Bdrmm - I Don't Know

Rock Action

Released: 7th July 2023

We all know Bdrmm are two bands masquerading as one. First, there is the shoegazing outfit who make some damn pretty records, full of light touches and elegant shades, and then there is the live band who are mad bastards who create a fucking racket and leave entire audiences exhilarated and exhausted. We would go as far to say that we cannot think of a better live band around at this moment in time than Bdrmm and it would be wrong not to add that the recording artists are pretty close to the mark as well. The band's second album, I Don't Know, consists of eight tracks over forty-one minutes and its contents are aptly depicted by the cover artwork: it is in parts pretty, with flashes of colour and light, and in other parts monochrome, broken and confused. Such is life.

Of course, with Bdrmm a track called 'Alps' opens with toms which then introduce a dreamlike, contemplative song where Ryan Smith laments the condition of the world. Apparently written while driving through the Alps, the contrast between the natural beauty of the surroundings and the terrible state of world affairs created a sombre mood. Despite the nature of its origins the tune mirrors regret rather than rage and the solemn mood of the album is continued in the unspeakably pretty 'Be Careful' where the need to take care of yourself is emphasised, even if it means dragging yourself away from your natural urges and desires. Musically, it echoes the dreampop constructed by the likes of Portishead and its gentle melody and feeling vocals are quite gorgeous. If you are having problems by now identifying this band with the hooligans rolling around the floor on stage 'It's Just a Bit Of Blood' opens with some flaying guitars which give way to a smooth vocal that floats above the music that leaps between dreamy pulsing, space rock rushes and classically riffing guitars. Bdrmm have the same ability as The Boo Radleys to cross over from perfect pop to wilder experimentation without losing the thread of a song and it's mightily impressive. Lyrically as well, there is much to admire, "Two steps forward, three years back, I hope we find a way to react." Real life poetry. 'We Fall Apart' is a more straightforward song about a troubled relationship with a motorik beat and some Germanic keyboards sweeping across its horizons, while 'Advertisement One' is a minimalist piece written by Jordan Smith, introduced by piano and smoothed over by droning synths which create a melancholic air.

Side Two opens with the tripping 'Hidden Cinema', which is uncomfortably detached and a little unsettling. "Over and over inside my head, I keep regretting all that I said ... we're just trapped in borrowed time." It's the one song here that doesn't smooth over the edges but hones their threat. The troubled mood is quickly dispelled as more big guitars herald the arrival of 'Pulling Stitches' which bends and sways like MBV on a beach holiday. "Why does this feel like a dream?" asks Ryan and it's probably because he has stolen this out of his own dreams. Surely all shoegazers fall asleep to choirs of reverb and distortion? Just three tracks on this side, with the closer 'A Final Movement' stretching over eight minutes. Again, there are plenty of psych touches here, filling the space as the song is dragged beyond normal limits and as it reaches a conclusion it is as though an orchestra is playing a gentle air of surrender. Surrender to sleep, surrender to your dreams, a call to let go of the troubles and worries of the world and allow yourself to be enveloped by peace.

Given that this is only Bdrmm's second outing, it is difficut not to admire just how mature and accomplished this record is. They are a young band who are unafraid of parading their influences yet have produced a record that would not stand in any of their shadows. They are happy to reveal their internal weaknesses and fears, call their record I Don't Know, yet sound so strong in doing so. They really are a beacon of light in a crap world. Bdrmm are remarkable.

The Ocean Greys - You See The Signs

Same

Released: 7th July 2023

Over the past three years The Ocean Greys have put out a series of remarkably pretty EPs that lap gently at your senses, often reminiscent of Portishead or Mazzy Star. Their latest offering, the five-track You See The Signs EP, could well be their best to date, with a full twenty-six minutes of dreamy pop taking you on a soft, shady journey where even uneasy thoughts become little more than peaceful exhalations. Songwriter and producer Pete Pagonis is the driving force behind The Ocean Greys and his quest is to produce music that is both gentle and dark. No doubt there is some epithet that describes this sound, such as chillwave or darkwave, but we find the obsession with boxing-in music a little strange; suffice it to say this EP is deep, rich and rewarding. The opening track 'This Is Your Heart Breaking' is instantly captivating. Pagonis recruits singers from agencies to interpret his songs and he certainly hit gold with the rich, smoky vocals of Vy which go straight through you. Her intonation is magical and the contrast between her voice and the gently swaying chords is a delight. 'Turning The Tide' is sung by South American Mari Fersm and her voice is just as alluring, sweeping over a stuttering backing with vocals that soften at the edges and have an obvious jazz edge. The emotional 'Well In Eye' has Pagonis on vocals. He sings about the death of his father when he was just nine years old to a suitably chilling backing and the producer's voice ably captures the melancholy of the moment. 'Without A Care' and 'You See The Signs' both feature Vy again, with her vocals expressive and beautifully paced. The backing music captures the sound of sadness, which is reinforced by the vocals; the two fit together so perfectly. The title track closes the EP and is again a stunner. There are hints of breakdown with the answers to questions already known. "Simple matters seem so easy to confuse. You see the signs, well don't you? You Do." This is a fine collection of songs which can be bought as download or on CD from The Ocean Greys' Bandcamp page.

Psychic Lemon - Studio Jams Volumes 5 and 6

Weird Beard

Released: 28th July 2023

The latest in the Weird Beard limited cassette series again features Psychic Lemon with the 5th and 6th volumes of their Studio Jams. The band embarked on these when the lockdown prevented them from working on their fourth album and WB have released all of them, with Volumes 1 and 2 seeing light of day in June 2020 and Volumes 3 and 4 following exactly a year later. Each of the new sessions comes as a complete movement, with Volume 5 stretching over thirty-eight minutes and Volume 6 nearly forty-five minutes. It is interesting to note how the mood of the music has changed over the six volumes, with the initial lockdown recordings spitting out darkness and anger, and the middle ones reflecting unease, inertia and resolve. The latest recordings take a different approach altogether, offering up some absolutely splintering space rock that is relentless in its purpose which is clearly to send your brain into orbit. The metronomic drumbeats of Martin Law drive each of these along with Andy Briston's guitars and synths filling the white space with searing cuts that burn right through your skull. 'Jam 5' is huge, building from measured beginnings into one of the biggest head rushes you will experience this year. Andy Hibberd's bass appears to dance over the madness as guitars slice and shatter, making you consider whether the sonic shards that spill out of the speakers have an evil purpose all of their own. 'Jam 6' is a little more dislocated, throbbing and creepy, echoing with dangerous space noise that continually has you looking over your shoulder. When the guitars and synths are let loose, the listener is again confronted by a massive wall of blistering noise through which there are no paths to safety. This may have been the end of us all if the band hadn't relented and brought in some slower movements, still chilling, but enough to let us take a bit of a breather. Of course, it happily erupts into carnage again where even the drums are unchained and its demise is messy amd glorious. Big and breathless. There will be the usual limited number of tapes available so catch one quickly on the Weird Beard website.

GNOB - GNOB II

Drone Rock Records

Released: 28th July 2023

When Drone Rock Records released Electric Dream Demon, the debut album by GNOB in 2018, it quickly became one of their most popular releases, with audiences drawn to their Arabian and Far Eastern-influenced psych rock. Unfortunately, that was all we heard from the band until a couple of months ago when they re-emerged with a taster for this new album, GNOB II, nine tracks over forty-five minutes which very much builds upon where they left off. It has taken several line-up changes for the band to become settled, though original members Nicholas Georgiou (guitar and vocals) and Ben Kenobi Le Marchant (bass and acoustic guitars) remain, the duo reinforced by the recruitment of Luke Tomkins on guitar and Richard Noakes on drums. Hailing from east London, GNOB won many people over with their colourful live shows, with fuzz, swirling phasers and time-shifting delays giving their sound a warmth that was perhaps lacking in their grey, hometown environment. GNOB II lies very much on the stoner side of the psych field, sometimes straying into prog territory, as the melodies are far more detailed than any attempt to smash your skull open. Songs ike 'Bread And Jasmine' hark back to another era as the guitars play out complex patterns while toms pound and rhythms shuffle. It's seriously appealing and carries considerable weight over eight and half minutes. Taster track 'The Sacrifice' is of similar length and again is a guitar tour de force, this time with rare vocals that mirror the ebb and flow of the fluid guitars. 'Sun Dance' is a brief instrumental resonating with Asian influences, while 'Sands' again reaches epic proportions, twisting and turning as Georgiou delivers a full vocal. It is difficult not to get entangled in its sinuous grasp as the song wraps itself around you. The seven minutes of 'Double Spice' is another track that will get under your skin; there is nothing here that sounds threatening but the guitars are artful and ensnaring and perfect for a long smoky evening. This is an album of lengthy sorties interspersed with shorter interludes that works brilliantly well. No doubt like its predecessor it will be in big demand and it will be worth diving in quickly to pick up one of the 300 limited blood-red vinyl copies that have been pressed. Available from the Drone Rock Records website.

White Canyon & The 5th Dimension - Gardeners of the Earth

Fuzzed Up and Astromoon

Released: 4th August 2023

The psych scene is blessed at this moment in time with a handful of bands who are really at the top of their game, releasing a series of magnificent records and playing some stunning gigs over the past few years. White Canyon & The Fifth Dimension are very much up there with the best of them and they now follow 2019's eponymous debut album and 2021's successor, Spectral Illusion, with their third collection, Gardeners of the Earth. The Brazilian duo of Gabriela Zaith and Léo Gudan create music with remarkable fluidity, music that wraps itself around you and grips you tightly; they create sounds you cannot easily shake off which induce you to carry them with you, willingly or otherwise. While the debut album had a shimmering beauty that forced you to surrender, the second had a darker, more mystical edge while retaining all of the grace of its predecessor. Gardeners of the Earth falls somewhere between the two. There is undoubtedly power here, but only in specific places. There is certainly magic here, but it sparkles elusively. Though the album title hints at being caretakers of the earth, the album is not tied to specifics; gardeners nurture a variety of plants and White Canyon produce a variety of sounds, each offering a contribution to the whole. As Léo told us, "The album tries to capture different musical moments and landscapes. We wanted to make a more eclectic record in terms of sound. We don't stick to one line and even the lyricism is diverse. There is no main subject." Of course as this diversity is framed by White Canyon's exquisite attention to detail and their uncanny ability to make their music flow like the deepest of rivers, the differing approaches to the songs do not make for a disjointed record; this is a collection of songs that live very happily together and though it is impossible not to pick up hints of Status Quo, The Doors, The Byrds and even The Mary Chain, everything remains quintessentially WC&TFD. The highlight is 'Ancient Secret of Green Leaf' which overflows with dancing organs, wavering guitars and a huge bass yet is unafraid to show its muscle when challenged. It is part of a tougher side two with 'Harsh Dawn' and 'As Above So Below' both hinting at menace yet gripping you so tightly there is little room for manoeuvre. Maybe this is because side one has already transfixed you with the hypnotic deep psych of the title track and the spiralling organ of 'Howling Pines' that sends your brain spiralling. It's rare that so diverse a record can sound so complete; it's an assortment box of psych delights all wrapped in White Canyon's mystical wiles. Gardeners of the Earth is released by Fuzzed Up & Astromoon on 4th August with an exclusive edition on translucent vinyl and it's going to fly.

Studio Kosmische - Beyond The Circle Of The Fixed Stars

Dreamlord Recordings

Released: 23rd August 2023

The latest release from Dreamlord features Dom Keen of Studio Kosmische and Jonathan Parkes of Korb in tandem once again with results that are widely different from their previous collaborations as The Hologram People. While embracing the space rock ethos, there is much in this album that borders on the experimental and though there are only two tracks (or movements) they are by no means straightforward, veering from pulsing rock to contemplative mood pieces where each note is picked out deliberately as if the path ahead is shrouded in mystery and doubt. The text on the album artwork talks of a recurring dream in which the protagonist finds himself flying into space through the rings of Saturn when he hears ceremonial music coming from the planet where figures indulge in a fevered dance, calling their gods home. The music takes on a greater insistency, filling the solar system, urging him to follow, until voices begin to talk, leading him to discover who he really is. ‘The Rite Of Saturn’ on the opening side begins this journey, opening with a harmonious spin through space which borders on the jolly until seven minutes in when feedback and voices begin their contact and notes become sparse and thoughful before we are once more we are flung back into space where the music is joined by the celebrants whose horns add another dimension to the proceedings. The flip-side offers ‘Beyond The Circle Of The Fixed Stars’ where the music expands to the edges of known space and our protagonist is led towards imminent self-realisation. There is plenty of electronic chatter and searching guitar phrases as the drums play all around. Halfway through this sixteen-minute adventure everything pauses, returning again cautiously before birds begin to sing and gentle guitar refrains bring calm. There is no ecstatic finale, just assurity as the music fades. Dreamlord have this unique way of bringing you a story and then building a soundtrack around it. And you know with them that the quality of these artifacts is never in doubt. Just 250 of these albums have been pressed, with the record available from the label’s Bandcamp, so be quick to grab one.

Slowdive - Everything Is Alive

Dead Oceans

Released: 1st September 2023

For a lot of younger individuals getting into music (and vinyl) for the first time, Shoegaze and 1990s' indie have become the genres of choice, which somewhat puts Slowdive in the mainstream. For those of us who were there the first time around this is quite startling; the very term "shoegaze" was invented as a disparaging term by the music press to put down bands who were focussed more on their sound rather than on being showmen, yet it quickly became a badge of honour for those introverted souls who treasured this approach. For them, Slowdive were always at the pinnacle of the genre, creating gentle dreamscapes and weaving intricate patterns of sound rather than bowing to the cruder and more conventional approaches of the majority. Now there are a myriad of new shoegaze bands around – many of them quite excellent – and most of them consider Slowdive to be untouchable heroes. It is probably the case that this band is more popular now than at any time in the past which must be a little surprising for the group when they look back at the rejection and lack of interest shown by both the public and their record label when it came to releasing Pygmalion in 1995. This huge resurgence of interest took Everything Is Alive into the top ten of the album charts not only in the UK (No.6), but also in Holland (No.4), Flanders (No.7), Germany (No.7) and New Zealand (No.10). It also hit No.7 in the USA's Top Alternative Album chart and dented the lists in many other countries.

Unsurprisingly, Everything Is Alive is not a record that celebrates this success; Slowdive take nothing for granted, especially as it is now six years since their successful return with the eponymous Slowdive in 2017. Indeed, it is a record that is considered, mature and reflective and lighter than the band members apparently thought it would be as much of it is a response to emerging from the darkness of the pandemic. Though accessible, it doesn't glitter, it merely shimmers and nods its head knowingly. Slowdive are aware of what they do best and to show too much excitement would have been vulgar. Especially in the light of the losses suffered by some of the band's members in the lockdown.

With 'Shanty' opening to a bubbling keyboard riff, it quickly becomes clear this is no 'Baba O'Reilly' despite the beautiful grating guitars that briefly cut through. We are immersed in a swaying drone as Neil Halstead and Rachel Goswell sing together to mould the perfect Slowdive ambience. Layers of sound are built up and it truly is a pretty thing, almost chiming melancholy in its gentle outro. 'Prayer Remembered' is a slow and thoughtful instrumental piece, while 'Alife' is the highlight of the whole collection, so beautifully pieced together with Rachel and Neil's alternative vocals both effective and affecting. The rippling waves of sound create the dreamlike feeling of joy that all shoegaze bands aim for; none can do it like Slowdive. As the guitar adds its voice in the dying moments it truly is a magical moment. 'Andalucia Plays' is the sound of wistful sadness. Neil's vocal is more to the front and as he sings "Chained to the clouds, you are my angel", you can believe that memories can kill.

Halstead stated that he felt 'Kisses', which opens side two and was used as a single, was a little too poppy and it is certainly the most positive song here, Rachel's voice acting more as a trailing echo as Neil decides that it might not take too much to rebuild a life. Slowdive are good at opening themselves up just a little bit and feel to offer more may be a compromise. "Well, everything starts anew. Tell mе what you need, what's right – whatever is just enough. Is living with thе truth, a start? Maybe it's just enough." 'Skin In The Game' pulses gently. At under four minutes it is the shortest track here, the album's eight songs running in at forty-two minutes. It gives way to the collection's longest song 'Chained To A Cloud' which both beeps and sways and has the most defined vocal interaction; Neil and Rachel tread different paths that complement but remain distinct, unusually with some distortion in places. The album closer 'The Slab' mirrors this as if the vocals are attempting to hide away. They are certainly indistinct and appear to whisper, "Older but still tired of this place". The music itself is caught in a gently distorted loop. It's no bad thing to end with a mystery. Everything Is Alive fades into one.

There is an assurity in sound to this album which is no doubt aided by age and experience; there is also a deftness of touch and some fine musicianship. Slowdive put just enough into each song to complete it without ever looking to break out from their self-imposed restraint. These songs are what they are so take from them what you will. Most listeners will be nudged by their beauty and replete in their quietude. Slowdive continue to be Slowdive and we could never ask for any more than that.