#309: Jack Robert Hardman - I Don't Need An Answer (single review)

'I Don't Need An Answer', the latest single from solo singer/songwriter Jack Robert Hardman, sees a return to his unique brand of folk-pop, floating hazily forward on wave upon wave of melody. Taken from his current EP 'The Great Unknown', the track feels somewhat more radio friendly than other releases ('Plymouth', for instance) but it works in Hardman's favour: his pop sensibilities shining through, like a more polished Beulah, the vocals providing at times, an almost-gruffness that prevents the track from being too polished.

This review was originally written for Little Indie Blos, click here to read in full.

#306: Paul Orwell - Tell Me, Tell Me (single review)

Paul Orwell

Tell Me, Tell Me/Little Reason

July 21 2014 (Heavy Soul Records)

8/10

Did the '60s have swagger? Everyone knows that it swung, but did it swug? Is swag even a verb that can have a past tense, at least when used in the irritating context it's used in today? What am I even talking about? The point I'm trying to make is, if their was ever a decade that had actual swagger and not the cringe-worthy kind Nicki Minaj tries to epitomise, then it was the '60s. Unfortunately for London-based multi-instrumentalist Paul Orwell, his blend of '60s garage-pop meets '90s mod revival doesn't quite work. At least visually, that is.

This review was orignally written for Little Indie Blogs. Click here to read in full.

#300: Kult Country - Trembling Moon (single review)

Kult Country

Trembling Moon/Atlas Haze

June 30 2014 (No Self Records)

9.5/10

When Kult Country released their debut single 'Slowburn' a little over a year ago, Manchester's music scene shook. It shook not only with the weighty bass and motorik force of the song's shoegazey sensibility, but with the cultural repercussions felt in the wake of the musical explosion that had just happened within the city as well. Brought about almost single-handedly by SWAYS Records, and spearheaded by the likes of MONEY, the movement brought about a definite change within some of the city's musicians, feeling like a breath of fresh air in a city renowned for it's laddish tendencies.

This review was originally written for Little Indie Blogs. Click here to read in full.

#280: Apollo Junction - If I Fell (single review)

Born in the '80s, influenced by the '90s and bored by the '00s, Leeds-based electro-indie outfit Apollo Junction have found their popularity rising over recent months, and it's easy to why. Their infectious blend of anthemic song-writing and polished pop musicality has already won over fans at both XFM and the BBC, the latter of which debuting the band's first single 'Begin' on the Graham Norton show. As such, it seems unquestionable that the band are going anywhere but up, and if their recent release 'If I Fell' is anything to go by, it won't be long before they're a household name.

As far as Apollo Junction go, 'If I Fell' is them not straying, but waltzing into true ballad territory. Gone are the pulsing disco beats of previous releases such as 'Daylight', in their stead, stadium-sized production on the drums, occasional string trills and a brilliantly effective piano line. Lyricism has never been the band's strong point; never bad but hardly poetic. It seems here, however, that there's been a distinct maturing between singles and 'If I Fell' comes off all the better for it. Having eschewed the traditional 'party' vibe of their past output, Apollo Junction exhibit here a never before seen Everyman candour. Like the best song The Twang never wrote it's also easily the band's strongest to date.

In terms of slow and heartfelt indie anthems, it's hardly a barren wasteland should one choose to indulge themselves. But more often than not it seems, at least these days, that said anthems are more the bands ticking boxes on the Make-An-Album worksheet as opposed to wanting to create something special. Indeed it's easier to envision a polo-nosed Fray, Turner or Gallagher counting out cash rather than pining over a relationship. Not so the case with Apollo Junction. They're singing about personal situations and making them universal to the listener, but it could quite easily be the other way round, making universal situations personal. Either way the band have come on leaps and bounds over the year or so they've been on my radar, with each single more impressive than the last. With 'If I Fell' however, it seems these five lads from Leeds have cracked it, and it could very well go to be their breakthrough.

#274: NARCS - Coast to Coast (single review)

Having impressed tastemakers last year with their debut album ‘Two Birds, One Stone Later’ and its resulting launch show, Leeds-based four-piece NARCS have just released ‘Coast To Coast’, the final single to be taken from ‘Two Birds…’. Described as “the swansong of an old couple who refuse to face  modern reality”, ‘Coast To Coast’ is one of the band’s strongest singles to date, the crisp production complimenting the candour of the lyricism fantastically.

This review was originally written for Hooting & Howling. Click here to read in full.

#272: The Darlingtons - Rotations (single review)

“Build me up, break me down. And pray for the rain again” laments Kiran Roy, lead singer of The Darlingtons on forthcoming single 'Rotations'. If there was ever a line that summarised a band almost completely, then that is it. Desolate, but not without a certain degree of optimism, Sheffield's The Darlingtons are one of the most exciting bands on the up at the moment; their blend of post-rock melancholia and shimmering shoegaze guitars setting them apart from some of their more upbeat contemporaries.

This review was originally written for Hooting & Howling. Click here to read the full review.

#251: Delamere - Do You Want Me? (single review)

Delamere

Do You Want Me?

March 8th 2014 (Scruff of the Neck)

9/10

There was absolutely no way that the emotionally fraught, transatlantic indie of Stoke's Delamere was going to remain unsigned for very long. Having recently been snapped up by Manchester's Scruff of the Neck Records, it seems that the band have finally got the break they're been deserving. A steady stream of self-releases online whet the appetite of those of us already in the know, allowing the band to garner a loyal following in little over 12 months whilst gracing the stages of some of the North West's most popular venues. Now with a label behind them, Delamere look set to truly make a name for themselves.

The band's latest single 'Do You Want Me?' is their first with label backing and the difference between this and their self-releases is noticeable immediately. Not only is the production tangibly better (not to detract from their previous efforts, in which it improved with every track) but there's a more realised confidence in the their songwriting along with an evident maturity from past demos. Beginning with an intro somewhat akin to Death Cab For Cutie, 'Do You Want Me?' soon finds itself progressing in to a frenetic and atmospheric track that's lavishly draped with the fraught and tangible emotion synonymous with the band, whilst a change in tempo two thirds through gives way to a wonderfully melodic breakdown that smacks of American indie. It's a fantastic way to mark their first official release, and one that inspires nothing but confidence in their future output.

In the current climate of mediocre indie 'lad' bands, Delamere are bringing something far more intuitive to the fore. Dismissing the sex, drugs and rock 'n' roll mantra purported by so many of today's NME hopefuls, the band are a bubble of fresh air in a sea of stagnation. Their intelligent and thought-out lyrics offer something far deeper than the torrent of traditional indie on offer in both Manchester and Birmingham, either side of their home-town, as such, this cements Delamere as something truly special. If 'Do You Want Me?' wasn't asked in rhetoric, the resounding answer woSuld be “yes, the music industry needs you”. Bold, ambitious and utterly heartfelt, it's this kind of honesty and candour that sets the band apart from their contemporaries in a huge way.

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#243: Cat Bear Tree - Spaces in Between (single review)

Cat Bear Tree

Spaces In Between

February 3^rd 2013 (self-release)

8/10

London's Cat Bear Tree are an interesting band. Last year's EP Let's Share Hearts was a fantastic example of how the merging together of genres can not only create something completely unique, but also something completely brilliant as well. Six months later, the trio are still going strong and are set to release their first first official single 'Spaces in Between' on the third of February. And while said EP reflected a far poppier side to the band, albeit with a liberal dose of DIY mentality and a smattering of post-punk moodiness, 'Spaces in Between' sees a more mature sounding band, and one which exudes far more confidence than anything they've released prior.

Pulling their influence from bands such as Bikini Kill right down to more contemporary acts like Bloc Party, there's an inherent sincerity about 'Spaces in Between', brought on by Zoe Konez's wispy vocals throughout the understated verses, before a subtle math-rock tinged breakdown morphs the track in to something more frenetic, something less straightforward. Whereas previous songs such as 'Crayons' upheld a differing sense of freneticism, none seem as sombre, nor as fully released, as their latest release, which relishes in a smoother kind of energy that permeates the glossy exterior of the track, hinting at the punk tenancies that reside beneath the silky surface.

  
To hear the band transcend their initial, rough and ready sound, in to something such as 'Spaces in Between' is fantastic. While they've certainly polished their edges, they've also matured as musicians, whilst never losing the DIY appeal that first struck me. They're a band with energy, with passion, with ethos and ideas; ideas that aren't preached, but planted. And while the sound these girls make doesn't lend itself too heavily to commercial success, one can't help but thing such arbitrary things don't matter Cat Bear Tree, there's more important things in life. And they're right, and as long as they keep producing music that's as strong as 'Spaces in Between', I'll keep supporting them.

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#238: Ummagma - Rotation/Live and Let Die (single review)

Ummagma

Rotation/Live and Let Die

December 9 2013 (Emerald and Doreen Records)

8.5/10

Pop will eat itself, or so the time old axiom goes. And it's true; these days especially it seems we're rarely graced by anything completely original. Anything too leftfield, and an artist is dismissed as being experimental for experimental's sake, anything familiar sounding by comparisons, and it's disregarded as unoriginal. Fortunately, however, Canadian/Ukrainian duo Ummagma are managing to avoid such labels. The brainchild of Shauna McLaron and her partner Alexx Kretov, Ummagma's trademarked sound can be pretty much be summarised as dream-gaze, or should that be shoe-pop? And while some of you may well groan at the prospect of more of the same (there has been an awful lot doing the rounds at the moment), the band are doing more than enough to make them stand out amidst the multitude of dream-pop/shoegaze bands on offer.

This review was orignally written for Little Indie Blogs. Click here to read in full.

#233: Forever Cult - Suntrap (single review)

Forever Cult

'Suntrap'

January 27, 2014 (Clue Records)

9/10

Seemingly able to bridge the gap between Seattle circa '92 and Camden circa 2012, Huddersfield-based 3-piece Forever Cult look well and truly set to make 2014 their year. Armed with a sound that's just as suited to red plaid as to trilbies and skinny jeans, their debut EP Fuxx was met with generally favourable response when they unveiled it's grungey cynicism last October. Now, a little of three months since it's release, Forever Cult are back with new single and free download, 'Suntrap', and, whilst the cynicism is still present, the music itself reveals a far more melodious, even tender side to the band's writing that comes across as the first step in a maturing process.

A hazy track that's far less frenetic than the heavier numbers on their EP, 'Suntrap' is not without it's own demons. Described as a “dark and brooding grunge confession” the track exhibits a discernible sense of introspection, with Kieran Clarke's transatlantic vocal serving to uphold a sense of universality that transcends the band's West Yorkshire roots, appealing to fans of alternative indie on both sides of the pond. Once more, not only are the band releasing 'Suntrap' as a free download, but it's release as part of this year's Independent Venue Week (an admirable venture, much like International Record Store Day on a smaller scale) means Forever Cult have been chosen as the headliners for the Leeds leg of the event, along with fellow up-and-comers allusondrugs.

Quite often, these days it seems many bands are brimming with interesting ideas, have thoughts on amalgamations of sounds or aesthetics which in turn, inevitably leads to the lines of genre becoming increasingly blurred. The problem with this experimentation, is that many of the bands are falling victim to over-ambition, running before they can walk. Thankfully, however, that isn't the case with Forever Cult, who have expertly walked a fine line on the border of indie and grunge, never once falling too heavy on either side, creating the perfect balance of the nostalgic and the contemporary and coming across all the better for it. And while the two genres have certainly met before (most recently with bands such as the ill-fated Tribes), rarely do they harbour the same cynical charm as Forever Cult. Like the twenty-somethings they probably are, poised between youthful innocence and cynical adulthood, Forever Cult, as a band, seem the embodiment of quarter-life crises, and my god, do they do it well. 

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#218: NARCS - Karaoke (single review)

NARCS

Karaoke

November 2013 (Clue Records)

8/10

Leeds isn't the first city in the North of England that you'd think of when it comes to groove laden indie-rock. It is, however, where snarling five-piece NARCS hail from, and with their most recent single 'Karaoke', a scathing examination of the X-Factor syndrome, the band are contending with some of the North's best underexposed acts, to put Leeds on the musical map permanently.

At less than three minutes long, it's a short sharp and acerbic jibe at celebrity culture. Taking no time to kick off proceedings, a chunky guitar and drumming somewhat akin to that of the first Arctic Monkeys record drive the song forward, all the while backboned by a fantastically produced bass and rhythm section.

With their previous single '19' attracting positive attention from a number of small music blogs such as this one, it's only a matter of time before NARCS gain the attention of a wider musical sphere, and make the waves they've already set in motion, even bigger.

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#217: The Darlingtons - Don't Give Me Hope (single review)

The Darlingtons

Don't Give Me Hope 

November 25, 2013 (self-release)

8.5/10

Following on from September's excellent live EP, Who Says There's No Beach in Doncaster? Taunton's The Darlingtons are back with new single 'Don't Give Me Hope' and it's B-side 'Contagious/Courageous'. As I mentioned in an earlier review, there's an air of melancholy that permeates the band's optimism, a kind of relatable miserabilia that manages never to feel cloying, and is, at times, adds to the inherently uplifting nature of their music. With 'Don't Give Me Hope' however, that seems to have fallen by the wayside in what serves to be one of the band's most emotionally intense release to date.

As a standalone track, 'Don't Give Me Hope' would serve perfectly to encapsulate the essence of The Darlingtons in just under four minutes. As it happens however, with 'Contagious/Courageous' following it, the pairing of these two tracks together makes for a compelling listen, that doesn't so much as summarise the band, as showcase their defining facets.

'...Hope' sees the band take a realist's view of a relationship by means of an anthemic and optimistic track, the inevitable narrative outcome juxtaposed effortlessly against the track as a whole whilst the ending sees a shoegaze-y breakdown conclude. Conversely, 'Contagious/Courageous' sees the band head in an almost dream-pop direction, drawing on the softer side of the their influences, draping the track in a lazy haze whilst still maintaining the their optimistic ideals.

Having already been championed by such magazines as Artrocker, it's obvious that 'Don't Give Me Hope' is attracting attention from all the right places. This, coupled with the band's tireless work ethic and gig schedule, they've won over fans across the country, and as we go in to 2014, you can't help but think that it could quite easily become the year of The Darlingtons.



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#216: Jubilee Courts - Room With A View (single review)

Jubilee Courts

Room With A View

December 16 2013 (Stalkers Records)

8/10


Though they've been writing and gigging for some time now, it wasn't until earlier this year that Northants five-piece Jubilee Courts took on their “final finished form”. Their music - an unusual blend of post-punk, psych and shoegaze - feels as nostalgic as it does contemporary, and finally, despite numerous set backs over the last year, the quartet are set to realise their debut single 'Room With A View' and B-Side 'Strip Down'.

This review was originally written for Little Indie Blogs. Click here to read in full.