July!
Down by the Water
Calamity Song
Rise to Me
The Bagman’s Gambit
Annan Water
Won’t Want for Love (Margaret In The Taiga)
The Crane Wife 3
Don’t Carry It All
All Arise!
The Rake’s Song
Rox in the Box
O Valencia!
The Perfect Crime #2
This Is Why We Fight
–
January Hymn
When U Love Somebody
The Chimbley Sweep
–
June Hymn

Hi-Fiction Science – Hi-Fiction Science

Most folk when asked to think of musicians from Bristol will name Massive Attack, Portishead and Tricky, a formidable triumvirate whose collective shadow looms over any new band from the city. Hi Fiction Science escape the comparison by forging their own take on acid-psych-folk music that stands on its own merits. They must have been raiding their parents’ and possibly grandparents’ (!) record collections to have come up with a sound that fuses classic acid-folk (Trees in particular springs to mind), indie shoegaze, krautrock and electronica. Knowledge of their lineage is apparent by the inclusion of a cover of a Third Ear Band song, Fleance from the 1972 Music From Macbeth LP, and how many modern bands have even heard of them? And it betters the original in my opinion. They also get to show their indie credos by homage paid in the cover version of Jonathan Richman’s Old World.

Their own songs build on these influences and combined with a discernable Klaus Dinger motorik influence in places, added to the ubiquitous fuzzed psych-wah guitars over sundry electronic warbles and squeaks make for a heady and vibrant mix.

Musically timeless, the lysergically attuned Black Flower kicks off the album. As in a good wine take in the heady aroma, roll it on the ears. I’m getting Syd Floydisms, with some early Bickers’ House Of Love. A heady stew. Ah, now here’s some indie shoegaze, and when Maria’s folksy and affecting voice takes centre stage on Old World I’m put in mind of Sally Timms from the Mekons, or Jacqui McShee from Pentangle. The krautrock influence shows in places, particularly in the motorik rhythm on some songs.

Their self-penned tunes are short and simple and engaging with guitar usually dominant through a smorgasbord of pedals and effects, often with the previously mentioned added samples and squiggles, lending the album an otherworldly feel.

The ethereal Spirit Broken highlights Maria’s sultry tones sitting atop a languid instrumental track to great effect, changing up a gear towards the end. At four and a half minutes this is way too short. I want more! In fact at a mere forty minutes, this album sometimes feels like it’s teasing the listener. “Wait ‘til you see us do this live” it says “then we’ll stretch out”.

PSK is another slice of psych-acid-folk atmospherics. I just love her voice. Fleance has a vocal that sounds ancient, as indeed it should, and the backing is a glorious stew of slow space guitars, chugging along at a leisurely pace, building to a climax of squalling. We end with the punky Undulating Blue, which you could imagine a certain Julian H Cope showing off in front of, until that charming voice comes in and takes you somewhere else entirely.

A fine debut offering and a marvellous slice of psych-rock-acid-folk that sounds as old as the hills yet as modern as now all at the same time. I will definitely try to catch this band live, as I’m hoping for a ten minute version of Spirit Broken!

Tracklist:

01. Black Flower

02. Old World

03. Zabriskie

04. Metal Terrapin

05. Spirit Broken

06. Kosmonaut

07. PSK

08. Fleance

09. Undulating Blue
Line-up:

* Maria Charles – Vocals, Guitar

* Jeff Green – Bass, Keyboards, Percussion

* James McKeown – Guitar, Keyboards, Percussion

* Matt Rich – Keyboards, Samples

* Aidan Searle – Drums, Percussion

Links:

http://hifictionscience.bandcamp.com

The Ovals – Into The Eyes of Those Who Sleep

The OVALS’ come back here with their second EP “Into The Eyes Of Those Who Sleep”, that’s got more refined and more of mainstream than previous one.

Please let me say they’ve seemed to hitch a ride upon popularity, rather than eccentricity (this means of course, not such a bad change). Yes, all of their stuffs in this album are well-structured, polished, and easily understandable. Regardless of this manner, they could keep, with their strong intention, their psychedelia created with Tadhg’s fuzzy and drone guitar rasps, David’s old-fashioned but keener keyboard taps, Danny’s deep and persistent bass flood, and Duane’s relaxed but steady drumming … with some Kosmiche hints all the whilst. The first track “Refugees” is just well-represented along with their soundscape. Based on widespread deep bass blows and drumming, hazy guitar screams and fuzzy sweet voices can be around the audience. The tune itself has a definite mainstream, but spacey atmosphere that cannot be seen in typical pop scene is tremendous, and should construct their rigid-touched style. The last “Persephone’s Groove” reminds me sensuality in Les Rallizes Denudes or Acid Mothers Temple (without any noisy feedback) or strike me into 60s psychedelic (and self-asserted!) organ-based goodie period.

As mentioned above, each song can be crystallized and as a result sparkling. However, at the same time it’s a bit difficult for me to find conception united with the whole album … in this sense, this time I cannot realize “novelty” in them. Let me say, looking forward to their full album indeed.

Tracklist:

1. Refugees (4:58)
2. Lost With Bones (5:26)
3. Heretic (5:00)
4. Persephone’s Groove (6:24)

Line-up:

* David Kalkman – keyboards, voices
* Tadhg W. Neal – guitar, voices
* Danny Smith – bass
* Duane Manning – drums

Links:

http://www.myspace.com/theovals

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