Review: Texan shoegaze arrivistes, Glare, share 'Heavenly'; the band's first proper EP-length release, it hotly follows their two drumroller single releases 'Into You' and 'Void In Blue', both released earlier in the year (yet they do not feature here). The EP hears Heavenly hone the best qualities of their sound so far, delivering a fiver of cataleptic overloads, and bottling a normally immiscible range of emotions - "love, loneliness, and anger" - where only the sonic medium of heavy-set rock gushes, and the act of averting one's gaze to the trodden, spirit-sodden floor, can succeed in integrating them. The EP's momentous shreds and viscid vocals are at times too much to muster for us sensitive types; we note the contrast of 'Bloom', 'Floating', 'Soft', 'Heavenly' with the closer 'Ghastly', a shocking tonal shift compared to the first four songs, its amped discordancy and snarled pickup grrs making it the standout of the bunch, yet also the most horrific; a well and truly drowned sorrow.
Review: Omena once again calls on the superb sounds of Golden Retriever for this adventurous new EP that very much takes you away from the here and now and deposits you somewhere warmer. 'Part Lake' opens up with the joys of a spring day - acoustic strings rippling out as sun beams down. 'Andro Dunos' slows to a crawl and has a more star-gazing feel while 'Digambara' is a gentle rhythm that casts you out to sea. Two variations of 'Modulations' allows you to get lost in some lush synth tapestries and 'Kizuna Encounter' then ends with another lovely sonic day dream that empties your mind.
Review: The DFA debut of longstanding member Jayson Green also signals the revival of the classic DFA twelve-inch format, so you might playfully suggest it stands for Dying Formats Always. Jay has lent his vocals to various bands such as Panthers, Violent Bullshit, Cheeseburger, and the renowned hardcore group Orchid, always showcasing his wit and humor without veering into cynicism. Assuming a bandleader role, he presents a classic A-side here with the low slung funk of 'Local Jerk,' which was recorded during a lively party. It has tight disco drums, resounding claps and a groove-inducing bassline with big horns. On the B-side, 'I Need Love' unfolds as a darkly humorous nightlife satire.
Review: Cocteau Twins' musical mastermind Robin Guthrie has produced some terrific solo records over the course of his career, frequently delivering material that joins the dots between ambient, ethereal soundscapes, shoegaze and the more immersive end of the soundtrack spectrum. 'Astoria' is the latest volume in the Scottish multi-instrumentalist and producer's ongoing EP series (its predecessor, 'Mountain', dropped in September). It's another typically gorgeous and enveloping affair in which effects-laden guitar motifs, gaseous ambient chords, gentle rhythms, ghostly aural textures and slowly shifting melodies combine to create instrumental sound worlds of rare beauty (if not sonic clarity - Guthrie's use of reverb and delay is liberal, which adds to its atmospheric nature but adds extra layers of attractively wide-eyed haziness).
Review: Outtakes, B-sides, rarities and previously unheard tracks from the proto-shoegaze heroes on what is the most comprehensive archival release from the band, spanning their earliest studio recordings to their final sessions. The double CD includes never-before-heard tracks like 'Shout You Down' from the Today sessions and 'I Wanna Live' from the On Fire sessions. Drummer Damon Krukowski remarked on the nostalgic experience of revisiting these recordings, likening it to opening an old journal. Bassist Naomi Yang reflected on the developmental journey captured in the tracks, highlighting the evolution of their collective sound and her own bass playing. Galaxie 500's three seminal albums, Today (1988), On Fire (1989), and This Is Our Music (1990), were all recorded with producer Kramer at Noise New York. This compilation completes the band's recorded output from those pivotal years, offering fans a deeper dive into their creative process.
Review: Uncollected Noise New York '88-'90 marks Galaxie 500's first new archival release in nearly three decades, presenting the most extensive collection of unreleased and rare material from the band. Spanning 24 tracks, this compilation includes the complete Noise New York studio recordings, outtakes and non-album tracks. The band meticulously compiled this collection, tracing their journey from their earliest studio moments to their final recordings. Featuring eight previously unheard tracks and rare, long-out-of-print studio material, Uncollected Noise New York '88-'90 offers a hidden history of the band's evolution from beginning to end. Produced and engineered by Kramer at Noise New York from 1988 to 1990, the album's packaging includes archival images and historical liner notes by the band. Galaxie 500's three studio albums include 'Today' (1988), 'On Fire' (1989), and 'This Is Our Music' (1990). 'Shout You Down' and 'I Wanna Live' are two standout tracks from this release with the band's raw and evolving sound on full display
Review: Elliot Galvin is a leading figure in UK jazz with four solo albums that have topped year-end lists in respected media outlets. He is also a member of the Mercury-nominated Dinosaur and has collaborated with key jazz cats such as Shabaka Hutchings, Emma-Jean Thackray and Norma Winstone. Known for his improvisational prowess, his latest solo album taps into that skill once more and is an entirely improvised record that takes in quiet beauty like the opener, more theatric drama on 'Still Under Storms' and world jazz sounds on 'High & Wide'.
Review: We Have Dozens of Titles by Gastr Del Sol is a treasure trove for fans, offering a glimpse into the experimental post-rock pioneers' journey from their Bastro roots to their groundbreaking work as Gastr Del Sol. This collection, curated from their 1993-1998 recordings, shows their evolution into sonic explorers, pushing the boundaries of post-rock with influences from musique concrete and free improv. The unearthed CBC recording from Festival International de Musique Actuelle de Victoriaville in 1997 is a highlight, featuring ethereal versions of familiar tracks like 'The Seasons Reverse' and 'Blues Subtitled No Sense of Wonder.''The live rendition of "Onion Orange' is a revelation, with Jim O'Rourke's kosmische synth waves intertwining seamlessly with David Grubbs' intricate guitar work. Additionally, the inclusion of rarities like 'The Harp Factory On Lake Street' and tracks from various compilations adds depth to the collection. Each track, whether a live performance or a studio recording, has been meticulously mastered or remastered by O'Rourke, enhancing the listening experience. We Have Dozens of Titles not only fills in gaps in Gastr Del Sol's discography but also exemplifies their innovative approach to music-making.
Review: Gastr del Sol might have gone their separate ways some 25 years ago, but they have recently taken the time to dig back into their fine archives. As a result they now serve up an alternate view of their superb, boundary breaking and genre busting run between 1993 and 1998 with a title box set, We Have Dozens Of Titles, on Drag City. Returning like a reverberating bolt from the blue, this album reignites the essence of the group and immerses listeners back into the whirlwind of their transformative era. It comprises previously uncaptured studio recordings and meticulously preserved unreleased live performances that all offer a captivating glimpse into the band's journey.
Review: Norwich is much more than the butt of Alan Partridge jokes it appears. Having turned their back on London and relocated to the East Anglian city, the three-piece - Joe Barton, Mickey Donnelly and Louie Rice - set up a rehearsal studio and recording space in a former brutalist shopping centre and sound like they've found inspiration. Venturing into recording with the dazzling sense of experimentation that we associate with the experimental rock scenes in Germany and France in the late 60s, they've come out gleaming. This is a highly contemporary stretching of what a band built around drums, bass, and synth with deliberately abstract vocals can do. On 'Judas Gap' they tear up the rule book and let the hiss of analog tape provide atmosphere. The bass guitar sound would likely give engineers at Abbey Road nightmares, but it's sort of the point: it's an irreverent counterpoint to pop music and there's beauty in recording things how they sound without masking it. 'Misprint Maker' is a fever dream, intense and unsettling but thrilling at the same time. 'Gipping' has what sounds like a cow as an intro. It's absurd but feels like The KLF would be proud. They played their first gig at Cafe Oto in Dalston and immediately found a label to release this album - it's no wonder they were snapped up as they're truly fascinating in their approach.
Review: Beth Gibbons has never saturated the market with her distinctive approach to singing and songwriting, choosing to leave the power of her contributions to Portishead and solo hanging in the air. That makes Lives Outgrown a truly exciting proposition, some 20 years after her last solo outing and simultaneously unique but naturally leading on from the magical Out of Season. The sonic content is layered differently, less folky and more like art rock embellished with electronics, but the melancholic, wistful melodic makeup feels absolutely rooted in Gibbon's approach throughout the years. This is the CD edition of a very welcome return from a truly unique treasure in British alternative music.
Review: Beth Gibbons releases her debut solo album Lives Outgrown. Notably containing ten songs that were in total written over the course of ten years, the overarching mood is one of saying farewell and musing on the bittersweetness of loss. The English singer and notable Portishead member's solo efforts often operate with this affect, but Gibbons' latest is of special import, given the length of time over which these songs were crafted and occasionally performed over the years. As demonstrated by lead track 'Floating On A Moment', the palette is soft and reflective, hitting only the softest dynamic notes, as Gibbons sings of unique lifetime journeys and a dealt-with sense of friends suffering being left behind.
Review: Even in the early days of Portishead it was apparent Beth Gibbons wouldn't just play the game and become an omnipresent star trotting out an album a year. Her reclusive nature adds to the enigma around her arresting voice, and it's allowed an album like 2002's Out Of Season to mature beautifully. It also means there's an undeniable thrill around the arrival of a new project, which takes shape here as Lives Outgrown. The lead single 'Floating On A Moment' sets the tone, sounding absolutely like the Gibbons we all know and love while heading into new territory, melding indie rock, folky romanticism and subtle sonic tweaks that assure us the wait has been worth it. This heavyweight vinyl addition comes with a booklet, as well as a download code.
Review: Alabama post-rock trio Glories share An Expanse Of Colour, a medially lowercase and lo-fi cruncher that nonetheless still delivers effectively sublime washes of wordless extremophile rock feeling. Recorded between 2020 and 2023, we find it no wonder that these compositions took years, as they resound like hefty undertakings for a collection of tracks allegedly born of the threesome's respective basements. Dedicated to the memory of their friend, a mood of loss and finality is also, as is often the case with Glories, present throughout, with 'Sad As The Fog standing out especially as the glacial dirge descendent upon said wake.
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