GWENNO Y DYDD OLAF
Alex
Spoiler alert; it’s in Welsh, but don’t let that put you off – the latest project from Cardiff based anti-pop star Gwenno Saunders is a delightful and bewitching effort which defies conventions and makes for an undeniably interesting listen. Inspired by 1970s Welsh sci-fi novels, Y Dydd Olaf (Te Last Day) is essentially a massive “fuck off” to mainstream society, tackling big topics like living under patriarchal rule, government funded media propaganda, technology and the importance of preserving minority languages – Gwenno herself is fluent in Welsh and Cornish. Unfortunately, her messages are difficult to pick up (save for the odd song title hint – see track 2, Patriarchaeth) but within the very bones of the album you can feel a fierce sense of rebellion; the tracks are wistful and without structure, the artwork is abstract and dystopian – there are no boundaries or industry influences here. Musically, Y Dydd Olaf could be a pop record based on its happy-go-lucky, prancing vocals on tracks like Stwff, if murky, futuristic synthesizers didn’t saturate it to the core, blending the tracks together. Te result? A 44-minute feminist joyride that spans retro, contemporary and futuristic sounds all at once whilst simultaneously sticking a middle finger up at anyone who may object.
48 / August 2015/
outlineonline.co.uk
EZRA FURMAN PERPETUAL MOTION PEOPLE
Sam
‘Never classify me; don’t try’. It’s good advice to take from the Chicagoan because a fool is the person who tries to nail down quite where this, the third album from Ezra Furman, falls in the musical landscape. Track by track his sound shapes itself in a loopy completeness before exploding into something immaterial and reforming as something you never expected, like a hyperactive Autobot going through a profound existential crisis. Between fluttering woodwind and a whole load of ‘ditty bop sha lang lang’ Furman tackles gender and identity, the political, the personal and the social, all of it with agile language and an unsettling playfulness - the excellent Ordinary Life and its chirp of ‘One September in Boston / I lost the will to live’ will smack you in the brainhole with its tonal contradictions. Wobbly, Pot- Holes and Lousy Connection all get honourable mentions but it’s hard to pick from an album that delivers at each sparkling turn. Grab your shoes and party through the hard times like never before.
TAME IMPALA CURRENTS
Josh
Tame Impala are cool, right? At least, that’s what everyone’s been saying for years. Despite their cool reputation, on this album they come across as nerds. Now this isn’t due to any Star Wars dedicated songs or anything like that, but in fact due to the focus on synths on this album, with barely a guitar in sight. Te beat that opens the first track Let It Happen didn’t fail to have me stamping my feet, with reverb-heavy vocals whispering the refrain “let it happen, let it happen”. Another highlight is the ballad- like Eventually with its sweet pop chorus and moving lyrics “I know that I’ll be happier” it eventually (ha!) ends up in the clouds, with layered echo vocals, and its main riff playing out until it fades out. Te Less I Know Te Better is a killer funky romp, with its main motif being infectious in the extreme. However, all these songs manage to blend into one another, feeling like the same formula being repeated over. Many of the tracks here come across as filler, such as Gossip, leaving this album feeling as if a lot of their creativity was used up on its opener.
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