Album Review: Soulsavers - The Light The Dead See

For their last two albums Soulsavers (the partnership between Rich Machin and Ian Glover) had partnered up with 90s cult hero Mark Lanegan and the results spoke for themselves. Lanegan's sombre croon led the pair down the haunted alleyways of broke-down Americana and the music they made together was as bleak as it was emotionally stirring. Their previous album, 2009's phenomenal Broken, was also notable for the inclusion of the guest vocalists they got on board; including Gibby Haynes from Butthole Surfers, Richard Hawley, and Mike Patton along with newcomer Red Ghost. Three years can make a huge difference, the most primary of which is in the personnel. Lanegan (and, in fact, all vocalists) has been replaced by Depeche Mode's David Gahan for The Light The Dead See. At first this might seem a shocking about-face for Soulsavers, a move that throws their existing canon of work out the window, but the change-up is more logical and makes more sense on wax than it ever could on paper.

It is hard not compare this new album with its predecessor. Both open with dusty instrumental intros; one featuring a piano, the other a harmonica and strings. When Gahan enters he plays the part of the melodramatic specter with gusto. He might not be as gravelly as Lanegan (because honestly who is?) but the experience ingrained in his voice suits Soulsavers style of uplifting depression superbly. The middle passage of The Light The Dead See wallows in acoustic guitar-led ruminations with a trio of tracks ('Presence Of God', 'Just Try', and 'Gone Too Far'). The latter number builds up tides of organ wash and rapturous guitar fuzz into a majestic crescendo, Gahan soaring to new heights with his best Ian Astbury impression. You will be hard pressed to find an album this year with the same gravitas and grit that you find all through here.

Song titles like 'Presence Of God' and 'Bitterman' (which is the diabolical splicing of Leonard Cohen and Nick Cave) should be a less than subtle clue of the mood the album is trying to set. More traditional rockier songs like closing number 'Tonight' almost seem out of place on a record like this, as welcome as it is; a concession to the casual listener that has been alienated by the oceans of brooding melancholy but kept listening anyway. Gospel tones mesh organically with trip-hop atmospherics and spare jazz arrangements to make wonderfully rich, moody music to feed your soul – or perhaps to save it. The Light The Dead See is an album tailor-made to put on while you sit in the dark, scotch in hand, and let your mind drift away to another time and place.

Rating: A

Recommended tracks: Gone Too Far, Bitterman, In The Morning

Freak-When-See 101: Part 2 - Discipline (1981)

Good things take time, hence when part 2 of my Freak-When-See 101 series took more than a month to create. For this installment we fast-forward to the early 1980s when pioneering prog rockers King Crimson released the strangest album in their canon to date: Discipline. Release the freaks!

I do remember one thing. It took hours and hours but.. by the time I was done with it I was so involved I didn't know what to think. I carried it around with me for days and days.. playing little games like not looking at it for a whole day and then.. looking at it. to see if I still liked it. I did. I repeat myself when under stress. I repeat myself when under stress. I repeat myself when under stress. I repeat myself when under stress. I repeat.. The more I look at it the more I like it. I do think it's good. The fact is.. no matter how closely I study it no matter how I take it apart no matter how I break it down It remains consistent. I wish you were here to see it. I like it.

King Crimson – Indiscipline (1981)

The year was 1981. King Crimson, the founders of the progressive rock movement had been in limbo since they broke up in 1974. Never to be counted out they propelled themselves back into the spotlight with their strangest, most challenging album yet. The mighty King Crimson can claim this as a serious notch in their bedpost: they went from inventing prog rock to spearheading a bizarre breed of new wave in just over decade. These two styles made for unusual bed fellows but they actually had more in common than one might think. Both are made by 'outsiders' – the cool kids made Led Zeppelin, the reclusive intellectuals made Gentle Giant – the tough guys made Motley Crue, the dorks made Talking Heads. If that is all that King Crimson had accomplished in their career it would be enough to cement their reputation as legends. Fortunately for everybody they went on to do much more than just that (let alone what they had already done by 1981), but that is another story.

A reborn King Crimson meant a new line-up. Other than Robert Fripp (the only original member in the band since 1971) and drummer Bill Bruford (ex- Yes / Genesis, joined in 1972) who both carried over from the previous incarnation, the new quartet was rounded out with virtuoso bass player Tony Levin (having previously worked as a studio musician for Alice Cooper, Peter Gabriel, and Lou Reed) and vocalist Adrian Belew (ex-Talking Heads). It was the inclusion of Belew that had the greatest effect on KCrimson's new sound: awkward, angular, and sharp.

  

So what of the actual songs on Discipline? If you didn't believe that this was a brand new band with a brand new way of doing things all you would have to do is listen to the very first track, 'Elephant Talk'. Belew sets about listing a series of synonyms for speech in alphabetical order, starting at 'A' (Arguments) and reaching 'E' (Enfadulations, which I'm pretty sure he made up) before the songs ends. And that's it. From there it is a roller coaster through tense funk ('Thela Hun Ginjeet', an anagram or 'Heat in the jungle', AKA inner-city violence) to woozy ballads ('Matte Kudasai') to alien instrumentals ('The Sheltering Sky'). In amongst all of that is the album's centrepiece: 'Indiscipline'. I think that most people's initial reaction to the song is “What the fuck is this about?”. Read the lyrics at the beginning of this article and try to figure it out. Off you go, I'll wait for you …

… Done? Well, what do you think? It could be about pretty much anything. I have always found it to be a great metaphor for addiction, especially the part about “not looking at it for a whole day and then looking at it to see if I still liked it”. Apparently the lyrics are taken from a letter written to Belew by his wife about a sculpture she had made. Strange but true.

I believe that the legacy of King Crimson can be best measured by the fans. Members of Tool, Mars Volta, Melvins, Dream Theater, Mastodon, Muse, Nine Inch Nails, Opeth, Porcupine Tree, Rush, Primus, and Neurosis are admitted acolytes. Kurt Cobain kept his love of King Crimson's prog a secret from his punk friends for many years before coming out of the musical closet. Hell, even The Clash' Joe Strummer professed his admiration of their 1974 album Red in an interview in the 80s. In my opinion Discipline is so vital because it was a prog rock album from the 80s that was a product of its time without succumbing to the cringe-worthy tropes of the day. Just in case you should doubt my love of this album here is a picture of a tattoo I got a few years back.

I LIKE IT!

Album Review: Diablo Swing Orchestra - Pandora's Piñata

Disclaimer: I like my music strange. I like an album that needs to be explained to someone (they mix what with what while doing what? What?). A few years ago I discovered the brilliance of Sweden's Diablo Swing Orchestra through their second album Sing Along Songs For The Damned And Delirious. As the name might imply, this septet plays a mixture of metal and swing/big-band music but also includes prog rock and opera. This means that guitar riffs battle with violins, horns, operatic female vocals, and more. The concept might sound confused (or even over-stuffed) but it is to the band's credit that they can keep it all together, coherent, and awesome. I was overjoyed to learn of the arrival of album number three, Pandora's Piñata, and it is another amazing document of some of metal's greatest pranksters doing what they do best.

Pandora's Piñata opens in style with flashy lead single “Voodoo Mon Amour” and it is an absolute party starter. I dare you to blast the track at top volume and not want to swing dance til you drop. If this is how they open albums I can hardly imagine what their concerts must be like. The album moves from strength to strength with every new song offering a new take on their bizarre musical style. Sometimes their metal elements are more heavily emphasized (“Exit Strategy Of A Wrecking Ball”) and sometimes opera and orchestra reign supreme (“Aurora”). Diablo Swing Orchestra are at their best when finding new ways for these unrelated concepts to interact, such as the carnival metal of “Guerilla Laments” or the nightmarish Muppets meets Nightwish mindfuck “Black Box Messiah”. More frightening still is “Honey Trap Aftermath” which flirts with (gasp) popular music.

Special mention has to be made of vocalists Annluice Loegdlund and Daniel Håkansson. The former brings an undeniable element of class to a metal record, even when she's pushing her voice a little too hard. The latter has a more traditional rock voice but it is still a sweet instrument and he hold his own in the long run (he really brings the heavy on “Exit Strategy Of A Wrecking Ball”). These two make every single track – with the exception of short instrumental “How To Organise A Lynch Mob” - hook-laden and catchy as hell. Seriously, every song leaps out at you and you find yourself wondering how one band can cover so much musical ground and actually do it well. Both Loegdlund and Håkansson combine their powers to deadly effect on the heart-stopping closing track, “Justice For Saint Mary”. Diablo Swing Orchestra are a band who defy explanation; words fail to capture their full magic and glory. So stop reading and listen to the damned album already!

Rating: A+

Recommended tracks: Voodoo Mon Amour, Black Box Messiah, Guerilla Laments ... fuck it, I recommend the whole album.

Album Review: Storm Corrosion - Storm Corrosion

Storm Corrosion is the name of the collaboration between Opeth's Mikael Akerfeldt and Porcupine Tree's Steven Wilson. The album has been around in one stage or another for the past few years. It even had Mike Portnoy (Dream Theater, Avenged Sevenfold) scheduled to be behind the drum kit at one point. With Akerfeldt apparently leaving his death metal origins in the dust (see Opeth – Heritage for details) and Wilson pushing further and further away from the relative structure of Porcupine Tree (see his 2011 album Grace For Drowning), what on earth is Storm Corrosion going to sound like?

What you have is a lovingly crafted throwback to the early 70s. It was a time when Jethro Tull and Gentle Giant reigned supreme. King Crimson had yet to discover new wave and Pink Floyd weren't stuck behind The Wall yet. It is even the correct length for a classic LP, less than 50 minutes of music , as well as having an easy to find A-side and B-side. Sonically Storm Corrosion is pastoral, almost to the point of being quaint, but there is no denying the dark current that runs through it. When it threatens to explode from beneath the surface (such as the third quarter of the title track) it could easily consume the entire record. It is a tribute to the duo's sense of restraint that allows the album's dark side to show itself without dominating. None of this is at all a surprise. These two men have a well documented history over the past decade or so, it was Wilson who encouraged Opeth to indulge their non-death metal elements to the fullest in the early 2000s. They are kindred musical spirits who are finally given the opportunity to unleash a full-album collaboration.

This is primarily an album focused around voice. There are a myriad of other instruments involved but it is in the interplay of Wilson's and Akerfeldt's voices that the true magic happens, overshadowing everything else. In the moments where the instrumentation really takes off (like the brain-hammering drum solo of “Hag”) it is of course wonderful but tends to lack the sheer magic that the pair's singing brought to the table. Storm Corrosion is an unabashedly traditional prog rock rock album from two well-heeled gentlemen who have been prodding at the term 'prog' for well over a decade (closer to two decades in the case of Steven Wilson). Singles and Top 40 charts be damned, this album is all about the intricate compositions and the feeling of a bygone era fully realized in the 21^st century. Storm Corrosion is unlikely to change the world but fans of the two men involved should find plenty to be enamored with.

Rating: A-

Recommended tracks: Drag Ropes, Hag, Lock Howl

New Release Wrap-up: March - April 2012 Part 2

A few weeks back I posted a metal-centric new release wrap up article (which can be found here for all you lazy cats). I'm back with part 2 which has a more general focus, covering a lot of ground from blues, to afrofunk, to weirdo pop, to soul, to rock. Enjoy - Prof. Ricardo

#1 Bobby Womack – The Bravest Man in the Universe

On his staggering 27^th album The Bravest Man In The Universe, soul singer Bobby Womack is expounding devotion and skepticism in equal measure which is a hard balancing act to maintain. Though he made his name in the early 70s Womack's star has been on the rise in the last few years, helped by his recent work with Gorillaz. It appears that it wasn't a clean break with Gorillaz / Blur alumni Damon Albarn helping out on production duties. The title track swims in a slinky trip-hop groove while the retro funk of "Love Is Gonna Lift You Up" is crisp and refreshing. On The Bravest Man In The Universe Womack has completely overshot neo-soul and landed in the future - an incomparable blend of soul, R&B, electronica and old school grit that proves once again that you can never count the crafty veteran out.

Rating: B+

Recommended tracks: Jubilee (Don't let nobody turn you around), Love Is Gonna Lift You Up

#2 Rocketjuice & the Moon – Rocketjuice & the Moon

Rocketjuice & the Moon is the first of what is supposed to be many post-Gorillaz projects from mastermind Damon Albarn. For this album Mr Albarn has hooked up bass player Flea (RHCP) and legendary Nigerian drummer Tony Allen. The result is typically funky (as you would expect with the talent on board) but is all over the place creatively and lacks any kind of focus. Guest vocalists like the always excellent Erykah Bahu and Ghana's M.anifest help to turn the rambling afrofunk into something more palatable but their efforts are often too little too late. Not a bad album but it is just a mess to listen to. Perhaps I was expecting too much from Albarn and his talented ensemble?

Rating: C+

Recommended track: Poison.

#3 Santigold – Master Of My Make-Believe

Back in 2008 when Santogold (now Santigold) released her self-titled debut album she was a flag bearer for a new kind of hybrid modern pop that the world was desperately in need of. Fast forward to 2012 and many major pop acts have followed her lead and are looking to embrace their inner freak. So where does that leave Santigold? Master Of My Make-Believe is a competent album that, try as it might, cannot reach the heights of her superb debut. “GO!”, full of defiant slogans and agitated beats, sets the scene nicely. Even at 37 minutes the album feels a little long, probably because there are no obvious standout hits (unlike, say, “L.E.S. Artistes” from '08). It sounds as though Santigold is getting closer and closer to the “real her” which bodes well for album number 3. Can we all finally drop the hackneyed MIA comparisons yet?

Rating: B-

Recommended tracks: GO!, Fame.

#4 Torche – Harmonicraft

Miami's Torche are a hard act to define. Collectively the members have backgrounds in stoner rock, sludge metal, and grindcore yet Torche make something more akin to pop rock – albeit of a very furious kind. Harmonicraft is their third full length album and their modus operandi is still to make bite-sized chunks of heavy rock with razor sharp pop hooks (e.g. “Walk It Off at just 1:26). Listening to the album is like pouring pure rock music directly into your ears without any of the radio-friendly pretensions of their contemporaries. 13 songs in under 40 minutes is one hell of a pace to keep up with but Torche don't even think about slowing down. The only track to break the four minute mark is album closer “Looking On”. Harmonicraft is full of the fun, dynamic, but heavy rock we have come to expect from Torche. Rock on!

Rating: B+

Recommended tracks: Walk It Off, Snakes Are Charmed

#5 Dr John – Locked Down

New Orleans swamp rock legend Dr John has kept up a steady rate of work since the late 60s, having released 29 albums in total. The most recent, Locked Down, is set to be one of his most commercially viable and accessible. This is in no small part due to rocker de jour Black Keys singer/guitarist Dan Auerbach on production duties. The album is an improbable mixture of blues, gospel, voodoo funk, and

boogie woogie rock'n'roll but it is a damned good time to be had strart to finish. The title track throws you immediately back into the murky mid seventies, and the organ solo on “Revolution” perhaps even further back than that. Older Dr John fans will find plenty to like here and potential fans have a great inlet into his odd little world of music.

Rating: A-

Recommended tracks: Revolution, Getaway, Ice Age