‘ ~
ROCK
THE WHITE STRIPES Get Behind Me Satan
(Xl Recordings) “.0
The given record industry rule for following up a million-selling international super hit album is simple: the same but bigger (and if possible) better. Not the case with the White Stripes. Hell. no. Knocked together in their regular concise style - at home in Detroit with live soundman Matthew Kettle riding the desk and manning the tape player - Get Behind Me Satan is further away from those rules than anyone could possibly imagine.
That’s not to say the album is unpleasant; it's just different. The moments of torrid, florid scrawl and spit that have made all their previous records crackle and spark are oddly tempered here. The only tracks that even remotely resemble anything from Elephant are single ‘Blue Orchid' and “instinct Blues - two lone moments of Zeppelin wail in an uneven stew of disjointed country doom (‘White Moon’) and cutesy pop (‘Doorbell'). The marimba-driven clunk of “The Nurse' is just plain weird. And we haven't even mentioned the OO-second cautionary tale against familial confusion, ‘Passive Manipulation', sung by Meg.
It’s the moments of pure acoustic reflection on Get Behind Me Satan - the title a nod to the snake wrangling Delta bluesmen that Jack White holds so dear - that are most instant. ‘As Ugly as l Seem' and closer ‘l'm Lonely (But I Ain’t that Lonely Yet)’ are tremendous. the latter surely a contender for title and song of the year.
White has forgone Elephanf’s fluidity in favour of dynamic impact and the result is higher peaks but lower troughs. He has once again shifted the goalposts for what a two- piece rock band can do into even more expansive, inspired territory.
White was contrarily winding down this peculiar little path long before the rest of the world cottoned on to the joys to be had in his records and. despite global acclaim. he has continued to stride down with purpose, hat cocked. guitar in hand. and Meg in tow.
(Mark Robertson)
{A i,
0C..~:,
70 THE LIST 2’6 Mav 9 Jun 900%
‘ trademark sweeping.
' Boston based trio f comprismg emcees Mr INDlE i if and Akrobatik. and THE TEARS deejay Fakts One. On
Here Come the Tears (Independiente) 0..
Black Dialogue they exchange cutting, intricate raps that satirise politics. employment. race and relationships in modern America over a big fat bag of suitably stripped down. angular beats. It's a superb set overall. but whether Boston's other renowned cultural commentator Norm Peterson Will be
. feeling these cats is
another matter entirely. (Hugh Leask)
FUTURE SOUL JAZZ
lnzlears
We've been willing them back together for years. But now that Brett Anderson and Bernard Butler have finally buried the musical hatchet to
EDDY MEETS form the Tears. was it YANNAH really worth the wait? ( Just Like , , ,
Well. there are certainly a fe~ flashes of brilliance on Here Come the Tears, Just try 'Refugees'. ‘Apollo 13' or “Two Creatures' for prime examples of the pair's
(Compost) eeee
It is little wonder that
Eddy Meets Yannah have
received a tipped jazz-hat from the likes of Gilles Peterson and Rainer Tr'Uby. The debut album elegantly mixes a Croatian cocktail of future world jazz and smooth. sulphuric soul that takes in broken beats and Brazilian rhythms as it makes a beeline for the horizon.
Purists may raise an eyebrow at the avant garde. South American-
; flavoured cover of
L Creative Source's sultry ‘Can't Hide love'. but even they could not deny it is a distinctive
majestic pop. However, embarrassing lyrics like 'you taste like orange chocolate/you always put your hands in my pocket‘ from ‘lmperfection' and sub late Suede. utterly forgettable efforts like ‘Autograph' bring the listener back to reality with a bump and make 5 you wish Brett'n'Bernard hadn't bothered An altogether average l P then. from a duo capable of so much more.
(Camilla Pia) departure from the original.
:JEEOP Cutting edge but dev0id
PERCEPTIONISTS 0i pretension. Just like .
Black Dialogue . . is a dime bag of vocal
acid jazz that beams with blissedout optimism. (Mark Edmundson)
(Def Jux) .000
Although hip hop in 2005 is as exciting and
unpredictable as ever. BLACK one sticking pomt for ALPS.
many listeners remains l Everything Is
the absence of the son (island Records) of political radicalism me
that once lent celebrated acts like Public Enemy. lce Cube and KRS-One their potency. Seeking to remedy this are the Perceptionists. a
In a hardcore band heavy rock scene. Nine Black Alps are a refreshing alternative. Their debut effort bursts into life with the thundering ‘Get Your Guns' boasting muscular riffs. powerful growls and an infectious melody referencing both the Pixies and Nirvana. setting the tone nicely for an album crammed full of killer tunes. It's not all heavy guitars and howls.
C.
NM M kip
however. as both 'Behind Your Eyes' and ‘lntermission‘ prove — two beautifully melancholy acoustic tracks showcasing Sam Forrest's stunning vocal talent. Ambitious. addictive and hugely accomplished. Everything Is is an altogether thrilling listen from start to finish and should see this Manchester foursome adorning walls around the world by the end of the year. (Camilla Pia)
INDIE
THE DEPARTURE Dirty Words (Parlophone) eeee
A certain amount of suspicion surrounds a band that comes to us complete with untouchable style. chiselled cheekbones and catchy choruses. It happened with the Bravery and more recently with this Nonhampton five-piece. but instead of spending hours examining exactly what makes these outfits tick. maybe it would be wiser just to judge them on their musical merit. if we're to do that with the Departure. then sceptics will be saddened to hear that Dirty Words. with its funky basslines. scratchy guitar soundscapes and punchy vocals. proves them to be a rather magnificent bunch. Eighties indie influences abound for sure. but if you like the sound of Robert Smith getting down with Echo and the Bunnymen in a darkened disco. then this debut is for you. (Camilla Pia)
ROCK
MODEY LEMON The Curious City (Mute) DO.
Apparently the inspiration for Modey Lemon's second album came from Watership Down. the abiding state of peril rabbits experience being viewed as a powerful metaphor for the way we live now. Yes. interesting.
though you'd be hard
pressed to glean that
message from even a few
listens to these ten tracks
from the Pittsburgh rockers (well. perhaps 16-minute closing number “Trapped Rabbits' rather gives the game away). The band have developed an unusual oeuvre thanks to the inclusion of Moog synthesisers among their philharmonic. But there's an infuriating lack of deviation from this punk-
meets-psychedelia sound
here. with only ‘Sleepwalkers' and the
' sombre 'Countries' really
leaping from the rabbit hole. (Allan Radcliffe)
JAZZ
BURT MACDONALD QUINTET Hotel Dilettante (Textile) eee
The George Burt-
Raymond MacDonald Quintet's latest album
features two familiar collaborators with the band. SOprano
; saxophonist Lol Coxhill and Future Pilot AKA
(Sushil K Dade). providing
weirdly evocative
noodlings on theremin as
well as bass and. on a couple of tracks. drums.
The musicians explore 13 improvised pieces that