Small Wonders #10

Tim Hecker – Atlas 10″
Audraglint (www.audraglint.com)
Although there are numerous comparisons to be made with other artists of his ilk (Fennesz, Belong, William Basinski, and Mark Templeton among others) Tim Hecker has really come into his own throughout the course of this decade. His last album, 2006′s <i>Harmony in Ultraviolet</i> is easily the finest recording of its kind since <i>Endless Summer</i>. On this limited edition 10″ for the Audraglint label, Hecker takes an opportunity to stretch out over the course of two, roughly ten minute pieces titled “Atlas One” and “Atlas Two.” The record is nothing if not consistent with the distorted symphony of sound making up his last two full-lengths. While this may not be anything spectacularly groundbreaking or new for Hecker, it is excellent work nonetheless and miles above and beyond most other abstract electronic music. Listen carefully and there are even some female vocals on “Atlas Two” buried deep in the sparkling fog.

Marble Sky – The Sad Return c30
Callow God (www.geocities.com/callowgod)
One of the hands down best cassettes I’ve heard in a very long time. Marble Sky is the work of one Jeff Witscher (also of Deep Jew, Impregnable, and Secret Abuse). Side A is a piece called “Pulling Out Grass Under Blanket” that borrows heavily from the template established by Wolfgang Voigt on the Gas album <i>Pop</i>. It’s fifteen minutes of pure blissed out ambience. Side B is more along the lines of something that could’ve been on any number of Double Leopards releases. It’s got a subtle, minor key melody worn out in a din of fuzz over another epic fifteen minute timespan. This one was limited to only fifteen copies as well (starting to see a pattern here) so it’s probably already gone but there are ways of procurement in these times…..

Fennesz – Transition 7″
Touch (www.touchmusic.org.uk)
This new Fennesz 7″ out on Touch serves as both a supplement to the recent digital only release On A Desolate Shore A Shadow Passes By and a precursor to the next full-length due later this year (fingers crossed). The guy is an insane genius capable of collaborating with nearly anyone from Mike Patton to Ryuichi Sakamoto to Keith Rowe, but when it comes to his own work his attention to detail is immaculate. I remember reading Venice and here we are in 2008 still waiting for it to drop. Oddly enough the two pieces here are called “On A Desolate Shore” and “A Shadow Passes By.” They are from the same session that produced the digital release but they are not the same compositions. “On A Desolate Shore” is Fennesz at his blissed out best. Crushing a gorgeous guitar melody underneath the weight of whatever programs he’s got on his laptop. “A Shadow Passes By” starts out in a similar mode to his piece, “Tree,” from the Touch comp I reviewed a year or so ago. It has a nice finger-picked acoustic guitar line that floats along on wings of digital dust. If these two pieces are any indication of what’s to come, we can all breathe a sigh of relief that the full-length is going to be pretty stellar. Hands down the pick of the litter for this round, but I’m sure you’re aware of my Fennesz fanboy bias.

Hair Police – Fear of Sleep c10
Hospital Productions (www.hospitalproductions.com)
Pretty much all of the releases from this edition of Small Wonders are excellent and Hair Police’s Fear of Sleep is certainly no different. The A-Side is roughly four minutes of what sounds like a tape eating itself. The B-side is more nuclear fallout shelter material for the first minute and a half, lulling you in before laying it on you with some really disgusting static rot. These guys are pretty much playing at the top of their game right now. Out on Dom from Prurient’s Hospital Productions label so you know it’s fucking quality.

Short Takes on Five Releases

Sydney Parade

“If You Ever” CD single

Nomadd Records http://www.nomaddrecords.com/

Irish quartet Sydney Parade’s CD single for “If You Ever” starts out interestingly enough. The first few strains of the song have a modern rock feel, but then the vocals kick in and the music, well, changes. And changes again. And again. The result? I’m just not sure where these guys are trying to go with their music. Companion songs “Only the One” and “Anodyne” are more of the same – sort of garage rock and pop oriented, but with a personality disorder that is going unchecked. I get the sense that Sydney Parade is trying too hard – and that kind of strain isn’t good for anyone.

http://www.sydneyparade.com

 

Dw. Dunphy

Side One EP

self-released

Dw. Dunphy needs a good band. His songs (especially the vocals and lyrics) give off a psychedelic rock vibe, but the hollow drums and keys just don’t mesh. I feel like there are two very contradictory things happening here. The second track, “Election Year”, gets a bit more aggressive near the end and makes me think of some of the quirky things Ween has created with keyboards – only Dunphy hasn’t quite hit the mark of quirky and fun yet. I think I’d actually like to hear Dw. Dunphy replace the keys with guitar and other sounds in a bid to realize his potential.

 

Bronze

Calypso Shakedown

self-released

 

I had no clue there was a band out there – releasing original material no less – that was creating disco, soul, and retro-funk. Really. Bronze isn’t a wedding band or the house band at some washed up resort either. Dylan Ryan and Scott McGaughey, the core of the group, call Chicago home. The songs on Calypso Shakedown are so tight they could have flown right in from the 70s. Think Bee Gees. No lie. This is lots of fun, but is there a future for a band like Bronze?

http://www.myspace.com/bronzechicago

 

Halcyon High

To Be Infinite EP

Vibraphone 

Roger Anderson’s Halcyon High offers up warm, deeply pulsating refuge from a cold, shallow world. The songs on this EP are lovely and tranquil without being boring. Anderson has an excellent grasp on song arrangement and his hypnotic creations are nothing short of superb. To Be Infinite is mostly instrumental and I understand Halcyon High performances often include video projections featuring clips from the stellar Qatsi triology, among other material. How fitting! Pop this one in the next time a dreary rainy day rolls around and you’ll rediscover the beauty in even the grayest of days.

http://www.halcyonhigh.com

 

Frank Turner

Campfire Punkrock EP

Xtra Mile

Former hardcore singer moves on and records folksy songs with an edge. It’s not a joke – it’s the story of Frank Turner, formerly of hardcore band Million Dead. Campfire Punkrock couldn’t be a more appropriate title for this collection of seven songs. Although it’s been awhile since this disc was released, Frank Turner deserves more time in the spotlight. His British accent comes through on his vocals, and his lyrics are quite brilliant. Songs like “Thatcher Fucked The Kids” and “I Really Don’t Care What You Did on Your Gap Year” make me think of a younger, less tongue-in-cheek Hamell on Trial. Great stuff!

http://www.frank-turner.com

Wilco – Chicago – The Riviera, Illinois – 2008-02-19

On a bitteryly cold Tuesday at the Riviera in Chicago – the fourth night into Wilco’s five-night residency – proved to be one of their very best. The band broke out classics as well as newer hits like “Hotel Arizona,” “Handshake Drugs,” “Impossible Germany,” and “Hate It Here.” Coming in at three hours and 33 songs for the third consecutive night, if the band was exhausted, they sure did not show it. Tweedy & Co. were all in fine form in front of a packed hometown crowd, especially jack-of-all-trades Pat Sansone and drummer Glen Kotche. Tweedy played to the crowd, especially on songs like “Shot in the Arm” and “Misunderstood” as the show was broadcast live on WXRT, one of the few radio stations to ever play Wilco songs, channeling a Kicking Television vibe.

The crowd was packed tightly into the already cozy Riviera, and as the band played songs like “Spiders (Kidsmoke)” and “I’m a Wheel,” the tangible energy made it seem like the aging building could at any point just collapse. The band seemed to truly enjoy the enthusiasm of the hometown crowd and WXRT’s support. Taking only two very brief timeouts throughout the entire show, Wilco definitely justified the surprisingly cheap $35 ticket price. As one of the most sought-after tickets in the city this year, the residency served as a much-appreciated salute to Wilco fans and also as a great way to kick off an extensive tour.

Jeff Tweedy, who has never been known as the best singer, is beginning to prove those long-standing criticisms wrong. His voice sounded better than ever and hearing him sing “Kingpin” was a perfect example of how his vocals have only gotten better. He sang “California Stars” and “Poor Places” to perfection. He also interjected ballads like “On and On and On” in between songs like “Company in My Back” to keep the show high-energy. They came out for a one-song curtain call, drawing the phenomenal show to a succinct and bittersweet close with “The Late Greats.” The final song was the perfect ending to one of Wilco’s finest shows yet.

Souvaris – A Hat

There was a time a few years ago when a crop of bands started writing Tortoise-like instrumentals and making names for themselves. For the most part, this kind of post-rock has gone by the wayside. Now Souvaris has come along and released A Hat, fueling speculation that the genre hasn’t been counted out just yet.

This album isn’t overt about its odd time signatures (they’re subtle) or ham-fisted about showing off its riffage. Remember Mercury Program? Souvaris is like that. The songs almost just drift along with little to jar you or disturb your listening pleasure. That’s not to say that the songs lack for spirit. Souvaris just never showboats.

The 5-piece band works in some vibraphone and the occasional keyboard chord, but mostly it’s about the drums, guitar, and bass. From the Ganger-like repetitions that open “Puny Go Stompin’” to the 15-minute, spacey Mogwaian “Nobody Is Fine and Everybody Needs a Drink,” Souvaris shows that it has learned a thing or two from its predecessors. The most raucous moments, such as the ending of “Nobody Is Fine…,” betray a fondness for the GYBE school of how to build your instrumental to its climax.

The band plays tight. Not too much noodling, either, which can kill an otherwise decent record. And what’s not apparent from the music itself but only from the titles would be the band’s sense of humor. How else do you account for “Quit Touching My Ass” and “The Young Ted Danson”? Ted Danson has probably never had another epic, 13-minute paean dedicated to his former greatness. Especially one that ends with a cowbell.

Belay My Last – The Downfall

Ahh, yes. Deathcore. A subgenre with more infinitely more hyped debuts than quality follow-ups. The trend that everyone seems to hate or at least be skeptical of, yet continues to grow with dozens of new bands every week and albums moving decent units, selling tons of shirts at Hot Topic, etc. It seems like the more hated a trend becomes with internet elitists, the bigger it becomes with the general populous.

Belay My Last hails from Fullerton, CA and has been together since 2003. The Downfall is the band’s debut album from Mediaskare Records, home of fellow deathcore newcomers As Blood Runs Black. There is no getting around the fact that these guys are a deathcore band through and through, though it should be noted that the band appears to be slightly above average in many facets of their sound.

First, the bass. It takes a lot of dexterity just to be able to play along with guitarists rooted in the 1287-riffs-per-song style of writing, but to actually pull away from the background and add something other than low rumbling is an achievement. Several times through out the disk bassist Garrett Harer perked my ears up with interesting little fills and grooves.

Second, the guitars. They’re impressively shreddy, though the band doesn’t rely on technical prowess as much as many of their peers do. Instead, the band uses a keen sense of melody that ranges from barely-there-subtle to a little more driving and lead-like. The band’s utilization of breakdowns is very tasteful and they often feature more clever melodicism rather than just simple, chunky rhythms.

Third, the drums. Again, impressively technical, but stylistically Ilai Lebel has a little more groovy/jazzy presence than many of his peers, which is very nice. A lot of deathcore drummers are way to into blasting as fast as they can instead of creating a complementary level of complexity.

My only real complaint is that Jason Denney’s vocals are just so…deathcore. He’s got the typical growl/deep hardcore yell/high end scream combination that nearly every deathcore vocalist utilizes. His performance isn’t bad, and honestly he sounds better than a lot of similar vocalists, but it ultimately makes the band sound too much like every other similar band. And it’s a shame because in all other facets, this band appear to be on par with or better than the genre’s frontrunners.

Viva Patshiva – Reasons To Live

The best concept albums are those which can be enjoyed in different ways, as a tight creative unit flowing from the first note to the last, and as a jukebox playing a batch of terrific singles. Viva Patshiva’s debut album, Reasons To Live, accomplishes both ambitions, an estimable feat, given that the record was created with a clear focus on live performance. Indeed, Reasons To Live is a rock opera inspired and conceived in NYC’s Lower East Side, a delicious melting pot of so many ethnic groups, musical fashions, and comedic approaches. Boasting tremendous vocals, a magnetic variety of styles, and infectious energy, Reasons To Live crosses borders and brings the zesty party right into listeners’ living rooms.

Reasons To Live tells David Jenness’ story of “Zazu,” an exotic gypsy dancer who lives at the speed of emotion, and her prospective marital dilemmas. While best suited for the live stage, it’s easy to appreciate Reasons To Live even without following the LP’s chronological and contextual settings. “Under The Highway” opens the affair, as Jesse Kotansky’s violins fuse with a lot of “Ay-ay-ay” and other word-free syllables to create a specific scene of colors, aromas, attire, and, of course, people. There are no subtle characters in Viva Patshiva’s world. Kotansky’s violins accentuate the two slower pieces, “Many Ways” and “Little By Little,” but even through those songs, in their fragile moments, the opera’s personalities refuse to suppress their heart.

That explosive expression is most typical of Zazu, as sung by Chemda, an Israeli-American with solid credentials and a disarming manner. On zydeco-cum-gypsy stompers like the album’s title track and “Milk Train,” Chemda and male cast members trade lead vocals with fierce conviction. To the credit of all of the artists involved with Reasons To Live, the music never comes off as overbearing or kitschy. There are irresistible motion-inducing rhythms here in various forms: the Latin rock of “Gadjo Mambo,” “I Must Have You” and its ska punk, and the massive not-so-old “old country” beats of “I’ll Forget You.” For those seeking a hearty laugh, Reasons To Live includes hilarious comedic bits with musical accompaniment. The witty “Secret’s Out” offers such advice as: “Be a slave for what you crave / You know what they say / Good things come to those who buy them, baby! / Ambition is the new humility / And without losers, winners would only tie! / Practice the process and process the practice / The Chinese have a saying for this / But since I don’t speak Mandarin, I can’t tell you what the hell it is! / Sales is like shaving / If you’re not doing it every day, you’re a bum!”

Reasons To Live’s greatest assets are its eclecticism and joie de vivre. The musical talent, writing skills, and gorgeous singing on this record would likely have yielded a good album even with average effort, but what lifts Reasons To Live into the realm of excellence is the unmistakable passion conveyed through the synergistic smorgasbord. These are just some of the many reasons to love Reasons To Live.

Atlas Sound – Let the Blind Lead Those Who Can See but Cannot Feel

There really is a lot of good music being made in the era we live in. There seems to be a boost of creativity where artists make music, almost, on a yearly basis with multiple bands and acts. It recalls that splendid time in the late 50s where Jazz artists were tearing out album after album. And now we have a splendid array of artists that contribute so much to our music scene, people like Spencer Krug, Jack White, Dan Bejar and now, Bradford James Cox. After a great 2007 with Deerhunter, seeing the release of a great LP and maybe, even better EP, Cox is back with his first album as Atlas Sound, the brilliantly amazing, Let the Blind Lead Those Who Can See but Cannot Feel.

The point of the Deerhunter hiatus was so that the band members could align their personal lives before recording again. Well it seems as if Cox has used this period to compensate his musical ideas. A lot of the same Deerhunter characteristics occupy Let the Blind…: ambient instrumentals, isolated lyrics and that cool psychedelia but this is still an exceptionally distinctive sound.

The album begins with an unsettling story featuring a young boy recounting a ghost story; the song is also named the same thing. The music alone, with its eerie touches and minor chords is frightening enough. The music changes a bit from here with nice upbeat pieces like the slow chug of “Recent Bedroom,” propelled by bells and soft drums. The keyboards show up two songs later on the appealing, easy-going “Quarantined.” The drums appear in a louder volume but only to give the song that added dimension aiding in creating one of the better songs on the album. And though this song sounds relatively pleasant, the lyrical content is certainly disturbing. The song was inspired when Cox learned about children having to stay in quarantined hospitals because they had the AIDS disease. However, it is a bitter omen as these children received AIDS because of their parent’s various lifestyles and mistakes. Cox relates to this as he had to spend many lonely times in hospitals due to his Marfan Syndrome. The song is a sweet sounding track but the lyrics, “quarantined and kept so far away from my friends” scream of distressing estrangement.

Another song, “Cold as Ice” follows a guitar loop set up by Cox’ friend Lockett Pundt depicting the story of Cox’ relationship with a childhood friend. The music is menacing and very much anger-infused. Cox had asked her to marry him in the 5th grade to where she denied only to later work together in a Subway restaurant. For some reason, this girl friend would make Cox watch her change in the restaurant’s refrigerator, which was “cold as ice.”

That’s what’s really special about this album; almost each song on this 14-track album has a detailed and wondrous story behind it. The music of “Bite Marks” is downtrodden with tribal drums and a repetitive keyboard loop and is about boy prostitution. And all of the instrumental songs on here are chillingly beautiful pieces of music as well. They all serve an immense purpose in the album’s sonic scope. As the album begins on a dreamy note, the last instrumental (the title track) ends the album in a hazy sense because Cox wanted the entire album to feel like a psychedelic dream.

The touches of spectral luster and the repetitive loops are gorgeous and every single one of Cox’ ideas marvelously work on Let the Blind Lead Those Who Can See but Cannot Feel. As someone who regards the B-52’s lead singer, Ricky Wilson, as one of his heroes, Bradford Cox has done him proud. This is a special album, a headphone-rewarding listen that is filled with sad, depressing stories and that all reveal an inner look to Cox’ unique and interesting life. The music married to these wonderful lyrics is touching, gorgeous and stunning and there is no doubt in my mind that Atlas Sound has created, arguably, the best album of the year.

The Laureates – The Laureates 7" EP

The music of Chicago is perhaps more varied than any other city in America. Post rock, grunge, hardcore punk, jazz, blues, the Windy City is an anomaly in the wealth of talent that springs forth. Cutting to the center of it all are The Laureates, a new 4 piece with only a few shows and now a 4-song EP to speak of. By getting to the basics of rock and roll with a touch of early British influences their first foray into a recorded output is a fun and energetic burst with a surprising maturity.

Opening strong and improving until the end, the self titled 7” is a crash course in early garage rock and ends up somewhere around mid period Guided By Voices. Guitars are fuzzed out and the vocals are awash in reverb, the bass pulses along and cymbals crash all around. In the true spirit of old fashioned rock n’ roll the lyrics aren’t life changing- problem solving manifestos, more “I Wanna Hold Your Hand” than “Village green Preservation Society.” Starting off with “I Want To Miss You” the group bursts open with chords we’ve all heard many times before but you can’t exactly say from where. It’s classic Nuggets bliss with descending chords and half intelligible vocals.

Second track “Witching Boots” keeps toes tapping with it’s bouncy bass reminiscent of Ted Leo and the Pharmacists’ “Ballad Of The Sin Eater.” It manages to steer clear of the mod-punk lyricism of Leo however with the catchiest melody on the EP. “Hello, Hello” is where we get into the Bee Thousand/Alien Lanes-era GBV with big crunchy power chords acquiescing to single note reverberations. A 3 note solo and a fade out later all it needs is a nonsensical title to make Pollard proud. The brief EP ends triumphantly with “The Warm Son”, a blistering opening if ever there was one.

There is a definite feel of yearning and angst but without the cocksure nature of most guitar based Midwestern bands. This is where The Laureates show they are wise beyond their young rock years. They aren’t here to show their chops or wow you with flash, they are far more subtle than that. For a band with only a handful of gigs under it’s belt there’s a surprising amount of maturity to be found. Put down those OK Go CD’s and pick yourself up this fine new 45 of real power pop rock.

The Helio Sequence – Keep Your Eyes Ahead

If you were enamored of The Helio Sequence’s early work, a surreal mixture of samples, sequenced keyboards and swirling, psychedelic guitar histrionics, then you may be disappointed with their new album, Keep Your Eyes Ahead. But if you’re a fan of radiant indie-rock, frothing with jangly and heavily reverbed guitars and refined vocals, you will probably fall in love with the Portland Oregon band’s latest release. The duo of Brandon Summers (vocals/guitar) and Benjamin Weikel (drums/keyboards) have traded in their elongated, fluttering and trippy jams for a kinder, gentler and dreamy, guitar-based indie-pop.

But thankfully they haven’t completely abandoned their early sound, as remnants of the bouncy atmospherics appear in more controlled and restrained, yet brilliant, short bursts within the context of charming and jangly indie-pop tunes. They even mix in some electro-style beats so their sense of adventure and pop experimentation also remain intact. The result is a rewarding album of well-crafted songs with hints of shoegazing drones and a folksy charm that places their sound somewhere between I Am Kloot and The Shins.

The sublimely smooth voice of Summers leaves an endearing impression on the listener and adds rich character to each song. He sings with a placid everyman’s voice, but does so with such insightful emotion that he conveys different moods perfectly, much like John Bramwell of I Am Kloot. His lyrics of twisted love and regret are the perfect compliment to the ornate backing instrumentation and the soft textural tapestries of slower numbers like opener “Lately”, “Back To This”, “Broken Afternoon” and the supremely sublime “Shed Your Love”.

But it’s the faster-paced tracks that make Keep Your Eyes Ahead a compelling album. “The Captive Mind”, “Can’t Say No”, “You Can Come To Me”, “Hallelujah” and the title track all shimmer brightly with waves of layered guitars in a whirlpool of reverbed echoes, snappy rhythms with vibrant interludes, including dreamy keyboards and shrewd electric guitar leads, trippy electronic beats and crashing drums, and are sung with delicately sweet vocals and lilting melodies.

The Helio Sequence seem to have settled down a bit as their songs are more concise and the music more focused. But Keep Your Eyes Ahead is certainly a rewarding venture as it contains enough amiable and alluring dream-pop, with ample atmospheric charm, to overlook it’s few weaknesses.

Recommended Tracks: “The Captive Mind”, “Can’t Say No”, “Keep Your Eyes Ahead”, “You Can Come To Me” and “Shed Your Love”.

The Lodger – Grown-Ups

The album cover of Grown-Ups features a dreary, faceless stack of flats, perhaps a metaphor for becoming an adult and living in a staid, depressing world, but the music on the album is anything but. The members of Leeds, U.K.-based The Lodger do know their way around a bedsit, but luckily, they don’t wallow in it.

Most songs take a sprightly dash to the finish line, filled with jangling to wiry guitars, clever lyrics about relationships, and unassuming, but clear vocals from founding member Ben Sidall. In fact, the sheer rush of The Smiths and The Housemartins-influenced guitar-based indie-pop sometimes obscures the fact that the lyrics are trenchant and illuminating and the song-structures are sophisticated and well put together. The Lodger delivers 14 short, catchy, highly melodic, witty songs rife with musical harmonies and lyrical ironies in just under 42 minutes on this debut album.

The band is also not afraid to wear its influences, or its heart, on its sleeve. If you ever find yourself looking back and wishing it was the 1980s all over again, at least musically, and from a U.K. indie-pop point of view, then you should set up your guest room for this charming Lodger.

The album starts off at a brisk pace, with “Many Thanks For Your Honest Opinion”, housing early The Smiths-like, drivingly upbeat guitar strum, fast, kicky drums, here ‘n’ there cymbal crashes, and short-phrase sing-talking by Ben. It zips by at a quick two and a half minutes.

The next tune, “Kicking Sand”, is also heavily influenced, musically, by the early, spry songs of The Smiths, with its up-tempo dynamics, jangling guitar riffs, and drum and cymbal hits. The sound is clean and crisp, as Ben sings “we’re not superstars. We’re just kicking sand…”.

The band shows a more dance-pop oriented side on “Getting Special”, with its thumping drum beat, nouveau-retro, Euro-disco feel and wordless, backing, female vocals. Think of a complex, intriguing mix of Saint Etienne and Pet Shop Boys, where at some point, the girl sings one line, and then right after, the guy sings the next line… “…I’m a part of the rat race, living live from 9 to 5, can I just sit in my bedroom, for the rest of my life”.

“You Got Me Wrong” goes back to a brisk pace of the first couple of tracks and is crammed with lots of lyrics. The imprint of The Housemartins is all over this one, from its jaunty tone and fast pace to its upbeat, wiry, strummed guitars. Ben’s vocals register in the regretful zone (naturally matching the subject of the song title) and the chorus has some higher, airier singing.

The melancholy vibe remains for “A Free Period”, another fast-strummed song with upfront vocals where Ben sounds a bit like Bernard Sumner of New Order, but more delicate and less flat in tone. While the lyrics get repetitive, there is the added touch of backing female vocals on the chorus and, at times, doubled male vocals.

“Simply Left Behind” is the quintessential “relationship” song, with Ben plaintively sing-talking “…you fall in love with all the idiots…” against jangly guitars. There is an unexpected moment in the song that harks back to the best of Morrissey’s vocal tones, when Ben sings “No…” in a wavering and echoed voice. It’s a fleeting moment, but it’s haunting, like the bittersweet passing of a relationship.

Then it’s back to a more emotionally upbeat Ben (complete with snarky lyrics) on “My Advice Is On Loan”, with his sweet male vocals sometimes doubled and sung against piano notes. Unfortunately, the song is short, under two minutes, and it’s hard to ingrain it into the brain because of its brevity.

That “train-track”, bass-end, wiry sound, that is present in first couple of songs also surfaces at the start of “Let Her Go”, with its familiar The Smiths-type guitar jangle, but the song quickly morphs somewhat into a tribute to mid and later Boo Radleys songs, with plainer vocals that get a bit higher and wispier on the chorus, and with trumpet notes accenting the chorus and mirroring the vocal melody.

A highlight of the album is the diverting and different “Watching”, with it’s Boo Radleys-like guitars, without the distortion, and sweet, The Smiths-like guitar jangle. In fact, the song does sweep you up with its persistent drum thump, high and melancholily wistful vocals by Ben, and a growing background sound of fast tambourine-shake and discreet horns.

Even though the song is lyrics-heavy (“…all the risks you have to take, are while your foot is on the brake, and your ideas will disappear, unless we drive away from here…”), as all the songs on the album are, it’s quite easy to just give in to the light, airy singing and full sound of drums, cymbals, and guitars, and, near the end of the song, a sampling of strings.

A melancholy, dance-pop vibe pervades “Unsatisfied”, with its slower, loping, but still thumping, beat, shimmering cymbal crashes, lower, minor-key singing, and a softer guitar sound that recalls Saint Etienne if fronted by a guy. A growing swell of strings in the background lend the song a dreamy air.

The Smiths-like guitar jangle takes over again on “The Story’s Over”
With quickly sung-talked vocals are the barely-heard bleats of horns. Not horrible, but not exactly memorable.

The song “Not So Fast” doesn’t lie, at least not at its start, with a slower and smoother, looped guitar run and subdued vocals. It’s a change of pace from the mostly unrelentingly brisk dynamics of other songs. Ben sounds more thoughtful here, with more feeling to his singing, and the instrumentation doesn’t run rampant over the lyrics.

“Bye Bye” is a fitting final song to the album, except it’s not the last song! It’s a slower, more downbeat number with slow-strummed guitar, tapped cymbal, and drawn-out, melancholy vocals, where Ben sings “meet me at the shops, at six o’clock, on the dot, meet me wearing white. If that’s alright, I’ll wear black”. Strings on the chorus bolster the strummed guitars a la Boo Radleys.

Then, bam!, “Let’s Make A Pact” ends it all on a way-upbeat, jaunty note, jumping right into it with a high, kicky beat and fast-strummed, jangling guitar, and plain vocals where the chorus parts are actually slower than the verses!

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