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Where Keep Calm and Carry On was blistering and full of oomph, the Stereophonics latest release, Graffiti On the Train is much more measured, more thoughtful and overall more in keeping with the band’s social commentary style. Both albums have worked well, both styles that the band are capable of give off positivity but it is this measured style that is more approachable in the end and the group are much better for it.
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After a gap of nearly five years, Dido, the young Londoner who inspired American Rap artist Eminem enough to sample the track Thank You for his international smash-hit Stan, has returned with her brand new album Girl Who Got Away.
The casual nature of the album is on the whole a let-down for somebody who prides themselves on what they make and whilst there may be a couple of decent enough tracks on the album, it is disappointing and not up to the standard of the first two albums she recorded.
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Back in 2009, The Axis of Perdition, arguably one of the very few Black Metal acts to call the North East of England their home created what is still an astounding piece of work that has the ability to scare, deter and sound absolutely great all at the same time.
Urfe tells the tale of a man who journeys through a city that has become desolate and dangerous. The rank stench of a humanity that become distorted and dank purveys throughout the album and its imagery that actor Leslie Simpson describes in a glorious like monologue is more akin to the final fall of man, something black metal excels in, and the desperation and bleak atmospheric and pungent despair.
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The sound of classic harmonies are filtered alongside moments of great bass guitar, the incredible pockets of a violin, mandolin, oboe, trumpet and clarinet playing and above all the music experience of witnessing an unexpectedly formidable and enjoyable play in little known venue in a part of town that you wouldn’t normally go to. This is the world of the great New York band Onward Chariots and their stunning debut album This is My Confession.
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In a rare bout of musical honesty Annie Hardy of L.A. rock outfit Giant Drag has put herself through a seven year hell in making what has become a really decent and heart felt album full of pathos, catchy tunes but with an element that many would shy away from, namely the look hard look at what she has gone through in her life, especially the last few years which has seen prescription drug addiction and others around her having mental health issues and the final over riding result is the excellent album Waking Up Is Hard To Do.
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There is no comparison readily available to the voice that made The Moody Blues one of the finest bands to ever come out of Britain. In Justin Hayward the talent he possesses is phenomenal, a real delight in a world that can seem cynical of a person still recording good quality music after nearly fifty years. That musical talent is yet again laid bare for listeners to revel in and take an hour or two out their ever-increasing busy and demanding lives in his first solo album since 1996, the exquisite and beautiful Spirits of the Western Sky.
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It is not the first time that poetry has been set to or inspired a musical score and it certainly won’t be the last but with the indomitable spirit and really sensuous voice that runs through the very core of Steve Macfarlane, the enchanting Billy Hui on piano and the words of the impressive poet Peter Grant, the musical orchestration of Happy Daze is a poet’s dream come true and hugely enjoyable to listen to.
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The Scandinavian countries have a proud history of producing some really great music that catches the ear in more ways to the British ear than say music from Southern Europe. From Abba, A-Ha, Lena Marlin, In The Woods, Jacob Bro, Lars Ulrich of Metallica fame and Candlemass have all made an impression somewhere along the lines in the lives of music lovers from the U.K. They are hard acts to live up to and newer bands trying to make any head way in their own country has a huge mountain to climb.
Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating * * * * *
If you are going to do an album of cover songs by one of the greatest duos of American popular music then it not only has to be good, it has to be sensational and given a new twist. Thankfully Dawn McCarthy and Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy, the folk singer Will Oldham, have not only managed this but have done it with such style and with due deference to the Everly Brothers that the songs could well have been written in the last year given their freshness and contemporary feel.
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Watching Erica Nockalls on stage, the first thing you notice is her absolute belief in what she is playing, whether as part of Wonderstuff or going out on the road with Miles Hunt and touring intimate venues, the way she handles the violin marks her out as one amazing performer. This conviction is carried over into her debut solo album Imminent Room and it is a work of pure and fantastic art.