Reviews

Weekly Reviews For November 5, 2006

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

Girls Aloud - Something Kinda Ooooh

Can it really be the end for Girls Aloud? Will Santa be delivering one final calendar to my doormat this year? Say it isn't so. But it may well be as a pop groups 'Greatest Hits' usually means the end.

If so, this isn't as good a final hurrah as I would have wished for. Granted the team behind their recent material has managed to come up with the most ridiculously inane lyrics yet, something I thought they would find hard to do. But they've managed to graft them on to a briefly invigorating tune that, sadly, pales after a few plays.

But if you buy the luxury edition of this single you're still in for a real treat. Not only do you get the single, you get a cracking house remix, the video, a karaoke video, the brilliant theme tune to their reality TV show 'Models', which really should have been the single, and a hits megamix!

If that wasn't enough there's even a set of postcards for your delectation! Bargain. Now I just need the announcement of a Christmas single to keep me going.

Rihanna - We Ride


Now I like Rihanna. She's a purty little thing who can spin around in ways unknown outside the world of contortionists and can hang her hat on a bouncy little dance tune any day of the week. But the one thing we don't need from Rihanna is a ballad.

Cos she's not that good a singer. Yes, she can hold a tune but it needs something more invigorating than this generic piece of rnb from the much hyped yet overrated Stargate stable.

Rihanna we like you. But get back on the dance floor, dammit.

National Heroes - London Town

Shrouded in mystery this CD single popped through the letterbox with nothing to indicate where, why or what for. No press release, no contact info, nothing. However, a cover picture of a bunch of Victorian ne-er do wells was enough to propel it into the ceedee player.

And rather enjoyable it is too as the band mash up The Kinks, Ian Dury and Sham 69 into a poptastic indie rock tune with "la-la-las" - always a good thing. B-side, 'Melancholic Lullaby' is nearly as good but with added "oi".

T'internet suggest that they may live here

Armand and Angelina – Sacred Flute Journeys

Is there some kind of crazy assed sacred flute revival on the go that no-one told me about? 'Cause this is the second such CD that has passed my way recently. This, after a grand total of none in the preceding hunnerd years or so.

Now I'm an old cynic, born and bred in the city, so the smell of a hippy usually has me reaching for the plank of wood with the rusty nail in the end, but after a hard day at the coal face even I found this soothing. Now I can't say that I get the whole “telling of the creator's gifts in a unique and memorable way” thing. And I could do without the birdsong.

But if you are inclined in the whole namby pamby, flim flam, jibber jabber spiritual direction, then you'll find this a rare and wondrous treat.

Chris Carelli – Anthology

Subtitled 'music of the last four centuries for solo guitar', this is classical guitarist Chris Carellis take on the six major categories of Western European music.

Working backwards he begins with William Walton and Stanley Myers ('Cavatina', natch) before hitting an early (or later) peak with Debussys double of 'The Girl With The Flaxen Hair' and 'Claire de Lune'. Then its on into my favoured Romantic period (hard to believe, I know) for a couple of gems from the pen of Isaac Albeniz.

Chris heads all the way back to the Renaissance, holding your hand with a well annotated booklet, cherry picking some fabulous music and emblazoning it with this prodigious talent. If only all history records were as vital and interesting.

Jeff Merchant – Window Rolled Down


Jeff Merchant is a member of the cult fave group The Lullabies. Nope, me neither. But who cares when he can conjure up a collection of dense, orchestrated, intricate 'pop' songs as compelling as these.

By utilizing instruments not often heard in mainstream popular music he's managed to take what were already good songs and turn them into very special ones. Imagine seventies Elton John fronting Tindersticks and you might be somewhere in the vicinity of the ballpark.

Telling tales that can be universally understood, this is the kind of intelligent grown up music that gives musicians a good name. Git

Marla Singer – Levitating With…


A four piece band from Northamptonshire, sharing their name with a character from Fight Club and, wait for it, plying their trade in epic, alternative rock. Yup, another one.

I'm really starting to despair at the startling lack of originality in the UK indie rock scene. It's quite depressing because, you see, Marla Singer aren't bad. They just sound like everyone else. Loud, quiet, loud, quiet, chug, swoosh, roar. The end.

It's the sound of every student union band night across the country. 'City Of Vines', one of the tracks here, does show a sparkle of life with some interesting rhythmic ideas, but it's a flame that needs some frantic fanning.

The Hungry i – Birthday EP


Now that's more like it. Some dense, dingy and slightly grubby cinematic trip hop, courtesy of one man band Jon Stolber. If you can picture Portishead getting it on with Muse after too many cider n' blacks then you'll have an idea of what's going on here. Of course you'll have some spectacularly ugly children to go with your post traumatic stress but that's between you and your therapist.

You have to question the mindset of an agoraphobic who moves to Edinburgh. Although to be fair, that is a dirty great wilderness, complete with wildlife and extinct volcano right in the middle of town. However, you can't question the musical mastery that went into this splendid, if slightly scary, EP. Me, I liked 'Jaws Of Love' best. So there.

Luke Zimmerman – Twilight Waltz


Are you taking the piss or what? Is this Zimmerman does Zimmerman? 'Cause that's what it sounds like on opener 'If I Were Kin'. And hatred of Bob Dylan in my part of the world runs a close second to hatred of clowns. Luckily (?), the next track is a Neil Young soundalike instead.

So it's the aptly named 'New Man' before we get some of idea of what Luke Zimmerman sounds like. And it is good. Sure, it's fairly standard alt-country mixed up with some seventies electric folk, but the songs and performances are good.

Best track by far is 'Into The Blue', which is early Poco like in its delicacy, and utterly delightful.

Kate Miller-Heidke – Telegram


Where have you been all my life and will you marry me? Yes, I know Mrs Zeitgeist might object, but this is just too beautiful to simply pass through my life.

Listen up folks. You usually ignore me when I start salivating about a record, assuming I'm having another attack of hyperbole but I really, really mean it this time. You don't often hear a voice of such chiming singularity and when it's allied to some fabulous, original nu-folk / adult contemporary material as fetching as this, you have to do summat about it.

From little girl whimpers to impassioned emotions, Kate and her accomplished band have it all, something that enthralls and repels me in equal measures. Bipolar doncha know. I'm going to have to invent an award of some kind, just so I can present it for this. Just this once, believe me.

Beathe Keyler – Come On Home


Now this is a very special album. As it should be. After all, how many soul influenced folk rock albums are the result of an impressionable 19 year old seeing Pink Floyd live and then buying her first guitar. In Norway. That's right. One.

It's taken a few years for Beathe to put out her debut album but you can feel a life lived in her voice and in her songs. With the exception of the lamentable 'Too Much Coffee', this is an exceptional album of love, yearning, hope and regret. And that is why God invented the skip button.

Like K T Tunstalls big sister or Rory Blocks little sister, the music of Bethe Keyler just draws you in, ensnares you and doesn't let you go. Key tracks – 'The Days With You' and 'Every Hour Every Day'.

Tiffany Costa - The Singles


17 year old singer / songwriter Tiffany Costa has already got one CD to her credit and now off the back of winning the Canadian "Future Stars" competition has released this four track EP.

"Your Girl" is a fairly generic pop dance tune with nothing to make it stand out from the crowd. It actually works better as a ballad when the dodgy remix is removed anr you can hear what a good voice Tiffany has.

The self penned "I Wanna Be Me" is actually quite endearing and serves to remind that she's still a wee girl. "Friend Of Mine" finishes things off with some more dodgy percussion but has a theme the little girls will understand. There's no doubt the girl can sing but she needs some stronger material.