Words - Suzy Sims
Previously published on Native.tv http://www.native.tv in June 2007
(c) Niche News & Publishing Ltd
Beastie Boys - The Rat Cage
Parlophone, 25th June 2007
The Beastie Boys are back, they’re – instrumental? Where’s the punky hip hop shouting? As someone who's only real knowledge of the group is repeated plays of '(You Gotta) Fight For Your Right (To Party)' and 'Intergalactic', this was a bit of an adventure of the mind. This is actually the band's first full album of new instrumentals, so is likely to surprise a few more people yet.
The album kicks off with ‘B For My Name’, a real retro 1970s cop show of a tune, thudding and jazz juicing along. It’s surprisingly laidback and not what I was expecting at all. ‘14th St. Break’ feedbacks its way into your imagination, with the aid of some cymbals, beats like raindrops, and a guitar which sounds like a lazy bee. Then it descends into some 70s organ, and I feel like dancing by making my fingers into scissors and passing them before my eyes – left, right, then left again...
‘Suco De Tangerina’ has a Latin buzz about it, still with that sexy bass and some reggae influences too. ‘The Gala Event’ is dreamier but there’s something mildly suspenseful about it. ‘Electric Worm’ – the wormy crawling is from the party bassline, while the guitar has a real acid tip. ‘Freaky Hijiki’ has elements of soul and jazz piano to it.
‘Off The Grid’ buzzes and saunters. This one develops a real intensity and strength partway through, making it sound very good indeed. ‘The Rat Cage’ is a key bass song which gently trickles in mysteriously and bobbly.‘The Melee’ is another hot weather sounding, jazz piece. ‘Dramastically Different’ (interesting word use there…) sounds like jungle computer game music, accompanying you as you leap between levels and collect points, Crash Bandicoot style. Yeah it’s a while since I played video games…‘The Cousin Of Death’ has a mean streak, a real buzzsaw sound and squeal with a brief thrash ending. ‘The Kangaroo Rat’ is the final track, one note hovering above the landscape in a shimmer of heat.
It’s an interesting record, and certainly not what I was expecting. Grown up, funky, relaxing and serious, it’s a background album with style and is remarkably chilled. We think it would be good at a late night indie club. You can’t sit in a pall of smoke any more, but after a few drinks and you’re squashed onto the comfy sofas making eyes at the barflies and trying to look cool, this will be on.
Beastie Boys
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Ghosts - The World Is Outside
Atlantic, 18th June 2007
There's something quite comforting and snuggly about Ghosts. 'The World Is Outside' is their hotly tipped debut album, and a nice slice of perfect pop cheesecake it is.
It opens with 'Stay The Night', which we think is one of the most perfect pop songs we’ve heard in a long while. Sweet and a little cheeky with quirky musical changes you weren’t expecting and a big warm ending. ‘I think of you, my heart beats a little louder.’ ‘Musical Chairs’ brings you right back down though, with soft mournful tones and is reminiscent of ‘An Ordinary World’ during the chorus. When we spoke to Ghosts, they told us they love to put in different chord changes to mix songs round and keep the listener on their toes, and they certainly have here. It starts off plain, then becomes a beautiful puzzle, with soaring melodies.
Current single ‘The World Is Outside’ is a smooth, commercial radio song ‘We can do anything… open your eyes’ sings Simon Pettigrew over a very sharp 1980s synth. ‘Ghosts’ pounds along with feeling and descending airs. It’s slower and gentle, though still manages to leave you feeling slightly drained at the end of it. ‘Mind Games’ is a bit of a power-pop ballad – not power-pop as in the crap kids’ punk sense, but as in the breadth of emotions and musicianship.
‘Something Hilarious’ despite the slightly ominous name, rolls along with charm and drama. ‘Stop’ is energetic, with remarkably high synths that you’re not expecting after the previous track, in fact it even turns ever so slightly disco halfway through. I don’t enjoy it quite as much as the others, but I’m sure it’s good live.
‘Over-Analysis’ starts as a hot rocker before turning back into a typical gentle Ghosts song. ‘Further And Further Away’ is another we have a particular soft spot for. It’s calming and just sweeps you along into a fluffy yet moody parcel.
‘Wrapped Up In Little Stars’ is another peaceful ballad before Jonny Harris on drums gets a little over-excited.
Final track ‘Temporary’ is hidden away after a short pause, so hope it lives up to that feeling of expectation. It’s grand, poetic, and gorgeous. ‘I don’t need anyone to write a song about’ sings Simon. There’s some good production on this album. Whereas on something like the well-received Pigeon Detectives album ‘Wait For Me’ a few of the sounds and mixes don’t seem to sound quite right, here everything fits in beautifully and nothing sounds sonically out of place.
Ghosts are bound to lapped up by lovers of Coldplay, The Feeling etc. It’s beautiful, moody and eccentric pop, and it cheers me up no end.
Ghosts
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Siobhan Donaghy - Ghosts
Parlophone, 25th June 2007
Here’s the second album from Siobhan Donaghy, ex-Sugababe and now solo singer. Her first record was 'Revolution in Me', released on London Records four years ago. We haven't heard it, but 'Ghosts' can only be a step up. The cover photograph is complex and stiff, showing Donaghy posed almost as porcelain on a chair holding a delicate cup. Red lips and hair against a Victorian-style dress. Everything is a little starchy, serious, almost odd and unreal. Does the music reflect this?
I would say it does. It’s full of hoops and loops. Siobhan has a beautiful clear voice. This first track is slightly Muse in its etherealness before the soft mattress of synth begins. The echo and reverb has an exciting effect on the crisp feminine vocals and the sudden silence of the finish is a bit of a stunner. Recent single ‘So You Say’ wafts in on a cloud of optimism and luxury while the vocals bubble slightly before exploding into what our reviewer described as ‘fluffiness’. It’s feminine but not weak, it’s strong adult pop for those sophisticated types.
‘There’s A Place’ is a gently strummed drifter of a track, the kind to make you kick off your shoes and lie somewhere comfortable while the vocals soar around you. ‘Sometimes’ is almost Kylie in vocals, with a definite sneer, while ’12 Bar Acid Blue’ has more attitude and the electronic beeps and twirls and acoustic strums mean it’s barely recognisable as blues, but listen closely and you can hear the chord progressions. Cleverly done, as most blues is incredibly obvious, but this is souped up.
‘Make It Right’ demonstrates her sweet voice while swaying and sloping like Lily Allen’s older and nicer cousin. ‘Coming Up For Air’ is heavy and dark with a sense of self-pity and loneliness hidden beneath the warm tones of the music. ‘Goldfish’ seems to exist in a pretty girly bubble all of its own. ‘Medevac’ is quite hard-going with a chant and outrageous keyboard notes before the bassline kicks in and gives the song some backbone. This is one of the album high points for me. Then it’s back to the cosy cloud enveloping ‘Halcyon Days’ and the album closer ‘Ghosts’, another twinkly, twangy sourdrop of a sherbet with backward-sounding chants.
So what can you expect? Soft songs, artistic and magical in their creation and deftly executed. The songs are different and I think cleverly written. It’s pretty grand stuff, a step above everything else. Whether that will bring commercial success, I couldn’t say. But if you like different and grown up singers such as Feist or possibly Robyn, you’ll enjoy this.
Siobhan Donaghy
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The Stills - Without Feathers
Drowned In Sound Recordings, 11th June 2007
'Without Feathers' is the second album from The Stills, following on from their debut some three years ago. I'd heard vague rumours that they were good, but that's all I knew and had no idea what to expect from this album. ‘In The Beginning’ is like a menacing black stallion, trotting in proudly with head raised high, before some Queen-like guitar chords are thrown out. Then the songs turns into something very joyful despite the occasional bit of chaos. ‘Our hero never turns around’. The addition of some organ turns this into a fun, pacey, song, a real musical kick up the ass. Don’t confuse it with the plain cumbersome New Rhodes song of the same name. It’s a really fine song, though at almost six minutes perhaps a bit lengthy for an opener.
‘Destroyer’ is another full song with joyful brass, almost Kings of Leon guitar strums. ‘Helicopters’ has some random piano sections and is slower, preferring the slow and strong approach. ‘The House We Live In’ appears to be making use of an accordion or something, giving an unusual sound like a French folk song with rock/pop vocals, before the mellow backing comes flowing in. ‘It Takes Time’ has military drums and comes flying in at super-speed, before gliding to a halt and dismounting gracefully then striding around in glitter platforms. It’s quite uplifting.
‘Monsoon’ has a fuzzy fart of a bass and church organs before the slappy percussion starts. ‘No-one’s ever sorry ‘til the bitter end.’ ‘She’s Walking Out’ features a wrenched throaty vocal in pain that his girl is leaving. ‘Oh Shoplifter’ is almost Phil Spector ‘Wall Of Sound’ with gentle harmonised vocals and a massive sound.
For some reason, ‘Outro’ is at number nine out of 13. I don’t quite understand what that’s all about, but I’m sure they had their reasons. ‘Halo The Harpoons’ features some pirouetting pianos, while ‘Baby Blues’ has feminine vocals (which I believe are courtesy of Emily Haines) to provide some sweetness. ‘Retour A Vega’ is in French so I'm not entirely sure what it's about. It bobs about gently like a little boat of students having a fun cruise. ‘Mountain’ has drum rolls and a sense of grandeur and enormity about it. ‘The mountain catches fire and melts the snow. Now the river carries us home’.
This album is a lot gentler than I’d expected, but there’s a lot behind it. The general feel of this album is uplifting, deep, indie rock/pop. It’s summer but it’s raining, and this is what you listen to to make things seem a little better.
The Stills
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