Heavy Seas of Love - Damon Albarn
Friday, 2 May 2014
Sunday, 27 April 2014
Album review: Piano Ombre - Frànçois & The Atlas Mountains
10/10
Record Label: Domino Records
After gaining widespread critical acclaim for their last album, E Volo Love, Frànçois & The Atlas Mountains have returned with a stunning follow-up in Piano Ombre. The first of their albums to be recorded with a professional producer, the album surprisingly doesn't sound too over-produced, as is often the case when musicians hand over the reigns. Instead, the raw beauty of E Volo Love remains. In fact, Piano Ombre is more paired-back than its predecessor, relying more on lead-singer, Frànçois Marry's fragile voice which expresses far more emotion than a sea of instrumentation ever could.
A group combining musicians from both sides of the Channel, the album has a mixture of French and English lyrics. Surprisingly, this isn't particularly common, as bands trying to break into British or American markets often feel the need to sing completely in English. I was once contacted by a Cuban singer asking for feedback on his music - the americanised style of singing didn't suit the beautifully rich Cuban accent he already possessed; his own language would have utterly transformed his music for the better. In fact, singing in a foreign language can prove to be beneficial when finding a niche in English-speaking countries - to see how, one need only look at the successes of Sigur Rós and Amadou et Mariam in recent years. Refreshingly, the majority of the songs on Piano Ombre are in French. The lilting lyrics add to the sublime majesty of the music; even if not fluent in French, it can be particularly meditative focusing completely on the sounds of the words and how they fit with the flow of instrumentation. However, even when singing in English, the subtleties of Marry's voice are not lost. It's a testament to his talent as a musician that the transition from French to English is effortless. There's something distinctly French about the minimalism of his music which at the same time is so emotive. Although instrumentally simple, the melodies are consistently strong throughout the entire album.
The album opens with 'Bois'. Translating as 'wood', the song evokes the starkness of being alone, surrounded by trees, with an expansive sound and haunting vocals. The instrumentation gradually swells, with electronic sounds being added, the grungier of these effects almost making it sound a bit alien, whilst saxophones lend it a jazzy quality. It's an interesting new sound for the band, that works beautifully as an opener, and is heightened by its contrast with the following track. 'La Verite' is the most poppish of the songs on the album, and gloriously so. Recently added to the BBC6 music playlist, its vibrancy suits radio play and its refrain of 'la verité, en verité, en verité, la verité, tu ne la connais pas' is infectiously catchy.
'La Fille aux Cheveux De Soie' pays homage to Debussy's piece 'La Fille aux Cheveux de Lin', and although it's probably not often that Frànçois & The Atlas Mountains are compared to early 19th century impressionist composers, there are subtle parallels between the two in terms of their sound - the glittering, sensuous piano in 'La Fille aux Cheveux de Soie' is vaguely reminiscent of Debussy's oeuvre. 'Summer of a Heart' features the afro-beats that were so prevalent in E Volo Love, but the song as a whole has a hazy quality, perfect for the coming summer months, whilst the album's title track is wonderfully melancholic with echoing vocals making for an ethereal sound.
The serenity of Piano Ombre shows a development in their sound as it has matured. It's an exquisite album, thoughtfully produced to perfection. Although E Volo Love was an equally wonderful album, the band have mellowed their sound since then, and the new style suits them well. With tour dates across Europe over the next few months, Frànçois & The Atlas Mountains' mellow pop is set to soundtrack the summer.
Thursday, 17 April 2014
Sunday, 9 March 2014
Album review: Young Animal Hearts - Spring Offensive
9/10
The long-awaited debut album from Oxford's Spring Offensive will be released tomorrow (10th March) and although it's been a long time coming, it's certainly worth the wait. Having been recommended by fellow Oxford musicians Stornoway in an interview with NotAnotherRainySunday in 2011, Spring Offensive are only just releasing their first full-length record, demonstrating the meticulous preparation that has gone into making it.
The album opens with the darkly beautiful 'Not Drowning But Waving', with the lyrics focusing on a man's guilt of letting someone drown. Frontman, Lucas Whitworth, sings "a freezing mist comes rolling in. I will be blamed for this one", the stark lyrics perfectly fitting with the richness of haunting four-part harmonies. A clever take on Stevie Smith's poem 'Not Waving But Drowning', Spring Offensive are a poetic bunch - the band name is taken from the Wilfred Owen poem of the same name. Their songs follow great narratives, and refreshingly are not always about love. 'Hengelo' is a case in point, written about 'Forest Boy', a mysterious young man who appeared in Berlin alone, claiming to have lived in the forest for five years.
'Bodylifting' has a distinctive Spring Offensive feel to it, with sumptuous vocal harmonies mixed with grungy guitars. The song is a popular favourite on the album, gaining itself airtime on Radio 1 last week. The beauty of Spring Offensive's music is that songs like the punchy 'Bodylifting' can appear on the same album as songs with sweeter melodies like 'Carrier', showcasing the band's range in styles. Despite the gentler sounds of 'Carrier', the lyrics still retain a seductive melancholia that arches over the majority of the band's music, with Whitworth singing, "it works like a sick bug, I'm not feeling myself, it makes me curl up, it makes me wish I was dead".
It's hard to fit Spring Offensive into an exact genre, but perhaps this is a blessing for the band. Their music is a unique mix of guitar rock and driving drum beats, without losing the elegance of simple and catchy melodies and vocal harmonies. With the album funded completely through crowd-sourcing, it's clear that the band's fanbase is rapidly growing, and it's no surprise why. Young Animal Hearts is a triumph with each song proving equally as thought-provoking as the previous. Spring Offensive not only make clever music, but music that can survive listen after listen without ever growing old. Be prepared to have to this album stuck on repeat.
Head to Oxford's Truck Store at 6pm tomorrow where Spring Offensive will be playing to celebrate the release of Young Animal Hearts.
Read NotAnotherRainySunday's interview with Spring Offensive back in 2012.
Thursday, 27 February 2014
Sunday, 23 February 2014
Album review: Dialects - Snowmine
9/10
Brooklyn five-piece, Snowmine, have triumphed with the release of their new album, 'Dialects'. Recorded in a church, the tracks on the album have a fresh and expansive sound that seems very organic - the band pride themselves on the lack of borrowed samples; everything has been written and recorded by them, and it has paid off.
Across the album, the vocals are reminiscent of Vampire Weekend, but the comparisons end there, for the song are unique in their arrangements of orchestral instruments. With strings and clarinets, the sound is rich and vibrant - opening track, 'To Hold An Ocean' is added to by the sound effects of a gently lapping ocean. Each song on the album seamlessly flows into the next, meaning a unified sound spans the record.
'Columbus' is perhaps the most exciting song on the album. The melodic vocals are wonderfully contrasted with a thumping drumbeat and a jangling bassline. It's certainly a colourful track, with a lot going on. However, the various strands all fit neatly together, proving that the band are accomplished musicians. This is even more evident on 'Safety in a Open Mind', a purely instrumental track that is the perfect mix of electronic beats layered with flutes.
The album is perfectly produced, with recurring instruments providing overarching musical themes across the whole record. However, this isn't to say that the tracks are repetitive. Each individual track is a masterpiece, meaning 'Dialects' is safely one of the best albums of 2014 so far.
The album is perfectly produced, with recurring instruments providing overarching musical themes across the whole record. However, this isn't to say that the tracks are repetitive. Each individual track is a masterpiece, meaning 'Dialects' is safely one of the best albums of 2014 so far.
Monday, 17 February 2014
Sunday, 9 February 2014
Live video: Whispered Half Asleep - Toliesel
Recorded at Studio Focus, a wonderful live video for Toliesel's 'Whispered Half Asleep' has surfaced on the internet, which showcases the band's extraordinary sound. In a live setting, the song is a powerful and exhilarating listen, with rich layers of guitars and drums. A dreamy sounding introduction is a nice addition to the recorded version taken from the band's Contours EP, released last September and reviewed on NotAnotherRainySunday here.
Sunday, 2 February 2014
Thursday, 16 January 2014
Single review: Hengelo - Spring Offensive
10/10
Whilst fans eagerly await the release of Spring Offensive's debut album, Young Animal Hearts, the band have released Hengelo, a mesmerising song that manages to be both energetic and reflective - Spring Offensive's trademark. The jangling bass-line provides a fast pace to the song, but the intensity of the music is wonderfully contrasted with melancholic lyrics.
Inspired by the story of Hengelo's "Forest Boy", lead-singer, Lucas Whitworth, sings of the feeling of being lost. 'I'm at the gates, I wait in hope, frozen by the Eastern cold. I was in Berlin, I was on my own.' The lyrics are simple, and yet filled with emotion - when Whitworth sings, as much is conveyed in his voice as in the lyrics.
The song as a whole is beautifully thought-provoking, and hints at the treats to come on their album. If Hengelo is anything to go by, Young Animal Hearts should show Spring Offensive to be worthy of more attention than they currently receive.
Spring Offensive will play at the Hoxton Square Bar & Kitchen on 24th April. For more information visit http://springoffensive.co.uk/
Read NotAnotherRainySunday's interview with Spring Offensive here.
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