#249: Kevin Devine - Soup Kitchen, Manchester - 6/02/14

Gig review: Kevin Devine - Soup Kitchen, Manchester - 6/02/14

This review was originally written for Muso's Guide. Click the link above to read in full.

#200: Bear's Den - Deaf Institute, Manchester - (4/11/13)

Gig review: Bear's Den, Deaf Institute, Manchester - 4/11/13

This review was originally written for Muso's Guide. Click the link above to read in full.

#183: Kevin Devine - Bulldozer

Album review: Kevin Devine - Bulldozer (2013)

This review was originally written for Muso's Guide. Click the link above to read in full.

#182: Kevin Devine - Bubblegum

Album review: Kevin Devine - Bubblegum (2013)

This review was originally written for Muso's Guide. Click the link above to read in full.

#178: Dave Hause - Devour

Album review: Dave Hause - Devour (2013)

This article was originally written for Muso's Guide. Click above to read the full review.

#167: Plainview - Years From Now (EP review)

Lancaster's Plainview are a band brought together, not by a shared appreciation of a certain genre but by a mutual ethos that merges aspects and elements from a plethora of musical stylings and a variety of previous experiences. This fusion of genres has allowed the band to create a sound that's not only fresh and varied but also wistfully nostalgic. There's a certain romantic energy about the ideas the band have, after all, why should a band be pigeon-holed in to playing just one kind of music when there's so much more at their disposal? And whilst most of the tracks from most recent EP Years From Now were available online prior to it's release, it's not until the songs are paired next to each other in EP form than the diversity at play really begins to reveal itself.

It's clear from even an initial listen that Years From Now aims to take listeners on a journey from genre to genre. First track, 'Golden Sound', is an indie-pop anthem which sees suitably jangly guitars paired with crashing symbols to make for an infectious and ultimately accessible introduction to the world of Plainview whilst other tracks on the record, such as 'Drift Away' eschews the youthful optimism of other tracks in favour of a darker, more matured and stripped down aesthetic. A clearly discernible bass guitar rolls the track forward, and lends some weight to the otherwise floaty vocals and guitar work of singer Darren Leadsom. It's a fine example of the musicianship within the band and one which iterates the lack of generic convention across the record brilliantly.

The records climax comes in the form of 'Warmth of the Sun', a five minute grungey shoegaze affair that features dreamy vocals from Leadsom and a particularly effective wall of noise forming the backdrop on which the lyricism can paint. Melodic vocal harmonies compliment what guitar can occasionally be picked out of the caustic tumult it creates. It's blissed out shoegaze at it's most commercial and yet a further example of just how little regard the band have for musical confines.

When bands try to give every track from a record a different vibe or aesthetic, it often comes across as fragmented and forced, tracks never truly roll in to each other one feels they should. That isn't the case with Plainview. What the band have done is create a record which showcases the band's influences without aping them. It blends them together in a decade spanning amalgam that builds on elements of 60s pop, jazz, rock and countless other genres in to one accessible and radio-friendly collection of tracks. It feels as if these songs belong next to each other, despite their differences and it's this that is the key to the band's appeal. Rarely does anything feel out of place and rarely does an EP this varied come off as tight as this one does, Plainview are clearly a band destined for bigger things.  

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#163: Lonesound - The Great Outdoors Part 3 (EP review)

For many the dissolution of a band can kind of be like a messy break-up, an end of an era. Personal friendships can fall apart and resentment can kick in. For others though, it can be the start of something new, something fresh, and if you choose to strike out on your own, as the lead singer of ill-fated indie band My Luminaries did, it can mean a whole new level of freedom and control never experienced within a band.

James Ewers aka Lonesound has, for the last 12 months, been releasing a series of EPs entitled The Great Outdoors, an obvious reference to his new found creative liberation. The collection of records, charting his journey as a solo artist over the period of a year were “an interesting way of releasing the songs I’d begun after my band split up...and seeing where it might lead me." And lead him places it did, having received critical acclaim across radio and blogosphere alike for the first two parts, Lonesound has recently released The Great Outdoors (Part 3) a collection of four tracks pertaining to his engagement on New Years Day.

Opener 'A Place For Everyone' is an ode to loneliness and sees Ewers take on a variety of roles including keys and acoustic and electric guitars. It's a solid opener, though thankfully the most downbeat of the four tracks featured. Proceeding track '(You Don't Have To Be) Strong' is a much more optimistic affair. Jangly indie-pop guitars work in tandem with keys to form an infectious and hook filled track written about his future bride. Similarly, 'As We Along' is more of the same. Vocal harmonies are matched by keys and violin both, while the lyrics are perhaps some of the most picturesque seen in contemporary acoustic music. There's an unashamed camp quality to his music. And despite initial reservations, by the third or fourth listen to the EP, it becomes obvious that Ewers is not only a hugely accomplished musician. He's also a fantastic songwriter too.



Even though it's a solid track, 'A Place For Everyone' really is the song that stops this record from being almost perfect. It just doesn't stand up to the level of quality held up by the rest of the record. Whether that's because a song about loneliness just doesn't seem to convincing from a man recently engaged and obviously ecstatic at the prospect of marrying the woman he loves, or whether it's simply because it's just a weaker track in general, instrumentation aside, I don't know. What I do know, is that James Ewers going solo is probably the best thing he could have done and if the his forthcoming solo album stands up to the level of quality exhibited here, then it's certainly going to be a record worth taking notice of

This article was originally written for Ears On. Click here to see what else they've been up to.

#158: The Last Scout - Self-Titled

Recently, folk music has found itself at the forefront of a resurgence. No longer is it destined to remain a staple of spit and sawdust bars, specialist festivals and niche radio stations. Nor is it only reserved for beardy types who have memorised the entire Emmy-Lou Harris back catalogue (although admittedly there are still a good amount of beards at play). These days folk music seems to have returned to it's roots as a music for the people, by the people. Sure bands such as Mumford & Sons has catapulted it to the dizzying platforms of stadium shows and bigger festivals than perhaps the public was expecting, but that doesn't stop the plethora of acts and artists in the grass-roots scene from plying their trade with enough heart and candour to make anyone swoon. One such band are Cheshire's The Last Scout.

A four-piece act who formed through a shared love of acoustic music, art and photography, The Last Scout are a band whose intelligence and song-writing prowess are shadowed only by their obvious passion for each musical undertaking. Having featured the band earlier in the year and following their progress since, I was excited to learn that the band have finally put together their self-titled, first EP, and even though it's yet to be mastered, the record is a brilliant example of just what the band are capable of.

Beginning with an impactive fusion of picked guitar, cymbals and an effective sample in the form of the intro of 'The Cowboy Song', The Last Scout kicks off proceedings in a brilliant fashion whilst embracing the cultural heritage of a genre that bridges continental divides. Rich vocal layers glide effortlessly over skilled finger-picking and almost-militant drum rolls in a bid to contemporise an aesthetic doused in Americana. All thoughts of the Wild West quickly dissipate, however, when the first notes and harmony of the quaint and delicate 'Scar Love' follow on. A personal favourite of mine, 'Scar Love' is a swooning and quintessentially British affair that adds romantic cello and vocal layers to a backbone of subtle percussion and guitar. It comes off sounding like the record Kate Nash wanted to make before she realised her lyricism left a lot to be desired, and as such, it's all the better for it.

Indeed, that should be the only comparison between the two acts. The final three tracks featured on The Last Scout do nothing to hamper any expectations laid out by the first two, with 'Burn' particularly being a stand-out track in which a vocal duality steals the show amidst haunting guitars. It's a darker, heavier addition to the record, but a welcome one nevertheless, and it's positioning allows the the proceeding tracks ('Alone Tonight' and 'By Starlight' respectively) to sore back to the uplifting and romantic heights established earlier.

One of the most appealing facets of The Last Scout, is their decision not to use their own images; instead the band create their own artwork and photography to use within their work, choosing to let their music and indeed the bespoke art that surrounds it to speak for itself. It's an unusual way of doing things but it's a good way (one that will appeal to those familiar with Canada's Arts & Crafts label) and goes hand in hand with the folk image that The Last Scout are upholding.

Folk bands these days seem to be ten a penny but rarely is there as much care, candour and romance at play as there is here. The Last Scout is a relatable and indeed important record, and not just for the band. It's a statement, a statement that says folk music is still for everyone. They're not just songs about the band's life; they're songs about yours. And while it might be “a perfect day for a breakdown” it won't be as bad as you think, especially if The Last Scout are sound-tracking it. Captivating stuff.

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#149: Yellowcard - Ocean Avenue (Acoustic Reissue)

Album review: Yellowcard - Ocean Avenue Acoustic Reissue (2013)

This article was originally written for Muso's Guide. Click the link above to read the review.