ALBUM REVIEWS

Please be advised that although we would really like to review more albums (or gigs) in depth this is not always going to be possible as we are just not in a position to purchase every release. However, through our network we do get to borrow or make use of listening posts in record shops to check out new releases - For an expanded summary of more new albums then you can also go to our "2007 - The year so far" section (HERE) for our marks out of 10 ...

2008

THE COURTEENERS - St. Jude (Polydor)
Released 7th April 2008



After only a few single releases last year their gigs across the UK were already selling out months in advance, which helped turn "St Jude" into one of the most eagerly awaited debut albums of 2008! Then for some bizarre reason, certain sections of the music press all started jumping on an identical bandwagon in their attempt to offer criticism? (some female reviewers gave it a big thumbs down mainly due to the lyrical content, while others seem to want to criticize it as being too formulaic!) The Courteeners come across brash and like so many Manchester bands before them are full of confidence. They’re clearly not afraid to speak their mind - some of the lyrics will be viewed by the politically correct amongst us as arrogant, yet having resided for years in Manchester I found them much more entertaining, which results in an album full of songs that are head and shoulders above anything bands like The Kooks will ever deliver or those overrated Libertines have ever delivered! So far, their songs have drawn comparisons with other Manchester bands like The Smiths and Oasis, but if you listen closely you can also hear influences by a wide range of artists (past and present) including Arctic Monkeys, Kaiser Chiefs, The La`s, Belle and Sebastian, Carter USM, New Order, and even The Housemartins. The album is produced by Stephen Street (The Smiths, Blur and Kaiser Chiefs) and in this post-Arctics indie pop scene, here is a record bursting with guitar noise, great choruses, plenty of melody, and energetic vocals. The end conclusion is that this is rousing, yet melodic, indie rock which makes a similar kind of impact that Oasis did in the early 90`s or Arctic Monkeys did back in 2006. This is in fact the best debut album of the year so far and therefore a must have for your record collection. And come the end of 2008, a lot more people will hopefully realize this! - 8.5/10 - TerryA – April 2008

2007

iLiKETRAiNS - Elegies To Lessons Learnt (Beggars Banquet)
Released 1st October 2007



Following on from last year’s critically acclaimed mini-album "Progress/Reform" (Fierce Panda), "Elegies To Lessons Learnt" is the first album proper by iLiKETRAiNS and once again contains haunting songs that engulf you about dramatic or catastrophic historical events, which is a million miles away from the majority of records released these days in the world of disposable pop! Having seen them live in Rotterdam last year, imagery also plays a major role for iLIKETRAINS, who have been described by others as a post rock band, influenced by the likes of Sigur Ros and Nick Cave, to which I would then have to add 90`s indie rock band Tindersticks, but at the same time they have still managed to create their own unique image and have a very distinctive sound: moody and dark, yet at times very emotional and incredibly uplifting. A recent BBC article described the album as containing: "slow, majestic songs that draw lyrical inspiration from history and hagiography, and that wallow in an inconsolable melancholy while simultaneously attaining strange, euphoric peaks." which probably sums them up best. Having now listened to them over the past few weeks, I can only think of one word - magnificent, and must therefore conclude that this is one of the most impressive albums released so far this year. - 8+/10 - TerryA – 15th October 2007




THE HUMAN VALUE - Push and Pull (Big Deal Records)
Released 22nd October 2007



The Human Value are a female fronted, bass driven (post punk / New Wave) indie rock band from LA, and their self titled debut album * ended up being voted as one of our favourite records from last year - They have since decamped from the states to the UK, last month they released the single 'Hold of Me' (track 6 on the new album), and are now set to release their second album - "Push and Pull" (Big Deal Records) - later this month. This album has more of a live feel about it and the other stand out tracks include 'No Sacrifice' (track 3), 'I Don't Care' (Track 4), 'Parts' (Track 9), 'Home is Not Real' (track 11) and the albums closing and title track 'Push and Pull' ... Once again comparisons will be made with the likes of Blondie, Siouxsie Sioux, Joy Division, PJ Harvey and Karen O (YYYs), and in all fairness this album should, and probably will, end up appealing to a lot of fans of the aforementioned artists should they give this album a proper listen - I say this because just like their debut album it requires a few listens to get into it and then before you know it, you're hooked. The Human Value have delivered a very good second album. Go out and find it. - 7.5/10 - TerryA – October 2007

* - For the full review of The Human Value`s self titled debut album from November 2006 go to ALBUM REVIEWS 2006





PJ HARVEY - White Chalk (Island / Universal)
Released 24th September 2007



One of PJ Harvey's many strengths over the years is that she can release an album that ends up sounding totally different to one that she has put out before, in such a way that you actually end up expecting the unexpected. Here she replaces her rather unique guitar driven sound from the past 15 years with a piano! (something she apparently couldn’t even play when she made her last album "Uh Huh Her" in 2004) - When I reviewed her DVD "On Tour, Please Leave Quietly" * back in 2006 I said at the time: Apart from her music the most appealing thing about PJ Harvey is her unique talent for the totally unpredictable and that maybe just like modern day life not everything is necessarily better if it's always perfect ... Having now listened to her new album over the past few weeks I have pretty much come to the same conclusion - Although I really admire and like what she is trying to do here, "White Chalk" is an album that will probably divide her fans, and I also have to say that I am not convinced it will attract that many new fans. Musically, as well as lyrically (and there are some really dark moments on this album), Polly Jean Harvey seems to force herself out of her comfort zone, and takes you the listener with her, on a journey that at times is bleak and full of isolation. However, PJ Harvey has shown yet again that she's a truly original artist who has no need or desire to repeat herself and is still creating music that will go onto inspire so many more bands in the future. I would have given this album an 8.5 out of 10, only for a full priced CD the total running time of around 34 minutes has also created one unexpected disappointment too. - 7.5/10 - TerryA – October 2007

* - For the full review of PJ Harvey`s "On Tour, Please Leave Quietly" {DVD} from May 2006 go to ALBUM REVIEWS 2006





CONTROL {ost} - various artists (Warners)
Released 1st October 2007



The soundtrack for the Anton Corbijn film "Control" - the movie about Joy Division frontman Ian Curtis, who killed himself in 1980 just as the band where about to embark on a US tour. This is not so much an original soundtrack but rather a compilation album that offers a track listing of the music that either inspired Joy Division (and then New Order) as a band in the mid to late 70`s (Sex Pistols, Bowie, Roxy Music, Kraftwerk), or fast forward to the 00`s, in how Joy Division have ended up inspiring bands today, which also includes three songs by Joy Division ('Dead Souls', 'Love Will Tear Us Apart', and 'Atmosphere'), while tracks 1, 10 & 18 are three new tracks by NEW ORDER that were written specifically for this soundtrack. There is however one glitch to the final choice of Joy Division tracks, and I don't want to come across too picky, but if the film has been called "Control", then why didn't someone think of including Joy Division`s 'She's Lost Control' to the soundtrack? All in all though this is still a good album as far as soundtracks or compilation albums go. - 7.5/10 - TerryA – October 2007




SIOUXSIE - Mantaray (UM3 / Universal)
Released 11th September 2007



Siouxsie Sioux made an immediate impact back in the 70`s when she fronted a band (Siouxsie & The Banshees) that emerged from the original punk scene who then went onto release a shed load of fantastic and in hindsight some really influential albums, and who also helped create a fair few styles and scenes (Goth, New Wave) along the way! Over the years she has also spent time fronting The Creatures with former partner and Banshees drummer Budgie. - Both Siouxsie & The Banshees and The Creatures have long since gone into musical history and over the past four decades Siouxsie Sioux has matured into one of the most powerful and original front women around - It is therefore a surprise that it has taken her over 30 years to release her first solo album - "Mantaray", although possibly more pop-oriented than her previous efforts, still has a dark(ish) underbelly, where it is especially the lyrics that end up giving her Punk, Gothic and New Wave history away. The stand out tracks are album opener and recent single 'Into a Swan', forthcoming single 'Here Comes That Day' (track 3), 'If It Doesn't Kill You' (track 5), 'Sea of Tranquility' (track 8) and 'They Follow You' (track 9), while 'About To Happen' (track 2) has this strange Franz Ferdinand style intro that doesn't do it any favours, and then there are other moments on the album where someone has decided to recreate some Goldfrapp sounds that in all honesty are slightly outdated now. For me personally, it is also a slightly strange experience to listen to Siouxsie while not being able to hear Budgie`s drumming but as they have both moved on that is something we will just have to accept. - As far as solo albums go, "Mantaray" is still impressive and therefore recommended. - 7+/10 - TerryA – September 2007




THE DYKEENIES - Nothing Means Everything (Lavolta / Columbia)
Released 18th September 2007



This debut album from Scottish band The Dykeenies includes the indie hit singles 'New Ideas' (track 6) and 'Clean Up Your Eyes' (track 4), and considering we included 'New Ideas' in our Monthly Playlist back in September 2006 it has taken a while in finally getting released, although on saying that The Dykeenies are in fact a very welcome addition to the indie-rock scene. The albums other highlights include 'Waiting For Go' (track 2), current single 'Stitches' (track 3), and 'Lose Ourselves' (track 10) which shows that they too are capable of taking New Wave influences to create something new and fresh. If you want a band that just regurgitates what other bands have already created then go listen to bands like The Kooks! - "Nothing Means Everything" by The Dykeenies is a good debut album and they are definitely a band to keep an eye on in the future. - 7+/10 - TerryA – September 2007




THE DEAD 60s - Time To Take Sides (Deltasonic / Rough Trade in NL)
Released 13th August 2007



This should have been an album review but despite someone from the band putting us in touch with their Dutch distributor (Rough Trade NL), nobody there was able (or willing?) to respond and/or deliver an actual copy for review ...





KT TUNSTALL - Drastic Fantastic (Relentless / Virgin / EMI)
Released 11th September 2007 (8th Sept in Benelux)



The second studio album from Scottish singer-songwriter KT Tunstall was released a week earlier than originally planned and features the recent single 'Hold On' (track 5). Unlike her debut album "Eye To The Telescope" * (2004 - Relentless) this album is more upbeat and has more of a live feel to it, which is something that KT herself intended, with her preference to playing gigs rather than spending too much time in the studio recording. Once again, Steve Osborne (New Order / Happy Mondays / Placebo / Curve / Suede / Doves) was responsible for the production. Apart from the single 'Hold On', the stand-out tracks include 'Little Favours' (track 1) which is an upbeat re-recording of a b-side on a single from her first album, 'White Bird' (track 3) which is one of the more laid back songs on the album, 'I Don't Want You Now' (track 7) which is one of the catchiest songs she's written yet and probably the next single, 'Saving My Face' (track 8) which is another catchy song, and 'Somewhere Soon' (track 10), while 'Beauty of Uncertainty' (track 9) and the albums closing song 'Paper Aeroplane' (track 11) are both very moody and also stand out depending on your mood. KT Tunstall said that she also wanted to "push the musicality on the album", and having given it a fair few listens I have to say that she has succeeded admirably and this album should ensure that KT will finally get the recognition she deserves across mainland Europe as an extremely talented singer-songwriter with a fantastic voice. Her subsequent touring should also go towards helping people finally realize that she is very much the real deal and will end up putting fakes like Katie Melua and no shows like Amy Winehouse to shame. - 8/10 - TerryA – 12th September 2007

* - For our review of "Eye To The Telescope" go to ALBUM REVIEWS 2005





DRAGONS - Here Are The Roses (Ohm)
Released May 2007



Dragons are a New Wave band (duo) from Bristol who are trying to sound epic, are heavily influenced by Depeche Mode and the 80`s Goth scene, and where at times they are trying to copy a string of other pretenders like Tears For Fears, only it is 2007 now and their debut album provides rather dull and repetitive electro, and one has to ask who cares? - Yes, it is as bad as it sounds! - 2/10 - TerryA – Summer 2007




EDITORS - An End Has A Start (Kitchenware)
Released 25th June 2007



For me this is an album of two halves. The first half (tracks 1 until 5) follows on from the Editor's 2005 debut, "The Back Room", and although I don't find it as edgy (over produced?) it does have the same formula for success: Some melancholic and deep (some would say depressive) lyrics about life and death sung powerfully by vocalist Tom Smith, a number of up-beat and catchy songs (some would say a bit too coldplayesq) lead guitar rifts, all bound together by some powerful and compelling drumming. I like it, not quite as much as the Back Room, but enough to say track 4 (Bones) is my personal favourite and give this half of the album a definite 7.5/10. Following track 6 (The Racing Rats), which for me is a sort of turning point on the album, I find my interest tailoring off somewhat and if I'm honest it has not been unknown for me to skip through tracks 7-10 a bit quicker than their actual play length. My highly subjective view is that it all slows down too much while at the same time the lyrics remain deeply melancholic, although now just that little bit more pronounced. Of course this is my personal opinion and I'm not sure if I am basing my judgement too much on "The Back Room", or maybe its simply that I just don't rate the last 4 songs? In any case, I cant give the second half of this album anymore than a 5/10. Overall, my calculator is therefore telling me that my score for "An end has a start" is a rounded-up 6.5/10 - Nick – Summer 2007




INTERPOL - Our Love to Admire (Parlophone / Capitol / EMI)
Released 9th July 2007



It has taken a while for Interpol to release their 3rd album but the wait has been worth it. The post punk band from New York who specialize in gloomy indie rock anthems, have more than likely been influenced by New Order, and who with Paul Banks have an intriguing (at times moody) sounding vocalist (on occasions even a bit like Joy Division's Ian Curtis), have got a lot tighter, while the bass and keyboards are even more expressive than on their previous albums, and they have been able to expand the overall sound with their arrangements. The standout tracks on this album include No I in Threesome (track 2), The Heinrich Maneuver (track 4), Mammoth (track 5), Rest My Chemistry (track 8), and Wrecking Ball (track 10). Interpol have definitely been one of the most impressive bands to come from the states this century and this album shows they are here to stay for some time to come. Highly recommended - 8/10 - TerryA – Summer 2007




GALLOWS - Orchestra Of Wolves (Warners)
Released 18th June 2007



This should have been an album review but despite someone from the band putting us in touch with their press officer, nobody at divisionpromotions.com was able (or willing?) to respond and/or deliver an actual copy for review ...





THE WHITE STRIPES - Icky Thump (XL Recordings)
Released 18th June 2007



The sixth album from the Detroit based garage rock duo who also spend a lot of time gathering influences in the UK bring us their follow up to "Get Behind Me Satan" (2005) which signals a welcome return to the band's raw playing style and delivers loud and distorted guitars and drums, with little or no keyboards this time around but with the addition of trumpets and erm ... bagpipes! The best tracks on this album include the opening track (which is also their recent single and the albums title track), You Don't Know What Love Is (track 2) and Conquest (track 4). Prickly Thorn (track 6), Rag and Bone (track 9), I'm Slowly Turning Into You (track 10) and A Martyr For My Love For You (track 11). One slight glitch however is that at times there does appear to be some kind of sound conflict between analogue and digital. Or is that just a sign that my ears are finally aging?! - However, a really good thing about this album (especially compared to the majority of releases by other indie garage rock bands over recent years) is that it does have a lot of variation, and the conclusion is that it is a very welcome return to form and therefore a recommended album for your collection. - 7.5/10 - TerryA – 18th June 2007




VIVE LA FETE - Jour de Chance (Bang / Surprise)
Released 5th June 2007



Vive La Fête have a new album out and this is about their 6th or 7th album since 1998. They are an electro pop band from Belgium, who in the past have tried to pass themselves off as indie and have had a reasonable amount of success in Belgium and Holland although to be honest not that many other places! They went through a period when they were popular with students (presumably the ones that don't have very good hearing or those who just follow the masses?!) ... Maybe the problem for them never breaking through in other countries (this new album has not even got a UK release date yet) is that they have only ever been regurgitating that electro pop sound from the 80`s and with their latest offering - Jour de Chance - they have now opted for a slightly heavier rocky bass sound, but to those living in the 21st century or with 2 functioning ears attached to their head then this album is a painfully dull experience while as a band they are about as useful to the future of music as an ashtray on a motorbike is in the sports world! - 1.5/10 - TerryA – 15th June 2007




CANDIE PAYNE - I Wish I Could Have Loved You More (Deltasonic)
Released 21st May 2007



Candie Payne is a singer from Liverpool who has a great melodic voice and with "I Wish I Could Have Loved You More" she brings us an album that offers us something refreshingly different, which have songs that are either full of those sixties-flavoured retro pop guitar riffs, trumpets and drum beats that at times remind you of Nancy Sinatra or Dusty Springfield, parts when we hear some thrilling dramatic instrumentation bringing back images of John Barry in his days composing Bond soundtracks, but where there are also moments when you can hear more recent influences by the likes of Morcheeba or St Etienne, giving this album a similar retro-modern feel as the trip-hop that came out of Bristol in the Nineties (Portishead & Massive Attack). The production is also worth mentioning in that the album has at times been given a vinyl feel rather than a digital sound which adds to its overall charm. Candie Payne is also no ordinary chanteuse, in that she is also touring the UK at the moment doing gigs with a full band and all the reports we have received are that her live shows come highly recommended. Maybe a good summary would be how The Times described her music when they said "part Springfield, part trip-hop, part spaghetti western"! - She was recently one of the guests on the new series of Later with Jools Holland (BBC2 on 11th May 2007) and her debut album is released just in time to make the perfect accompaniment to those long hot summer days. An uplifting and very impressive debut album which you'll want to play again and again. - 7+/10 - TerryA – 30th May 2007




BJORK - Volta (One Little Indian)
Released 7th May 2007



Björk returns in style with her 6th studio album "Volta", and once again shows that apart from being experimental and still in great voice, just how unique she really can be. The album sound includes a brass section, while the now rather nostalgic 808 beat patterns have at times been replaced by guest drummers pounding out a fascinating tribal (African?) rhythm. The lyrics are about life's joys and pains, and the album sound, is at times rousing and then very ambient. The stand out tracks include recent single "Earth Intruders" (track 1), "Wanderlust" (track 2), "Innocence" (track 4) which will probably be the next single, "Hope" (track 8) and "Declare Independence" (track 9), and for those who have access to it, surround sound is the best way to get maximum impact from this album. As for the title itself, it appears to have multiple meanings: a medieval dance, a river in Africa built by men that doesn't work anymore, and the Italian bloke who invented a battery. There will of course be some people who lost interest back in the 90`s after her albums "Debut" (1993) or "Post" (1995), but to be honest a lot of those people probably haven't been buying anything new since they entered their thirties! (or possibly reside in Holland where the public aren't exactly encouraged to change musical direction that often!) - But for those who appreciate change, like to hear boundaries pushed, and have still got good hearing then "Volta" is an album that should be part of your record collection. - 7.5/10 - TerryA – 27th May 2007




TRAVIS - The Boy With No Name (Independiente)
Released 7th May 2007



TRAVIS shot to prominence in the late 90`s with a string of fantastic singles (Why Does It Always Rain on Me?, Driftwood, Turn) and the critically acclaimed "The Man Who" (independiente - 1999) album. It's now been about 3 years since the Scottish indie pop band released their "Singles" (best of) album and some people were beginning to ask whether they would ever get to bring out any new material. Then in April of this year they returned with the excellent single "Closer" and this month they went onto release their 5th studio album "The Boy With No Name". For those new to the band, TRAVIS became the bridge between the two dominant ends of the indie music scene in the mid 90`s (Radiohead & Oasis) and then contributed immensely (at least over in the UK) towards the post-Britpop, post-Radiohead wave of UK indie rockers during the late 90`s (Sadly too many mainland European countries are still stuck in that very period - even if it is already 2007 now! - which also may help explain why over recent years there have been far too many overrated 3rd and 4th division bands like Keane who have tried a similar formula and became popular with the ill informed youth of today?!) With "The Boy With No Name", TRAVIS are back doing what they do best (warm, at times expansive, indie rock ballads), and this album just gets better and better on each listen, with the single "Closer", "Big Chair" (which is the best song Coldplay never wrote!), "Selfish Jean" (of which the intro could fit perfectly into the "Trainspotting" soundtrack), "Battleships" and "Under The Moonlight" (which has some brilliant harmonies with fellow Scot KT Tunstall) being the standout tracks. The album closes with "New Amsterdam" which is in fact a tribute to New York City (its original name) although by mentioning Amsterdam it should therefore also appeal to the Dutch... Highly Recommended. - 7.5/10 - TerryA – 24th May 2007




ARCADE FIRE - Neon Bible (Merge / Sonovox)
Released 5th March 2007



The eagerly anticipated second album from Arcade Fire finally hit the shops on 5th March and having stormed the world with their debut album "Funeral" (2005 in Europe *) comparisons are bound to be made. "Neon Bible" has a different tone to their debut but is still left of centre, at times epic and highly enjoyable (sometimes even in a very dark or negative way) and is in fact one of those records that comes along once in a while that really demands your attention because they have managed to sound very unlike any other bands yet still offer a familiarity to fans of different musical genres. Some people have already drawn comparisons with 80s bands like Talking Heads or Echo & The Bunnymen, in which case I will add Prefab Sprout (especially on "No Cars Go"). Also worth pointing out is that unlike the last album by The Killers (see our review under October 2006), if you're going to make epic indie rock, it really helps if you have something to say, which Arcade Fire do. Apart from the biblical references or doomsday scenarios, ‘MTV/ what have you done to me?’ - is probably having a go at those who mistakenly believe image to be more important than the songs? There are plenty of other moments when they can be rather negative or melancholic, to which some people are bound to complain that this album is a bit too serious for its own good, but this just adds to its overall charm as maybe it is highlighting these kind of imperfections in all of us that may just become our own saving grace? At the moment my favourite songs (although just like with their debut I am almost certain these will keep changing in time) are "Keep the Car Running" (track 2), "Intervention" (track 4), "Black Wave/Bad Vibrations" (track 5), "The Well and The Lighthouse" (track 7), "Windowsill" (track 9) and "No Cars Go" (track 10). The overall impact of this album is a bit like huge landscapes hurtling into view - Not all as pretty but impressive none the less! With a European tour and summer festivals approaching, 2007 is the year that Arcade Fire will go mainstream, and for an indie band not too dissimilar to the kind of impact that The Smiths made during the 80s. "Neon Bible" is an essential album for your collection - 9/10 - TerryA – 17th March 2007

* - For our review of "Funeral" go to ALBUM REVIEWS 2005





AIR – Pocket Symphony (Virgin)
Released 5th March 2007



The new AIR album seems somewhat of a departure from the ‘lounge’ and ‘electronic’ trademark that we are used to, which for some may be enough to write it off straight away as inferior to their previous releases. However, although on my first listen it certainly made less of a direct impact, the more down-tempo and organic piano and acoustic guitar based sounds are already starting to rub-off, albeit on a different level to Air albums of the past. Pocket Symphony seems a more complex mix of dark and melancholy, sad and empty, soft and emotional influences, including lyrical contributions from Jarvis Cocker and Neil Hannon following on from last years Air written and performed album "5:55" sung by Charlotte Gainsbourg. Those searching for a recognisable link to the classic Air sound should go directly and solely to track 8 (Mer du Japon), while track 6 (Left Bank) would not have been out of place on a folktronica inspired Tunng album. I am also left wondering, after listening to track 11 (Redhead Girl), if Air are secretly big fans of 80’s film Top Gun, with its reoccurring rift bearing a comic resemblance to Berlin’s ‘take my breath away’ used in the film soundtrack! However, after several more listens Pocket Symphony is continuing to grow on me, but it seems this is an album that needs time to make its mark. I just wonder how many people are buying the album or going to one of Air’s upcoming concerts expecting something different. At this moment in time I still find last years Charlotte Gainsbourg`s album a more memorable recent ‘Air’ achievement, so for now I am giving "Pocket Symphony" a 7/10 - Nick – 6th March 2007




TOKYO POLICE CLUB - A Lesson In Crime (Memphis Industries / V2 / Paper Bag Records) - EP / Mini Album
Released 2006 - February 2007 (Europe)



Originally released last year, and with the opening track sounding like they could be influenced by The Strokes, the European release of "A Lesson In Crime" has 8 songs in around 18 minutes and is in fact a mini album, with their full length debut album expected to be released later this year. This is described by the band as being a soundtrack to a futuristic society in distress. It is a promising debut from this Canadian Indie Rock Band, who will be making their first live appearances at venues across Europe during February, and you can already tell that along with a well oiled press machine and one of the top UK agents, whilst also appearing at most of the summer festivals, TPC will probably end up becoming one of the major breakthrough acts this year. However, on the evidence of this mini album I suppose time will tell whether in years to come they can stand the test of time, because although on this release these 2 or 3 minute songs are raw, energetic, fast paced and full of excitement with their scratchy guitars and pounding drums, I can imagine it could well be a totally different experience if you ended up with similar songs spread across a full length album? Because one thing that is missing on "A Lesson In Crime" is space! - And after a while you no longer appreciate all the potential highs because they have crammed their songs full of speed changes and as a result they have not left much room for any climaxes. That said, it is a promising debut and they do still have youth on their side. - 7/10 - TerryA – 15th February 2007




HUSKY RESCUE – Ghost is not real (Catskills records)
Released 29th January 2007



After being entranced by their ambient ‘folktronica’ debut album "Country Falls" back in 2004, I have been eagerly awaiting the January release date of Husky Rescue’s follow-up "Ghost is not real". Unfortunately for me personally, after a handful of listens I have to say that the Finish 5-piece have not lived up to my expectations with this album. Although there are some great moments of down-tempo electronica mixed together with the folksy sound (Diamonds in the sky/Nightless night/Caravan) for which Country Falls became a favourite album of mine, most of the other songs in-between fail to give this album the same level of quality and unity, with low moments "Blueberry Tree, Part III" (track 6) sounding like a Coldplayesq guitar crescendo, and "Shadow run" (track 9) an attempted rap song. That aside, I do like this album and if either their debut had not been so good or they had followed its concept more closely, I would have less to complain about. I certainly include Husky Rescue in my list of Scandinavian (Sigur Ros/Royksopp/Efterklang/Under Byen) and UK (Boards of Canada/Tunng) bands that keep producing music and lyrics with a sense of spirituality, space and an idea of the vast and often powerful natural landscapes that surround and influence them. I really wanted this to be one of my best albums of 2007, however with regret I can’t give it any more than a 6.5/10 - Nick – 10th February 2007




BLOC PARTY - A Weekend in the City (Wichita / V2 in Europe / Vice in USA)
Released 5th February 2007



First of all I have to confess that while there was tons of people out there who raved on and on about their debut album "Silent Alarm" (Wichita Records) from 2005 I wasn't really that convinced. Ok, it did have a few good songs but by the end of that year there were so many other albums that had impressed me a lot more, and come the spring of 2006 I actually gave my copy away, realizing that it had since ended up in a pile of CDs that I hardly ever touched anymore. Fast forward to 2007 and the current music press darlings get to bring us their second album, "A Weekend in the City", and it appears that there are now tons of people who simply can not afford to suddenly say that they are not impressed with the outcome. But now having listened to it, just like their debut album, Bloc Party ultimately flatter to deceive, with a few good or decent songs ("Kreuzberg", recent single "The Prayer", "I Still Remember" & "SRXT") surrounded by far too many instantly forgettable songs. Maybe one reason is because on this second album Bloc Party attempt to create a rock sound that has long become outdated to the new generation of alternative music lovers (maybe their own record collection even includes far too much U2 and Therapy?) and as a result they may like to think that they are still indie and cutting edge but will end up only appealing to those still stuck in the 90`s. That said, this album should do really well in Holland then! - After all the hype, and even though there is some talent on display, a disappointing follow-up to their debut album, while in the current music industry climate they may not even get a chance to record their third album.
6/10 - TerryA – 7th February 2007




FIELD MUSIC - Tones of Town (Memphis Industries / V2)
Released 22nd January 2007



Back in 2005, Field Music's self titled debut album * was an exciting find and I went onto mention that this trio from Sunderland were definitely ones to watch out for in the future. Once again, with their new album "Tones of Town", Field Music have a unique ability to allow their songs to change direction, and unexpected gems begin to unfold. The initial intro on the album goes from somewhere inside a cafe, to a sound which reminds me of Ryuichi Sakamoto`s soundtrack from The Last Emperor, before totally changing direction to bring us the opening song that is "Give It, Lose It, Take It". What follows is a very impressive, highly infectious, charming and very clever album. One that after several listens unfolds layers and layers of musical and lyrical magic! - Thankfully there is no lyric sheet in the album, because this way you have to work it out for yourself, where on closer listening their songs are jam packed with clever tales about both hope and despair surrounding life in today's society (in the past they have been accused by some of being a bit too subtle for the masses and this may still be a stumbling block for those Europeans who tend to get their English language skills from those American TV shows!) - In my opinion Field Music have delivered a fantastic album. They have shown again that they are not afraid of pushing boundaries and to try something different and for that they should be praised to the heavens. Yes, it is that good! - 8+/10 - TerryA – 5th February 2007

* - For our review of their self titled debut album go to ALBUM REVIEWS 2005




THE SHINS - Wincing The Night Away (Sub Pop)
Released 22nd January 2007



Some will say that they have matured on this (their third) album, while others will say that they may have played it too safe, become rather predictable within their current environment and dare I say it, become a bit boring! - On their previous albums, especially "Oh, Inverted World" they showed that they were really clever at creating intimate songs with really good melodies, and after their inclusion on the "Garden State" soundtrack they almost went onto reach mainstream recognition. This album does have some highlights ("Phantom Limb", "Red Rabbits", "Girl Sailor" & "A Comet Appears") but the remaining tracks on offer are just about passable or in some cases even disappointing ("Turn On Me" & "Spilt Needles") - After several listens it also becomes apparent that the drums and bass in the final mix appear way too loud and therefore those aforementioned cool melodies from albums past suffer on this album. In addition, the lyrical content has become rather lame. But lets face it, how can you continue to write about the ups and downs of small-town life and recreate the occasional adrenalin rush of youth when it quickly becomes apparent that the artists involved have long since vacated their trailer park setting and moved on into the nearest cosy hotel? Maturity and pop, especially indie pop, don't mix and probably never will? - So although this album is a brave attempt to try something different it somehow fails to deliver convincingly. - 6.5/10 - TerryA – 31st January 2007




THE VIEW - Hats off to the buskers (1965 Records)
Released 22nd January 2007



As the new year kicks in we get this very energetic debut album full of big choruses and guitar solos from hotly-tipped Scottish band The View, who have already had two top 20 hits over in the UK (with debut single "Wasted Little DJs" and the follow up "Superstar Tradesman"), and already look set to become the latest hype for 2007. The album was produced by Owen Morris (who was also responsible for the OASIS debut album "Definitely Maybe") and not too dissimilar to the ARCTIC MONKEYS about this time last year, "Hats Off To The Buskers" finds a young working class band telling stories about life in a provincial British city (in this case the setting is Dundee) - Apart from the aforementioned singles, there are also clearly Oasis influences to be found on this album with “Don’t Tell Me” (track 4) sounding a bit similar to “She’s Electric” and “Face For The Radio” (track 7) which has that acoustic feel from their second album. "Wasteland" (track 13) is in your face and bound to be a live favorite for years to come, and while "Same Jeans" (track 3) is a very uplifting and catchy song, I also have to confess that ever since hearing it for the first time it keeps reminding me of a song by a band who continue to remain on the tip of my tongue but I just can`t seem to come up with it (yet!?) ** - That said, "Hats off to the buskers" is an(other) impressive debut album by a band who should become very popular in 2007. Whether the lyrical content is understood or appreciated by the youth in Holland is probably irrelevant (other bands have previously had success over here based on the music and sound alone) - However, songs should be all about the music AND the lyrics and at the same time you then also realize that this album could never have been made by any Dutch band (Johan & The Sheer take note!) and this is not just because life can sometimes be a real struggle. - 7.5/10 - TerryA – 27th January 2007

See also previous article about THE VIEW in our NEW BANDS section.

** update 4th February: it finally came to me, "Same Jeans" in fact sounds way too similar to CORNERSHOP`s "Brimful of Asha". And while we`re on the subject of "sounds like", I can also hear a lot of Kirsty MacColl in "Wasted Little DJs" - Still good songs though!




HOT CLUB De PARIS - Drop it `til it pops (Moshi Moshi Records)
Released 2006 (4-1-2007 in NL)



Hailing from Liverpool, Hot Club De Paris are another in a series of new punky pop bands who have been emerging from the UK over recent years and their debut album has been getting a decent amount of press since it was released late last year over in the UK. With their high-speed and catchy stop-start riffs, they sound like they could be influenced by The Futureheads, while their long song titles suggest they may have taken a few tips from P!ATD and Fall Out Boy. Most of the tracks on this album are delivered at a furious pace with almost no time to stop for breathe, with current single "Shipwreck" (track 1), "Clockwork Toy" (track 2), previous singles "Sometimesitsbetternotto..." (track 6) & "Everythingeverythingeverything" (track 13) and "Your Face Looks All Wrong" (track 12) being the standout tracks on the album. The lesser moments on this album would have to include the lyrical conflicts found in "Bonded By Blood" (track 10) where one minute they are singing about 'scoring some sluts' and almost immediately go on to tell us that they "love them"?! and "Welcome To The Hop" (track 10) that comes across as a b-side thrown onto the album at the last minute in an attempt to increase the total running time to just over 33 minutes? But despite this slight blip, it is a good debut album and Hot Club De Paris are set to become firm favourites in the alternative music scene.
7/10 - TerryA – 27th January 2007




CHARLOTTE GAINSBOURG - 5:55 (Because / Atlantic)
Released September 2006



AAPA has to admit missing a great album released way back in September 2006. Daughter of French musical parents Serge Gainsbourg and Jane Birkin, Charlotte Gainsbourg first released a solo album back in 1993 and has now managed to release an album with music written and played by AIR with lyrics written by both Jarvis Cocker (Pulp) and Neil Hannon (Divine Comedy). We also now understand how Jarvis and Neil came to work on the new Air album due for release in March 2007 (see our latest news section), while this album was produced by Nigel Godrich (Radiohead, Beck, Travis, REM) and David Campbell (the father of Beck) was responsible for the string arrangements. "5:55" has trademark AIR sounds resonate through the album, which could have been ‘Air featuring Charlotte Gainsbourg’ was it not for some typically witty and cynical lyrics from both Jarvis and Hannon giving it some extra lyrical depth usually missing from an Air album. As a big Air fan everything they do is in my opinion musically fantastic and this beautiful album is no exception, electronic and natural sounds perfectly blended together with a whispered and haunting voice signing some great lyrics. Personal favourites are track 1 (5:55), track 3 (Operation) and track 7 (Little Monsters) and had I had known about this fantastic album in time, it would certainly have made the top section of my 2006 albums.
8/10 - Nick – 24th January 2007




JOANNA NEWSOM - Ys (Drag City)
Released 6th November 2006



This is one of those albums that you will either love or hate, and who knows, maybe that's the whole idea? Joanna Newsom is a classically trained harpist and singer who sounds a bit like a harsher version of Björk. This is her 2nd album and it was recorded by Steve Albini (Nirvana, PJ Harvey, Solar Race) and it also includes string arrangements by Van Dyke Parks. The end result is an album that many are saying sounds unlike anything else, while the media hype machine (which looks like it has been working overtime over recent months!) tell us that Newsom is a poetic and musical genius, is able to create songs with no apparent structure and that this album is simply a stupendous, unique, exceptional masterpiece, etc, etc. However, the flipside to that entire media fed over hyped description is how would you describe someone who has made an hour long "Alt-Folk" album with a lot of Harp and the occasional Banjo!, who after several listens you then realize tends to repeat herself far too often, comes out with sentences like "When I cut your hair, and leave the birds all the trimmings, I am the happiest woman amongst all women" (as heard in "Only Skin" ) and probably likes the sound of her own voice so much in that she just keeps going on and on and on without recognizing that sometimes a break or moment of silence may be appreciated by the listener? There are even occasions when her extended word play results in nothing actually being said, which is a bit contradictory if according to her press release she is supposed to have "a passionate appreciation for the musicality of words"!? This is a very bold album, and it does have its moments, but the end result to me was dull, boring, very very pretentious, erratic and could very easily be described as drivel. I can already see certain sections of the public (and press) embracing this album (a bit like those who have previously embraced the likes of Katie Melua, Clannad or Keane as being cool and interesting!) - Probably those same annoying modern day hippies and revolutionaries who still manage to keep one eye on the stock market while having no qualms buying organically grown mangos that have been shipped or flown over from Central America at a much greater cost to the environment?! - Ok, rant over, as for this album I think I will pass. And for what its worth, at least Björk can actually sing!
4/10 - TerryA – January 2007




THE GOOD, THE BAD & THE QUEEN - The Good, The Bad & The Queen (Parlophone / Virgin in North America)
Released 22nd January 2007



Damon Albarn, the front man of both BLUR and GORILLAZ starts the new year by releasing a brand new album with his new band THE GOOD, THE BAD & THE QUEEN which also includes Paul Simonon (bass player from The Clash), Tony Allen on drums and Simon Tong (guitarist from The Verve), along with the help of part of the production team behind Gnarls Barkley (Danger Mouse). There are times on this album when you can still hear Blur and Gorillaz, but there are also moments when Bowie, The Beach Boys and Ennio Morricone *, along with influences drawn from the British Beat sound (from the 50`s), punk (from the 70`s), reggae and dub, Britpop (from the 90`s) and moody film scores can be heard. "Herculean" (their debut single - see also the AAPA Playlist from November) is downbeat, atmospheric and menacing, while recent single "Kingdom of Doom" (track 4) continues along that moody path while telling a tale about a city whose inhabitants "drink all day, because the country's at war", but despite these 2 tracks its when you listen to the entire album as if watching a film unfold that you end up with a very different, more satisfying image. "Northern Whale" (track 3) was originally a love song that turned into a song about a whale, while "A Soldier's Tale" (track 9) could well be a homage to Morricone`s "Story of a Soldier" / "Death of a Soldier" from his soundtrack to "The Good, The Bad & The Ugly" * from 1966. The end result is that its different than anything you think you've heard, and one of those albums that really does get better and better with each listen. A highly recommended album and a fantastic start to the new year. - 8/10 - TerryA – 22nd January 2007

* - Like myself, Damon Albarn is probably also a huge Ennio Morricone fan and it is therefore fair to say he has also been influenced by the Italian composer. He was also sat directly behind me during the maestros first ever UK concert back in 2001 at the Barbican in London. Meanwhile there are strong rumours that Ennio Morricone will finally be honoured at this years Oscar ceremony for his outstanding contribution over the years to film music.

2006

THE FRATELLIS - Costello Music (Universal / Island)
Released 11th September 2006 (27-10-2006 in NL)



With AAPA first having tipped this Glaswegian three-piece way back in May 2006 (see our NEW BANDS section - > HERE ) and with Kink FM, Oor and the like now having finally woken up, it was about time to rate their debut album for the benefit of the Dutch readers which was finally released in October in NL. Upbeat and catchy songs, simple ‘life’ lyrics and melodic sing-a-long choruses throughout. A la Supergrass in parts (Henrietta) and also somewhere in-between the Kaiser Chiefs and the Killers, but where they respectively took on punk and new-wave influences The Fratellis is clearly 70’s (T-Rex) glam rock influenced (Chelsea dagger / Creepin up the backstairs / Everybody knows you cried last night), with some rock and roll (Doginabag) and country and western tit-bits thrown in for good measure (Vince the loveable stoner). Dare I say that there is even a little bit of Status Quo in there as well (Baby Fratelli)! A foolproof concept (helped by being produced and mixed by Tony ‘everybody I touch turns to gold’ Hoffer) that without being a new sound is a good debut album sure to bring them some commercial success, confirmed in Holland by the recent announcement of a couple of extra gigs as part of their current European tour. We will be at their 1st ever Dutch gig, on 23rd January at the highly subsidised Patronaat venue in Haarlem to see if The Fratellis can pull it off live ... A catchy and upbeat debut worthy of a - 7/10 - Nick – December 2006




JARVIS COCKER - Jarvis (Rough Trade)
Released 13th November 2006



former PULP front man Jarvis Cocker releases his first solo album, which also includes a choir and string arrangements, and was recorded this year in Sheffield, London and Paris. It is an album full of typical British wit and sarcasm covering topics that swing from life and western society as it is today, to relationships and finally, 25 minutes after ending, you're treated to that eagerly awaited bonus track "Running The World" which is his response to a speech from Tony Blair surrounding last years Live8 event, which includes the lines "the cream can't help but rise to the top, but I say shit floats" ... "the working classes are obsolete" and in conclusion that "the cunts are (indeed) still running the world". The stand out tracks are "Don't Let Him Waste Your Time" (track 2) which is to be the new single and set to be released on 8th January, "Heavy Weather" (track 4), "I Will Kill Again" (track 5) which is a ballad covering our media controlled safe but dull life where we are all dying of boredom, "Fat Children" (track 7) which delves into modern day life, telling us that "parents are the problem, giving birth to maggots without the sense to become flies", the end of society depicted in "From Auschwitz to Ipswich" (track 8) when "just like the Roman Empire fell away - we are going the same way", and "Tonite" (track 10) all help make this a really good solo album. - 7.5/10 - TerryA – December 2006



CANSEI DE SER SEXY - CSS (Sub Pop / Warners in the UK)
Released 2006



Cansei de Ser Sexy (“Tired of Being Sexy”) are a São Paolo-based band consisting of five girls and one boy and became the Sub Pop labels first international signing. They are fronted by vocalist Lovefoxxx, create songs in both the Portuguese and their own charming version of the English language (although none of the songs on this release are in Portuguese) and are responsible for very punky euphoric pop and at times remind me of The Sugar Cubes when they broke into the indie music scene back in the early 90`s. In some ways CSS are doing much the same thing now, with a series of excellent reviews from all their live dates in North America and Europe during 2006, with even more promise to come as 2007 is about to get under way. They are in fact a genuine breathe of fresh air (especially over in the states where the alternative music scene had lost its way since that "forced coolness" period that appeared to be generated over there during the late 90`s!) - A highly recommended album. - 7.5/10 - TerryA – December 2006




DAVID ARNOLD - Casino Royale (Sony / BMG)
Released November 2006



David Arnold first came to my attention in 1993 when he co-wrote the song "Play Dead " with Björk for the crime drama set in London called "The Young Americans". In 1996, David Arnold worked on a tribute album of his favourite James Bond themes, entitled "Shaken and Stirred" (East West) in which he collaborated with a diverse range of acts that included Aimee Mann, David McAlmont, Jarvis Cocker of Pulp, Propellerheads and Iggy Pop, when he blended contemporary pop with orchestral sounds. One of the album's tracks - "On Her Majesty's Secret Service" - broke out as a successful dance hit, and two more were released as singles. Arnold sent his work to MGM and they were so impressed that they offered him the opportunity to do the score for "Tomorrow Never Dies" (1997 - A&M Records) and by the time he started work on "Casino Royale" last year he had been responsible for 3 Bond soundtracks, and had become the natural successor to the now legendary John Barry. This is a very good soundtrack of which the standout tracks include the opener "African Rundown", tracks 4, 8, 13, 20, 23 and an excellent reworking of the main Bond theme with "The Name's Bond... James Bond" (track 25). One of the reasons why this David Arnold soundtrack is much better than his other Bond offerings is that it doesn't include the title song, which over recent years have all been disappointing to say the least because the film company have always appeared to insist on an American singer or band with a huge ego to help market the movie. So when this time singer Chris Cornell (Soundgarden) announced just before the release "It was a decision of mine not to have it on the soundtrack. I wanted it to be mine!" the majority of music lovers actually breathed a sigh of relief as it was in fact the one piece of music from the score that was piss poor! The soundtrack for "Casino Royale" however is therefore recommended.
7.5/10 - TerryA – December 2006

Trivia: The music used in the films cinema trailer (including the choir version of the JB Theme) is for the most part not on the soundtrack or even in the film for that matter.




THE HUMAN VALUE - The Human Value (Big Deal Records)
Released 2nd October 2006 (UK)



It must be really frustrating for an artist to make an album and then see the majority of the press opt to throw around comparisons and influences instead of writing about the actual songs? - They sound like early Blondie, Talking Heads, Siouxsie & The Banshees only heavier, at times sounding like Depeche Mode meeting Curve (cool indie band from the 90`s), great Joy Division sounding bass lines (oh, that was me!), a bit like The Pretenders and The Ramones, there are PJ Harvey moments, etc, etc. - The Human Value hail from the states (although the origins of their band members lie in Cuba, Greece and Spain) and they released this self titled album over there last year. Since September they have been touring up and down the UK to rave reviews and released opening track "Give Me" as a single to coincide, followed by the UK release of this album on 2nd October. But what about THIS album? - Well for all those influences just mentioned, this debut album is captivating, at times both eerie and dazzling, abstruse yet arousing, and unique in that it is able to awaken all our emotions in a truly original and exhilarating way. There is not one duff or filler track on the entire album (take note The Killers!), while singer Turu has a fantastic voice, capable of tons of variation and range (from the dreamy vocals in track 8 to the haunting vocals in tracks 3 & 13) and the album is full of catchy choruses and rousing bass lines. Lyrically they are also up there with the best, as song after song all those human emotions start to come out - Girls needs (track 1), love and hate (track 2), certain pitfalls of female independence when wandering without any purpose (track 4), a love that died (track 5), while in "Tonight" (track 6) there is a touch of brilliance when Turu delivers the line "I'm so loveless" in such a way that by hanging on the first part of "love..." she sounds like she's actually saying "loveable" before abruptly changing the direction and meaning of the entire song by opting for the word "loveless" instead - which is then quickly followed up with the line "I'm so touch deprived my skin is a lepers hide"!, false friendships (track 8), female manipulation (track 10), and saying goodbye to liars (track 11). This is an excellent debut album; it is also very provocative and it ensnares you in both a menacing and a stirring way. - 8.5/10 - TerryA – November 2006




BADLY DRAWN BOY - Born In The UK (EMI)
Released 16th October 2006


Back in the late 90`s Damon Gough (Badly Drawn Boy) appeared to have stepped into the void that was left vacant by Stephen Jones (Baby Bird) only with a much bigger budget followed by the added advantage of worldwide internet coverage. Fast forward to 2006 and it appears that BDB`s 4th album since 2000, or his 5th if you include the soundtrack for "About a Boy" (2002) didn't run as smoothly as initially intended, with reports that by the end of last year very little was to remain of the 20 songs he had written for this album, and so it became a case of having to start all over again. Meanwhile, Baby Bird has decided to make his first album in 6 years only without the big budget promo and so it looks like we are about to witness a clash of the low-fi kings... After a piano intro, the title track "Born in the U.K." opens to the tune of Land of Hope and Glory, before crossing over into a rock song and it wouldn't surprise me if he was possibly trying to recreate a similar type of effect that fellow Mancunians The Smiths did on their "The Queen Is Dead" album? This album does have its moments with the soulful "Welcome to the Overground" (track 4), first single "Nothing's Going to Change Your Mind" (track 6) sounding like it has been influenced by John Barry or Burt Bacharach and the poetic "Without A Kiss" (track 9), while "The Way Things Used To Be" (track 8) is probably a decent enough song although it didn't appeal to me because I confess to not being a big country fan, and after giving this album a few listens it turns out to be more mainstream than his previous releases but I'm not convinced that this is where his fan base or audience really is?, while sadly too many of the tracks on this album are instantly forgettable. So after all the delays, it comes as a bit of a surprise that BDB has suddenly released his album ahead of schedule (the original release date was set for 23rd October) unless of course it was brought forward to try and steal the thunder of the far more superior new album by Baby Bird (see review on that album below) which came out in the UK a few weeks earlier? - Both BDB and BB are great artists but in truth "the original" has a much better voice and is always likely to remain superior despite what the (paid) press go onto say. Listen to both albums and you will understand what I mean! - 6.5/10 - TerryA – October 2006




BAT FOR LASHES - Fur and Gold (She Bear / Echo Records)
Released September 2006 - Benelux region still T.B.C.



Wow! ... And just how often does someone get to start an album review with a word like that? Because as far as debut albums are concerned this one has shot straight into our Top 5 releases of the year so far. An extraordinary, mesmerizing, haunting album made up with a rather unique use of keyboards, string arrangements, drums, guitars, handclaps & foot taps, percussion and a harpsichord, along with a stunning vocal delivery by Natasha Khan who seems to be able to change direction at will and that at times her voice is not too dissimilar to Björk, while on other occasions you can hear Tori Amos or PJ Harvey, so much so that when I heard "The Wizard" (track 6) for the first time it was like Tori Amos and Björk singing a duet! But that's not all, because after the harp intro to opening track "Horse and I" it is as if Sinéad O'Connor has returned to team up with a military drum unit and by the time Natasha finishes the song with the words "there is no turning back" there really isn't, while on 2 of the songs ("What's A Girl To Do?" & "Sarah") there are parts when it is like listening to The Creatures, especially "Sarah" (track 10) that starts like a homage to "Gecko" (1983) before totally changing direction. This is also an album that contains both beautiful piano ballads (track 5) and eerie ballads (track 9), powerful lyrics like in "Trophy" (track 2) and by the time "I Saw A Light" draws the album to its conclusion you can't help yourself reaching over to press play all over again. A highly recommended debut album that is in need of your attention now! - 8.5/10 - TerryA – 20th October 2006




LILIAN HAK - Love's Victory March (Steamin Soundworks)
Released October 2006 (Benelux only)



Having delivered a very promising debut album back in 2004 Lilian Hak was being tipped in some quarters as one of the more progressive artists to come from Holland. Having given her new album a good listen it is very much a hit and miss affair. I can hear a lot of different and clearly identifiable influences in many of the songs. For example, her voice in Track 1 (Desire in overdrive) sounds like Madonna, the overall song reminding me of her William Orbit influenced 'electro pop' period, while Track 3 (Please) is full of glitchy 'clicks and bleeps' reminiscent of ambient artist Murcof, although in my opinion whereas the latter succeeds in using these sounds to create music full of warmth and relaxation, "Please" only manages to confuse and seems unnecessarily irregular, almost bringing the album to a standstill before its even started, while Track 7 (Sin City) and Track 8 (What About It?) even if only 2 minutes long are dreadful, almost killing the album off completely. Track 10 (City sight) is a highlight for me, its dark and heavy bass-line drawing obvious comparisons with 90's Bristol trip-hop kings Massive Attack and Portishead. However, the fact that this comparison can be made leads to the confirmation that this is exactly what it sounds like, a 90's trip-hop song and therefore pleasant enough but nothing new. I do like Track 11 (Ice), whose 'electro glam' sound is nearly good enough to be at home on a Goldfrapp album. And maybe poignant is final Track 12 (Stokers siding), a instrumental and atmospheric piece of David Lynch/Twin Peaks esq music, more different than anything else on the album for the fact that it sounds dark, underground and also contemporary. Overall impression is that LH seems to have decided to move away from concentrating on the promising sounds of her first album. Maybe it is the unfortunate reality of the Dutch music scene itself that has led her (or others around her) to make this choice? The new album is worth a listen although unfortunately it is a much more commercially acceptable sound than we would have liked and expected to hear from what was a promising Dutch alternative artist for the future. It appears that this is as alternative as it gets in The Netherlands! And another thing, I cannot for the life of me hear the comparison with Moloko that seems to be a dominant factor in the reviews of others? - The end result here is that "Love's Victory March" is effectively just another pop album. - 6/10 - Nick – 19th October 2006




THE KILLERS - Sam's Town (Island)
Released October 2006


After all the pre-launch hype and as a follow up to their highly successful debut album "Hot Fuss" (2004) we finally see the release of their 2nd album. Unfortunately, not only is "Sam's Town" nowhere near as good as their debut album, it is also nowhere near as interesting or exciting as at least 20 other albums which we have listened to that have been released this year! (see our 2006 summary - > HERE for much more impressive albums) - And now that they have given the world 2 albums I can only conclude that The Killers are a band who flatter to deceive. Just like their debut album, "Sam's Town" is in effect a concoction of some good songs (Read my Mind, This River is Wild, Bones and For Reasons Unknown), some decent songs (tracks 1 & 7) and then a lot of so called "filler" (Enterlude, Exitlude, Why Do I Keep Counting? & My List) while the single "When You Were Young" (track 3) sadly still sounds far too much like a song that was pieced together after ripping off other peoples hit songs, including Meatloaf! - Unlikely to feature highly in our end of year album awards. - 6/10 - TerryA – October 2006




BABY BIRD - Between my ears there's nothing but music (Chrysalis)
Released October 2006


It has been six years since Stephen Jones (as Baby Bird) released a new album, with him having spent most of his time since the turn of the millennium writing soundtracks and a book. Baby Bird was the low-fi king before Badly Drawn Boy appeared on the scene and received critical acclaim back in the mid 90`s when he released several memorable albums of which "Ugly Beautiful" (Echo Records) was nominated as our album of the year for 1996 (see Best Albums section HERE ) - After importing this new album from the UK due to it not being available yet in Dutch shops we were finally in a position to give it a listen... The conclusion is that even after such a long absence he is still a master of infectious beats and melodies, an intriguing lyricist, and let's not forget those rousing choruses, with a unique ability to create a very appealing contrast in emotions when listening to his songs. With "Between my ears there's nothing but music" Stephen Jones has delivered yet another great album, with the stand out tracks being "too Much", "dive", "snails", "lighter `n spoon", "shoutabout" & "better than love". We strongly recommended that you find a way of getting hold of this absolute gem of an album. - 8/10 - TerryA – 9th October 2006




JULIETTE & THE LICKS - Four On The Floor (Hassle)
Released 2nd October 2006



What is it about certain film & TV soap actors who suddenly attempt a concurrent career in music? - Delusions of grandeur perhaps? - Or maybe, most probably, they're simply egomaniacs who just can't help themselves!? As much as she herself wants to believe it, Juliette Lewis is never going to make any musical statements worth remembering. Much like her previous album "You're Speaking My Language" (see album reviews 2005), her latest album "Four On the Floor" doesn't offer much in the way of variety, opting instead for what can best be described as a cliché of outdated rock 'n' roll with the occasional Joan Jett-style snarl or Alanis Morissette-style drawl. Once again this is a waste of our time and her talent as in all honesty she does remain a good actress so if we look at this in a positive way she is a lot more fortunate than most people, but as for her records you would be much better off spending your money on tons of other things! - 3/10 - TerryA – October 2006




ELECTRONIC - Get The Message / The Best Of (EMI for Europe / Rhino for North America)
Released September 2006


15 tracks, including various exclusive re-mixes, spanning the period between the 1st Electronic single on Factory Records in 1989 and their critically acclaimed self titled debut album from 1991 (also Factory) onto their subsequent two albums from the mid to late 90`s (on EMI / Parlophone), along with a DVD featuring the seven promo videos for all the singles. Electronic are in fact the combined talents of Johnny Marr (The Smiths) and Bernard Sumner (Joy Division & New Order) who away from their main bands and the glare of the music industry decided to create music that they wanted to make, along with the input from a host of special guests, including Neil Tennant, Jimmi Goodwin (Doves), Arthur Baker and the often underrated yet amazing vocals of Denise Johnson. What we get is a great indie album, a compilation album that is also very Manchester, and also a very welcome release. - 7.5/10 - TerryA - October 2006




OZARK HENRY - The Soft Machine (Epic)
Released October 2006


I have to say from the start that this is not normally the kind of album I would review for AAPA as Ozark Henry (aka Piet Goddaer) is just too poppy and not exactly alternative, but seeing that he is pretty popular in the Benelux region, especially amongst students, and we have received various requests, I decided to give it a few listens anyway. His new album "The Soft Machine" more or less continues where he left off with his last album "The Sailor Not the Sea" (Epic) from 2004, only this time he appears to have gone for an even safer and friendlier option taking even less risks, and he hasn't done himself any favours by also being responsible for the albums production - he would probably have been better off giving someone else this side of things for a more varied perspective? With "The Soft Machine", Ozark Henry has delivered what is now his 6th album since 1996, but it is now very apparent that if he did ever have any spirit or imagination he really has now lost this somewhere along the way! - 4.5/10 - TerryA – October 2006




CAPTAIN - This Is Hazelville (EMI)
Released 14th August 2006


We picked up on this new band back in April (see our NEW BANDS section) while subsequent singles "Broke" and the fantastic "Glorious" really did set them apart from the rest of all the new guitar bands which have been making their debuts this year. CAPTAIN describe their music as "hopeful, emotional and euphoric" while some sections of the press have gone for the lazy option by throwing up comparisons to Prefab Sprout and Deacon Blue but in that case then The Beautiful South should also be mentioned. The simple truth here is that in the current music scene CAPTAIN are a breathe of fresh air. Their music is both intense and poetic, at times even sinister or dramatic, while they cleverly use space to create dynamics along with some fantastic male/female harmonies. Opening number 'Hazelville' boasts a hauntingly beautiful intro, before the song and then the entire album kicks into life. CAPTAIN have just completed a very successful UK tour that finished with a sell out gig at the Edinburgh Festival (see also the GIG REVIEWS section - > HERE and our special "Edinburgh Festival" feature) - I expect that by this time next year they will be appearing at all the major music festivals. An excellent debut album which was produced by Trevor Horn (ABC, Grace Jones, FGTH) from a band who in the years to come should become huge. Highly recommended. 8/10 - TerryA – 24th August 2006



MARTYN BENNETT – Grit (Real World Records/Virgin)
Released 2003


Having resided in Holland since almost the turn of the millennium I have to confess to never having heard of Martyn Bennett before, but thankfully a recent visit to the annual Edinburgh Arts Festival changed all that. Sadly though I discovered that he recently died in his 30`s of cancer but he has left behind several albums worthy of your attention, of which "Grit" (2003) was his last and probably his most innovative release. Martyn Bennett has the ability to seamlessly mix ancient and modern sounds, bringing together traditional Scottish folk culture, mixing his bagpipe playing with techno beats and samples, combining ambient sounds with hard electronic beats, hip-hop beats, grunge bass lines, techno, singers and string arrangements while also paying homage to the travelling people in Scotland (the Roma). And by bringing together instruments and environmental sounds, not too dissimilar to Ennio Morricone, Martyn Bennett is therefore able to “Take sounds from real life and use them in organized sounds”. A highly recommended album. - 7.5/10 - TerryA – Summer 2006

There is also a good Dutch language article by Moors Magazine on Martyn Bennett that can be found at: http://www.moorsmagazine.com/muziekbak/martynbennett.html





RAZORLIGHT – Razorlight (Mercury Records/Universal)
Released July 2006


Two years after the hugely successful debut "Up All Night" Razorlight have put together a mature and mellow sounding record which at the first listen doesn't jump out as a smash hit. I'm actually struggling to see where the singles would come from apart from the current "In the Morning" released prior to the album. However this record is a grower and after the third listen I find myself enjoying the album more and more, with "Who needs love" and "America" being the stand out tracks as most have lost that raw debut sound, while "Back to the start" is certain to be a Live hit. There are down sides to this album it bothers me to admit, the intro to "Pop Song 2006" sounds too similar to a certain U2 number, or maybe they did a trade at Live 8 who knows? ... And the reworked "Kirby's House" from the War Child Compilation is now slowed down to almost a stand still and although the song is clearer the impact just isn't there. Or it could be that I really liked the first recorded version and it's hard to see a good song changed. Overall this album is good and shows a true progression for Razorlight. Personally I'm looking forward to seeing these songs performed in the bands usual energetic live sets. 7.5/10 - Hughsie – 27th July 2006



VITALIC – OK Cowboy (PIAS)
Released 2005


Back in 2002 Vitalic (aka Pascal Arbez) had a hit and subsequently got to play at all the cool European festivals. His style of electronic music was heavily influenced by AIR and DAFT PUNK and when he released the album "OK Cowboy" last year many people (especially in the Benelux) considered it to be one of the better albums of 2005, and now with the release of the track "Bells" as an EP he has been able to regenerate interest in the album, only the thing is that after several plays the cracks begin to appear because most of the material on "OK Cowboy" was originally written around 2003 and all things electro have since moved on leaving Pascal stranded in a bit of a no mans land.
5/10 - TerryA – summer 2006




ZERO 7 - The Garden (Warner Music UK Ltd – Atlantic Records)
Released 2006


This is the 3rd and new album from Zero 7 duo Henry Binns & Sam Hardaker, known by many simply as ‘the British Air’ since their first album Simple Things (2001) drew comparisons with the French electro duo who were at that time enjoying critical acclaim. As well as holding onto the electronic down-tempo sound for which they are known, "The Garden" differs from their previous albums due to added vocal presence from two distinct influences, one brought about by the song writing and vocal input of Portuguese born Swedish national singer-songwriter José González on four of the tracks, the other due to the vocals on most other tracks of vocalist Sia Furler who also featured on their 2nd album When It Falls (2004). Whereas the ‘González’ songs are more laid-back with some acoustic guitar and the almost haunting vocals of the singer-songwriter (track 11 cover of González’s own ‘Crosses’ being my favourite), the ‘Sia’ songs in contrast are more upbeat with her voice reminding me slightly of Morcheeba’s previous and best-known vocalist Skye Edwards. A fine album and although not as experimental or (in my opinion) nearly as good as French electro kings Air, Zero 7 do deserve to be rid of the aforementioned label that hangs around their neck. They certainly have a sound of their own that has become more apparent with the release of "The Garden" - 7/10 - Nick – Summer 2006




GRACE JONES - The Grace Jones Story {Digitally Re-mastered Double CD} (Universal/Island Records)
Released June 2006


A highly recommended Anthology with 24 tracks that comes in a Hardback Cover and Includes a 24 Page Booklet, presenting the recordings that the Jamaican-born Actress/Super Model/Chanteuse recorded for Island Records, although sadly it therefore doesn't include any of her recordings on the ZTT label which included one of her biggest hit singles "Slave To The Rhythm" or the amazing "Storm" which was the stand out track on "The Avengers" soundtrack (1998 - WEA) and so much better than any of the recent Bond theme songs. In the 70`s Grace Jones went from a Broadway musical inspired sound through disco to then fuse this with the new wave and punk sounds of the early 80`s - her versions of Joy Division's "She's Lost Control" (coming in at over 8 minutes) and Roxy Music's "Love Is The Drug" are both unique and memorable. Over the years Grace Jones has worked with many influential producers and musicians, including disco pioneer Tom Moulton, Sly and Robbie, Trevor Horn (Frankie Goes To Hollywood, ABC, Belle & Sebastian and the forthcoming album by CAPTAIN), Nile Rodgers (Chic) and Tricky, while also collaborating with fashion designers and artists like Andy Warhol, Jean-Paul Goude and Keith Haring. She has since gone onto become a legend who musically and artistically has inspired plenty of artists and will no doubt continue to do so for many years to come. 7.5/10 - TerryA – summer 2006



LADYFUZZ – Kerfuffle (Transgressive Records)
Released April 2006


Since the end of last year there have been a fair few punk pop and indie rock bands emerging with female (blonde) singers and despite what some of the other music press would have you believe The Long Blondes just aren`t very good (and poor live) and Dirtie Blonde are just plain boring, while Be Your Own Pet, We Start Fires and Ladyfuzz are a breathe of fresh air and on the live front actually add something exciting to the current music scene. Released in April, the well produced debut album by this 3-piece arty punk pop band is one of those albums that needs to be played loud. There are moments when you can hear Bow Wow Wow or The Sugar Cubes influences, while the bass, the guitar and the beats all sound extremely tight and the vocals still penetrate and mesmerize at just the right mix. The album title "Kerfuffle" meaning "a disorderly outburst", "a disruption" or "an interruption of regular procedure" is also worth a mention, as it is in fact the virtual opposite of the play safe and reserved Dutch culture (trust me, the image they are still trying to cling onto as carefree and rebellious since the 60`s is a total myth!) - "When X & Y don`t see eye to eye then you know it's time to die" - Ladyfuzz are in fact one of those new bands that could never come from Holland yet one that any new band here could learn from! A very promising debut album. - 7/10 - TerryA – July 2006



NOUVELLE VAGUE – Bande à Part (Peace Frog/PIAS)
Released June 2006


French Low-Fi electro popsters who release their 2nd album with their own quirky take on for the most part alternative hits from the 70`s & 80`s. The idea doesn't appeal yet on listening to their versions of classics by The Buzzcocks, Visage, New Order, Echo & The Bunnymen and Bauhaus it somehow does and therefore a welcome summer album. Whether it stands the test of time is irrelevant.
7/10 - TerryA – summer 2006



MUSE – Black Holes and Revelations (Atlantic/Warners)
Released July 2006


Their new album has been described as grand and bombastic. Comparisons have been drawn to Coldplay, Pink Floyd and even Prince. Ever since their 2003 album (Absolution) and subsequent headline appearances at the summer festivals during 2004 they are currently one of Britain's biggest guitar bands and by this time next year will probably be outselling 2 of the 3 aforementioned acts worldwide. Their new album "Black Holes and Revelations" is already topping the charts and the general opinion is that it is a great album and is more dramatic and experimental than their previous 3 albums. So why do I still find myself playing the new albums by P!ATD and The Futureheads more frequently? Because for all the sales and hype I believe that this album, although very good, actually caters more for the pre-programmed rather than the adventurous. Imagine if you were to meet someone who'd been away living on a remote island for the past ten years then you could tell them that this album is just like "U2 and ELO meeting up at a Queen gig", which is not a bad thing at all if done with a bit of imagination because ELO probably never got the credit they deserved and in their early days Queen songs had great vocal delivery! The stand out tracks on this album are "Starlight", recent single "Supermassive Black Hole", "Map of the Problematique", "Assassin" and closing track "Knights of Cydonia", although "Invincible" (track 6) is definitely the albums low point with its U2/Keane style ballad (although still better than Keane`s recent attempt to copy U2 with their single "Is It Any Wonder"!) This album also has some great lyrics: "How can we win, when fools can be kings!" (Knights of Cydonia) being a good example. MUSE are already on course to going global and who am I to rock the boat?
7.5/10 - TerryA – July 2006



ARLING & CAMERON – hi-fi underground (Challenge Records)
Released 2006


Back in the late 90`s the Dutch based electro pop duo of Gerry Arling & Richard Cameron looked like they were about to follow in the slipstream of french band AIR but an unfortunate road traffic accident in Spain along with a reported dispute (by Dutch radio station VPRO) to do with their European record company PIAS resulted in them not releasing anything for over 5 years. Now they are back with their first album on a different record label and have delivered what can only be described as a hit and miss affair. The album has some cool ideas and is well produced, while musically it is for the most part definitely worth checking out, but lyrically they've made a fatal mistake by settling for non-English speakers trying to sing in English that just doesn't work in the way that it does for AIR! The stand out tracks include `Open` (track 4) where the keyboard intro is like AIR meeting The Stranglers, `Games` (track 11), the mellow sounds found in `Change` and `Slow Food` (tracks 6 & 12) and `You Make It Real` (track 8) which is a bit like Depeche Mode meeting the Happy Mondays! The lesser moments include `Words` (track 5) that starts promising enough with its ELO influences but ironically has a very poor choice of "words"!, `I Don't Need It` which just doesn't seem to go anywhere, and the dreadful `Computer` (track 9) with its cheesy Euro pop beats that is almost as bad as a Gwen Stefani track! For the most part Arling & Cameron have delivered a decent enough album but I have my doubts as to whether they are capable of making an impact in the international market? They do appear to have good contacts over in the states so I suppose time will tell.
6.5/10 - TerryA – July 2006



MARIA RITA – Segundo (Warner Music Brazil)
Released 2005


Back in 2003 the Brazilian singer Maria Rita released her self-titled debut album in South America (on WEA) and within the space of a few months she became the most talked about singer across the continent. I came across the album in 2004 during a trip to Uruguay and even though her music and Portuguese lyrics don’t necessarily fit into what we consider the alternative music scene the album made such an impact it became impossible to ignore it’s inclusion when it was time to nominate options for the best album of the year (see HERE for the AAPA Best Albums section). Apart from having an incredible voice, Maria Rita is in fact the daughter of none other than Tom Jobim (the creator of the Bossa-Nova sound in the 60’s) and with her debut album she has taken some of those cool influences into the new millennium, and now with her second album “Segundo” she has firmly established herself as quite possibly the most influential and exciting artist from Latin America today. You can forget the likes of Shakira or Jennifer Lopez, as Maria Rita is very much the real deal and to that there simply is no argument!
7.5/10 - TerryA - June 2006



HOT CHIP – The Warning (EMI)
Released June 2006


Described by some sections of the press as being laptop funksters, kitsch ironists or Britain's answer to LCD Soundsystem, and having recently been invited by GOLDFRAPP to support them during their UK tour, HOT CHIP are at the forefront of the Art-Pop scene and with the release of their new album (which is a follow up to their 2004 debut album "Coming On Strong") and European summer festival dates in the pipeline, it looks like 2006 could be their breakthrough year. With new album "The Warning" it becomes quickly apparent that Hot Chip's influences include Brian Eno, French bands like Cassius and Air (track 4 & 10), Kraftwerk, Depeche Mode (track 9) and New Order (track 5), but they are still able to give this album a truly unique sound in which after several listens we end up with at least 8 great tracks. Add to that crisp and clear vocals and we have a really uplifting album which actually makes you smile! Highly recommended.
8/10 - TerryA - 11th June 2006



THE FUTUREHEADS – News and Tributes (Warner/679/Vagrant - depending on country)
Released 29th May 2006 (10th June in Benelux region)


The eagerly anticipated 2nd album from The Futureheads has finally hit the shops although the AAPA album of the month recommendation for May 2006 (link - > HERE ) didn't actually come out in the Benelux region until 10th June. Initial reviews in the Dutch press appear to suggest that they preferred the self titled debut album (from 2004) or that they thought this album should have had more punk influences, to which all I can say is bollocks! Here is in fact a band who know how to use space to maximum effect, who don't have the need to fill their songs with extended guitar solos yet still create spiky punk pop gems filled with dynamics, emotion and cool harmonies (Something that a lot of bands in Holland today can really learn from!) - The Futureheads have in fact delivered one of those albums that music lovers will still talk about in years to come. "Skip To The End" (track 4) was the first single taken from this album and while some are now saying that "Worry About It Later" (track 9) should be their next single I would say just program your CD player in to play tracks 3, 5, 8, 9 & 10 and you then immediately hear five more potential singles! - That alone is one reason why their 2nd album is far superior to their self titled debut album and I can't wait for their next instalment. Not just highly recommended - This album is an essential purchase. - 8.5/10 - TerryA - June 2006



THE RACONTEURS – Broken Boy Soldiers (V2)
Released May 2006


Jack from The White Stripes sets up a side project with his mates and after a well received tour of the UK earlier this year in which they also released the single "Steady, As She Goes", they then follow it up with this album which is heavily influenced by the mid 60`s sound, but nowhere near the same class as Lennon & McCartney that a certain Dutch publication would have people believe. The end result is a decent, pleasant enough record but not as impressive or groundbreaking as some of the hype that has surrounded its release. I also predict that within a few years it will be conveniently forgotten by most involved and to be found in abundance in the bargain section of your local CD shop.
6/10 - TerryA - 30th May 2006



NIGHTMARES ON WAX - In a Space Outta Sound (Warp)
Released March 2006


After 8 years finally a new album from NoW, one of the survivors (and rightly so) from the early 90's UK "rave" scene. Their albums have progressed through the years with a maturing and eclectic sound incorporating diverse musical influences wrapped up in a seriously laid back & groovy jacket. Luckily they have left the "rave" sound well and truly behind and had also remixed an Ennio Morricone track (Chi Mai) a few years ago. From the outset the new album does not disappoint and continues to get better with each playback, a perfect soundtrack to taking it easy and enjoying the sunshine. The overriding influences of this album are old-skool funk, soul and reggae but with a contemporary sound. Highlights are track 1 ("Passion") with its dreamy soulful beats and funky riffs, track 3 ("Flip Ya lid") which is more up-tempo with a distinctively reggae beat and instantly made me want to dance (which I did!). I could in fact name pretty much each song as a favourite on this album, but will just say that track 9 ("Me!") is deliciously funky and track 10 ("I Am You") is a cracking Motown influenced soulful number with a seriously groovy beat. I remain a big NoW fan whose sound continues to evolve while remaining excellent. 8/10 - Nick - May 2006



PJ HARVEY – On Tour, Please Leave Quietly (Island) - DVD
Released May 2006


Apart from her music the most appealing thing about PJ Harvey is her unique talent for the totally unpredictable and that maybe just like modern day life not everything is necessarily better if it's always perfect! Here we have the first official live PJ Harvey DVD with a great summary of her musical input from the past 15 years which was taken from her last worldwide tour (2004) when she was out promoting the critically acclaimed "Uh Huh Her" album (island records). In-between the live set of 16 songs we are also able to witness what is happening backstage and the DVD extras also include an exclusive interview with the artist along with additional behind the scenes footage and excerpts from songs that were not included in any of her gigs that all help make this DVD different to the norm (unlike the majority of artists who get to that stage in their career when they release the standard "highly polished" compilation, singles or Greatest Hits album) and therefore this is a really good acquisition. And on the subject of PJ Harvey, she ends up having a not to dissimilar impact and influence on the (alternative) music scene that Bowie had in the 70`s or Depeche Mode in the 80`s in that consistent Top 20 chart entries are much better in the long run than having a number 1. (see also our Most Influential Albums list - > HERE ) - 8/10 - TerryA – 26th May 2006



ENNIO MORRICONE – Here's To You (RCA/Sony/BMG)
Released May 2006


“Taking sounds from real life and using them in organized sounds”. This is a highly recommended compilation album featuring 18 excellent live tracks which highlight Morricone`s impact on the music scene since the mid 60`s when he shot to fame with his spaghetti western soundtracks for Sergio Leone. This album has been made available on a DualDisc (two sided - 1 side CD, 1 side DVD) which includes footage from recent concerts in London & Budapest along with an exclusive interview with the maestro. 8/10 - TerryA - 18th May 2006



PANIC! AT THE DISCO – A Fever You Can't Sweat Out (Decaydance / FueledByRamen Records)
Released 2005


For some background info on this album see also the FALL OUT BOY review (below). Within the space of a few months P!ATD are currently the hottest new band to arrive from the states. Their debut album "A Fever You Can't Sweat Out" is (just like FOB) filled with very catchy garage punk songs that for the most part have very long, if at times amusing song titles, including recent singles "Time To Dance" (track 6) and "I Write Sins Not Tragedies" (track 10). After several listens I have to say that this album is better than the FOB offering if only because P!ATD have a lot more variation to their songs. There are a lot of similarities on display here - Both bands focus on the same quick fire approach and lyrically they are also not too dissimilar. Time will tell which one stands the test of time? In the meantime P!ATD are a good addition to the stream of new(ish) bands which are now coming over from the other side of the Atlantic Ocean. Recommended. 8/10 - TerryA - May 2006



JAPAN - The Very Best Of (Virgin Records/EMI)
Released April 2006


Virgin have finally released a collection of songs from David Sylvian & Co from the days when he fronted JAPAN in the early 80`s. A band who were way ahead of their time and with this selection of tracks we can hear why! A very welcome and recommended release and almost essential for any new bands starting out today! 8/10 - TerryA - 8th May 2006



MORRISSEY – Ringleader of the Tormentors (Attack/Sanctuary Records)
Released 3rd April 2006


“There is no such thing in life as normal” … After his sensational return to form in 2004, having since relocated to Italy and with former Bowie collaborator Tony Visconti now given the responsibility for the production and mixing there was a lot of anticipation concerning this new Morrissey album. Well the long wait is finally over and it looks like we have another hit on our hands with the stand out tracks being the album opener “I Will See You In Far Off Places”, current single “You Have Killed Me”, “The Youngest Was The Most Loved”, “At Last I Am Born” and forthcoming single “In The Future When All’s Well”, while “Dear God Please Help Me” includes a unique string section which has been written and arranged by none other than Ennio Morricone. The album loses its way a little with tracks 8 & 9 (possibly because too many lyrics appear to be crammed into these two songs?) but it then picks up again just in time to finish off in magnificent style. In the year that Steven Patrick Morrissey becomes 47 it is sometimes hard to believe that the former lead singer of THE SMITHS was a favourite of the late John Peel over 30 years ago and with this latest release he delivers one of the best albums so far this year. 8/10 - TerryA – April 2006



FALL OUT BOY – From Under The Cork Tree (Island / FueledByRamen Records)
Released 2005


The hottest new band to arrive in Europe until their bass player set up his own record company (Decaydance) and they then started releasing albums from bands who were more exciting than themselves! With "From Under The Cork Tree" FOB bring us an album filled with very catchy garage punk songs that for the most part have very long, if at times amusing song titles. The highlights on this album include tracks 4, 7, 8 & 9, recent single "Dance, Dance" (track 3) and "A Little Less Sixteen Candles, A Little More - Touch Me" (track 11) which should probably have just been called "All`s Calm - Touch Me" instead?! However, with the exception of REM or Talking Heads I believe that I have finally discovered why the majority of US bands end up becoming predictable and if we look at history: rather uninspiring? In my opinion it's because they usually all end up repeating those jangly guitar riffs once too often - in a Pearl Jam or Bon Jovi kind of way, but eventually very dull and after repeated plays incredibly boring! That said, FOB claim to be inspired by the British music scene from the 70`s & 80`s (punk, The Clash, The Smiths, etc) but even they just can't resist chucking in those guitar riffs. Image wise they do look a bit too manufactured with their designer clothes and haircuts, and although they are not the new HANSON it`s when they start coming out with lyrics like "We're going to be burning down the City" that they're just not totally believable! The end result is that this is a good but not great album from an interesting but not exciting band who are currently very much on the rise. Fall Out Boy will also be huge across Europe come the end of the year but I can't help but wonder where their CDs will be found in 3 or 4 years time? - 7.5/10 - TerryA - March 2006



MASSIVE ATTACK - Collected (Virgin Records/EMI)
Released March 2006

When I first heard towards the end of last year that Massive Attack were going to be releasing a new album I had presumed that it was going to be an album with new material, and not as it turns out a collection of their best work (spanning the past 15 years since the release of Safe From Harm in 1991) with the addition of one new song – the current single “Live With Me”. On saying that though it is a great collection of songs by one of the more influential bands to emerge since the 90’s. Highly recommended. 8/10 - TerryA - 31st March 2006



THE KOOKS - Inside in / Inside out (Virgin Records)
Released 2006


In anticipation of the upcoming edition of ‘London Calling’ in Amsterdam I thought I would check out the Kooks debut album, Inside in Inside out, before seeing them live. Produced by Tony Hoffer (Beck), mentioned in the same sentence as the Arctic Monkeys (In Holland at least) and tipped for success in 2006, after three listens my opinion is somewhat different. Although a number of catchy songs (see the world, sofa song, eddie’s gun, ooh la, time awaits) ensure that the album certainly won’t be a complete flop, comparison to the Arctics is unjustified, with a distinctly recognisable mid-nineties Supergrass / Toploader / Dodgy sound in some songs (actually all the catchy ones mentioned above) as a much more realistic evaluation. The Kooks’ sound and lyrics are much less raw and edgy than that of the Arctics, reflecting maybe more of a privileged middle class influence on their music (they are from Brighton, not Sheffield!), and at the same time less upbeat and comical than that of Supergrass. Jumping on the bandwagon maybe, with the usual songs about teenage life and love etc, I am not convinced that they will achieve the success being tipped for them from this mediocre album alone. Not different, not new and not massively memorable.
6/10 - Nick - March 2006



FIELD MUSIC – Field Music (Memphis Industries/Chrysalis)
Released 2005


Once every so often a band comes along who deliver a debut album that totally appeals yet you can't quite place them into any category, and even though when listening there are the occasional moments that sound slightly familiar the songs unexpectedly change direction and you are then left wondering all over again where they'll end up. Released last year, Field Music hail from Sunderland and have connections with the band members of both neighbours The Futureheads and Maximo Park (who come from just up the road in Newcastle) yet for the most part sound nothing like them. In fact Uncut Magazine reported that "Field Music sound like Wire arranged by The Beach Boys", but if someone else were to say that musically "they sound like bass lines from The Stranglers mixed up with Blur or Madness keyboards along with a touch of Lloyd Cole" then they'd still be close as they really are that diverse! And on the live front, for those lucky enough to have got there early enough, Field Music were reported to have been one of the better bands who appeared at one of the London Calling events in Amsterdam towards the end of 2005, so here's hoping they will return to the Benelux region soon. A highly recommended debut album and definitely one to watch out for in the future. - 7.5/10 - TerryA – March 2006



PLACEBO – MEDS (Virgin Records/EMI)
Released March 2006


It’s been a while since we had a brand new Placebo album (last year they brought us a CD with their compilation of hits) - ‘MEDS’ is out on 10th March in The Netherlands and 13th March in the UK (not sure why that is but we are certainly not complaining!)
The album opener is title track ‘Meds’ and is very familiar both musically and lyrically … sex & drugs – confusion & complications … very Placebo. The standout tracks on this album include ‘Infra-Red’, ‘Because I want you’ (recent single), ‘Blind’ and ‘Broken Promise’ (which features REM’s Michael Stipe) with its ballad intro that suddenly explodes into life, while the albums closing track ‘Song to say goodbye’ would be a great future single, but there are also the lesser moments with ‘Follow the cops back home’ which starts with promise but ends up going nowhere, the rather repetitive ‘Post Blue’, and while ‘One of a kind’ has some clever lyrics these 3 tracks end up being all rather dull and unnecessary. Now don’t get me wrong, MEDS is a good, at times even a very good album and is very well produced, but considering that Placebo signed their lucrative record deal back in 1995 I suppose that I was expecting something more exciting from them rather than what in effect is a “Placebo by numbers” on offer here? - And that is both a shame and for them a wasted opportunity to be able to ascend to the upper tier of the alternative music scene. Or maybe this was more a case of releasing a new album to consolidate their recent meteoric rise in Latin America rather than trying to take it up a gear in the European and North American markets? – It will still be interesting to see where they go from here though. The limited edition version of this album also includes a bonus DVD and if you’re quick a free T-shirt, while the artwork is striking and model Sabrina is probably a good dancer too! - 7.5/10 - TerryA – March 2006



TOO MUCH TEXAS – Juvenilia (New Memorabilia Records)
Released 10th April 2006

Back in the 80’s before TOM HINGLEY became the lead singer of INSPIRAL CARPETS, and who has since gone onto release solo (acoustic) albums and is due to release a brand new album with THE LOVERS later this year, he fronted the band TOO MUCH TEXAS and here for the first time is a retrospective collection of 19 songs with extras from that period, of which some have never previously been released, all now available on one CD. The stand out tracks on ‘Juvenilia’ include “Hurry On Down”, “Jane” (with its New Order influences), “Harp” and “Rogue” (which with Tom’s use of his vocals is reminiscent of what he ended up doing on some of those classic inspirals songs in the 90’s) and “Anchor” (which featured on the AAPA Monthly play list back in January), while “Volcano” with its 80’s industrial and new wave influences would go down a treat today if released by one of these new upcoming bands that are going back to this very period in their attempt to try and create something new! And with “Plaything” and “Compact” you can also hear those JOY DIVISION influences – no real surprise then to discover that TOO MUCH TEXAS also used to support NEW ORDER at gigs, while “Fixed Link” could easily be a current FRANZ FERDINAND track. Who said that alternative music in the 80’s wasn’t influential? - 7/10 – TerryA – March 2006

For more info about TOO MUCH TEXAS and forthcoming gigs please go to: http://www.myspace.com/toomuchtexas
For more info about/voor meer info over INSPIRAL CARPETS, TOM HINGLEY & THE LOVERS go to LINKS /ga naar onze LINKS pagina.



BELLE AND SEBASTIAN – The Life Pursuit [limited edition with Bonus DVD] (Rough Trade)
Released February 2006


This wasn’t the easiest album to find in Dutch record shops but we were finally able to track a copy down thanks to ‘Sounds’ in Delft and it was a pleasant surprise to discover that the CD also included an additional DVD which has 6 of the album tracks (including recent single “Funny Little Frog”) recorded live during a BBC session. Their latest album “The Life Pursuit” has been receiving excellent reviews and some say it is their best album to date. “Dress up in you”, “For the price of a cup of tea”, “Sukie in the graveyard” and album opener “Act of the Apostle” are real gems, while the very catchy “White Collar Boy” (track 3) with its Goldfrapp style intro has those 70’s influences emphasized in the next track with the T.Rex and dare I say it Suzi Quatro sounds which are then found in “The Blues are still blue”! And then with “Mornington Crescent” (track 13) they have the perfect song to close off their album with. I have to say that I can now only conclude that this is a superb, genuine feel good album that in hindsight should really have been our February Album of the month. The bonus DVD also contains a feature providing a good insight into this band that have been going for over 10 years now and unfortunately haven’t made the impact they should have done outside their native Scotland and the UK. Their songs have a strong, often sarcastic and humorous, lyrical content and its possible that this may have been a contributing factor for them, so far, not having received the recognition outside of the UK that they most definitely deserve. BELLE AND SEBASTIAN will be touring parts of the European mainland in May and we strongly recommend that you get yourselves along to what promises to be an excellent gig. 8/10 – TerryA – March 2006



ARCTIC MONKEYS – Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not (Domino Records)
Released January 2006

You get two reviews of this album because it brought up two separate patterns of thought. REVIEW A was on the very first play and my immediate impression, while REVIEW B was after being able to play it all weekend. TerryA 22-1-2006.


REVIEW B
It’s fitting that the band come from Sheffield because they are the first generation to emerge that were born immediately during or after the last big Miners strikes where Sheffield in particular was hard hit. The ARCTIC MONKEYS have delivered an album without the shackles of Conservatism and Thatcher, or the zombie like state of Blair’s New Britain where materialism is deemed more important than life itself. The songs have great lyrics about Inner City life, under age drinking, smoking, moody or sulky girlfriends, running away from the police just for a laugh, nightclub bouncers, daft chat up lines and getting off with the ugly bird with the fake tan by the end of the night, local gangland mentality, drunken fights at taxi ranks, accepting the odd beating by the police, the aftermath of a night out when one realizes that most of everything we do is normally in vain, yet at the same time about taking your opportunities when you can. This album will probably end up having the same kind of impact as the film “Trainspotting” had in the mid 90’s and the band should go from strength to strength over the coming years just as long as they’re allowed to remain true to their beliefs and origins. In this case the hype that preceded this release is more than justified and this is an excellent debut album. - 8.5/10 - TerryA

REVIEW A
Death to House, Death to rave culture, Death of the disco dancer! – No, really! Finally an album that is strong on both music and lyrics, that paints a perfect picture of Inner City life and youth culture in Britain today, not too dissimilar to the impact made by The Smiths back in the 80’s, although it may not initially be appreciated by the majority of kids in most of the other Western European countries because they’re still living for the most part in a bubble where life is predictable, undemanding, safe and where house music and rave culture is still so hip even though it is now 2006!! Arctic Monkeys are hopefully the band that will wake people up again with their tales about under age drinking, smoking, having a laugh, urban life and taking your opportunities. New single “When The Sun Goes Down” touches on those red light districts in Inner City areas not too dissimilar to the Inspiral Carpets forgotten classic “Sackville”, while the last song on the album “A Certain Romance” highlights the aftermath of a night out when one realizes that most of everything we do is usually in vain.
This is a highly recommended debut album. - 8.5/10 - TerryA



THE STROKES – First Impressions Of Earth (Rough Trade in the UK, RCA/Sony/BMG in The Netherlands)
Released January 2006


Thankfully a vast improvement on their last album “Room On Fire” (2003) but unfortunately nowhere near as impressive as their debut album “Is This It” (2001), The Strokes have returned at the start of the year with a new album that for the most part delivers, especially with tracks like “Ize Of The World” and album opener “You Only Live Once”. However, it also has it’s lesser moments with the very Irish tinged and totally unnecessary “15 Minutes”, and I’m not sure if intentional or by accident but the chorus of “Razorblade” (track 4) is disturbingly similar to the 70’s Barry Manilow hit “Mandy”, which in my opinion is not very cool, original or clever! Also, while the band has used some interesting artwork from all over the world for their booklet that accompanies the album, their original black, red and white artwork doesn’t appear to be that original at all and if anything they have settled for the rejects from the same designer who is responsible for The White Stripes sleeves? This album will appeal to The Strokes large fan base but is unlikely to convert that many newcomers to their music, which is a shame. 7/10 - TerryA

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