music reviews


ALISON COTTON The Portrait You Painted Of Me (Rocket) AAA


On her fourth solo LP, and first for Rocket, Alison Cotton taps into the same dark un- dercurrents of British history, psyche and pa- gan folk traditions that in recent years have inspired the likes of Gazelle Twin’s Pasto- ral. Murmurations Over The Moor sets the tone, repurposing the first term of its title as a perfect descriptor for Cotton’s interweaving, wordless vocalisations. The tense, droning combination of viola and harmonium and the ominous drum- beats of I Buried The Candlesticks soundtrack a slow procession to the gallows. The vocals finally coalesce into intelligible lyrics on Violet May, a bleak fairy tale, and the album ends with 17th November 1962 and a foghorn sounding a sombre tribute to those who died in a lifeboat disaster. Defiantly avant-garde and with greater emphasis on texture than on tune, The Portrait You Painted Of Me is a strange, foreboding re- cord, entrancing and unsettling in equal measure.


BEN WOOLHEAD LETHAL BIZZLE


put on a concert playing C’mon…. in full, omit the Oasis back catalogue entirely, and be justified in doing so. Some critics might compare this to the post-Oasis offerings of older sibling Noel, of course – and might just use Liam as the broth- erly benchmark. Noel Gallagher needs to up his game…


CARL MARSH


POLIÇA Madness (Memphis Industries) AAA


Lethal B vs Lethal Bizzle (Skint Gang) AAA


For someone who, in hindsight, was fairly pio- neering in grime’s evolution (hit singles as part of More Fire Crew; opening up pits with his de- finitive Pow!), Lethal Bizzle has ended up with a sort of neither-fish-nor-fowl image. One of the old skool but without that august elder status; a history of trying to wriggle into demographics like metal and house that didn’t really land. His last album was in 2009, with this latest release comprising seven mostly short tracks and an interlude – you might end up hungry for more, though, because it’s a lot of fun. Lyrically and musically a bit more contemplative than his 00s ragers, with slowed-down beats and synthesised strings and woodwind, single Dapper Dan fea- tures both a reggae-derived hook and a guest spot from road rap survivor Giggs. On a more upfront tip, there’s the belliger- ent, Pow!-referencing Practise the


eyebrow-raising rhyme of “groceries” and “ovaries” on If The Shoe Fits.


Hours and NOEL GARDNER LIAM GALLAGHER


C’mon You Know (Warner) AAAAA


The rock legend that is Liam Gallagher re- turns with his third solo album, and he’s getting better and bet- ter as time goes on. His first two solo al- bums combined don’t come close to C’mon You Know, and with lyrics like “In the back of a cab I was spangled as a flag, in America,” on Don’t Go Halfway, early in the running order, you just know this more than likely did occur. Liam has lived the life one would expect “Liam Gallagher” to have lived, and with his album, we get to follow him on that journey. At this point, the vocalist could


36


Poliça are brooding as ever on their electric sixth album. The tone hasn’t changed a great deal in the 10 years since their debut album Give You The Ghost (think of Sweet Memz as its distant cousin), but the band’s sound remains unlike any other. Prominent basslines propel most tracks on Madness, alongside Channy’s undulating, manipulated vocal. Highlights include the build- ing momentum in Violence and the entrancing rhythmic breaks of Away, while the title track is a contemplative lament, juxtaposing Celtic-style strings against an electronic backdrop. Blood would comfortably fit as the soundtrack for the latest Scandi-noir programme, given its haunting vocals, angular percussion and urgent groove. At just 31 minutes, Madness is shorter than previ- ous Poliça albums, but may be even more impactful. This album provides plenty to get your teeth


you get past its sombre nature and appreciate Poliça’s


tional song writing and innovative use of timbres.


unconven- ROSANNA LEWIS


SUBJECTIVE AAA


The Start Of No Regret (Three Six Zero)


Production duo Sub- jective, made up of Goldie and James Davidson, weave in various soulful musi- cians (notably includ- ing soft rock nu-jazz guitarist Tom Misch and neo-soul rising star Greentea Peng) on


into once


Lord Of The Rings OSTs: she might be the clos- est thing we have to the sound of actual Elven singing. Sun’s Signature, her first EP in 13 years, was made with partner Damon Reece (Massive Attack, Spiritualized), and its five tracks demon- strate sweeping scope and an average runtime of around five minutes apiece. Opener Under- water has been floating around for some time, this version a little choppier; Golden Air is a jangly, Cocteau-esque bubbling brook, Bluedusk a bobbing boat on a gentle current while Make Lovely The Day mould-breaking as a wistful acoustic bal- lad. Though I’d have loved more, Sun’s Signature’s succinct- ness makes it all the more precious.


HANNAH COLLINS WARDRUNA Kvitravn – First Flight Of The


White Raven (By Norse) AA


Norwegian band Wardruna’s latest of- fering reshapes their early 2021 studio al- bum Kvitravn in the form of a live album recorded without an audience, and the re- sults fall between two stools, neither relaxing nor rousing. The folk-metal band aimed to cap- ture the feeling of a gig when taping this dur- ing lockdown, but the “dramatic musical land- scapes” associated with the band are decidedly flat – whether an audience would have added atmosphere or not is up for debate. Take the title track, which begins with the sound of a gentle sea but deviates into dirge. Chant-like vocals, faith- ful to Norse tradition, are eerie, deep and dark, if liable to become monotonous. Likely aimed at Wardruna diehards, this album comes in a few formats – notably a limited box set retailing for over £100 – but sadly, First Flight Of The White Raven hasn’t made a convert of this listener.


LYNDA NASH


their second collaborative album. Spanning gen- res and time, The Start Of No Regret entwines its way in and out of drum’n’bass, techno, electroni- ca and soul. Goldie and Davidson’s geographical locations when creating this piece have also had an influence on the sound of this album, bounc- ing ideas between Davidson’s studio in Bourne- mouth to Goldie’s house in Phuket, Thailand. There’s a sense of repetition and lack of direction at times, some tracks seeming to follow the same template, but when you’re propelled back into the jungle scene with songs like Yoshi’s High- way and Sunlight, the latter featuring sweeping vocals from jazz vocalist Lady Blackbird. This highly anticipated album is sure to be a favourite amongst electronica fans.


JOHN EVANS


SUN’S SIGNATURE Sun’s Signature (Partisan) AAAAA


To describe Elizabeth Fraser’s voice as ‘ethereal’ doesn’t do it justice when many others labelled as such pale into earthly comparison. A former Coc- teau Twin, perhaps the best way to underscore her otherworldly qualities is her presence on the


ZOLA JESUS Arkhon (Sacred Bones) AAAA


Nika Roza Danilova, aka Zola Jesus, always conjures up an intense darkness with her mu- sic, whether it is the Badalamenti-meets-Recoil stunner that was Stridulum II or 2014’s more pop-orientated album for Mute Records, Taiga. The emotional pull of singer, songwriter and producer Danilova’s music can stop one in their tracks. After years of controlling her own sonic destiny, Danilova hit a brick wall and decided to enlist the help of others. Sunn O))) produc- er Randall Dunn was brought on board, as was drummer Matt Chamberlain, whose previous credits include David Bowie and Bob Dylan. Seventh Zola Jesus album Arkhon, from track to track, has a varied and expansive sound that lies somewhere be- tween dark electronica and minimal cinemat- ic soundscapes: from the piano-led Desire, to the compelling grooves of The Fall via the strings of Dead & Gone, the results are captivating.


DAVID NOBAKHT


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58  |  Page 59  |  Page 60  |  Page 61  |  Page 62  |  Page 63  |  Page 64