Speck Mountain Badwater Carrot Top Records
‘Badwater’, the third album by Speck Mountain starts as many indie films finish. Te sparse opening chords – recorded so deliberately that you can hear their analog twang and chord progression clearly – and idle drum lollop call to mind a car driving down the desert scene; a resolute concluding ‘into-the-distance’ shot. It’s a strange way, it seems, to start an album, with so much relaxed pace, until you realise the rest of the album carries on in anger that way. Tere’s not much injection of pace, the whole album through, and it’s only the title track, ‘Badwater’, that seems like the only snarling, reluctant awakening from an otherwise uneventful sleep. But that’s not to say I don’t like it; Marie-Claire Balabanian’s soulful vocals drift in and out of the slumber of the album, and while they don’t add chapter marks to any of the tracks, they blend perfectly with the subtleties of the music, provided by co-founding member, Karl Briedrick and the new recruits, Chris Dye and Linda Malonis. Tey have been heralded as space rock exponents, but that would denote a little more psychedelia than I think is offered. Tis is an even sheet of dream pop; let it drift over you as you dirft away.Emma Garwood
Te Blackout Start the Party Cooking Vinyl
Anyone who has ever experienced Te Blackout live will know they are all about having fun, getting involved with the crowd and generally partying. Teir newest offering to the ever growing British rock scene, ‘Start the Party’ completely reflects their energetic, fun-filled shows. Opening track, the very aptly named, Start Te Party, debuted at 2012’s Reading Festival to great accord is loud, isfull of energy and just screams fun. Te Blackout’s best songs are always the ones full of heavy guitars and sing along choruses and this album is packed with them. Tis record is from start to finish simply buzzing with lively, boisterous excitement and really creates a party atmosphere. Withoutpurposely comparing them to another Welsh band, it's obvious the guys have taken influence from some of the older Lostprophets material but they manage to deliver it in a way that is fresh and sounds new. Tis album really is a step up from their last and I cannot wait to see the songs performed live. Ellie Smith
Te Joy Formidable Wolf’s Law Atlantic Records
I have a sneaking suspicion. I believe that if you listened to Wolf’s Law and were able to strip away all the instrumentation to an unplugged set, you would still get tracks that feel wonderfully rich in their very basic elements. What the band proved with their debut album was that Ritzy and Rhydian’s vocals blend so harmoniously together that they’re like a single woven rope. Tey give us the most infectious melody lines and a somersaulting rhythm. With that at the core, what an exciting prospect it is to know that on this 2nd album, they let their musical palate expand to its limitations. Tere is imagery on the album, from the titles to the artwork that suggest the calm wisdom of Native American folklore, but the album is less than calm. It’s a sensational blast of the cumulative energy of three people, that manages to convey the unbridled force of their live show, which is always a sight to behold. Tracks like ‘Cholla’ and ‘Little Blimp’ beg to be played loud, while other tracks like ‘Te Leopard and the Lung’ and ‘Forest Serenade’ show the band’s expansive credentials that saw them support the live kings, Muse, just recently. It’s a visceral blast; a great snap and tear from a wolf’s jaw – raw, and bloody, and inciting overwhelming emotion. Emma Garwood
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