Barcamundi no Solar do Botafogo – Live Review

O Pré-Show
Nesta terça-feira, dia 19, O Solar de Botafogo, um teatro idealizado pelo ator Leonardo Franco com a filosofia da “Arte Total”, serviu do palco perfeito para a descolada banda niteroiense Barcamundi oficialmente comemorar o lançamento do seu primeiro CD. Disponível desde julho de 2015, o disco homônimo é um trabalho repleto de canções bem elaboradas, abrangendo vários estilos musicais desde folk até indie rock num som complexo e cheio de toques sutis de múltiplos instrumentos.
Solar

O Show
O Solar – carinhosamente chamado pelos seus admiradores – é uma joia rara na cena musical local, possuindo uma boa estrutura de som e luz e dois andares para acomodar a platéia. Portanto, com um espaço intimista e convidativo, e com o palco lindamente enfeitado com barquinhos de papel colorido, pendurados juntos com outros origamis e luzes brancas e coloridas no chão, foi o cenário ideal para o show. A sensação era de um grande encontro de amigos, reunidos com um único propósito: ouvir uma boa música juntos, e quem não conhecia a banda com certeza se surpreendeu positivamente com o talento dos seis integrantes.

O show foi composto pelas músicas do CD da banda, além de algumas músicas inéditas e ‘Bloco da Alegria’ da Gragoatá (com participação especial da Rebeca Sauwen) e ‘Rie Chinito’ do Perota Chingó, que, segundo eles, já consideram uma música própria, já que tocam em todo show que fazem, brincaram. Foi uma surpresa encontrar músicas inéditas e convidados especiais tão carismáticos – foram seis, no total – amigos de outras bandas que subiram ao palco, enriquecendo ainda mais o espetáculo.

‘Todo Dia’ foi a música de abertura do show e a sintonia entre os integrantes da banda era nítida com todos muito entrosados, as vozes da Gabriela Autran e do João Barreira se complementando de forma bacana. João lidera tranquilamente, desde sua postura até iniciativa em cima do palco, apresentando os convidados, enquanto Gabriela trás um toque feminino especial à banda, não deixando as músicas ficarem pesadas ou “frias” demais. Com certeza era a integrante mais emocionada com o lançamento do CD e agradeceu inúmeras vezes a presença de todos.
joao e gabi

A canção ‘O Trem e O Pássaro’ foi muito comemorada quando começou e foi incrível a maneira como, através do olhar do vocalista, era possível enxergar a importância e o carinho que João tem por essa música em especial. Com Agnes Lima, alem de Thiago Cosenza, cantaram uma música inédita, ‘Ligeiro’, com letra forte, no qual a banda pareceu bem animada e muito entrosada com a convidada. ‘Silêncio ou Solução’, também contou com a participação da Agnes, e, a letra, do guitarrista Matheus Ribeiro representa a diversidade da banda; momento este que o João nominou como “loucura musical”. ‘Navalha de Occam’, com Nino Navarro também foi muito comemorada com muitos da plateia cantando junto. Sem dúvida os convidados foram um dos pontos fortes do show, uma vez que a Barcamundi estava muito entrosada com cada um deles; Thiago Cosenza marcou presença em várias músicas na percussão, enquanto Gregory Combat contribuiu com voz e alfaia na ‘Quem Vive Calado’.

As músicas são muito interessantes, com letras originais e de autoria dos próprios integrantes. A quantidade de instrumentos utilizados em cada canção é algo nunca visto antes, de uma originalidade sem fim. O talento que o Leon Navarro tem com instrumentos tradicionais e exóticos é de deixar qualquer músico brasileiro com inveja. Com a percussão do Gil Navarro e o baixo do Pedro Chabudé o som do Barcamundi é realmente complexo. Porém, como novos instrumentos aparecem a cada canção, o som – principalmente do Leon – apresentou algumas falhas, mas a banda mostrou seu profissionalismo lidando com a situação com muita tranquilidade.
Palco

Com a casa lotada, amigos e familiares prestigiaram o lançamento do primeiro CD, ouvindo atentamente cada música, com os fãs de carteirinha cantando junto com o João e a Gabriela. A reação de muitos aplausos era a mesma após cada canção e a plateia contribuiu muito para o show, gritando os nomes de suas músicas preferidas e comemorando o início de cada uma delas.

As canções ‘A Grama do Seu Jardim’ e ‘Se Você For Embora’ foram os grandes destaques da noite. A primeira foi muito aplaudida pela plateia com o piso inferior ficando em êxtase e até fazendo uma coreografia com as mãos. A muita comemorada ‘Se Você For Embora’, seguiu ‘Bloco da Alegria’ para fechar o show, também contando com a participação especial da Rebeca Sauwen e Fanner Horta na guitarra, e com a plateia toda de pé, cantando junto e aplaudindo durante toda a apresentação. Um, inclusive, abriu um guarda-chuva, em homenagem à letra:
“Eu vou usar o meu chapéu
Para evitar que minhas ideias se espalhem pelo céu
Ou vou usar um guarda-chuva
Pra guardar todos os meus sinais
Se você for embora vai chover demais”

O primeiro show do lançamento oficial do CD foi nada menos que um triunfo, consagrando o trabalho de qualidade feito por essa banda de talentos ecléticos. Basta olhar as fotos para sentir todo suor envolvido sendo merecidamente recompensado.
barca palco finale

O Bis
É nítida a diversidade do background da banda, mas, o que mais impressiona é a inovação e a criatividade de cada música, onde a inspiração em bandas nacionais e internacionais é clara, porém a Barcamundi consegue escapar do clichê. A quantidade e diversidade de instrumentos utilizados entre uma música e outra é um dos pontos fortes da banda, no qual o espectador se depara com flauta, bongo, escaleta, entre outros. Sem contar os instrumentos tradicionais que “amarram” as canções. É admirável o trabalho que está sendo realizado pela Barcamundi e o primeiro CD da banda já pode ser encontrado no Spotify, iTunes e Deezer. Espero que esse seja o primeiro de muitos CDs lançados por esses seis talentosos jovens e que possamos ouvir falar mais sobre o sucesso deles fora do Rio.
barca finale

Os Bastidores
Fiquei muito feliz em poder contar com a participação da Laís Vargas como meus olhos e ouvidos no show espectacular dos amigos da Barcamundi. O trabalho crítico dela, as fotos e ajuda em elaborar o texto foi indispensável e sem ela essa matéria não teria acontecido. Podem encontrar mais trabalho dela na plataforma “Medium” aqui:https://medium.com/@lais_vargas

Também gostaria agradecer João Barreira pelo convite para cobrir o show – tenho muito orgulho de poder ter participado de sua formação e fico muito feliz ver você e seus amigos trabalhando de uma forma tão admirável – parabéns!

https://barcamundi.bandcamp.com/

Noam Bleen – Noam Bleen EP Review

Front Cover Formed in 2010, Noam Bleen is an Italian three piece with a love of heavy tube distortion. This self titled EP, dedicated to David Bowie, is a strong debut in the world of alternative rock and there is depth to its heavy nineties feel.

‘Underplay’ opens proceedings with some cool riffing and a strong hint of Foo Fighters, but it’s a well worked track and hits the spot. ‘Placebo Button’ is heavier, with a more alternative grungy feel, and is the standout track. It rocks pretty hard and there is a nice break for a downbeat solo, before exploring instrumental soundscapes on an epic finale. Great track.

The rest of the EP has a similarly heavy air, but the songs are well thought out and they seem to be trying to find their own niche. ‘Vent Your Spleen’ building in intensity and taking an instrumental twist, while ‘Specious Present’ is quite dark and disjointed. There are also a couple of short instrumental pieces in ‘Solivagant’, with its atmospheric synths, and the acoustic ‘At Dawn’ which is quite lovely; whether they might work better as intros within other tracks is a debatable point.

The only track which is maybe a bit superfluous is ‘Star’s End’, its down beat grunge by numbers not really going anywhere. I have the feeling that the band wanted to make an LP, but were a song or two short, so just put everything out as an EP, when maybe they could have held something back and kept it a little shorter; four or five tracks is normally enough to showcase a band’s strengths.

However, the EP has plenty to offer and Noam Bleen write interesting, highly enjoyable, songs that, despite giving away their influences, manage to walk their own path. With improved production they could get even more out of the adventurous side to their songwriting; I look forward to hearing what else they have up their sleeves.

7.5/10

Noam Bleen is a D.I.Y release available from January 20th.
https://noambleen.bandcamp.com/
https://m.facebook.com/noambleen?_rdr
https://twitter.com/noam_bleen

David Bowie – Blackstar

David-Bowie-Blackstar-640x640Finally got round to listening to ‘Blackstar’, which in the context of the death of David Bowie proved to be a cathartic yet delightful experience. In the current musical climate Bowie’s final (?) work stands out as profoundly daring, easily eclipsing much of what passes for popular culture nowadays. It is befitting that such an artist has been so experimental, creatively speaking, right to the end; producing a work that surely rates among his best.

“Ain’t that just like me?” (Lazarus)

There’s a great deal of musical history wrapped up among these songs, as if reflecting upon the five decades Bowie’s career has spanned. You can hear the echoes of time in the jazz riffing, the vocal melodies, the varied guitar parts and the electronic elements, further listens revealing ever deeper textures to the music.

The single, ‘Blackstar’, opens the show in dramatic fashion with pulsating break beats and repetitive vocals, the sweeping orchestration and piercing saxophone adding depth to the challenging opening section. The mid-section provides sharp contrast however, the familiar melody reminding me of the Space Oddity era, with its tempo changes and storytelling vibe as the insistent refrain worms its way into the subconscious.

‘Tis a Pity She Was a Whore’ follows with uptempo drumming and off kilter riffing of the horns, a very jazzy prelude to the laid back vibe of the intro to ‘Lazarus’. Hauntingly beautiful saxophone then soothes the discordant crashes as Bowie’s poignantly familiar voice subtly builds the emotional intensity alongside skittering sax breaks that pull at the heartstrings. Under the circumstances the first person lyrics are emotive to say the least, adding greater dimension to this already sublime song, the atmospheric guitar lines reminiscent of The Cure. Superb.

‘Sue (Or In a Season of Crime)’ is not as easy to get to grips with, but it works in the context of the album; the dark jazz vibe and staccato guitars that ricochet off the irregular rhythms make it a challenging listen. The bright simple vocal melody of ‘Girl Loves Me’ soon takes an equally dark turn as the cello riff pounds along to elements of electronica and break beats pulsating beneath the surface.

The final two tracks make for more comfortable, yet deeply moving listening. Easy piano and smoky saxophone tease an introduction to ‘Dollar Days’ and the seventies tinged folky melancholia of this hauntingly autobiographical track. The saxophone swells like a bursting heart as David sings “I’m dying too” – it’s emotional stuff, the piano picking away slowly in the background before searing guitars segue into the rolling beats of ‘I Can’t Give Everything Away’, whose vocal melody is classic Bowie. The orchestration is beautiful as we get all the textures of David’s voice; the saxophone runs and Gilmour-esque guitar lines bringing the record to an optimistic close.

On Blackstar Bowie appears to have tossed the shackles that had contained him and allowed his artistic expression to flow in profoundly moving fashion. It is a challenging yet disconcertingly wonderful record, but somehow a fitting finale to the life of one of the most important entertainers of our time. Oh my.

10/10

David Bowie

http://store.davidbowie.com/

Forever Still – Tied Down

Forever-Still-Tied-DownThe debut album from Danish power trio Forever Still is a very personal affair sure to strike a chord or two. This conceptual record amalgamates a series of D.I.Y EP’s into one full length album, covering issues like anxiety and depression, whilst also providing a little light at the end of the tunnel. Anyone who’s ever had a tough time is sure to relate.

Stylistically speaking, the Danes are in similar territory to the likes of Evanescence, though lead singer Maja Shining has her own style and a superb range, shifting easily from lullaby tenderness to searing screams. There is a lot to like about this emotionally intense band; they know how to write a riff, they can pull off epic and have some interesting touches along the way.

Opening track ‘Scars’ kicks off with a hard assed rolling riff and a commercial edge to the chorus; but there are some nice stops and it has an intense contemporary feel, cool track. ‘Once Upon A Nightmare’ has a more epic feel and a killer hook, the melody sounds familiar though. Equally epic sounding is heartfelt power ballad ‘Miss Madness’ with its atmospheric piano and some more killer guitar work.

Despite having a signature sound, there is plenty of variety on offer, ‘Awake the Fire’ being a frantic up-tempo rocker, while ‘Breathe In’ shows off some powerhouse riffing that would be great live. There are some synths brooding under the surface on the nicely structured ‘Alone’, while the piano on ‘Break The Glass’ provides an atmospheric contrast to the bass heavy track.

Although in general they manage to pull off the conceptual idea, the emotional torture aspect begins to wear a little thin after a while, as on ‘Your Light’, and personally, I’m also a little reticent about lyrics being almost solely in the first person. Even so, tracks like the monumental ‘Save Me’ with its insistent chorus, and the atmospheric meanderings of album closer ‘Tied Down’ more than compensate.

All in all, this is a very well executed, highly enjoyable debut from Forever Still; there are plenty of good hard riffs and massive choruses on these songs of substance. It would be nice to see them spread their wings a little wider on future releases, but in the meantime ‘Tied Down’ is well worth a spin.

8/10

Tied Down is out on January 15th, in the meantime check out their bandcamp for some free downloads: https://foreverstill.bandcamp.com/

Foo Fighters – Saint Cecilia EP Review

Saint-Cecilia-EP-640x640This surprise EP, recorded at the Saint Cecilia hotel in Austin, Texas, dropped on Saint Cecilia’s day; well, perhaps not so surprising after all then, especially considering she’s the patron saint of music and that there was a countdown clock on the Foo Fighters’ website. Anyway, it’s a kind of end of tour (or possibly end of career given the tone of the accompanying letter) thank you from the Foo Fighters to their fans and was recorded in a series of Margarita fuelled sessions that picked up the pieces of some riffs and song ideas that had got left on the studio floor.

As a result, it feels like a step back in time and is actually quite fun, although it’s a bit like listening to Noel Gallagher in that you get the feeling he’s used that melody/riff/lyric somewhere before and if you looked hard enough you’d probably find it. But what the hell, we all love Dave, so if he wants to give us free music, then great!

‘Saint Cecilia’ kicks things off and it’s Foo Fighters being Foo Fighters; straight forward rock n roll riffing, a catchy chorus, a tempo change in the mid section and a perfunctory guitar solo. Pretty much everything you’d expect, and well, it’s Dave, so it’s pretty good. ‘Sean’ is uptempo Foo, this time the mid section has a punked up Rockabilly feel to it and again it’s good fun, albeit relatively disposable.

‘Savior Breath’ is more retro with its punky riffing and raucous feel; this would have fit nicely on the Teenage Time Killers record, although it is not the best production wise (which may be deliberate); the vocal being a little distorted in the mix. ‘Iron Rooster’ is a straight rip of Neil Young’s ‘Old Man’ up to the dreamy Zeppelin esque mid section, and serves as nothing more than a little respite.

However, ‘The Neverending Sigh’, a twenty year old tune, is far and away the standout moment; an atmospheric opening segueing into multi-layered riffing that ebbs and flows around time changes and hook filled melodies. OK, so it follows the Foo formula, but it sounds fresh and epic at the same time and would stand up amongst their classic material from the same period.

So, what you’ve basically got here is the Foo Fighters celebrating themselves as a treat for their legions of die hard fans, it’s hardly groundbreaking but is all very enjoyable and seems like a fitting way to close this chapter. Maybe Dave and co. need to do something else for a while and this gives fans a little something to hang onto while they are away.

8/10

The free download is available here:

http://www.saintceciliaep.com/

Millie Manders – Obsession Transgression EP Review

obsession transgression [webres]The hard working Millie Manders is a badass singer songwriter from South London, who, like the city, has quite a cosmopolitan approach. There is a punky attitude to the rocked up ska tinged tunes that create a backdrop for her socially conscious lyrics and cutting vocals; the four tracks on her third EP showcasing her multiple talents succinctly as she tackles subjects as diverse as the media’s perception of women and possessive/abusive relationships.

Title track ‘Obsession Transgression’ kicks off in upbeat fashion with an insistent sax riff and low-fi guitars. The vocals are sharp on the hooky chorus and the ska vibe gives it a cool retro feel. ‘Teddy’, however, is quirkier with its mooching bass line and slightly manic vocal; it actually reminds me of early Florence demos and there is a certain charm to the punky simplicity of it, although the saxophone once again adds dimension.

‘Bacchus’ has a more serious tone, the swirling sax riff building intensely, while a deeper vocal fits the ode to alcohol use and abuse well. Millie has great range, not only of tone but also style, dictating the emotional vibe of her songs with apparent ease. Everything comes together on the sublime groove of final track ‘Long Gone’; again the vibe is more serious and there’s a suitably intense vocal performance, superb horns and some great guitar work as the song ebbs and flows.

At only four tracks long the EP is on the short side, which is a shame because I’d like to hear more from Millie, the last two tracks especially, hinting at some serious potential. I’m not sure she has the same mainstream appeal of a Florence or a Marina but there is obviously great passion in her art and it will be interesting to see what she comes up with next.

8/10

http://www.milliemanders.co.uk/

https://m.soundcloud.com/milliemusic

http://milliemanders.bandcamp.com/releases

Jeff Lynne’s ELO – Alone in the Universe Review

JeffIt seems unbelievable that one of the hottest records of the moment is the comeback album of Jeff Lynne’s Electric Light Orchestra. It shouldn’t be, I mean there is no way this should be happening, Jeff’s last comeback in 2001 was nothing less than a complete disaster and lets face it ELO part II was just flogging a dead horse. So, how the hell has a band which fizzled out thirty years ago been dusted off, reanimated and come back sounding exactly like they always did? It’s like the time fabric continuum got folded and Jeff just picked up where he left off.

Basically, this is Jeff doing what ELO does best; high quality hook filled tracks offering a sense of nostalgic comfort. So, in that regard it’s an enjoyable record that fits the current retro climate perfectly, but one can’t help but feel that there’s something not quite there. It’s a bit like drinking decaf, it tastes good and fulfills ones desire for a cup of coffee but something just don’t feel right, and I think I might just have put my finger on it.

‘When I Was a Boy’ sets the tone with its easy piano melody like something from a John Lewis Ad, that slightly muffled drum sound and the nostalgic lyric; it’s oh so familiar as we are taken back in time to Jeff’s childhood bedroom. It’s effective though, I find myself transported back to my own, except in mine you could here ELO coming through the floor from my Mum’s record player. ‘Love and Rain’ continues the vibe with a vaguely funky guitar riff, like a laid back ‘Superstition’, it’s lyrical simplicity in stark contrast to the musical complexity with multiple layers of instrumentation.

The album then proceeds to pilfer Jeff’s own back catalogue magpie style; we get the futuristic sound effects on ‘Dirty to the Bone’, the predictable ‘All My Life’ and the mid-tempo flashback of ‘I’m Leaving You’. It’s as if Jeff went into the studio and pieced a few songs together from the ELO catalogue of licks, drumtracks and melodies; nowhere more so than on ‘One Step at a Time’, which is futuristic sounding, but with those well used ELO harmonies. The two bonus tracks, the Wilbury’s-ish ‘Fault Line’ and ‘Blue’, seem to owe more to other periods of Jeff’s career however.

Nevertheless, there are some gems sandwiched between the slices of predictability. The reggae vibe of the riff and the minor piano chords to ‘When The Night Comes’ giving it a slightly darker feel, while the atmospheric ‘The Sun Will Shine On You’ evokes a sense of longing, but is bang up to date and has a quite lovely vocal from the man. There is always a simple Beatles-esque number and in ‘Aint It a Drag’ we get a straight ahead crowd pleasing pop-rock melody that sounds as if it has Ringo on the drums.
Album closer’Alone in the Universe’, the bonus tracks notwithstanding, is a down tempo slice of emotion with a lingering guitar to give it a heartfelt edge – it’s all kinda obvious, but hey, what the hell, Jeff could give lessons on how to write a hit.

All in all ‘Alone in The Universe’ is an enjoyably nostalgic journey through everything that once made ELO the biggest band in the world and Jeff Lynne one of the industry’s most successful hit makers. It’s a comfort zone record, Jeff didn’t leave his and it will no doubt transfer you to yours and as such fits the times like a glove. There’s just that ever so slight sense of disquiet, the feeling that something is missing and I guess it’s the drama that those sweeping orchestral crescendos of multiple Cello and Violin used to bring to ELO all those years ago, after all, losing 21 members of a band is bound to strip something away.

7/10

http://www.jefflynneselo.co/music

Nitin Sawhney – Dystopian Dream Review

nitinsawhney_dystopiandream_1500px392x392Multi-talented, multi-instrumentalist Nitin Sawhney is back with his tenth studio album and as you might expect from someone so critically acclaimed, the bar is high. With the growing hostility towards immigrants as an underlying theme, ‘Dystopian Dream’ is an intelligent record flirting with musical genres in characteristically atmospheric fashion.

‘Fires’ provides a nice chilled start with easy guitar picking, down tempo beats and a pensive bass line adding texture to the hooky vocal. The moody vibe continues on the first track to feature Eva Stone, ‘Days R Gone’, which is a little darker with its slow grinding beats. Eva is back later, on ‘Silence’; its chilled out piano and lovely beats very easy on the ear.

There are plenty of other guest collaborators but they come further down the line, in the meantime we get crisp beats and slide guitar on ‘Dark Day’, the soundtrack vibe of ‘Timetrap’ and the bluesy house beats of ‘Lose us All’, which is vaguely reminiscent of Moby.

The first male vocal comes from Akala on ‘Dystopia’ and it’s suitably disjointed, giving a sinister edge to the rolling desert storm beats and moody synths. Other elements of Sawhney’s style come through on the jungle-esque ‘Scape’ and the most Asian track of the record, ‘Tere Khyal’, whose multi-vocal chants convey deep emotion.

However, it’s the latter half of the album that has the most high points; there’s the badass performance from Stealth on ‘When I’m Gone’ and the flamenco guitar, break beats and Indian vibe vocal from Natacha Atlas on ‘Can’t Breathe’. Meanwhile, ‘Keep the Light On’ finds Joss Stone on form, her soulful voice suits the bluesy acoustics and jazzy piano equally well; there’s a nice contrast between the bar room feel and the jungle-y beats. The high point for me though is the quite stunning vocal from J’Danna on ‘Redshift’, the rough edges and jazzy soul feel to her voice over the clever bass beats nothing short of sublime.

There are one or two moments when Nitin could maybe hold back a little; the overly textured ‘Dimension’, featuring Bernhard Schimpel, being a bit irritating actually, although it does work in context, and sometimes there is so much going on in a track music wise that it crowds the raw emotion of the vocal a little.

Even so, Nitin Sawhney’s talent is undeniable and once more he has come up with a highly accomplished, mature sounding record, soundtracking the disquiet of modern life; good stuff!

8.5/10

http://www.nitinsawhney.com/

Dave Gahan and Soulsavers – Angels and Ghosts Review

tumblr_inline_nug2q2oqG31qa79vw_500Hold the phone, what is this? Thirty eight minutes of awesomeness, that’s what. Suspend whatever preconceptions you might have, turn off the lights, close your eyes and let your imagination ride, because Dave Gahan and Soulsavers have come up with one of the most incredible records of the year. Forget Depeche Mode and think Nick Cave; here is a collection of beautifully constructed songs that play like a soundtrack to life.

The epic gospel feel of ‘Shine’ kicks things off with a slow burning spaghetti western style riff; there’s a big sound but its got a lot of space, the quiet moments actually increasing the impact of the individual elements. ‘You owe me’ follows, punctuating the soundtrack feel with its expansive guitar, conjuring up images of wide open landscapes in middle America. Dave’s voice is as strong as ever, but understated and brooding, though he opens up towards the end, the female backing providing an interesting balance.

There is an awful lot happening on this record with layers of hammond organ, orchestrated elements and the occasional horn section adding a massiveness to the sound that works beautifully, nowhere more so than on the sublime ‘Tempted’. The spacious atmospheric guitar and laid back groove, underpinned by some lovely organ work, make room for a nice hook; there is just the right amount of hurt in Dave’s voice, he doesn’t need to blow a gasket to hold the emotion as the track slow boils to a simmering climax. Superb.

‘All of This and Nothing’ is similarly atmospheric but more up-tempo, while the slow grinding ‘Don’t Cry’ offers up a rockier vocal and a harder edge; both are good tracks but there is something special sandwiched between. ‘One Thing’ is a dark piano ballad that is beautifully melancholy. It is deeply evocative, like everything feels wrong, the lack of percussion and insistent piano giving a sense of disquiet that offers up all kinds of images; like arriving home to an empty house that was once full of life, or hearing a familiar voice to look up and find you were mistaken – incredible.

‘Lately’ is also piano based and is also quite lovely, while ‘The Last Time’ picks up from ‘You Owe Me’ in terms of sound, like there’s a thread running through the record. Album closer ‘My Sun’ ties things up nicely though, incorporating all the elements wonderfully. Dave’s vocal is superb, the piano melancholic, the guitar strum wide open and it broods slowly to a defiantly understated climax on the back of subtle orchestration, organ and brass.

All in all ‘Angels and Ghosts’ is a wonderfully produced record of expansively evocative tracks of spectacular depth and texture. Dave’s rich baritone is solid throughout, adding darkness to the soundtrack vibe of the multi-layered instrumentation. There’s barely a hint of filler on the record and in ‘Tempted’ (with just the slightest echo of Depeche Mode) you get one of the best songs I’ve heard this year. Excellent stuff.

9.5/10

http://www.davegahan.com/

http://smarturl.it/AngelsGhosts_iTunes

Rudimental – We The Generation Review

low res RUDIMENTAL_WTG_ARTWORK

How do you follow up a multiple award winning, phenomenally successful album packed with big ass tunes and block rockin beats? With some difficulty apparently.

Rudimental are back with their second album, ‘We the Generation’, two years on from the bombastic ‘Home’, and while all those elements that made it massive are still there, the maturity of the new songs will delight and disappoint in equal measure.

The album kicks off in trade mark fashion with big beats and big hooks, ‘I Will for Love’, with Will Heard (Sonnentanz) on vocals, and ‘Never Let you Go’, featuring Foy Vance, sounding very much like, well, Rudimental; which is all well and good, but there is a touch of deja-vu here. Although in themselves they are great tracks, they maybe don’t quite hit the same highs as say ‘Feel the Love’ or ‘Not Giving In’.

Rudimental’s positive vibe remains infectious though, and the tracks which work best are the more complex numbers such as the multi-layered ‘Love Ain’t Just a Word’ with Anne-Marie, whose retro vocal adds depth alongside Dizzy Rascal’s familiar tones, and the 90s vibe smooth grooves of ‘Rumour Mill’ (Will Heard/Anne-Marie) and ‘Common Emotion’, with long term collaborator MNEK.
‘Needn’t Speak’ also hits that laid back vibe, with Lianne La Havas turning it into a very cool tune; sometimes less is more.

The title track, featuring Mahalia, and ‘Go Far’ are both nice enough, also benefitting from quality vocal performances, but there are a few tracks lacking identity and not really going anywhere; ‘Foreign World’ and ‘Too Cool’ among the main offenders.

So now we come to the elephant(s) in the room. Love him or hate him, there’s no denying Ed Sheeran’s phenomenal success, and on ‘Lay it All on Me’ Ed has sprinkled his gold dust and it will probably save the album commercially after the poor reception afforded to most of the singles. For them to remix Ed’s Bloodstream, however, and use it as an album track, seems a little weird and I’m not convinced the remix works. Similarly, ‘New Day’, featuring the late great Bobby Womack, doesn’t exactly hit the spot; it initially had me reaching for the volume button, but is overly clunky and bass dense, swallowing up the vocal and strangling the guitar lines. Even so, the beats do kinda save the overcrowded tune that would surely work better stripped down with a bit of space between horns, piano, vocal and guitar.

Overall ‘We the Generation’ is a good solid album, but it lacks the bombastic swagger and hence the mass appeal of the debut, as shown by the unenthusiastic response to the preceding singles. Having said that, it is some of the more understated moments that make the album worthwhile and hint at a future overflowing with deep cuts.

7/10