A look at the latest album releases…
Be Slowly is the debut album release by B-Town breakthrough artists JAWS. It’s a majestic and confident sounding album, which is even more impressive knowing the band only formed in 2012. The album reverberates with a festival friendly indie vibe. Foals-esque guitar licks bound along accompanied by vocals, which never seems strained or out of place. Production also seems coherent; neither too clean or too lo-fi. Hopefully they will book plenty of live shows between now and the summer, in order to promote this release ahead of the festival season, where they are sure to shine brightly.
This Is All Yours is the highly anticipated follow-up to Mercury Prize-winning debut from Leeds rockers Alt-J. Intro displays maturity, taking influence from ambient, electronica, post-punk and post-rock. Track two Arrival in Nara fails to kick off however, and we are left waiting. Nara puts us in the right direction however, with a trip-hop-folk style. It’s a difficult fusion to understand, but slowly, over the duration of the album, it certainly plots out its maturity. Such a distinct and unique album as this is going to split opinions greatly. I found it awkward at times, however I could appreciate the artistic merits on offer. Personally I would give it a lower score, but for fans of the trip-hop-folk genre, this is bound to be a classic.
Slow, the opening track on Leonard Cohen‘s 13th studio album, is an appropriate introduction. Released a day after Mr Cohen‘s 80th birthday, we see the veteran crooner in a decidedly laid back style. Lyricism and melody take a more important role than in his early outings. There is something quite comforting about his whispered vocals however, which are expertly improved by backing vocals that never dominate. He does show similarities to others, with Did I Ever Love You sounding startlingly Tom Waits circa Alice (until it falls confusingly a little hoedown style). The title track shows influence from (or is it vice versa?) Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds. An impressive album that both stands strongly as an individual release, as much as it adds to Cohen’s overall legacy.
Commune is the second album by alternative band Goat. Originating from Korpilombolo, Sweden, they surround themselves in an air of mystery. Their home town, for example, is said to have a history of voodoo worship which included an entire curse on the town after it was gentrified by Christian settlers. Other rumours include the entire band are illegal immigrants, which is why they wear masks on stage. How much of this we should believe is up to interpretation. What is concrete however is their output. This album follows quite a traditional structure: 9 songs over 40 minutes. There are cliched elements to the sound, such as track 2 Words that has a 1980’s Ruggero Deodato exploitation-horror soundtrack sound to it. Their first release, World Music, received fantastic reviews. This usually adds pressure on the band to either deviate, adding more exciting new sounds, or sticking with the same tried and tested formula. Unfortunately this falls into the latter category. The vocals are familiar, proving slightly a one-trick-pony element. Where the album does stand out is on tracks such as Bondye, where the guitar is given room to go galloping over the fields, having a good old fashioned wig-out. A good album? It’s certainly not bad. As innovative and fresh as their first? Not in my opinion.
