THIS WEEK’S NEW RELEASES REVIEWED | FEATURE
BIFFY CLYRO
A Celebration Of Endings (Warner Music)
Characterised by huge harmonies, erratic playing, and witty songcraft, Biffy Clyro are one of Scotland’s most outstanding exports. Though, despite their success, their experimentation can go overlooked. Coalescing a range of genres from musical theatre to electronica, opus eight – as they refer to the album in interviews – seeks to overturn any conception anyone might have of them as a musically ‘safe’ act.
North Of No South and Weird Leisure prove Biffy’s way with memorable melodies, while retaining a sense of vigour and possibility. The Champ matches acerbic political lyricism with a progression that concludes in an inspiring crescendo, and single Instant History will continue to be divisive on account of its glaring synths, yet proves another unexpected dynamic alteration. Notably though, everything comes together beautifully. The forceful severity of End Of cleverly contrasts with the serene qualities of Space and both feel completely convincing. A Celebration Of Endings can suffer from a refusal to flesh out the risks more fully at times, yet proves another exciting progression in a career imbued with them.
words ALEX SWIFT
Reimagined (Atlantic)
A year of non-touring takes its toll on Halestorm, Pennsylvania’s hard rocking quartet, as they put their typically exhausting schedule on hold and bring out another mid-LP release EP, this time filled with… reimagined versions of their most popular tracks.
There’s tension in the subdued bark of Lzzy Hale’s voice on I Get Off, while her brother Arejay seems to be having fun with a kind of Southern Gothic drum vibe on Mz Hyde. The whole EP feels like a showcase of their growing musicianship and interest in musicality within their tracks, as orchestral arrangements swirl around I Am The Fire and Break In, the latter of which features Amy Lee in a cameo. The standout may well be Lzzy adding some spice to the sugary-perfect I Will Always Love You, a song she often takes to the piano for in concert.
It’s an interesting mix, full of glistening overdubs and punchy production, but what it fails to deliver is any real sense of bite that the original tracks have. Is there anything new here for the fans? Not really, but they will certainly enjoy hearing some reimagined classics.
words JOE PRESCOTT
Even In Exile (MontyRay)
This new album from the Manic Street Preachers frontman combines familiar guitar stylings with a full, expansive production to tackle the topic of murdered Chilean activist, teacher and musician Victor Jara, with lyrics by Welsh poet Patrick Jones.
The album’s single, The Boy From the Plantation, is memorable enough, and, like many of the other tracks, features Bradfield’s decades-long habit of stressing syllables in the wrong places (“they could not REpress”). The direct proportion between how much of a Manics fan you are and how much time you’ve spent hearing their songs on the radio – or being dragged to their live gigs – is perhaps a good indicator of to what extent this quirk of Bradfield’s is irritating to your sensibilities.
The production does manage to capture that familiar bombastic sound in a satisfying way. Bradfield has no intention of touring Even In Exile, so, until the Manics can gig again, here’s something fans can enjoy, with enough layers of historical interest to suit close listening at home. What’s more, although Bradfield’s somewhat commercial rock sensibilities might not sit well with Jara’s Marxism, this album will undoubtedly bring awareness of the Chilean’s life and work to new audiences.
words ISABEL THOMAS
Lovers Don’t Meet (Canopus)
Although Shakespeare In Love was a massive hit for UK-based singer and songwriter Layla Kaylif many moons ago, there has been much going on since then with Kaylif immersing herself in the world of film. Now she is back with Lovers Don’t Meet, her first album in just over a decade.
One of Kaylif’s ambitions has been to make an album of songs inspired by the timeless wisdom of 13th Century Persian poet Rumi, and Lovers… is the end result of spending a few weeks in Nashville recording with producer Jason Hall, guitarist Ben Owens and session musicians Reed Pittman and Matt Iceman. That Nashville twang is evident throughout these seven songs, with some quite amazing acoustic and pedal steel sounds. Just-released single and album track As I Am was Inspired by 20th century Syrian poet Nizar Qabbani. While Let Me Count The Ways will be the theme tune to Kaylif’s forthcoming 1960s drama The Letter Writer, which she directed.
The frailty of human relationships seems to be a recurring theme throughout this mini-album, which enthralls in a manner akin to Joni Mitchell’s timeless Blue LP. Kaylif’s songs are both emotive and spiritual, with some remarkable wordplay wrapped in a lush blanket of folky, cinematic Americana.
words DAVID NOBAKHT
Soul Radio (Scotch Bonnet)
A reggae-infused cover of an old Smashing Pumpkins track might sound on paper as being as mismatched as The Wurzels covering Kraftwerk’s Autobahn, but Mungo’s Hi Fi and Marina P’s cover of the Pumpkins’ Soma works an absolute treat. This is a song that will sound amazing being blasted out of a massive sound system: think of the first time you heard Janet Kay’s Silly Games and you will be close to the goose bump inducing groove of Soul Radio’s opener.
Soul Radio primarily showcases the vocal talent of Marina P, who sings with both the sweetness of Kay and the suss of Neneh Cherry, and the heavyweight roots reggae studio skills of Mungo’s Hi Fi. The cover of Sonny and Cher’s And The Beat Goes On retitled as And The Beat Goes SKA! is a reggae music history lesson spanning different generations – rocksteady legend Dennis Alcapone sharing the mic with dancehall king Tippa Irie – and Marina P bringing it all nicely up-to-date.
Not all the tracks on Soul Radio lie within the rocksteady/reggae domain: Nice To Meet You and Great Wave are experimentally soulful tracks that will be right up your street if you like what Tricky does. With no Notting Hill Carnival this year and the pandemic erasing any kind of booming bass gathering from the summer calendar, grab an ice-cold can of Red Stripe from your fridge and tune into the mighty sound of Soul Radio instead.
words DAVID NOBAKHT
Chillin’ In The Void EP (Sad Club)
Lockdown has proven to be the perfect time for new music as Cardiff five-piece Rosehip Teahouse adds to an impressive list of new releases with their debut EP. Making a name for themselves with intimate gigs around the capital, singer Faye Rogers [pictured] and Alice Low produced the EP in a single night, proving just how great DIY music production can be in the right hands.
With dreamy vocals and jangly acoustic guitars reminiscent of indiepop giants like Daughter and Camera Obscura, Chillin’ In The Void evokes the laziness of overcast summer afternoons. Haunting harmonies, lo-fi beats and artful reverb make for a record oozing nostalgia and Joanna Newsom-esque storytelling. Listening to this EP is like being allowed personal access to the inner thoughts of the band: private, yet aching to be acknowledged. Accompanied, in some songs, by the plinky-plunk of guitar strings like raindrops on a corrugated roof, Chillin’… is five tracks of blissful melancholy.
words BECKY ADDIS