BANDCOCKTAIL.COM

“Young Knives” are a three-piece indie rock band hailed from Ashby-de-la-Zouch, Leicestershire in England. Their band members are Henry Dartnell (Vocals and Guitar), Thomas “House of Lords” Dartnall (Vocal and Bass) and Oliver Askew (Drums and Backing Vocals). They are notable for their geek rock genre, a sub-genre of alternative rock.

Superabundance reminds me of The Futureheads. There are two parts on this album, the first part is fast and crunchy, where the second part is soft and steady. Just like going for a party, we dance till we drop.

Superabundance gets me on with steady guitar and bass filled “Fit 4 U”. This song has the elements and ingredients of a disco rock track, even though the electronic elements are not that obvious. Young Knives really know how to set our mood on and leave us wondering whether we could get more of such tracks.

“Terra Firma” has a 13 seconds intro which brings back the sound of classic guitar rock. Once the tempo comes in and hit it, guitar riffing can be heard constantly in the background, as if we’re listening to the echoes of the guitar. Not only that, Young Knives invite people to join in their chorus by raising their hands and sing, “Fake rabbit, real snake, terra firma, terra firma…” Strange lyrics, but the guitar echoes told me to just enjoy Terra Firma.

“Up All Night” started off with some wolf-like howls. The guitar that comes in right after resembles those of Terra Firma. Honestly, Up All Night has got some great rhythm and music that i didn’t really expect. The chorus especially, shows some great combination work between the guitar and the vocals of Young Knives.

In “Counters”, Young Knives can be heard as if they were singing away at a distance, “We’re not numbers… We’re the counters…” But once the real song hit the right gear, the whole song wakes me up and i find myself nodding and enjoying Counters. The guitar of Counters is really catchy and not only that, the chorus that comes along fits in very well. No doubt that Counters is one of the notable tracks on Superabundance.

“Light Switch” has quite a long music intro before Henry can be heard singing. With the guitar sounding sort of cute during the verse, i find myself smiling mildly when listening to Light Switch. “You are the light switch…”, sung Young Knives. The chorus here almost has the same effect as Terra Firma, simple and easy to follow, and yet catchy. Young Knives take it slow with “Turn Tail”. The guitar intro somewhat reminds me of Here We Are by Bloc Party, constant plucking at the same note throughout a period of time. With Turn Tail, Young Knives are showing another side of themselves. I saviour the chorus particularly, “Turn tail and run, i will turn tail and run…” where viola can be heard supporting the vocals of Henry and co.

“I Can Hardly See Them” has an explosive opening with steady drum beats and guitar stroking, leaving me impatient. Throughout this track, i can feel that Young Knives are trying something new here. I Can Hardly See Them is different from the tracks above so far. For some, they might think this track is banging loud. But for me, i like the fact that Young Knives are trying to show us what they are capable of doing. I Can Hardly See Them stands out in its near-explosive music.

“Dyed in the Wool” struck me instantly. The guitar, bass and drums are so catchy and friendly, one couldn’t help but like this song. You can find Young Knives belting it out together in the chorus, “I’m dyed in the wool….” in a number of loops. The funny thing is, when Young Knives do this, i find myself picturing Young Knives turning their heads as they sing. Dyed in the wool is a simple track with the repeating music from start to end, but i like it.

Young Knives begin “Rue the Days” with, “La la la la…”. Following on, Henry sings in some sort of surround-voice. It reminds me of Damon Albarn of Blur in some ways. In the chorus, Young Knives again belt it out together in this 90s-influence track. Rue the days can sound old, but to me, they sound brand new and good.

“Flies” is a short song dedicated to flies and is accompanied by brief guitar and bass, only viola can be heard most of the time. Not a bad track if you pay attention to the lyrics.

“Mummy Light the Fire” is a mid tempo track where it’ll slowly grow onto you. The chorus is great with Henry keeps repeating, “Mummy Light the Fire… Fear, I feel fear…” until the music just blends in with the rhythm of Henry’s singing, especially with the sound of what sounded like a car’s honk or some trumpets. It’s like driving a new car until you be one with the car. How does that feel? You should know yourself.

The first part of “Current of the River – Long Cool Drinks by the Pool (Hidden Track)” is also a mid tempo track with the quality of ending an album. For the verses, it’s quiet and tempo-building. When it comes to the chorus, it explodes! Young Knives play it banging loud and keep the person listening to Superabundance awake with, “The current of the river, brings voices under water…” Young Knives know where to hit the loud button and where to hit the quiet button in Current of the River, making it worth your while to check out this song. Long Cool Drinks by the Pool is not a bad track as well. Its musical style shares a common with Art Brut’s, speaking rather than singing throughout the whole track. The guitar gives us an impression that havoc is coming, and sounding cute at times where Young Knives go, “La la la la…” Definitely a happy and laughing ending for Superabundance.

Rating: Superabundance by Young Knives has a lot in common with This Not The World by The Futureheads. They are really playing it big in the post-punk revival genre. Throughout Superabundance, if you listen carefully, there are some electronic and dance elements in all their songs. It’s really good for party-goers who have low appetite for pure electronic music. And the person is me. Well it took quite a while for me to like Superabundance, perhaps after the second time listening to them? And i surely didn’t regret liking and enjoying it. There are some really catchy music and hook on Superabundance, and never fails to get me nodding my head. Not bad at all, i would rate Superabundance by Young Knives 6.9 out of 10.

Stand-Out Tracks (My Picks): Fit 4 U, Terra Firma, Counters, Light Switch, I Can Hardly See Them, Dyed in the Wool and Long Cool Drinks by the Pool.

Cheers!

Darren Tan

Indiesurf.com

“Fleet Foxes” are a five-piece Seattle based indie band. Their genres include indie folk, folk rock, baroque pop, indie rock and indie pop. Fleet Foxes consist of Robin Pecknold (Vocal and Guitar), Skye Skjelset (Lead Guitar), Jay Tillman (Drums), Casey Wescott (Keyboard and Bass) and Christian Wargo (Bass and Keyboard). According to The Independent, Fleet Foxes described their music as “Baroque harmonic pop jams”. Before the release of their self-titled album, Fleet Foxes have released two EPs, “Fleet Foxes EP” in 2006 and “Sun Giant” in February 2008, and both EPs received positive reviews and praise.

Fleet Foxes somehow remind me of Okkervil River. I don’t know why. The whole journey of Fleet Foxes is like having fun and singing in a church. It has those that make you sing in church, with hands holding hands. And those which make you nod your head along too. Nice to have when in church, harmony will come when you have Fleet Foxes with you.

Fleet Foxes will keep your heart at peace with “Sun It Rises”. With some steady guitar and drum playing. It wouldn’t need long before you find yourself liking this song. From the lyrics where Robin went “Red squirrel in the morning, red squirrel in the evening, red squirrel in the morning, i’m comin’ to take you home, the sun rises over my head, in the morning, with the hold me, dear, into the night, sun, it will rise, soon enough…” I don’t really know what it meants, but one thing’s for sure. You’ll feel comfortable with this song. Simple lyrics, but with deep meaning.

“White Winter Hymnal” is really good i have to say. From start to finish, it has got me going. It’s like when you have an ice-cream, you would end up asking for more. This was what happened to me when i listened to this song. I got to say, White Winter Hymnal is really awesome! Robin made this song sounds so easy, but so good! I can feel Fleet Foxes’ harmony in this song. The vocal and the music were just too great to handle. Especially the “woo hoo hoo woo hoo hoo”. Unbelievable!

“Ragged Wood” comes in as the third track off the album. It is the longest song on the album and one of the crunchiest on the album. Somewhat again, reminding of Okkervil River. While Robin sings, you can hear the rest of the Fleet Foxes joined in and had their fun as well. They provide beautiful and harmonized back-up vocals, which nowadays, is one of the secret ingredients of any successful indie bands and artists. With some amazing guitar pluckings at the end, you can’t miss this song.

Fleet Foxes continues with “Tiger Mountain Peasant Song”, which is a beautiful ballad and showcased Robin’s vocal. Robin sang, “Wanderers this morning came by, where did they go, graceful in the morning light, to banner fair, to follow you softly, in the cold mountain air”. I can’t tell what it means from the lyrics but i can feel the sadness in this song. Fleet Foxes sure do know how to take care of your emotions.

“Quiet Houses” had a very good music playing to it. I was amazed the moment the music started, steady drum beats and beautiful acoustic guitar accompanied by what sounded like a door-pounding sound. It’s just so simple, but this song is really good. Check out the music! Oh ya, i think Fleet Foxes are singing about ahem… The lyrics goes like this, “Lay me down, lay me down… Don’t give in, don’t give in… Oooh… Come to me…” Happy and cheerful track with some really catchy hooks!

“He Doesn’t Know Why” started with Fleet Foxes beautiful and harmonized moans. This song has a few pick up points. Whenever Robin finished singing a verse, he had to catch his breath and build up his lungs and sing a new verse again. It’s such a hard song to sing if you were to try. Robin tried to make it as effortless as possible. At the end where Robin went, “There’s nothing i can do, there’s nothing i can say…”, it was the climax of this song and it was followed by a 30 seconds beautiful piano playing.

In “Heard Them Stirring”, you can hear Robin’s moans at the beginning, and slowly the rest of Fleet Foxes joined in, creating a beautiful platform for harmonized hummings and moans. They went, “woo hooo hoo..” And more! As if a group of choir were singing with Fleet Foxes. A beautiful one by Fleet Foxes. They were the music in Heard Them Stirring.

Wow, “Your Protector” is like some heroic anthem for a warrior. Interesting track by Fleet Foxes. There were some flute playing in this track, bringing a new instrument to Fleet Foxes’s music. The chorus was somewhat good and strong, i can feel it when Robin yell, “As you lay to die beside me baby, I’m the one in the shootin’ game, would you wait for me, the other one, would you wait for me…” With Your Protector, i can see that Robin is trying to tell us a story, i might not understand it. But with the music and the endless harmonized moans and hums, i can’t ask for more.

“Meadowlarks” is another beautiful acoustic ballad about meadowlark. If i were right, i think Robin is singing about his pet, a meadowlark. I just love the way Fleet Foxes hum to this song. It was just way too beautiful!

“Blue Ridge Mountains” started off really slow, but still managed to finish on a high note. There was a very unique instrument in this track, it sounded like some Chinese or Japanese instrument, which made Blue Ridge Mountains so good to the ears. Piano can also be heard in the background as Robin sang on. “In the quivering forest, where the shivering dog rests, our good grandfather, built a wooden nest, and the river got frozen, and the home got snowed in, and the yellow moon glowed bright, till the morning light” Brilliant stuff here.

The last track on Fleet Foxes’ debut is a beautiful acoustic track called “Oliver James”. At times when i listened to this song, i just wanted to sing along. The fact that this song is very easy to sing along to, it such a mesmerizing track. Only Robin’s voice and some guitars can be heard. Even if the guitar is not present, i have no doubts that this will be a big track as well. Just lovely. A peaceful way to end the album.

Rating: Wow, every song on Fleet Foxes’ debut has its own uniqueness and specialty. I enjoyed this album thoroughly. The instrumentals on Fleet Foxes were pure genius, i can’t help but listening to them all the time with my ipod. Fleet Foxes also tried to add some varieties to their music through using different types of instruments, which to me, they really did a fine great job. Nothing to argue about, there might be some flaws in between the album or some short boring moments on Fleet Foxes, but it’s still worth to spend your time with Fleet Foxes. 7.5 out of 10, i have to say. Cheers!

Stand-Out Tracks (My Picks): White Winter Hymnal, Ragged Wood, Quiet Houses, Meadowlarks, Blue Ridge Mountains.

Cheers!

Darren Tan

Indiesurf.com

“Wild Sweet Orange” are a four-piece American indie band based in Birmingham, Alabama. They are led by frontman Preston Lovinggood (Vocals and Guitar), Taylor Shaw (Guitar), Garret Kelly (Guitar and Bass) and Chip Kilpatrick (Drums). Wild Sweet Orange were formed back in 2004 and their musical genres are a mix of indie and alternative rock. Most of the times, they are just belting out some great rock ballads.

We Have Cause To Be Uneasy is full with emotional-burning ballads and tasty vocals by Preston. Individuals who are looking forward to an album full of burning and driving ballads, they can’t afford to miss the stories told by Wild Sweet Orange in the manner of ballads.

We Have Cause To Be Uneasy drives into our thoughts with “Ten Dead Dogs”. Preston is really blessed with such beautiful voice that fits in so prefectly singing ballads like Ten Dead Dogs. This track is more of an indie pop/rock ballad. Wild Sweet Orange performed really well here, peaking at the climax and some nice backing vocals, “Ah, Ah…” at some points. Ten Dead Dogs have a steady and comfortable rhythm to it. Love it! It ends just like that…

“Tilt” is a much faster tempo track. It began with guitar pluckings, as if they’re taking little steps. As Preston sings on, it gradually got louder until the chorus which is really good, “And I fear what I’ve done, means I’ve lost what I love…” Entering the second verse, Wild Sweet Orange suddenly sound more lively, more energetic and fuller. My favourite has got to be the chorus where Preston shows the soft and the loud side of him.

“Seeing And Believing” captured a part where Preston sound a lot like Jonathan Foreman of Switchfoot. Seeing And Believing gives an impression that Wild Sweet Orange is telling us a story and asking us listeners to pay close attention. In the ending of this lovely and slow guitar-plucking tracks, Preston sounds angry, sarcastic and got louder ending this track.

“Either/Or” has some great guitar riffs going on, the beginning has it all. Throughout this track, i was just enjoying to the guitar, it’s raw, loud, energetic and catchy! The chorus is also a good listen where Preston goes, “All the things i’ve hated, i’ve been before, i’ve fallen down slowly, just to kiss the floor…” Wild Sweet Orange has made Either/Or fun and a must-listen rock ‘n’ roll track on the album.

Wow, i really like the simplicity of the guitar on “Sour Milk”. Wild Sweet Orange is on acoustic performing this track. Sour Milk can also be the introductory track to anyone getting to know Wild Sweet Orange, it just has the uniqueness of them. Accordian can also be heard on this track, maybe as an affort to replace the drums. With Preston’s friendly voice and Wild Sweet Orange’s beautiful music, Sour Milk will keep you entertained from start to finish. The accordian also contributed to Sour Milk, making it a really sweet and lovely track. Kate Taylor is also featured sharing some vocal sessions with Preston on this track.

“An Atlas To Follow” shows some strong usage of piano and banjo. It sounds very friendly especially when the banjo just comes in and joins Preston’s vocals. Additional background vocals are performed by Rebekah Fox. The beat of this song has a very happy tone to it, you’d end up smiling and feeling happy after listening to this track. And credit goes to Rebekah for the wonderful background vocals and Matt Pasons for the great playing of the Banjo, it really fits in well. At times, sounding like a country hit!

“House Of Regret” started off with some lazy guitar and bass. Upon listening to this track, it sounded like a rock ballad track. Some sounds created by synthesizers can also be heard here. The guitar on this track sounds like those played by Guns N Roses, leaving this song sounds old at times. Preston reunites with Kate Taylor again on House Of Regret and if it’s not for her, this song would have sounded lame on We Have Cause To Be Uneasy, it just doesn’t fit in. Wild Sweet Orange are trying too hard here.

“Crickets” comes in from afar at the beginning. It contains some electronic samples here. Preston goes relatively soft throughout this track, he doesn’t really raise his note to another level. In the chorus, Preston goes, “She don’t believe anything… but i’d believe anything…” And when Preston is not singing, the guitar replaces his voice with some surround-sounding guitar. The remaining one minute, you can hear Rebekah Fox doing a duet with Preston.

“Aretha’s Gold” is a slow ballad drive. Preston can be heard singing with emotions while slowly building the tempo for this track. If you pay attention, you’d find Aretha’s Gold tells the story of two young lovers. As soon as it gets louder, Preston shows us another side of his vocals, it’s not like those that we have heard before on previous tracks, with each tone and note, he’s letting you to experience his own feelings toward this song. Aretha’s Gold is a powerful and strong ballad, Wild Sweet Orange are playing to the max here.

“Night Terrors” left an impression that as if Wild Sweet Orange are performing on a live jam session. The only instrument that i hear on Night Terrors is the guitar. Most of the time, Preston and Kate Taylor are left to sing only with their voices. They make a good team together, perhaps Wild Sweet Orange might consider adding a new bandmate. Kate Taylor’s voice is just so soothing, especially the part where she howls.

Wild Sweet Orange’s We Have Cause To Be Uneasy ends with yet another beautiful ballad, “Land Of No Return”. Preston’s voice is like magic, he makes the chorus sounds so good with, “So when do you go, tell me where are you going, because there’s no place you can run to, forget all your longing…” The music playing in the background is not foregoing any chances at all, it really leaves a special mark on this lovely ballad. When the break comes, Preston again makes us fall in love with Land Of No Return, he goes, “Is it true, is it true what they say? In these woods there’s something real strange, you can walk for what seems like days… Is this the land of no returning…?” Though at times, it recalls me of Dave Matthews Band’s “Where Are You Going?” whenever Preston hits the chorus. Nonetheless, Wild Sweet Orange maanaged to end this album with an amazing track.

Rating: We Have Cause To Be Uneasy is slow and emotional. Just by listening to the songs, one would think that Wild Sweet Orange must have been around for quite a while. The songs that they write sound mature than what they currently age. With an average age of 24, they have miles to go if they keep writing such beautiful ballads. The voice of frontman Preston, is also the jewel of Wild Sweet Orange. Wish i could have a voice like his, it’s just so soothing to listen to his singing all the time. With the help of Kate Taylor, Rebekah Fox and Katie Crutchfield, We Have Cause To Be Uneasy have many notable moments to be rememberred. It may take a while for you to grow onto this album, but once you’re into it, it’s hard for you to get out of the beautiful rock ballads. I’m going to rate it 6.7 out of 10.

Stand-Out Tracks (My Picks): Ted Dead Dogs, Tilt, Seeing And Believing, Either/Or, Sour Milk, An Atlas To Follow, Crickets and Land Of No Return.

Cheers!
Darren Tan
Indiesurf.com

“Andrew Keese & The Associates” are a four-piece indie band from Melbourne, Australia. Their musical genre are mostly indie folk rock, piano rock and indie pop/rock. Currently the four members of Andrew Keese & The Associates are Andrew Keese himself (Vocal, Guitar, Piano, Hammond Organ & Rhodes), Sunny Leunig (Guitar), Phil Smith Major (Bass & Backing Vocal) and Andrew Cowie (Drums & Percussion). Andrew Keese & The Associates have this talent of writing great and meaningful lyrics. Even if you just look at their lyrics, you would know the song would come out great. In contrast, if you just listen to their songs, sometimes it’s hard to figure out what they’re trying to express. But after looking at the lyrics, you’d would be amazed at the story told throughout the song. Sometimes, i keep thinking that they’re the Australian Okkervil River or even Ben Folds.

Desire by Andrew Keese & The Associates is best listen to through earphones. The reason? Most tracks here are best enjoyed when you’re alone or in somewhere quiet. If you’re looking forward to spend your weekend away alone, try give Desire a spin.

Desire welcomes us in a slow emotional instrumental starter, “Mercy”. It is pure piano-playing in different keys throughout this track. It’s like Andrew is trying to tell us a story with each different note. I can’t help but keep thinking that this would be the prelude for any performances and concerts. Just imagine it, Mercy would be a great intro in front of thousands of crowds.

Desire continues with the beautiful “Little Possessions”. Beautiful instruments and rhythm throughout this track. I like the part whenever Andrew goes, “Little Possessions…”, there’s a cute and yet appealing sound that follows. I’m not sure what the instrument is called, but it’s really good. My guess would be an organ. Little Possessions would definitely be a pop rock version of the traditional Christmas anthem, Silent Night. Only Little Possessions… It’s starting to get into my head…

In “Transmission”, you can see the real talent of Andrew Keese & The Associates. They managed to combine piano and guitar and transform them into a crunchy classic. Well honestly this combination is not something new, but somehow i can connect with Transmission. I will not fail to have fun with Andrew Keese & The Associates whenever i plug Transmission to my ears. There’s something unique as well here… Andrew Keese & The Associates managed to keep Transmission loud and rock yet soft. Go figure..

“Blessed Are The Meek” is a beautiful ballad yet again. Just love the violin in Blessed Are The Meek! When it’s the verse, Andrew sings with emotions, when the chorus comes, Andrew goes, “Blessed Are The Meek, baby..” in repetition. From Andrew Keese & The Associates’ musical style, they resemble Ben Folds, but from their lyrical talent, they are remarkable. The best part is the chorus, where you can hear the piano playing in the background. It sounds very full, but they can do it better if the rest of Andrew Keese & The Associates joined in and sing along as well.

“The Shadows” starts off with some repetition of guitar slowly, like those that you would hear in a rock song. But honestly, i first thought that The Shadows would be some loud rock and roll track. But after 30 seconds into this track, i realized i was wrong. You can listen to the guitar riffing throughout this track, instead of the piano. Even without piano, Andrew Keese & The Associates still sound great. I just like the part, “Here come the shadows again…”. It’s definitely the climax of The Shadows.

“The Burden Of Proof” got me thinking that it would be a great ballad, it was the impression i got after listetning to only the first 20 seconds of the song. The piano and guitar combination are here to stay. And as Andrew sings along, the music that accompanied especially the violin, made this song full of emotion! I can feel the sadness and sorrow in The Burden Of Proof. Andrew Keese & The Associates made this song so great that it leaves an impact on me. I love the violin here.. And the last 1:14 minutes will blow you away, it’s just so gorgeous!

To me, “Ameline” has a wonderful storyline. It seems to be telling a story about a girl called Ameline who has left behind her loved one and now hopes that his previous love will accept her back. Sounds like a romantic drama movie. Another sad song to ponder on, especially the chorus where Andrew goes, “I watched you take that medicine, it was bitter as brine, once your words were vintage wine, now they’re alkaline, you’d better pray there’s still time for you, Ameline.” Don’t get me wrong, Ameline is a great track with great musical arrangement and mixture. The violin and guitar made a good team here. With its potential, Ameline could as well be an anthem for Andrew Keese & The Associates.

“Singapore” is like a frustrating and yet long-for-love ballad. The title itself captured my attention as i was from Malaysia, just a neighbour to Singapore. Andrew yet again sings with emotions from start to finish. From the beginning, Andrew sings as if he’s building up the energy for the chorus, “Tonight, i got lonely… Over you…” And honestly, the violin that comes straight after the the choruses was gorgeous. I always play it back to saviour the moment.. There’s also a guitar solo after the second chorus, great effort by Andrew Keese & The Associates.

“Sertraline Hydrochloride” is a strong slow drive. Throughout the whole track, Andrew’s voice was the one that stands out. It sort of tells us to live life happily and don’t dwell on unhappy things and the past. A very meaningful song with clever lyrics written by Andrew. At certain points, Andrew can be heard raising his vocal as to make Sertraline Hydrochloride a memorable listen. ”This is the sound, of clouds touching down, on wet city streets, put that sorrow at your feet, and don’t say it’s the end, when the day is about to begin…” I really think this sentence is going to haunt me for a long time to come. Especially, “and don’t say it’s the end, when the day is about to begin…” There’s someting to the rhythm of this special phrase.

“Someday” is somewhat similar to Sertraline Hydrochlorid. A strong slow drive with clever lyrics. If i’m right, it sounded like the person that Andrew refers to is waiting for her time to come, meaning kicking the bucket. Andrew’s voice was slow, steady and full of emotions. And Someday was almost an acoustic song, except for the chorus, “Don’t fool yourself, your time’s gonna come, you think the years happen to everybody else, someday you’re gonna be that someone…” where it gets louder and the organ kicks in.

The title track, “Desire” closes the album in style. Desire is such a radio-friendly track and it somehow sounds like a Christmas song. It’s also a cheerful track where the constant playing of guitar can be heard and yeah, the rhythm of the guitar is great and infectious. Can’t help but find myself enjoying the music of Desire. From the lyrics, i can only tell that Desire tells us that everyone of has a desire or desires, it’s up to us to control it, as desire is always up to no good. Andrew adds, “Desire has many faces, hides in the darkest places, so keep a star in the night of your heart, and find someone to watch over you..” You gotta love this track by Andrew Keese & The Associates.

Rating: Desire is definitely a take-off point for Andrew Keese & The Associates. It has shown the talent and specialty of Andrew Keese & The Associates, i was wondering how they would sound like at first. Perhaps just another indie rock band trying to make it big? However i was wrong, they write their own music and all the times in Desire, they were just being themselves, belting out tunes that touch hearts and create emotions. Desire could have been better with the sound arrangement and engineering, but given it is their debut, they have done a good job. I’m becoming a fan of Andrew Keese & The Associates, nonetheless. Desire is warm and feel-good, i’d give them 7.0 out of 10, straight from my heart.

Stand-Out Tracks (My Picks): Little Possessions, Transmission, Blessed are the Meek, The Burden of Proof, Singapore and Desire.

Cheers!

Darren Tan

Indiesurf.com

“Late Of The Pier” are a four-piece indie rock band from Castle Donington, London. Late Of The Pier are Samuel Eastgate (Vocals, Guitar and Synthesizers), Andrew Faley (Bass and Synthesizers), Sam Potter (Sampler) and Ross Dawson (Drums). All of them have pseudonyms and known as Samuel Dust, Francis Dudley Dance, Jack Paradise and Red Dog Consuela respectively. Late Of The Pier are very much into electronica and their music genres cover indie rock, electronica, synth pop and dance-punk.

Late Of The Pier’s Fantasy Black Channel opens with roaring guitar instrumental “Hot Tent Blues”. It seems that Late Of The Pier have been using a sampler to make this track. The guitar on this track revives the 80s rock scene where it’s filled with pitching and echoic guitar. The bass and drums provide cushion in the background as the guitar plays on. Once it reaches the remaining 13 seconds, the track gallops again but this time, with some start/stop guitar riffs. It’ll gradually bring you to the next track. Very energetic opening!

Once entering “Broken”, oh my god the guitar just brings you on. You couldn’t help it but to move your body to this crazy filler track. Very awesome guitar work i would say. Shortly after that, it’s followed by a series of music created by synthesizers and sampler. Only by the time Samuel enters with his vocals, Broken seems to slow down a bit to allow him to express himself. Broken is filled with various guitar playing, you can’t help but to love this track. Just my first listen, Broken already got me wanting for more. Very addictive!

“Space And The Woods” comes in right after Broken. If i’m not mistaken, it sounds like Late Of The Pier are playing keyboards here. Catchy keyboards playing by them. Samuel has a robotic voice-like as he sings on. When it comes to the part which i assume is the chorus, the guitar just comes in, without affecting the earlier keyboards that we first heard. In the bridge, Samuel sings in a very ignorant voice that goes, “I’m shit hot so say what you think about me, i’m not gonna cry because I don’t care…” It sounds kind of cool here. The music on Space And The Woods definitely matches the previous track. Love the keyboards!

“The Bears Are Coming” has a very cool opening. African-influenced percussion belting with the synthesizers. Once Samuel comes in, it just adds extra weight to the already really good music. After each paragraph of his singing, the music just plays on. And it’s not just some ordinary music, it’s the type of music which is going to at least make you nod your heard. The Bears Are Coming also vibrates some disco-feel to it. In the bridge, Late Of The Pier just takes a short break with the slow tempo and Samuel enters with his yell-like vocals layered with heavy-heart elements, “I saw you wading in the water, i saw you ride along the sea, shine on a nightmare, shine through the trees…” Once after that, the music again kills me on the spot. With some voice in the background, it’s like a party track in the making. Before ending, it seems that Late Of The Pier are not done with the track yet, they just play around with their synthesizers and sampler. Amazing feeling!

On “Random Firl”, the music in the beginning is just way too cute. The synthesizers-influenced guitar are very cheeky as well. If you pay attention, you would notice a slight sound of exclaimation (Like a woman’s gasp) in the background when the music are just warming up to get to the verse. It just sounds so funny to me. Slowly, Late Of The Pier seem to be adding more instruments to this track, making it sounds much better gradually. The cheeky and catchy guitar just work its way throughout the track, very sweet feeling.

“Heartbeat” begins with some 80s-like music before the real deal comes in where Late Of The Pier enter with loud guitar riffs. When it gets to the chorus, Heartbeat seems to get into another level, it gets rougher and groovier here with Samuel going, “A heartbeat, a flicker, a line…. It’s just a line…” in repetition. The best moment on Heartbeat definitely. Entering the second verse, the bass also gets groovier and louder. It just never fails to pump up my blood and the volume. It’s not a line, it’s the music!

“White Snake” has a somewhat slow beginning. But it suddenly bursts with the loud guitar of Late Of The Pier. Samuel also seems to be gasping for air when singing as it’s fast and loud here. The guitar also plays at a speedy rate. When it gets to the chorus, the whole track just loosen up slightly. Piano can be heard playing in a repetition of notes rapidly as the track goes on from here. In the bridge, Late Of The Pier add some creepy music to White Snake, it comes in as a surprise, really. But it’s still good as the track is so fast until it gets you rocking as well. Even Samuel sings and yells like a true rock star!

“VW” continues with some clever music playing. Horn can be heard here as the music goes fast and slow throughout the track. When it’s fast, the horn seems to be louder and the music sounds kind of eerie, as if something bad is bound to happen. When it gets to the slower part, Later Of The Pier seem to be getting ready for the next speedy break. Listening to VW makes you think that you’re running out of time and something bad is about to happen. Dangerously fast!

“Focker” has a very strong electronic influences to it. On the verse, Samuel sings very fast as if he’s gulping down the lyrics. However in the chorus, things get a different approach. Samuel just sings and drags on, “I wanna be you friend… Oh yeah…” With the heavy electronic music in the background, sometimes it just drowns out the voice of Samuel. Focker can be said one of the wildest tracks on Fantasy Black Channel. Even the remaining 30 seconds are filled loud guitar and synthesizers, looping and echoing to the end.

“The Enemy Are the Future” has a cute beginning. You would know what i mean after listening to it. It seems that this time Samuel share his vocals part with other members of Late Of The Pier. It has a deep and playful voice once it comes in. As the chorus comes, the whole track as i never expect, sounds very good with the bass going on. With Samuel going catchily in repetition, “Easy life, is it an easy life?…”, i feel obliged to sing along as well. I just don’t know why, the way Late Of The Pier play and sing is really good! Needless to say, the music is just great on The Enemy Are The Future. Deeper into the track, it just turns into another track totally. The sampler and synthesizers just hit the invisible magic button as it’s no longer a rock track, it’s a dance track. Very, very highly evolved.

“Mad Dogs and Englishmen” starts with a bell chiming from afar. Sooner than later, the bass comes in and eventually it gets louder with a certain rhythm to it. The guitar and the bass on this track seems to be working together here, layering and covering one another. When the bass goes, the guitar waits; when the guitar goes, the bass waits. The bass especially, makes me smile as it possesses some funny elements in it. In the bridge and until the end, Late Of The Pier just play their stuffs which resulting in some playful and great music. It makes you want to play…

“Bathroom Gurgle” opens with steady drum beats (That resembles “Chelsea Dagger” by The Fratellis) and soon joined by synthesizers. The music itself is already catchy enough to make me want to get up and dance. It’s infectiously groovy! In the chorus, Samuel yells, “Find yourself a new boy…” with the music adding in some xylophone-like sound. I really enjoyed myself listening to that particular moment. Other than that, Late Of The Pier’s Samuel also plays around with his vocals on Bathroom Gurgle as he imitates the voice of females at some points of the track. Few seconds after the chorus, Bathroom Gurgle surprises us with a cheering part that goes, “So put your hands on your waistline, and move you body to the bassline, and get your hands on some cheap wine…” Late Of The Pier really show everything they have on this track. One track that covers a variety of singing and playful music.

Cheers!
Darren Tan
Indiesurf.com

“The Do” are a French two-piece or duo indie band based in Paris. The Do were formed in 2007 and they are Dan Levy (Musician) and Olivia Merilahti (Vocals). Their music covers a wide variety of genres that include indie rock, indie pop, folk rock and a bit of electronic stuffs.

A Mouthful has an album appetizer that everyone of us will definitely give at least a thumb-up to it. In “Playground Hustle”, a group of children cover most of the singing part while Olivia just adds in some extra weights here and there. The music in this track is exceptional as well. The flute on Playground Hustle reminds me of my younger days when i had to learn flute-playing in school. The music which is mainly contributed by synthesizers also creates a very good opener impression here. Love the cheeky part where it almost sounds like the movie “Jaw” theme.

“At Last!” is groovy indie pop tune which showcases the Olivia’s vocals. She seems to be singing breathlessly and without taking a jiffy just to inhale. The tempo on this track is very consistent and The Do/Dø also bring in some extra sound or note to make it much fuller. But just by listening to Olivia’s angelic voice, it’s more than sufficient to fall in love with this track. After the second chorus, “Made up my mind now it’s time settle down, but don’t hold this against me I gotta run now…” The short bridge contains some clever guitar playing and country-like harmonica layered with Olivia’s melodic voice. It’s just beautiful! At Last!

“On My Shoulders” continues the amazing rhythm and sound of The Do/Dø. On My Shoulders has quite a long opening before emerging with Olivia’s beautiful voice. As Olivia sings on in the verse, it sort of drags me along and thus creating a tendency for me to sing. “Why would I carry such a weight on my shoulders? Why do I always help you carry your boulders? You wonder why I carry such a weight on my shoulders?…” Although On My Shoulders is sung in a repetition of musical note and tone, but The Do/Dø make it really unforgettable. The rhythm just keeps playing in my head now, and it’s stuck in my head!

“Song For Lovers” is an acoustic track with only Olivia’s voice can be heard and in the background, guitar plays along before another string instrument violin appears. In the end, Olivia sings with emotion, “Here’s a song for lovers who don’t care if they bleed…” An honest and heartfelt track by The Do/Dø!

“The Bridge Is Broken” has little guitar steps in the beginning. Once Olivia enters, it sets the right tone and rhythm that follow suit. After the verse, Olivia just repeats “The bridge is broken…” and while she is singing the chorus, the deep guitar plucking never stops. It just weights in after the Olivia’s voice. Very, very nice to hear! At times, the music shows some Jazzy side of it. In the bridge, the music comes in with more variety. The mixing of The Bridge Is Broken really good, and the use of synthesizers and other equipments just prove to be amazing! I don’t care whether the bridge is broken or whatever, as long as The Do/Dø are here to sing, the bridge is always fixed.

“Stay (Just A Little Bit More)” is cheeky and catchy. Just the perfect song for couples anywhere in the world. You have to check out the guitar once it starts, it is on a constant plucking mode and never fails to create an atmosphere that one would expect when picnicking at the beach. Once the chorus comes, Olivia just goes, “Stay just a little bit more, don’t let my heart turn sore…” and with each phrase, there would be howlings in the background that just complement this track so much! Entering the second verse, the whole track seems to be venturing into a new zone and it sounds cuter than ever. During the bridge, violin is heard and joins the fun with The Do/Dø. Stay (Just A Little Bit More) just sounds good from start to finish!

On “Unissasi Laulelet”, if i’m not mistaken, it’s a track sung in Finnish by Olivia. As Olivia sings on, it seems that there are some background vocals that sing simultaneously with Olivia. Further into the track, the music just get fuller and louder. Even the vocals got louder and slightly subside before ending. Quite funny when listening to a foreign language. But it’s still good.

“Tammie” starts off with harmonica and some distant shout in the background. Once the right tempo is reached, a number of instruments just come in. Guitar, bass, drums and handclaps can be heard as Olivia sings. In each phrase of the verse, Olivia sings and drags the last word until she reaches a part where she loops, “Oh i know you won’t…” The bass in this track is very groovy and some might have it catchy as well. At some points, the word “Tammie” can be heard in the background, shouted by a number of guys. Saxaphone can also be found here as the song draws to a close. Cool stuff by The Do/Dø!

“Queen Dot Kong” features a heavy usage of synthesizers. It also has saxophone and trumpet at some parts of the track. After a few listens, this song sounds like a theme song for a cartoon show. It’s very cute yet weird with those sudden change of music notes and tones. Even the vocals vary as well, sometimes it’s fast, sometimes it’s slow. Olivia also raps at times, which i find kind of cute to imagine her doing so. The Do/Dø are definitely loosing themselves here.

“Coda” is an instrumental track and it continues from Queen Dot Kong. It sort of acts as the final part of the song and helps the song to end. The Do/Dø can be heard playing with the synthesizer and mixer here. A break for The Do/Dø perhaps.

“Searching Gold” is the longest track on A Mouthful and it spins over 5 minutes long. It has some dark and evil elements to it as Olivia sings in a way that doesn’t reflect her usual voice that we first heard. Take it from the title, everyone has himself or herself on mind when it comes to gold and will do whatever it takes to get their hands on gold. Maybe it’s one of the clues that we have that might helps us explain Olivia’s voice here. The music in Searching Gold is pretty flat here and i like the ending lyrics that goes, “As the horizon cleared, we let go of our hands, each one hurried to be the first where gold flows out, oh silent rejoicing when one of us stumbled, oh silent rejoicing when one of us failed…” Sort of sarcastic by The Do/Dø here!

“When Was I Last Home?” is a slow track that has piano as its main instrument. Olivia just sings with her heart and let it taken away by the music. This time around, Olivia is proving how versatile she is by showcasing her beautiful voice on this somewhat sad track. Deeper into the track, there are some background vocals and violin also can be heard helping Olivia out. The Do/Dø are showing an emotional side of them. Great effort anyway!

“Travel Light” starts off with some lazy and draggy vocals by Olivia. Even the music sounds the same here, it just feels lazily good. However when it comes to the chorus, Olivia sounds lighter in her voice and goes, “Lately I’ve been walking away, floating like a song in the air… Lately, I’ve been trailing away, I’ve been walking my way…” And when back into the verse, everything is back to what we first heard in the first verse. Another slow track here, which i think The Do/Dø are not that good at doing this. The Do/Dø are way much better when doing a fast track. They’re born to do that!

“Aha” definitely brings the tempo back here. Once the music starts, i know this song is going to rev up the album again. As Olivia sings, “It came up on a day I was having a nap, it came up on a day I was catching the gnats, it was a trap…. Aha, Aha, Aha….” You can hear a group of guys in the background helping Olivia out. Slowly when it gets to the chorus, the guitar sounds like a plucking from a James Bond theme. The bass throughout this track is outstanding as well, it just has the groove to liven up the track. The bridge also has its moment, where a group of female vocals can be heard belting it out with Olivia. The bottomline is that Olivia is back with her angelic vocals! Love it!

“In My Box” is an instrumental track that has a steady beginning before picking up the tempo and hitting it high as the song draws to an end. It sounds like an African-influenced music at first and then when the bass line comes in, it just gets groovy. Olivia is not calling it a day yet as she also contributes a bit with her voice. She sort of yells here though. Pretty cool ending by The Do/Dø!

Cheers!
Darren Tan
Indiesurf.com

“Blitzen Trapper” are a six-piece indie rock band based in Portland, Oregon. They are Eric Earley (Vocals and Guitar), Erik Menteer (Guitar and Keyboard/Piano), Brian Adrian Koch (Drums and Vocals), Michael VanPelt (Bass), Drew Laughery (Keyboards/Piano) and Marty Marquis (Guitars, Keyboard and Vocals). Blitzen Trapper was formed in year 2000 and to date, they have released four full length albums. Their music genres are mainly experimental, indie rock, and folk rock.

I really had a good time with Furr. Blitzen Trapper just made themselves sound so unique. Think of modern country combined with rock ‘n’ roll, i bet you’ll have a good time. And a little bit of cowboy influence.

Furr opened with the rather unforgettable “Sleepytime In The Western World”. This song doesn’t really have a chorus, the only thing that made it so special is Eric’s singing and the music that follows through, especially the piano and the percussions. “Your eyelids are made of lead, you can’t keep them up, because it’s sleepytime, and that’s no crime in the western world…” Blitzen Trapper already showed what they’re capable of.

I like the guitar hooks of “Gold For Bread”, especially in the verse where it has the rock ‘n’ roll and good-time quality. Eric also did a good job here with his singing, though i find the chorus slightly funny, “Because i’m running from the end, yeah and it’s inside of my head, on my bed with a lead for the leg, we’re trading gold for bread…” The break also contains some cute sounds which you would normally find on arcade games. But hey, Gold For Bread is really good! Way to go Blitzen Trapper.

“Furr” is like a lovely summer track, where it tells the story of a boy turning into a wolf (Based on the lyrics). It sounds fairy-tale like if you listen to the song. I can even imagine Eric strumming his guitar and singing to Furr. This track is more like those where you would hear in an unplugged jam session. And throughout Furr, Eric sings effortlessly and full of emotion. No wonder Blitzen Trapper decided to name this album, “Furr”.

“God & Suicide” is like a slower tempo version of Gold For Bread. And i have to say, it might even be better than Gold For Bread. The music in this track just got it together, and after every verse, Blitzen Trapper will do the howlings together, “Whoo…”. The bass stands out the most here where it’s very consistent and most of all, simple and memorable.

“Fire & Fast Bullets” sounds promising once it opened. The verse is for tempo-building and when the chorus comes, Blitzen Trapper will do their stuffs. Half singing along with Eric, the other harmonized it with their voices. I just like it when they go, “Oh, oh oh…”. Nonetheless, Fire & Fast Bullets is firing me up.

“Saturday Nite” crazily good! I don’t really know how to describe it, but it’s really good. If you’re having a down weekend or bad saturday, stop everything and listen to Saturday Nite now! You’ll thank me later. The whole track feels so light, the piano just get on with it, the drums follow, the vocals comes on and off just like that… Awesome stuff here!

“Black River Killer” is more like a modern country rap rock track. Can’t help but imagine Blitzen Trapper on stage moving their bodies and do the things a rapper would do. Just so hilarious! On this track, Eric can be heard singing as if he’s speaking. And the “squeaking” music that comes on after each paragraph of verse, fits in perfectly.

Blitzen Trapper takes a different note on ballad “Not Your Lover”. The main instrument here is piano and Blitzen Trapper make sure that they do well even if without guitars and drums. From the lyrics, this song carries a sad aspect with it. “In my sleep, i’m not your lover anymore, when i wake, i have to remind myself, that i’m lying on your shore…” Anyway, it’s a good effort!

“Love U” is a loud draggy rock track! Besides those loud draggy music, Eric is also having a hard time adjusting his voice in this track and at some points, he screeches heavily. As this track goes, it gets softer near the end. Honestly, i don’t think Blitzen Trapper is comfortable singing Love U.

“War On Machines” brings the whole album back to normal and Blitzen Trapper is again doing what they’re best at, having fun and rock ‘n’ rolling. The guitar on this track has some explosive quality with it. During the verse, it keeps looping until i find it resembles “Hair Don’t Grow” by Annuals. Blitzen Trapper managed to rock this song out and still keep the country element in it.

It’s funny how “Stolen Shoes & A Rifle” sounds like ”Good Arms vs. Bad Arms” by Scottish band Frightened Rabbit at the beginning. It started off with a few instruments at a steady pace before sounding fuller after the first chorus. Later into this track, Blitzen Trapper can be heard choiring. It may not be their best, but it’s still a great effort by them.

“Echo/Always On/EZ Con” has three different parts. Normally a track like this should have been the closing track of an album. The first part of this song is a melodic piano ballad where i love the flute that is being played at some points. The second part sounds like a malfunctioned photocopying machine, which i think is quite weird. Lastly, it’s the dance-like instrumental which showcases the sound of a flute and how good it can be. I find the last part very good, and i always fast-forward this track to this part. Enjoy!

The final track on Furr is the acoustic “Lady On The Water”. It has some really nice melody but what i like the most is the piano that comes after each verse. Since Eric is busy playing the guitar and singing, the piano sort of let Eric take a short rest before continuing singing. Just a nice and warm finish to Furr! Lovely!

Rating: Furr continues from Wild Mountain Nation like a successor. Both albums fare really good and contain some good music for their fans and even new listeners who just starting to explore their music. Fans of country rock are really recommended to add Blitzen Trapper to their music shelves as the music written and composed by them are a new era of country rock where you could hear it clearly in Furr, and even Wild Mountain Nation. Until today, i don’t fancy country music, but Blitzen Trapper has made some really good music here. A very, very good job of modernizing country music so that younger generation like me enjoy it. There was no regret at all for trying Furr, it instantly became one of my favourite albums in 2008. I really like Furr, therefore i’m giving it 7.6 out of 10.

Stand-Out Tracks (My Picks): Sleepytime In The Western World, Gold For Bread, Furr, God & Suicide, Saturday Nite, Black River Killer, War On Machines and Echo/Always On/EZ Con.

Cheers!
Darren Tan
Indiesurf.com

“Tokyo Police Club” are a four-piece Canadian indie rock band from Newmarket, Ontario. Tokyo Police Club were formed in 2005 and they are Dave Monks (Vocals and Bass), Josh Hook (Guitar), Graham Wright (Keyboards) and Greg Alsop (Drums). Their musical genres are mainly indie rock, garage rock and post-punk revival. 

Elephant Shell has a good opening with “Centennial”. In the few seconds upon opening, you can hear the sound of a malfunctioned robot. The robot might be stuck or jammed somewhere, i thought to myself. Shortly, the draggy keyboard and Dave Monks just come in. Centennial is not a fast tempo track, but the guitar and bass seem to be able to work this track out. In the bridge, handclaps joining by keyboard, just come in for a brief second. And that might be one of the best moments on Centennial. At the end, i like Dave Monks goes, “I’m only wishing well, though you won’t believe me, this coming Thursday evening, is our centennial…” and succeeded by wedding-like keyboard. A short opening, but i’m convinced to find out more about Tokyo Police Club. 

“In A Cave” starts with guitar that comes in from afar before joining by In A Cave’s core bassline. Before Dave comes in, the music is already really good. When it comes to the chorus where Dave again goes, “All my hair grows in, wrinkles leave my skin, but still, don’t fade… I’ll be back again when the tide is in some day…”, the keyboard suddenly enters and the rest of Tokyo Police Club can be heard helping Dave out in the background. The second verse gets even fiercer with the guitar and bass, but somehow it’s not loud. It still manages to sound light and effortless. The best bet on In A Cave is definitely the remaining 1 minute after the second chorus. Dave just struts his stuff, “Elephant shell, you’re my cave and I’ve been hiding out, will you tell me a little bit about, a bit about yourself?” and joining him are the guitar, bass, drums and keyboard which play in notes that we first heard in the beginning. Only this time, Tokyo Police Club add some magic to it! Impressive stuff by Tokyo Police Club here! 

From the lyrics of “Graves”, it sounds like a script of a horror movie. “Pack your ashes pack a watch, change of clothes and a face cloth, meet me where your mother lies, we’ll dig graves on both her sides…” The guitar keeps playing in a loop once Graves opens before the drums, bass and keyboard come in all together. A sudden adrenaline rush! Graves is one of those tracks that don’t really have a chorus and relies on the music to drag it or make it a longer track. After Dave’s vocals on the second verse, it feels like Tokyo Police Club are having a short break by playing the music. They really do have a strong liking for keyboards. Nearing the end, Dave just sing to the end accompanied by a howl-like sound that comes on and off. 

“Juno” has some drum beats going on. As Dave sings in the chorus, it looks like there’s a sound in the background which i think is produced by the instrument Xylophone, adding some Christmas feel to it. Reaching the chorus, Juno seems to be turning to keyboard to go along with Dave’s vocals, “You and your soapy eyes, called it off so late at night, but your hand’s on your heart, because your head’s always right…” The Xylophone also plays its part here on a few notes that really complement the chorus. As Juno goes on, it ends on a sudden and tired note, “Juno, you’re tired…” But i’m just getting started to know Tokyo Police Club. 

“Tessellate” has some high and sharp pitched guitar in the beginning. Just as Dave sings each phrase of the verse, the keyboards which possess some catchy ingredients just come in at the right time to make sure we as listeners are having a good time listening to Tessellate. In the chorus, Dave sings with his already-known voice, “… Dead lovers salivate, broken hearts tessellate tonight…” Tokyo Police Club show some effort here by adding hand claps along side to Dave’s voice. The real deal on Tessellate is definitely the sound of the keyboard which always never fails to capture my attention as it’s too good. And at times, it sounds like a piano. Now i just can’t get the sound of it off my head. 

“Sixties Remake” kicks off with some crunchy guitar opening that reminds me of those motorcycles engine on the highway. As this song goes and reaches a point where an exclaimation of “Hey” can be heard, i already knew Sixties Remake is one of the tracks that is going to be my favourite on Elephant Shell. The crunchy guitar is one of the factors that keeps Sixties Remake so good. In the chorus, Dave just goes, “Hey! Bat your lips, shut your eyes… Hey! Swing those chains, and start a fight, because you’ve got nerve, but we’ve got tapped…” This has got to be one of the loudest and crunchiest tracks on the album. 

“The Harrowing Adventures Of…” has me thinking that this is one of the tracks that might be suitable for babies. The xylophone just plays in notes that will make all babies in the world smile upon listening to it. It’s not long before Dave enters the bay twilight zone, “The harrowing adventures of, you and I when we were captains of, submarines made of steel…” When it got to the point that sounds like a chorus, acoustic guitar can be heard playing in a way that blend in so well with the vocals of Dave and xylophone. Two string instruments which sounded like a cello and a violin can also be heard here. I really didn’t expect that to come, but Tokyo Police Club surprise me here. The Harrowing Adventures Of… is undefiantly cute and cheeky in its own way. It will gulp you down slowly. 

“Nursery, Academy” is a short rock track that i find Dave sings on different notes in a few minutes. In the beginning, Dave can be heard singing, “I would’ve gone back home, i would’ve gone back home, it’s bad enough you’re here and it’s worse that you’ve come along…” Smart lyrics i thought. This song begins to pick up in a short while once the bass comes in. Keyboardist Graham must have worked very hard here as the keyboard is all over the place with different notes. Tokyo Police Club are trying very hard on this track to make it sounds as good as possible. I can feel that they work very hard on this track. 

“Your English Is Good” has Tokyo Police Club choiring, “Oh, give us your vote, give us your vote, if you know what’s good for you…” before the whole track sounds very full as the music comes in all together. Your English Is Good is cheeky and cute with the keyboard playing in repetition in the same notes throughout the track. Everytime the keyboard enters, a smile appears on my face. Tokyo Police Club also go together with, “Because your English is good, we can see it in your bones, in this neighborhood, we ain’t driving you home…” With such title, Your English Is Good will definitely catch everyone’s attention in the tracklist section. Plus another good thing is the cute keyboard and choir that are in this track. Sweet and cute! 

“Listen To The Math” has a slow opening where Dave’s voice seems to be the music here. The keyboards and bass add some weight to Dave’s singing as he’s into the second part of the first verse. Once it gets to the chorus, it feels light with the guitar. “It’s a ruse, it’s a laugh, experts they’d agree, listen to the math…” Shortly after the chorus, the guitar switches to a chrunchier note that seems to be able to add some extra effects and weights to Listen To The Math. Another mention is the deep background voice that comes in during the chorus. It just follows Dave’s singing in the background. Listen To The Math can regarded as a ballad that will stick to you like a fungus after a few listenes. 

As the last track on Elephant Shell, “The Baskervilles” has some moments on it that stands out. The choiring moments by Tokyo Police Club is worth mentioning and appear on some parts of the song and never fail to create an impact on the listeners. They would go, “Alright, we tried to help…” As we get further into The Baskervilles, the track starts to pick up and the music just sounds as lively as ever. The guitar and keyboards work their way out here. Even nearing the end, Dave increases his singing tone and yell, “A toast to the last of a dying breed, they’re crawling back to bed, they’re falling back to sleep” to the end. A very strong finish by Tokyo Police Club. 

Cheers! 
Darren Tan
Indiesurf.com

“Albert Hammond, Jr.” is an indie pop/rock artist from Los Angeles, California. He plays the guitar and his favourite guitar instruments are Fender Stratocaster and Gibson Les Paul. He is also a guitarist of indie rock band, The Strokes. When he’s with The Strokes, he often plays the rhythm guitar. As he ventures into his side project solo career, he still plays the similar musical soundscape as The Strokes, a bit of garage and indie pop rock. 

Como Te Llama opens with a very guitar-oriented “Bargain Of A Century”. The beginning few seconds, i can hear the bass as if it’s running on a open field. Once the music catches on, you can hear the banjo beginning to play. When Albert Hammond, Jr. takes the stage, he sings in an energy-less voice. The guitar did a very good job in helping out this track. Well, this is how Albert Hammod, Jr. sings right? Very similar to the style of Julian Casablancas.  

“In My Room” is a more lively track. The beginning guitar shows some rocking sense. Albert Hammond, Jr. will sing, and the guitar will follow, complementing each other. From here, the music rhythm also shows some similarities to the music of The Strokes. When the chorus comes, Albert goes, “I miss you already…” The second verse of In My Room carries a more lively and energetic approach, and then the whole track just follow through. The ending 30 seconds you can also hear some sounds of organ jamming with the sounds of guitars. A great way to end!  

“Lisa” has a steady beginning where you can hear the music getting fuller as the seconds go by. It starts off with drums, and then followed by a groovy bass line, next is the guitar which sounds like it’s playing in an overlapping loop. A few seconds after Albert Hammond, Jr. enters for the verse, the piano just come with a four-note sound that blends in very well with Lisa. It’s very cute to hear the piano keeps doing that throughout the track. Lisa has its moments where the guitars and piano sound really catchy. During the break, violin comes in and sort of transforms Lisa from a catchy tune to an emotional tune. I would say this track is like eating you slowly… Really sweet and cute here!  

“GfC” sounds very cute at the beginning with the trademark guitar work by Albert Hammond, Jr. And when the chorus comes, i like the bass that is going on in the background as Albert keeps singing. The verse of GfC builds the tempo and the pace, and only shows Albert’s shouts and screams in the chorus. After the second chorus, the guitar solo can be heard before GfC ends in a similar way as it opens. This is really good!  

“The Boss Americana” begins with heavy and slow guitar work before Albert Hammond, Jr. comes in at the verse. This song is kind of loud compared to the previous four songs. The guitar riff in the verse has some 90s elements in it which recalls me of rock songs from the 90s. The chorus in contrast, is softer where Albert goes, “I won’t know, if i won’t ask you to stay, would you let me go, and i will have your way….” The rhythm guitar in the background really resembles to those of The Strokes, you would accidentally think that this track is performed by The Strokes if you didn’t look at the artist behind this track.  

The first few seconds of “Rocket” will have you think that this is going to be an explosive track. When the march-like drums come in, Albert Hammond, Jr. just goes on repeating, “Oh my rocket…” At some points throughout this track, some howls can be heard here and there. Before the second verse, the guitar pluckings that come in is really good. It stands out from the rhythm and music. This song is sort of draggy and slow, like a slow rock track.  

“Victory At Monterey” has a very groovy bassline accompanied by some space-like soundscape. When the chorus comes, the guitar and bass work like bread and butter. It just gives an impression that Victory At Monterey is shifting into another gear and at a different speed level. The bass in this track is sexy as well, after a while, you would think that you’re listening to some dance/electronic track in a club. It makes you want to get up and dance. Victory At Monterey is a track that deems not to be missed, Albert Hammond, Jr. just hit you with this music piece. Wish i can have more of this…  

“You Won’t Be Fooled By This” is a track that has clear guitar riffs. The singing of Albert Hammond, Jr. is often than not, drown out by the sound of the guitar. The echoic guitar is very consistent from start to finish. Only in the chorus, where Albert goes on a repetitive mode, “You won’t be fooled by this…”, the music changes slightly where the guitar strums into another note which sounds much lighter. Violin also creates a special appearance in the second chorus and in the last 30 seconds, the group howling is really something that stands out in You Won’t Be Fooled By This. Love the ending!  

“Spooky Couch” is an over seven minutes long instrumental track. It has a dreamland soundscape that would make you think as if you’re in a dream world. The guitar in this track just comes in on and off as the track flows through. Spooky Couch doesn’t sound like what the title suggest, for me it’s just plain gorgeous. Sean Lennon is a featured guest on this track where he plays the piano. All together, they make Spooky Couch one of the most beautiful tracks on the album. The remaining 1:30 minutes will just blow you away, so be really indulged with Spooky Couch. A surprise by Albert Hammond, Jr. Soothingly beautiful!  

“Borrowed Time” is a reggae-ish track, bringing you the atmosphere and feeling of the beautiful Hawaiian island. The keyboards in this track just work closely with the guitar, creating a unique sound between them. When the chorus comes, the track just turn up the tempo and Albert Hammond, Jr. just howls and moans. Without much singing, Borrowed Time is just another fine track.  

“G Up” has it going on with the guitar work that really resembles The Strokes’. Even the way Albert Hammond, Jr. sings just keeps reminding me of The Strokes. The guitar in this track hardly stops and rests, it just keeps playing in a very consistent manner. I pay more attention to the music and rhythm of this track rather than the singing of Albert. If you listen carefully, the guitar on this track sounds like a fast version of a reggae guitar. Fierce yet soft.  

“Miss Myrtle” has really good guitar sound. It lets you chill to the music itself. As Albert Hammond, Jr. sings, the guitar just helps Albert out with the repetitive strum of the guitar. The process of it is really good. As the chorus comes, the whole track just gets louder and the guitar riff that you first hear in the beginning just comes back and follows Albert’s singing. It’s simple, but really good. A happy track for anyone wanting to brighten up their day.  

“Feed Me Jack Or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love Peter Sellers” is the last track on Como Te Llama. Albert Hammond, Jr. decideds to have a ballad to close the album. This track starts off with piano and soon joined by violin as Albert sings on. Perhaps this is the track that we see Albert sings with his heart and passionately. As it gets nearer to the end, Albert screams as the music plays on and fades. Just another way to end the night.  

Cheers! 
Darren Tan
Indiesurf.com

“The Futureheads” are a four-piece English post-punk revival band from Sunderland. Their unique band name, “The Futureheads” comes from one of The Flaming Lips record called “Hit To Death In The Future Head”. The Futureheads consist of Barry Hyde (Vocals and Guitar), David Craig (Bass and Backing Vocals, also known as Jaff), Ross Millard (Guitar and Backing Vocals) and Dave Hyde (Drums and Backing Vocals, younger brother of Dave and also replaced former member of The Futureheads, Peter Brewis). And according to Channel 4’s 4 Music, Barry Hyde revealed that Dave was given a guitar as a gift by their parents when they were young. However, Barry took the guitar away from Dave to learn his first strum on the guitar. As a result, Dave was left with nothing, he had to take up the drums.

This Is Not The World is really an album that keeps the tempo going, never in a second This Is Not The World slow the tempo down. It’s full of energy, handclaps, guitar, drums and everything that keeps you going and rocking to This Is Not The World. It’s very hype!

This Is Not The World by The Futureheads launched its opening with the groovy and anthemic “The Beginning of The Twist”. Barry goes, “It’s time to wake up, it’s time to change, let’s get it started… I can feel it, i conceal it, i can feel it coming, the beginning of the twist…” From the lyrics, i can tell that The Futureheads are ready for a new chapter in their life, a new beginning, a new year and a wholelot of new troubles to overcome. There’s no space to breath in The Beginning of The Twist, only space to groove along with it and to enjoy it! Crazy opener!

“Walking Backwards” is another anthemic indie rock song. “Walking backwards, with nothing to say, walking backwards, so get out of the way…” As if The Futureheads wish they could turn back the times and undo the things that they did. Similarly to the first track, this song is full of non-stop guitar riffing, drums pounding, bass playing. Two rockable songs in a row that will definitely get you up and rock along. No doubt, if you’re going to a gig, you are looking forward to have a good time. Well, you can rock, dance, groove and sing with Walking Backwards.

The third track off This Is Not The World is called “Think Tonight”. Yet again, it doesn’t slow the tempo down, it builds your tempo further up and keep yours momentum going. “You will never find anyone, to come along and take you by surprise, because you’ve had too much to think tonight”, Barry yells and sings at the chorus. Think Tonight is more of a complicated yet romantic indie punk rock song. If you pay attention to the lyrics, you’ll know what The Futureheads are trying to express. This song is all about a girl…

Wow, “Radio Heart” starts with some infectious drum beats that you already knew at the moment, this song is going to be brilliant! And voila, it gets better at the chorus. The verses are catchy in a way, guitar and bass playing at the same times. When Barry sings, “Go with the radio heart…” A faint distance of “wooo wooo” can be heard. It sounds like some special instrument, or is it the rest of The Futureheads are making that voices or sound? One thing is for sure, the vocals are harmonized in Radio Heart! Brilliant!

“This Is Not the World” has a non-stop guitar plucking and bass playing sound to it, reminding me of Blink 182. It can be clearly heard during the verses, as if The Futureheads are not tired of playing it. Which is a good thing, as i don’t want the tempo to be slowed down, i’m enjoying it. So far so good! “This is not the world, this is not the end, this is not a crime…” Great Anthem!

Another amazing track called “Sale of the Century”. From the beginning, the guitar already impressed me. So what do i do? I just sit back, relax and let Sale of the Century rock me in my rocked chair. Up till the sixth track of the album, This Is Not The World shows no signs of slowing down. It just keeps on rocking us, the listeners and the audience. Barry’s voice in this track sounds sarcastic, especially during the verses. When it comes to the chorus, the rest of The Futureheads backed Barry up with, “ah ah ah…” Sale of the Century is full of loud guitars, drums and bass. I find loud is The Futureheads’ cup of tea.

“Hard to Bear” is another anthemic track from The Futureheads. The starting with the drums rolling, it sounds like a song used in a march. Don’t get me wrong, it’s still a very good song. “Hard to bear… Difficult to watch… Hard not to care… When it means so much…” It’s about a guy who has just broken up with his girlfriend, therefore it’s hard to bear. However, I can imagine a group of armies marching together and singing to this track. Hm, it can even be edited, and re-composed to a patriotic anthem. Just a suggestion..

I like how “Work Is Never Done” begins. The bass is kind of cute, and the guitar keeps playing. From start to finish, the music is brilliant! It’s about the stress and pressure of working in the city, by the end of the day, whatever stress and pressure we have gone through, our work has yet to be done. And this time, it’s Ross who takes the lead. What a turn, perhaps Barry needs a break after all of the yelling and screaming. “The city’s getting bigger, but everybody slowly moves away, your accent gets thicker, the blood is getting thinner everyday…” Sounds scary?

“Broke Up the Time” starts off with a bang. This track sounds like it has two parts. The verse and the chorus, everytime The Futureheads reaches the chorus, the music changes, great playing by them. They make it looks so easy. “We broke up the time and put the pieces in a different order…” Whenever in chorus, Barry sounds as if he has no time to breath. It’s such a long sentence to sing out, but the music made him. And we all enjoy it.

“Everything’s Changing Today” is catchy in its own way. When it comes to the chorus, “Everything’s changing today, getting further and further away…” You can hear the background voices, where they go like the sounds of crows. Really! It’s not a bad thing, it’s something great if you can have some varieties to your music. What to expect from this track? It’s telling the story about a girl who always does the same things everyday, who never wants to change… Until today… The lyrics are hard to understand, but the music is still great.

“Sleet” is another track that reminds me of Blink 182 at the beginning. With some little but non-stop pluck-playing of the guitar throughout the track. It’s kinda cute whenever The Futureheads do that. When the chorus comes, the guitar plays a big role in making this a catchy song. “Let’s go to sleep, but let’s not go to bed..” Hm, some hidden meaning behind it. This song is cute, at times, you will enjoy its start stop playing of music.

“See What You Want” is the last track on This Is Not The World. It’s not a bad way and song to end the album as well. After a few listens, this song has the potential to be a hit and an anthem. We can go, “See what you want to see, but don’t reflect what you can’t see in me..” I like the way The Futureheads played the guitar throughour this whole, especially the one that really stands out, you know what i mean when you listen to See What You Want. It’s like plucking just a single string of a guitar. It goes, “doiiinnngg..”. It’s funny yet so good to listen to.

Rating: If i can only choose one good thing to say about This Is Not The World by The Futureheads, i would definitely say the energy. You see from start to finish, there wasn’t a chance for me to rest and close my eyes. As soon as one track is finished, the track that follows next kept me up again. If you found yourself sleepy but aren’t able to go to bed due to work or other reasons, please listen to This Is Not The World. You’d be glad that you have made a wise decision. Compared to The Futureheads’ last album, News and Tributes. This Is Not The World showcased The Futureheads at their best, playing raw post-punk revival and writing some really catchy songs along the way. You will not find varieties in This Is Not The World, it’s a very consistent album that will please fans of The Futureheads. No doubt about that! I would be stupid if i were to say i’m not enjoying This Is Not The World. It’s truly loud and groovy and anthemic! What else more! I truly rate it 7.3 out of 10.

Stand-Out Tracks (My Picks): Radio Heart, Work Is Never Done, See What You Want, Sale of the Century and Walking Backwards.

Cheers!

Darren Tan

Indiesurf.com