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| Hurts - Exile |
Hurts' debut album Happiness was released
two and a half years ago to confusion and general acceptance. It was neither
brilliant nor utterly useless, just plain and simple - synth pop for
well-dressed, top button fans of middle-class Britain. The duo's music is
incredibly thin and lacks interest. Even on 2013's Exile, they still
manage to bore listeners into submission. The album format is a death sin for
Hurts as they are essentially a band directed by the strength of their singles.
New Order, Depeche Mode and Duran Duran all had hits, distinguishable
albums and importance in what would be the first electronic culture movement in
the UK, New Romanticism.
Exile does actually
take-off with its title track, one of the best, but shamefully similar to The
Temper Trap. It doesn't last however, as the RCA in Hurts takes over.
"Miracle" sounds like a Mylo Xyloto B-side rather than a Hurts
original. Nothing else on Exile is remotely interesting.
"Blind" is the same Coldplay B-side as mentioned above, while
"Cupid" is the demented baby of Depeche Mode's "Personal
Jesus". "The Crow" offers a little bit of entertaining
atmosphere and "Sandman" becomes the first Hurts track to incorporate
hip-hop features.
Hurts have never really been a driving force of 10s
synth pop, that's left in the hands of the emerging r&b artists who are
using nostalgia and creativity to mix genres. The beats are hardly enjoyable
and what originality Hurts actually had in the first place is impossible to
locate on Exile. Hardcore fans will enjoy this album, but for outsiders
or long-term fans of 70s new wave and 80s synth pop, Exile comes across
as the dreaded poor journalistic word to describe something that's just not
interesting - boring.
4.0
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| The Oh Sees - Floting Coffin |
San Francisco resident John Dwyer used The Oh Sees
as a way to get his home recordings noticed, 16 years later and here he is,
still releasing albums. Floating Coffin is The Oh Sees 12th studio album
and the latest in a string of releases after 2012's Putrifiers II. The
bands usual aesthetic of garage rock, psychedelic rock and alterative take a
modern twist. In an era where nostalgic releases are becoming the hip new thing,
The Oh Sees finally see their 60s influence as an important factor in breaking
out of the underground scene. They have spent years on independent record
labels, releasing similar music, in the way their east coast rivals Yo la Tengo
have.
"To Cutter - Thumb Buster" offers all the feedback a Hendrix fan needs. It's a spell bounding track that lacks the personal touch to distinguish The Oh Sees from fellow psych ravers The Flaming Lips. The truth is that The Oh Sees are not a quirky band, they're most certainly cult and intriguing, but they don't have the character. On far too many occasions The Oh Sees have disappointed, Floating Coffin seems to be the answer the five piece have been looking for.
Tracks like "Maze Francier" and "Sweet Helicopter" are all about the music. Its how the bass goes with the electric guitar and how Dwyer matches with Brigid Dawson in their unusual harmonies. "Tunnel Time" offers the great speedy garage rock sound of the 60s, while "No Spell" continues the bands foray in noise rock. The Oh Sees never close their doors and are always looking for a way to improve technically and relatively. "I Come From The Mountain" summarises the whole album. Individual bass riffs with an organic guitar. The reverb applied to Dwyer's voice is obligatory; however it never fails to capture his love for music and sounds.
The Oh Sees first released under that name in 2008 with the album The Master's Bedroom Is Worth Spending a Night In. They haven’t changed, and why should they? The five piece are constantly evolving sounds and structures, with secret weapon Dawson stealing the limelight yet again. Floating Coffin picks up where Putrifiers II left off, and the bands 13th album will start where Floating Coffin ends.
7.7
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| Steve Mason - Monkey Minds In The Devil's Time |
Monkey Minds In The Devil's Time is Steve Mason's
third solo album after years of walking the music scene wilderness.
Since being the songwriter and frontman for Scottish cult favourite
The Beta Band, Mason has taken on depression. His sadness reflects his
music,
but Monkey Minds In The Devil's Time is a step away from the loathing
material of Mason's past. Instead of doom, gloom and mushrooms, Mason takes the
listener on a voyage of the mind, body and soul with his third album.
This is a long album, and an album that Mason has
been waiting to release for many years. His sound is developed and the
structures are far more progressive and interesting than any of his other solo
releases. Listeners may hear reggae sounds, krautrock, trip hop right the way
through to ambient and noise. Mason delivers on his third album and hopefully
this can be the solo album that puts him back on the market.
Monkey Minds In The Devil's Time may sound a little too intense at times; however this is how Mason
intended it. 20 tracks with one minute breaks, vocal speeches and percussion
intros add to Mason's sound aesthetic. His production can also be contributed
for its hip-hop style, as with "More Money, More Fire". Blends of
politics, genre mashing and interesting instrumentation certainly put Monkey
Minds In The Devil's Time above many independently released albums so far
in 2013. It's a listen for Mason fans, Beta Band fans and just about anyone
that likes fusion, experimentation and fun.
8.2
