JAZZ
TIM GARLAND If The Sea Replied (Sirocco Records) 0...
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axophonist Tim Garlands interest in formal composition has been increasingly apparent in recent orchestral commissions. and this beautifully conceived and executed suite of music inspired by lighthouses and the coast is an excellent example of how he can weave combined ')a//' and ‘classical' forces into a seamless web of original and creative music. He began with a series Of iiiipr()\risations on bass clarinet recorded in St Mary's Lighthouse at Whitley Bay. then added )a// trio and string orchestra (playing lTltlSIC notated from his original improvisations). plus speoal guest Don Paterson on guitar. Intelligent. attractive. open-minded music. and exemplary playing all round. (Kenny Mathieson)
EXPERIMENTAl INDil AMINO PEOPLE Work It Out
(Fence) 0000
Further self-produced experiments in wonky. 21st century folk COurtesy of the Kentish arm of lo-fi Fifers Fence Collective. Amino People's first long- playing offering is wee indie gem.
An experimental patchwork of curios that range from the off-killer to the completely haywire. Work /t Out is a
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30 THE LIST 18 Q?) Alli; 9',"
creature of charm and personality. marrying fascinating lyrical content and musicianship ‘.'.’ltl‘. twisted electi'onica. lrusting they ‘.'./ll| forgive submission to the obvious comparison. it Badly Drawn Boy had stayed tutti). the progranime he too nught still be chiselling out such (luirky trinkets to prick the ear. raise a Sll‘llf} and shuffle feet. (Mark t-dmundsoni
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BLACK REBEL MOTORCYCLE CLUB
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let's face facts: aside from a couple of catchy singles and looking hot in black. this ra'.'.' riffing trio have always had a tendency to be tedious. However. they take plodding guitar pop to a new iexel on this third offering. as they decide to abandon garage rock and pinch ideas from the '«.'.'orld of country. folk. gospel and blues instead. And so we have tunes played mostly o.) acoustic guitars surrounded by layers of strings. pianos. congas, auloharp. harmonica. tinipanis and even trombones. which in itself would be a brave and admirable step. if the outcome \.'-.rasn't so bleeding banal.
Brief respite comes in the form of fiery stomper 'Ain't No l- asy \r‘i/ay' and dark piano led ballad ‘l’romise'. but overall f‘fO‘A/f is a han‘fisted and ultin‘ately monotonous attempt at maturity. iCaniilla Pia)
l’( )l’ FANNYPACK See You Next Tuesday
(Tommy Boy) 0..
On first listen this could be Just another link in the chain of 80s
throwback hip hop meets bubblegum pop championed by the likes of lvllA and plundered by that shameless. thieving llllt]()t)(i\.'.(?llSt£1fétlll. Hut where the pseudo cheerleader rhymes are deliberately primitixe. smutty but iiiiriiirészfiiiiizilil‘. tongue in cheek. l annyPack's cuts are dece; )ti‘~.'ely sophisticated.
As a package. .‘See You Next luesdav is eclectic 1on a theme of bouncing pool party si//|ers). crude but disarming and actually guite clever in its o'v.'.’n way. Of course. the album's appeal depends on the listener's tolerance tii vocal call and response chants.
(Mark I dmundson)
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TRACY + THE PLASTICS Culture for Pigeon lloo Pure) .00.
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Hands bicker over the silliest things. So you can't help but think that Wynne (‘ireenworxl had the right idea when she created this all female three piece With only one physical member: herself as lracy backed by alter egos Cola (drums) and Nikki (keyboards).
It may sound a little pretentious and overly stylised. but one listen to Culture for l’rged/l. the second offering from the Washington born feminist video artist. and it soon becomes clear that there is a lot of substance behind the
concept. Coming on like Is this Desi/'(27-er'a Polly Harvey playing pop With l.e Tigre. Creenwood's haunting emotional vocals. keyboard blips and minimal beats make for compelling listening. Dark and giiietly menacing. (Camilla Pia)
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MOTHER AND THE ADDICTS Take the Lovers Home Tonight (Chemikal Underground) 0..
Ihese boys wear their influences prominently. but '.'.re all like Violent leinmes. don't we? Plus. give the Glasgow five piece credit; it makes a pleasant change to hear a band that sound like they might have actually had sex. lvlother's vocal comes on like a growly caged animal, while the Addicts poke him With guitars through the bars. Single ‘Oh Yeah . . . You I ook Quite Nice' is a very danceable rub yourhanrls-together- in a rnischieLplanning- manner number. ‘Who Art You Gwls?‘ is a pop standard: short. punchy and about girls. ‘Lven Time Will Destroy You' has a keyboard note that hits that special bit of your ear which is connected to your spinal column. lingly. (tvlorag Bruce)
Acousiic LAURA VEIRS
Year of Meteors (Nonesuch) COO.
lollowmg in the footsteps of 2004 's rapturoust received Carbon G/ac/er. Laura Veirs has turned to the trials and tribulations of hfr> ()Il ill(} r<>zirl f()r inspiration on this ethereal but passionate record. The people around her and back home are an obvious source of material. but
SINGLES&DOWNLOADS
I, Iliam Campbell _ and Kevin MacNeil
Right. we don't have much space. and there are two utterly fantastic singles out this week. so we're just going to ignore the usual crap (Oasis. Black Eyed Peas etc) and instead revel in our Joint Singles of the Week.
My Latest Novel are a Greenock fivesome and their debut single. “Sister Sneaker Sister Soul' (Bella Union) 0”” is six minutes plus of awesome. wide~eyed folk rock majesty. a kind of modern bohemian brilliance. Starting like a humble Belle and Sebastian, it then briefly trundles through singalong janeg pop territory before turning into the Delgados thrashing it out with My Bloody Valentine and the Arcade Fire in a massive, scruffy. ramshackle clattering build of guitars, drums and violins that is, frankly, bloody magic. Great things surely await.
Less visceral but more touching is the debut release from William Campbell and Kevin MacNeil. ‘Local Man Who Ruins Everything' (Fantastic Plastic) com is a wonderful. lyrical, plaintive thing of acoustic beauty. acclaimed author MacNeil intoning superbly evocative poetry over the verses while Campbell (formerly of vastly underrated Highland guitar popsters Astrid) provides a subtly simple counterpoint chorus guaranteed to stick in your head forever. Poignantly depicting life on Campbell and MacNeil's home island of Lewis. it is astonishingly affecting, managing somehow to be both tragically heartbreaking and brilliantly uplifting simultaneously. An anti-anthem for anti- heroes. and a piece of sublime. gentle genius. (Doug Johnstone)
touches lyrically on extremes from galaxies to the depths of the sea. so her plaintive voice is at the forefront of everything from acoustic to rockier backdrops. and elevates her above a million other dime a dozen female songstresses.
A winner.
(Emma Newlands)
the ever-changing lanr‘lscape is almost a character in its own right; just as she
ALL COS WERE REVIEWED ON A SYSTEM SUPPLIED AND INSTALLED BY LOUD 8: CLEAR
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