Buzz Magazine Buzz Magazine - July Issue | Page 42

reviews
albums
THE ACID **

Liminal (Infectious)
This trio are already
known in their respective
musical worlds as
breakbeater Adam
Freeland, producer Steve
Nalepa and Australian
indie bloke, Ry ‘RY X’
Cuming. The former two got pissed at a party
and decided to form a band, or something, and
the result is what they describe as a ‘genre-less’
album that tries too hard to deliver on that
promise. Economic with structure, Liminal is a
curious debut – a mishmash of high male vocals,
fleeting samples and stumbling beats. RH

THE ASH & THE OAK ****
Survival As A Kind Of Triumph (Country Mile)
Fans of the country-tinged indie genre will lap
up the third album from Newport duo Simon
and Rachel Leighfield. While they’re not quite
as countrified as their contemporaries such as
Neville Skelly – in fact tracks like Sparx and
You Can Be Somebody Else’s Baby Now come
with a distinct Californian influence – there is
nonetheless plenty to entertain on all levels,
including other standout tracks Jigsaw and
After The Rain. Catch the album launch at Le
Pub on Fri 11 July. RH

BRIGHT LIGHT BRIGHT LIGHT ***
Life Is Easy (Self Raising)
On Life Is Easy, the new
offering from Bright Light
Bright Light, it’s Rod
Thomas’ vocals not his
music that stands out –
even on I Wish We Were
Leaving (a duet with
Elton John) it’s Rod’s voice that takes centre
stage. Sometimes I wished for more of the Soft
Cell-meets-Pet Shop Boys-esque sync-pop sound
or the more haunting melody found on Lust For
Life. That said, this is easy listening for when
you’re taking it easy. LN

DAVID GRAY ****
Mutineers (IHT)
David Gray is tired
of being stuck on the
radio-friendly folk-rock
roundabout, so he has
enlisted the help of Andy
Barlow from Lamb for his
10th album. Embracing
the King Tubby-meets-Miles Davis-at-Metalheadz
sound of Lamb would be a move too far for Gray,

so he has finely honed and enhanced his songs
with a booming urgency that, in all honesty, is
uplifting to hear from an artist at this stage of
their game. DN

EXAMPLE ***
Live Life Living (Epic)
Example seems to be one of those artists that
everyone likes. Even if you’re not a fan of his
music – he is by no means the most talented
singer or rapper – his sheer likeability and
appearance on almost every festival line-up in
the past three years ensure his fanbase remains
strong. His latest album follows the tried-andtested formula of previous offerings: club-style
beats mixed in with the occasional rap. Although
nothing groundbreaking, it’s perfect for a
summer afternoon. HL

THE GOLDEN GRASS ***
The Golden Grass (Svart)
As good as the bands which spring from the
ongoing revival of 70s hard rock and proto-doom
metal often are, most of them lack realistic
potential of hitting the genuine big time, or
even selling enough to quit their menial jobs.
The Golden Grass, from New York, sound like
a possible exception. Despite this album’s five
songs averaging about seven minutes, hooks are
plentiful and outlooks sunny, sub-Sabbath schlock
a thousand miles away. Not earthshattering in the
scheme of things, but potential manna for Classic
Rock subscribers. NG

HOW TO DRESS WELL ****
What Is This Heart? (Weird World)
Love Remains, Tom Krell’s 2010 debut LP as
How To Dress Well, invoked feelings of isolation;
the party was next door and you weren’t invited.
Krell kept you on the outside looking in. What Is
This Heart? is a far more inclusive record in that
respect. The production shimmers and Krell’s
emotive vocals are high up in the mix, embracing
the listener rather than keeping you at arm’s
length. If this is the future of r’n’b then I’m
certainly along for the ride. IR

JOHN MOUSE ****
The Death Of John Mouse (Crocfingers)
John Mouse seldom fails
to endear, continually
making his unabashed,
outlandish mark on the
Welsh indie scene. These
songs are a blitzkrieg of
catchy hooks, boisterous
riffs and obscure, humorous and sometimes
melancholic lyrics. Mouse is uncommonly
honest about his subject matter, regardless of
how trivial or profound and he always seems to
inject into it a pleasingly mischievous wit. If you
can sit through this one without your mouth
curling into a smile, you deserve a round of
applause. CPI

JOSH RECORD ***
Pillars (Virgin)
Favourably acclaimed from some quarters as an
emerging talent, Pillars sees the Stroud-born
singer-songwriter churning out crowd-pleasing
material in a modest attempt to emulate a sound
comparable to that of Justin Vernon and Iron &
Wine. Record strays mainly in a MOR direction
with the emotional excess typified by a glut of
power ballad folk outfits of recent years. This
debut follows the formula to a tee, producing
fare that is affable but often beige in scope. CP

KASAI ALLSTARS ****
Beware The Fetish (Crammed Discs)
Unsure precisely what Congo collective Kasai
Allstars have been up to in the six years since
their first album, but this two-CD, 100-minute
follow-up is a work of considerable depth,
musical and conceptual. One of the two best
known bands in the Congotronics series of
releases, they are more folk-derived and less
analogous with Western dance than the other,
Konono No.1, but have similar setups of plinky
thumb piano and multifarious percussion
gizmos, which keep energy levels at a premium
through this excellently realised release. NG

KING CREOSOTE ****
From Scotland W ]ݙH