Christopher Owens – Lysandre

Christopher Owens’ back story is enough for an article on its own. He was once part of a religious cult and is a recovering drug addict and in 2012, he announced he was leaving the critically acclaimed band Girls to pursue solo projects. Here is our lowdown of his first effort, ‘Lysandre’.

Owens’ opening tracks with Girls, ‘Lust For Life’ (Album – 2009) and ‘Honey Bunny’ (Father, Son, Holy Ghost – 2011), were both classic Beach Boys meet indie guitar affairs. Therefore, fans will be forgiven for being a little shocked when they hear ‘Lysandre’s Theme’ for the first time. It is only 39 seconds long and the dominant sound of the flute, signifies a change of path and new ambition. One TT is sure Girls fans will relish.

The beginning of the track ‘Love Is In Ear Of The Listener’, reveals Owens insecurities about his day job. The revelation is shocking considering the admiration he has worldwide ( sadly Stephen Fry can testify, it’s not everything):

“What if I’m just a bad songwriter / And everything I say has been said before.”

Well, on ‘Here We Go’, he’s topic of heartbreak has definitely been discussed before but few have tackled it with such poise. The whimsical nature of the male and female harmonies along with the flute draws you into a relationship that was obviously once beautiful and loving. However, the sporadic bursts of Flaming Lips guitars accentuate just how painful and desolate the end of a loving relationship can be. The emotion he evokes should allow Owens to rest easy in his quest to prove himself as a songwriter.

‘New York City’ and ‘Lysandre’ have a Belle and Sebastian warmth and spryness. The former, has melodic hints of Paul Simon circa ‘Still Crazy After All These Years’ and the saxophone work will gather memories of Van Morrison’s ‘Astral Weeks’ and ‘Moondance’ albums.

The qualities this album demonstrates more than most are growth and escapism. The title track ‘Lysandre’, for example, uses the flute to accompany his already well-honed ability to produce elegant harmonies. These subtle changes are from a man determined to test his artistic abilities at the highest level. Too few try to stretch themselves, and for TT’s mind, too many overreach and lose focus on connecting with audiences. Owens, on his first solo outing falls victim to this on ‘Riviera Rock’, an all instrumental affair which seems irrelevant in the middle of this sublime pop album. Nevertheless, the substantial use of the saxophone is one we may never have heard with the constraints of his former band and its high turnover of members.

Owens, as with his time with Girls, still has the prowess to cart listeners of to sunnier times. For the casual listener, or the listener not bothered by lyrics, this album will transport them off to the west coast of America. For those toiling with heartache however, this album will take on yet more fantastic dimensions.

Beady Eye: Live at the Camden Centre

Beady Eye played their finest London gig to date last night. They are band out to prove they have the chops to be in the game still and boy do they get their point across at the Camden Centre, aka the sauna.

When they toured ‘Different Gear, Still Speeding’, most fans, ourselves included, came away having had a decent night out but were left a touch underwhelmed. The swagger was there but the tunes were not. With the release of ‘BE’, their set is now full of mod-rock classics (‘Face In The Crowd’ & ‘I’m Just Saying’) and rock-psyche meets soul belters in ‘Flick Of The Finger’ and ‘Second Bite Of The Apple’.

‘Flick Of The V’s’ makes so much more sense live, as did many Oasis album tracks over the years (‘Hung In A Bad Place’ & ‘Meaning Of Soul’). Live, this song ceases to be just an interesting album opener and becomes a barnstorming epic which is so hypnotic it is irrelevant whether they play Wembley stadium, the Camden Centre or on a two bob Saturday night talent show because it’s a great song.

The themes of musical redemption and ‘let’s not waste our second chance’ run through Beady Eye’s second album. Human nature will inevitably find this heartrending, especially the lyrics from ‘I’m Just Saying’:

‘I’m feeling fine/ This is my time to shine / It’s nearly but it’s not too late / The Future’s getting underway’.

However, TT finds it odd that Beady Eye band feel this way. If they had made two shocking albums and faded away, they still would have been a part of Oasis, Ride, and Heavy Stereo. They would have played some of the most scintillating rock n roll gigs of all time.

So, this cannot be a case of trying to recapture past glories. Gallagher, Bell and Archer were born to be on stage showing no fear. They are the musical equivalent of Mickey Rourke in ‘The Wrestler’. This gig, the new album ‘BE’, they are their top turnbuckle moment amidst a heart attack. Everyone knows they don’t need to do it. They do it because it makes them feel alive and the other option is God’s waiting room. Fuck that!

PS: they played Rock n Roll Star and ‘Morning Glory’.

Jacco Gardner - Cabinet of Curiosities

One of the NME’s tips for 2013 comes from the unlikely source of Nwaag in the Netherlands and judging by Jacco Gardner’s debut album ‘Cabinet of Curiosities’ they have backed a winner.

Gardner maybe a child of the 80s but musically he personifies all the great things about the late 60’s boom in rock-psyche music. Former single ‘Clean The Air’ is a sumptuous Syd Barrett number which will have Tame Impala fans flocking to Gardner’s cause. The Barrett comparisons will undoubtedly come thick and fast as ‘Cabinet of Curiosities’ continues to grow in popularity. There are however, far more strings to his bow than just Barrett-esque numbers.

‘One Eyed King’ delves into the world of the Beta Band and Steve Mason to produce something of stunning beauty. ‘Where Will You Go’ is the kind of melodic psychadelia Oasis were after with ‘Who Feels Love?’ but never quite grasped on ‘Standing On The Shoulders Of Giants’. It has the big melodic chord and key changes which Noel Gallagher has become synonymous with. The vocals have a gorgeous swirling motion which will inevitably cause the head to nod from start to finish.

The final two tracks of the album, whilst on message with the rest of album, have an uninhibited feel which takes this fine debut to the next level.  ‘Chameleon’ soars to the pop-psyche heights only Pond and Toy have travailed in recent times. The final track ‘The Ballad Of Little Jane’ is given all of Gardner’s superb production skills to yield a modern take on The Beatles’ ‘For The Benefit Of Mr Kite’.

Barring the drums, Gardner plays every instrument heard and produces as well. Every synth you hear is used with clear precision and coated in emotion to give each track sense of narrative which is what sets this album apart from most.

Edwyn Collins - Understated

As many of you are aware, in 2005, Collins suffered a brain haemorrhage - so it is an inspiration that he is making music these days at all. The immediate aftermath of the haemorrhage left Collins able to utter just 4 phrases: 'yes', 'no', 'Grace Maxwell' and 'the possibilities are endless'. If this is sending shivers down your spine then his new album ‘Understated’ certainly will.

The song-writing largely centres on Collins' feelings about having a new lease of life and how he is not going to waste it. So, strap yourselves in, folks, because you will be left an emotional wreck, reviewing everything you are doing with your life by the end of listening.

'Baby Jean' is a cracking soul tune reminiscent of Johnnie Taylor in his pomp. Lyrically, it is very powerful, displaying how music has been a therapeutic and cathartic outlet since recovering from his illness. To hear Collins sing 'I got music to see me through / I got art to ease the pain / I got sunshine on a cloudy day / And I'm going to find a way to understand' is as uplifting as it gets.

Collins' spate of optimism is a constant throughout the album, both lyrically and musically. The Orange Juice number '21 Years' decrees 'What the heck I’m living now' as he questions what the point of his rock ‘n’ roll career has been.

Musically, it is an incredibly soulful record. The opener 'Dilemma' is a northern soul beauty ready to bring home the English summer. 'Carry On, Carry On' has some Elysian Frankie Valli-esque production. Meanwhile, 'In The Now' is the kind of fired up soul meets rock ‘n’ roll number Beady Eye would die to have in their repertoire.

Standing out amidst the Temptations upbeat soul numbers is the sombre 'Down The Line'. Collins reveals the darker sides of piecing his life back together with the jaw-aching lyrics 'I wasn't there to comfort you / I wasn’t there to hold your hand / I wasn’t there to do my thing / The best that I could do'. As a father and husband, Collins clearly felt as though he was a burden during his illness. Anyone who doesn’t gulp a lump down their throat to this song simply isn’t human (or is a Tory, take your pick).

This is a strong contender for album of the year, it’s littered with great soul music and incredible pop sensibilities. Ultimately though, the main triumph here is Collins' ability to reflect on the highs and lows of his remarkable journey from being critically ill back to an idolised musician.

Album Playback: Beady Eye – BE

TT was at the Soho Hotel last night for the Beady Eye album playback. The lavish setting is one you would expect new bands to be throwing money at to impress the music industry, not a group of legends who have nothing left to prove. Or so you would think, Liam is bouncing around the room, from group to group, before and after the playback. The enthusiasm on display seems hell bent banishing the critics of ‘Different Gear, Still Speeding’.

Here is our track by track review. We must point out all reviews are based on hearing each track only once so the ability to allow a song to grow on you has not yet been had:

1. Flick Of The Finger – The album opener appeared online recently and certainly made fans sit up and listen. The band along with TV On The Radio’s Dave Sitek producing have broadened their sound. There is still the same trippy ‘Revolver’ sonic to the tune which has been around forever it seems but the use of a brass band gives this a sense of enormity that Liam’s bravado deserves.

Billy Bragg - Tooth and Nail

Barking’s finest export returned earlier this year to deliver ‘Tooth and Nail’, his first studio album since 2008’s critically acclaimed ‘Mr Love and Justice’. Not that the old mongrel is slowing down, in 2011 he released and toured his compilation ‘Fight Songs’ and then in 2012 he celebrated Woody Guthrie’s 100^th birthday by releasing the brilliant 3disc boxset ‘Mermaid Avenue: The Complete Sessions’.

‘Tooth and Nail’ doesn’t boast the smut and wit of Woody Guthrie, however. In 2012, Bragg’s mother passed away and the tone here is one of grief, reflection and anger.

Opening the album and setting the tone perfectly is ‘January Song’. Lyrically, it’s business as usual for Bragg as he attacks the coalition for selling peoples freedom down the river. Musically though, you have never heard Bragg like this before. His instincts tell him to stand up and fight the wrongs he sees in society but the grief that consumes him is really weighing him down:

 “My journey has been so hard lately / Been having to get out and push / Left me standing on the sidewalk / Talking to a burning bush.”

‘I Ain’t Got No Home’ is a Guthrie cover which tells the tale of a farmer who’s heritage is crumbling as governments are leant on by the money men to ensure their projects are pushed through the red tape unscathed. The sullenness of this tune is genius. Whilst Bobby Gillespie is leading the fight against the political classes, Bragg offers up a downbeat affair for anyone who needs comforting. For those who have had their lives uprooted by the scandalous bedroom tax, we suggest you stick to Primal Scream and get angry because as Bragg will only break your heart with this stunning tune.

The writers of TT were deeply affected by ‘I Aint Got No Home’. We were left questioning if there was any point to what we’re doing? Surely the greedy will come along and prevent us doing what we love eventually anyway? Well, after the success of Record Store Day this year (and the previous 6years) we are not giving up on the independent music community just yet and nor should you. Berwick Street was awash with people and having a good time and investing money in shops that are run by people who care about their customers. Not supermarkets who undercut specialists so they can ramp the prices of bleach and toilet roll to make a profit.

The notion of living another way shines through in the former single ‘No One Knows Nothing’ Anymore’ when Bragg sings “break it down and start again” and to “stop pretending / We Can Manage our way out of here.”

Musically, it is a remarkable effort. As he enters his 56^th year, Bragg could be forgiven for not broadening his musical horizons anymore. Not a bit of it. This is a sumptuous ode to Emmylou Harris in her pomp with slide guitar parts sent from West Coast gods. ‘Do Unto Others’ also beholds spreading his wings further as well as he conjures a blues number reminiscent of Eric Clapton’s unplugged version of ‘Alberta’.

The reviews from the press have been mixed for ‘Tooth & Nail’ which we feel is unfair. There are a couple of filler tracks on this helping but, on the whole, this is as passionate and evocative as Bragg has ever been. Musically he has challenged himself once more, adopting an escapist West Coast country and Southern blues style to deal with his disaffection of the coalition and more importantly the heartbreak caused by the departure of his beloved mum. To produce such quality, in a time which must be so distressing and to maintain his dignity in the fight for a fair society, should have fans flocking to buy ‘Tooth and Nail’. Here’s to ya Bill!

British Sea Power – Machineries Of Joy

It seems insane to think British Sea Power’s debut ‘The Decline In British Sea Power’ was released ten years ago. A decade on, they have released their 5^th studio album: ‘Machineries Of Joy’. The punkier numbers have mellowed somewhat but their beauty and grandeur remain large on an album which celebrates the classic BSP sound fans have come to know and love.

However, ‘Hail Holy Queen’ is one of the few tracks which deviate from the classic BSP sound this album generates. The strings will drift you out to sea without a care in the world; meanwhile Hamilton’s vocals are gloriously sweet and reminiscent of Mercury Rev’s David Barker.

But back to basiscs: ‘Loving Animals’ takes BSP’s love of Bowie to his electro/Berlin phase. What is fantastic about this song reflects what is great about this entire album. You can hear BSP’s influences from start to finish but at no point is any track a pastiche or parody. The final minute exemplifies this with the trippy Neu-esque guitars which are accompanied by vocals worth of Mark E Smith at his insatiable best.

Quite often with British Sea Power records one or two numbers are up-tempo punk rock anthems and mark themselves out as instant classics. On ‘Machineries Of Joy’ however everything is far more tranquil. ‘When You Need It Most’ is a sumptuous ode to Richard Hawley’s ‘Coles Corner’ material and the great Walker Brothers singles of the late 60s. ‘A Light Descending Above’ recalls the rock prowess of ‘Open The Door’ but with a sombre Robert Wyatt circa ‘Shipbuilding’ approach.

Ultimately this is an album for the dedicated British Sea Power fans out there. It is as though the lads have hit the studio with the idea: ‘let’s make a British Sea Power record’. There’s no messing around with new formulas here, but it is not a step back by any means. The quality of every track - we repeat, every track - is so high it is impossible for it to be anything other than a triumph.

Finally, what really excites TT about this is album is the feeling that the next one will be like witnessing a fully charged BSP going into a glorious battle, armed only with electric guitars and massive amps.