LIVE REVIEW: Anna Calvi - Komedia, Bath - 12th February 2014

Armed with shimmering second album One Breath and her Fender Telecaster guitar, British singer/songwriter Anna Calvi is back on tour, playing a modicum of European and UK dates. Her self-titled debut album won the once-shrinking-violet countless awards and a 9/10 from NME, a modern day rarity. 

With a blue sunny sky graphic as her backdrop, Calvi looked every bit as stunning and intriguing as before. As a performer, Calvi is irresistibly alluring – effortlessly commanding the attention of everyone present with an entrancing yet humble stage presence.

The Domino Records protégé opened with ‘Suzanne and I’ - a firm fan favourite from her debut. ‘Sing To Me’ oozed confidence and unmistakable sincerity about her craft, and the stunning ‘Cry’ was every bit femme fatale as it needed to be when played live.

Her cover of Bruce Springsteen’s ’Fire’ was the moment of the night for most, and her version of ‘Desire’ was incredibly special. Calvi’s encore was a real chance for her free, less inhibited side to shine. She barely spoke throughout the performance, which added even more to that undeniable mystique that wasn’t compromised once throughout the evening.

Calvi has previously spoken about once having a phobia of singing, and called it a ‘block’ on wanting to hear her own voice, this is probably the driving force as to why her vocals and guitar are now so acutely in harmony, having learned both skills at different times. Tonight was an intense, un-punctured performance from an incredibly exciting artist.

LIVE REVIEW: Kodaline @ O2 Academy Bristol 18/11/2013

Originally published at Middle Boop Mag: http://www.middleboopmag.com/music/live/live-kodaline-o2-academy-bristol-18112013

Radio friendly. Soft rock. One for the mums. These are some of the connotations that your mind may subconsciously throw up at the mention of Kodaline, and you could be forgiven for this for it’s certainly how they’ve been packaged. You’ll probably recognise them from tracks like ‘High Hopes’ and ‘Love Like This’, which are played religiously on the hour, every hour on Radio One.

Essentially, the Irish four-piece are all of these dreadful things, but (hang on in there) they were bloody good live, and their album In A Perfect World is bloody fantastic too, despite it all. They’ve been compared with Coldplay, Muse and The Script, so they really are a mixed bag of what some people might call 'easy listening'. 

The gig was comprised of 30 something’s and swooning teenage/a little older girls. Their album washed appreciatively over the crowd as they fiercely and some a little too intensely (listen to ‘High Hopes’ and imagine the person next to you wiping a tear from their eye and singing along in a rather wobbly voice)  lost their minds to their biggest hits.  

It was easy, it was pleasant, and for a gig on a Monday night after a rather messy weekend, they were just what the doctor would have prescribed, if doctors dabbled in events based remedies.  I entered the building jaded, over it before it had even begun. I left a fan, and listened to the album on repeat for upwards of a week. To all your high-brow muso's out there, initial thoughts deserve to be cast aside on this one. 

LIVE REVIEW: Disclosure @ O2 Academy Bristol 16/11/2013

Originally published at Middle Boop Mag: http://www.middleboopmag.com/music/live/live-disclosure-o2-academy-bristol-17112013

The Disclosure brothers, Guy and Howard Lawrence kicked off their eight-date UK tour at Bristol’s O2 Academy on Saturday night. The pop/house duo have been extremely busy since the release of their debut album Settle (which reached number one in the UK back in June) and their smattering of top 10 singles including ‘Latch’, ‘You And Me’ and ‘F For You’. The pair also played just about every summer festival going, and have just finished off a string of US and European dates.

Support came from Aussie music whizz- kid producer Flume, could there have been a better warm-up? Flume set the tone of the evening with his experimental and avant-garde beats, and took it beyond a gig, coupled with the fact is was a Saturday night, his tracks ‘Sleepless’, ‘Insane’, ‘Holdin On’ and ‘On Top’ went off in a huge way.

Disclosure’s sound was crisp, their set flawless, yet there was noticeably a certain lack of atmosphere. The boys didn’t really talk much between tracks, and it felt as if they were hammering through their set in the same fashion a check-out operator might idly scan through someone’s grocery shopping. It lacked a certain something, and although a joy to hear all of their summer infused tracks in succession, it felt as if you may as well be hearing them in some club played out by the resident DJ.

The highlight of their set was on last track ‘Latch’, which debuted at number one in the UK back in spring. Vocalist Sam Smith came to join them on-stage and his silky smooth vocals echoed around the room. The Disclosure album seemed to divide opinions, some found it amazing, some even stated it the best thing to happen to current dance music, others found it monotonous and sterile. This difference in opinion may well be true of their live shows too, but coming from a huge fan of the album, it was overall rather disappointing.

ALBUM REVIEW: Pink Martini – Get Happy (Wrasse Records)

Originally published in the print edition of French Entrée: November/December 2013. 

Pink Martini, fronted by China Forbes, formed in 1994. Get Happy is the groups’ sixth album, and sees the self titled ‘little orchestra’ doing what they do best, playfully genre hopping from classical, latin, jazz and classic pop. 

‘What‘ll I Do?’ is a highlight, with its spine tingling romanticism. Legendary singer/composer Rufus Wainwright also lends his delectable vocals on tracks ‘Kitty Come Home’ and ‘Get Happy’. 

Their glamorous blend of cafe culture ambience is nothing short of remarkable, with lyrics in German, Spanish, Japanese and Turkish. Get Happy is eclecticism at its very finest, to be enjoyed with a crisp glass of white on many a dusky summers eve.  

BOOK REVIEW: Bon Courage! A French Renovation in Rural Limousin, By Richard Wiles

Originally published in the print edition of French Entrée: November/December 2013. 

Author and journalist Richard Wiles is famed for a succession of DIY books, and was previously Senior Editor of Ideal Home Magazine. After a failed marriage and the loss of said job, Wiles felt compelled to embark on an ultimate DIY adventure all of his own. He, along with new partner Al, decided to renovate an uninhabitable, rodent infested barn in the picture perfect Limousin region. 

This autobiographical account of their trials and tribulations, titled thoughtfully Bon Courage (which is a French tongue- in-cheek expression, nodding knowingly to the enormity of life’s necessary and unexpected renovations) is a charming, easygoing and insightful read, and serves as great inspiration to anyone who is contemplating their own similar project. 

EP REVIEW: Best Coast - Fade Away

Originally published at Planet Notion: http://www.planetnotion.com/2013/10/18/ep-review-best-coast-fade-away/

It’s been a year since California’s favourite revivalist duo Best Coast released their second album, The Only Place.  Their new seven-track EP, Fade Away, featuring lead single ‘I Don’t Know’, shows Bethany Cosentino and multi-instrumentalist Bobb Bruno carrying on perfectly complimenting one another lyrically and sonically.

Opener ‘This Lonely Morning’ is a sunny grunge gem; Cosentino’s voice coming together with the track’s hazy guitars for a west coast gem. ‘I Wanna Know’, meanwhile, is a romantically yearning, girl-pop number, and in that classic Best Coast way, Cosentino’s self-deprecating charm is executed perfectly once again.

Title track ‘Fade Away’ ironically features the couplet, “I won’t change/I’ll stay the same.” And, that’s exactly what they’ve done. A couple of tracks into the EP, it becomes clear that Best Coast don’t plan on changing a single thing about their direction. ‘Baby I’m Crying’ leans towards more of a classic, sixties pop hue, with Bobb expertly matching Cosentino’s sentiment with each chord wrung from his guitar.

At times Fade Away is very self-indulgent, but it’s real and is a much needed, sun-drenched dose for fans to enjoy; sticking to much the same formula as their previous material. So, as you prepare to delve into the next chapter of Cosentino’s indie rock diary, get set for more heart-on-sleeve lyrics, unrequited love and hating on boys.

ALBUM REVIEW: Cults - Static

Originally published at Notion Magazine: http://www.planetnotion.com/2013/10/15/album-review-cults-static/

New York-based Madeline Follin and Brian Oblivion aren’t just sugary pop duo Cults, they were also lovers, but this has recently changed. Static is not just a farewell record, it’s a break-up record: perfectly channelling both sides of their split, but sadly putting a hold on Cults for the foreseeable future.

The pair first brought us their debut self-titled album in 2011. Static however sees them leave behind the twinkling dream pop haze of tracks like ‘Go Outside’ and other xylophone-based gems in favour of darker, more serious coming-of-age tracks.

The fact that they are creatively and quite literally parting ways adds additional intrigue to the aura of the record, and has manifested itself into their sound, pushing starry-eyed optimism out of the door. Second track in ‘I Can Hardly Make You Mine’ flows with that particularly surf-oriented strain of classic-but-treated rock that Best Coast do so well. Paired with shimmering synths and the scrummy vocals of cutie pie vocalist Follin, it has hit written all over it.

‘Always Forever’ is soothing and raw: “We could stay alone//together.” ‘High Road’ follows on in much the same tone, but is laced with a stinging, bittersweet taste. ‘Were Before’ treats us to an intimate back-and-forth vocal arrangement from both Follin and Oblivion, sounding tender and heart-rending.

‘So Far’ and final track ‘No Hope’ are charged, powerful numbers and finish the record on a high. What Cults do best is to skilfully unionise and pay homage to the past while weaving in the best from the current zeitgeist. Every track here sounds familiar but incredibly fresh all at once as a result. Static is a natural progression for them, and they have lost none of their original charm. Get set to be wowed and moved by this incredible collection of raw and incredibly personal love songs.

MIXTAPE REVIEW: Bloc Party Tapes - Kele Okereke

Originally published at Gigwise: http://www.gigwise.com/reviews/85054/bloc-party-tapes---remixed-by-kele-okereke-ik7

In June, Bloc Party claimed they were on an ‘indefinite hiatus’, yet fans haven’t been left feeling too starved of the London foursome after the unexpected release of EP, The Nextwave Sessions back in August. Before we knew it, news of another project was already on the cards in the guise of Bloc Party Tapes, an eclectic mixtape produced by frontman Kele Okereke.

The release is part of Berlin based record label’s !k7’s tape series, which has previously featured mixtapes from the likes of Foals, the Rapture and The Big Pink. The mixtape will also be available in a limited-edition cassette format.

This incredibly fresh sounding collection of tracks is a real treat for fans of Bloc Party, and lovers of the more left-field side of dance in general. It’s no secret that Okereke is a bit of a ‘dance head’, the mixtape takes us through his intriguing mind, his love for beats and appreciation of post-rock, Afrobeat, dance, electro, house, and ambient.

The mixtape features a Sticky remix of Wiley’s ‘Numbers in Action’, French producer French Fries’ ‘Space Alarm’ and an offering of Bloc Party’s very own track ‘Obscene’, one of the ‘slow ones’ from The Nextwave Sessions mixed by Okereke himself.

We can rest assured and relax in the knowledge that this second solo venture of his isn’t the end for Bloc Party, but very much the opposite. When describing what it felt like to make the tape he compared it to, “having an affair”, and promised that it was for the, “betterment of Bloc Party”, who have always cited dance as their main influence from the very beginning.

ALBUM REVIEW: Chase and Status - Brand New Machine (Virgin)

Originally published at Gigwise: http://www.gigwise.com/reviews/84765/chase-+-status---brand-new-machine-virgin#7or88fcS3hRXcWZy.01

It’s fair to say we all have a little place in our hearts for Chase and Status. They have soundtracked many a pre-drinks session and been the last song played at the sixth form prom, all the while managing to sustain a notable amount of industry credibility and an underground following. 

What they have created is an ‘accessible’ underground, which everyone felt like they could a part of without feeling like too much of a dick, or being compelled to attend drum and bass nights and dance like they were on pills to FEEL like a fan. And, it’s for this very reason that their debut album More Than A Lot, absolutely blew up.

Now, three albums in, can duo Saul Milton & Will Kennard still successfully walk the tightrope between commercial and underground? They more than managed to with second LP No More Idols which went platinum, and with tracks like ‘Blind Faith’ and ‘End Credits’, which were just absolutely perfect, was it any wonder?

The first we heard of Brand New Machine was lead single ‘Lost and Not Found’, which is particularly reminiscent of the band's biggest hits. It makes you feel as if life is rushing past in an almost apocalyptic manner, deep sadness set aside whooshing dance beats.

Another jewel is current single ‘Count On Me’ featuring vocals from Moko, it’s a veritable a feast of retro rave euphoria. In a very Chase and Status manner, they have really honed in on that expansive ‘hype’ sound they are famed, for while throwing in a dose of cheesy (albeit earwormingly catchy) 90’s house, something we haven’t ever heard from them before.

What this record embodies is the ability to supply a pick ‘n mix of the many strains of dance music, anything from a bit of techno on the album’s opener ‘Gun Metal Grey’, pop garage on ‘Blk and Blu’ and trip hop which takes centre stage on ‘Heaven Knows’, ‘Like That’, and ‘What Is Right’.

Brand New Machine, as a title, is an almost ironic play on words. It is nothing new, more a homage to dance music from the last two decades, and who better than the Chase and Status boys to take us on this journey.

ALBUM REVIEW: Mazzy Star - Seasons of Your Day (Rhymes of an Hour Records)

Originally published at Middle Boop Mag: http://www.middleboopmag.com/music/albums/mazzy-star-seasons-your-day-rhymes-hour-records

If you’re from my generation, you could probably be forgiven for not being too familiar with Mazzy Star. As you were probably about six, so unless you were very serious/withdrawn as a child, their blend of narcotic, minimalist blues would understandably have gone straight over your head. After a lofty seventeen-year-hiatus, their most commercially successful track ‘Fade into You’ will no doubt still ring many a bell. The 1990’s saw three very solid LP’s from the Santa Monica pair, and one can’t help but wonder what is it that’s driven the duo to record this album, it must be something pretty special.

Vocalist Hope Sandovol and guitarist David Rodback neatly carved out a unique sound those many years ago. They were special, and didn’t seem to conform or compromise with the times. 17 years since their last LP, they are back with Seasons Of Your Day. A couple of seconds into the album and it is crystal clear that surrealist, dream-pop isn’t going anywhere.

If you’re looking for some modern contemporaries think the vocals of Lana Del Rey, the emotion or Beach House or the stripped back wholeness of PJ Harvey. The record begins with ‘In The Kingdom’ a soft, delicate and extremely flowery opener. ‘California’ ekes of sadness, ‘I think I’m going back’ it swoons, in a defeatist, bittersweet tone.

There are moments where the record takes us to a very chilled, country and western infused space, (‘I’ve Gotta Stop’, ‘Does Someone Have Your Baby Now?’). A standout track would have to be ‘Common Burn’, which manages to sum up the full kaleidoscope of human emotion when it comes to love in a mere 5.10 minutes.

Seasons of Your Day is a delicious slice of bluesy Americana. Mazzy Star’s agenda was clearly not to run with the times and show us that they are Back and ‘Better Than Ever. They are back, sure, but in the same amazingly brilliant way that they first arrived.