In what has been a resurgent year for Mogwai, their four-track Earth Division EP showcases the sheer wealth of ideas roaming around in the sessions amounting to the Hardcore Will Never Die, But You Will album.
Author Jamie Milton
TLOBF Introducing // Friends
“It’s not domineering, it’s endearing – what we got” TLOBF looks back at Brooklyn’s Friends’ heady first year with vocalist Samantha Urbani.
Laura Marling – A Creature I Don’t Know
The growth of Laura Marling, from a promising artist to an exceptional one, was always anticipated. A Creature I Don’t Know confirms that the progression has come far quicker than expected. But in becoming more inventive, Marling is also flirting with the danger of alienating her listener.
Cuckoo Chaos – Woman
Woman isn’t the complete caricature of Yoni Wolf’s “Stalker’s my whole style and if I get caught I’ll deny, deny, deny”, but the general mood of Cuckoo Chaos’ first work is one of unadulterated, slightly stalker-ish, lovesick joy.
Washed Out – Scala, London 09/08/11
Washed Out’s biggest London show to date hints at chillwave’s bright future, writes Jamie Milton.
Spanish Prisoners – Know No Violence // Song Of The Day #295
Brooklyn’s Spanish Prisoners sound like a close-knit bunch. ‘Know No Violence’ – taken from forthcoming album Gold Fools – has ideas bouncing off the walls.
My Morning Jacket – Somerset House, London 18/07/11
As part of a series of outdoor shows, My Morning Jacket stop by at London’s Somerset House. But is this the right kind of venue for such a big, bearded, rock-out sound? Jamie Milton reviews
TLOBF Introducing // Theme Park
London’s Theme Park aren’t a band to be downhearted by a regularly-muttered comparison. Their first track ‘Milk’ brought forth mentions of Talking Heads but a forthcoming double A-side single shows there’s far more to this four-piece than the debut offering.
Marconi Union – Beautifully Falling Apart (Ambient Transmissions Vol 1)
Marconi Union don’t adhere to a traditional brand of ambient music, claims Jamie Milton. Instead of soothing you and leaving you at ease, Beautifully Falling Apart tries to convey a “sense of beauty and destruction locking horns”.
Shabazz Palaces – Black Up
Ishmael Butler takes anonymity very seriously. For him, the artist behind the album is not important. We must indulge in the songs and do no more. “You need not question who’s behind it,” says Jamie Milton, “The only thing worth asking is, ‘how can this be bettered?’”
SBTRKT – SBTRKT
London’s SBTRKT projects “a fine line between tasteful dub and shameless pop” with this record, says Jamie Milton, “yet Aaron Jerome walks the tightrope with relatively few slip-ups.” TLOBF Recommended.
Vetiver – The Errant Charm
Returning from 2009′s Tight Knit, Andy Cabic emerges with a record of little progression. The Errant Charm offers calm, relaxed, road-trip music that’s so quiescent, it seems pleased with itself.
Wild Beasts – Smother
‘Smother’ makes the Mercury-nominated, breakthrough album, ‘Two Dancers’, “seem like something of a prototype”, argues Jamie Milton. “It works as an ‘album’ far better than any of its beloved ancestors.”
Smith Westerns – Dye It Blonde
A record entirely indebted to past acts but charming nonetheless, Dye It Blonde is the sound of Smith Westerns getting every homage out of their system, producing a glamorous, psychedelic summer record.
Flock of Dimes – Prison Bride // Song Of The Day #241
On paper, ‘Prison Bride’ is a scatterbrained collection of several elements from various genres that wouldn’t usually sit within a mile of each other. Yet it’s all pulled off with a startling amount of confidence.
Jamie Woon – Mirrorwriting
Jamie Woon’s ambition is commendable: He’s made an explicit effort to combine silky, soulful pop with a dubstep influence. At times, the results are dazzling. But Mirrorwriting is also prone to missing the spot.
