The Beatles - Revolver

In Salient - Sept 2009

It’s pretty much impossible to write about The Beatles in 2009 without sounding totally redundant, so I’m not even going to try to review this album critically. Instead, I’m just going to say why I love 1966’s Revolver, why you should too, and why it’s so important that you listen to it if you somehow already haven’t.

I love Revolver because it has my favourite Beatles song from my childhood, ‘Eleanor Rigby’. Aside from the vocal harmonies, the only Beatle present is McCartney, whose solemn vocals float above an energetic string section that gives the song a stark feeling of contrast from earlier work, and highlights Revolver as a turning point in the Beatles sound towards more serious and experimental territory. It’s also an incredibly beautiful and touching song on death and loneliness, factors that didn’t stop me belting the lyrics out at the top of my lungs in the car when it came around on 1, my only experience of the Beatles for years.

I love Revolver because it’s the first time that Lennon and McCartney give Harrison (my favourite Beatle) the space to shine as a songwriter, not just a brilliant guitarist, with three tracks written by him, one of which (‘Taxman’) is even given the coveted opening slot on the album. Labelled the ‘Quiet Beatle’, for his professionalism and shyness in public, Harrison’s songwriting skills, while initially lacking, grew exponentially as he gained confidence but were only given recognition towards the latter stages of the Beatles work. With ‘Taxman’, Harrison launches an attack at the grossly unfair British Tax system (The Beatles were, at one stage, being taxed 95% for some of their earnings), combining harshly funny lyrics with McCartney’s rollicking guitar treatment and classic Beatles harmonies. Elsewhere, ‘Love You To’ displays Harrison’s increasing fascination with Hindu culture, drenched in Sitar twang and deft use of Tabla, while ‘I Want To Tell You’ expresses the frustration of being unable to communicate one’s thoughts, emphasised by the song’s chaotic instrumentation and spiralling vocal delivery.

I love Revolver because as an album it’s so balanced. The harrowing ‘Eleanor Rigby’ is followed by the soft dreaminess of ‘I’m Only Sleeping’, and Ringo’s starring moment in the jaunty ‘Yellow Submarine’ is paired with ‘She Said She Said’, Lennon’s acid-tinged trip accompanied by Harrison’s jangly guitars and McCartney’s fuzzy harmonies. The whole album works on opposites drawn together in a way that makes them feel born together, embodied by ‘Good Day Sunshine’, a song that never fails to make me smile with the way it opens with ominous piano before exploding into a charmingly optimistic song about love, radiating happiness and reminding the listener that regardless of the new directions shown on Revolver, the Beatles are still the best in the business at upbeat pop.

Finally, I love Revolver because it showed listeners (and more importantly the Beatles themselves) how much more textured and developed their sound could become if they spent more time in the studio and played around with stuff (They spent around 300 rather than the usual 100, setting a trend for future artists). While this undoubtedly sucked for audiences in the 60’s, with the Beatles withdrawing from live performances soon after Revolver’s release, for the rest of us it was awesome, sparking a period of musical creation that produced some of the best moments in music history, with Revolver acting as a springboard into the brilliant home stretch of Beatles albums (Sgt. Peppers, ‘White Album’, Abbey Road) that revolutionised pop music. And that’s why I love it.

Simian Mobile Disco - Temporary Pleasure

In Salient - Sept 2009

If you’re Simian Mobile Disco, being a prolific remix and production team that works with a wide range of musicians has huge benefits when you come around to creating your own music. It means you can call in a wide range of awesome guest vocalists to spice up your tracks and give them recognisable vocal hooks that you can play around with. And that’s exactly what they’ve done on their second album, Temporary Pleasure, the follow-up to 2007’s underground hit, Attack Decay Sustain Release, aiming for a more mainstream audience with a collection of extremely catchy and danceable tracks that work as well in a set of headphones as on the dancefloor.

Accordingly, most of the tracks are all about the vocals. Opener ‘Cream Dream’ layers Gruff Rhys’s ultra-smooth falsetto over a simple beat and repetitive, puncturing synth chords whilst the homage to excess that is lead single ‘Audacity of Huge’ features Yeasayer’s Chris Keating delivering some of the most ludicrous/awesome lyrics this side of Anthony Kiedis (Double dutch dinosaur duplex in Dubai/ I’ll be there with my friend the Sultan of Brunei). ‘Cruel Intentions’ matches a reasonably restrained Beth Ditto with suitably dreamy house-tinged synths and accents, highlighting a definite trend of softened edges that permeates the album, with notable exception ‘Off the Map’ recalling their earlier work’s slightly edgier feel, well aided by Jamie Liddell’s dirty, charged vocals (You can be Space, I’ll be the Invader). Ford and Shaw’s ability to create relatively minimalist soundscapes that slowly build up and arrest the listener remain undiminished, although the fact that they seem less beat-oriented may disappoint those who appreciated the abrasive nature of their debut.

This doesn’t stop them from being almost unconsciously danceable though, and it’s hard to listen to more than a few seconds of any part of this album and not feel compelled to move something. The album ends on a high note, with ‘Bad Blood’ borrowing not only the vocals of Alexis Taylor but also the quirky tweaks and rhythms of his band, Hot Chip, and closer ‘Pinball’ is also the album highlight, overlapping Telepathe’s delicate and soaring vocals over a range of synths, pulsing beats and deft percussive touches that mix perfectly. While creating songs that provide an instant, gleeful rush that should please clubgoers they also stand up to repeat listens anywhere, providing pleasures that are anything but temporary. Fingers crossed their supporting tour of this brings sees them return once again to the Boiler Room for BDO ’10.

Handsome Furs - Live Review

In Salient - Sept 2009

SFBH - 26 August 2009

Dan Boeckner and Alexei Perry would make the coolest parents ever. Hailing from Montreal, the husband/wife duo make up electro punk act Handsome Furs, in Wellington at the SFBH for the first time as part of their tour for their latest album, ‘Face Control’. Gaining major respect before the gig had even started by setting up and soundchecking their own instruments, by the end of the show the Furs had the audience in the palm of their hand with their captivating mix of screeching guitars, hard-hitting beats, truly awesome stage presence and heartfelt performace.

With the majority of their set coming from ‘Face Control’, the Furs had no trouble finding backup vocals from an appreciative, fan-filled audience that eagerly joined in with Boeckner’s emotionally strained delivery of songs such as ‘I’m Confused’, ‘Evangeline’, ‘Legal Tender’ and ‘Radio Kaliningrad’. Equally appreciative of the enthusiastic support Boeckner and Perry repeatedly thanked the audience throughout the show, highlighting the colonial link between their home country and ours, where “we both have the Queen on our money, and nobody knows why”, while Boeckner endeared himself further to the audience with his boyhood tale of discovering New Zealand through Bailterspace and The Chills and dreaming of visiting here.

Handsome Furs’ music meshes together a number of opposites, mixing masculine and feminine, howling, emotive guitar licks with processed beats, and bare, tender verses that burst into loud, strong choruses, and their performance reflected this, managing to be equal parts cuteness and badassery. Boeckner’s guitar playing was violent at times, thrashing at his strings seemingly haphazardly but always finding the right notes, while Perry cued her beats and played her keys with an irrepressible energy, bouncing around the stage and dancing around her equipment in a way that transformed what could easily have been a boring task into something much more. Together they were an electrifying presence on the stage, putting on one of the least pretentious and most involved performances I’ve ever seen, with the only flaw being the set’s tantilisingly short length.

Arctic Monkeys - Humbug

In Salient - Sept 2009

Considering the ridiculous NME-driven hype surrounding the Arctic Monkeys you’d be forgiven for not realising that underneath it all they’re actually a rather brilliant band. Debut album Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not burst out of an intense internet-fuelled bootleg fan culture, wowing critics and fans alike with its acerbic tales of youth , ingeniously simple hooks and irresistible catchiness. Follow-up Favourite Worst Nightmare deftly avoided the dreaded second-album syndrome that often catches promising debut acts out by showing the bands natural evolution and strengthening of their sound and song-writing abilities, which only increased the pressure for their third album and begged the question: could they do it again, or would they finally stumble?

The answer Humbug offers is a resounding yes, but not in the way you might expect, displaying a less frenetic and more mature, relaxed approach that richly rewards repeat listens. Many of the songs don’t provide the immediate satisfaction of their previous work but instead gently simmer in the ear, slowly warming the listener to the Arctic’s darker, more textured sound. That’s not to say that their traditional elements of jangling guitars, persistent rhythms and infectious vocals aren’t present, but rather that they’re worked into a deeper, more atmospheric overall sonic feel.

Opener ‘My Propeller’ showcases this change well, layering Alex Turner’s soothing delivery of his double-entendre rich vocals over an ominous riff and tom-filled beat before bursting into a chorus refrain backed by a woozy guitar line. Dreamy ballad ‘Secret Door’ perhaps shows best the influence Turner’s foray with side project The Last Shadow Puppets has had on his songwriting, while ‘Potion Approaching’ creates a brilliant concoction of rolling toms and snares, sliding guitars and gnarled vocals which develops into a sludgy, pulsing breakdown that oozes awesomeness. Turner’s lyrics are as clever and poignant as ever, and while the endearing stories of teenage larks are largely gone, his words can still be incredibly affecting, evidenced on ‘Cornerstone’, a tale of obsessive love lost drenched with feeling. ‘Dance Little Liar’ and ‘The Jeweller’s Hands’ close the album on a layered note, displaying their increased ear for effects and subtle atmospheric touches no doubt influenced by Josh Homme’s production work and serve as examples of the Arctic’s most fully-formed, perfect songs to date, all the while sandwiching ‘Pretty Visitors’, the heaviest and most energetic song of the album, cleverly intertwining the bands origins with their new directions. While perhaps not as instantly accessible as their previous albums, Humbug shows this group of Monkeys fully matured at the height of their song-crafting powers, showing no sign of relinquishing them but rather a broadening of the musical palette with which they create them.

Vorn - Modern Classics

In Salient - Aug 2009

Its immediately clear on Modern Classics, local musician Vorn Colgans fifth album in 10 years, that he isn’t afraid to express his kiwi roots. Weaving resonate tales of Wellington life in songs such as ‘That Night on Courtenay Place’ and ‘Upper Hutt Symphony’, Vorn’s lyrics are reflective of his surroundings but also touch on common themes of loneliness, alienation, frustration, love and freedom. While the album examines these serious concepts in depth Vorn also makes it clear the listener should not take things too seriously, mixing wry humour with more obvious skits such as the droll monotone that announces that one has arrived at the middle of the record, and “what a piece of work it is”, showcasing that essentially Kiwi ability of self-deprecation.

Accordingly, the overall sound reflects this up-and-down approach, switching between a range of styles, tempos and instruments, giving the album a sense of diversity that helps keep it interesting. ‘They Don’t Know You’ mixes ska/funk instrumentation before dissolving into multi part vocal harmonies, while ‘Inflation’ mixes scratchy guitars with droning vocals and an arresting solo to create something that mixes well with the songs subject matter of consumerism gone wrong. ‘I Wanna Rock’ bounces and rolls with a plodding intensity and is immediately followed by the straight pop and lilting synths of ‘Employee Assistance Program’ while ‘Small Worlds’ adopts a spoken word/ hip hop vocal approach over jangly guitars and a tom-filled beat.

Despite this seemingly attractive mix, Modern Classics somehow manages to be a slightly boring listen, perhaps due to the over-saturation of drawn out vocal harmonies that appear on almost every track, which gives them a samey feel that clashes with the instrumental experimentation. While Vorn’s lyrics are arguably the highlight of the album the delivery of them is also its greatest weakness, with Colgan often pushing his voice far past its boundaries without the range to back it up. This often has grating results that along with some gimmicky instrumental cameos dispel the desire for many repeat listens. Modern Classics is an ambitious record that produces some entertaining moments, most notably the final three track run of ‘Small World’, ‘Becoming Some Body’ and the fully formed closer ‘Small Things’, but tries to cover too much musical ground, and as a result much of the genre amalgamations quickly descend into novelty, which ultimately gives the album limited long-term appeal.

Live Review - Dimmer w/ The Family Cactus

In Salient - Aug 2009

For me, gigs are almost impossible to go into without any preconceived ideas of what is going to happen, or how I will experience them, based on either a familiarity with the artist’s music or knowledge gleaned from other sources, such as others recollections or the artists reputation. So even though I’d never heard much of Dimmer’s music, I’d definitely heard of Shayne Carter, the Kiwi rock veteran behind both the band in question and Flying Nun stalwart Straightjacket Fits (recently inducted into the NZ Music Hall of Fame), and knew to expect an intense, emotionally charged set. And boy, did he deliver.

First up though were Welly-based up-and-comers The Family Cactus, a band quickly building a following as a great live band, and who have just released their debut album, Come Howling. Coming on they seemed a little nervous, but as the crowd quickly warmed to them they gained confidence, most notably singer Adam Ladley, whose voice seeed to grow stronger and more assured with each song in their set. As a seven-piece they created a dense, textured sound that served as a great background to Ladley’s crooning, soaring voice and blended well with the harmonised melodies created between Ladley and backup vocalist Nina Siegler. While their song structure became a little predictable after a while, what they stuck to they did very well, creating solid blues-tinged indie rock that the crowd definitely appreciated.

Opening with the eponymous lead single from their latest album (which the show served as the release for), Degrees of Existence, Dimmer opened with an intensity that lasted throughout their set. Touching upon multiple genres of rock, metal, shoegaze/post rock, blues and industrial, often within the context of a single song, they held the crowd transfixed throughout, with Carter’s haunting delivery cutting through dark, ominous guitars and recently returned drummer Gary Sullivan’s primal, driving beats. The tone of the songs changed often from quiet, atmospheric lulls to heavy cathartic highs, wrenched with emotion and grit, reflecting Carter’s seemingly sadomasochistic relationship with his guitar, at one moment delicately plucking soft notes and the next strangling it for every possible distorted, sinister, or strange sound he could conjure out of it.

Showcasing 20+ years of experience, Carter and his band put in a compelling performance, and as I left Bodega, ears still ringing from the pure noise that was final encore song ‘Crystalator’, I felt a little shell-shocked, but definitely content, happy in the knowledge that I’d seen a legend in his element.

BLK JKS - Mystery EP

In Salient - July 2009

BLK JKS are a South African band whose sound encompasses noise, avant-rock, dub, afro-beat and progressive, to name a few. While they’ve been around since 2000, touring heavily throughout Africa and Europe, the 2009 release of their Mystery EP is their first batch of recorded material.

The EP opens with ‘Lakeside’, enticing the listener with soft washing guitars and a pulsing drumbeat that are soon joined by eerie wails and singer Linda Buthelezi’s crooning, despairing voice, which lead the song towards a rapid conclusion drenched in distortion that reaches higher and higher up the sonic scale, almost spiralling out of control before softly landing and fading away. This sets the tone for the entire EP, which continually sets out to entrance the listener, drawing them into BLK JKS chaotic world of crashing cymbals, masses of feedback and psychedelic guitar solos. Where this would become disorientating and too convoluted to follow, Tshepang’s strong, driving rhythmns and Molefi’s steady bass lines give the songs a strong foundation on which the guitars can readily explore upon, creating walls of sound that arrest and captivate the listener.

BLK JKS strongly value their heritage, developing their style of music out of the Zulu tradition of Mbaqanga, with their odd time signatures drawn from tribal African percussive music and the lyrics often sung in both English and Zulu. ‘Mystery’ begins in English, proclaiming that “all the wise men around the world can’t figure out the answers” as Linda sings about the mysteries of existence, before switching to chanting in Zulu through the cathartic breakdown, adding even more allure to the song’s thematic exploration. ‘Summertime’ utilises a shuffling beat to take the listener through waves of dub-like guitar and sombre, drawn-out vocals to a classical guitar solo that sprawls out over a minute, building out of a calming duet with the bass that soothes the listener, preparing them for the slower pace of finisher ‘It’s In Everything You’ll See’, a song that sounds like it could be straight off the soundtrack of an epic South African Western.

Straddling the balance between two major musical cultures in their home country, BLK JKS are a hugely talented band that create music that is intoxicating and exhilirating, and certainly leave the listener wanting more, so it is just as well that their debut LP After Robots, scheduled for release in August, comes so soon after this extremely promising EP.

Tortoise - Beacons of Ancestorship

In Salient - July 2009

Tortoise’s music can be likened to a large melting pot both in that it is a large mixture of genres, influences, and instruments but also that each new album they produce seems like the pot has had a couple new ingredients added, been given a good stir and poured out into a new record, ready to be sampled anew. This is far from a bad thing, for Tortoise are excellent cooks, and since their music is already such a diverse mix of sounds they don’t have much need to change, and so instead pick and choose the odd new element to incorporate.

For Beacons of Ancestorship, the new sonic ingredients appear to be synthesisers and more percussive experimentation. Opening track ‘High Class Slim Came Floatin’ In’ literally heralds the listener, opening with a drawn out high pitched note before subsiding into a rolling drum beat which is then interrupted by staccato bass synth. As the song continues, and Tortoise draw out the notes and recurring motifs as they do best, the bass synth continues to puncture the rhythmn while a treble synth floats in and out, with its arpeggios eventually seguing into a dreamy textural finish. Not to be outdone, the guitars respond well in ‘Prepare your coffin’, weaving in and out of a driving synth line before climaxing in a classical solo driven breakdown. ‘Northern Something’ showcases a sound that can only be described as an electrical digeridoo plowing through a shuffling drum beat, while ‘Giganto’ builds on simple opening acoustic guitars with subtle and diverse percussion and soaring synths. Through these early songs the music feels fully formed, a delicious mix of textures that feel vital and directed, without the aimless feeling that earlier Tortoise can sometimes evoke.

After the disjunctive filler tracks ‘Penumbra’ and ‘Yinxianghechengqi’ however, the album sees Tortoise seemingly retreat into musical styles of their earlier work, and it is at this point the arrangement of the album comes into question. While ‘Minors’ is the standout of the latter half of the album, it seems like it should be grouped near the beginning, whereas the rest of the last tracks are either unremarkable filler or sound like b-sides of TNT (ala ‘Charteroak Foundation’). Tortoise seem to have made half an album of some of their best work, deftly mixing in new instruments and their accompanying smoothness and character, with an added energy and drive, but then tacking on several extra songs that do little to advance their new sound and instead feel like a regression into earlier, safer territory. While these are still solid songs, after the extremely promising opening act the rest of the album feels like a progressive letdown, with the energy fading until the listener is left feeling bewildered and unsure of what has happened. Beacons of Ancestorship is a confusing and frustrating listen, but nevertheless shows Tortoise’s power to create sonic greatness out of unexpectedly matching ingredients, even if the rest of it sounds a bit stale.

Fall Out Boy - Folie A Deux

“A Man walks into a bar. Ouch”. Two factors must be understood in order to appreciate the humour that this (hilarious) joke engenders: The daring simplicity of it, and the reference and reflexive connection it makes with both its audience and its respective genre. The same approach seems to work for Fall Out Boy’s music: embracing the relative straightforward nature of their songs and taking note of their connection and reaction to both audience and genre makes for a much better listening experience.

Upon first listen, the most obvious change from previous albums is that FOB seem much more comfortable with themselves and their songwriting. Completing a three-album transition from pop-laden punk to punkish pop to full-blown, unashamed pop, Folie a Deux captures the band in full flight. Having previously copped plenty of criticism for abandoning their underground roots, earlier albums (especially Infinity On High) suffered from being caught in the in-between, displaying the band’s uncertainty about where their sound fit in. Considering their greatest talent has always been for huge, incredibly catchy hooks and melodies, their assured acceptance and embrace of the pop genre is a welcome one.

Songwise, the album hits the ground running. Opener ‘Disloyal order of Water Buffaloes’ immediately distinguishes the albums difference from its predecessor, replacing Jay-Z’s big name endorsement and subsequent hip-hop influence with a soft organ and Stump’s equally gentle warbling. The album starts incredibly well, hitting the listener with well-crafted song after well-crafted song, effortlessly switching between varying tempos and styles. A much improved rhythm section, which now leads songs in the right direction rather than limply propping them up (see She’s My Winona, America’s Suitehearts, Headfirst Slide...) is a definite highlight on the album, as is the comparatively reserved production, which allows the subtle background touches and deft guitarwork to be deservedly heard.

Messrs Wentz and Stump again prove to be a winning lyrical/melody arrangement combination, producing some of their best collaborations to give the album its giddy and seemingly endless highs. Wentz’s ability to create layered and undeniably clever lyrics laced with references that speak to multiple audiences is perhaps at its peak here, displaying an increasing maturity, even if it sometimes strays into a little too much repetitiveness. Stump cements his position as the one of the leading vocalists in popular music, completely unafraid to go after every possible note in his impressive range, elevating him above other, less bold singers. Hearing him play around is just plain fun, and he completely steals the show on the album’s opus ‘What A Catch, Donnie’, anchoring an impressive melody and outclassing his better regarded collaborators.

Most importantly, Folie a Deux feels like an album. Displaying great cohesiveness and impressive consistency, Fall Out Boy’s latest effort has few missteps. Although it falters slightly towards the end, these four boys from Illinois have risen through the often unfair criticism hurled at them to create a surprisingly subtle album of songs that sit comfortably amongst each other unlike ever before. One of 2008 pop’s best, and certainly their finest, Folie a Deux sees Fall Out Boy at the height of their highly addictive powers.

Kings of Leon - Only by the Night

Never quite understanding why everyone went on about their 2004 breakthrough album, Aha Shake Heartbreak, I was first drawn to Kings of Leon via their third LP Because of the Times. Even though the ridiculous overplaying of lead single ‘On Call’ could’ve been enough to put anyone off listening to the whole album, ‘Charmer’ and ‘Fans’ intrigued me enough and I discovered a marked improvement on previous work, although a disjointed one. Their fourth offering, Only by the Night, goes one better, capturing the King’s new direction while creating a definitive album atmosphere that binds it together strongly from start to finish.

On first listen, Only by the Night sounds dangerously top heavy. Opening song ‘Closer’ immediately captures interest because it sounds so damn different from what you’d expect. Beginning with soft, lingering guitar notes before a sharp beat brings it back into focus, Closer builds strongly into a crashing conclusion that signals the Followill’s heavier intentions for the album. This theme builds with second track ‘Crawl’, a pulsing track ripe with distorted bass, rock steady drums and genuinely great solo that channels the best of Jack White, mixing bluesy wails with just the right amount of shredding. Followed by the soulful howling of single ‘Sex on Fire’ and obvious follow up ‘Use Somebody’, the album couldn’t have started better.

Then comes the slightly-too-soft centre. Failing to build on the albums growing energy, the middle triage of ‘Manhattan’, ‘Revelry’ and ‘17’ fall between styles and sound confused. As a result, they rely too much on Caleb’s much improved voice to carry them and sound flat. Luckily, all is not lost. The overlapping guitars and light piano touches of ‘Notion’ and thumping rhythm of ‘Be Somebody’ bring the album back on track and help it regain its cohesiveness.

One of the most immediate positives found upon encountering Only by the Night is the vast improvement of vocalist Caleb’s voice. While previously sounding like it was deciding which wild animal to impersonate, here all the charm and uniqueness remain but have added clarity and melody. Guitarist Matthew also sounds more accomplished and bold, willing to utilise a wide range of effects, with the bass and drum section solid as ever. While losing its footing temporarily in the middle, a brilliant start and resounding ending do enough for Only by the Night to continue their evolution of ability and style, propelling Kings of Leon further along their upward musical journey.