reviews
albums
BLOOD RED SHOES ****
Blood Red Shoes (Jazz Life)
If you’re offended by an
overwhelming desire to
tap your foot to the beat,
then Blood Red Shoes
probably aren’t the band
for you. The fourth album
by the Brighton duo stays
true to their punk-tinged, indie origins, although
it’s not hard to see where they get many of their
influences from. With a focus on great quality
songwriting and hooks that get under your skin,
Blood Red Shoes, while not offering anything
new, demonstrates a band at the top of their
game. HL
BOHREN & DER CLUB OF GORE ****
Piano Nights (PIAS)
If you think of heavy
music and nothing but
metal bands come to
mind, then you need to
take the time to listen
to this album. Bohren
have been peddling their
brand of extremely dense, torturously slow and
heartbreakingly melancholic jazz noir for the
past 20 years, and you’d be hard pressed to
find much else heavier. Bass notes soothe you,
rests between beats slow down your heart, while
baleful saxophone and keys snake their way
through the spaces in between. GM
THE BOXER REBELLION ***
Promises (Absentee)
Although technically far out on the fringes of
the music industry (a consequence of remaining
fiercely independent throughout their 14 years
in the biz), Promises finds The Boxer Rebellion
making a subtle but significant shift toward the
type of anthemic indie-rock that’s so consistently
popular these days. Whereas previous releases
were in comparison musically and lyrically
reserved, here the words are plainly emotional,
the tones sunnier and the arrangements all the
more accessible, particularly on the cathartic
choruses of Always. NM
CHARLOTTE CHURCH ****
Four (Alligator Wine)
Following five self-released EPs, Charlotte
Church’s album is due
for release this summer
and by the sounds of
it we’re in for a treat.
This six-track EP brings
more depth and beauty
than you could wish
for, opener Entanglement getting things