Kill Rock Music

This week saw an unprecedented amount of new material come my way, recommended by people both imaginary and real, passing in one ear and out the other, rattling a few synapses on its way through the vacuum. It’s all decent (or else I wouldn’t bother reviewing it), but some sticks out more than others. Given the short time I’ve had with each album, my perceptions might change once I’ve had more of a chance to digest them, but these are my initial perceptions. Starting with my favourites from the week, and working my way down (roughly in order of likeability) I present you with 10(!) albums out recently that are, to a certain degree, worth your attention.

The Raveonettes – In & Out of Control

I’ve been a fan of the Raveonettes since their first EP, Whip It On, was released in 2002, and was always surprised that their noisy pop punk never got more critical or commercial love. The comparisons to the Jesus and Mary Chain are numerous, inevitable and to a great extent true, but it’s not like that band patented noisy, distortion riddled pop, and I really like the Raveonettes approach to combining this noise with elements of sixties Spectorish (both Phil and Ronnie) girl group wall of sound (Ronnie Spector even guested on 2005’s Pretty in Black). Whip It On (recorded entirely in B-flat minor) and Chain Gang of Love (all B-flat major) were highlights in my book, and then the Raveonettes got a bit lost in their own influences and forgot to do their own thing with Pretty in Black. 2007’s Lust Lust Lust was pretty good, but still lacking a bit of the magic of the first two albums. I am happy to report that In & Out of Control is probably their best album yet, where they have finally perfected their brand of gutter punk noise pop, incorporating the happy, sad, loud, angry, poppy and noisy elements of their sound that, until now, were never all present at once. First off, this album is catchy as hell. You can sing along to any of these tunes, although, given lyrical content (more on that in a second), I would not suggest doing so in public. The album alternates between sunshiney pop (like opener ‘Bang!’) and noisier dark moments like ‘Break Up Girls!’ (They also seem to have developed a fondness for exclamation marks). The best (and oddest) moments are when they combine these elements into dark, compelling bits of sweetness, like album standout ‘Suicide’. The starkest example of this is an incredibly poppy ditty called, um, ‘Boys Who Rape (Should All be Destroyed)’. The lyrics are as dark as the title suggests, but it sounds like a 50s Brill Building creation, complete with bright a capella Beach Boys-type harmonising at the end. The album brings a great big smile to my face, at least until I realise what I’m humming along to. I’m glad these guys are back in top form and I hope this sells well.

Mission of Burma – The Sound The Speed The Light

This album, Built to Spill’s new one, Lucero’s, and the Mumford and Sons release are all pretty good but not quite mind blowing, and it’s hard to pick a favourite, so these are kind of in no particular order. Mission of Burma continue their improbably great renaissance as post-punk behemoths. The band released two stone-cold classic albums in the early 80s – Signals, Calls & Marches and Vs. - before breaking up. They reformed in 2002, releasing ONoffON in 2004 and The Obliterati in 2006. Both albums were consistently great and a worthwhile and essential addition to their catalogue, and The Sound The Speed The Light continues on with this solid comeback. As per their reputation, the band is awesomely muscular and tight in their playing. Opener ‘1,2,3, Partyy!’ seems pretty lighthearted given their usual dour attitudes, but it plays out as an admonition against, rather than rally for, the aforementioned Partyy. Second track ‘Possession’ stands out from the crowd as a bruising footstomp of a song, catchy but also a bit brutal (as Mission of Burma do best). ‘Forget Myself’ and ‘Comes Undone’ are likewise strong and pummelling. Good Cheer is the closest you can get to a singalong, or at least a good, beery yelling session. The rest of the album is good, and any Mission of Burma fan should definitely pick it up. The one complaint (and one that can be levelled at the group’s output as a whole since their reunion) is the lack of really memorable hooks. These songs keep your toe tapping when you’re listening to them, but they’re not exactly earworms that burrow into long-lasting memory. This doesn’t diminish from the sheer power of these songs (I can see how guitarist/vocalist Roger Miller developed severe tinnitus) and it’s an enjoyable album to listen to repeatedly. Still, those new to MoB’s music should pick up one either Signals or Vs., both of which have some truly memorable songs (even if you’re not an MoB fan, you’ll probably recognise Signals’ ‘That’s When I Reach for My Revolver’). However, I’m glad to see these guys continue to build on their reputation, 27 years after their heyday.

Lucero – 1372 Overton Park

Lucero have been around for 10 years now, but aren’t the best known of alt-country bands. The whole concept of ‘alt-country’ has become somewhat stretched and misshapen (often in delightful ways) since bands like Uncle Tupelo and Whiskeytown first brought a bit of a punk rock raucousness into a somewhat (and increasingly) staid country tradition. Bands like Jeff Tweedy’s post-Uncle Tupelo band Wilco have incorporated welcome additions into this sound, but the results often have little in common with the original conception of alt-country. While this is not a bad thing, it’s nice to have a band like Lucero, who hews pretty closely to the Uncle Tupelo idea of alt-country, while adding their own flavour to the proceedings. 2002’s Tennessee was a real highlight for the group, with somewhat diminishing returns in their output since. The band feels re-energised on 1372 Overton Park though, and produce their best work in a while. They haven’t strayed far from their workmanlike approach to the songs, but have augmented it slightly with a few more horns adding a little texture to their songs. Vocalist Ben Nichols has always had a strangled sound in delivering his vocals. This approach works best when there’s real passion behind his delivery, and he’s on fine form on a lot of tracks on this release, utilising both rowdy yelling and sadder crooning. ‘What are You Willing to Lose’ is probably the best distillation of the good qualities of this album. It’s recognisably Lucero, but shows enough passion and nuance to make it stand out from some of the band’s other releases. It hangs together well as an album, as well as having some damn catchy tunes. With time, I might grow to love this one as much as Tennessee.

Mumford & Sons – Sigh No More

I started to hear a bit of over-adulatory press about these London folksters a little while ago, and finally got around to hearing them. I was pleasantly surprised, and feel they are definitely worthy of some, but not all, their praise. First things first, this band does absolutely nothing original. Folk Rock has enjoyed a significant renaissance in the past year or two, with Fleet Foxes, Iron & Wine, Bon Iver, My Morning Jacket, Cherry Ghost and numerous others bringing a backwoodsy sound back to indie music. Mumford and Sons sounds almost like some Frankenstein’s monster-like super group of most of those bands, with instrumentation courtesy of My Morning Jacket and Fleet Foxes (with Broken Records stepping in for a few guest numbers) and Elvis Perkins and Cherry Ghost’s Simon Aldred stepping in on vocals. Originality is often overrated in music though, and Mumford and Sons do right memorable, effective and affective music. I like the CD a lot and will probably listen to it regularly. I’m less sure of their staying power, as it might be hard for them to stay relevant and distinctive in an ever-crowded field of like-minded groups. I’m predicting a backlash against all these similar-sounding folk-rock groups soon, and Mumford and Sons might be the last group able to get away with this type of music (at least critically) without bringing anything new to the mix.

Built to Spill – There is No Enemy

I came upon Built to Spill after a lot of people felt their best moments had passed. The first album I purchased, Ancient Melodies of the Future, was seen by many of their fans as a weak effort, but I enjoyed it enough to purchase 2006’s follow-up, You in Reverse. This still stands as my favourite Built to Spill release (even after acquiring their earlier works), and I tend to prefer their loud, careening songs to their softer, poppier moments. This makes their new release one that’s a bit of a disappointment for me, but a welcome addition for those who prefer their Built to Spill to be less loud and meandering. The songs on TiNE tend to be shorter in nature (although three of the eleven tracks top six minutes) and a little more subdued. I still enjoy Built to Spill in this mode, but I just didn’t find they embraced their poppy side quite enough to make it work. This makes the songs sound a bit indulgent, even when they aren’t. I think this album will be a grower though, rather than one that grabs you right off, so I look forward to spending more time with it over the next few months.

Gogol Bordello – Live from Axis Mundi

I really like the gypsy folk punk of Gogol Bordello, and I’ve always heard it’s a wonder to behold live. Unfortunately, I’ve never had the chance to see them in concert, but this DVD gives me some indication of what it would be like. And, wow… I can just imagine how much energy must be coursing through the walls when you’re there in person. The DVD is the real draw of this CD/DVD combo, capturing the second of their tour-ending hometown gigs at New York’s Fillmore at Irving Plaza. The band starts off strong and energetic, playing songs mostly off their last two albums (2005’s Gypsy Punks Underdog World Strike and 2007’s Super Taranta!). They really hit their stride with an absolutely ferocious and exciting rendition of Forces of Victory, with all of the band playing hard enough to likely render various appendages into nothing more than bloody stumps. The second half is ever-innovative, minute-to-minute (and often second-to-second) excitement, especially when the whole crew is on stage, including two dancers cum percussionists cum backup singers, rapper/rebel rouser Pedro Erazo, plus the core guitar, bass and accordion. Ringmaster Eugene Hutz and mad violinist/oldster Sergey Ryabtsev are the real stars though, with Hutz especially lively, climbing into the balcony and generally rallying the troops. They play music that is meant to be seen live, and the DVD is a good substitute for those of us who can’t see it in person. The accompanying CD is a bit of a let-down in comparison, collecting a few BBC session versions of songs, a few demos and two non-album tracks. It would have been nice to have an audio copy of the live show, as the fun and energy would be evident even without the visuals.

The Twilight Sad – Forget the Night Ahead

I liked the Twilight Sad’s debut, Fourteen Autumns & Fifteen Winters, and their gloomy but anthemic approach to songwriting. I heard a couple of songs off this follow-up earlier in the year and was excited by what I heard. The album as a whole is, well, just TOO much of a good (or, as the case may be, gloomy) thing. In small doses of a song or two, the Twilight Sad punch with the best of them, producing a midnight black vision of life (I’m beginning to think the Scots should take more holidays to sunny places) that’s still catchy and great to listen to. This formula becomes a real slog over a full album though, especially when they rarely (if ever) deviate from their loud, dark and bombastic pattern. Give it a spin for sure, but maybe not if you’re suicidal.

The Mountain Goats – The Life of the World to Come

John Darnielle’s Mountain Goats get quite a bit of love in indie folk rock circles, but they’re not a band I’ve ever loved with a passion like their fans love them. I really like last year’s Heretic Pride though, and would like to get more acquainted with the band. I think I’ll listen more to Heretic Pride to acquaint myself than the new one, however. TLotWtC (god I hate acronyms) is pleasant enough, built around lessons Darnielle learned from the bible (all the songs are named after biblical verses, but Darnielle says it’s not an overtly religious record). Maybe I’d draw more from it if I wasn’t a God-fearing (or teasing) heathen and knew the biblical verses he references, but musically the album doesn’t add up as nicely as previous Goats’ efforts. I like the passion behind Heretic Pride, and feel it very rarely on the new release, with only ‘Psalms 40:2’ showing a bit of excitement. A couple of songs are real beauties though, with ‘Deuteronomy 2:10’s tender piano line giving it some pathos, and ‘Ezekiel 7 and the Permanent Efficacy of Grace is as thoughtful as its title. I think that Mountain Goats’ releases tend to take a while to reveal their charms, so this one might grow on me in time too.

Port O’Brien – Threadbare

I was initially charmed by Port O’Brien’s energy in their sea shanty folk rock and thought they had potential after last year’s All We Could Do was Sing. Since then, this whole indie-folk-rock-pirate thing has really taken off, and I’m starting to think other bands do it better than poor ol’ Port O’Brien. The new album proves me right to a certain extent, as it has little to distinguish it from all the other folky bands rising from the popularity of a lot of the bands mentioned in my take on Mumford and Sons. A few songs fare a bit better, with Tree Bones causing a few toes to tap, and Calm Me Down drawing on a certain longing that builds over its six and a half minutes. Originality is not necessary in loving music, but P.O.’s atmospheric, spaghetti western Americana lacks energy and hooks as well as originality, leaving this distinctly in the backwoods of the new folk rock movement.

Florence + The Machine – You’ve Got the Love (The XX Remix)

Well, even after this week’s marathon session of new releases, I still wanted to bring this track to your attention. Eschewing the traditional inessential nature of remixes, this remix (more like a collaboration between the two artists) is actually quite good. The XX pretty much rebuild the track from the ground up, taking only Florence’s vocals and a bit of her instrumentation, and making the rest of the track sound like a good XX track. This is a pretty nifty little combination of two of my favourite artists of the year so far. See you next week!

The Raveonettes - Suicide

Mission of Burma - Possession

Lucero - What are You Willing to Lose

Mumford & Sons - I Gave You All

Built to Spill - Life’s a Dream

Gogol Bordello - American Wedding (BBC Sessions)

The Twilight Sad - Reflection of the Television

The Mountain Goats - Psalms 40:2

Port O’Brien - Tree Bones

Florence + The Machine - You’ve Got the Love (The XX Remix)