#308: Linkin Park - The Hunting Party

Album Review: Linkin Park - The Hunting Party (2014)

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

#307: dressmaker - Glass (EP review)

dressmaker

Glass

June 23 2014 (self-release)

9.5/10

A running-time of seven minutes is ambitious for any single, let alone for a band's debut release, but with 'Skeleton Girl' that is exactly what London's dressmaker did last year. For lesser bands that might have been fatal, for these four from Hackney, however, it was a stroke of genius.

This review was originally written for Little Indie Blogs. 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.

#305: Catching Up With...A Dead Forest Index

Securing yourself a record deal with the lead singer of the band you recently supported probably doesn't happen as often as it should, but that's exactly what happened to brothers Adam and Sam Sherry, otherwise known as A Dead Forest Index. Having supported Savages on their European tour late last year, the duo impressed all the right people, soon finding themselves as the third release on Pop Noire Records, brainchild of singer Jehnny Beth and producer Johnny Hostille.

Fast forward a couple of months, and A Dead Forest Index are set to release their debut EP 'A Cast of Lions' with a launch show at London’s The Waiting Room, Stoke Newington on 5 June. The night will also have Jehnny herself performing a DJ set.

We caught up with the band prior to record's release to see just what it is that went in to making such a fantastic EP.

This interview was originally pitched to Shout4Music. Click here to read in full.

#304: Catching Up With...Spring King

Having spent last Summer making it his own personal mission to write and record a song a day, Tarek Musa, AKA Spring King, is a man who isn't afraid of urgency. First making a name for himself producing the likes of Stealing Sheep amongst others Spring King has since go on to become the fully fleshed out five-piece it is today.

From ripping out bathrooms to songs about frogs, we caught up with Tarek to see just what makes Spring King tick and to see what's in store for the band over the coming few months.

This interview was originally done for Shout4Music. Click here to read in full.

#303: Lower - Seek Warmer Climes

Post-punk – a literally named genre if ever there was one – pretty much epitomised alternative music in the 1980s, whilst mirroring the disaffection felt by the working class British public under Thatcherism. As such, it was a logical progression for those who saw through the punk’s gimmicky exterior and often laughable political ideologies, whilst bringing the music they spent their teens listening to in to a more contemporary (at the time) setting, channelling their angst and tired indifference in to a genre of music that’s ultimately far more introverted and much more claustrophobic than it’s safety-pinned predecessor.

This review was originally written for TheRealMusic.net. Click here to read in full.

#302: Catching Up With...The Hope Edition (U&I Music Magazine - June Edition)

Manchester is synonymous with bad weather; a perpetually grey city built on industry and with a wholly engrained history of the working class and unemployment. As such, with such limited prospects for the city's youth of the past, the musical output never really glittered with optimism. It may have been poetic, but never pretty, and only when flooded with pills in the late '80s, early '90s did the Happy Mondays dare to cheer up a little bit, followed by Oasis' laddish hope, both lyrically questionable bands. It seems now though that solid lyricism and an irresistible optimism have finally found a pairing in the form of the aptly named The Hope Edition.

Despite forthcoming single 'Tony Adams Vs the World' being their official debut, there's been a handful of recordings online for a year or so now; charming, heartfelt, and at times whimsical tracks that range between spoken word, post-punk and old fashioned indie-pop/twee. What sets the band apart from most however, aside from the inherently sunny disposition, is the intelligence that runs through the lyricism, allowing Manchester to painted in a far more romantic light than it's perhaps worthy of. There's an age old adage that suggests you can't polish a turd, in the case of The Hope Edition however, that isn't true and as images are conjured of kisses on the 192 and sick-stained hotel rooms, you can't help but smile.

Though the band have been described as being similar to both The Talking Heads, and Manchester's own Buzzcocks, it's not easy to pin a direct sound on the band, as each track seems to explore a different aspect of their influences. What is obvious though, is that their previous experience in other bands has allowed a maturity to emerge within their song writing, and though the lyricism might not always be as uplifting as their name suggests, hope seems to be a theme that runs throughout their music regardless, making each track as irresistible as the last. With the post-punky 'Tony Adams...' due for release in June, let's hope the latter half of the year sees The Hope Edition begin to get the recognition they deserve.  

This feature was originally written U&I Magazine. Click here to read the full piece and see what else this month's issue has to offer.