Monday, August 4, 2014

July Talk --- Guns + Ammunition

Canadian band July Talk has released a stellar debut EP.

This EP is everything thoughtful music should be --- aware of its past, future oriented and full of balanced gestures, small and large. The lyrics are beyond wonderful. Full of spare, careful images that move beyond the iconic into the surreal.

Guitar driven, based around a pair of singers --- one male with a voice like Tom Waits or a mid stream Iggy Pop, one female who reminds me, god above, of a punkish Linda Thompson --- the band has the dynamics of the Pixies or the Dream Syndicate and the biting melodic swoop of, god above again, Cole Porter.

There are no gimmicks and not a moment wasted on July Talk's debut.

5/5 Stars

Available in all the usual places.

Follow them on Twitter @julytalk

Or julytalk.com

Wednesday, May 21, 2014

Peter Murphy Remastered --- Love Hysteria

Mr. Murphy has been remastering his back catalog.

While I have been a PM listener since Bahaus days, I was a bit leery of the intention behind such remastering, as well as the potential of the product itself. Murphy's solo work is often a mixed bag, self indulgence flecked with shiny pop brilliance, outright duds and spot on bits of loveliness. To be fair, he is never dull, and that voice could make voter rolls sound interesting --- if enigmatic.

The remastering of Love Hysteria is more than worth a listen or a buy. All the songs have a new sparkle and a shift of layers that let new areas of interest shine through. In the reworkings Murphy actually down plays the voice to gorgeous advantage. Interestingly, the only song that doesn't improve is Indigo Eyes, the only real hit from the album, which I've always found interesting if a bit pallid.

In addition to the remix/remodel, a generous selection of demos are included. These are of interest because they show much about Murphy's songwriting choices, and highlight his confidence and direction as an artist.

Murphy never fails to intrigue, even if he sometimes fails to please, but the remastering of Love Hysteria, no doubt operating from a hard won artistic maturity, consistently does both.

Sunday, April 6, 2014

Spaces --- Josh Savage




The only frustrating aspect of Josh Savage's output is that there is not more of it. As a songwriter he is judicious and sparing in his choices and lush in his effects.  He is just as careful about what he releases, and this concern for quality means that the output is, so far, low. I suspect that this young artist will be around for quite some time though, and that eventually the oeuvre will be large and respectable.

At the moment we have the new EP, Spaces, which consists of five tracks dealing with four songs, only three of which are unreleased --- Your Lips (which was proceeded by a truly lovely video), Lost in Paris and Horoscope. There are also a rerelease of Mountains in Hurricanes from Josh's preceding EP, and a live version of Your Lips.

Spaces is a bit harder edged than Mountains in Hurricanes, and more confident about adding new elements to the arrangements. There are no false steps and quite a few moments when the music does something unexpected in very pleading ways. For my taste, Lost in Paris is the standout track, conveying complexity and melancholy with seeming simplicity.

Josh has great control of his voice, and as a lyricist grows and grows. I look forward to watching him on his journey.

5/5 Stars. A must buy.


joshsavagemusic.com

Sunday, March 9, 2014

Hilliat Fields --- The Waiting

The output of some musicians is impossible to assign to genre, and I admit a predilection for such music. The Waiting more than satisfies this predilection, and does so with sumptuous beauty, exemplary craft and the utmost attention to detail.

Where to begin? The Waiting is sonically adventurous and structurally audacious, creating cathedral spaces whose explorations have a sacramental aspect. While as a whole the songs are genuine parts of a larger gestalt, each is also a world in itself. From the repeated and varied piano figure in the first and eponymous track, to the carefully deployed percussive elements and the voice like washes of pads, the music is about what all very good to great music should be about --- elements without individual meaning melded to create meaning. And like good poetry, this music is also about leaving space for the listeners and what they bring. It is infinitely suggestive.

The music is technically intriguing. On a first listen it would seem that there are many parts coming together. In truth, a few simple parts are thoughtfully contrived to create something that is complex and beautiful without being at all busy. This is not only admirable but, in my opinion, a hallmark of art with a capital A. In The Waiting sounds meet and meld, creating complex harmonies and chromatic sprays. Hilliat Fields takes the time to let each piece develop fully.

To end where I began: The Waiting is a beautiful work that can sit alongside the best serious music of the last 100 years, be it by Ligetti, Stockhausen or Rorem. 5/5 Stars. Available at all major digital retailers. Select songs by Hilliat Fields can be heard on .Sound Cloud.

Tuesday, February 25, 2014

Fabricstate --- Hannah Peel

Fabricstate, a four song EP by Hannah Peel released 24 February, has the musical, lyrical and conceptual weight of a much longer work. While Peel has tended to work through smaller musical gestures, and doesn't eschew them here, the songs on Fabricstate are large enough to be called majestic.

Starting relatively quietly with Silk Road, the EP creates a mood that is introspective, universal, hopeful and "large". The fat, confident synth line on the last, and title track of the EP is a good marker for the way this cycle of songs builds. The lyrics are sharp and evocative. The sonic palette diverse, yet integrated and controlled, confidently mixing acoustic and electronic elements, and the arrangements absolutely elegant. As a singer, Peel manages to please while also amazing the listener.

If you already own the Peel album and Ep's,  add this one to your collection. If you have yet to have had the pleasure of encountering this artist, start with Fabricstate and work your way back. I have no doubt that we will be given the delightful opportunity to work forward through new work by Hannah Peel.

4.5/5 Stars.

Saturday, February 22, 2014

Maggie and Martin --- Union

If you only have a few dollars (pounds, euros) and you want to give yourself a fulsome treat, spend them on Union by Maggie and Martin.

After a few listens I was in adjectival overdrive --- sumptuous, elegant, haunting, wise, earthy, ethereal, subtle, direct --- the songs are very easy to like but hard to characterize. Anchored by Maggie's pleasantly worn and amazingly evocative voice, the songs are timeless. While there are nods to numerous genres and influences, Maggie and Martin create and occupy their own musical universe. That is a difficult trick to manage, and that they do so effortlessly is amazing. They end by sounding only like themself. Congratulations.

My first exposure to Maggie and Martin was through polari, an online magazine of culture seen through a queer lense. Polari has commissioned various artists to cover songs by renowned LBGT artists. In this case, I was intrigued by the duo's highly original reading of Pet Shop Boys You Only Tell Me You Love Me When You're Drunk; stripped of gloss and it's mid tempo euro disco veneer, the PSB song is revealed as a grainy and very moving dissection of a relationship gone static and stale. On Union, Maggie and Martin give Roxy Music's More Than This a similar treatment, making it say new things and making it their own.

Standout tracks are the bravura opening track, Night of a Thousand Stars, Union and Wu at Heart. But really, all the songs are outstanding.

Press on the group seems spotty and their online presence is low. I hope that this means that Maggie and Martin are busy working on new material. I would certainly stand on line to hear it.

5/5 Stars.

Thursday, February 20, 2014

Reviews

If you know of an artist who would benefit from a bit of exposure, or if you are such yourself, I'm always happy for suggestions. I only dwell on the positive, so if I don't like material I don't write about it (which doesn't mean that everything I might say will be positive).

I love music, and I love discovering and sharing. Don't be shy. Throw your homework onto the fire.

Peter
clinepe@aol.com

Tuesday, February 18, 2014

Josh Savage

 Mountains in Hurricanes

This is a very good debut by a song writer of great, great potential.  

The title track is, by far, the best of the three songs included here, showcasing what seem to be key strengths for this artist --- intelligent lyrics, clear, strong arrangements, structural intelligence, and a warm voice that pleases on many levels with its suppleness and precision.  

Where there are missteps, they are forgivable and interesting, save in the case of the remix of the title track. The best one can say of the remix is that it is unnecessary, as it adds nothing of interest to the original version.

That said of the remix, it would be interesting to see what this artist might do with some elements of electronica a la early Beth Orton.

I recommend Hurricanes and Mountains with 4/5 stars.  It will be well worth your time, and well worth the minimal expense.

Saturday, February 15, 2014

John Foxx/Hannah Peel/ and your music submissions

I've been working on a major piece about John Foxx and his work over the past 8 years. Please stay tuned. I hope to have it up by Thursday.

Also, Hannah Peel's new EP will be out in less than 10 days time. I will post a shorty the day it comes out, then a more nuanced take when I've had a very good listen. It will, I'm sure, merit both.

In the meantime, enjoy posts about Tenek, LoneLady, Kevin Dunn, Anna Calvi and Apt.

And if you'd like your music reviewed (or at least listened to), please let me know.

Sunday, February 9, 2014

Tenek --- Another Day, On the Wire

In anticipation of the release of EP+1 by Tenek, I downloaded and listened to the above cited works. If it is difficult to counterfeit good taste, superb taste is impossible to duplicate. And Tenek demonstrate superb taste throughout both of these releases --- musically, lyrically, and production-wise. There simply isn't a false step.

What should pop music do? First, it should impart drive in a way that is relentless, should seem familiar enough to engage without being cloying, and then should take the listener somewhere new. Almost everything on the radio does the first two by some measure, but almost none achieve the third. This is where Tenek standout.  They wear their influences lightly, and always in service of twisting them. If they are a house, then once past the front room one never knows where one might be taken, and one can only dimly guess the layout. Second, a good pop song references only itself. One doesn't need the song before or after (Suede were masters of this). Tenek succeeds here. Third, one should want to hear the song that comes before or after. To here a Tenek song is to be drawn along, left satisfied but wanting.

If you had three releases to choose from and could only afford one, please put anything by Tenek at the top of your list.

Friday, February 7, 2014

LoneLady --- Nerve Up

If, as I did, you missed Nerve Up when it was released in 2010, repair the damage quickly.

LoneLady creates a beguiling sonic universe filled with spot-on musical allusions and compelling influences, many of which one would not expect from a Manchester artist of this vintage, and  some which you might --- Polyrock (80's protégés of Phillip Glass), Gang of Four, Wire, Pylon and New Order.

The songs are built around wiry, new wavish guitar and straight if edgy vocals. The instrumentation is spare and thoughtful. The lyrics, well, they reward close listening, and music, structure and lyrics all work together with a jointure that is rare in any sort of music outside opera or lieder. The songs create atmosphere without becoming "atmospheric".

I certainly hope that we see a new release from LoneLady shortly.

Saturday, February 1, 2014

Hannah Peel

Hannah Peel has been getting around. And that's a good thing. With a late February release of a new EP, Fabricstate, scheduled, HP has already released significant work, and worked with significant people, not least of which are John Foxx and the increasingly present Benge.

There is an unfortunate tendency nowadays to type female artists by appearance or, in a slightly more sophisticated vein, by aesthetic. Skip those tendencies with HP, please.

Peel is firmly rooted in a cultural perspective solely because she has a genuine voice that comes from history, personal and cultural. Her music is muscular and elastic, thought filled and proactive. Melding acoustic, electronic and electric elements, the songs are well proportioned and balanced. Lyrically they do excellently what song should do --- they tell stories, melancholy and subversive. And it is gorgeous --- silky and romantic and never cloying.

I won't pinpoint standout tracks in this squib because all of the songs are excellent and worth multiple listens. It's obvious that as much care went into their inclusion and sequencing as into their composition. Give yourself pleasure and listen.

Sunday, January 26, 2014

Kevin Dunn --- The Miraculous Miracle of the Imperial Empire

Kevin Dunn was a songwriter, guitarist and singer in seminal Atlanta band The Fans. Formed in the 70's, The Fans were pop purists who preceded the onslaught of punk and new wave, prefiguring both movements return to roots sensibility while eschewing the more obvious pitfalls and dead ends that truncated the arcs of both. The Fan's songs had guts, were savvy and knew their musical history. They weren't a new conversation so much as a particularly articulate side conversation. Interestingly enough, while they were born (and died) in the desert that was 70's FM radio, populated largely by dinosaurs --- Kansas and the Alan Parsons Project on the avant end, and Led Zeppelin and Heart on the less prog side ---no one at the time seemed to sense the greater wasteland ahead for rock. Disco, largely derided as meaningless, was actually a harbinger, stripping away grandiosity and focusing on the senses. Disco cleared a great many fallen trees, culling the overgrown underbrush, letting in light, and, generally simplifying things so they could be recomplicated in new ways.

After the demise of The Fans, Dunn continued to record and put out music until 1985.

In 2013, Kevin Dunn released his first new recording in almost 30 years, The Miraculous Miracle of the Imperial Empire --- described by Dunn as an "old fashioned" concept album.  A full, nuanced portrait, filled with ideas, musical and lyrical, and framed by a sense for and a knowledge of history --- musical, cultural and political ---  TMMIE is fully invested in an idiom that has largely been discarded, superseded or horribly cheapened. Whatever it's faults and shortcomings in the 80's, rock was still credible. Now, however, instead of the landscape detail limning TMMIE, we are presented with the megapixel flatness of bands like Bastille and St. Lucian, all posture and tired trope, not convinced enough of themselves to convince many others, but,  more importantly, unable to extend or change the conversation. As we say so often of the unable --- well, they try.

Dunn does more than try. Over the course of 14 songs he creates a musical world that is, tired phrase, greater than the sum of its parts. Working with elements that have not, essentially, changed since the 80's, Dunn creates a voice that is fresh, original and timeless. Stand out songs, such as Little Miss Orange Alert, brim with musical quotations and sly allusions, yet stand on their own as pulsing and original, invitations to the dance rather than the presentation of a full dance card.

Interestingly, and I mean this as a compliment, the album is a time capsule. There are few if any hints of the radical streams, whether you like them or not, that have flowed into pop music in the last 25 years --- no hip hop, no electronica, no world music. And that's absolutely fine. Dunn's voice is fresh and sure. He is a master of what he does. If he doesn't want to kowtow to the market, this doesn't mean that he is not thinking of his audience, rather he prefers not to underestimate their taste.

Saturday, January 25, 2014

Porcelain Pill --- Lovely and smart

Melbourne's Porcelain Pill's eponymous EP was released about this time last year. It was, for me, a lovely, by-chance find, but I hope you will follow the link below and not leave your own discovery of this duo to chance.

The standout tracks on the EP are May 13 and Anomaly, and each seems to encapsulate some of the poles of Porcelain Pill's musical continuum.

May 13 is a haunting, elegiac song built around roots guitar and a legato cello line. The plaintive understated vocal and spare harmony create a perfect little world of regret and longing --- mysterious yet accessible.

Anomaly alternates between an intriguing chord progression filtered through an icy sensibility, and a strong, minimal bass line. Clattery percussion and synth noise are used to thoughtfully round the song.

The songwriting and playing are strong, and the simplicity and care with which the elements are deployed display supple, smart musicality. While there are interesting hints of influences, Porcelain Pill have a sound that is singular and complete. I will be interested to hear what next they put out.

http://porcelainpill.bandcamp.com/album/porcelain-pill

The EP and a single are also available on iTunes.

Monday, January 20, 2014

Apt: Light, Energy and Darkness --- a must buy

It's always interesting to read an artist's or a labels description of a release. Usually it is a severe disappointment to read and then listen to what has been flogged. In this case the reverse is true. Whomever is describing Apt as a sort of sub OMD-Depeche Mode gets it pretty much wrong. And if the describers are the artists, pace and forgive.

This is a vital collaboration. Yes, DNA and fingerprints abound, but in the end it is about itself. It is thoughtful, joyous music, informed by strong structure and careful production. At only ten tracks, there aren't any discards. I detect more PSB on a first listen than Depeche Mode, though certainly very early OMD is present as well.

Add this one to your collection.

Sunday, January 19, 2014

Pet Shop Boys Electric --- First Thoughts

This morning I downloaded Electric, the new PSB album.  This evening, after a lovely dinner with friends, I had a first listen.

The instruments and production are expensive and first rate.  As always, the song writing is at least a cut above whatever else is out there.  Thursday is the standout track on a first listen, succeeding by combining the best of old PSB with some new elements.  Other songs, while good, feel a bit B side --- more repackaging of old elements rather than a new direction or a new take on old directions.

Saturday, January 18, 2014

Anna Calvi

It's a rare and beautiful experience to discover a new musical universe that is complete, coherent and intriguing. British musician Anna Calvi has created just such, and while her universe is wild and beautiful, it is also inviting and accessible. Trained as a violinist,  Calvi plays electric guitar in a way that is her own, homaging the past without being constrained by it. As a vocalist, she subtly evokes other singers without allowing one to settle --- not an easy move when most singers sound so much alike that Pink can be positioned as edgy.

As for the songs, Calvi is a superb story teller. Lyrics, arrangements and instrumentation are just "so," without a bit extra. One standout for me is Suzanne and I, a bravura workout for the senses.