REVIEW: Nothing But Thieves finally let loose

Nothing But Thieves have a killer record on their hands.

After a week or two of teasing snippets from their debut album, Nothing But Thieves have finally released their debut self-titled long-player. I say ‘finally’ because it’s been absolutely ages in the making. With 16 tracks on its roster, that’s perhaps not a surprise.

It’s been almost a year and half since we first brought NBT to your attention through this blog, back when they had only a few tracks online, including the stunning Graveyard Whistling. Back then, in early July 2014, we were given some glimmer of hope that the first album would be out by the end of that year, not least after they signed with RCA that same year. But here we are, zooming towards the end of 2015, and it has only just been allowed to run free.

After such a long wait, hopes were high that this wouldn’t be a dud release. It seemed impossible given the tracks that have been spilled in the many months leading to this week. Graveyard Whistling aside, NBT put out a number of other tracks that feature on the record, including Itch, Trip Switch (which made the FIFA 16 soundtrack), Emergency, Wake Up Call, Ban All The Music, with Honey Whiskey and If I Get High most recently. Some time ago, they also put out a beautiful live acoustic version of the haunting Lover, Please Stay.

It was easy to think maybe we wouldn’t have much left to listen to, but with 16 tracks available, thankfully there is plenty of fresh tunes to get stuck into. Believe me when I say, also, that many of them are breathtakingly good.

NBT’s sound is largely built around the vocals of unassuming frontman Conor Mason. We compared him to Thom Yorke, Chet Faker, Erik Hassle, and Jeff Buckley previously. Those comparisons remain valid. His contribution to this record is extraordinary. The emotional output is off the charts. One can only imagine the toll it takes on him. I have visions of him collapsed in a corner of the studio after every take, a sweat-soaked heap of angst and trauma. If you’re familiar with Mason’s methods, you’ll know what I mean. This kid doesn’t just sing, he invests everything.

The other members of course play their part, too. The compositions are solid, varied, interesting and complex, while allowing you room to move and shake as you desire. There are hooks here and there, but the straight pop structure is not the method chosen by these guys. Having been selected to join Muse as an opening act on the road recently, that much is clear.

At times they’re freely blasting out rocking jams, Mason’s voice soaring like a jet fighter above it all. Moments later, you could be dropped into the most delicate lullaby. The overall effect is pretty special.

The standout tracks are numerous here. Other than those already mentioned, Tempt You (Evocatio) is perhaps among the very best. While lyrically, it’s perhaps slightly simplistic, musically it’s rich with beauty, building superbly from a soft soulful groove into a dynamic denouement. Brilliant stuff.

The opening track, Excuse Me , couldn’t have been better selected. It showcases everything this band is about and gets things off to a rollicking start.

Nothing But Thieves is available from all the usual digital outlets. I might get myself a vinyl copy of it, too, because it really is very, very good.

REVIEW: Rae Morris – Unguarded

Rae Morris – Unguarded.

Four years ago, at the tender age of 17, Atlantic Records secured the signature of Rae Morris, a bright, frizzy-haired young singer-songwriter from Blackpool in England. The label saw something in her that only now we’re all being given the chance to hear. It’s a cliche, but in this case, the wait was most certainly worth it. And before we forget, let’s pay Atlantic due credit for allowing Morris to take the time to work on this record. It’s a blinder.

Morris, who will turn 22 in September, last week released her debut solo album, Unguarded, and while it doesn’t present anything ground-breaking in terms of its musical style, it does wash over you like a refreshing cool breeze on a humid summer’s day. There are some really high points, not least the track Cold, featuring Fryars. It’s a cool – pardon the pun – call and response between two people who have lost the magic between them, an argument of sorts, based on all the good things they can remember about each other. The bridge is absolutely killer. Check it out here.

Morris has a fair amount of melancholy on this first release. But there is discovery as well. Morris has admitted the album has been largely written from her own life experiences, diary entries, she told Digital Spy in a recent interview.

It often amazes me that so much emotion can be spawned from someone so young, but when I think back to myself at 21, 22, I’d had a few dramas in my life. I’ve had many more since, and while I hope Morris doesn’t experience too much hardship as she matures, there is no doubt she’ll be able to use music as her therapy. Her lyrics are solid, superb at times, and while I’m not a fan of the production on every track Unguarded has to offer, as a whole it’s a very good record. I feel she’s stronger in the simpler songs, pared back to showcase her quite beautiful and unique voice, with just a few extras drizzled on top. Closer is one example of where it’s gone too far. It’s bright inoffensive pop, but perhaps could have had more impact with less of the bells and whistles. Love Again is guilty of the same sins, sounding too reminiscent of Coldplay’s A Sky Full Of Stars to be enjoyable.

Alongside Cold, the title track stands out well. It’s an open and honest reflection of Morris, a brave admission on all fronts. For You also shines brightly, as does Don’t Go, a tearful ballad that is delivered with such fragility, you just want to rush into your speakers and sweep up Morris in your arms and tell her everything is going to be all right. It’s probably the strongest track of all. Here’s a live version for Transmitter, which is equally heartfelt and might just make you cry. You have been warned.

Unguarded is an excellent start for a young woman with a flair for words, a desire to tell stories, and a voice to melt the sternest of hearts. Her musical interpretations of life are wonderfully formed, brave at times and, for the most part, very interesting to listen to. To think she’s never had a singing lesson in her life is quite remarkable, but perhaps that’s what is behind her ability to truly project the emotion of the many moments she’s crafted here. It’s all well worth checking out.

A little more on Rae Morris’s earlier work here, too.

My year in live music – 2014

It was another packed live music schedule in 2014 for me. All up, almost 30 dates, including three festivals and a multitude of artists. Here is my top five, a summary of the next best, and the full list of gigs attended.

No.1 Elbow

Sydney Opera House, Sydney NSW, 26 October

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A simple equation here: one of my favourite bands of all time plays one of my favourite venues of all time. How could it fail to impress me? Answer: it didn’t. In fact it brought me close to tears a number of times. This show was breathtaking. I’ve seen Elbow in every conceivable setting, from small club to festival, but the majestic Sydney Opera House could be the ideal venue for one of Britain’s best musical exports. The pace of the show was perfect, Charge kicking things off just enough to get toes tapping, with The Bones Of You doing much the same. The Night Will Always Win showcased Guy Garvey’s stunning vocals like never before, highlighting a central core of down-tempo loveliness to melt the toughest of hearts. The Birds acted as the first stanza of a build-up to a tremendous crescendo, including Grounds For Divorce and, of course, another unforgettable encore of One Day Like This.

I cannot put into words the brilliance of this show. It’s an absolute lifetime highlight, a memory that will always burn bright and never be a fading ember.

No.2 Austin City Limits

Zilker Park, Austin TX, 11-12 October

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I wrote at the time about my affection for this weekend. Austin City Limits proved to be one of the best music festivals I’ve ever attended. I saw so many bands I couldn’t list them all here, but highlights included Poliça from side of stage (thanks Craig), a blissful Broken Bells set, the best Phantogram performance I’ve witnessed with Sarah Barthel sexier than ever, an introduction to the insanely infection Avett Brothers, running from Skrillex to Eminem and struggling to believe I was on planet Earth, A supercharged Lorde set and, of course, another flawless Pearl Jam show to close an epic weekend. There was more, but all you need to know was this festival was the dog’s nuts. Even the security staff were cool, the beer was amazing, and Austin’s convoy of fabulous food trucks kept the energy levels tip-top.

No.3 Gladiator and Sydney Symphony

Sydney Opera House, Sydney NSW, 3 April

Ever since seeing a documentary about John Williams conducting a live performance of E.T‘s score for the movie’s 25th anniversary, I’ve always wanted to watch a film with the soundtrack performed live while I view. This was my opportunity, and it was a quite magical experience. Gladiator is a flick I hold dear to my heart, and in large part owed to the sublime score crafted by Hans Zimmer. To hear it – and indeed see it – played out before my eyes while the film loomed over the Sydney Symphony Orchestra was an emotional experience. The detail of every scene popped that little but more as a result, every intricate note  and the finale, which always makes me tear up,  had me a blubbering mess. I was touched deeply by this one, and reminded once again of the special place music has in my soul.

No.4 Lady Gaga

Allphones Arena, Sydney NSW, 31 August

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Not since my teens have I really touched the uber-pop stadium artists, but a birthday surprise for my better half took me back into that territory. It was a place I enjoyed as a kid, seeing Madonna several times at Wembley Stadium among others. Lady Gaga was every bit as impressive and memorable, but perhaps more talented in the music stakes. Madonna writes a great tune, performs it brilliantly, but is a flawed singer. Gaga, on the other hand, has sensational vocal chops and the theatre she creates is enormous. The dance floor crowd, which included us, was afforded the opportunity to roam around and under the stage to view from multiple angles, and the air of happiness and hope Gaga created was wonderful. Do What You Want was a hip-grinding riot while Gypsy was an utterly uplifting and triumphant finale, and the band, as most in this genre tend to be, was a collection of absolutely superb musicians. This show as an unexpected joy to behold in every way.

No.5 Asgeir

Metro Theatre, Sydney NSW, 23 July

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We fell in love with Asgeir Trausti thanks to a guy in a bar in Iceland in 2012. We watched a YouTube clip of him and were beguiled by his unique voice and songwriting. Upon the English release of his album In The Silence, the rest of the world cottoned on to his unwavering talent. Seeing him perform in English was a treat. He has the voice of an angel, silencing the normal hubbub of the Metro Theatre. It was mesmerising, beautiful, heart-breaking, absorbing. A flawless performance by a man that is somehow still just 22 years of age.

Three more of the best

Highasakite at Oxford Art Factory was a delight, highlighted by some awesome wardrobe choices and an undeniably cool frontwoman in the gorgeous Ingrid Helene Håvik. Biffy Clyro blew the roof of The Factory Theatre and a topless Simon Neil gave the ladies enough heart palpitations to light up the New York power grid while perspiring to the extent that it’s a wonder a flood warning wasn’t issued by the local authorities. His energy levels are ridiculous. Howling Bells performance at Oxford Art Factory was something of a nostalgic trip back to my early days in Sydney. Waikiki was the band then, but Juanita and Joel Stein have matured significantly since then and created a new sound that was played out with gusto back in their hometown, from where they’ve been missing for some time having relocated to the UK. Come back again soon, please.

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The full list

(Sydney venues unless otherwise stated)

January

6 – Bonobo – Metro Theatre

17 – Chi Udaka – Seymour Centre

26 – Big Day Out – Sydney Olympic Park (acts seen: The Naked And Famous, The Hives, Primus, The Lumineers, Arcade Fire, Pearl Jam)

February

2 – Laneway – Sydney College Of Arts (acts seen: Vance Joy, Frightened Rabbit, Run The Jewels, Daughter, Haim, Lorde, CHVRCHES, The Jezabels)

24 – Biffy Clyro – The Factory Theatre

March

5 – Phoenix – Hordern Pavilion

9 – Flying Lotus – Sydney Opera House

12 – Kate Miller-Heidke – Syemour Centre

April

3 – Gladiator and Sydney Symphony – Sydney Opera House

17 – Morcheeba – Metro Theatre

May

3 – Russian Circle – Manning Bar

13 – The Naked And Famous – Metro Theatre

25 – St Vincent – Sydney Opera House

July

19 – The Preatures – Metro Theatre

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23 – Asgeir – Metro Theatre

24 – Phantogram – Metro Theatre

28 – Tune Yards – Oxford Arts Factory

August

31 – Lady Gaga – AllPhones Arena

September

5 – Biffy Clyro – Enmore Theatre

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12 – Howling Bells – Oxford Art Factory

13 – Sci-Fi Classics – Sydney Opera House

18 – Highasakite – Oxford Art Factory

19 – Saskwatch – Manning Bar

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October

11-12 – Austin City Limits, Zilker Park, Austin TX, USA (acts seen: Poliça, Interpol, Phantogram, The Avett Brothers, Lorde, Eminem, Skrillex, Broken Bells, Pearl Jam)

17 – Trombone Shorty And Orelans Avenue, The Belmont, Austin TX, USA

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26 – Elbow – Sydney Opera House

30 – Cibo Matto – Oxford Art Factory

November

7 – The Les Murray Band – SBS Courtyard

Album Review: Foo Fighters – Sonic Highways

Sonic Highways album art, a mish-mash of all the cities in which the album was recorded.

I was going to write my own review of Foo Fighters’ latest effort Sonic Highways, but this pretty much sums up my thoughts, so no need to bother really.

Mercury Music Prize picks talent from another planet

Could FKA twigs win this year’s Mercury Music Prize?

The Mercury Music Prize, whether you’re British or otherwise, is commonly recognised as one of the awards that actually means something. It was set up as an alternative to the Brit Awards, the UK’s glittery Grammy equivalent, or a celeb-fest with an audience of screamers if you’re more cynical. The Mercury Music Prize labels itself as the “music equivalent to the Booker Prize for literature and the Turner Prize for art”, an indication of its high-brow self worth.

It’s fair to say the Mercury Music Prize has picked some pretty awesome albums since its inception in 1992. The inaugural award went to Primal Scream for Screamadelica. Portishead won in 1995 for the breathtaking Dummy, Gomez in 1998 for the fabulous Bring It On and the award blasted Elbow into a whole new level of global fame off the back of its release of The Seldom Seen Kid. Other winners include Suede, Pulp, Arctic Monkeys, PJ Harvey and more recently alt-J and James Blake. There is no question for me that those judging this thing have some bloody great taste, and it’s always heartening to be reminded that the homeland is continuing to produce music of the very highest calibre.

In case you don’t know, each year, 12 albums are short-listed for the prize by a judging panel of music industry people, and generally they’re all bloody fantastic. Quite how they choose a winner is beyond me because the field is always filled with such varied genres. There can be, though, only one winner.

Picking that winner for 2014 will be no less challenging than it has been in previous years, with another eclectic dozen of artists listed plucked from the initial 250 entrants, seven of them in the mix with debut albums. After criticism for picking out established artists, the panel of judges have gone for some newer faces this year, but in a year that has to date produced some quite spectacular new works, that’s not such a surprise to me. It’s been a great year for new music, not just in Britain but globally.

Here are the nominees and a line from me on what I think of the tunes they deliver:

Anna Calvi – One Breath: A super record, in the mould of PJ Harvey or St Vincent. Not my favourite on the list, but well worth your time and certainly a stunning debut.

Bombay Bicycle Club – So Long, See You Tomorrow: Perhaps my favourite on the list, but I’m a long time fan of these guys. They’ve changed it up a bit for this, their fourth release, and in a very positive way. It’s indie pop, with an edge, and I’ve always thought the Club had a unique sound. Perhaps the prize would alert the rest of the world to their talents.

Damon Albarn – Everyday Robots: We all love Damon. His debut solo effort is more Gorillaz than Blur, but as good as anything those two projects produced. But is it different enough to make it stand out? Not for me.

East India Youth – Total Strife Forever: At first listen, it’ll pique your interest, and William Doyle certainly has talent to burn when it comes to electronica. Grates a little as an album for me, but individually, the tracks can be awesome if the right mood strikes, and I’m not even a techno fan.

FKA twigs – LP1: One of the best records you’ll hear this year, perhaps ever. This is something truly different, mesmerising on every level and utterly absorbing.

Jungle – Jungle: Funky, fresh and fun, with some killer grooves that will have your butt wiggling. There is a hint of The Go! Team at times, but without the same delirious energy. Roll the windows down this summer, though, and blast this out to the world.

Young Fathers – Dead: Perhaps my least favourite on the list. It’s hip-hoppy, but fails to take off for me at any point. Lyrically, it’s great, but rhythmically, it didn’t land a punch for me.

Kate Tempest – Everybody Down: I’ve got a soft spot for Kate, because she’s from Brockley, South London, where I grew up. From rapping on the night bus, she’s now set to win a big prize, and deservedly so. He rhymes are magnificent, delivered with wondrous skill. Storytelling has never been so damn cool. Trust me.

GoGo Penguin – v2.0: It’s great to hear jazz with a modern twist, and these three lads deliver that in spades. Drummer Rob Turner has exceptional feel, which holds it all together from start to finish, but the compositions are super lovely.

Nick Mulvey – First Mind: Folk with a tribal twist, Mulvey has a fine record on his hands here. Studied in Cuba, studied Africa, and it all comes through here. He’s been nominated before with Portico Quartet, and his solo tilt is fully deserving of the same honour.

Polar Bear – In Each and Every One: More slightly off-kilter jazz here, but it lacks the sophistication of GoGo Penguin. Still, it’s interesting if not spectacular, and at times sounds like a tune-up.

Royal Blood – Royal Blood: Rock out time to finish things off. This has hallmarks of Muse, Jack White, and a Tom Morello guitar tones at times. It’s a toe-tapper for sure, and will have heads banging everywhere it’s played.

 

REVIEW: Highasakite – Silent Treatment

Highasakite – Silent Treatment.

We have another contender for Light+Shade‘s Album Of The Year already, and we’re not even halfway through 2014. I’ve got a feeling it’s going to be a good musical vintage.

Highasakite might not be a familiar name to some of you, but I’ve been reasonably in love with these Norwegians since hearing their self-titled 2012 EP. I caught them live at Iceland Airwaves that same year, sung along whole-heartedly to the best track from that EP, Indian Summer, and left in hope of hearing a whole lot more. Thankfully, just a few weeks ago, they delivered, and they delivered in spades.

Silent Treatment is the band’s first long-player, and while it has that certain Scandinavian air about it that so pleases me, it’s also pretty unique, largely because of Ingrid Helene Håvik’s unfailing ability to sing a song with breathtaking beauty. The compositions are excellent, too. Some are heavy on the electronics, others more on folksy banjos and accordions. Some are bright, some are sombre. There is country, jazz and pop. The rhythms vary delightfully from song to song. It’s a sweet collection, ordered perfectly, which isn’t something we often say about records in the digital age.

Highasakite formed out of the Trondheim Jazz Conservatory, like Emilie Nicolas, who I also wrote glowingly about recently. It seems to be a good place to learn the craft.

Håvik’s opening lines “Lover, where do you live?” ooze from the speakers with such breathy seduction that you’re immediately hooked. A sweeping and aching ballad follows. It’s an almost perfect start. “It would be nice to come home to a couch, and a stove, and a backyard,” she adds before calling out the song’s title again, Lover, Where Do You Live?

From this we transition into bouncier sounds. Drummer Trond Bersu’s influence becomes clearer the more you listen, too. As the co-founder and writer of the band’s music, he creates some sensational beats upon which Håvik’s vocals can bounce effortlessly. Since Last Wednesday proves the point, with a tribal flare somehow matched with folk overtones. It’s a bit Of Monsters And Men, but somehow more mature. Leaving No Traces follows a similar theme but with a Middle Eastern flavour. But it’s from track four where things really start to ripen.

Hiroshima, by far my pick of the album’s 12 tracks, is a marvellous tune. It builds gradually from what sounds like an air-powered organ into a driving, hypnotic rhythms. Brighter blips come in as we move deeper into the track, Håvik singing about carelessly walking around in Heaven having lost the Earth she so loved to human folly of the type Hiroshima became so infamous for. To that end, the wall of sound that takes the track to its conclusion is just superb. There is a stack of layers to the music by this point and it’s all quite overwhelming. But as if to save us from exploding like an atomic bomb ourselves, the blinding sounds dissipate and we’re left only with Håvik’s haunting “nanananas”.

My Only Crime follows, a lullaby or sorts, before we enter electronic-indie territory again for a rather dark track I, The Hand Grenade. Another rhythmic intro launches us into Darth Vader, a song that will certainly have crowds bouncing and singing along when this record is toured.

Iran is a cracker, very tribal again, almost like the soundtrack to an old Western, with Native American overtones throughout. Quite what it’s about is beyond me, but “I’d bring some booze, and go on a bender” is an inspired line in the context of a strict Muslim country, especially when it’s followed by “and I’ll befriend a married man”. Influences like Kate Bush pop out here, too. There are some extreme vocal gymnastics to admire.

Indians, as they became known in American, get a mention in The Man On The Ferry as we near the album’s denouement. Science And Blood Tests is another sensational demonstration of Håvik’s abilities. She almost yodels through the outro, but not in a cheesy Sound Of Music hills way. It’s more like morning birdsong. Really lovely and soothing.

We hit raw country on the penultimate When You Have Gone before the jazz that brought Håvik and Bersu together closes things out in the form of God Is A Banquet. You can imagine hearing this in a smokey club while sipping on a single malt, pained expressions on the musicians before you.

I really love this album. While only one song clearly stands out for me, the others prop it up with real strength. Listen, and enjoy. There are few bands out there with the versatility of Highasakite.

REVIEW: Elbow – The Take Off And Landing Of Everything

Elbow – The Take Off And Landing Of Everything album art.

Maybe it’s because I’m in the same generation as Elbow, who are hitting or have already hit 40. Maybe it’s because lead singer Guy Garvey and I appear to have similar interests without knowing each other from bars of soap. Maybe it’s because I love the way he finds positives in all the negatives. Or maybe it’s just because the music is always so bloody good.

Whatever it is, Elbow has once again released a collection of beautiful songs for us to enjoy in The Take Off And Landing Of Everything. Garvey has allowed his lyrics to soar higher than ever before, and even had the confidence to commit a couple of first drafts to tape, New York Morning and Fly Boy / Lunette the two songs in question.

It’s true, there are no major surprises across the album’s 10 songs, but bands this good don’t need bells and whistles to make you listen. From the opener, This Blue World, we’re immediately drawn into a fantastical world of poetry and motion. “Our atoms straining to align, was the universe in rehearsal for us?” It’s a long opener, more than seven minutes, but it’s an hypnotic experience just to lay back and allow yourself to be swept away on its charming waves.

Charge picks things up with its gritty rhythm and chinking reggae guitar as Garvey sings the story of a middle-aged man in a boozer realising that a new generation has popped up behind him, and thinks he’s old and past it. “Another night beside myself could finish me. Give me G&T and sympathy.” It’s so well written, you laugh and empathise all at once. “I’ve broken jaws protecting laws to keep you free.” It’s a middle finger in the face for all the young bucks that swan around town these days thinking they own the place, and are entitled to everything without having to work for it. Hipsters. Who needs them? This is truly the grumpy old man in full voice.

Fly Boy / Lunette chugs along nicely, and while a disjointed two-songs-in-one arrangement, is perhaps my favourite track. There are some Pink Floyd moments in its first half, perhaps an unintentional hat-tip to Elbow’s fellow Brits from the song’s writer, drummer Richard Jupp. But it’s the second half that really grips. A genius bassline from Pete Turner drives it all as Jupp guides him along on the sea of Mark Potter’s acoustic guitar. And then there are the lyrics. I listened in sheer wonderment. “Perverse as it may sound I sometimes believe, the tip to my lips just reminds me to breathe.” And then this. “I’m reaching the age when decisions are made on life and living, and I’m sure last ditch that I’ll ask for more time, but mother forgive me, I’ll still want a bottle of good Irish whiskey and a bundle of smokes in my grave.” It really, very rarely, gets better than that.

Garvey’s remarkable skill as a writer has been long apparent, but it’s on this album that he appears to have truly let himself shine. He constructs not just wonderful stories, but writes them up like poems. He’s kept a diary since his mid-teens, which no doubt helps to unearth a few gems, but he truly crafts the most wonderful lines and, somehow, stitches them together in prose that plays along delightedly to the music the band as a whole composes. And to think Fly Boy / Lunette is a first draft just staggers me.

New York Morning, the album’s other first draft, was written by Garvey when he spent some months in Brooklyn on another project. It’s the first time, apparently, he’d ever lived anywhere other than Manchester, and represents Elbow’s first song about a city other than their home. It’s a marvellous rendition of everything New York, which he describes as the “modern Rome and folks are nice to Yoko”.

As we hit the album’s midpoint, it becomes clear that relationships have played their part in this record. Garvey split from his decade-long romance with author Emma Jane Unsworth in the process of Elbow writing The Take Off And Landing Of Everything. Dedication to that task proved too much for them both to bear. But there remain lighter moments on the record. Honey Sun starts after what sounds like a laughter-filled outtake from the studio before hitting a somewhat surprising electronic feel, and My Sad Captains is a beautiful little tale of how spending a night in conversation with a couple of pals has become infinitely better than staggering around the streets across a weekend with 15 of your “best” mates, learning nothing. “Another sunrise with my sad captains, with whom I choose to lose my mind, and if it’s so we only pass this way but once, what a perfect waste of time.”

Colour Fields brings back the electronic beats of Honey Sun, a driving backbone that is perfect for the tale it tells of a “bright girl” from a “dead town”, whom he thinks should skip that destination for a better place.

The title track of the album is something of a summary of the band’s life events, and the album as a whole, while closing track The Blanket Of Night tucks us all in nicely with its bluesy, jazzy undertones.

The Take Off And Landing Of Everything is probably not Elbow’s best album, and it has no moments of cloud-bursting triumph like those of One Day Like This or even Newborn from back in the day, but it does stick like glue to the mind, and allows an escape route from the mundane music that pollutes our radio airwaves, and for that, we can be truly grateful.

Light+Shade’s 2013 in review

Another year is behind us. Yikes, how old are we all again? Who cares? It’s time to look back on the past 12 months and reminisce about the things in music that enriched my year. So, in no particular order, here we go.

Album Of The Year: Daft Punk – Random Access Memories
There were a lot of good records released in 2013, but only one truly shone out for me. Daft Punk’s Random Access Memories hit us on 17 May, bizarrely in the sleepy town of Wee Waa in country New South Wales, Australia. After much hype and leaks of the first single, Get Lucky, we all ultimately got lucky when the full record was revealed. It is arguably the French duo’s finest compendium. A collection of superb collaborators, from Nile Rodgers to Pharrell Williams and then some, ensured the musicianship on the record was second to none and as record production goes, you’ll do well to find something better. I reviewed the record after several listens here. I’m still as passionate about it today as I was then, and with every listen it just get better.

Daft Punk: Radom Access Memories.

There were some other close contenders for this prize. David Bowie‘s The Next Day was an awesome surprise, The Naked And Famous released its second album, In Rolling Waves, which marked the Kiwis up as a truly fine act, and The Joy Formidable also let loose an absolute belter in Wolf’s Law. New discoveries were made, London Grammar among the best of them for me with the release of its debut If You Wait. HAIM also woke up the world after a year on the road. The Californian sisters released Days Are Gone, and Lorde – aka Ella Yelich-O’Connor – also enchanted us with Pure Heroine. Justin Vernon’s side project Volcano Choir also had something really special in its first release Repave, and Arcade Fire, certainly didn’t disappoint with Reflektor, its first release since The Suburbs. Yet again, Sigur Rós produced some musical magic with its latest, Kveikur. Pearl Jam‘s Lightning Bolt struck a home run, too.

For all the great releases, and sadly I haven’t heard them all, there were some howlers that assaulted my ears, perhaps most notably The Weight Of Your Love, from Editors, which was a gargantuan disappointment. Trent Reznor got Nine Inch Nails back on the rails and came up with Hesitation Marks, which probably never should have left the departure lounge. Perhaps most strange was that it was released in a year when he and his wife, Mariqueen Maandig, produced a great debut album in Welcome Oblivion for their side project How To Destroy Angels. At least the year wasn’t a complete steaming dump for him, I suppose. Who knows what horrors were released to the commercial radio stations around the world? This is not a place for the Smileys and Bliebers of this world.. I also didn’t feel the need to rate Kanye West‘s new album highly either, unlike pretty much every music journo on the planet.

Despite these and many more duds, Daft Punk saved us all. Merci to them.

Top 5 Songs Of The Year
1. Edward Sharpe And The Magnetic Zeroes – This Life
A song of unrivalled beauty and sadness. It’s tough lyrically, as honest as anything you’ll ever hear not just this year but in any year. It’s absolutely magnificent in every way, but don’t listen to it if you’re feeling suicidal.

2. Ásgeir – Lupin Intrigue
The artist formerly known as Ásgeir Trausti has dropped the surname, but maintained his unbridled talent to both write songs and also deliver them with complete purity. A true genius, who is unlikely to make waves worldwide because Iceland is so tragically isolated. He is easily the best male singer-songwriter I’ve heard in decades, and any of his songs could have made this list. And the crazy thing – he’s still only 21 years old.

3. The Naked And Famous – I Kill Giants
Another song of sadness, but so often the best ones are. Singer Alisa Xayalith felt compelled to write about losing her mother to breast cancer, and her terrible loss has most certainly been our gain with this track.

4. NONONO – Pumpin Blood
Pop comes in many forms, and in this case it was a form you couldn’t put down. Damn right, the “whole wide world is whistling”.

5. LORDE – Royals
Like Ásgeir, for someone so young, Ella Yelich-O’Connor has a serious sense of feel in her teenage voice. Royals took the world by storm, and with good reason: it’s a cracking, catchy track we could all empathise with, and delivered by a cracking young lady.

Music video of the year: FIDLAR – Cocaine
Watch Nick Offerman in one of his best performances, doing what we’d all do if we got fired via a text message on an iPhone 3. Yeh, get smashed, and piss all over the world. I don’t think it’s his dick in the video, by the way, but you certainly get the idea.

Honourable mentions in this category must go to David Bowie The Stars (Are Out Tonight), for its androgynous class and for featuring the wonderful Tilda Swinton, Yeah Yeah Yeahs Mosquito, for its grotesque realism, Ciara’s Body Party just for its sheer sexiness and allowing us watch her cavort around in lingerie and heels for a few minutes, and FKA Twigs Water Me, for bringing a whole new perspective to bobble-heads. Click the links, or look them up later if you’re interested to watch these too. Sorry, no wrecking balls or motorcycle fornication here.

Gig Of The Year: Of Monsters And Men, Enmore Theatre, Sydney
Arguably Iceland’s greatest export of the past 18 months, Of Monsters And Men both warmed and stole every heart at Sydney’s Enmore Theatre on a chilly July evening. Delivering songs from their outstanding 2012 album My Head Is An Animal, it was impossible not to smile throughout this show, not least when the snow machines started blowing white flakes across a beer-soaked dance floor. A night of wonder and joy.

http://instagram.com/p/cWe7iYHA73

Honourable mentions on the live scene in 2013, which was a relatively quiet one for me, should also go to Norah Jones‘s breathtaking State Theatre tilt, YACHT‘s energy-packed show at Oxford Art Factory and Saskwatch‘s sensationally soulful and sexy gig at the same venue. Oh, and alt-J, which was faultless at The Metro Theatre, too.

And Finally …
A really Happy New Year to you all, especially those of you that have regularly read my ramblings throughout 2013. It’s been a fun year, and you’ve all humbled me by tuning in when you’ve found time. I’m going to get busier here in 2014, so look out for an explosion of music and more at Light+Shade in 2014.

REVIEW: HAIM – Days Are Gone

 

HAIM – Days Are Gone cover.

HAIM is a band I’ve been following for some time, as regular readers would know. It was back in July 2012 that Light+Shade first posted about the Californian sister act, highlighting their great track Better Off. Since then, the band has been picked up by the mainstream and bounced around on tours across the globe. I saw them in Iceland and  Australia, and they have played in many other places in between, including some giant festivals. The girls won the prestigious BBC Sound of 2013 award as well, and are currently touring with French legends Phoenix, and all of this without an album release to be listened to by an ever-growing and adoring fanbase.

But now those album-less days are over. Or should that be Days Are Gone, reflective of the band’s debut album title? It’s been a long time coming. The question is, has it been worth the wait.

With the world being what it is, many of the tracks on Days Are Gone have already been heard. What that means is that fans will find few surprises when they take a listen. All the crowd favourites are there – Falling, Forever, The Wire, Honey And I, Don’t Save Me, Let Me Go – but there are a couple of tracks I’d not heard before.

If I Could Change Your Mind is one of those, It carries the hallmarks of the other tracks. There is something “disco” about a number of the tracks on the album, and this is no exception. The funk guitar of Danielle pops through behind her vocals. The pop drums and keys are a delight in the chorus, and it all works well, with the familiar lyrical angst a young girl can muster.

The title track, sadly, is a disappointment and probably the weakest of the collection. Vocally, it’s poor from the outset, and as a whole, the track is somewhat predictable in its composition and lacks energy or feel. Lyrically, it’s OK, but certainly not as strong as all the other tracks around it. It feels almost like another band, yet it’s the title track. A curious choice.

In contrast My Song 5 is one of the stronger tracks. It’s got a gritty hip-hop feel, and is really unusual, and delightfully hard to follow. I can’t imagine it will get many runs live, but the moody guitar solo and outro would be an excellent addition to any live set, I reckon.

And therein lies the conundrum with HAIM. Recorded, they’re a bright little bunch, with pop sensibilities and a clear sense of fun if lacking a little edge. But live, they’re a completely different proposition. They’re tougher, rockier, harder edged, with a heavyweight punch. They play hard on stage, and give their all. They crank everything, they’re messy at times, but always great to watch. Dash Hutton is a fantastic drummer, with terrific feel and groove, and as band’s go, they always deliver a super performance that energises their audiences.

But somehow, that’s all been lost in the studio.

Let Me Go is as close to the live delivery I’ve witnessed, but even that is softened alarmingly in the production. Danielle’s guitar solo, a highlight of every show I’ve seen, is toned down massively and lacks any power whatsoever. It’s as tame as a kitten, rather than roaring like a lion as it does live. It’s a crying shame, and a real missed opportunity. Pumping up the headphones didn’t even save it for me. The closer, Running If You Call My Name, is undoubtedly the best produced track on the record, along with Don’t Save Me. They suit the softer style perfectly, but what’s been missed is that other tracks don’t. It’s strange that HAIM’s live performances didn’t hint at that for those that recorded and produced Days Are Gone.

The poppy tunes work better in the studio, but I hope for their next release HAIM finds a different producer, one who’s prepared to let the loose nature of their talents shine through. The only sour point of this release is that while the girls have some terrific songs here, dripping with emotion and stories of the trials a tribulations that girls of their age all go through, it’s all watered down on the finished product. A bit or a kick in the guts after the clear effort that has been put into the song-writing and performance,

But don’t get me wrong. This is a great debut. That much is clear from the way the drip feed of tracks has been received positively across the world. The girls will only get stronger, and it’ll be exciting to follow them into what is shaping up as a very bright future.

You can listen to Days Are Gone in its entirety on NPR ahead of its release on 30 September.