Reviews

Weekly Reviews For January 8, 2006

Review Index

I am Managing Editor at Metal4Life

I also contribute reviews to getreadytorock

I am also featured reviewer at spacerock.co.uk

The Rocker
New releases from;
Spaceseed
Dave Dill
Rick Ray Band
And many more....

I was Editor & reviewer at MetalUK.

Free Ipod

New Reviews

Mon Electric Bijou – Bullets In The Penguin

Album number 3 from Canadians Mon Electric Bijou. We liked both of the predecessors, “If Blood Could Speak” and “Songs Made From Plastic” praising Martin Saz (who is MEB) for transcendeng the lo-fi genre he inhabits.

Things haven't changed that much, although the sound has shifted slightly sideways from Dinosaur Jr into more Low territory. They're also starting to dip their toes into the world of alternative country, previously mapped out by the likes of Giant Sand, which is what ultimately happens to any band worth their salt, and is most definitely a good thing.

The most obvious number of that ilk is the delightful "El Shoeless Messiah", the album highlight, closely followed by the marvellous guitar sound of “Surveillance Camera”. It's an album that sees MEB in transition and one that consistently throws up new pleasures.

Hard-Fi - Cash Machine


Now I wasn't too impressed by the first few Hard-Fi tracks I heard, but this is a real peach. I missed it first time round (hey - I get 30 new releases a week for review, so don;t have time for random listening), but this timely reissue gets me up to speed.

Over a Specials type backing track, with obligatory new wave jerky guitar lines, Richard Archer tells a a bleak tale of life on the margins for the disenfranchised. If, like me, you missed this first time around, get on board now (but no jumping the barrier!).

Quireboys - Tears In Heaven

Why??????????????????????

Well I know why - it's all for charidee. But covering the most mawkish track of all time. That's taking the piss. Not even the Quireboys can save this song from being thoroughly reprehensible.

Praise be then for their other choices of covers. First up is one of Slades finest bittersweet tracks - "Everyday" - perfectly suited for Spikes drawl, with a beatific piano part, they've done justice to a fine, fine song. But then it's the real ace in the pack with a semi acoustic trundle through the Frankie Miller classic "When I'm Away From You". If you've never heard the original, then shame on you! Rush off and buy a copy of his "Falling In Love" album immediately.

But back to the Quireboys who are perfectly suited to the song, spinning it just enough to make a difference, but not so far as to render it impotent. It's for a good cause, so go get some.

Enya - Amarantine

If you've got one Enya CD, why would you ever need another one?

I mean this is lovely, Enya is lovely, the world should be lovely, and we should all be lovely, but it does sound much like any other Enya song.

So, if you are one of the 3 people in the world who hasn't heard an Enya song, this is as good a place to start as any. If you are one of the millions of ever so slightly peculiar Enya devotees, then you will love this, as you do her and her music. The rest of us will probably shrug slightly and get on with our mundane, castle free lives.

Katie Melua - I Cried for You

Somebody else who is lovely, Katie almost falls into the same category as Enya when it comes to releasing the same record. But the voice is liquid velvet, she's lovely to look at, and has a slightly quizzical air to her, that is quite endearing.

Only one Womble song on this single, as Katie writes the lead track herself, but it will be the cover version of "Just Like Heaven" by The Cure that will have the casual punter looking in to see what the fuss is. Amazingly enough, Katie has turned it into a Katie Melua track, quite an achievement in itself, and indicative of some talent.

Not essential, but for those times when "Reign In Blood" just won't do, good enough.