Album Reviews

Sucioperro - Fused (Medals For Everyone)
Ayrshire hard rock trio vent their latest battering ram 'Fused' this September, after spending the first half of 2012 cooped up recording it, ensuring a cracking and worthwhile follow up to 'The Heart String & How To Pull It'. Comparisons to early Biffy Clyro are inevitable, as they have always been – especially after the advent of Marmaduke Duke. A thick Scottish drawl bleeds through 'Fused', with hoarse yells peppered throughout the record, and serrated guitar licks bolting in every direction, part of the intense Sucioperro storm.
Posted on Sep 4th, 2012
Matthew Dear - Beams (Ghostly)
Well over a decade since his first single 'Hands Up For Detroit' hit the shelves, Matthew Dear has finally found time to release his fifth album, Beams, amidst a myriad of side projects and extra-curricular work. The NYC-based electro-popstar has never been shy about his 80s new wave and glam influences – naming Brian Eno, Talking Heads and David Bowie amongst the most prominent – and these muses clearly bleed through into his own work. His voice chillingly echoes the Thin White Duke, and the throbbing electropop – largely influenced by Dear's time in the Detroit techno scene – feels reminiscent of the kind of music you'd expect to hear in an 80s nightclub toilet cubicle while bumping lines off a cistern. It's dark, a bit spacey, but retains a solid handful of pop conventions to stop the noises floundering in their own artsiness.
Posted on Sep 3rd, 2012
Copywrite - God Save The King (Proper English Version) (Man Bites Dog)
In February, Ohio bred emcee Copywrite dropped his album God Save The King, the title being inspired by the Sex Pistols now infamous punk debut God Save The Queen. Following on from that release, which featured US emcees and producers comes God Save The King (Proper English Version) which sits somewhere between a remix project and a new album proper, and features a host of new tracks, many of which hold a healthy selection of UK emcees as well as a cast of seasoned veterans from the underground US scene.
Posted on Aug 23rd, 2012
Wild Nothing – Nocturne (Captured Tracks)
Wild Nothing, since inception, have turned heads. From the blogosphere buzz that was the cover of Kate Bush's 'Cloudbusting' to the misty wave of dream-pop that seems to stream from creator Jack Tatum's fingertips, there's always something intriguing about the group. It's been over two years since the critically lauded lo-fi debut Gemini hit the shelves, and there's a definite 'growing-up' in that time, as evident on upcoming effort Nocturne. There's a more consistent, coherent feeling throughout the album, and it seems as if the man behind Wild Nothing has veered away from brash statements and reigned in his sound to create a solid second record.
Posted on Aug 23rd, 2012
Cosmo Jarvis - Think Bigger (25th Frame)
Virtuoso Cosmo Jarvis has dabbled in nigh every genre and tried his hand at most media - his critically lauded film 'The Naughty Room' gets its television debut on BBC4 later this month. The Devonshire local is adept at conjuring up scores of down-to earth, genuinely heart-warming tracks. His debut album Humasyouhitch/Sonofabitch was a double, armed with comic gems and long-ponderers about the inane, the unexplored and the charming. His second effort, Is The World Strange, Or Am I Strange? featured 'Gay Pirates', the viral hit admired by Kylie Minogue and Stephen Fry. It would appear that Cosmo's third LP has some big shoes to fill.
Posted on Aug 23rd, 2012
Gallows - Gallows (Venn/PIAS)
Bands typically don't survive the loss of their frontman and lead singer - especially one as enigmatic and ferocious as Frank Carter - though there are some prominent exceptions. The pasty, tattooed upstart assaulted the hardcore scene when Gallows arrived some seven years ago, creating a name for the band as they kickstarted their turbulent career with phenomenal debut Orchestra Of Wolves. It's a year since his departure, and Alexisonfire alum Wade MacNeil has stepped up to the plate to take over screaming duties. With their impending third effort, Gallows, can the band rise like a phoenix from the ashes and live up to their previous endeavours?
Posted on Aug 13th, 2012
The Cast Of Cheers – Family (School Boy Error/Cooperative Music)
DIY Dubliners The Cast Of Cheers' first effort Chariot fast became a point of reference for upcoming bands- blanketed in critical acclaim and underground enigmatism, the Irish math-indie quartet built a solid reputation. Strange then, that their second effort Family is being billed as their first record. After signing to a label and following their dream to London, they've painstakingly pored over the new album, taking weeks rather than days and whittling their arsenal of tracks down to ten. Now they have a platform to scream from, The Cast Of Cheers are almost reinventing themselves - vocalist Conor Adams claims that “Family still feels like a debut,” and to many, it will be. For those who haven't experienced the explosive sound of the band, be prepared to get blown away.
Posted on Aug 8th, 2012
Goodbye, Labrador – A Thousand Times Before (Dead Fisherman)
After a chance meeting in the Gracía neighbourhood of Barcelona, and bonding over a mutual love of 80s post-punk and 90s art-rock, four unlikely compadres from various nations around the world hatched a plan which would eventually form the blueprints for Goodbye, Labrador. This is only the second EP they've released in their four year lifespan - understandably, given the gauntlet they must run and borders they must cross to write one song, let alone an entire record full.
Posted on Aug 6th, 2012
Indoor Voices – rmxd (Self-Release)
Combining the shrapnel from a multitude of Canadian indie bands, Toronto based Indoor Voices - spearheaded by Junetile alum Jonathan Relph - put out their debut EP Nevers less than a year ago. Featuring skeletal post-rock soundscapes and ethereal, nocturnal dreampop, the EP clearly showcased the talent of the fledgling band, and the potential they possess. Nevers had weary vocals, vacant emptiness rivalling The xx and an awe-inspiring knack for grandiose minimalism. The remix EP, then, has lot to live up to.
Posted on Aug 6th, 2012
The Smittens – Believe Me (Fika)
Ten-year veterans of the indiepop scene The Smittens released new effort Believe Me to mark their anniversary. Hailing from the New England state of Vermont (probably more known for its bridges and ice cream than its music), the five-some have consistently astounded with their overtly positive and uplifting acoustic-indie, self-described as 'sunshinepop'- and rightly so. The group's light vocals and delicately sweet melodies evoke visions of calm summer sun, and the happy-go-lucky songs are a welcome addition to the celebratory British summer.
Posted on Aug 1st, 2012
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