Album Reviews

  1. Yeasayer - Fragrant World (Mute)

    Yeasayer - Fragrant World (Mute)

    Surrounding the release of Yeasayer's sonic-pop gem Odd Blood in 2010, the Brooklyn based psychpop band became the internet's most blogged band of the year. Apparently. God alone knows what kind of bad science goes into formulating that kind of statement though. Whilst a dubious fact at best the accolade could equally well inspire pressure-induced crises of confidence or grandiose arrogance in a young band so it is with a certain curiosity that Fragrant World arrives in the Bearded inbox.

    Posted on Oct 2nd, 2012

  2. The Sea and Cake - Runner (Thrill Jockey)

    The Sea and Cake - Runner (Thrill Jockey)

    The Sea and Cake are something of an established name in indie-rock circles (since 1994, the band have released ten albums, with singer Sam Prekop adding a further three as a solo artist); yet the band has never had – nor appeared to chase – widespread commercial recognition. The Sea and Cake are the type of band where the devil is in the detail – the lack of clear hooks and choruses is more than made up for by sophisticated, intelligent songs. Runner is no exception to much of the band's back catalogue in this respect; the sunny, jazz-influenced, guitar-led sound which the band has honed over the past two decades remains firmly intact here.

    Posted on Sep 27th, 2012

  3. Efterklang - Piramida (4AD)

    Efterklang - Piramida (4AD)

    The arc of Efterklang’s career so far has been an unusual one. Whereas most bands develop an increasingly (often disastrous) experimental streak several albums in, Efterklang started life ten years ago as a swooping, jangling, orchestral misch-masch of rhythms and melody, but now create quite straightforwardly structured (if still layered and beautiful) songs. This shift was already apparent on their last album, Magic Chairs, but on Piramida, the transformation is complete.

    Posted on Sep 21st, 2012

  4. Calexico - Algiers (City Slang)

    Calexico - Algiers (City Slang)

    Calexico is border town located at the edge of California and Mexico (see what they did there? It's sister town is called Mexicali – I shit you not). One imagines that after a hard day building the world's biggest border fence (or whatever else there is to do down there) locals retire to a shady roadside bar to sip bottled beers to a soundtrack of Violent Femmes and check out the denim-clad cowgirls.

    Posted on Sep 21st, 2012

  5. Valgeir Sigurðsson – Architecture Of Loss (Bedroom Community)

    Valgeir Sigurðsson – Architecture Of Loss (Bedroom Community)

    Prolific Icelandic producer/composer Valgeir Sigurðsson has leant his fine skills to many projects over the years – producing for Kate Nash, Feist and Björk, becoming Oscar nominated for his work with Thom Yorke on 'I've Seen It All' and running one of the most successful recording Studios in Iceland. This guy is a big deal, and while you may not have heard or even know of his solo work, you've surely felt the effects of his musical prowess. His new record-cum-soundtrack has been composed for a ballet performance by Stephen Petronio, also titled The Architecture Of Loss. Petronio describes the show as being about “formation and disintegration, the physical manifestations of 'losing' and all that implies,” something which Sigurðsson has perfectly captivated in his solemn score.

    Posted on Sep 21st, 2012

  6. Dusk + Blackdown - Dasaflex (Keysound)

    Dusk + Blackdown - Dasaflex (Keysound)

    For those unfamiliar, Keysound and its owners Dusk + Blackdown have both been prominent in London (and by proxy the UK's) underground music scene for nearly a decade as far as available digital records go, with Blackdown (aka Martin Clark) documenting frequently through his excellent and thoughtful blog since late 2004 as well as the pair running a regular show on Rinse. Their label primarily has roots in grime, dubstep and funky and in the time since their last release, 2008's Margins Music, all those scenes have gone through some fairly severe changes along with the formation (or alternatively acknowledgement) of a thousand other genres and sub-genres too numerous to attempt to dissect here.

    Posted on Sep 20th, 2012

  7. Hey Sholay - ((O)) (Fierce Panda)

    Hey Sholay - ((O)) (Fierce Panda)

    For those fleeting few weeks and assorted days that sometimes get referred to as summertime, soundtracks of exuberant gleaming pop always fit seamlessly into the sunshine and swelter. Judging by this, the debut album by Sheffield band Hey Sholay, they just might have made it in time to fill the last days of summer with 9 songs of gorgeous, melodic pop.

    Posted on Sep 16th, 2012

  8. Stealing Sheep - Into The Diamond Sun (Heavenly)

    Stealing Sheep - Into The Diamond Sun (Heavenly)

    Liverpudlian alt. pop trio release impressive debut LP

    Posted on Sep 11th, 2012

  9. Mutiny On The Bounty - Trails (Best Before)

    Mutiny On The Bounty - Trails (Best Before)

    On paper Mutiny on The Bounty are a Mathrock band from Luxembourg. Although the mathy tag is a touch misleading, in truth Trials is a slickly produced Postcore album with a particularly proficient pair of guitarists and glimpses of spirit and originality.

    Posted on Sep 10th, 2012

  10. Animal Collective: Centipede Hz (Domino)

    Animal Collective: Centipede Hz (Domino)

    US indie rock titans return

    Posted on Sep 8th, 2012

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