The Proper Ornaments, are primarily made up of Veronica
Falls’ guitarist James Hoare and Argentine singer-songwriter Max Claps. They
returned in 2014 to deliver their second album ‘Wooden Head’. It may not have
been the most exciting of releases but it should be a staple part of everyone’s
record collection and here’s why.
For the most part, ‘Wooden Head’ combines Roger McGuinn’s
Byrds jingle jangle and Andy Bell’s shoegazery in Ride. The album opener,
‘Gone’, is a slower and gentler Mary Chain number which, rather than sounding
like a drug fuelled night out, acts more like post-comedown tonic and the
realisation of what the protagonist needs to do to succeed.
‘Ruby’ merges Mark Gardener-esque vocals with some spritely
acoustic guitars on this track. To begin with it lightens the mood but, the use
of the same riff casually builds a suspense which suggests all is not right.
There are some deviations from the Bell and McGuinn school
of guitar playing on ‘Now I Understand’ and ‘Always There’. ‘Now I Understand’
has a catchy and repetitive guitar riff which borrows from Hoare’s Veronica
Falls via David Tattersall’s Wave Pictures. ‘Always There’ could have been
lifted from a number of great records released by Sub Pop in the past decade
with its brooding seaside tones. ‘Step Into The Cold’ meanwhile, ends with a
blast from the guitar worthy of Stephen Stills’ Manassas era.
None of these tracks are a big shift in direction but they
do allow the introspective shoegaze numbers to breathe and prevent the album
from being monotonous.
For TT, the highlight of this collection is ‘Stereolab’. Sonically,
it slots in with the rest of album, but the vocals are what make it special.
The harmonies are spot on throughout and the key change in on the line ‘I’m going out with the tide’ is
sumptuous.
The dad of TT’s editor, used to spend Sundays playing vinyl
and relaxing at home. We urge you to do the same with this record. It doesn’t
have the energy to make you want to get up and change the world but it does
have the power and beauty to make you sit and contemplate it for a while.
In
1992, rock journalist Paul Moody was due to release his bands debut album
‘Portabellohello’. Dodgy accountants, a police raid and 22 years later the album
finally got to see the light of day. Here is TT’s view on things.
There
seems to be two types of song on this album. There are the upbeat mod-psyche
numbers which would have every proper music pub rocking. The other side, sadly,
simply don’t stack up the former.
‘Goodbye
Baby and Amen’ and ‘Doubledeckerbus’ are two of the aforementioned more upbeat
mod-psyche numbers. Both tracks see the Hammond organ getting a workout worthy
of Rob Collins during his Charlatans pomp. ‘Doubledeckerbus’, has a riff from
Steve Craddock’s locker which will inevitably fuel good moods. Furthermore,
both tracks witness some fine Edwyn Collins crooning which is never a bad
thing.
The
album also has small successes with ‘Mrs Choudhrey’ and ‘In A Broken Dream’.
‘Mrs Choudhrey’ is a joyous cross between the heady days of Britpop and the
trippy side of Small Faces. Meanwhile, ‘In A Broken Dream’ is an instrumental
drenched in 60s acid which has more than a hint of ‘House Of The Rising Sun’ to
it.
Unfortunately,
there are too many songs on this album and as a result the quality does dip on
the likes of ‘Rollin Machine’, ‘Just Say The Word’ and ‘Portabellohello’. These
tracks stray into the drearier areas of the genres they chase but ultimately,
this heightened because elsewhere, the quality is high.
It’s
a genuine pity Studio 68 didn't get their 15mins of fame back in ’92 but the
album is out now and one for all Mod collections.
In the summer of 2011 London's Dogs split and left a hole in many fans lives. Well, fret not, the bands key components are back in the shape of Apeman Spaceman. Here is our track by track rundown of their new EP:
1. YWM4ME
Opening with crashing drums and their trademark visceral
guitars will have fans of Dogs salivating. On their last outing they were leaning
towards a more lo-fi guitar sound which features here as they begin a new era.
2. This Is A Low
This is a melancholic tale of a dreary Kent seaside town in
the dead of winter. Jonny Cooke’s lyrics depict the situation in an Orwellian
style which should be marvelled at. Despite the despondency, there is a nagging
beauty to this song which, we guess, part and parcel of loving these strange
shores we inhabit.
Further enhancing their new creative mission are the high
pitched vocals in the chorus. Similar to The Black Keys in style but they carry
far more weight combined with the songs bleakness.
I Make Shadows
This song has fearlessness about it, which rock purists will
love. Presumably, this was made on a low budget, one wonders what the results would
be if, financial backing in the studio was to come their way.
Mazes
‘Mazes’ instantly made us think of the Frank Turner line ‘For
guitars and drums and desperate poetry’. It’s an underdog anthem which has that
great rock ‘n’ roll ability to sound like it could fall apart at any minute but
never does.
20.8.14
Twisted electronics straight from the Dan Le Sac catalogue
further the bands credentials yet again Cooke rattles through the bad, the
negative and the atrocities of the world today.
The Manchester three piece returned last month with their third helping ‘Wooden Aquarium’ and TT is on hand to check it out. The latest outing witnesses Mazes’ love of 1990s lo-fi US indie once more but a turn towards a more polished pop sound is helping them tread yet more exciting new ground.
The manoeuvre towards a mod-cum-psyche direction is reminiscent of their peers Toy and Foxygen. What gives them the edge is the ability to combine their previous Teenage Fanclub dirge-pop sound with the new direction. ‘Letters Between U&V’, ‘Mineral Springs’ and ‘Salford’ are prime exponents of this.
‘
Letters Between U&V’ delivers a riff worthy of Teenage Fanclub or the Lemonheads but with a crispness that the aforementioned Toy have trail blazed with in the previous years. The motorik beat allows them to meander between the two styles. The grouping of sullied US indie and English Mod-psyche together is unusual on paper but in practice it works. So button up your Fred Perry and grow your hair long, anything goes!
‘Mineral Springs’ witnesses Jack Cooper’s vocals at their best. They are angelic and wrap around the driving guitar loops with a quality that Bobby Gillespie was searching for on Primal Scream’s ‘Gentle Tuesday’. Meanwhile, ‘Salford’ has a style similar to the Pixies’ ‘Gigantic’ with male and female vocals working in tandem, whilst the guitars are a comparable to David Tattersall’s Wave Pictures. All that said, Mazes are their own band with their own sound and the influences act like the great flms of Simon Pegg and Edgar Wright; great if you get them but if you don’t it’s still a great film.
To just talk about the merging of these styles would be a disservice to the creativity elsewhere on the album. ‘Explode Into Colo(u)rs’ sounds like a mellowed out Graham Coxon, whereas, ‘RIPP’ has a Pixies via James Yorkston feel, combining spoken word vocals with a dreamy semi-consciousness.
Fans of the first two albums will revel in the more uninhibited ‘Universal Me’ and ‘Stamford Hill’. These two have the aggression of their earlier work but, now they come with an additional surging For TT though, the standout track is ‘Stamford Hill’. It encapsulates everything the band is now about. It blends the lo-fi angst of their previous work with the new nods towards motorik much like rest of the album. However, on this song they get the energy and free flowing sound they create conjure a sense of lawlessness one can completely lose them in.
In recent times we have witnessed bands such as Wild Beasts, The Maccabees and Jamie T all produce their best work on their 3rd album and ‘Wooden Aquarium’ is no different. For any record label considering signing bands, we implore you to believe in them and let them grow. ‘Wooden Aquarium’ is another fine example of the quality which can be achieved if bands are allowed to go about their business as they please. Go. Buy. It. Now.
4. Hobbes Fanclub - Up At Lagrange
‘Up At The Lagrange’ is the debut album from the Bradford
four piece Hobbes Fanclub. There are plenty of late 80s and early 90s guitar
band influences to behold, here’s what we made of them.
A recurring theme throughout the album is one of heartbreak,
best displayed on ‘Your Doubting Heart’ and ‘How Could You Leave Me Like This’.
‘Your Doubting Heart’ is a tale of how the honeymoon period can spiral
downwards to something dark and bitter. The Mary Chain style of guitar playing
gets the lack of faith and trust across with real style.
‘How Could You Leave Me Like This’ is as morbid as it says
on the tin. The opening line of ‘How deep is the water / I can’t look down’
sets the tone for this shoegaze classic as it roams through a world of
introspect and heartbreak.
Lyrically the album might be quite a gloomy affair but musically
there are some moments of pure bliss. ‘Outside Myself’ is MVB ‘s ‘Loveless’
combined with a joyous mid-90s guitar solo. ‘Stay Gold’ has a House Of Love
riff destined for glory whilst the vocals sit perfectly between Jim Reid and
Stuart Murdoch on the jingle-jangle spectrum.
‘Why Should I Tell The Truth’ is a combination, seemingly,
of Jesus & The Mary Chain, My Bloody Valentine and Teenage Fanclub. The hint
of fuzz from the Mary Chain, the epic atmosphere of MBV and the driving guitars
of Fanclub had us frantically reaching for the repeat button.
The only live date scheduled for 2015 is not until June at
present but more should be on the way and TT will definitely be attending. As
should you.
3. The Crookes - Soapbox
The Sheffield four piece returned in April with their 3rd installment ‘Soapbox’. As they are about to end their current UK tour we revisit what is surely to be a mainstay in the end of year top 10 polls.
Last year’s ‘Hold Fast’ album saw the band adopt a more aggressive attitude to their exploration of US rock n roll music. The opener ‘Play Dumb’ begins with said combative guitars but also adopts synths which evoke memories of The Cure circa ‘Pornography’. These subtle touches pop up throughout the album demonstrating yet another step up in class from the band.
As ever with the Crookes, the lyrics are fantastic. Daniel Hopewell has consistently churned out the goods but on ‘Soapbox’ he has hit top form. ‘Echolalia’ is a melancholic look at repeating the same mistakes whilst attempting to move on from a former love:
‘I should brush aside what The Strangers tell me,
That those on the outside are born to be lonely,
Still I keep chasing the cheap fix ‘til I wake from this crisis on my own,
My mind unfolds and I resolve to forget her but still I hear the echoes come the low.’
Songwriter Hopewell’s sorrow laden take on the human condition to belong and simultaneously be individualistic is a triumph and should be heard by everyone!
For anyone who, in the naivety of youth fell so hopelessly in love they had no idea what the rest of the world was up to then ‘Holy Innocents’ is a must listen. Not since Kevin Sampson’s ‘Stars Are Stars’ novel has a young burning love been so intelligibly illustrated:
‘I just wanna hide like holy innocents,
I met you at the fountain outside the station,
Nothing else mattered ‘cept dumb conversation
Our world in holy innocence’
The piece de resistance of the album and the track that sums up The Crookes more than any other is ‘Outsiders’. This is an anthem for anyone who treads the snakebite sodden floors of their indie disco and sinks too many red stripes at the local 200 capacity gig venue. If anyone ever wanted to make a mix-tape to depict the character of Jimmy from Quadrophenia this track has to be on it.
The current cultural climate is far less tribal than the era or mods, rockers, punks and skins but this only serves to make this song better. It is easy for a wolf to don some sheep’s clothing these days but make no mistakes, The Crookes are the real deal. Also, in Hopewell they have lyricist who should be given as much airtime as possible so his words can make you laugh, cry and inspired.
2. PAWS - Youth Culture Forever
‘Youth Culture Forever’ is the second album from the
Glaswegian 4 piece Paws. Here’s what TT made of it.
The album opener ‘Erreur Humanie’ is a slower number but by
no means less powerful than the rest of the album. The opening lyrics aptly fit
the current climate of reunion tours and nostalgic album tours by claiming ‘one should never go back and fuck with the
past’.
The album is littered with some craking pop-punk numbers which
are begging to be adored in indie discos. ‘Tounges’ is a wall of noise with a
great Idlewild-esque riff and piano hook. ‘An Honest Romance’ has a Pavement
guitar style but with Biffy’s ear bruising noise levels.
‘Owls Talons My Clenching Heart’ is the standout single from
the bunch. It has a teenage brooding quality with lines like ‘I don’t want to fall in love with your
heart’ and ‘I know I shouldn’t like
you but it’s too late’. If only it had been written in 2009 it could have sound
tracked the love triangle of Cook, Freddy and Effy in Skins.
The best thing about this album is not what its saying, it
is that it’s being said. ‘Someone New’ states ‘I don’t want to see you with someone new’ which, won’t be troubling
Keats nuanced poetry but, it’s puerile nature does highlight what its like to
be jealous when young and who else is talking on their behalf in pop music
these days?
‘Alone’ takes this further and declares ‘Fuck what others think’ and ‘Why
would you want to go a funeral if your not old’. The obnoxious polemic is
great and allows teenage angst to belong yet again to a creative world rather
than the tantrum filled world of Bieber.
The album closes on ‘War Cry’, their most ambitious effort
to date. At nearly 12 minutes long they leave behind their pop-punk default
setting to create an aggressive epic. The guitar playing is from the school of
Black Francis and Kurt Cobain but extended to leave you transfixed.
‘Youth Culture
Forever’, for TT, is hopefully the beginning of a wave of young bands who are
aggressive and oblivious to what has gone before them. The inclusive nature of
music today is brilliant for anyone over the age of 21 but, teenagers need
bands who sound like they are ready to die for what they believe in before they
discover Dillinger’s lost reggae classics or Mr Fingers acid house gems.
We end this article with the lyrics from the title track
‘YCF’ simply because we can and, you should read it:
When I come home to my
hometown, I'm not sure which part of me still expects you
to be around. Same old faces, same old feelings, But not nostalgia, I'm not revisiting, I am
breathing But not for youth cos we're still young and not
for boredom, Droughts of hope, I'm feeling like the only one Who couldn't make it out of here alive. I'm still trying to figure out which part it is Of me that died, to screw this place And curse their bones, I'm in a lodging room Because I no longer have a home. I had a nest, and now it's gone. I know I said this in a song before But, fuck it - "Life goes on." I'll have my youth culture forever. You'll have your youth culture forever. He'll have his youth culture forever. She'll have her youth culture forever.
1. Bombay Bicycle Club - So Long, See You Tomorrow
XFM recently hosted ‘An Evening With Noel Gallagher and
Friends’ Nicky Wire discussed how 1994 was a great year for music with the
release of ‘Holy Bible’, ‘Definitely Maybe’, ‘Parklife’, ‘Grace’, ‘In Utero’,
‘Dog Man Star’ and ‘Dummy’. He is correct. He went on to say how many albums
will be held in the same esteem. Answer = none. A better question should be how
many should be held in the same bracket as those classics? The answer to this
question is one, ‘So Long See You Tomorrow’.
To the person responsible at Island Records for keeping them
on the books for a fourth album, thank you. In fact, they should be giving the
John Peel lecture in 2015 on ‘How to let bands grow in today’s climate.’
The album opens with ‘Overdone’ which isn’t spectacular but
is a solid bridge from their past to what is about to unfold. Leaping of that
bridge with lead stones attached come the astonishing ‘It’s Alright Now’. Time
and time again we find ourselves spellbound by the lyrics ‘Made a plan to be
someone / Mess it up when the moment comes / Step away step away stay numb /
It’s alright now, I don’t want wanna wait’. The message of hope and that it is
ok to fail is staggering in an era of hate fuelled politics and the constant
reminder there is an ‘other’ causing you harm.
Musically it is comfortably the most ambitious and best
thing they have done. It opens with beautiful harmonies and synths which
reappear regularly throughout the track to add extra layers of ecstasy to this
anthem. On paper it does just seem a tale of couple of various journeys,
sometimes as one and sometimes antagonistically but, the feeling of hope and
love is nowhere in music today, nowhere but here and TT cannot be the only one
longing to belong to a feeling of optimism again, right?
Bombay Bicycle Club has been many things on their previous
albums. They have been indie darlings and alternative folkies but always lacked
a definitive identity. Their next album may well be another reinvention, but
what this album does do, is give them a sound they seem to have mastered. The
euphoria and blissed out sounds coarse through the veins of every song here.
‘Feel’ has the archetypal BBC hook which fans have grown
accustom to. It also pulls in all the cuteness of The Sundays with vocals, the
production bliss of New Order’s ‘Dream Attack’ and a killer borderline
Bollywood bass line to make one of the singles of 2014.
‘Whenever, Wherever’ adopts a slow build approach which
culminates in an exultant crescendo of UNKLE-esque drum loops and multifaceted
vocals which will blow your mind. No doubt the scabs at X Factor will be using
this for a montage for some soulless no-mark this year.
The introduction of Rae Morris on former single ‘Luna’ is a
stroke of genius as it gives the album more texture which is what desperately
needing but benefits from all the same. It is the contrast between the vocals
which will make you marvel. A simple tactic but when done this well is always a
joy to behold.
Guitar music hasn’t been prominent in the mainstream for a
while, largely because it hasn’t stood for anything. ‘So Long, See You
Tomorrow’ however, is sonically ambitious and it pays off. It offers hope to
anyone who thought there was no way out of the current land of fear which is
unfolding in front of us. For this, TT makes this album number and is left only
to say, thank you Bombay Bicycle Club.
At number 10 in this year’s countdown are the ever reliable,
ever brilliant Manic Street Preachers. They have ended the year with a
nostalgic tour of ‘The Holy Bible’ but 2014 will remember them for their 12th
studio album ‘Futurology’.
The Newport lads have never been lazy when it comes to
trying new things and nothing has changed on this helping. However, it’s hard
to deny their classic identity shining through on numbers like ‘Walk Me To The
Bridge’ and ‘The Next Jet To Leave Moscow’.
‘Walk Me To The Bridge’ was written by Wire about a time he
considered leaving the band, but fans will be forgiven for thinking it’s about
the much missed Richey Edwards. Either way, the chorus is a fantastic lyric
about leaving something or someone you love behind.
‘The Next Jet To Leave Moscow’ has the classic rapid fire
vocals of their early albums, this only heightens the humour in Wire’s lyrics
which mock his former communist self. Moreover, this is a pop song, one which
should be sandwiched between One Direction and Taylor Swift on the airwaves.
Similarly to ‘Rewind The Film’, it’s the duets on the album
which are the standout efforts. ‘Europa Gecht Durch Mich’ features German trade
unionist Nina Hoss in a BRMC meets Goldfrapp belter. ‘Divine Youth’ features Welsh
songwriter Georgina Ruth Williams lending her beautiful vocals to this tale of
growing old in today’s society.
Nicky Wire recently discussed with Noel Gallagher on XFM how
the last time he felt optimistic was in 1995/6 and who could blame him with the
poor and vulnerable taking the blame for economic crisis yet there is millions
available for the royal family cock about on boats or for a funeral for the
most polarising Prime Minister of the 20th century. Nevertheless,
this is an album to cling to for hope. These ordinary men from Wales have made
an album with far reaching and challenging influences and made it an accessible
pop album. This achievement should be lauded and should be seen as a call to
arms to any aspiring band that a working class hero is still something to be.
9. Emperor Yes - An Island Called Earth
Emperor Yes featured on TT as ones to watch back in March
and boy do we feel smug now. Their debut album ‘An Island Called Earth’ is
everything we hoped it would be, a fun pop record to put the smile back on our
faces.
New listeners will be faced with the obvious Flaming Lips similarities
but we strongly urge you to let embrace their style because, after all, genius
steals.
The Flaming Lips-esque numbers appear in the form of ‘End Of
The World’, ‘Cosmos’ and ‘Wasps’. ‘End Of The World’ is drenched in sunshine
and could have easily featured on the Lips’ classic album ‘Void’.
Meanwhile ‘Cosmos’ surpasses the epic levels of Polyphonic
Spree and the only bad thing to say about the track ‘Wasps’ is that it makes
you too happy about the bastard creature.
The London 3 piece don’t just pay homage to the Flaming Lips
though, there is a more experimental side to them to counter balance the dreamy
pop tracks. ‘Mirror’ is by far the heaviest number on the album with a brooding
bass line coursing throughout. Also, the synth solos of ‘Carl Sagan’ and
‘Monkey King’ are quite remarkable for a fledgling band.
The quality of this debut should secure the lads enough
backing for a further 3 albums we hope as a masterpiece surely awaits. They
have produced great singles and experimental epics here, just imagine the
results when they combine the two.
8. Childhood - Lacuna
This decade has witnessed two (amongst others) trends in rock music; one is the otherworldly rock-psyche and the other is beach-rock, often associated with Sub Pop Records. Both strands have produced some good albums but have rarely united the people, which is hardly surprising considering the politics of divide and conquer are in full swing. Nothing lasts forever however and Childhood, a Nottingham via South London four piece, are the first step towards uniting fans, their feelings and guitar music. Here’s why:
Their debut album ‘Lacuna’ is littered with many influences. For many, this is detrimental to what they are trying to achieve or the sign of a bad producer. For Childhood though, it’s part of the appeal and they should be lauded for incorporating the varying strands of indie into their vision. There are several occasions where Real Estate and Primal Scream circa ‘Sonic Flower Groove’ jingle jangle guitars comes to the fore, as does the beach-rock sounds of Two Wounded Birds and Wavves. Furthermore, there is a lot of dreamy psyche music filtering its way through a-la Tame Impala and Pond with a smidge of the stoner guitar playing of Nick McCabe circa ‘Storm In Heaven’. You must be frothing at the gums knowing this now, right?
The guitars on this record reveal an awful lot about Childhood. Ben and Leo have the talent to turn to any strand of indie music it would appear. ‘Pay For Cool’ is an anomaly on the album because of its immediacy. It has an early Stokes-esque riff and changes pace often, which really draws you in.
‘You Could Be Different’ moves away from the more radio friendly sound and delivers a Tame Impala psyche affair but to the classic ‘verse, chorus’ formula and the solo is deranged and yet inherently catchy, like Doves at their best. ‘When You Rise’ is another signifier of their ability. ‘When You Rise’ has an explosion of guitars two thirds in which have the band on the cusp of something magical but begs the question ‘will they produce it?’
Two songs answer this question, ‘Solemn Skies’ and ‘As I Am’. ‘Solemn Skies’ is a stomping 60s psyche number which is taken to the next level by Hopcraft’s angelic vocals. He has the fragility of Bobby Gillespie which will endear you to him but, before you know it, he is driving the melody forward with his great ability to be powerful yet understated at the same time. This is replicated beautifully by the guitars. At several points they conjure a desperate need of release and when it arrives is ecstasy. For the first time in a long time, a band appear to be connecting the dots between the mire going on around ordinary people and giving them an escape route in guitar music.
‘As I Am’ for TT, is the standout track on this fine debut. Musically it is so blissful we are not sure Bipolar Sunshine didn’t write it for them. It is quite a gear change for the band musically where the guitars are supplementing the beat and dreamy synths rather than the other way round. Hopcraft again excels vocally. He sounds like Arthur Lee on MDMA, floating around a festival without a care in the world. The real beauty of this song is that lyrically, it’s really dark. It’s a tale of a lover who is begging their partner to understand them and join them in love, and the pain of this is like no other as I’m sure all readers are aware.
TT thinks that ‘Definitely Maybe’ is the greatest album of all time and probably always will do. However, part of its legacy has been for people to expect the world from a debut album. In this review we have pondered whether Childhood wants to make it to the top. Is this unfair pressure to put on a band? We have to lean towards yes, as so many bands are cut loose after their first album. This album is a terrific debut album. It’s never going to feature in people’s top 10s, but if Childhood is given space and time to develop, we can envisage them making albums which can threaten people’s top 10s. They have already displayed a great array of style and have been on the cusp of some magical guitar moments on ‘Lacuna’. Importantly, they, along with Peace, appear to be taking guitar music back to a popular consciousness which can only be a good thing.
7. The Rifles - None The Wiser
The original Chingford quartet is reunited for their fourth album and it has paid dividends. ‘None The Wiser’ is not their most riotous affair but is definitely the most accomplished. The album is an amalgamation of the bullish ‘No Love Lost’ and ‘Great Escape’ and the luscious production of the third instalment ‘Freedom Run’. The opening three songs embody this combination perfectly. ‘Minute Mile’ opens with an angular riff which launched the likes of The Rifles, The Rakes and Milburn back in 2007. As it’s the only one of its type on the album, it is a refreshing look back on the late 00s indie boom. ‘Heebie Jeebies’ follows which, is more akin to their earlier raucous tunes like ‘The General’ or ‘Local Boy’. Up third is ‘Go Lucky’, a rapturous indie gem circumnavigated via The Jam. These three tracks are more than just a rehash of the past though. All have their own nuances and idiosyncrasies breathing new life into the classic Rifles sound. In merging their previous styles they have created a start to album which eases fans in before they truly set off down new paths. ‘Catch Her In The Rye’ is the standout track which treads new ground. It begins with a Talking Heads riff and drifts away with a blissful yet resolute ninety second reprise. This venture is the perfect soundtrack to a tale of an elder informing someone they need to do more to succeed in life. Elsewhere on the album, the song writing embraces Dylan-esque harmonicas (‘All I Need’) and new found sense of melancholy on ‘The Hardest Place To Find Me’. The aforementioned ‘Hardest Place To Find Me’ is a splice of indie gold that only The Rifles can produce and a feat they rarely credited for. Being repressed is arguably one of England’s biggest social diseases. So, when a band write a song about the subject matter and get the tone bang on they should be lauded. However, unless your singing in a generic high pitched squeal, your yesterday’s news to the mainstream music press (Mojo aside, they gave a decent review of the album in January). Joel and Lucas have always written great love songs. For a band associated with football, boozing and The Jam, they are really classicist romantics at heart. Their debut album featured ‘When I’m Alone’, a venous anthem about unrequited love. ‘The Great Escape’ had the hit single that never was ‘Romeo and Juliet’ (it was featured in Gavin & Stacey at least ninety seven times) and third album ‘Freedom Run’, is almost exclusively about the theme in some form. Yet despite such an easy on the ear subject matter, no airplay comes for them. They are living proof that post-Oasis, the industry doesn’t want real people running amok spoiling their marketing meetings. Maybe they’re afraid their clear desk policies will be used for snorting all their coke we just don’t know. This album, for TT, is a triumph. It has anthems to sing to, it has production of such quality, it will keep surprising you on every listen. The only criticism is that they haven’t got any songs which would rate nine or ten out of ten but with every song a solid seven or eight there is enough excitement and quality hear to keep The Rifles flag flying high and hoping they catch a break like Frank Turner did couple of years back. Only through word of mouth can The Rifles achieve the success they deserve, so drag your mates, missus or dad out to the next tour. They will not be disappointed.
6. Johnny Marr - Playland
Manchester’s guitar hero returned in 2014 to release his second
solo album ‘Playland’. Buoyed by his well-received debut ‘Messenger’, Marr has
picked up where he left off and produced a quality array of tunes.
Being part of the Smiths, Electronic, Modest Mouse and The Cribs,
you would think Marr has used up his good riff quota. Not a bit of it. Lead
single ‘Easy Money’ is as catchy as they come and combines his love of Nile
Rodgers and Patti Smith to form the guitar single of the year.
The breakneck guitars on ‘Boys Get Straight’ have strands of Echo
& The Bunnymen’s ‘The Back Of Love’ whilst ‘Little King’ nods towards the
scousers classic ‘The Cutter’, whilst the euphoric ‘Dynamo’ splices vintage Jon
Ronson glam with Bernard Sumner’s free spirit.
The New Order influence reappears regularly on this album. ‘The
Trap’ has a classic Hooky riff whilst Marr’s vocals lean towards Sumner’s as he
brings in elements of shoegaze on the production. ‘This Tension’ has New Order’s windswept guitar
playing combined with his classic Smiths style. Couple this with some desolate
synths and a killer bass line and hey presto, another gem. (we’re starting to
hate how good he is!!!)
‘Candidate’ is the standout track from this collection. The guitar
parts provide an escapist outlet whilst the lyrics fight back this and
challenge the listener to stand up and be counted:
And you just want fun
Get in the picture come on
Now turn the future on us
Get free it's time
To be somebody's story
Be free it's time
It is remarkable that a man who has achieved so much with
different bands can still find new ways to inspire and achieve so much but he
has done it yet again. 2015 will probably see a lot of touring and TT cannot
wait to be there.
