maria zoë jackson // music blog: April 2015

Thursday, 16 April 2015

Review: Slaves - 'Cheer Up London'

image: theguardian.com

Famed for their rash, unadulterated punk sound, Slaves' brand new single 'Cheer up London,' fits into their growing back catalogue perfectly. Opening with an evil cackle and a signature Slaves guitar line, their angsty sound is instantly addressed. Even more so when the lyrics come in; "put another 0 on your paycheque, are you done diggin' your grave yet?" spoken in an unmistakable Tunbridge-Wells accent. Emphatically reiterated as Isaac Holman and Laurie Vincent repeatedly screech "you're dead already" in unison. Such a pleasant track.

Slaves' dark, almost humorous sound certainly sets them apart. Take when Holman tells London to "cheer up" and "mind the gap" towards the end for example. Slaves are certainly a band who aren't taking themselves too seriously or sticking to any strict rules. A refreshing change in my book.

Wednesday, 15 April 2015

Track of the Week: Tall Ships - 'Will to Life'

image: diymag.com

Having been off the radar for the best part of three years, Tall Ships are back with a succession of incredible new material in the run up to the release of their sophomore album. The newest addition to their repertoire: 'Will to Life.'

This track is a busy concoction of jaunty post-punk drums and melodic guitars. When paired with powerful yet restrained vocals telling wonderful lyrics, the outcome is nothing short of superb. It's a real feel-good track with a sing-alongable quality that doesn't come naturally to a lot of musicians. Tall Ships, however, make it sound effortless.

Review: Circa Waves - Young Chasers

image: hitthefloor.com

In a world where guitar-pop only comes diluted with reverb-soaked psychedelia or synth-driven R&B slants, Circa Waves are a much needed antidote to the mix-and-match genre generation. It's surprising how good a simple, whole-hearted pop song played on a guitar can sound without boasting any gimmicks- and Young Chasers provides us with plenty.

'Get Away,' The LP's opener and their very first single as a band, puts forward their no-nonsense, fun-filled, summer-sounding ethos perfectly; suspenseful guitars exploding into an exasperatingly infectious chorus that was made to be played as loud as possible as the sun beats down your neck. 'T-Shirt' weather is another one we can expect will go down exceptionally well on this year's festival circuit, with more classic guitar melodies and an even catchier chorus; expect to have "I remember T-Shirt weather" ringing in your ears if you're hitting up R&L, Glasto or one of the many other festival appearances the Liverpudlian four piece will be making later this year.

'Deserve This' provides brief respite from the fast-paced, jaunty instrumentals and hard-hitting choruses but it isn't long until the album's title track kicks off with relentless guitars and choric lyrics you won't be able to refrain from uttering. 'Stuck In My Teeth,' however, is possibly my favourite 3 minutes on the entire record. A childlike guitar line that takes me back to the early days of the Wombats and the like provides the basis for the track, along with lyrics we can all relate to ("I'm a little too young with not enough time"), the track soars from its poppy intro to its powerful chorus.

'Talking Out Loud' brings things to a close and it's another truly credible moment on the LP. "Can you come on come on now? It's not like you're talking out loud" persists your brain after hearing it once.

Overall, I've been really impressed by Circa Waves' debut album. Some tracks sound as if they've been taken straight from the Strokes' discography, a la 'The Luck Has Gone,' but who cares? Circa Waves may be a product of their influences but that doesn't take away the fun of their debut album which, in my opinion, is epic in its own right. I expect a Catfish & the Bottlemen style rise for these boys over the next 12 months.