Modern Nature - The Charlatans

Gosh, has it really been as long ago as October since I last posted a music musing? It really has. And it's not that've haven't been moved by new stuff. I have. Maybe not enough to be bothered to write some nonsense. Or maybe I've been preoccupied? 

Whatever the reason, the emergence of a new Charlatans album is surely enough to get me out of my slumber. That and a nudge from the northern hemisphere!

After all the hyperbole of 'Madchester' and 'Britpop', and the corresponding miles of column inches it is reassuring that there has been one constant - The Charlatans. 

Some might say that 'Modern Nature' is a return to form, harking back to the 'Sproston Green' era of the band. I disagree. The Charlatans never really lost their form, instead getting on quietly with making soulful, rounded albums.

It doesn't take long for 'Modern Nature' to reveal its class - a few beats into the opening track 'Talking In Tones' and it obvious this is going to be a stonker of an album. If we must hark back to the 1990s then this is every bit as good an opener as 'You're Not Very Well'. There, I said it!

'Modern Nature' is an album that has the sun at the centre of its focus; harmonious vocals, loops, house-esque piano riffs, funky organs and great guitars. If the lead single 'Come Home Baby', if there are such things as singles these days, wasn't enough to tempt you into the album then just try 'In the Tall Grass'. It's a funky soulful track and guaranteed to make you smile.

Equally 'Let The Good Times Never Be Ending' takes their 1990 sound as a blueprint and adds a modern pop sensibility. 

By the time the penultimate track 'Trouble Understanding' flexes your speaker cones with its laid back groove and big piano riff you'll feel like you've got one foot in the past and the other firmly in the future. It's a fantastic feat that the band have pulled off where others have failed. Are you listening U2? Now, thought not.

I never imagined that, as a nineteen year old in 1990 po-go-ing in Middlesbrough Town Hall to this fledgling band from Cheshire, that I'd still be listening twenty five years later. Then again, maybe the band never imagined they'd make is this far either. 

Spin-o-Rama - The Primitives

In the days of millionaire musicians giving away their music for free it's comforting to know that some play by the rules. You know; make music, release it and allow people to buy it. Of course the term 'buy it' means different things to different people. To some it will mean heading out to the shops, others will order it on online and have it delivered whilst some will simply download it. Or stream it. All good. 

There was a time, ooh yonks ago, when I wouldn't even entertain the idea of downloading. Not pure enough. Poorer quality (although that's debatable). An inferior product. But now downloads form the bulk of my music purchases these days. I've moved on. A little.

Well it's so quick isn't it? Especially this album with the 11 tracks running a little over 25 minutes. But don't let that put you off. Since when did we start to judge the value of music by the duration? Hopefully never. You'd have to take out a second marriage or sell a kidney to buy a Pink Floyd album. And you can forget about buying boxsets!

It may be short but it packs a punch. The distinctive Primitives trademarks are all here; 60s influenced guitars, buzzing bass lines and glorious harmonic vocals. Only now with a delicate modern tinge. This is most obvious in the drumming. Never has a Primitives' album had such great sounding rhythms. Just have a listen to 'Follow The Sun Down' and you'll hear what I mean. 

Elsewhere 'Hidden In The Shadows' wouldn't sound out of place on their debut album and 'Petals' is a summer blast like only The Primitives can do.

The only time that the short running time feels like short change is the semi-instrumental 'Velvet Valley'. I say semi because 'sha-la-la' are not lyrics and repeating it over a buzz saw backing track does seem like a half idea. Which it is. 

But I have found my summer album and it's a blast. What's more, at just 25 minutes I can listen to the whole thing on my commute. Summer guitar pop to be taken twice a day. The perfect pill. Pop it now! 

The Voyager - Jenny Lewis

It's a long way from a Jel-O advert to the world of guitar pop but, judging by this album, one worth taking.

But first I've got to apologise to those reading up north - I was going to recommend this as a great soundtrack to the summer kinda album. But I missed the boat. You see I actually downloaded this album just before leaving the UK - I thought I'd be a great summer album. And it is. I just forgotten that I was heading to a Southern Hemisphere winter. Blast. I tried the first song shortly after we arrived from a UK bathed in sunlight (for once) but it just don't work. Too dark. A bit chilly. Hardly the right environment to welcome a pop album into your consciousness.

So I put it on ice until now. Just about light enough to enjoy it on my commute to work. Boats in the bay, sunlight glinting on the calm, clear water and Jenny Lewis on my iPod. Bliss. Now it works.

Anyone unfamiliar with her solo back catalogue or stint with Rilo Kiley (shame on you) could pick worse places to start. Bright 'n breezy pop with an ever so slight dark undertone for the discerning listener. 'Head Underwater', the opening track, is a shining example of how to write an intelligent pop song; echoing piano motifs, thumping bass and crystals clear vocals. It's like the 80s were a warm up act for the real thing. 'Slippery Slope' turns up the volume but slows down the speed to great effect. Just a pop slice to the right side of shoe gazing. Besides, any album that contains the lyrics 'When I met you, you were just a boy and you were tongue tied and wearing corduroy' surely deserves a place in anyone's heart? Thought so.

Some might argue that a good album is a good album regardless of the weather. I couldn't disagree more. Try listening to reggae when it's blowing an icy gale through the cracks on the front door and you'll be itching to skip forward. Equally any prog rock track is just going to sound wrong in bright sunshine. Whoever they are. 

But I'm still sat here wondering if I was wrong to wait until spring to give this a spin. It could've lit up the dark mornings, made the rain seem slightly less wet or put a smile on my face on a Monday morning when all of my friends are thousands of miles away. Maybe. But now it's perfect. The right piece of pop on the right time.

Songs of Innocence - U2

Blimey I've got some catching up to do. Haven't I just. Well there has been a lot going on.....

It's taken the sudden release of an album by U2 to wake me from my slumber. But something is bugging me. Yes I know it's U2, one of my long standing favourite bands, but giving it away free? And using it as a promotional tool for yet another new Apple product. Come on.

Or is it that I didn't know about this until six hours after the event? Hhmm that could be it. Have I really lost touch with all that's going on in musicland? Or is it because I'm in a different time zone! Yes that's it! I'm longitudinally challenged not out if touch......

But deep down I know that a younger me, one that religiously read NME cover to cover every week and swore, yes swore, that he would never lose touch with the new music scene. Never. Well never is a long time in music and I lasted about another two years. And I've not bought it since. Actually I lie. I used to buy the bumper edition every Christmas so my Dad and I could escape the relatives and the smell of sprouts, head into the study and attempt the full page crossword. Reference books would be strewn everywhere and clues poured over in search for those elusive answers. Bliss.

Other than that I have bought it one other time - about six months ago on the way back from the pub, three pints to the good and in high spirits I thought I'd recapture my youth. If only it was that easy. £2.50 to transport you back to your younger days. Stick that in your tube L'Oreal.

But I soon realised that I didn't recognise a single person or band in the whole paper. And it seemed to be written in a foreign language. Oh no. I had become out of touch.  "Well, I've got a busy life", I kidded myself, adding "I've got a lot more responsibilities...". But face facts. I was out of touch and preferred the safety of music I liked than risking buying something and hating it.

And so here we are. Listening to the first U2 album in five years. Not taking a risk and it not costing anything. Surely a win-win?

 Or maybe not. Something's missing. Maybe it's the ritual. Previous U2 releases have involved me nipping out from work to the shop at 9am to buy the album, carefully unwrapping the cellophane when I got home, closing the doors, turning off the phones and gently placing the disc in better CD player. Then, with a cup of tea in hand, I'd listen whilst reading the liner notes. Proper immersion. Somehow just downloading the album doesn't seem right. Other bands can do it but not U2.

But this is definitely a U2 album. From the punky opener 'The Miracle (Of Joey Ramone)', the echoing scraping guitars of 'Iris (Hold Me Close)' and the soaring chorus of 'This Is Where You Can Reach Me Now'. Almost like U2 by numbers. Ahhh and there's the rub. It's formulaic. These tracks, and others on the album, will sound great in the inevitable tour next year. Music built from the football ground up.

Or is it me? Maybe by being free it has cheapened the experience for me? Perhaps not having a physical presence has taken something away? Or is it because it's available to everyone at the press of of button I can't mail my colours to the mast? 

Or am I talking rot? Probably. I just know that in a week's time this will be the most played album on my iPhone. I will know the words to every track, will have made a mental note of the songs that will make the first post-release compilation album - sorry playlist - and decided which riffs to pick out on my guitar (when they arrive). I know this because it's U2. 

Whatever it is, it has woken me from my lethargy. And not a moment too soon. I'll be forty *cough* four this year and far too young to be resting on my musical laurels. This is going to be great. Oh and does anyone know where I can buy NME in New Zealand.......

39 Minutes of Bliss (In an Otherwise Meaningless World) - Caesars

I'm sure I've mentioned this before but I have in the past, on occasion, been called a Geek. I know. Incredible isn't it! I can even begin to wonder how they got that impression. Could it be because of my periodic table t-shirt? Surely not? Or maybe it's because I understand pivot tables in spreadsheets. Nah, that's not it. Oh! Maybe it because I sometimes while away wet afternoons by playing computer games? It can't be that because computer games are cool. Yes they are! Stop sniggering - if they're not cool then how come I chose this album today? 

You see one of my all time favourite game series is the SSX franchise. I love it, it at least I did until they decided to wrecking bu making it all too serious. Don't get me started. Anyway one of the great things about the series, and they are numerous, is the uber cool soundtracks. No only are they great bit they are also a source if new influences. So it was during a particularly slamming (see I am cool) run on SSX3 that I first heard the Caesars track 'Jerk It Out'. And loved it instantly.

So it's a bit of a mystery why I've only just got around to listening to the 2003 compilation album from this Sweedish alt-pop band. Ten years late? Oops.

Anyway I'm glad I did because the other 36 minutes on the album, assuming the title is accurate, are equally as good. Punk pop with attitude. OK so they lyrics won't challenge Bob Dylan or other worldly wordsmiths but when it is this much fun who cares?

Right, now I've discovered this album I need to find my virtual snowboard and hit the slopes again. Hurtling at breakneck speed down a mountain has never been so much fun....

The Bones of What You Believe - Chvrches

Have you ever wondered what ABBA would sound like if they were around in the modern world rather than the blossoming pop landscape of the 70s? You have? Well that's a great starting point. Now imagine what ABBA would sound like if they were around now, having gorged upon a diet of indie pop before embarking upon their debut record. Imagine a hint of New Order and a sprinkle of The Smiths and you're very nearly there. Oh wow, now that is a thought! Just imagine what kind of music a New Order / ABBA super group would make......

That is not to say that Chvrches are not original, they are, it's just that their music has a rich heritage. It is a testament to their skills at taking such influences and giving them a modern make-over, making something new and shiny in the process. The 808 drum machine has never sounded so modern*

Take the opening track 'The Mother We Share'. A stomping slab of melancholic electro-pop. Great stuff and a million miles, thankfully, from the bland pop of X-factor. It manages to walk the line between refreshing yet familiar. A great debut.

Oh and if anyone doubts the New Order influences, just check out the album artwork. Peter Saville anyone? Maybe I'm wrong but then again take a look for yourself........

* ok so I risk some smart ar*e telling me that it isn't an actual Roland TR-808 on this album but is a soft-synth simulator. Whatever!

 

Invisible Ones - Orenda Fink

There is a huge hole in the music industry and it's Kate Bush shaped - even in spite if her recent prolific output (by her standards anyway). An album every five years - I just don't know how she finds the time!

Anyway devotees have to resign themselves to seeking out similar experiences whilst Ms Bush puts the finishing touches to her latest masterpiece. Alternatives? Well this used to involve either relying upon word-of-mouth, talking critics advice or happening upon a song on the radio. Not anymore. Now it's just a quick link away. Now by just typing the words 'Kate Bush' into Last.fm or Spotify you are immediately presented with similar sounding artists. Brilliant. But not always accurate. I have listened to some real dross in my search for the next Kate Bush; warblers, crooners, the bland and the ordinary. It really is a needle in the haystack task - it seems that any new female singer-songwriter is immediately tagged with the 'New Kate Bush' ...errr.... tag. 

But not all recommendations are awful. This record by Orenda Fink comes very close to the mark. In turns quirky, interesting, dark and poppy. It's as if Kate Bush had a younger but equally adventurous sister. And that can't be a bad thing.