Review Round-up: 12/05

Posted on May 14, 2014 Updated on May 14, 2014

New albums still flock out at us at an unprecedented scale, some bloom, some flop, some are great but are never appreciated and some build slowly – word of mouth ensuring that the record will see the light of day, only years too late.

Still the music press have been busy as ever, with new records out from the formidable Brian Jonestwon Massacre, Metronomy and Elbow.

A new release winning plaudits from NME to The Obeserver is ‘Do to the Beast‘ by The Afghan Whigs. Pitchfork also recommended this album.

The band’s leader Greg Dulli took a 13-year break from The Whigs to romance with The Twilight Singers & The Gutter Twins (with Mark Lanegan), but has now returned to his former love, on their former label, Sub Pop. Mark Beaumont from The NME stated, “A brutal and beauteous slither from the grave” – commemorating the band’s return to form. Bizarrely, it was an impromptu gig with none other than Usher (!!!) that lead the band to want to record a new record. That is one of the wonders of SXSW, you literally never know what you will get, and stumbling upon The Afghan Whigs playing with Usher and actually seeing it WORK… well, marbles everywhere.

‘Do to the Beast’ finds The New Review’s Kitty Empire describing Dulli as “a midwestern Nick Cave weaned on rhythm’n’blues rather than murder ballads“, the band as “red-blooded men’s men” and the album as “low slung and unforgiving” & “high-above-par reunion record.”

Crack Magazine had good things to say about Ben Frost, Parquet Courts, SD Laika & a few others, whilst slating Lily Allen’s ‘Sheezus’ as “There is no focus and there is no beef. It is all profoundly pointless.”

The Brian Jonestown Massacre continue their foray into ever more experimental music, some of which doesn’t quite hit the right chord, as Crack’s Billy Black states there are a few “genre bending misnomers”, but overall new album ‘Revelation’ is exactly that; “touched by Newcombe’s brilliance.” Fans of Dig will be happy then, mercurial lead singer Anton Newcombe’s ferocious ambition hasn’t receded at all. He’s actually been living in Berlin of late, which is where he no doubt got a handle on electronic music. Have a listen below to the track which is a “gleeful, lazy Sunday afternoon slump”.

Other favourites are Ben Frost’s ‘Aurora’, “rich and rewarding electronic shamanism”, Sharon Van Etten’s ‘Are We There’, “an artist old beyond her years”, and SD Laika’s ‘That’s Harakiri’ (which is the ritual name of the suicide-disembowelment performed by captured Japanese Samurai), “Sharp, mutating percussion barrels down the album’s whole, tearing it apart as it warps at will into chaotic chars of grime, UK funky and brasjer noise experiments”.

Loud and Quiet had nice things to say about Sylvan Esso’s eponymous release, Parquet Courts punk ferocity on ‘Sunbathing Animal’ and the “two guys recording in a garage” on ‘Process’ by Yvette. The favourite of the favourites was again Sharon Van Etten’s ‘Are We There’, whom it seems everyone has something nice to say about. With comparisons to Joni Mitchell and Patti Smith, one would expect the pressure to be reaching boiling point for Van Etten, but she has kept her cool, retreated from the multi-collaborations that were all over her last album ‘Tramp’ and opted for a new producer over The National’s Aaron Desner. Joe Goggins describes her as “no longer suggesting that she’s one of America’s finest, but demanding to be acknowledged as such” and the maturity on ‘Are We There’ shines vividly, “her elegant approach to emotionally lyricism is nimbly matched by the sound of the record throughout.”

Worth noting, enjoyed by many looking for something original, is tUnE-yArDs ‘Nikki Nack’ – the genius behind it is Merrill Garbus, and its this album which is her most complete. Its still daring but less “occasionally jarring” than her predecessor ‘WHOKILL’, and Chris Watkeys says of ‘Nikki Nack’s’ “unquenchable energy still in-your-face. tUnE-yArDs remains a creative volcano of a project, something sublimely barmy, joyfully, brash, fearlessly brave, and utterly original.”

Loud and Quiet’s other lesser known recommendation was the ambient Hiss Tracts ‘Shortwave Nights’ “a rare beautiful thing”, “multi-faceted and infinitely detailed”.

Odonis Odonis ‘Hard Boiled Soft Boiled’ “is the sound of a progress” according to NME’s Rhian Daly. Woods ‘With Light And With Love’ was also highly rated, “It sparkles with the light and love of the title”, and Todd Terje (pronounced ter-yeah) ludicrous ‘It’s Album Time’, featuring Roxy Music’s Bryan Ferry, is “packed with personality, its retro-futuristic, cosmic-disco grooves forming a clear picture of Terje as life and soul of the party.” We especially like the album cover, very lounge/Herbie Hancock/Summer cocktail party.

And finally, here’s a few tracks The Sunday Times Culture has been enjoying, peace out and happy listening,

 

Classical Round-up from Monk Chris;

I can’t heartedly recommend PROKOFIEV’s Piano Concertos Nos 1 – 5 Jean Effam Bavouzet, BBC Philharmonic, cond Gianandrea Noseda enough. Its ecstatically resonant and a beast at a dinner party.

 

Thanks!

Tom Proctor

Monk Chris