Trigona - Trigona
Weird Beard / Echodelick / Ramble / Worst Bassist
Released: 4th April 2022
The latest welcome vinyl release from Weird Beard is a project that is being promoted by four labels representing the UK, Europe, Australia and the USA. As such the 200 copies pressed in grey vinyl with black and white splatter are going to be pretty scarce in each region, so getting hold of a copy may be a tricky, if worthwhile, task. Trigona is the recording project of Rob Shiels who began to create music in Queensland in early 2020. Over the last eighteen months he has recorded hours of songs and jams in his home studio; like so many others using his pandemic-enforced isolation to create music as a means of escape. These recordings were originally released as an EP in July 2021, though the songs have now been resequenced, remastered and another track added to turn it into a full length album. The six tracks here, stretching over forty-three minutes, are all instrumentals dominated by electric guitar and driven by programmed motorik beats. A mixture of krautrock, space rock and prog sounds, Shiels isn't shy of using reverb, fuzz, delays, phasers and tremolos, though this record is far from bogged down by effects; it is driven by melody and is pretty clean and often sprightly. On the whole the backing tracks are fairly minimal leaving the singing guitar to carry the main load of the songs which it does with a remarkable calmness, seldom getting excited, though it comes close in the latter stages of 'Monk'. The new song 'Via Ignatia' is the most tangental, the guitar weaving over a wavering background of sound for some nine minutes. It's the longest song here with most hovering around the six minute mark, though none of them altering course in any dramatic way. The highlight is 'Nudler', possibly the most robust outing in the collection, where the guitar stretches nicely over itself in a more layered soundscape. More releases are in the pipeline so keep an eye open and good luck in finding a vinyl copy of this one.
Crows - Beware Believers
Bad Vibrations
Released: 4th April 2022
This is another album delayed and ultimately shaped by the pandemic. London four-piece Crows began work on this record immediately following the release of their debut album, Silver Tongues, on Idles' Balley Records in 2019, and by January 2020 they were already in the studio laying down the first tracks. But then the world closed. "Once we knew Covid was here to stay, we took the first break we've taken since we released our first single 'Pray' in 2015. Being locked down for months unable to finish the record was very frustrating but it did mean we could come back to the album with fresh ears and make sure it sounded like it should: a true representation of Crows," explained vocalist James Cox. And this record certainly reflects the experience you get when you see Crows live as it manages to capture the dense power the band have built up through years on the road supporting the likes of Idles, Wolf Alice, Girl Band, Metz and Protomartyr. It's a smarter album than Silver Tongues, far more nuanced and far less rock and roll. Crows here head firmly into post-punk territory; the eleven songs that stretch to thirty-eight minutes are all solidly compatible, dark and thoughtful. There's plenty of frustration on display as well as some rage and some simple "fuck it" moments when everything gets lost in an explosion of sound. In all, it's pretty bloody impressive. Largely dark, the atmosphere is built on thoughts on the state of the nation and how it appeared to tie in with the fictional madness Cox was exploring, "The majority of the themes on the album came from what was going on in the world around Summer 2019 when we started writing the album. Covid wasn't in our lives and the biggest impact was Brexit and the madness our government were putting us through. I was reading a lot of J.G. Ballard and Kurt Vonnegut, mad dystopian novels, whilst all this craziness was going on around us and it was a weird headspace to get into." Influence is one thing, but capturing such a thing in sound is far more difficult, though it is something Crows manage with apparent ease. Most of the songs are built around Sam Lister's distant, heavy drums which are kept free from any embellishments that would detract from their brutal power. Jith Amarasinghe's bass helps dig the deep foundations, while Steve Goddard's guitars scrape and scratch away in classic post-punk style. Similarly true to their genre, Cox's vocals are slightly detached, three-quarters sung, often taking their own course. At time, the finished result echoes influences, with 'Moderation' and 'Healing' sounding like early Editors or Interpol, while some stabbing guitar refrains, especially on 'Slowly Separate', conjure up images of the brilliant In Camera. The weight of these songs is enhanced by their relative brevity with only three managing to drag their way to four minutes. They hit hard and succinctly, and there is nothing here that will disappoint, but plenty of moments that will thrill. The highlight comes late, with closing track 'Sad Lad' draped with glorious guitar noise. Hopefully this is pointing out a new path down which Crows can travel, but in the meantime Beware Believers is a worthy marker.
50 Foot Wave - Black Pearl
Fire
Released: 15th April 2022
When freed from the rougher barbs of everyday life, Kristin Hersh remains a prolific artist, recording solo, as a part of the legendary Throwing Muses, or fronting 50 Foot Wave. In times past, it was easy to tell which of her songs belonged in which camp, with her solo work largely acoustic and meditative, Throwing Muses building complex structures on shifting sands, and 50 Foot Wave acting as a much-needed pressure valve. It all seems to be different these days with her solo work now recorded by her electric trio and moving more into rock territory whilst 50 Foot Wave have become slightly less boisterous. Of course boundaries will be blurred. The electric trio consists of two-thirds of 50 Foot Wave with a former Throwing Muses bass player; 50 Foot Wave consists of two-thirds of Throwing Muses with an electric trio drummer, and Throwing Muses consists of two-thirds of 50 Foot Wave. One thing appears certain. Kristin Hersh likes playing in trios and the musicians with whom she shares a vision are few and far between. They are a close-knit group and those listeners who support her are equally close-knit and committed. Indeed, one of the reasons Kristin is able to record so frequently in her different guises is that she is funded by her fans who pay a quarterly subscription simply so she can carry on creating music. It's an innovative and fascinating programme and one that might have spread much wider if it wasn't for the fact that such dedication can only be inspired by an extraordinary artist who is able to move listeners in an uncommon way. Kristin Hersh has been moving us since the release day of the first Throwing Muses album and the thought of a world without her music is a worrying one indeed. So, we are happy to have contributed to her past work and will always support her into the future so that albums such as Black Pearl can continue to be made.
The beauty of this record is that it is as crafted as it is visceral. All of the songs are built around Bernard Georges' monumental bass which stands its ground as Rob Ahlers projects drum patterns like a kaleidoscope, constantly shifting into new shapes yet always remaining ordered, reflective and whole. Kristin's guitar produces layers of sound that are quite startling, whether distorted effects, pretty refrains or casual asides. When Kristin plays the guitar it produces more than sound. It tells its own story: reinforcing the lyrics, shrugging them away, or simply telling a tale of its own. In 'Hog Child' the guitar fills in when words have failed and its story damn near breaks your heart. Not that Kristin hasn't already come close with her broken, wistful vocal. She remains one of the greatest guitarists of any generation and one of the most startling vocalists. If these songs have been shaped to perfection then it is her voice that breaks through any artistry, hitting straight at the heart. Black Pearl is not just beautifully made, it appeals to every human emotion. That is nigh on impossible to achieve, but one listen to the twists and turns of 'Fly Down South' will convince you forever. The guitars in 'Blush' will move you as they pick, grind and dislocate, and the song is enhanced by the effective and rare use of layered vocals in the outro that give a greater depth to the sound. If this is a pointer for the direction Kristin's music is taking then the future looks beyond fascinating. Closer 'Double Barrel' grates and chafes and soars, while opener 'Staring Into The Sun' is bursting at the seams with latent power which is held back, but only just, making it a dangerous thing to have around.
Black Pearl is a remarkable record that hits harder than its thirty-three minutes would suggest. Its seven sculpted tracks will move you if you have a heart to move. And move you far. There are limited turquoise vinyl copies available from Fire, so grab one while you still can.
Fontaines DC - Skinty Fia
Partisan
Released: 22nd April 2022
With their third album, Fontaines have moved away from the brash punkiness of their debut and the world-weariness of its follow-up towards a much more introverted sound. There is a sharper experimental approach to the music which is slower and less predictable yet just as affecting. The songs are often fractured, the album resonating with brokenness and disconnection, yet it is full of gentle melodies that refuse to intrude on the dominating vocals but succeed in rubbing away some of their abrasive edges. At the times the music decides to lift itself from the background, it in turn relegates the vocals to second place and makes a statement of its own. It is fitting that the album's title derives from a Gaelic expression of exasperation as that appears to lie at the heart of everything Fontaines do; you don't listen to this band to find contentment and joy but to be shaken out of your slumbers. This may be quieter, but it still hits hard.
Smote - Portcullis
Weird Beard
Released: 28th April 2022
With vinyl being so hard to obtain, the accessible lathe-cut ten-inch is becoming more popular than ever and the latest offering from Weird Beard is another release in that format in aid of Smote's nominated charity. This may be a familiar record to WB aficionados as Portcullis was first released on the label's limited run cassette series back in November 2020. Then joined with another EP, Questing, this time the four tracks on Portcullis stand alone, obviously being remastered for vinyl by John McBain, but otherwise unchanged. Very much a lockdown recording, Daniel Foggin's musical journey shies away from the grim reality of the pandemic and offers escape into a different environment, a fantasy world untouched by restrictions and regulations, though Portcullis is far more than just a place to bury your head. It has a more spiritual edge, seeking for answers and strengthening our purpose. It takes us on a journey where we emerge better prepared for the vicissitudes of life. 'Ardnamurchan' is brisk march, encouraged by positive guitars, which is continued by the title track that sends us on a ten-minute quest; pushing us on with a firm bass and forcing us into new terrain which intrigues without causing unease. Flutes seranade as they guide us on our way and the buzzing guitar reinforces our purpose. Our arrival is greeted by the hymnal 'Portuairk' where deep chants invoke the power of the land as chimes ring out in a ritualistic way. It is though we have been granted entrance into the inner sanctum to witness what no outsider has ever before seen. And it changes us. Closer 'Sennen' sends us on the journey home, but we are looking at everything with new eyes. The looping bass reveals previously disguised twists and turns and when the flutes call, they are weaving spells that colour our vision and leave us bursting with renewed determination. As the song builds, it uplifts and strengthens and becomes almost euphoric. With the popularity of Smote amongst the Psych family, this hugely limited run of seventy-five copies is going to disappear in the blinking of an eye, so get in quickly when Weird Beard put them on sale.
50 Foot Wave - Power And Light
Fire
Released: 23rd April 2022
Released on April Fool's Day 2009, Power+Light was originally available as a free download on Cash Music, a single track running in at just under twenty-six minutes, before being pressed on to twelve-inch vinyl in very limited numbers, 250 in each of the process colours: cyan, magenta, yellow and black. Colour bars of the same grace the otherwise monochrome cover, designed by Throwing Muses' drummer David Narcizo, and as these are the colours used by printers in various mixes to create full-colour pictures it hints that though all shades of the spectrum are available, their blending here only serves to create grey. Similarly the lamp which has detail when turned off creates only extremes of light and dark when switched on. All this screams that there is no middle ground here: no colourful vistas, no pretty patterns, no hints of shade; this is music of extremes, supremely confident in what it is and what it has to say. It's certainly the most primal piece of work from Kristin Hersh since the early days of Throwing Muses, and it positively rumbles with power and icy certainty. Now reissued on vinyl by Fire Records in a run of a thousand copies in black vinyl for Record Store Day, this is the first time Power+Light has been available in the UK and the one track has been divided into seven songs, or seven movements of one whole piece. It is remarkable how it works; there appear to be natural divides between tracks, yet there is a unity that makes it feel awkward to pick them apart. It's very cleverly done, though it feels consummately organic.
We read a lot that 50 Foot Wave produce Math Rock but to us that is a contradiction in itself. How can you make music a science? Or turn your soul into an equation? We no more accept this notion than we would mark an album out of ten, to us a genuine lack of understanding. Power+Light is an explosion of emotion, a cry of frustration, a curse on all and sundry. And we imagine for Kristin a welcome opening of the pressure valve. Throwing Muses were on hiatus when this was recorded, with the singer working on her Crooked album, and though her solo work was beginning its transformation into something a degree harder, it couldn't offer the freedom that 50 Foot Wave could, the freedom simply to burst. Messily. The music here is so emotionally charged that it needs musicians with the power of Rob Ahlers (drums) and Bernard Georges (bass) to be able to contain it without being swept away. Both are made to work hard, hammering at the edges to keep things in shape, though the early tracks see notes falling over themselves in their rush to escape and things very nearly reach breaking point. That even amongst this headlong rush off a cliff, Kristin is able to tease her instrument into producing coherent and occasionally beautiful passages of sound just goes to show what a brilliant guitarist she is. And when she makes room to breathe the results are simply stunning. 'Skeleton Key' follows the headlong charge of the title track and is far more measured, with the gorgeous cello of Victor Lawrence adding a further dimension which so beautifully frames Kristin's vocal, heartfelt and breaking, "Grab me, grab your skeleton key. And don’t forget to breathe..." There's an intimacy here which is scolded by some insane guitar work, but the song still emerges with its integrity intact and must be one of the best things she has ever done. Incredibly, the following track 'Broke' almost matches it, the vocals helplessly resigned. "He said do you know what it feels like to be ... broke?" Kristin draws out the last word as her guitar spits in frustration. After this middle section we are thrown back into the maelstrom with the rolling 'Wax' and closing movement 'Sun Dog Coma' where the cello again steps forward, the guitar hisses and the drums are fed mountains of amphetamines.
When Kristin Hersh is at her best, nothing else comes close. She has made albums that have indelibly imprinted on our lives and Power+Light is yet another one of these. This is a staggering record, where all the colour in the world is subtracted to leave us with a stark choice between the suffocating darkness and the blinding light. Not to be filed under MOR.
50 Foot Wave - Bath White
Fire
Released: 23rd April 2022
Also seeing a re-issue on Record Store Day was 50 Foot Wave's 2016 EP, Bath White, which was originally released in the States by Happy Happy Birthday To Me Records. This appeared after an unusually barren spell for Kristin Hersh, some five years after 50 Foot Wave's With Love From the Men's Room EP, and three years after Throwing Muses had reappeared with the Purgatory/Paradise album, their first recordings in a decade. It was also the last release from this trio until a new album eventually appeared in 2022. By this time the lines between Hersh's different projects were becoming increasingly blurred, with Bath White at times being almost inseparable in sound and construction from a Throwing Muses record. The opening title track begins with Hersh accompanying her own voice on guitar, a warmingly familar entrance, and her vocals are neatly double-tracked in places as the song pulses attractively. 'God's Not A Dick' sees Hersh bending and stretching her voice as the song ebbs and flows gloriously, a chameleon changing hues in ways other songs couldn't even comprehend. This is stirring stuff, inventive and intriguing. 'Human' is a stormer, Hersh growling out a torrent of words before a measured finale. There's an epic sound that builds 'Ratting Out' into something larger than life, a nervous desperation to 'St. Christopher', while 'Sun Salute' closes proceedings in a Musesesque storm: tumbling drums, stuttering refrains and burrowing riffs strewn amongst contemplative, quieter moments. Bath White marked a welcome return for the trio, with Rob Ahlers able to show his subtlety as well as his command of drum abuse, and Bernard Georges more noticeably guiding the songs along their wayward paths. Hersh's voice sounds superb throughout, never losing its grip despite the provocation. If not as emotionally challenging as Power+Light, this is a fine record and the eventual UK release is more than welcome.
Peaness - World Full Of Worry
Totally Snick
Released: 6th May 2022
Chester trio Peaness seem to have been around for ever, so this album is not only eagerly anticipated but a bit of relief for those of us who have been talking about the band for what seems like aeons. There are eleven tracks here, some completely new and some a little more familiar, only two of them nudging four minutes and the whole running in at around thirty-eight. This makes it a proper album, fitting two sides of vinyl perfectly, yet the classicism here runs deeper than just format as Peaness produce guitar pop music of impossibly flawless proportions. Strangely, some have found this difficult to pin down. The release of World Full Of Worry has brought with it a stream of adjectival nonsense, very little of which makes any sense. We don't find this music "effervescent", "cutsey", "summery" or "playful". What we are presented with is a collection of crafted, thoughtful pop songs that are so tight they almost don't fit into themselves. These are measured tunes with lyrics that largely focus on the frustrations of life for three young women, resurrecting the same complaints that stirred a whole generation to chaos back in the 1970s. "Break the ordinary – I'm so bored" they protest, whilst railing against those "systematically inclined to choose what's been before" and "accept there's nothing more." Of course, life is a journey of exploration and half the fun is seeing how far you can push the boundaries and how hard you can kick against the pricks, whilst remembering that every one of your actions probably impacts on somebody or something else. It's a balance and Peaness are learning how to walk the tightrope whilst moaning like bastards and wrapping everything up in easy melodies and flowing harmonies before reaching the ultimate conclusion, "It hurts till it doesn't." That's bloody good work and another twenty years may not lead to anything deeper, but it sounds like it may be fun listening to their struggles. In the meantime, just buy this record; the band are rightly confident of their musical ability, even to the extent of self-producing; it's just life that needs working out.
Slow Dawn - Into The Machine Haus
Cardinal Fuzz / Centripetal Force
Released: 13th May 2022
Ottawa's Slow Dawn have spent the past few years honing their craft and producing a series of self-released titles, including 2020's Experimental Farm, a rather angst-ridden and raw display of sonic power. Happily they haven't taken much of a step away with this six-track mini-album, Into The Machine Haus being just under twenty-three minutes of glorious noise. You'd be struggling if you love a label as the trio refrain from strewing identifiable markers but throw everything into the mix and stir it to destruction with the result sounding like the death of everything. This is a dense record, with no space left to fill, bursting at the seams with weighty, distorted guitars, disembodied vocals and uncomplicated rhythms. On 'Near Dark' horns are hurled in which conjure up thoughts of the early Psychedelic Furs being buried alive. We love a bit of noise, but noise has to be done well otherwise it is just, well, noise. This is noise plus, with the guitars of Dan Druff, formerly of Holy Cobras, constantly at breaking point, while Chris DiLauro (drums) and Jesse Winchester (bass) lay deep foundations. Winchester also drops in some wild synth riffs that just about remain discernable in the whirlwind. Indeed, sink into the mass of sound and you can just about pick up melodies, though they are barely conscious. This is an atmosphere in which only the hardiest survive, so don't be surprised to find an ear missing at the end of it. The top moment is the longest track, 'Gliding Things' that breaks the five-minute barrier without shedding an iota of menace. The guitars are slow, reverberating and dirty, while the rhythm is pounding and relentless. Layers of noise continue to drop until the whole thing has bled out and passed away. There are always a few surprises each year that blow your brains out and this is the first of 2022. Grab hold of a copy while you can. Into The Machine Haus has been pressed in a run of 250 copies in heavy black vinyl, with 125 available in the UK and Europe from Cardinal Fuzz.
Tren Go! Sound System - Suspended Islands OST
Dirty Filthy Records
Released: 18th May 2022
Following on from the collaborative album with Ornamental released by Dirty Filthy last year, Tren Go! Sound System return to the label with the soundtrack to 'Suspended Islands', the name given to Wura Moraes and Darya Efrat's site-specific performances at the Ria de Aveiro, a lagoon of mingled sea and fresh waters in Portugal. The idea is that audiences will attend small island performances on boats with their route being accompanied by this contemplative music. The estuary itself is its main source of inspiration, the music reflecting the tidal rhythms that appear almost untraceable in the sweet and salty water. This makes this a gentle piece of work, just tickling the edges of ambient, yet reflecting a pleasant brightness and sense of rightness. These are definitely sounds for chilling outdoors with a bottle or two when the spring sun is warming. Underlined by gently pulsing drones that are omnipresent, the guitars tread lightly over them, caressing in little more than a whisper. There are four tracks here, running to thirty-eight minutes, with closing number 'The Long Run' taking up nearly a half of that time. As the drone soothes in the background, fragile notes fall around you like leaves in a breeze. These gain in urgency, without ever becoming urgent; there is no break to the harmony or enveloping sense of peace. It's a fitting conclusion to the collection. Though opener 'Welcome Aboard!' begins with more of a rumbling drone accompanied by mood-enhancing choral chants, any whispers of concern are countered with the approach of the guitars which lap at them lightly, softening any unwelcome intent. The same guitars chatter through 'The Swing Of Things' where they become distorted but never ugly. As the guitars bend and warp soothing winds blow through. 'The Long Run (Excerpt)' gives us a six minute preview of the closing track: pleasing, peaceful and bright. For those not in the know, TGSS is the solo project of 10,000 Russos' Pedro Pestana who describes his work as "guitar, loop and fx driven one-man-band psychedelia." That description is quite apt here though Pestana fails to mention the positivity that runs through his work; it is seldom his music does not uplift, soothe and straighten. Suspended Islands certainly does that; immerse yourself in its charms and many a mellow hour could be well spent. The album has been pressed on yellow vinyl in a run of 250 and is available on the DFR webpage.
Future Bomb - Future Bomb
Weird Beard
Released: 20th May 2022
One of the great things about Weird Beard is that they strive to uncover every fragment of the psych spectrum of sound and constantly offer up intriguing recordings discovered in the shadowy hinterlands of that genre. Future Bomb is not like anything else you will have heard this year; or indeed any other year. Some of it may bring back memories of days gone by, or reminders of nearly-forgotten bands, but much of it remains surprising, contemporary and fresh. Future Bomb consists of Stephen Bradbury, who usually records as Black Tempest, and Adam Stone of Pound Land and a recent collaborator with Dead Sea Apes. The Apes' drummer Chris Hardman also contributes. The eight tracks here, running to forty-three minutes, touch base with different genres, from electro and spoken word to various shades of punk. Stone's singing voice has a great tone to it that beautifully captures the atmosphere of some of the Oi! and anarcho punk bands that were dangerous to watch in the early eighties and it is this that makes opener 'Haunted Leisure Centre' so startling; with Bradbury brilliantly enhancing the mood with his spot-on guitar. It's terrific and brings back so many memories of some very strange nights. 'City Of Death' remains pretty much in punk territory, though Stone's intonation heads more towards the Dead Kennedys, while closing track 'Status Report' has more of a classic punk vibe with some splendid guitar bursts and neat additional vocals from Joanne Stone. Possibly the highlight of the album is 'Black October' where Bradbury plays some really excellent understated guitar while Stone half-sings and half-narrates his word-deficient lament. There's almost a hint of late Bowie to its approach, but it is truly outstanding. It's not all guitar. Bradbury puts the synths to work to accompany some of Stone's tales with their bitter messages and often prosaic language, but when guitar is called for he remains in top form with more excellent work on 'Fucked Up Again'. There really is an incredible mixture of sounds and approaches here and it is just the sort of music small labels should be promoting, so hats off to WB for offering it up as the latest release in their limited cassette series. If you don't manage to find one of the tapes, which will be like gold dust, do investigate the download on Bandcamp.
Just Mustard - Heart Under
Partisan
Released: 27th May 2022
Every year an album appears out of the blue that simply floors you. This one has knocked us down, harvested our organs and dropped us in a shallow grave. We have to admit to having missed the Irish five-piece's debut album Wednesday, released in 2018, which saw the band labelled as shoegaze, though we can't see anything in Heart Under that would point us in that direction. The tone here is way more industrial, way more experimental, way more noisy and way too bloody good. The main image this ten-track album conjures up is that of the early days of Portsmouth's Cranes, with singer Katie Ball enunciating her vocals over Shane Maguire's huge drum beats while a moribund bass crawls along the floor and guitars dip in and out making some fantastic noises: scraping, coughing, grinding and howling. There's way too much white space here for this to be shoegaze; these aren't soundscapes but huge walls of carefully shaped noise that mess around with your insides and shake your brain. Ball's voice is not as childlike as Alison Shaw's but when she sings in a higher range, they could be twins, their approach and intonation being identical. And of course Cranes are one of the greatest bands of all time so to see another group look to tread a similar path is wonderful. It's an area that hasn't really been explored in any depth; the recesses are huge enough to encompass any amount of noise and the shadowy corners dark enough to conceal a very real and savage beauty. Not every track here hits the mark head on but when Just Mustard get it right it is absolutely soul-destroying. 'Still' reverberates to a pounding beat while guitars make siren calls through which Ball's vocal dips and weaves. It's deathly pretty, as is the stunning 'Seed' which slaps and shudders and grates and then doubles in intensity and ecstasy. 'Blue Chalk' sees Ball's voice offering up a hymn as the backing goes through an identity crisis, and on the gentler 'Early' you would swear it was The Sundays on a bit of a downer. Once or twice a track may fail to reach such giddy heights but the rest is so good that it is easy to overlook any slight dips in form. As it stands, this is the best album we have heard so far this year and we would love to witness it live. Apparently the band have just toured with Fontaines DC and the contrast between the dangerously beautiful and the achingly prosaic must have been startling.
Deserta - Every Moment, Everything You Need
Felte
Released: 31st May 2022
Deserta is the name Matthew Doty of Saxon Shore uses for his solo projects, this being his second collection following on from 2020's Black Aura My Sun. That was a record that finished high in our choices for Album of the Year and was a masterclass in bringing the shoegaze sound into the twenty-first century. Doty builds his music in the manner of Slowdive by creating gentle soundscapes full of ornamental and manicured layers which he then swamps with mighty rushes of sound. His songs sound huge, yet compelling, and they are mostly quite lovely. There's no doubt that EMEYN is a different beast to its predecessor; the music on BAMS was blended into a gorgeous whole where here the songs are more distinct, wearing different clothes and sounding firmer with their backdrop of real drums. This is unsurprising given the songs were written from the perspective of a healthcare worker battling through the pandemic and thus have plenty of room for concern, anger and downright exhaustion. Doty stretches out to intrude on the borders of rock, pop and psychedelia while still filling his songs with dreamy synths and melting guitars. 'It's All A Memory' is the bastard child of MBV and Slowdive, managing to be woozy, solemn and tactile all at once, while 'Lost In The Weight' and 'A World Without' walk on similar ground. 'I'm So Tired' borders on pop as it bubbles away gently, the reverbed vocal more to the front than usual, while 'Where Did You Go?' is gently distorted with guest vocalist Caroline Lufkin of Mice Parade complementing the song's gentle disintegration. 'Far From Over' rings with shoegaze riffs and drones as Doty's resigned vocal drapes the song in sadness, "Once run over, the world won't owe her a thing." In truth, there is little sign of redemption here over the eight tracks which total some forty minutes. Doty is constantly questioning: "Why did you go?" "What can make this right?" "Why feel any one thing?" Deserta are not big on answers, but they ask their questions so prettily. Originally ready for a February release, the vinyl only started to arrive in the UK at the end of May. Grab one while you can.
Pink Drone - Afterlife
Hip Slang
Released: 5th June 2022
A year on from the impressive Modernism, John Rose returns with Afterlife, his third album as Pink Drone. Recorded over the winter of 2021 at Craft Studios in Ledbury, Herefordshire, this is again another private affair with Rose playing all the of the synths, guitars, bass and percussion as well as adding vocals. What is so uplifting about Rose's music is that it embraces the synth sounds of the post-punk era, drags them into the modern day and gives them fresh life. It is what we mean when we rattle on endlessly about renaissance. It's not copying the past but picking out its best elements and shaping them into something new and exciting. It's clear Rose has such a good ear. The music may have shifted somewhat to the left with this album and dwells in the slightly less well known corners of the Factory Records project, but he has the knack of hitting the right notes at the right time and adding the right touches that lift these tunes out of the shadows and make them embraceable and entrancing. There are nice moments that reference The Cure or Bauhaus and there's an obvious nod of the head to Joy Division and Section 25, but as the synths tumble and groan and guitars spit out uplifting little licks it is all John Rose. If you have listened to his previous albums you will have come to recognise his touch and though there may be scraps of the past thrown into the mix, this is very much a contemporary sound. With ancient roots. Nobody makes music like this any more which makes it all the more exciting and laudable. There's so many great moments, such as the guitars on closer 'Desolation', the soaring 'Compulsion', the Cure bass running through 'Voices' and the German influence in 'Neon Lights'. Afterlife is available from Bandcamp on limited run vinyl, CD and download.
