This is undoubtedly a brilliant album, and it’d be criminal if it weren’t atop plenty of the end of year lists that are fast approaching, but the sense that it is in its predecessor’s shadow still persists.
Matthew Britton
Frankie & The Heartstrings + Summer Camp – Deaf Institute, Manchester 07/10/10
It’s been a while, but it looks as though there could be something creeping back into the emerging ‘alternative’ British music scene. After years of regression in terms of sales, the line up of three of the country’s brightest new hopes suggests there may be a lot to look forward to in the future.
Crocodiles – Deaf Institute, Manchester 04/10/2010
It’s party time in Manchester as Matthew Britton witnesses some dirty rock ‘n roll.
Gold Panda – Lucky Shiner
There’s something markedly different about the way that Lucky Shiner holds itself, the manner and execution of its 11 tracks – this genuinely feels like a journey through aesthetic and sound, whilst remaining familiar throughout.
Islet – Islington Mill, Manchester 28/09/10
Despite the high standard of this year’s EP ‘Celebrate this Place’, Islet manage to take that up another notch in the flesh – almost indescribable yet nearly tangible, they’re electric and almost life affirming.
Ducktails + Spectrals – Trof NQ, Manchester 22/09/10
The clash of the hipster titans it may have been, but with their laid back groove and swinging riffs, Spectrals themselves should’ve been the perfect fit for Ducktails’ expansive soundscapes. But any enjoyment has to be lined with regret says Matthew Britton.
Ólöf Arnalds – Innundir Skinni
Innundir Skinni feels like a transition record, but beautifully so – hopefully the movement will be from underappreciated former Múm collaborator to the level of international stardom her talent so clearly deserves.
Egyptian Hip Hop – Some Reptiles Developed Wings
Some Reptiles Developed Wings is, in many ways, the band’s coming of age. For the first time, they’ve been given access to the kind of tools befitting of their status as one of the country’s brightest emerging talents, and it’s a shift that certainly must’ve affected the way the band approaching the making of these tracks.
Tame Impala – Innerspeaker
The lack of any “proper” hit material means that Innerspeaker has to be judged as body of work according to Matthew Britton.
Summer Camp – Young EP
The problem with being a buzz band is that, eventually, you’ve got to go somewhere with it. And so Summer Camp emerge from months of whirlwind hype with their first proper release, ‘Young EP’.
Zola Jesus – Stridulum II
Having listened to Zola Jesus’ fledgling career grow with each successive release, there’s a genuine feeling that this is the end of the first phase of her life as a professional artist; prodigious, prolific and cult.
SOTD #116 // Sleeping Bags: ‘Pehr’
Layering guitar upon guitar to create something otherworldly and urgent. It’s a psychedelic attack of noise, seven minutes and thirty seven seconds of bewilderment that stops just shy of Wooden Shjips style introversion.