Reviews

Weekly Reviews For January 14, 2007

Review Index

I am Managing Editor at Metal4Life

I also contribute reviews to getreadytorock

I am also featured reviewer at spacerock.co.uk

I was Editor & reviewer at MetalUK.

New Reviews

Adam Tedder- It'll Be Soon / Eastern Girls

One of those ethereal, barely in existence, download only single, thingys that occupy bytes rather than space, this is one I would make an exception for. If I didn't rather smugly have a promo CD.

When I first heard these songs a couple of months back I was rather smitten. And the intervening weeks has only raised them in my estimation.

Prepare yourself to fill up as the heartrenching melody of "It'll Be Soon" kicks in. And just when you're gulping for air, the strings kick in. Git.

"Eastern Girls" takes a different approach as the schizophrenia arrives. One part Polyphonic Spree to one part indie rock, you won't know whether you're coming or going.

Alison Brown - Stolen Moments


Well it's bluegrass, Jim, but not as we know it. Yes, Alison whips her banjo out, and, yes, there's lashings of fiddle, but the arrangements are more seventies West coast rock than anything else.

It's fairly evenly split between original instrumentals and predominantely vocal covers, with tunes from the likes of Paul Simon, Jimi Hendrix and Boo Hewerdine. The vocal duties include stints from the Indigo Girls and Beth Nielsen Chapman, so there's quality galore.

Purists will, no doubt, baulk, but there is a wealth of delightful music here with the favourites round my way, "(I'm Naked And I'm) Going To Glasgow" and "Prayer Wheel".

Peter Lacey - Permanent Wave

'First Port of Call is a promising opening, an overture of sorts, setting the scene perfectly for that distinctive Lacey guitar sound. Many memorable moments follow from the tightly structured enchantingly familiar 'Book of Days' through the charming 'Miss Tere' (I was just thinking this would have made a nice replacement for some of the rather uninspiring stuff on Paul McCartney's 'Chaos and Creation'- it's very much in the Macca style) to the aptly named 'Sublime' with The Beach Boys layered harmonies and warm studio echo accompanied as always by ex Jade Warrior Jon Fielder on keyboards.

Still to come is the heavy psych rock of 'Surround Sound'. The bass and guitar treatments are pure White Album Beatles and who else would use the word 'omnibus' in a song? 'Many Moons Ago' is again pure Macca, an acoustic feast of folk inflected pop with a slightly nasal vocal delivery (evident at places throughout the album) he has made his own- a haunting commodity! 'Caravel' is a much needed 'orchestral' instrumental interlude with a cowbell led 'break', guitar in one speaker, synth in the other. Lacey is also a bit of a wordsmith as you'll hear on the lengthy 'pilgrim's progress' tale 'Peter the Chanter'.

'Lines and Squares' has a Latin Steely Dan feel while 'The Land, The Sea, The Sky' has a very 60s Bacharach vibe with some nice brass courtesy of John Williams. (The instrumental backing is completed here and there by Ralph Willey on drums). 'The Common Place' has a touch of the Stevie Wonders, an effect even more evident on 'Hey Rose'.

I've cited a lot of classy influences because Peter Lacey is a class act who soaks up influences to take the listener on a lush and lavish musical journey that never ceases to amaze.

(Reviewed by Phil Jackson for Zeitgeist)

Beangrowers - I Like You

Note to musicians; there are several ways to attract my attention. Fuzzy pictures of girls kissing, an attractive young woman telling me to take my clothes off, drugs and mixed religious symbolism are all shiny objects which will wake the bear.

Beangrowers manage them all over the two songs here, which makes me very happy. OK, it's a temporary, empty happiness, but it's all I've got.

Luckily, the songs stand up to repeat plays as the Maltese trio set about their quirky, off kilter, dark, alt-pop songs with applomb. Keep an eye out, folks.

Cristiana Castello - Be Proud

You know you're in trouble when you're half way through a song before you realise the vocals are in English. Something we will put down to Ms Castellos idiosyncratic singing style.

It's also a shame that the opening, title track is awful, thoroughly drenched in dated synth sounds. For some of the other songs on this EP have a strange charm to them.

"When You Will Come" has a certain Euro quirkiness and fascination to it, while the big ballad "Darkness" is delightful as the Italian songstress reins in her more exotic vocal nuances.

There is a talent here, albeit one that needs to be guided carefully.

Terri B and Somebody Famous - The Wonders of Modern Technology


It's nice to welcome back Alchemical Radio on the Aural Innovations website and also Somebody Famous with a collection of 'new tapes, old tapes and in between tapes'.
The opening song 'Glory' is a particularly spellbinding addition to the SF catalogue with a solid rhythm section, the usual thoughtful lyrics and some laid back sax courtesy of Sam Lennox. And of course there are the distinctive vocal talents of Terri B and guitarist Tim Jones.

'Sue' is a lovely acoustic guitar driven ballad with wind chimes providing a nice backdrop while 'A Room With A View' sounds like one of the older pieces with an early Kate Bush feel, a memorable chorus and some expressive guitar howling from Tim.

'We Just Let It Happen' continues in more serious vein with wolverine howls depicting a desperation born out of impotence in the face of social and political failure, a common enough theme in the music of Tim and Terri's other band Census of Hallucinations. 'There's A Heaven' another older song portrays for me spiritual comfort and eternal hope in times of adversity.

'Infra Red' has a Peter Gabriel intensity (Think 'Red Rain'). There's much to admire in this interesting and varied collection and a curiously jaunty 2 minute version of old C of H favourite 'Ignorance Insane' rounds off proceedings.

As always the music of Pet Hippy (Stone Premonitions as was) is well worth exploring.

(Reviewed by Phil Jackson for Zeitgeist)

French TV - Pardon My French

Now here's a bunch of proggers who've been on the go for hunners of years. Mebbe. If the sleeve notes are to be believed, at least one member has doubts as to whether they exist at all.

Back on planet normal, I'm pleased to report that this is, in places, quite stunning. I obviously had to skip over "The Pardon Our French Medley" for reasons of antipathy. Plus my patented 'sinking France' plan is at an advanced stage.

So, content yourself with "Sekala Dan Niskala", which hits heights of progressive fusion worthy of their Soft Machine influences. Or marvel at my favourite, "When The Ruff Tuff Creampuffs Take Over", where they take the diddly weedly bisquoits to remarkable levels. Essential if seventies style prog fusion is your thing.

Paul Hemmings Trio - Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (Live)

Now I can't conceive of any reason why anyone would voluntarily listen to a Beatles record, never mind performing one of their albums live. But, hey, at least it's not the actual Beatles, which can only be a good thing.

Even better, the band and their special guests, promise a 'uniquely original take' on the album. Which I'm hoping translates as 'not much like it'. And, praise be, it wasn't.

In finest jazz / jam band tradition they treat the melody as a jumping off point for a musical exploration, rather than as a tablet of stone. Yes, some tracks are relatively untouched - "She's Leaving Home" for example - even with string section. Some of you will not be surprised to learn that it's the George Harrison penned "Within You Without You" that emerges victorious, as it scuttles off to the casbah for a makeover.

It's predominately instrumental, although a vocal and ukelele enhanced "When I'm Sixty-Four" is not without its charm. This is either a very brave or very stupid venture, considering how precious devotees of the Fabu-less Four can be, especially bashing it out live. But if they can get a heretic like me hitting the repeat button, anything is possible.