Reviews

Weekly Reviews For 20 November, 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

Songdog - The Time Of Summer Lightning

A band that have been slowly making a name for themselves, they've been on a couple of Uncut magazine cover CDs and had Bruce Springsteen playing a song off their last album, over the PA before his last European gigs. Si if you're under 40 and don't own a jumper best to move away now.

Now I don't know how many of you remember a Scottish band called Hobotalk who put out a stunning album a few years back but Songdogs sparse, dark and poignant songs are like Hobotalks long lost offspring. Hmm, there you go, I thought Hobotalk were dead but no, they're touring Germany.

The songs of Lyndon Morgans are everyday tales writ large, finding the remarkable in the ostensibly mundane. I'll even forgive the Beatles references [shudder] and Clash cover [anudda shudder] when songs as remarkable as 'The Republic Of Howlin' Wolf' and 'Fairytale' are my rewards for forgiveness. An album to sit in the dark and weep along to.

Ed Morales - Apple & Thorns


Well if anyone was wondering where the classic free flowing AOR of times gone by had went, then here's your answer.

The songs of Ed Morales seem routed in the troubadour tradition but with some electric arrangements and excellent harmonies, the whole is lifted up to a new level. It's also chock full of insightful and spiritual lyrics as Ed explores his Christian faith, offering up questions, answers and things to ponder.

An excellent release only slightly marred by some moments of ponderous percussion, this is a CD that opens the eyes as well as the ears.

This Unique Museum - A Collection of Short Stories

This is an interesting one. Basically a set of standard acoustic singer / songwriter fare, but tinged with ambient, borderline trip hop beats. Nice.

A man as partial to brackets as me, Ben Filton (for tis he) has come up with a handful of introspective, melancholic songs that you will be delighted to welcome into your musical family.

'Iris (The Best Part Of The Year)' and 'I Can't Find Myself In You (The Autumn Of)' are songs that the sometime godlike Mark Eitzel would clutch to his bosom. And so should you.

Magnolia - same

Taking their lead from progenitors The Jimi Hendrix Experience, Cream and Mountain, Magnolia take their name from a Blue Cheer number and live up to that standard and tradition.

'Troollbunden' recalls The Groundhogs while there is a clever little re-working of 'Crossroads' along the way. All the guitar riffing and duelling we've come to know and love is present and correct' they have a bass player you can actually hear and a good solid drummer- what more could you want?. Classic heavy blues rock from Transubstans distributed by Record Heaven. Go grab some!

Reviewed by Phil Jackson

Afterhours - Ballads For Little Hyenas

Well it's easy to understand why the proper, grown up music press have been salivating in quite embarassing fashion over this album. Minor keys, soaring vocals, squalling psych guitar solos and the presence of minor royalty in the shape of former Afghan Whig, Greg Dulli! The sales of mansize tissues must have shot through the roof in North London.

So it pains me to admit that this is actually a rather splendid release. This is their first English language release after five feted albums in their native Italy and they've got their 'big' rock all sussed out, equal parts U2, REM and Neil Young but with a dark edged undercurrent.

This album has been in the can for over two years, which smells a bit funny, but with hard work and the right push, they could easily play on a world stage. An atmospheric video for 'There's Many Ways' and some evil emteevee action and Bob is yer actual uncle.

Erik Simins - Please Do Not Disturb


There's only one Erik allowed to spell his name and that's Erik The Red. Who would, doubtless, thoroughly disapprove of Mr Simins and his free flowing, smooth r'n'b.

A Canadian soul man making a name in Australia, you can tell he's a lover from the white seemit he's wearing on the sleeve but after a lacklustre opening track the JC Chavez 'Blowin' Me Up' a-like of 'Parent's House' kicks things off big time.

He's very partial to a laid back seventies soul vibe, bigging up James Ingram in his bio, and he has the pipes and the songs to carry it off.

It's also a pleasant change to see an artists name plastered all over the writing credits instead of the factory produced mulch that permeates so much mainstream 'produkt'.

He's not quite the finished article yet but once you wrap your lugs around irresistible tunes like 'Rainy Monday' you can't doubt that Erik Simins could be absolutely massive.

Hymn Factory - Sun Of My Soul


Maybe it's just the spiritual vibe I give of, man, but there has been a substantial increase in the amount of religious music popping through my metaphorical letterbox of late. Either that, or as others have indicated, someone up there is trying to tell me something. Must have been too many Venom gigs as a boy!

Which may be the only time the originators of black metal get namechecked in a review of an album subtitled 'Treasured Hymn Verses in Modern Classical Songs'. But that's the world you enter hen you approach my psyche.

The music is the work of Patty Chung who, post 9/11, went from World Trade Centre options trader to full time hymn composer. A career chnge you don't often encounter.

And to her credit, the music seems to be utterly timeless. Allied to some classic hymnal verses, set off by a minimalist musical backing - piano, cello, violin - and topped off by the crystal clear voice of Kathryn Amotte, even an old sinner like me was moved.

Best of all is 'Jesus, These Eyes Have Never Seen', the words of which came flooding back from a childhood place long since banished.

John Foxx and Louis Gordon - From Trash


It must be quite galling for an artist to have no mark reviewers like me constantly harping on about a brief period in their musical lives from decades ago. But it's how folks like me get our jollies instead of having lives of our own. So here it comes. Ultravox. Yup, readers yet to hit puberty, John Foxx was in Ultravox when they were still vaguely interesting i.e. pre Midge.

So now that's out of the way what about his latest collaboration with Louis Gordon. Well it's amazing how what were the sounds of the future so quickly became the sound of the past. For this is firmly rooted in eighties electronica, give or take a few dance beats and the odd goth rhythm.

Which is not to say it isn't enjoyable because a lot of it is. Especially as they've done the clever thing and actually written some good songs! 'Your Kisses Burn', in particular is a dark, poppy gem, which would brighten up many a subterranean club and 'Another You' is what would have happened had Bryan Ferry been the singer in Yazoo. Really! Listen without prejudice and you could find some diamonds.