4 new albums from Bristol bands… reviewed
A sizzling summer season and a few heat releases from the West Nation, Elfyn Griffith bends an ear…
Silenzio and the Night time‘s frontman Keith Bailey is a veteran of the Bristol indie scene and brings his expertise to the fore in his present band’s debut album The Harmonic Pull, launched in Might on bandcamp silenziomusic.bandcamp.com
That is English eccentricity and wistfulness of the Divine Comedy mould with a vocal that harks a bit to Morrissey and Hanlon within the early numbers, however with avant garde and bucolic breakouts and interludes. Shades of Blur/Albarn at their/his most intimate are additionally there and a hauntingly insistent violin colors all the tracks.
Pungent Pulse opens with that Smiths really feel, guitars, violin and drums fuelling it together with a moreish rhythm. The vocally vivid, slowly constructing ambiance of Calling At this time, the languid vocals and sombre temper of Lonely Island, Gone with it’s hark again to early Bowie even (lyrically and vocally) with it’s quaint pretty British theatricality. After which the primary of the three instrumentals, that are maybe an indulgence however there and type of bizarre and noirishishly atmospheric, jazzy, cinematic and moody.
Unusual is atmospheric and hypnotic, Dry Concern (Berlin Code) a minimalistic Krautrockish radio frequency doodle, after which again to the ballads, the items: All Change, very Albarn, violin and vocal poignancy, touching break-up blues, Finish Of The Day and Torn, related veins, begining plaintively and altering tones and temper, dramatically for the previous and jauntier for the latter.
Stone, Paper is sinisterly oddball and Leviathan a story of the ocean in Fall fashion. It’s an fascinating album, one which takes dangers inside its personal very outlined languid and dramatic types. As Keith says: “Movie soundtrack music has been an enormous affect on our tunes, whether or not it’s telling a narrative with the lyrics, or expressing a sure temper in a brief house of time, with (hopefully) memorable melodies, harmonies and rhythms”. Bravo!
Comply with them on: silenzioandthenight
~
Goldfinches‘ singer/songwriter and guitarist Shaun McCrindle, a former member of The Blue Aeroplanes, has been energetic in a number of bands within the metropolis plying his craft through the years. Goldfinches new album Shanti Time was additionally launched earlier this summer season. ukgoldfinches.bandcamp.com/album/shanti-time
McCrindle has the reward of the singer-songwriter with songs and tunes which might be insistently catchy and memorable, sporting their influences on their respective sleeves.
None extra so than the third observe Magical Smile – following on from the Irish-jig opener The Previous World and the poignant title observe Shanti Time, – which has sturdy echoes of Steely Dan in its really feel, construction and vocals. A deep bass and an awesome break flooding in with these acquainted rhythms…
The dramatic comic-opera of Unattainable, with double-bass participant James Anderson’s gruff outdated Bohemian vocal insert echoes Topol’s Fiddler on the Roof, whereas Queen of New York is imbued with a classically addictive underground acoustic hook which sticks within the thoughts.
The 60’s pop really feel of Bizarre Jean harks to The Coral full with a Hank Williams twanging guitar thrown in and McCrindle’s evocative and humorous lyrics (‘She took marine biology and with wholesome irony she felt herself drawn to the water…’).
The vignette of humdrum existence Detached Day and the Spanish epic, once more, 60’s groove of Improbable Creature, precedes the attractive folky bluesy Americana of The Salt Path, McCrindle joined by the fascinating feminine vocals of Freddie Bullough, and the violin and bouzouki of Paul Meager and John Slattery portray the image.
Comply with them on ukgoldfinches
~
Sufficient of vocals, as we go to The Brackish’s psych-instrumental sound and the intricate weaving of probably the most dexterous guitar patterns by, certainly, Bristol’s Mr Guitar, Neil Smith.
New album Pack it in My Liege, which will probably be launched in November on Pig Data, however I’ve had a sneak preview, is elegant musicianship verging on and dipping into heavy and prog however with the inventiveness and freedom of jazz. Constructing on and including to their 5 earlier albums, it is a sound that’s as progressive and experimental as it’s beguiling and seductive. Dwell they’re a sonic pressure, and this Lp captures that adventurous spirit.
The interplaying between Smith, different guitarist Luke Cawthra, bassist Jacob Tyghe and drummer Matt Jones is mesmerising…be ready!
Comply with them: thebrackish.co.uk
Smith’s different band (amongst many – he’s additionally guitarist with This Is The Package) Sliders debut album (simply known as Sliders), simply out additionally on pigrecords.bandcamp.com/album/sliders sees him once more doing fantastic issues, from the acid-house/jazz/ambient soundscape of Jumper, to the heady, minimalistic, Kraftwerky complexity of Kraut Crouch, the tongue-in-cheek surreal homage to the Hulk, Rhumba for Mr Hogan (simply because it says on the tin), the out-there improvements of Improv#z and eventually a novel, paired-down, bluesey becoming-ecstatically-menacing-and-dreamy, model of The Fall’s Hip Priest …
Comply with them: https://www.fb.com/profile.
So, there you’ve it, Bristol Cream in each approach….
~
Phrases by Elfyn Griffith. Elfyn tweets right here
A Plea From Louder Than Struggle
Louder Than Struggle is run by a small however devoted impartial staff, and we depend on the small sum of money we generate to maintain the positioning operating easily. Any cash we do get just isn’t lining the pockets of oligarchs or mad-cap billionaires dictating what our journalists are allowed to suppose and write, or hungry shareholders. We all know occasions are robust, and we need to proceed bringing you information on probably the most fascinating releases, the most recent gigs and anything that tickles our fancy. We aren’t pushed by revenue, simply pure enthusiasm for a scene that each one in every of us is captivated with.
To us, music and tradition are eveything, with out them, our very souls shrivel and die. We don’t cost artists for the publicity we give them and to many, what we do is totally very important. Subscribing to one in every of our paid tiers takes only a minute, and every sign-up makes a big impact, serving to to maintain the flame of impartial music burning! Please click on the button beneath to assist.
John Robb – Editor in Chief
