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PLAYING OUT LOUD!
REVIEWS
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CD Album Reviews
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KILL HENRY SUGAR. SWING BACK AND DOWN.
 SURPRISE
TRUCK RECORDS
Anyone who hasn’t heard of Kill Henry Sugar (and I hadn’t until a couple of
weeks ago) pin back your ears. If you like real acoustic Americana in
minimalistic style, then you are going to love this album. I certainly did from
the opening “Where The Roads End” to the closing “Kill That Guy.”
Kill Henry Sugar is actually the dobro and drum duo Erik Della Penna and Dean
Sharenow, originally session musicians who have toured with the likes of Joan
Osborne and Natalie Merchant. As Kill Henry Sugar, they produce quirky, highly
original and melodic music. And, as the album was recorded in Erik’s Gran’s
Bronx basement, there is a really direct, live feel to the album. Special guests
Mick Rossi on harmonium, Mike Duclos on upright bass and Andrew Sterman on sax
help out on some of the tracks without spoiling the essentially stripped-back
style of Kill Henry Sugar. A great album, full of mood changes, interesting
lyrics and haunting melodies – in fact I don’t think I’ve heard a better album
in the whole of 2007! You can order it through
www.killhenrysugar.com
and you can also see the band at The Railway Inn, Winchester, Hampshire on
Thursday, January 17.
CHRISTMAS ROUND OURS, STATE OF UNDRESS
ROSEBUD RECORDS 2007
First off, I have to admit I am not a big fan of Christmas music. But, strangely
enough, I quite enjoyed this offering from a Dorset 6-piece whose energetic gigs
have made them a lot of friends over the last few years. The EP contains the
title track and an extended mix of the same, plus 3 more tracks, all with a
Yuletide flavour. The title track is a fun party-style song, and although a bit
repetitious, it is great fun. State Of Undress then have an audacious stab at
probably my favourite Christmas song, “A Fair Tale of New York” by The Pogues
which is currently back in the charts. And I’m happy to say that it comes off,
thanks mainly to the spirited vocals of Charlie and Alan Rose. Charlie then
gives a sensitive rendition of the poem, “The Christmas Truce” which leads into
“Silent Night.” This is followed by a nice folk track, “Take Me To The Leader”
before an upbeat reprise of the title track. Overall, a very successful
Christmas record which really has that special seasonal feel – good vocals and
instrumentals, and an ideal party record. If you have any trouble obtaining the
CD, go to
www.stateofundress.com .
CD Single Reviews
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BY MARTIN SIRL
Chateau / The Cuckoo & The Stolen Heart
by The Brute Chorus
Refreshingly unusual sound from West London-based foursome. A kind of White
Stripes meets Zutons with a distinctly folky side to it. It’s ramshackle and
shambolic but with a certain low budget charm, and the melodies are catchy
enough to linger in the subconscious for quite some time. Stolen Heart is the
superior track of the two here: a bitter-sweet duet vaguely reminiscent of how
The Beautiful South sounded before they went and turned all melancholy.
Young, Free And Simple by Urbnri
When a hardened Scottish jailbird teams up with a bunch of Irish musicians to
document his tough teenage years in song you might expect the result might to be
something gritty and raw. Sadly this is neither. Although Urbnri have bags of
energy Young, Free And Simple simply reminds one of nothing more than The Skids
in their heyday. If Richard Jobson and his pals were your thing then you’ll
probably like this too. But those who found that particular brand
bagpipe-flavoured punk a little hard to swallow might want to give this a wide
berth too.
Singles For Singles by Karen Bishko
Set of three bitter-sweet tales from a Notting Hill thirty-something lady
currently supporting Take That. Lush strings and a full-on production add real
substance to Run Run Run, a bitter sweet ballad of unrequited love which is as
musically clever as Tori Amos and contains lyrics that bring to mind the cutting
humour of the late Kirsty MacColl. Unfertilised, which pretty much speaks for
itself, is more quirky but equally satisfying while Tinker Boy, a neat piece of
soft rock rounds off this impressive offering rather nicely.
Intro EP by Paul Hourican
Life has a way of surprising you and, like an Irish Richard Hawley,
Paul Hourican has a superb voice and a gift for a melody that just begs for
repeating listens. This EP is an odd mix of love songs, Celtic-tinged anthems
and irreverent drinking songs but Hourican is equally at home on all of them.
The guy is clearly a huge talent and if he isn’t attracting major attention by
the end of the year then I’ll eat me little leprechaun hat.
Beautiful Burnout by Underworld
In many ways it’s as though they were never away, but for me this lacks some of
the energy of Underworld’s seminal nineties work. Stylish and trance-inducing
this may be, but it takes the Mark Knight remixes to drag Beautiful Burnout
kicking and screaming into the current millennium. Fans are bound to find this
moving and wonderful. Others might view it more as the dying throes of a
once-mighty beast. Make your own minds up.
You Talk by Babyshambles
I always look forward to Babyshambles singles and this doesn’t disappoint. Not
quite in the same league as last year’s wonderful Delivery, and less polished
than the album version, but with the same lazy vocals and addictive chorus that
have made Babyshambles sound so distinctive. Good on first hearing and getting
better with every play, You Talk is pure pop at it’s simple and wonderful best.
Blossoms In The Street by Wallis Bird
Learning to play guitar then forming a band after losing all the fingers on one
hand as a child is impressive form for sure. Sadly this song is less inspiring
than the story behind it. Little more than sub-KT Tunstall musical doodling from
a young Irish girl who has a fine voice but currently lacks the strength of
material to back it up. As ear candy this is nice, but has about as much staying
power as a terminally depressed mayfly.
Veni Vidi Vici by Black Lips
Reports of their live shows suggest that Black Lips are an outrageous bunch,
though apparently not too controversial to be selected as the soundtrack to a
Tesco commercial. I can believe this might work in a TV ad, but as pure audio
it’s all too lifeless and depressing. Lead singer Cole Alexander might sing of
coming, seeing and conquering but actually sounds like someone without the
stamina to conquer much more than a bottle of Aspirin. Add a backing that sounds
like garage band music played at half speed and the whole thing adds up to a
pretty depressing few minutes. All in all best avoided.
Two Eyes by Daler Mehudi (featuring The Wolfmen)
You might be surprised to hear that Daler Mehudi has already sold over 20
million albums worldwide, though perhaps not quite so astonished when you learn
that the man is a massive star in his home nation of India. Taken from the
hotly-tipped Thieves and Liars album, Two Eyes is produced by former Adam’s Ants
The Wolfmen and is an interesting punk-bhangra hybrid on which Mehudi half
sings, half chants over a driving guitar backing, infused with flutes for that
touch of Eastern charm. The whole things works perfectly and is the kind of
track you can play over and over again and still find something new: a rarity
indeed.
Oh My Gosh by Man Like Me
The music of 21-year old Londoner Jonny Langer is tricky, downmarket and
streetwise; a kind of synthed-up version of The Streets. And while Oh My Gosh is
different enough to raise an eyebrow or two it is ultimately found to be a
rather hollow offering. Langer’s lyrics are annoying more than they are engaging
and all the knob-twiddling in the world isn’t going to compensate for the
complete absence of a decent tune. Credit to the man for trying, but all in all
this falls desperately short of the mark on both content and charm.
When I Wake by The Changes
Fans of Aztec Camera will love this slice of indie pop from Chicago’s The
Changes for Darren Spitzer’s vocals are a dead ringer for Roddy Frame’s crystal
tones. Not that this is the only thing the two bands have in common: When I Wake
demonstrates a gift for spotting a good tune at twenty paces that’s sadly
lacking in many of today’s up and coming artists. Neatly produced and with a
chorus to die for this is much more than the eighties throwback it might first
appear and is bound to make many a critic sit up and take note.
Hey Now Now by The Cloud Room
If you think you’ve heard this before then you probably have. Hey Now Now has
already been used in a TV commercial for Pepsi (featuring no less than
Ronaldinho) and it’s easy to see why it was chosen for such an important
campaign. A pulsing bass line, Velvets-style guitars and J Stuart’s unique vocal
style merge to produce what could easily be one of the best singles of the year,
and one can’t help but suspect that there’s more to come from a band whose name
is rapidly becoming one of Brooklyn’s hottest buzzwords.
Open Your Eyes by U.S.E.
If Wikipedia is to be trusted then U.S.E. stands for United State of Electronica:
a Seattle-based dance/rock band formed in 2002. U.S.E. are actually the four
members of the group Wonderful (not that I’m any the wiser) augmented by a
bassist and a couple of singers. The sum of all the parts is a multi-textured
disco-rock act who make music that’s perfect for the party season. Owing more
than a little to Daft Punk’s One More Time, Open Your Eyes is joyful, camp and
pretty much guaranteed to get some part of you moving, whether it’s your
fingers, toes or, judging by some of U.S.E.’s live reviews, your whole darn
body.
Cecilie by The Wolfmen
For a band fronted by former Adam & The Ants members Marco Pirroni and Chris
Constantinou this is a surprisingly subtle effort. The song itself is moody and
cleverly crafted. Constantinou’s vocals possess a breathy European quality which
brings to mind the Berlin-influenced new romantics of the eighties, while the
introduction of flutes on the song’s chorus adds an unexpected air of sixties
psychedelia to proceedings. The overall effect is one of a dark but rather
beautiful love song which suggests that yes, there is life after being the podgy
one in a hit seventies punk band.
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STEVE EARLE
THE ANVIL, BASINGSTOKE FRIDAY JAN 25
CAROLYN MARK VARIOUS GIGS THROUGHOUT JAN
KILL HENRY SUGAR THE RAILWAY INN,
WINCHESTER, THURS JAN 17
NOUVELLE VAGUE THE BROOK, SOUTHAMPTON,
THURSDAY, JAN 31
LIMEHOUSE JAZZ
CONCORDE CLUB, EASTLEIGH, SUNDAY, JAN 27
BRITISH SEA POWER WEDGEWOOD ROOMS,
PORTSMOUTH, MONDAY, JAN 21 |
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