Orchid Mantis - "Asleep On A Greyhound"

"Asleep On A Greyhound," a ghostly instrumental track from Atlanta band Orchid Mantis, is the perfect mixture of early 4AD atmosphere and Low-like slowcore.

Album Review: Patterns - Waking Lines

Patterns
Waking Lines
Rating: Yeah Daddy Make Me Want It

Manchester quartet Patterns sort of bridge the gap between shoegaze, post-rock, dream pop, and Britpop on their debut album Waking Lines. Full of stadium ready guitars, booming drums, lush samples, and the evocative vocals of lead singer Ciaran McAuley, these tracks flow in and out of one another like a dense sweep of ocean waves. For a debut it is a remarkably assured record that shows their sound fully realized, if not as distinctive as it could be. While in the context of listening to the record as a whole, the band's vision is apparent, however, Waking Lines suffers slightly from not having any standout singles that can get more people to take a chance with the band.

Leading off with "This Haze," the chiming guitars and soaring synths envelope McAuley's voice in a dense storm of sound as it all barrels forth towards the skyscraping chorus,



Animal Collective-style chanted lyrics rise and fall over the scrawling guitars and atmospheric keyboards of "Blood,"



while moodier and edgier keyboards take over "Our Ego," blending seamlessly into the mix of lush guitars and driving rhythms.



Throughout Waking Lines, motifs appear and reappear, patterns (pun not intended, well, perhaps slightly intended) reveal themselves and evolve over the course of the record. These patterns do have the tendency to make each track bleed into the next, as if the flow of the record is a variation on a theme. While listening to the record as a whole it goes by effortlessly, but like a house of cards, should you take one out of sequence and/or context, the beautiful structure falls. But there is a lot here to recommend. From the title track, which climbs from chiming keyboards and soft focus vocals into a stomping, percussion heavy, guitar rave-up;



the lurching and swooning "Wrong Two Worlds;"



and the spiky guitar shards that punctuate the epic closing track "Climbing Out," as McAuley's vocals head upwards into the stratosphere.

Waking Lines is a solid debut from this talented Manchester quintet. The base here is solid, they just need to stretch out a little bit to make their sound a little more distinct. Perhaps a little more edge to the electronics and percussion might help them jump to the next level. Small issues aside, you could do a lot worse than spending your time in this very lush musical world.

Rating Scale:

Chilfos: masterpiece; coolest thing I've heard in ages.

Woof Daddy: excellent; just a hair away from being a masterpiece.

Grrrr: very good; will definitely be considered for my top releases of the year.

Yeah Daddy Make Me Want It: good; definitely invites further listens and piques one's interest for more material.

Meh: not horrible, but certainly not great; could have either been polished, trimmed, or re-thought.

Jeez Lady: what the hell happened? Just plain bad. They should hang their heads in shame and be forced to listen to Lady Gaga ad nauseam as penance.

Tragicistani: so bad, armed villagers with pitchforks and torches should run the artist out of the country for inflicting this abomination on the human race.

Album Review: Deafheaven - Sunbather

Deafheaven
Sunbather
Rating: Woof Daddy

San Francisco based band Deafheaven are the buzz band of the moment in indie rock circles, as well as a highly contentious part of the black metal scene, getting dissed by their peers as being part of "hipster metal," for their combination of elements such as post-punk, shoegaze, post-rock, and alt-rock into their sound. I can't claim to be an expert on black metal or any metal for that matter (my friend Tradd, on the other hand, is my spiritual guide into such matters and gives me good recommendations and advice), but I generally know what I like and what I don't like. Traditionalist or not, Deafheaven's second record Sunbather is an exciting record that focuses on the band's almost innate ability to flawlessly juggle loud/soft, beautiful/harsh moments and create a record that straps you for a journey that lingers long in the memory. And truly is a journey through alt-rock/metal from the past 3 decades, taking metal and cloaking it with influences like The Cure, The Smiths, Joy Division (in fact, singer George Clarke bears a resemblance to Ian Curtis), My Bloody Valentine, Slowdive (their band name is a homage to them), Explosions In The Sky, Sigur Ros, and Godspeed!You Black Emperor, Mogwai, and even current buzz acts like Fuck Buttons. All these influences make for a more varied and interesting experience than the usual "pure" black metal record which tends to get caught up in the same dynamics over the course of a record, deadening the impact.

On Sunbather, Deafheaven masterfully control where their sound is going, but never doing anything predictable. Where you think a song is going to explode, it descends into ambient washes, when you think it is going to fade out into gorgeous bliss, it erupts into pure noise and scrape. There are moments of acoustic metal folk, spoken word interludes, pure alt-rock sweep, surreal samples, and electronic experimentation. That all of these elements mesh into something so intricate and well thought out is a miracle. The production and pacing of Sunbather is practically perfect, its hour run time almost sliding by unnoticed.

The album starts out with the clarion call of "Dream House," a nine minute force of nature featuring some powerful drumming and intense washes of shoegaze bliss that would make Kevin Shields envious, moving effortlessly from pure washes of noise to melodic turns of guitars hitting the midpoint with a gorgeous guitar interlude, before concluding with an eruption of guitars and Clarke's guttural howls punctuating the mix.



Which leads into the delicate piano and guitar interlude "Irresistible" which initially feels out of place but is the perfect segue into the frontal guitar assault of title track "Sunbather," as intense washes of guitar float over pummeling drums and Clarke's furious vocals. It is the encapsulation of the entire record, gathering all the above listed influences into one intense yet beautiful track.



In between these amazing full throttle tracks are moments of transcendent introspection and experimentation. "Please Remember" features a lengthy reading by Alcest's Neige of lines from Milan Kundera's novel from The Unbearable Lightness of Being that touched singer Clarke. The track erupts at the middle with an almost unlistenable flash of white noise before breaking apart into acoustic loveliness. While "Windows" is an almost found-sound sonic collage of spoken word, backwards masked guitars, drones, and piano stabs, creating a spooky tableau between two of the most assured tracks on the record. "Vertigo" is an amazing 14 minute exploration of Deafheaven's sound. Beginning from a bed of gorgeous intertwining guitars, the song ebbs and flows with amazing waves of processed guitars and metal interludes, Clarke's maniacal voice joining the fray. It's an awe-inspiring track that shows how fluid and aggressive the band can be.



I didn't think the band would be able to outshine "Vertigo" until the blistering opening of closing track "The Pecan Tree" blew up my speakers. Breaking from the maelstrom into a midsection calm of gorgeous post-rock guitars that intricately play among each other as a bold piano melody takes its turn in the mix. The song turns it up several notches as it builds from this oasis back into the furious storm of guitars.



As I mentioned previously, I am not a metal purist by any stretch of the imagination. In fact, I am not a music purist for any genre at all. To me, if the songs are good, what does it matter how it was created or what influenced it. I happen to like metal, post-punk, and post-rock, so I have no issue with all of these genres getting together and doing their thing. Sunbather is just a fantastic metal record that kept my attention from the beginning and has grasped hold of me with every subsequent listen. It is simply one of the best metal records of the year, and one of the best records of the year, period.

Rating Scale:

Chilfos: masterpiece; coolest thing I've heard in ages.

Woof Daddy: excellent; just a hair away from being a masterpiece.

Grrrr: very good; will definitely be considered for my top releases of the year.

Yeah Daddy Make Me Want It: good; definitely invites further listens and piques one's interest for more material.

Meh: not horrible, but certainly not great; could have either been polished, trimmed, or re-thought.

Jeez Lady: what the hell happened? Just plain bad. They should hang their heads in shame and be forced to listen to Lady Gaga ad nauseam as penance.

Tragicistani: so bad, armed villagers with pitchforks and torches should run the artist out of the country for inflicting this abomination on the human race.

Frankie Rose: Interstellar - Album Review

Frankie Rose
Interstellar
Rating: Grrrr

Frankie Rose, a Brooklyn singer/songwriter, is formerly associated with acclaimed acts Crystal Stilts, Dum Dum Girls, and the Vivian Girls, and has released one solo record under the name Frankie Rose and the Outs (unheard by me) and is now performing solely under her own name, Frankie Rose. Her first album titled Interstellar lives up to its title quite well, featuring ten tracks of lush, gorgeous, and catchy synth/dream pop which supports Rose's charmingly drifting vocals. The production on Interstellar has a dense, open quality of such records like The Cure's Disintegration, with lots of cavernous synths and drum programming, but also has a post-punk quality to it as well, with some brittle, ringing guitars and influences of acts like Magazine, Public Image Ltd., Echo and Bunnymen, and practically any artist on the 80s 4AD roster. The album is both expansive and intimate at the same time, filling wide spaces but also providing the listener with plenty of introspective, headphones-like moments.

The switch to using her own name shows that Rose is no longer content to work solely as a background player, or part of some trumped up band. The title and first track, "Interstellar," doesn't pull punches. Twinkling synths rise from a mist, her vocal upfront and direct, erupting into a shoegazey swirl of pounding drums, synths, and guitars.



"Know Me" practically borrows the drum programming from The Cure's "Close To Me," but instead of being of childlike wonder, the track is a spiky, guitar-driven romp about the power of words to hurt but not allowing them to.



The lovely multi-tracked vocals and spongy bass synths of "Gospel/Grace" flit over bouncy drums, spiky guitars, and washes of synths.



A brittle phalanx of guitars, tight bassline, and whiplash percussion drive the beat driven "Night Swim."



While the edgy atmospherics complements the icy guitars and chugging rhythm section of "Moon In My Mind," Rose's voice recalling the gauzy vocals of Lush. While I loved the darker, beat driven moments on the album, there are plenty of quieter moments on Interstellar. "Pair of Wings" is a lovely, almost ambient track, with some lovely lyrics about taking a chance again after being hurt.

"All that I want is
a pair of wings to fly
into the blue of
the wide open sky

Show me your scars
I'll show you mine
perched out of the city
on a pair of power lines"



Final track "The Fall" includes a lovely counterpoint between the guitars and a lovely cello part, and in combination with her densely tracked vocals could stand easily alongside the best tracks on a This Mortal Coil record. While "Apples for the Sun" features a haunting piano and organ drone underneath a heavily reverbed multi-track vocal.

Interstellar is a record to get lost in and to hibernate with. Its charms, while immediate, are many, and each subsequent listen brings you deeper into its bottomless pool. It's a lovely record for a cold winter day, or driving down a lonely highway. The music is so evocative and transportive, it acclimates to any setting. It is a phenomenal step forward, and in a direction I want to see her go further down.

Rating Scale:

Chilfos: masterpiece; coolest thing I've heard in ages.

Woof Daddy: excellent; just a hair away from being a masterpiece.

Grrrr: very good; will definitely be considered for my top releases of the year.

Yeah Daddy Make Me Want It: good; definitely invites further listens and peaks one's interest for more material.

Meh: not horrible, but certainly not great; could have either been polished, trimmed, or re-thought.

Jeez Lady: what the hell happened? Just plain bad. They should hang their heads in shame and be forced to listen to Lady Gaga ad nauseam as penance.

Tragicistani: so bad, armed villagers with pitchforks and torches should run the artist out of the country for inflicting this abomination on the human race.

The Fierce And The Dead: If It Carries On Like This We Are Moving To Morecambe

The Fierce And The Dead
If It Carries On Like This We Are Moving To Morecambe
Rating: Yeah Daddy Make Me Want It

Post-rock is a difficult genre to be in, as most people are unfortunately going to compare you to the giants of the genre; Mogwai, Explosions In The Sky, Tortoise, Godspeed! You Black Emperor, etc. Thus, bands either replicate one of these bands' sounds down to the last molecule, or find some way to put their own individual stamp on the music. Recently, Matt Stevens, of UK post-rock band The Fierce And The Dead, contacted me about reviewing his band's latest CD, If It Carries On Like This We Are Moving To Morecambe. I am initially hesitant to review CDs from submissions from the artists' themselves, mainly because it feels a lot more personal after you have been emailing someone, than just randomly reviewing something from someone I don't have any contact with. I hate giving bad reviews as well, even when it is warranted. So often, in the cases of private submissions where I don't have good things to say, I generally don't review it all. In this case, however, I was pleasantly surprised with the album. The Fierce And The Dead, while acknowledging their post-rock influences, don't mire themselves in them, and put in their own interesting, and sometimes out-of-the-blue touches, that make them stand out from the crowded pack. Of course, my one quibble with the album is that I wanted more of the quirky touches throughout the album rather than just sparsely laid out.

If It Carries On Like This We Are Moving To Morecambe does have its fair share of typical post-rock tracks, going from quiet to loud dynamics. "Part 2" begins with deep, ominous bass, charging into a tight beat and almost bluesy guitar, erupting with keyboard swells and roaring guitars.



"H.R." chugs along with a slacker, Pavement vibe until the very back half explodes with a wall of guitar noise. And I love the ambient keyboard opening to closing track "Andy Scott" which moves into a mid-section with melodic bass and ringing guitars, slowly building into a jazzy, sax jam by songs end.



It was the unexpected saxophone outtro that hooked me, and on several occasions, TFATD caught me off guard with similar quirks. Several ambient interludes were gorgeously scattered amongst the rougher cuts of the album, lending themselves as palate cleansers for the more complex tracks. "The Wait" is a beautiful 2 minutes of interlocking guitars, subtle organ, and hints of almost industrial percussion. "Hotel No. 6" could easily find itself among the ambient works of David Sylvian on Gone To Earth. Which oddly fades right into the blasting, proto-hardcore of "Landcrab" which sounds like the lovechild of Mclusky, Pixies, and Nirvana. And "Daddies Little Helper," the washes of guitar are supplemented with some delicate sax work again.

My favorite song on the record is the driving track "10 X 10" which appears to borrow some from shoegaze textures with its echoey opening, moving into a tight beat before almost getting funky with what sounds like a keyboard or organ but what I am assuming is a frenetically played bass. The track just has so much going on in it, it takes awhile to get the full picture, but once it has its hooks in you, it is difficult to forget.



If It Carries On Like This We Are Moving To Morecambe is a really solid debut for TFATD, and shows promise for even greater things in the future. I enjoyed hearing all the post-rock touchstones, and how the band plays off them, adding their own personality to the mix. With more songs venturing out of the post-rock comfort zone, they are sure to develop their own true distinct sound. I definitely recommend checking this band out. The album is available in physical formats as well as digitally on a pay-what-you-like format on the band's Bandcamp page which you can locate here.

Rating Guide

Chilfos: masterpiece; coolest thing I've heard in ages.

Woof Daddy: excellent; just a hair away from being a masterpiece.

Grrrr: very good; will definitely be considered for my top releases of the year.

Yeah Daddy Make Me Want It: good; definitely invites further listens and peaks one's interest for more material.

Meh: not horrible, but certainly not great; could have either been polished, trimmed, or re-thought.

Jeez Lady: what the hell happened? Just plain bad. They should hang their heads in shame and be forced to listen to Lady Gaga ad nauseam as penance.

Tragicistani: so bad, armed villagers with pitchforks and torches should run the artist out of the country for inflicting this abomination on the human race.