It’s been a slow year for me musically, by now I’d normally have a few end of year albums locked in but not this time. On the plus side this has given me a lot more time to listen to the stuff that I missed last year. So I’m going to start with the 3 albums I think are worth your time and 2 from last year that might be of interest.
Poppy Ackroyd
Resolve Reimagined
Poppy is a neo classical composer who incorporates some electronica in her music. Here she’s handed over her latest album to some of my favourite producers at the moment and what we get is a brilliant remix album that hangs together perfectly as an album. Heavy on piano, it might never make a dance floor but it’s more than enough to get your head nodding.
Max Cooper remix
Floex remix
Foals
Everything not saved
So I really didn’t like the first few tracks released off this album, and honestly it put me off bothering to actually listen to the album when it come out.
Well that was stupid.
But I have to say I am surprised, the tracks I didn’t like, work really well in context. While the last album was more straight ahead rock, this goes back to the more post punk – funk sound they made their name with. I’m really looking forward to seeing this live.
In degrees
Gold
Why aren’t you laughing?
So I asked a few years ago where the angry music was. As far as I could hear, bands were becoming more and more politically bland, in fear of scaring off listeners. It would seem that I just wasn’t listening to the right acts. Over the last year I’ve been listening to more and more acts with women on them and they are furious, and to be honest, unless you’re a Red Piller, you can see their point.
The album is built on post punk but moves effortlessly into metal without it being that obvious it changed, it’s mainly the way the drummer alters his playing that causes the shift. It’s not something I’m used to but I really like it here. Milena Eva sings in quite an unusual style, slightly flat, with a touch of Nico about her, but she has much more range with her performance. While she can be rather cold, with the lyrics being quite narrative, there is quite a bit of drama going on here, but as I’ve said before, that’s not going to put people like you and me off. It’s only really as the music builds and the anger rises does her icy veneer crack and the depth of her character get out.
The album isn’t all anger, there are stories of broken hearts as well but it’s the anger that seems to push the band to their best place, the title track, Why aren’t you laughing is the best example of what they do. The song was released on International women’s day according to the band it’s “a feminist statement, as well as a protest against the decline of civilisation”. By the time the song ends on the repeated phrase “Would it kill you to smile” they leave you in no doubt of what they think is wrong.
Crippled Black Phoenix
Great Escape
CBP are a really pissed off band. The opening track here “You brought this upon yourselves” is built from various samples about Society being sick and SIlent Running dialogue, but it works nicely for an album that is angry but not shouty. Great Escape has a seething rage but it’s never used as a blunt force. The album is somewhere between goth, post rock and prog in a mix that I’ve never heard anyone come close to sounding like before.
There are Sci Fi synths, towering solos and an inventive way of keeping things fresh over a far too long running time. This album is 1hr 13mins. No one needs an album that long (Maybe that’s just me)
I may be making this all sound very tense but it’s not overwhelming, there is a defiant hope running through the album, a you and me against the world that I’m always a sucker for shows up in the catchy first song, To You I give with the insanely catchy chorus
“We’ll make it right
Hope we’ll still be here tomorrow
No need to cry
Fearing something we can conquer”
CBP preach togetherness as much as anger and these days we need both.
You know, I never quote lyrics and maybe it’s because of last night’s GoT but the song Rain Black, Reign Heavy has the lines
“Damn the dark, praise the light
I choose to bleed, I choose life
I choose to live, I choose to fight”
You have to love it 🙂
Jaye Jayle
No Trail and other unholy paths
So if you like the deep voiced, kind of country grit of Mark Lanagan, then you might want to check this album out.
It’s nothing too showy, and works far better listening in one sitting that individual tracks. But if you’re looking for dust dry music, sung by a man with a gravelly voice this will be right up your alley, it’s a great mix of Americana and alt rock, even the unexpected sax that turns up in places fits well. Don’t expect firework but enjoy a great, well made, slow burning album.
The ways of exile 