#296: Parquet Courts - Sunbathing Animal

When you think of punk, Brooklyn’s Parquet Courts might not be the first band to spring to mind. And indeed, why should they? They certainly don’t adhere to the leather, bristles studs and acne uniform that typical punk conforms to. Their sound isn’t inherently punk either, at least not in the British sense of the genre. Parquet Courts are in fact rooted far more deeply in the art-punk of their hometown in the ’70s and ’80s, more Black Francis than Black Flag. And with Sunbathing Animal, their third full-length, the band look set to further their already impressive reputation.

This review was originally written for Far Out Magazine. Click here to read in full.

#276: Mac DeMarco - Salad Days

Born Vernor Winfield McBriare Smith IV, it's easy to see why Canadian singer/songwriter Mac DeMarco has eschewed his birth name in favour of something far more in keeping with the singer's slacker image. It's difficult these days to find mention of DeMarco's name without the S-word being banded about so readily, thanks in no small part to his 2012 debut 2. Now it seems however, that DeMarco is eager to, not quite shake off any of the slacker ambivalence of his debut, but to build on it, bringing to the fore the luscious melodies of '60s pop and interspersing it with moments of lite-psychedelia and the college rock of more contemporary acts such as Beulah. 

This review was originally written for Far Out Magazine. Click here to read in full.

#266: Brown Brogues - Zoloto (EP review)

Since moving from Wigan to Manchester, scuzzy two-piece Brown Brogues have developed somewhat of a cult following over the last four or five years with their fusion of guttural garage rock, bluesy vibes and punk ethos. Think the MC5, jamming with The Stooges by way of The Black Keys, all wrapped up in the spit’n'sawdust surrounds of one of Manchester’s many dive bars, and you won’t be far off the mark. With Record Store Day 2014 just around the corner, it seems justifiable that such a cult band should want to celebrate the occasion by releasing Zoloto, their first EP since 2012′s Born to Lose.

This review was originally written for Far Out Magazine. Click here to read in full.

#255: Eagulls - Eagulls

Bridging the divide between the post-punk of the 1980s, and 1990s slacker rock, Leeds-based five-piece Eagulls are a band whose name has found itself in my inbox rather regularly of late. The handful of singles the quartet have released, coupled by their appearance at last year’s SXSW festival, has whipped up a veritable shit-storm of anticipation for their eponymous début, released in March. And while the hype machine does have a tendency to big up those within it’s clutches more often than is usually warranted, it seems Eagulls’ explosive combination of snarling punk cynicism and lo-fi aesthetics are worth every ounce of hyperbole.

This review was originally written for Far Out Magazine. Click here to read in full.

#236: Drowners - Drowners

With a named derived from the first Suede single and a sound somewhat akin to the bastard spawn of The Strokes and The Libertines, not to mention their recent tarring with the “britpop revival” brush, you would be forgiven for thinking that indie-pop four-piece Drowners were from London. As it happens, however (with the exception of frontman Matt Hitt – who hails from South Wales) all the members of the band are from the States, New York to be exact. Something hardly surprising when you hear Hitt’s occasional Casablancas vocals, or clock the CBGB leather jackets.

This review was originally written for Far Out Magazine. Click here to read in full.

#226: Thee Oh Sees - Singles Collection: Vol 3

As a reviewer, it goes without saying that some of the music you’re tasked with writing about won’t always be to your taste. When this happens, it’s usually quite easy to be able to say why you don’t like it, and then go on to pick out some redeeming features of the record. What can also happen, though thankfully not all that often, is you’re given a record and, even after five or six listens, you still haven’t formed a solid opinion on the piece. One such album was Singles Collection: Vol 3 from San Fran psychers, Thee Oh Sees.

This review was orignally written for Far Out Magazine. Click here to read in full.

#224: Grizzly Bear - Shields: Expanded

Originally released in September 2012, Grizzly Bear’s Shields was a wonderfully rich album of lush compositions and textures. Musically it was an adventurous step for the band, expanding on the ground laid by three previous albums in almost every aspect; lyrically it saw the band expand even further, weaving a loose narrative thread deftly in to a dense patchwork of contemporary folk and neo-psych in what was an important decision for the band. “For this record, it was really important for us to try and make sure that lyrics had a weight to them and at least some sense of a narrative” proclaimed bassist and producer Chris Taylor “There were lyrics in previous albums that seemed to have no meaning whatsoever. And that always really annoyed me.” Fortunately for Taylor, it seems as if his wishes came true, as the lyricism across Shields manages to distil an almost feeling of both romantic and platonic distance, that always teeters on the edge of loneliness, without ever headlong in to the gaping abyss beneath. Now, fourteen months after the record’s initial release, the band have released Shields: Expanded, a collection of b-sides and remixes that never made the album’s original cut but are finally seeing the light of day.

This review was originally written for Far Out Magazine. Click here to read in full.

#210: Wooden Shjips - Back to Land

Having never been privy to the sounds and stylings of San Fran psych-rockers Wooden Shjips before now, I approached this review with some degree of caution. Not because I’m adverse to hearing something unfamiliar, of course, but because with words such as ‘experimental’ surrounding the band, one simply didn’t know what to expect. As it happens, however, Back to Land, the band’s fourth album, proves to be a far easier and more cohesive listen than anticipated; gone are the 8 minute freak-out jams of previous releases, allowing for a more streamlined, almost concise record, all the while keeping the band’s psy-soaked idiosyncrasies intact.

This review was originally written for Far Out Magazine. Click here to read in full.