www.list.co.uk/music
INDIE
BLOC PARTY lntimacy
(Wichita) see
Sending out mixed messages is hardly a new tactic in the already fickle world of indie rock. Kele Okoreke and his clan have been issuing out puzzling notices for some time now, topped off with the claim that their Leeds Festival show would be their last for some time - they played Hydro Connect the very next weekend - and that their new album wouldn’t surface until 2009. They promptly dropped Intimacy on us as an online-only treat (with a physical release at the end of October) with only days notice and the results are suitably, well, mixed. Bloc Party have been the only ones of their alumni - Kaiser Chiefs, The Killers, Futureheads — who even remotely looked like they could shift out of their comfort zone beyond their debut offerings and recent singles ‘Flux’ and ‘Mercury’ suggested some kind of musical sea change for the quartet. In truth, however, these electronica-infused smart bombs were beatific red herrings. Intimacy is not an ‘electronic’ album any more than it is a dub or rap album. It is the sound of a band attempting (with help from the likes of Jacknife Lee, Paul Epworth and Alan Moulder) to redefine their own
headspace.
From the Burial-esque cod-dubstep of ‘Zephyrus’ to the Depeche Mode- tinged ‘Better than Heaven’ or the robotronic thud of opener ‘Ares’ (Chemical Brothers should sue for copyright infringment), they have made a decent fist chopping up their indie rock skeleton into big uneven lines of aural trickery as breakbeats, choirs, vocal loops and samples, and general otherworldly rumblings find their way into the deliberately overloaded mix. At the heart of this are smattering of truly affecting tunes, most of which just manage to survive under the weight of their own restless ambition. Let’s get it in perspective here: they’ve not exactly made Dark Side of the Moon but this album is as ambitious as indie rock gets these days.
Intimacy should be commended for its flirtatious, impatient sprit, as what it lacks in the guile of their debut it makes up for with fevered passion.
(Mark Robertson)
warp speed fret attack here. Think Extreme. Europe. Poison and Skid Row all played at quadruple. if not quintuple. speed. It‘s big. ballsy. cheesy and utterly ridiculous. But it's also a whole lotta fun.
(Henry Northmore)
REMIXES ELVIS VS SPANKOX Elvis Rezvisions (SonyBMG) O
The world is a hard cruel place. War. famine. death. destruction. pain. suffering, poverty and disease all blight our soon-to-be not very green planet. Why. oh
why then add to the misery With something so callous. conternptible and unthinking as this album of remixes of the King's early back catalogue by a ham- fisted. drum machine bothering Italian house DJ?
Have you ever thought when listening to the brittle beauty of ‘That's Alright Mama'
that it w0uld benefit from being flattened. straightened and cuffed to a lumpen breakbeat? Or what about ‘Heartbreak Hotel” chopped and mashed into a puree of sloppy vocal loops? Thought not. Did Jive Bunny die for nothing? Stop this madness.
(Mark Robertson)
ROCK CONSTANTINES
Kensington Heights (Arts and Crafts) COO
Look up ‘nearly men' in the Dictionary of Obscure indie Rock Lore and you'll find a long, ardu0us, hand wringing essay about
Record Reviews Music
KL"Jfiii"i(j.T':fl;t«g g-if’ iriHrS
Constantines. A band who in nine years. have never quite had their moment in the sunshine but work away feverishly, secretly knowing they're unlikely to ever find much use for those nice Ray Bans.
The Canadian quintet have grafted at a Fugazi-fronted-by- Springsteen conflation that is equal parts literate skill and angular rock passion. but has consistently fallen between the stools of musical fad and fashion.
Kensington Heights is
a glorious bombast and
filled with soulful reflection and good. honest perspiration. The songwriting is not quite as tense as their previous pair of genius albums but shows a band still hugely deserving of our fan mail. stalker messages and pairs of racy underwear. Go see them live this month and launch all three stage-ward.
(Mark Robertson)
POP
SOLANGE
Sol Angel and the
Hadley St Dreams
(Geffen) COO . ,,
So your big sister is Beyonce. one of the biggest pop stars in the world. What do you do?
Open that bakery you've
always fancied? Go help
the poor kids in war-torn 5
African states? No, of course not. you go into pop music. Knowles the youngerhas sidestepped her sister's chicken in a basket soul swooning for something infinitely more untidy. but ultimately more appealing.
Conscious of the job ahead, Solange has
drafted in a typically bulky raft of heavyweights to create a palette of power pop soul shades to draw on — Gnarls Barkley. Mark Ronson, Q-Tip. Lil
: Wayne, Neptunes. Jack
Slash, Motown legend Lamont Dozier — she even finds time to sample Boards of Canada (l?!) on spectral ballad ‘This Bird'. Solange is a 21st century soul singer, drawing on Stax soul sensibilities and mainstream hip hop's knowing brandism. all packaged up in some retro soul stylisings that are equal parts Erykah Badu. Kanye West and Diana Ross. We gave America Duffy. Winehouse and Estelle. they hit back with their own soul princess. Her big sis should be at least a little nervous. (Mark Robertson)
AZZ NEW JAZZ ORCHESTRA Camden ‘70 (Dusk Fire Records) .0.
Neil Ardley was well on the way to being a forgotten figure in British
jazz, but reissues of
some of his work in the past couple of years have gone some way to redressing the balance. It should be said straight away that the sound quality on this live recording will be a stumbling block for many listeners, despite the best efforts of engineer Martin Mitchell. If you can persevere with it, there are rewards to be gleaned from the music, which reflects a fascinating period in British jazz. The NJO featured an impressive line-up of players. but was most notable for Ardley's approach to orchestration and arrangement. which went well beyond the staples of big band section work (the influence of Gil Evans is often apparent). Ardley.
Jack Bruce, Michael
COMPILATIONS
Bestlval 2008: A-Z, compiled by Rob Da Bank (Sunday Best) The festival’s curator raids his ‘mental juke-box’ to bring an alphabet of favourites from Aphex Twin to Zombie Zombie. Groove Armada - Lovebox Festivals and Fiestas (Lovebox Music) A double disc collection, with a mixed bag of Blondie. LCD Soundsystem and N'E‘R‘D from Tom Findlay on 001, and clubbier tunes from Andy Cato on CDZ.
The Shapeshltters In the House (Defected) A tribute compilation from a production duo old enough to remember the first wave of rave, including remixes of Bob Sinclar, Adamski and their own ‘Lola's Theme’.
Not Dolng ft for the Qulds - A Compilation (Full- iime Hobby) The clues in the title with this bargain £1.99 round-up of indie nu- folk and electronica gems. featuring Fujiya & Miyagi, Malcolm Middleton and Sufian Stevens. Junior Boy’s Own: A Boy’s Own Odyssey Vol II (Defected) More acid-house nostalgia, with remixes by Terry Farley & The Misterons and exclusive tracks from the JBO back catalogue. Oakenfold Anthems (Rhino) Can you remember where you were when you first heard ‘Born Slippy' or Robert Miles’ ‘Children'? Oakenfold sprinkles his remix dust over 903 dance hits.
Gibbs and Michael Garrick are among the composers represented. alongside Miles. Coltrane and George Russell. (Kenny Mathieson)
4—18 Sep 2008 THE LIST 69
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