Ten albums that you should take the chance to listen to!
Callaghan - The Other Side (EP)
This five-track EP sees the return of the wonderful Callaghan to recorded music. Consisting of four songs and an intro to the titular song, it's that tune that lends its title to the full EP that scores the highest marks, formed as a dramatically produced and sung ballad with bite that kicks it up a gear and delivers a real gut punch. 'Solid Ground' is a strong opener to the collection and moves along nicely, whilst 'Surrender' strips things back to a quiet piano-led ballad. ' I Don't Know How To Lose You' as the middle track lays on the emotion as well whilst keeping the production simple and clean, contributing to an EP that tugs on the heart-strings thanks to Callaghan's songwriting and pure voice. (6.5/10)
Erin K - Little Torch
Erin K's 10-track strong album 'Little Torch' is a mixed bag of weird and wacky tracks that oscillate from catchy summer-friendly pop-indie numbers like opener 'No Control' and country-tinged 'Dum Da Dum' to the awkward yet memorable 'Assholio' to the frankly weird and irritating potty-mouthed and pointless 'I Just Ate Shit' which stands out like a sore thumb on an otherwise fun album; it's a joke track that is musically poor and lyrically tedious and as the longest track on the LP feels like a mis-fire. Dismissing that the rest of the tracks are rather joyous fun little snippets with catchy warmth. Nice and relaxing, with some toe-tapping moments. (6.5/10)
Jerry Harmon - Walk Softly
Familiar sounding country songs are the order of the day with this set of ten songs from Jerry Harmon, ranging from the banjo hefty opener 'Walking to Cleveland' which mixes up the catchy titular hook and a proper hoe-down backline, to the slower lighters-out curiously titled 'Daddy's Was Purple' covering family in a touching way. Along the way we get mid-tempo movements like 'Made of Time', 'Man Who Used To Be' and 'Walk Softly' and the speedy 'Whose Mind Was Made'. The highlight of the album is the western-heavy 'Back to the Country' with the poppiest and most radio friendly album whilst 'Grandma's Are Sexy Too' can be left to your own imagination. With 'Love In The House' completing the autobiographical themed tracks, you'll enjoy 'Walk Softly' with its traditional bouncy country sound and it's occasional eccentricity. It slips neatly into the cliches of the genre but that's not always a bad thing. (7/10)
The Jesus and Mary Chain – Damage and Joy
Callaghan - The Other Side (EP)
This five-track EP sees the return of the wonderful Callaghan to recorded music. Consisting of four songs and an intro to the titular song, it's that tune that lends its title to the full EP that scores the highest marks, formed as a dramatically produced and sung ballad with bite that kicks it up a gear and delivers a real gut punch. 'Solid Ground' is a strong opener to the collection and moves along nicely, whilst 'Surrender' strips things back to a quiet piano-led ballad. ' I Don't Know How To Lose You' as the middle track lays on the emotion as well whilst keeping the production simple and clean, contributing to an EP that tugs on the heart-strings thanks to Callaghan's songwriting and pure voice. (6.5/10)
Erin K - Little Torch
Erin K's 10-track strong album 'Little Torch' is a mixed bag of weird and wacky tracks that oscillate from catchy summer-friendly pop-indie numbers like opener 'No Control' and country-tinged 'Dum Da Dum' to the awkward yet memorable 'Assholio' to the frankly weird and irritating potty-mouthed and pointless 'I Just Ate Shit' which stands out like a sore thumb on an otherwise fun album; it's a joke track that is musically poor and lyrically tedious and as the longest track on the LP feels like a mis-fire. Dismissing that the rest of the tracks are rather joyous fun little snippets with catchy warmth. Nice and relaxing, with some toe-tapping moments. (6.5/10)
Jerry Harmon - Walk Softly
Familiar sounding country songs are the order of the day with this set of ten songs from Jerry Harmon, ranging from the banjo hefty opener 'Walking to Cleveland' which mixes up the catchy titular hook and a proper hoe-down backline, to the slower lighters-out curiously titled 'Daddy's Was Purple' covering family in a touching way. Along the way we get mid-tempo movements like 'Made of Time', 'Man Who Used To Be' and 'Walk Softly' and the speedy 'Whose Mind Was Made'. The highlight of the album is the western-heavy 'Back to the Country' with the poppiest and most radio friendly album whilst 'Grandma's Are Sexy Too' can be left to your own imagination. With 'Love In The House' completing the autobiographical themed tracks, you'll enjoy 'Walk Softly' with its traditional bouncy country sound and it's occasional eccentricity. It slips neatly into the cliches of the genre but that's not always a bad thing. (7/10)
The Jesus and Mary Chain – Damage and Joy
With
an album name translated from the famous German word Schadenfreude, ‘Damage and
Joy’ is a darkly indie-rock album of fourteen songs with a surprisingly poppy
heart, whether it’s in the gritty ‘War and Peace’ which enjoys a
pacey-refurbishment mid-song or a newer re-imagining of ‘All Things Pass’. The
gentler, more harmonised ‘Song For A Secret’ changes things up a little even if
the production is a bit muddier; the indie-heft of ‘The Two of Us’ plays out
nicely ; and moving on into the second half of the album ‘Presidici’ perks
things up with a faster pace, though still a little dark and gloomy in terms of
production. Closing numbers like ‘Simian Split’ and ‘Black and Blues’ bring the
album to a nice closer, before the Beatles-esque finale of ‘Can’t Stop the
Rock’ (nicely ironic final track name) boasts some well designed harmonies and
a keen ear for tying up loose ends. Overall a comeback album after twenty-years
I can get behind. (6.5/10)
Karen Elson - Double Roses
Elson's ten-song strong LP is a slow, downbeat ode to lost love, personal relationships and the ilk that's both surprisingly downbeat as well as very gentle, listenable and relaxing. With her beautiful and delicate voice accompanied for much of the record by equally fragile strings and timpani, what we get is a treat for the ears and a calming 46-minutes in her company.
Opener 'Wonder Blind' is an evocative number and the perfect early showcase for her voice, alongside a sweet cacophany of instrumentation including some marvellous flute work forming a strong soundscape. The titular second son is a smooth mid-tempo number with much of the same qualities whilst 'Call Your Name' has a little more energy and could be described as soaring.
'Come Hell and High Water' is once again delightful and the most distinctive song on the piece whilst the deeply personal and emotional lyrics continue on 'The End'. The metaphor-heavy 'Raven' is a pleasure and the clock ticking and dramatic building of 'Why Am I Waiting' succeeds with its noteworthy lyrics and the hook of references of shoes to fill and bridges to burn.
The LP continues to take a darker introspective turn on 'A Million Stars', an emotive and personal ballad with many heartfelt messages, with the theme of love continuing in 'Wolf' with phrases such as 'fatal mistake' adding to the poetry of the piece, a feeling that continues and concludes with album closer 'Distant Shore'.
'Double Roses' is a dark and personal piece but something that doesn't feel too much like an intrusion into Elson's psyche as you listen. Beautiful. (7.5/10)
Neil - Black Flowers
'Black Flowers' by Neil is an 11-track album that begins and ends with tracks entitled 'Spleen'. Coming across as a series of rock tracks of various depths and levels with hints of country and rock-a-billy in parts, such as on 'My Tired Heart', it's quite a downbeat album of songs with a gloomy outlook both lyrically and musically, though with moments that express more positivity. Occasionally angry and a little sweary, it's at its best on 'Not A Love Song' with its crisp guitar and 'Queens of the Stone Age'-rhythm. (6/10)
Rodina - You Got Soul
'You Got Soul' is a funky, retro-sounding, cool eleven-track LP of jazzy and funky songs, like a cross between Imelda May and Tracy Kashi. From the big band swagger of the confident empowering 'Only Girl' to the slower and more introspective 'Later', the album is great and involving with only the occasional track - 'You Got Soul' - being a little too experimental for my taste. Lead single 'What If' with its slow build to its radio friendly chorus still impresses; 'Black Crow' is as sultry a track as you'd long for; 'Outside Your Door' is a smooth slow-dance; 'Flame' is a Caribbean-tinged delight; 'Something That You Said' full of bounce and joyful summery piano; and 'Rise Like The Sun' a slower, more sombre number. 'On To Me' switches things up with a more quirky style and breakdowns with a modern flavour, whilst penultimate song 'This Place' has all the funk of a jazz club. 'You Got Soul' certainly lives up to its title and keeps things fresh with lots of different styles and pace, and keeps a smile on your face. (7/10)
Rory Lavelle - Waves
'Waves' is an atmospheric ten track album that opens with the Richard Marx / David Gray-esque 'All These Horrors', a dark guitar-led number with the catchy 'Say Something' hook of its chorus and a strong, involving production feel. Follow-up 'Sonny' continues the atmospheric, guitar-driven soft-rock numbers with crisp production and strong progression. 'Poor Pride' continues with the hooky-lyrical structure that keeps the gentle numbers moving along, whilst 'When the Crazies Come Out' with its Sparks-like classical stabs and repetitive vocal hook is the most distinctive and intriguing of the tracks so far though it does perhaps run out of fresh ideas by the time it goes a little Moby next to its constant repeating on the title.
'Somewhere Along the Line' continues the optimistic, low-key songs that maybe wash over you musically more than make a huge impact, but they're likable, calming little compositions which is quite appropriate considering the album's title. 'Alive Now' perks things up with a Bob Dylan-like harmonica enthused play out, whilst 'Waiting for the Reverie' contradicts the title with a rather slow, and a little maudlin, ballad number that works well with the instrument but is a bit too gloomy and rambling for my tastes. 'A Thousand Kinds of Pain' which comes next is a much more bombastic piece with hints of Richard Ashcroft, the strings and vocals working together to cement the drama of the piece.
The album continues on strong form with the emotive 'These', with a frantic, almost panicky vocal which adds energy. Finale 'Sleepy' comes in at five minutes and gently wraps up 'Waves', a delightfully evocative and sweeping album that mixes Richard Ashcroft and Bob Dylan into a relaxing emotive piece. (7/10)
Sam Gleaves and Tyler Hughes - Sam Gleaves and Tyler Hughes
This self-titled duet album from Gleaves and Hughes boasts fourteen tracks from various sources, the opening two written by the two leads then more composed by others, and some from traditional origins. The sprightly and delightfully produced LP begins with the memory-filled 'Stockyard Hill' before kicking up a gear with the subtly politically charged 'When We Love' which feels like the understated theme song for 2017 America. 'Georgia Row' is a more traditionally sounding country song that is 50% scratchy instrumental and 50% campfire sing-a-long.
'Mister Rabbit' is a new take on a traditional ode to the titular animal that will bring a smile on your face whilst 'I Can't Sit Down' feels quickly catchy thanks to the singers' call-and-response vocals and the upbeat and toe-tapping music. The well matched harmonies continue through songs like 'Bread and Roses' alongside the jaunty and relentless perky numbers with eccentric titles like 'I Washed My Face in the Morning Dew'. 'Lonesome Homesick Blues' feels like a generic blues number but you can't help tapping your foot to it whilst 'Well I Guess I Told You Off' is a tongue-in-cheek number about anger management and dealing with people you don't like. 'Living with Memories' is a gentle but touching track whilst the closer 'Tear Down the Fences' wraps things up with some strong reflectiveness and thoughtful lyrics.
This album by the duo is a joy to hear, nailing the style of the region with a series of catchy, toe-tapping tracks well sung and composed with a mixture of messages and feelings. (7.5/10)
Three Minute Heroes #HearMeOut
Inspired by Hull's appointment as Capital of Culture comes this compilation album of fifteen acts from the city. It opens with Fronteers and their song 'Mamma's Boy' which is a bouncy, upbeat and quickly catchy indie-pop number with plenty of energy and a real radio-friendly head-nodding sound. Things become a little heavier with Black Lime's rocky 'Famous' which takes a bit to grow on you but settles in eventually but it's a bit too much in its gruffer bits for my tastes. La Bête Blooms & EMBRS join forces for 'Stingray (I Still Dream)' at track three and though the guitars are a bit heftier than the opening track the hook of the chorus and the battle of the vocals work well, it's just a shame the track gets a bit screamy as it reaches its conclusion.
'Home' by 'The Mighty And The Moon' is more to my tastes, a mid-tempo indie number with two well harmonised vocals and a smooth progression. It may lack a big chorus but it has plenty of emotion woven into the vocals and lyrics, and sways nicely for five minutes, which perhaps makes a little bit of a mockery of the album title. 'Paint A New Picture' from singer-songwriter Ruth Scott, featuring Kristian Eastwood is a much more stripped back piece and this helps the powerful vocals to shine, lifting them up to where they need to be in the mix.
'It's Been A While' from False Advertising brings us hints of grunge to the varied composition and though it's not one of my favourites on the album the Paramore-like lead vocals of the lead singer work well and there's attitude by the bucket-load, but some of the higher notes don't quite hit home and the music is a bit too muddy for my tastes but by the end of the song I have to say I was won over.
The post-punk 'Bed Mood' by Serial Chiller has plenty of attitude and crunching guitars and a punchy, fast-paced rhythm with crisp production, and at under two minutes does what it needs to do. Taking us up to the half-way point the clap-heavy 'I Want To be Human' by 'The Quicksilver Kings' has plenty of poppiness in its fun rhythm and the spoken breakdown keeps it fresh between its catchy chorus.
El Whaeko's 'Over Think' is a more experimental affair throwing in a less formulaic structure, some harmonica and a darker drum riff into a track that freshens things up a little. Not my favourite song on the compilation but a definite grower and the repeating of the hook at the end really works. 'Dead Langer' from the 'Hillbilly Troupe' which follows has hints of 'Rawhide' in its rhythm and tone and is a short and punchy distraction between tracks, with fun folk-influences woven in, and a catch'ness from the 'woman in the shadows' lyrics.
'See, Hear, Speak' from 'The Dyr Sister' is possibly the most unusual song on the compilation, mixing in Bjork-sounding vocals with an electronic-tinged vocal hook of the title that runs through the piece with hints of that famous song from musical Chicago. Certainly more experimental in nature this creates a strong soundscape that won't be to everyone's tastes but I really like the flavours created.
'Dance: Happy Dance' from 'Waste of Paint' is maybe not as happy as the title would suggest but it has plenty of bounce and energy, though the production masks the vocals a little too much in the mix. Sometimes less is more, but it's a fun and quirky little number with an enjoyable, if a little murky, choral hook but it does go a little crazy in its final sixty seconds.
'Crooked Weather' with track 'Skeletons' brings us into the final three tracks and is a more ponderous, subdued number that sounds like Lana Del Rey if she was a little bit gloomier. It's atmospheric but a little too ethereal, murky and wishy-washy for my personal tastes and the only track that is skippable.
'Egg' from 'The Froot '67' is more like it, a more laid back number, and though it doesn't reach the heights of some of the earlier numbers is pleasing enough with its laid-back vibes and sixties-sounding set-up, with hints of psychedelia and it plays out nicely.
The impressive compilations concludes with 'December' by 'Chambers' which sounds like a muddier Arctic Monkeys song, it's heavier rockier tones bringing things to a slower conclusion, tying things together nicely.
'Three Minute Heroes' is a top-drawer compilation that may be a little front-heavy in terms of the better more accessible tracks but there's much to enjoy here and very little to skip, with plenty of genres and styles on showcase. The opening track is definitely the highlight but the curator of the compilation should be proud about assembling fifteen songs that show the music scene of Hull in a great light. (7.5/10)
Karen Elson - Double Roses
Elson's ten-song strong LP is a slow, downbeat ode to lost love, personal relationships and the ilk that's both surprisingly downbeat as well as very gentle, listenable and relaxing. With her beautiful and delicate voice accompanied for much of the record by equally fragile strings and timpani, what we get is a treat for the ears and a calming 46-minutes in her company.
Opener 'Wonder Blind' is an evocative number and the perfect early showcase for her voice, alongside a sweet cacophany of instrumentation including some marvellous flute work forming a strong soundscape. The titular second son is a smooth mid-tempo number with much of the same qualities whilst 'Call Your Name' has a little more energy and could be described as soaring.
'Come Hell and High Water' is once again delightful and the most distinctive song on the piece whilst the deeply personal and emotional lyrics continue on 'The End'. The metaphor-heavy 'Raven' is a pleasure and the clock ticking and dramatic building of 'Why Am I Waiting' succeeds with its noteworthy lyrics and the hook of references of shoes to fill and bridges to burn.
The LP continues to take a darker introspective turn on 'A Million Stars', an emotive and personal ballad with many heartfelt messages, with the theme of love continuing in 'Wolf' with phrases such as 'fatal mistake' adding to the poetry of the piece, a feeling that continues and concludes with album closer 'Distant Shore'.
'Double Roses' is a dark and personal piece but something that doesn't feel too much like an intrusion into Elson's psyche as you listen. Beautiful. (7.5/10)
Neil - Black Flowers
'Black Flowers' by Neil is an 11-track album that begins and ends with tracks entitled 'Spleen'. Coming across as a series of rock tracks of various depths and levels with hints of country and rock-a-billy in parts, such as on 'My Tired Heart', it's quite a downbeat album of songs with a gloomy outlook both lyrically and musically, though with moments that express more positivity. Occasionally angry and a little sweary, it's at its best on 'Not A Love Song' with its crisp guitar and 'Queens of the Stone Age'-rhythm. (6/10)
Rodina - You Got Soul
'You Got Soul' is a funky, retro-sounding, cool eleven-track LP of jazzy and funky songs, like a cross between Imelda May and Tracy Kashi. From the big band swagger of the confident empowering 'Only Girl' to the slower and more introspective 'Later', the album is great and involving with only the occasional track - 'You Got Soul' - being a little too experimental for my taste. Lead single 'What If' with its slow build to its radio friendly chorus still impresses; 'Black Crow' is as sultry a track as you'd long for; 'Outside Your Door' is a smooth slow-dance; 'Flame' is a Caribbean-tinged delight; 'Something That You Said' full of bounce and joyful summery piano; and 'Rise Like The Sun' a slower, more sombre number. 'On To Me' switches things up with a more quirky style and breakdowns with a modern flavour, whilst penultimate song 'This Place' has all the funk of a jazz club. 'You Got Soul' certainly lives up to its title and keeps things fresh with lots of different styles and pace, and keeps a smile on your face. (7/10)
Rory Lavelle - Waves
'Waves' is an atmospheric ten track album that opens with the Richard Marx / David Gray-esque 'All These Horrors', a dark guitar-led number with the catchy 'Say Something' hook of its chorus and a strong, involving production feel. Follow-up 'Sonny' continues the atmospheric, guitar-driven soft-rock numbers with crisp production and strong progression. 'Poor Pride' continues with the hooky-lyrical structure that keeps the gentle numbers moving along, whilst 'When the Crazies Come Out' with its Sparks-like classical stabs and repetitive vocal hook is the most distinctive and intriguing of the tracks so far though it does perhaps run out of fresh ideas by the time it goes a little Moby next to its constant repeating on the title.
'Somewhere Along the Line' continues the optimistic, low-key songs that maybe wash over you musically more than make a huge impact, but they're likable, calming little compositions which is quite appropriate considering the album's title. 'Alive Now' perks things up with a Bob Dylan-like harmonica enthused play out, whilst 'Waiting for the Reverie' contradicts the title with a rather slow, and a little maudlin, ballad number that works well with the instrument but is a bit too gloomy and rambling for my tastes. 'A Thousand Kinds of Pain' which comes next is a much more bombastic piece with hints of Richard Ashcroft, the strings and vocals working together to cement the drama of the piece.
The album continues on strong form with the emotive 'These', with a frantic, almost panicky vocal which adds energy. Finale 'Sleepy' comes in at five minutes and gently wraps up 'Waves', a delightfully evocative and sweeping album that mixes Richard Ashcroft and Bob Dylan into a relaxing emotive piece. (7/10)
Sam Gleaves and Tyler Hughes - Sam Gleaves and Tyler Hughes
'Mister Rabbit' is a new take on a traditional ode to the titular animal that will bring a smile on your face whilst 'I Can't Sit Down' feels quickly catchy thanks to the singers' call-and-response vocals and the upbeat and toe-tapping music. The well matched harmonies continue through songs like 'Bread and Roses' alongside the jaunty and relentless perky numbers with eccentric titles like 'I Washed My Face in the Morning Dew'. 'Lonesome Homesick Blues' feels like a generic blues number but you can't help tapping your foot to it whilst 'Well I Guess I Told You Off' is a tongue-in-cheek number about anger management and dealing with people you don't like. 'Living with Memories' is a gentle but touching track whilst the closer 'Tear Down the Fences' wraps things up with some strong reflectiveness and thoughtful lyrics.
This album by the duo is a joy to hear, nailing the style of the region with a series of catchy, toe-tapping tracks well sung and composed with a mixture of messages and feelings. (7.5/10)
Three Minute Heroes #HearMeOut
Inspired by Hull's appointment as Capital of Culture comes this compilation album of fifteen acts from the city. It opens with Fronteers and their song 'Mamma's Boy' which is a bouncy, upbeat and quickly catchy indie-pop number with plenty of energy and a real radio-friendly head-nodding sound. Things become a little heavier with Black Lime's rocky 'Famous' which takes a bit to grow on you but settles in eventually but it's a bit too much in its gruffer bits for my tastes. La Bête Blooms & EMBRS join forces for 'Stingray (I Still Dream)' at track three and though the guitars are a bit heftier than the opening track the hook of the chorus and the battle of the vocals work well, it's just a shame the track gets a bit screamy as it reaches its conclusion.
'Home' by 'The Mighty And The Moon' is more to my tastes, a mid-tempo indie number with two well harmonised vocals and a smooth progression. It may lack a big chorus but it has plenty of emotion woven into the vocals and lyrics, and sways nicely for five minutes, which perhaps makes a little bit of a mockery of the album title. 'Paint A New Picture' from singer-songwriter Ruth Scott, featuring Kristian Eastwood is a much more stripped back piece and this helps the powerful vocals to shine, lifting them up to where they need to be in the mix.
'It's Been A While' from False Advertising brings us hints of grunge to the varied composition and though it's not one of my favourites on the album the Paramore-like lead vocals of the lead singer work well and there's attitude by the bucket-load, but some of the higher notes don't quite hit home and the music is a bit too muddy for my tastes but by the end of the song I have to say I was won over.
The post-punk 'Bed Mood' by Serial Chiller has plenty of attitude and crunching guitars and a punchy, fast-paced rhythm with crisp production, and at under two minutes does what it needs to do. Taking us up to the half-way point the clap-heavy 'I Want To be Human' by 'The Quicksilver Kings' has plenty of poppiness in its fun rhythm and the spoken breakdown keeps it fresh between its catchy chorus.
El Whaeko's 'Over Think' is a more experimental affair throwing in a less formulaic structure, some harmonica and a darker drum riff into a track that freshens things up a little. Not my favourite song on the compilation but a definite grower and the repeating of the hook at the end really works. 'Dead Langer' from the 'Hillbilly Troupe' which follows has hints of 'Rawhide' in its rhythm and tone and is a short and punchy distraction between tracks, with fun folk-influences woven in, and a catch'ness from the 'woman in the shadows' lyrics.
'See, Hear, Speak' from 'The Dyr Sister' is possibly the most unusual song on the compilation, mixing in Bjork-sounding vocals with an electronic-tinged vocal hook of the title that runs through the piece with hints of that famous song from musical Chicago. Certainly more experimental in nature this creates a strong soundscape that won't be to everyone's tastes but I really like the flavours created.
'Dance: Happy Dance' from 'Waste of Paint' is maybe not as happy as the title would suggest but it has plenty of bounce and energy, though the production masks the vocals a little too much in the mix. Sometimes less is more, but it's a fun and quirky little number with an enjoyable, if a little murky, choral hook but it does go a little crazy in its final sixty seconds.
'Crooked Weather' with track 'Skeletons' brings us into the final three tracks and is a more ponderous, subdued number that sounds like Lana Del Rey if she was a little bit gloomier. It's atmospheric but a little too ethereal, murky and wishy-washy for my personal tastes and the only track that is skippable.
'Egg' from 'The Froot '67' is more like it, a more laid back number, and though it doesn't reach the heights of some of the earlier numbers is pleasing enough with its laid-back vibes and sixties-sounding set-up, with hints of psychedelia and it plays out nicely.
The impressive compilations concludes with 'December' by 'Chambers' which sounds like a muddier Arctic Monkeys song, it's heavier rockier tones bringing things to a slower conclusion, tying things together nicely.
'Three Minute Heroes' is a top-drawer compilation that may be a little front-heavy in terms of the better more accessible tracks but there's much to enjoy here and very little to skip, with plenty of genres and styles on showcase. The opening track is definitely the highlight but the curator of the compilation should be proud about assembling fifteen songs that show the music scene of Hull in a great light. (7.5/10)
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