John
Garcia – John Garcia
John Garcia, the voice behind Kyuss,
Vista Chino, and Unida finally steps out from behind the wall of
monikers and delivers his very first solo album. It was inevitable
that he would go the way of his peers and staking a claim on his own
musical identity. If you have any real familiarity with any of his
other bands what you'll find on this self-titled effort will be very
enjoyable even if it is naggingly familiar. This album is packed to
the gills with harsh buzzing rockers – from the belligerent BOC
march of 'Rolling Stoned' to the serpentine '5000 Miles'. And just
like his Kyuss hombre, Brant Bjork, Garcia isn't above splicing a
little hippy jam in to chill among the power chords. An acoustic guitar
surfaces on the paisley-fied album closer 'Her Bullets' Energy' –
quite at odds with his usual hard rock ethos. Similarly, 'Confusion'
finds the singer lost in a void of feedback with only his wah peddle
to keep him company. These songs help to space out the sweaty
groovers on the album – and nobody gets sweatier or groovier than a
stoner rock icon in full swing. Garcia's vocals haven't lost any
power over the years, in fact if anything he's gruffer and more
imposing than ever. It's a little disappointing then that every
single track burdens him with an impenetrable fuzziness. Just once it
would've been nice to hear him scream his way out of the static and
be heard front and centre. If hypnotic desert rock, and alluring
desert rockers, are your thing then John Garcia is a
no-brainer. You are in for another strange trip out into the desert.
Rating: B
Recommended tracks: 5000 Miles, Rolling Stoned
Angus & Julia Stone
The alternative world is full of
wistful kookiness and piped-in sappiness. Those that rise above their
peers tend to be something special. Australian indie darlings Angus &
Julia Stone make music that is just so damned likable. What really
shines through this time around are the little loving touches that
make their music feel so warm and inviting. The flourishes of vintage
prog guitar ('Main Street'), jazzy Portishead grooves (‘Death
Defying Acts’), and just the right amounts of jangle flesh out
their dreamy 80s fetishism. Producer Rick Rubin uses this as a canvas
to craft some slinky crooners with gorgeous harmonies – something
that this pair can provide in spades. By the time you reach 'Heart
Beats Slow' a few tracks in you’ll be well convinced that it’s
the obvious single in the crop. The duo's cooing back and forth makes
for a very memorable melody and a winningly confident track all
together. The key is that they really do make an arresting pair,
musically speaking, and the songs they share equally are the
strongest in the set. Angus pulls off a convincing variation of Tom
Petty to Julia's distorted Dolly Parton and that chemistry breathes
life into some quite pleasant tunes along the way. At an hour long
though this is an overly long effort (even more so if you have the
extra-long Deluxe edition). For all of its charm and cleverness there
are some rather unmemorable tracks that could have been tightened up
or cut outright. Angus & Julia Stone is an enjoyable album
that might have benefited from some self-editing.
Rating: C+
Recommended track: Heart Beats Slow
Mark Lanegan Band – No Bells on
Sunday EP
Over the last decade I have found that
when discussing ex-Screaming Trees vocalist Mark Lanegan it pays to
point out which version you are dealing with. Is what you have before
you a product of Dark Mark, brooding solo artist, or Bandleader
Lanegan, the mysterious and magnetic alt-rock veteran. No Bells on
Sunday, his latest EP, is an excellent example of the latter. It
seems that the gravel-voiced maestro is trying to evolve his craggy,
post-punk persona which does make it feel very much like a
sister-piece to 2012's Blues Funeral. Things start strangely
with 'Dry Iced' as Lanegan yowls over a robotic new-wave beat. 'Sad
Lover' is the anchor song at the heart of the album and it really
kick-starts this EP when it arrives. It might sound like a bit of a
weeper on paper but in practice is more Masters of Reality than The
Cure, riding a dense guitar riff and a wonderfully eroded keyboard
line. Tacked right on the end 'Smokestack Magic' cements its
dominance over the EP by taking up nearly a third of entire run time.
The tune does begin to drag its heels a bit around the five minute
mark, but it is still an endearing and magical number. The songs on
No Bells on Sunday are but mere sketches of this vast,
imposing character who has been bewitching us for over 30 years now.
Sometimes he's leaning in close, breathing in your ear; others he's
aloof and celestial. These are the well-worn costumes of Lanegan but
they are always a welcome sight.
Rating: B
Recommended tracks: Sad Lover, Dry Iced
Goat – Commune
Are you prepared for the mind-altering
music of Goat? This Swedish trio called their last album World
Music because that is what they felt they played – music
informed by the world around them. So what are we meant to infer from
the title of their new album, Commune? In spite of the
geographic distances involved this is space-cadet indie that borrows
liberally from the infamous San Fran psychedelic scene. There was
just as much chance that this would blow up a band's face as it would
make for an engaging listening experience. Luckily for Goat the fates
have been kind. On the world music front, you'll find these songs are
splattered with Eastern rhythms, African percussion, and a pervading
sense of the alien. The powerful opening cut 'Talk to God' positively
drips with incense residue (at least I'm pretty sure that's incense)
only to be turned on its head by the reverb-ladden 'Words'. Well
hidden in these heady jams are some key signposts to remind you that
this is essentially still rock music. The stuttering guitar solos
scattered throughout the record only thicken the mesmerizing haze.
Unfortunately after a very strong start the album slips into a
comfortable gear and will not be easily moved. Commune turns
out to be generally inventive in regards to its influences and the
source material but on occasion it becomes too much of a time warp
for comfort.
Rating: B-
Recommended track: Talk to God, Words
- Professor Ricardo
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