Bicycles With No Riders - Hold You Up to The Light

(Blindsight Records, 2013)

Umair Chaudhry, formerly of Xmas Lights, has been very busy of late; this marks his third release in as many months and while his music continues to draw from the same morose well that inspires his other bands, Abandon and Monday Morning Sun, Bicycles With No Riders represents a marked shift away from his usual multi-layered approach in favour of a largely acoustic set of songs. In this more intimate context, Umair’s cyclical guitar patterns feel open and expansive where they can occasionally sound weighty and claustrophobic in his densely-layered Abandon guise. There is still a grey cloud hanging over these songs, but Hold You Up To the Light is a much more accessible listen that allows Umair’s simple arrangements to ring out in all their downtrodden majesty, airy synths and piano occasionally lending proceedings a cinematic splendour. Lyrically, Umair is still struggling with inner demons and themes of regret, but stripped down to just voice and guitar, he is able to balance the moments of dark and light with a  deft touch, his guitar playing alternately sparse (“Good and Evil”) and dense (“Shatter”) as he finds some common ground between Red House Painters and Jesu. This is still music to soundtrack the cold months, but Hold You Up To the Light is more crisp December morning than bleak midwinter.

[Originally published in Nightshift magazine, Issue 222, Jan 2014]
http://nightshift.oxfordmusic.net/2014/jan.pdf

LR/GW - Deeper Steps Into the New Path

(Self-released, 2013)

Sound artist Lee Riley, perhaps best known for his past work as Euhedral, has been increasingly active in recent years creating vast swathes of sound armed with all manner of unorthodox (and often self-made) instruments. For an artist whose recent experiments have involved dragging a guitar through the streets of Oxford and “a piece for bowed metal container and 16 pints of water,” the idea of a stationary set of guitar noise might seem slightly pedestrian but Deeper Steps Into the New Path is anything but. Recorded live at the Pegasus Theatre in June, Deeper Steps… is – as its name suggests – an aural journey, and, for an improvised work, an impressively well-crafted one at that. Foreboding screeching notes that chime like exotic bird calls give way to waves of overlapping white noise and deep, cavernous sub-bass feedback, whilst reverberating echo and delay helps to create a disorientating sense of pulsating rhythm throughout. A running commentary for such an impressionistic piece of music would be fairly pointless, suffice it to say that Lee has managed to create a soundscape that is inviting, mysterious, and terrifying in equal measure, and one that makes for a completely immersive experience. 

[Originally published in Nightshift magazine, Issue 222, Jan 2014]
http://nightshift.oxfordmusic.net/2014/jan.pdf

Electric Six / Andy D / Stroke of Luck @ O2 Academy Oxford, 13/12/2013

One of the recurring curiosities of Oxford’s December gig listings is the annual return of Electric Six, a band who had a few hit singles in the early noughties, riding the waves of the post-millennial indie explosion, but from whom many of us have not heard much since. Hailing from the same Detroit music scene which spawned The White Stripes, you almost certainly know their debut UK single ‘Danger (High Voltage)’ (which featured a contractually-pseudonym’d Jack White on supporting vocals) and the equally catchy and playful ‘Gay Bar’, but I was curious to see how big an audience the band could command ten years after their cultural zenith.

Opening for Electric Six tonight is the student band Stroke Of Luck, whose slightly overwrought, earnest indie rock seems painfully at odds with the wilfully camp and ridiculous headliners and main support Andy D. Musically the guys seem to be fairly accomplished, if under-rehearsed, but the songs themselves are a little uninspired – imagine Coldplay with an injection of the Kooks and you’d be somewhere near. On a more like-minded bill I’m sure Stroke Of Luck could have come across far better, but as it stands they seem to have been on the rough end of some poorly-judged or cynical booking process at the O2 tonight.

If from here on out, early-noughties nostalgia is the name of the game, then Andy D is definitely the spiritual successor to Har Mar Superstar (or perhaps he’s just the bastard child of Har Mar and Peaches). Wearing a sleeveless denim jacket, pink spandex and a mullet, Andy D hits us with some straight up electro-filth, proudly proclaiming his sexual prowess, his gut flapping under the stage lights as he comically gesticulates whilst rapping about his dick. No major musical revelations to be found here – a primitive 808 providing the beat, funky synths providing the rest – but a fair amount of comedy value which perfectly lightens the mood for a set which will almost certainly be rife with sexual innuendo.

By the time Electric Six come on, the room is absolutely heaving which answers my doubts about the band being able to command a sizeable audience. While only two of the original band members still remain, frontman Dick Valentine is still a vital – if bizarre – presence on stage and is clearly enjoying himself, soaking up the abundant energy of the audience. It’s not entirely clear what percentage of the audience is here solely to hear the aforementioned singles (although I could make an educated guess), but we soon learn that the band are here promoting their ninth (!) album and as such the majority of their set appears to span all of these releases. Countering my suspicion that the band would save the real fan favourites until last, they kick into ‘Gay Bar’ almost immediately to an uproarious response which is only outdone by a faithful rendition of ‘Danger (High Voltage)’ towards the end. Strangely, other recognisable songs from their back-catalogue are missing (including ‘Dance Commander’ and their cover of Queen’s ‘Radio Ga Ga’) but they have a dedicated portion of the audience singing along through much of their set which suggests that their appeal, while possibly dwindling, is still strong with some people here. But inevitably most of their set fails to meet the highs of their best-known songs, relying mainly on pastiche and tongue-in-cheek mimicry – funk, new wave, rock n’ roll and disco all have their place in Electric Six’s discography with varying degrees of success.

I came here for the novelty factor and to satiate my curiosity, and by both counts it was a successful night, although it was not one that I will feel the need to repeat next December.

[Originally published on Music In Oxford, 16/12/2013]
http://www.musicinoxford.co.uk/2013/12/16/electric-six-andy-d-stroke-of-luck-o2-academy-2-oxford-131213/

Reichenbach Falls - "Stay Home, Elizabeth"/"Needle in the Hay"

(Self-released, 2013)

Reichenbach Falls are unfortunate to have been tagged by some journalists as ‘experimental’ exponents of Americana, folk, or country, when, in reality, they don’t stray too far from a blueprint laid out by any number of NME darlings waving that Americana flag. What Reichenbach Falls do well, however, is to craft songs building on a sense of emotional urgency with jangly guitars, delicate vocals and an underlying warmth that will appeal to a lot of people. Singer Abe Davies comes in somewhere between Bright Eyes’ Conor Oberst and, appropriately enough, Elliott Smith who the band cover on the B-side. Going straight for the jugular, the band re-interprets ‘Needle in the Hay’ in their own image, softening some of the edges which made the original so devastating. They’ve laid a solid foundation, and if they can start to live up to their ‘experimental’ reputation then they’ll really be on to something. (TM)

[Originally published in Oxfordshire Music Magazine, issue 26]

http://www.back2left.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/OMS-26.pdf

Flights of Helios - "Star"/"Crow"

(Self-released, 2013)

Self-pronounced post-prog, drone-pop collective Flight of Helios have blessed us with their debut single, a good old-fashioned double A-side which is easily one of the best singles to come out of Oxford for some time. The stuttering rhythms, sun-kissed synths, and Chris Beard’s lush vocal harmonies and evocative lyrics bring to mind the likes of Elbow and Spiritualized, but both songs here also display an unabashed pop sensibility which, refreshingly, never veers towards mainstream banality. ‘Star’ is a celestial love ode, and as irresistibly infectious as anything I have heard this year – the combined elements of airy synths, lofty vocal harmonies and the deep tone of the bass truly create a feeling of weightlessness. On the flipside, ‘Crow’ takes a similar approach but with a shot of adrenaline to give the song a pulsating, uptempo rhythm, ending with swathes of whirring electronics. Joyous stuff. File under “ones to watch.” (TM)

[Originally published in Oxfordshire Music Magazine, issue 26]
http://www.back2left.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/OMS-26.pdf

Wooden Shjips - Back to Land

(Thrill Jockey, 2013)

Back To Land, the fourth album from San Francisco-based psychedelic rock quartet Wooden Shjips is, unfortunately, a frustratingly pedestrian affair. Listening back to their 2007 Holy Mountain debut and Dos, you can hear that the band’s formula hasn’t changed much over the years, but where the band’s once-cool Doors-ian foundation would allow guitarist Ripley Johnson to indulge in angular, textured solos, giving a distinctly retrospective sound a modern twist, the band now seem content to regurgitate watered-down, monotonous jams.

Ninety percent of the music on Back To Land can be characterised thusly; the drums and bass lock into a steady rhythm which never falters or varies, the keyboard player essentially plays three notes at best, and Johnson mumbles something he was obviously not too bothered about sharing with the world, and then smothers his voice with an echo effect so the words become unintelligible anyway. Then he does a bit of a guitar solo, and then the whole cycle repeats. Generally the songs revolve around two root notes; sometimes they’ll shift a key, or break out a cheeky three-chord progression (“These Shadows”), but on the whole this is the way almost all of these eight songs play out.

But it’s not the simplicity or minimalism that mars this album – some of the greatest bands have done some of their greatest work whilst locking into almighty repetitive grooves, or by mashing out the same chord for 20 minutes. However, these bands did this with a sense of energy, enthusiasm and passion – something which seems to be entirely missing here, or at the very least, lost in translation. This is psychedelia by numbers – metronomic, predictable, and largely vapid. One of the few moments of respite comes in the form of closing track “Everyone Knows” which at least attempts to strike an emotional chord with an emotive melody and an almost wistful sense of longing. Likewise, some of the more uptempo songs sound like Scooby Doo getaway music which, depending on your predilection for late sixties, early seventies children’s cartoons, could be a good or bad thing.

Granted, this is an album you can easily allow yourself to get lost in; as background music you’re unlikely to notice much about it, positive or negative, besides the fact that large portions of it sound the same. You might even enjoy it in this capacity or find it pleasing. But that’s hardly a ringing endorsement. As a live band, Wooden Shjips create a fantastic, cavernous sound full of fuzz and drone, awash with colour, and at the end of the day Back To Land just seems like an excuse to return to the live circuit with some new wares to sell.

Wooden Shjips are great at what they do, and Back To Land isn’t necessarily a bad album, but it’s certainly guilty of being uninspired, and even lifeless at times. No-one, except perhaps Johnson, seems to be stretching themselves to any real degree, and even his solos are more often than not of the meandering, bluesy, and ultimately dull kind. Perhaps the wilfully retrospective charm of Wooden Shjips’ early output is just wearing a bit thin now. Rather than going Back To Land, perhaps it’s time for Wooden Shjips to go back to the drawing board?

[Originally published by the Sleeping Shaman, 03/12/2013]
http://www.thesleepingshaman.com/reviews/album-reviews/w/wooden-shjips-back-to-land-cd-lp-dd-2013/

Lumbar - The First and Last Days of Unwelcome

(Southern Lord, 2013)

The gestation period between Lumbar announcing their existence in September and releasing their debut album in November has been mercifully short as the anticipation level for The First And Last Days Of Unwelcome has been – as is to be expected when any ensemble of musical badasses pair up – sky high. Mike Scheidt of Yob will probably need no introduction, suffice to say that he is perhaps one of the most highly revered of all doom musicians currently making music, and Tad Doyle will be a familiar name to grunge historians whose band TAD were tour mates with Nirvana back in the early days. H.P. Taskmaster helped me trace Aaron Edge‘s connection to the others, having designed the Yob logo and played with Doyle in Brothers of the Sonic Cloth as well as Roareth. But these are all just details – the bottom line is Lumbar do not disappoint. The First And Last Days Of Unwelcome is a powerful album that finds this titanic trio in an incredibly creative and energised headspace, rather than resting on their collective laurels.

The album was entirely written (and largely performed) by Edge who, both musically and thematically, uses the platform to tackle his struggle with multiple sclerosis. Perhaps the power of suggestion plays a part here, but Edge and co have made a brilliant attempt at trying to create textures and moods which evoke symptoms of the affliction. The album flows remarkably well between tracks, and songs often dissolve into moments of calm or erupt in anger; other sections twist and turn, creating a suffocating, claustrophobic atmosphere. However the most prominent characteristic of the music is its heaviness, both in sound and tone – the guitars are weighty, the drums clatter and the vocals are superb.

Lumbar open with the triumphant, defiant ‘Day One,’ Scheidt’s unmistakable holler bellowing out over a propulsive and uplifting riff that really declares Lumbar‘s intentions to completely slay everything in sight. Things take a torturous turn on the grungey, bass-led ‘Day Two’ as the riff descends in a downward spiral as Doyle and Scheidt’s voices intangle like two souls being dragged away into a vortex. ‘Day Six’ probably goes the farthest in meeting what most people’s expectations for this collaboration would sound like and it is little wonder that it was the preview track chosen to give people their first glimpse of the band. The song’s simple riff seems catered to Scheidt’s vocal delivery but the simplicity of the riff is key to its impact – it’s a straight-up head-nodder and one of the less showy but most instantly enjoyable tracks on the album.

Some of the most impressive and evocative moments on the album attempt to portray a feeling that is probably less tangible to many of us. ‘Day Three’ is a case in point – wirey guitars shoot around almost at random, like synapses misfiring as a creeping low-end guitar chug hints at some impending doom and a voice cries out in desperation: “Why are you here? / Who sent you? / You have no right to be here.” On ‘Day Five’ the approach is more impressionistic, guitars echoing and whining like a skewed and discordant orchestra warming up, while the distant vocal line from ‘Day Two’ reverberates in the distance and an Atilla Csihar-esque vocal whispers some almost indecipherable and menacing words. These songs give the album a great sense of cohesion, and before you know it the album is over.

Indeed, one of the album’s great strengths is its brevity; in fact, at just under twenty-five minutes I’d be inclined to call this an EP rather than an album proper. Unlike some doom releases which can tend to push you past the point of despair, Lumbar definitely leave you wanting more, allowing no room for filler or mindless riffing for the sake of it – this is an intelligently crafted, and emotional, record, executed in the spirit of camaraderie by three good friends. Nobody asked for this album, and no-one could have predicted that it would appear in 2013 – but here it is, one of best albums of the year. How long we’ll be waiting for a follow up – if we get one at all – remains to be seen, but for now this is a tantalising treat for all fans of heavy music.

[Originally pulished  by the Sleeping Shaman, 18/11/2013]
http://www.thesleepingshaman.com/reviews/album-reviews/l/lumbar-the-first-and-last-days-of-unwelcome-cd-lp-cs-dd-2013/