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PLAYING OUT LOUD!
REVIEWS
Gig Reviews -
CD Reviews
Gig Reviews
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LARMER TREE FESTIVAL, CRANBORNE CHASE -
JULY 12 - 16
 How
do James and Julia do it? As well as producing the best festival in the South
year after year, they also seem to be able to control the weather. This was my
ninth Larmer Tree, and as usual the sun shone every day as a variety of
top-class acts performed on the various stages. Around 60 acts in all, and we
caught as many as we could over Friday, Saturday and Sunday, which involved a
lot of dashing about between the main stage, the Big Top and the Larmer Cafe.
The stand-outs for me included the mighty This Is Seb Clarke,
fronted by the very Lennonish Seb on guitar and vocals, with a terrific brass
section in slick suits
 whose
choreographed moves added to the dynamics of their act. A terrific slice of
soul, which got people up and dancing on the Larmer lawns.
Martin Harley was a man who I had heard a lot about - a slide
bluesman with a nice, raspy voice and some great material. The crowd loved him
as they did Aussie bluesman Stringbark McDowell, whose humorous but authentic
blues was well-received by an enthusiastic crowd.
Nuala and The Alchemy Quartet were another act who grabbed the
attention.
 Australian
Nuala displayed a great personality and some well-crafted songs. Invited back
after a great set which I missed last year, Nuala charmed the sunbathing crowd
with great humour. The great Martyn Joseph played an unforgettable set on the
Cafe stage. I was surprised he wasn’t playing the main stage, but the more
intimate setting of the Cafe proved ideal, with the Welshman putting in a
typically committed performance. One of the few genuine protest singers around,
Martyn had a few people in tears during one of his best songs “The Good In Me Is
Dead” (for the dead and the refugees) receiving a terrific ovation at the end of
a compelling set. Two very different bands, Bellowhead and Betika, also
impressed. Bellowhead’s mix of traditional folk and brass band sounds was highly
original, and their songs of piracy, prostitution and the like had the crowd
entranced. Betika added a touch of humour to the proceedings with their short
and sweet songs. Reminiscent of Prefab Sprout and The Beautiful South, they
filled in for a late-arriving band with an impromptu set on the main stage, and
they were brilliant.
Too many bands to mention in detail, but the Larmer Tree isn’t
just about music, it’s about atmosphere, friendship, drinking, food and much
more. Street theatre, crafts, the entertaining Strawberry The Clown, the distant
sound of peacocks shrieking, and of course the children’s procession on the
final afternoon, all added up to what would
be the highspot of the year for many people.
We didn’t camp at the festival, but stayed in the comfortable
surroundings of Cashmoor House, a farmhouse B&B just down the road and we can
heartily recommend it to anyone planning to visit next year’s festival!
 
CD Reviews
(top)
Neil Young. Living With War.
 Reprise. Running time: 41:52
Neil Young apparently recorded the nine original songs on this album in just
six days, writing four of them on the day he cut them. Not surprisingly then,
the album has a rather rough-and-ready feel. On all the tracks Neil accuses
George Bush and his administration of lying, spying, waging war without right
or reason and dereliction of duty to the nation's
ideals.
"Let's Impeach the President," sums up the mood of the album with
a hundred-strong choir and the voice of Bush himself. Neil’s voice sounds
more strangled than ever and there’s a very gospelly, repetitive feel to many of
the tracks. Young's strangled. Standouts include “Shock And Awe” which
features trumpeter Tom Bray playing a plaintive solo for the dead against a
shuddering guitar and the clash of drummer Chad Cromwell's cymbals. The closing
"America the Beautiful" offers a note of hope on an album which, to me, was
not the masterpiece some critics have welcomed, but one well worth a listen.
James Morrison. Undiscovered.
 Polydor.
Running time: 47:29
As I write this review, a tardy three weeks after first hearing it, this
album stands at No 1 in the UK charts after a barrage of newspaper and media
coverage. Morrison’s voice has been likened to Stevie Wonder and Rod Stewart,
and
it’s certainly drenched with soul. And it doesn’t sound forced, with slick
arrangements making it very listenable. But the only test of an apparently
blazing new talent is live performance, and I reserve judgement on whether
Morrison is really the next big thing until I see him live. Best of the tracks
is
probably the hit single “You Give Me Something,” with the riffy “Call The
Police,” a close second. In fact there isn’t what you would call a poor track
on a very well produced album, but nor is there anything truly original here.
But the sheer quality of Morrison’s voice is what’s going to sell the album,
so if you like smooth, white-boy soul, this is for you.
SINGLES REVIEWS BY MARTIN SIRL
Rose On Water by Triniti
Frankly it's hard to see how this bunch can fail. Three Dublin girlswith
both the looks and the voices to be every bit as successful as fellow countrymen
The Corrs. It's difficult to pigeon-hole Triniti's sound, which falls somewhere
midway between Atomic Kitten and Enya, but the result is a haunting ballad that
tickles the eardrums and lingers in the back of the brain for many hours.
Indeed, the only barrier to stardom for Triniti is they might just be too good.
Too highbrow for the teenage iPod crowd? Too sugary for serious music buffs? If
Rose On Water is typical of Triniti's output then there is surely an audience
for them there if they can only find it.
Never Be Lonely by The Feeling
I can't quite put my finger on why I like The Feeling, but they do seem to have
a certain indefinable something that puts them a notch or two above most other
groups of their ilk. Following the huge success of Fill My Little World this is
another cleverly crafted pop song, equally pleasing on the ears though with more
of an obvious sixties feel to it.
Comparisons with soft rock acts like Supertramp and ELO are unfair as The
Feeling are really a Britpop band with all those nasty rough edges smoothed off.
Another huge hit will ensure that the boys from Sussex are around for a while.
Crystal Ball by Keane
Personally I think Keane do this kind of soft-rock anthem much better than those
plodding numbers like Somewhere Only We Know, which grab the attention early but
quickly become rather irritating. Crystal Ball is a highlight of the Under The
Iron Sea album and shows why 2005 was such a big year for them, and why 2006
will continue to see them consolidate that success. Lyrically and musically
clever and with that blend of piano and strings that is so unmistakably
them.
2 Left Feet by The Holloways
When lead singer Alfie Jackson sings "I can't really dance, but baby won't you
dance with me?" it's obvious that there's ironic humour at work here. Built
around an infectious guitar and fiddle riff and immaculately produced by the
near legendary Langer and Winstanley team, 2 Left Feet describes in painful
detail that 'end of the evening and no-one to snog' despair that we've all felt
at one time or another. Pure pop for those with a shamelessly romantic side.
Saving Grace by Tom Petty
A 'download only' single from the former Heartbreakers frontman and it's always
pleasing to hear from a seasoned campaigner who is clearly happy where he is in
life rather than constantly trying to resurrect past glories (not mentioning any
names). Petty is reunited with fellow Travelling Wilbury Jeff Lynne for this and
Lynne's uncanny sixth sense for what makes a great pop song is clearly at work
again here, bringing out Petty's best qualities on the kind of number you only
get from a man who no longer has anything to prove and sounds like he's out to
enjoy himself.
All Night by Damian Marley
A real treat for reggae fans, although fans of his father’s music will find this
more edgy and hypnotic than the style favoured by Damian’s late father.
There is a slightly low-fi quality to All Night that evokes memories of those
Lee ‘Scratch’ Perry’s classic productions of the seventies. All in all a very
welcome touch of sunshine to put by for those chilly autumn nights.
Words Just Get In The Way by Richard Ashcroft
Radio play for this track has been a shade overdone but there’s no escaping the
fact that this is still one of the stand-out songs on an album that has heralded
a major return to form. Words is Ashcroft at his most Dylan-esque on this
oh-so-sweet ballad, aided by a classy production and neatly understated string
arrangement that for once adds to, rather than cluttering up the overall effect.
But if you like this don’t buy it – buy the album instead, which offers this and
so much more besides.
Rocky Took A Lover by Bell X1
Interesting offering from a four piece from Dublin whose original line-up
included Damien Rice. But that was then and this is now, and three albums later
this witty and deceptively catchy piece of guitar-based pop shows that the band
have developed a style that is nothing but their own, even if the lead singer
does sound a little like Justin Hayward. Definitely one to watch.
Jewels by The Imperial Vipers
Sadly, the name is the most interesting thing about this Besdfordshire-based
outfit, based on this fairly ordinary rocker. Coming in somewhere midway between
The Clash and The Darkness Jewels does little more than bludgeon the senses into
ultimate submission. It’s true that some great bands have come from some pretty
unlikely places, but if The Imperial Vipers are Dunstable’s finest then I fear
it won’t happen this time.
Can’t Walk Away by Hey Negrita
Gorgeously laid back country pop-rock by a band currently attracting rave
reviews for their We Are Catfish album. More enjoyable the more you play it,
Can’t Walk Aw ay massages the ears in a way bands like The Allman Brothers and
The Strawbs once did, albeit in very different ways. This is inoffensive in the
best sense of the word and sure to cement Hey Negrita’s reputation as one of the
brightest new bands on the circuit.
It’s Easy by Wills And The Willing
There’s a touch of the Ian Durys about this slice of fun from cockney cheeky
chappies who count Ronnie Wood’s son and Reef’s former keyboard player amongst
their number. The overall impression here is of a band playing for themselves
for the sheer fun of it, but I’m afraid that sense of fun soon fades away after
a few listens. The album, Kerbside, is garnering some good reviews so hopefully
there is better to come, but for now file this in the ‘Here today, gone
tomorrow’ category.
Elusive by Scott Matthews
The bedsit brigade will love this first single by the moody Wolverhampton-born
singer-songwriter. Intense, heartfelt, melancholy and a little depressing too,
Matthews’ music will sit nicely on the shelf alongside Tim Buckley, Nick Drake
and Ryan Adams. Splendid soul-baring music for those whose idea of a great night
in is sitting on your bed discussing philosophy over bombay mix and cheap red
wine.
Youth by Matisyahu
A reviewer’s dream, Matisyahu is a 27-year old Hasidic Jewish reggae artist,
born in Pennsylvania and raised in New York. Real name Matthew Miller, Matisyahu
has been causing almost as many waves as that other well-known MM over the last
two years, and on this evidence it’s not hard to see why. Taking the reggae
purism of Mikey Dread, the political awareness of The Clash, and chucking in a
heavy dose of Nigun (Jewish ‘voice music’), the result is a powerful and thought
provoking mix. Reggae fans who aren’t hooked straight away certainly will be by
the time they hit the dub versions, but how much of a mainstream audience there
is for Matisyahu’s music, only time will tell.
Deadwood by Dirty Pretty Things
I guess the problem bands like Dirty Pretty Things have is that there is only so
much it is possible to do within a traditional guitar/base/drum format without
jeopardising their weighty punk credentials and this limitation is exposed to
the full on what is a little more than adequate rocker far inferior to the
previous offering, Bang Bang You’re Dead. Until Carl Barat and the boys find a
little more inspiration Deadwood will do no more than keep them afloat slightly
longer before they sink.
In The Morning by Razorlight
After being Up All Night Razorlight awake to find themselves with a mediocre new
single, In The Morning. But despite the hype there’s not a lot here to suggest
that Razorlight are much more than another jobbing pop/rock band. Immaculately
performed, well produced and bound to climb high into the charts on the back of
last year’s Golden Touch. When all’s said and done this is unspectacular indie
pop of the kind already being done better by the likes of Orson.
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