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Category: Music Review

  • Carosel: Star EP Review

    Carosel - Star

    I’ve written about Carosel before so it won’t be a surprise to anyone for me to say I really like them. Their long awaited Star EP is set for release on January 28th.

    The Parisian based Irish duo of Michelle Phelan and Pete McGrane possess a pop sound with flourishes of jazz, soul and bossa nova rhythms topped off with a retro feel, making their sound one to cherish.

    The four track EP starts with the title track, ‘Star’ (A Previous Tune of  The Week). Catchy rhythms off set with piano and a infectious bass line make this instantly memorable. Phelan’s vocals are beautifully understated, which seem to play nicely in opposition to the song lyrically, (it’s about celebrity culture)  and her choral harmonies  bounce out of the stereo.

    Production throughout the EP is second to none, everything meshes seamlessly.  There are nice little surprises for the listener, accordians, military style drum sounds, quirky little swirls you can’t quite put your finger on. Carosel manage to show us different sides to them while maintaining their retro feel. ‘Something’ is a throwback to the sixties but remains contemporary with its synth lines.

    ‘Easy’ starts off stripped back to just guitar and finger clicks. Phelan’s vocals are more to the fore here and the addition of the male backing vocals add something a little different.  Delicate brass and double bass make this a track for a Summer’s evening.

    ‘Take Me‘ is a bold and brash song with a memorable hook.  Great use of strings add to the fat bass sound.  A great pop song that should be on your radio.

    Carosel are different. While many are trying to be the next great indie band, they have stood tall and produced a great EP of pop delights. Now where’s album number 2 please?

  • Clockwork Radio: The Soul Harmonic Review

    Clockwork RadioBased in Manchester, Clockwork Radio spent 2010 recording and releasing two EPs. The second of which is The Soul Harmonic which was released in November. They dabble in rock with a dash of electro for good measure and have also had airplay on BBC Radio One and 6 music.

    ‘Please You’ immediately fits into the current electro Manchester scene. It’s immaculately produced and has great rock drums interwoven with a fat bass and beautifully mixed vocals. The band aren’t afraid to show their prog rock side, chunks of the song are instrumental but that doesn’t take away from it. Maybe a radio edit would benefit. Definitely the best tune on the EP.

    The band lean more to the rock side for the E.P. ‘Soltaire’ is a rock song with a melodic vocal line and stays true to prog rock in production and song structure as does ‘Desire’. It veers towards the blues in rhythm and some clever guitar hooks push it more towards that genre.

    The title track ‘Soul Harmonic’ starts with rival guitar lines vying for your attention. There’s an airy production to this with a Spanish guitar feel and nice vocal harmonies. It’s a tad confusing though, ‘Please You’ seems to be in one genre while the rest of a Clockwork Radio’s music is definitely more prog rock.

    The band are good at both but given how good ‘Please You’ is I’d love to see more of that.

    (Player and Download link after the jump)

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  • Saccade: Force of Habit Review

    Force of HabitGetting a pre release copy of a new release is a good thing, getting it before anyone even knows the master exists can be a bit of a kick. Especially if it’s good.

    Saccade made their way to our airwaves during 2010 with tracks like ‘Wastin my Time’ and ‘See How They Fly’, given the quality of the album ‘Force of Habit’, 2011 should be a good year for them.

    The album starts with the no nonsense rocking of ‘Wasting Me Time’. Despite the fact that there are a few previous singles here, I love that Saccade have obviously put the same amount of work into tracks I haven’t heard before. Production or song writing quality doesn’t dip. Throughout the album Saccade show us that while they do have their own sound, each track is different enough never to become boring. The sexed up ‘Last Tango’ sits perfectly on this album with the piano led ‘Hang On’.

    Tracks already released to radio seem to act as chapter markers on the disc, introducing us to a new aspect of the band each time. Chances of pace and style don’t throw this album at all. We are guided through ebb and flow that is ‘Force of Habit’ with ease.

    It’s hard to pinpoint Saccade’s influences here, there are hat tips to the Chilis and Foo Fighters but its also so diverse that “Muff’ features vocals that Simon Le Bon would be thrilled to do.

    It’s great to see the first new album of 2011 be an album, a complete collection. This gives an amazing insight into the talent that is Saccade. Loving this album, it gets better with every listen. This could be their year. (more…)

  • Terence Rowlands: Beta Review

    Terence Rowlands BetaThere are albums that come along, without fuss or hype and grow into our consciousness through word of mouth firstly, then by the immense talent that drips from every note played. Beta by Terence Rowlands is such an album.

    From the first notes of the opener ‘Overplayed’, its obvious the Rowlands is passionate about what he’s doing. It just adds a extra spark to the whole thing. Overplayed blends piano, guitar and strings with Rowlands’ honest vocals being centre of attention – and rightly so. The laidback country ‘Junkstore’ follows with its subtly addictive vibe.

    Beta is full of acoustic led songs, delicately fused. Despite the fact the Rowlands said ‘It was recorded in stages around the country, in flats, houses and my brothers garage’ and because of this he had to do all the instrumentation separately himself, you don’t get a disjointed feeling at all.

    Throughout the album there are indications of where Rowlands influences lie, vocally somewhere between Jason Downs, Adam Duritz and Thom Yorke. Rowlands has used his time to beautifully meld them together to produce something beautiful and quite unheard in a while round these parts.  (more…)