It's a wonderful week for new music, but best of all Melody Prochet... Emotional Eternal is so great it's gonna make many end of year critic lists...
RECORD OF THE WEEK
MELODY’S ECHO CHAMBER - Emotional Eternal (Domino Records)
by Spanish Pantalones
French pop enthusiasts will instantly fall in love with Emotional Eternal, Melody Prochet's third album recorded as Melody’s Echo Chamber. A wordy review wouldn't do this one justice. I'm already reserving a spot for Emotional Eternal on my end-of-year Top 10.
SINGLES
LA FEMME - Tu T'en Lasses (Born Bad)
by Tim London
While the UK was reinventing Black American, urban R&B with a kinky little boot heel and some poor-diet zits the French youth were allowing themselves to be exploited in a blatant manner by ageing record exec’s during the YeYe craze via Scopitone films, mainly featuring young women probably still at school, skipping around to ersatz rocknroll and R&B mainly performed by British session musicians. Confused? It was the 1960s. An example of the parallel universe occupied by our nearest cousins, as is this track by the impeccably fashionable Le Femme. Knowingly, chicly un-chic, sliced from their fabulous long-form film, Paradigme.
ICEAGE - All The Junk On The Outskirts (Mexican Summer)
by Tim London
Bleak. Course it is. They’re not called Sunny Days. Apparently this didn’t ‘fit’ on their new album, bit of an odd sod. Sounds like they were learning it when they recorded it and the vocal could have done with another pass, to get the rhythm. Sort of like a soppy Stooges. Very Iggy lyrics. But I love the buzzy fuzzy guitar that sits beneath it all. So I thank Iceage for that three and a half minutes alone.
REGRETSKI - Nail Gun (Bandcamp)
by Lee Paul
Regretski is a heavy punk noise doom sludge pop rock duo from Seattle. Excellent use of the Pang I think you'll agree.
BEABADOOBEE - See You Soon (Dirty Hit)
by Tim London
Beatrice wants you to know that, ‘you know, it’s OK to make mistakes…’ No of course it’s not. That’s why they are called ‘mistakes’ and not ‘sure things. So, if you’re making mistakes (why are you making mistakes? Stop it!) perhaps this fluffy little pixy whisper, which is meant to ‘sound like a breath of fresh air’, can help you stop stabbing yourself with your hat pin, or whatever wrong thing you’re doing. Stop it!
TONY JAY - The Portal (Mt.St.Mtn)
by Ancient Champion
The Portal is from Tony Jay's fortchoming Hey There Flower LP, monosyllabilicly paced shoe-gaze. Delight. Like finding an unsceen and dusty Twin Peaks prequel. It's a faint followed by a fall and not at all for the faint-hearted.
AMELIA MOORE - Crybaby (Youtube)
by Lee Paul
From Youtube's comments, Yvonne_ Zakholy_music_art: 5 hours ago: So phenomenally good love it way too much. Me, not so much. I wonder though whether that piano caught in the rainstorm beenath the one hole in a warehouse roof is the same one that was available on Freecycle in Bearwood last week? Amelia can sing with without leaving too much of an impression on Me. Not the same can be said for everyone.
IBEYI - Rise Above feat. BERWYN (XL Recordings)
by Tim London
Black Flag’s shout was effective as a hard to avoid noise, an angry bellow. But the twin sisters of Ibeyi’s cover is more affecting, allowing the words, giving them majesty. It’s never stated exactly what needs to be risen above but we all know, now. Don’t we?
HOT CHIP - Down (Domino)
by Lee Paul
Down? I wasn't until I began to think about this. Then I kind of think of that thing Jeremy Gluck said about The Blasters playing to about 100 people and most of them journalists. There's something pro business about Hot Chip that seems removed from their records. I can't keep forgiving everything just because they played on...
MARION RAW - Lloro (Devil in The Woods)
by Ancient Champion
Well you know by now and you don't need some old fool reiterating. Looking and listening to Marion Raw is a brilliant eneverating experience. At least who knows what will happen and that is the greatest. Unparalleled as artists go. Brilliant, yeah brilliant though, video and music, so great I can't type any more.
LPs
BLOC PARTY - Alpha Games (BMG)
by Spanish Pantalones
Why hasn’t Bloc Party risen to the heights lesser indie bands have? They’ve never really released a dud, and Alpha Games is another in a line of perfectly great albums. I’d say this latest LP is as strong as Silent Alarm, which still stands as them at their best. That said, Alpha Games seems to lack anything to latch on to. As enjoyable as Bloc Party’s sixth album might be, it’ll be forgotten about by the time summer rolls around.
AMOEBA TEEN - Amoeba Teen (Big Stir)
by John Robinson
Amoeba Teen's shimmering new LP get the full nelson, over here
TED NUGENT - Detroit Muscle (Pavement Music) ZERO s
by Spanish Pantalones
The music isn't important on the Nuge's sixteenth studio album. It's about the blunt, self-righteous lyrics. Detroit Muscle is standard fare: distorted guitars, a driving 4/4 drumbeat, and a heavy low end. There is no finesse or nuance to be found here. Instead, in the LP's leadoff single, "American Campfire," Nugent hollers about the glory of sitting on tree stumps in wildlife setting, around a fire. He's very specific about the tree stumps. (In its video, there's a lot of imagery of Native Americans, which seems ballsy considering the source.) In the war chant "Come and Take It," the lyricist dog-whistles "don't tread on me" a few times before name-checking the Concord Bridge, a broad US militia reference. Don't expect Nugent to reveal any new tricks here, sonically, Detroit Muscle sounds about as interesting as a beer commercial. Lyrically, it's comical.
SHILPA RAY - Portrait of a Lady (Northern Spy)
by Tim London
Tim London listens to Shilpa Ray... right here
Essential Info
Main image Melody Prochet
