Former Pulled Apart By Horses guitarist James Adrian Brown’s debut album is an eerie but slick series of beats, sitting somewhere between Boards Of Canada and Gold Panda. His choppy electronics are heavy but beautiful, warped yet melodic. These paradoxes make his sound interesting. Contradictions in sonics are always welcome with me. He may notContinue reading “Album Review: James Adrian Brown -Forever Neon Lights”
Tag Archives: Album review
Album Review: Scattered Purgatory- Post Purgatory
Taiwan experimental band Scattered Purgatory, the duo of Lu Li-Yang and Lu Jiachi, gleefully put genres through the mincing machine, cackling as they go. This new album, forthcoming on the excellent Guruguru Brain label, is full of glorious surprises. Essentially, they make giallo rock, deep, dark rock with saxophone cutting through drone and clattering percussion.Continue reading “Album Review: Scattered Purgatory- Post Purgatory”
Album Review: Constant Smiles- Moonflowers
Constant Smiles mine the gentle end of indie folk pop. Their warm sound is like the days of the late eighties, on the cusp of grunge, when we ordered albums by mail order and plaid shirts and vintage style was becoming fashionable. ‘Harriman,’ with lead vocals from drummer Nora Knight, evokes Yo La Tengo whenContinue reading “Album Review: Constant Smiles- Moonflowers”
Album Review: Haai- Humanise
The second album from London based electronic artist Teneil Throssell, aka HAAi, is absolutely sublime. Continuing with the gorgeous experimentation from debut Baby I’m Ascending, Humanise features friends like Jon Hopkins, Obi Franky, ILA and TRANS VOICES on the majestic ‘Satellite’. Elsewhere, we find Hot Chip’s Alexis Taylor on ‘New Euphoria’ and Kam-Bu on ‘Shapeshift’.Continue reading “Album Review: Haai- Humanise”
Album Review: Pickle Darling- Bots
Bedroom pop seems to finally be having it’s moment, so New Zealand artist Lukas Mayo, who records as Pickle Darling, can confidently sit among the likes of Jasmine 4.T and Clairo in capturing the charm of lo-fi, beautifully executed indie pop. Their fourth album may be, for the most part, hushed and delicate, but it’sContinue reading “Album Review: Pickle Darling- Bots”
Album Review: Lathe Of Heaven – Aurora
Brooklyn band Lathe Of Heaven ‘s new album Aurora soaks up postpunk influences like Killing Joke and The Cure, while retaining a metallic sheen. It’s remarkably intimate, even as it tilts skywards. Thematically it’s business as usual: drawing from sci-fi and global collapse, trying to find beauty and hope, surging ahead despite our divided andContinue reading “Album Review: Lathe Of Heaven – Aurora”
Album Reviews: Otoboke Beaver- Live At Taku Taku/Live At Fandango
What’s better than one live Otoboke Beaver album? Two live ones. The Japanese “knock out or pound cake” band are one of the world’s most exciting live acts, with fans like Dave Grohl and Jack White, and now their massive whirlwind of sound has been captured in show form. And they’re both, unsurprisingly, excellent inContinue reading “Album Reviews: Otoboke Beaver- Live At Taku Taku/Live At Fandango”
Album Review: Anna Secret Poet- I Saw This And Thought Of You
Friend of Hit The North and all -round legend Anna Secret Poet is back with arguably her most epic album to date. There’s some introspection wrapped in a piledriving anthem (‘Aimless’) a soupcon of cheeky country grunge with ricocheting guitars (‘ Old Unfaithful ‘) and the typical eccentricity we’ve come to associate with her songContinue reading “Album Review: Anna Secret Poet- I Saw This And Thought Of You”
Album Review: Debby Friday- The Starrr Of The Queen Of Life
All the best pop bangers have a yearning undercurrent: think Madonna’s ‘What It Feels Like For A Girl ‘, Robyn’s ‘Dancing On My Own’, St Etienne and ‘He’s On The Phone’. This is also true with R & B- any number of artists, from The Supremes to Solange, mine dark corners of the dancefloor toContinue reading “Album Review: Debby Friday- The Starrr Of The Queen Of Life”
Album Review: Allo Darlin’ -Bright Nights
Photo: Jorgen Nordby There’s something sweetly disarming about the new Allo Darlin’ album. It’s the way the organ comes in halfway through the bittersweet country grunge of ‘Tricky Questions’ like a warm embrace. These songs aren’t large or all-consuming, nothing elbows its way in: they take up little space. But they’re slices of life, vignettesContinue reading “Album Review: Allo Darlin’ -Bright Nights”
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