• Skip to main content
  • Skip to header right navigation
  • Skip to site footer
  • Magazine
  • Our Story
  • Buzz Learning
  • Buzz TV
  • Contact Buzz
Buzz Magazine

Buzz Magazine

What's On in Wales - Your Ultimate Guide

  • Culture
    • Art
    • Books
    • Comedy
    • Dance
    • Film
    • Music
    • Sport
    • Theatre
    • TV
  • Life
    • Reviews
    • Interviews
    • Travel
    • Food & Drink
    • Community
    • Environment
  • Regions
    • South Wales
    • Mid Wales
    • West Wales
    • North Wales
  • What’s On
  • Culture
    • Art
    • Books
    • Comedy
    • Dance
    • Film
    • Music
    • Sport
    • Theatre
    • TV
  • Life
    • Reviews
    • Interviews
    • Travel
    • Food & Drink
    • Community
    • Environment
  • Regions
    • South Wales
    • Mid Wales
    • West Wales
    • North Wales
  • What’s On

  • Magazine
  • Our Story
  • Buzz Learning
  • Buzz TV

  • Contact Buzz
  • Write for Buzz
  • Advertising
  • Jobs
  • FAQs
  • Privacy Policy

You are here: Home / Culture / Music / Albums / THIS WEEK’S NEW ALBUMS REVIEWED | FEATURE

THIS WEEK’S NEW ALBUMS REVIEWED | FEATURE

April 23, 2021 Category: Albums, Reviews

THIS WEEK’S NEW ALBUMS REVIEWED | FEATURE

 

ALAN VEGA

Mutator (Sacred Bones)

 

Sometimes ‘lost’ albums are lost for a reason, and best not found. But the eight songs that make up Mutator weren’t deliberately discarded, merely forgotten about by an artist always eager to move on. Recorded in 1995 and ‘96 during an especially creative period, these tracks have been discovered, dusted down and served up by the late Suicide member’s musical and marital partner Liz Lamere and fellow collaborator Jared Artaud of The Vacant Lots.

While Alan Vega [pictured, top] isn’t likely to be resurrected as a hologram for live performances any time soon, on Mutator he does frequently sound like a man trying to communicate from the other side via séance – his Elvis baritone ringing out amid atmospheric clanking, echoing wails and swirls of disembodied voices on Trinity and Psalm 68 in particular.

As with any posthumous release, it pays to ask who benefits. In this case, thankfully, it’s Vega fans as well as anyone who needs reminding of his extensive influence. Fist is a relentless Kraftwerkian soundtrack to a J G Ballard film, while Nike Soldier is like being cornered down a dark alley by the Knight Rider theme tune. Even the floating melody of Samurai carries a sense of threat, Vega raging over the top “Wake up, it’s finished – IT’S FINISHED!” And yet it isn’t, with the promise of more unreleased material from the “Vega Vault” to come.

words BEN WOOLHEAD

 

BIG|BRAVE

Vital (Southern Lord)

 

You are always guaranteed a certain amount of sonic abuse from a Southern Lord release and Vital, the newest output from Big|Brave proudly carries on that tradition. The album carries the same aural mood as mid-90s Neurosis, but the discrepancy in that picture comes with the vocal talent of Robin Wattie. Her minimalist yet haunting vocal style reveal the band’s folk roots and are a perfect juxtaposition for the band’s newfound intensity.

Absolutely on point too are the lyrics, dealing with themes at the forefront of the world’s conscience as race and gender are given a thorough examination. Legend has it that Big|Brave came by this new sound quite by accident, after an acoustic guitar mishap forced them to go electric at a gig. So for a band that stumbled onto this sound, it looks very good on them.

words CHRIS ANDREWS

 

FIELD MUSIC

Flat White Moon (Memphis Industries) 

 

From the opening notes of Orion From The Street I knew this album was something special: a catchy sigh of relief in preparation for a carefree summer. The Brewis brothers, who founded Field Music and who began recording tracks for this album in 2019, wanted to create songs that “make people feel good about things that we feel terrible about,” and the result delivers.

Flat White Moon’s eclectic combination of rhythms and catchy pop melodies evoke 60s psychedelic rock. Standout numbers You Get Better and Do Me A Favour experiment with fun and bold combinations, yet behind the grooves and bright notes there’s a distinct sadness to the lyrics. These emotions – of love lost, confusion, and loneliness – feel like a soundtrack to teenage summers, bringing back memories of drinking snakebites in beer gardens with only adventure and time ahead.

Flat White Moon is the strongest offering from the Sunderland band yet: I for one will be playing this album on repeat. 

words ELOUISE HOBBS

 

GILBY CLARKE

The Gospel Truth (Golden Robot)

 

Gilby Clarke will always be known as the guy who replaced Izzy on Guns N’ Roses’ behemoth Use Your Illusion Tour. As he never played on any studio recordings of the band’s original material he’s seen by many – including, supposedly, Axl Rose – as a hired gun. Since the 90s GN’R imploded, this stylish six-string slinger has been earning his crust with artists as diverse as Heart and Nancy Sinatra. But it’s his time with the MC5 that can be heard resonating throughout The Gospel Truth, his first solo album in 20 years.
There’s no getting away from the fact that Clarke’s voice just doesn’t cut through the production of cranked-up guitars and crunching bass. With a different singer, tracks like Rock N Roll Is Getting Louder and Rusted And Busted could have been raised to the same level as Clarke’s guitar playing. There’s some Slash-like swagger to his lines and a real rock’n’roll vibe when the solos kick in, giving the songs a welcome lift. But, without the aggression and attitude of GN’R or the MC5 to shape and sell the music, each song is just a long wait until the solo comes in.

words JOHN-PAUL DAVIES

 

SOUL CLAP

WTF (World Transformation Force) (Fool’s Gold)

 

To coincide with Earth Day, an annual event to demonstrate support for Environment Protection, Soul Clap are releasing their fourth album on the Brooklyn-based Fool’s Gold label. The DJ and production duo from Boston say WTF is their reaction to what’s happening to this planet called Earth, and the human beings on it.

Over 15 tracks, Soul Clap take us on a journey of underground house, blending elements of r’n’b, garage, hip-hop, funk, and downtempo electronica; the list of guest artists includes Tra’zae Clinton, grandson of funk legend George Clinton. Soul Clap believe that things will get better, and their positive message can be heard throughout, in both lyrics and music – take Back 2 Love and Peace Love Unity And Respect as two examples, while Enough Is Enough is an album highlight.

Soulful and funky, World Transformation Force is a call for radical love and radical hope, and it’s come at the right time.

words EMMA J SMITH

  • Tweet

About Buzz

Buzz Magazine is one of the most established magazines in Wales with 30 years experience in creating unique content that promotes and supports Welsh culture and lifestyle.

Tag: alan vega, ben woolhead, big|brave, buzz album reviews, chris andrews, ELOUISE HOBBS, emma j smith, field music, gilby clarke, john-paul davies, soul clap

You may also like:

Bob Vylan

Current & vital, BOB VYLAN are at the top of their game live in Cardiff

Malevolence, Malicious Intent

MALICIOUS INTENT continues Sheffield metallers MALEVOLENCE’s upward swing

Florence and the Machine, Dance Fever

FLORENCE + THE MACHINE mix humour & heavenly inspiration on DANCE FEVER

London rockers PUPPY make every riff count at no-frills Clwb gig

Subjective - credit: Ollie Grove

SUBJECTIVE: electronica duo GOLDIE & DAVIDSON travel through genres and time on second collab

Everything Everything., Raw Data Feel

EVERYTHING EVERYTHING revolutionise modern pop with experimental sixth album


Sidebar

Looking for something to do?

The Ultimate Guide to What’s on in Wales!

See What’s On
BTP - Campaign

Buzz archives

Buzz Magazine

12 Gaspard Place
Barry
Vale Of Glamorgan
CF62 6SJ

[email protected]

Contact Us
  • Jobs
  • Advertising
  • Editorial
  • Submit an Event
  • Write for Buzz
About Us
  • Our Story
  • Magazine
  • Buzz Learning
  • Media Services
  • FAQs
  • Privacy Policy


Copyright © 2022   |   All Rights Reserved   |   Buzz Magazine   


We are using cookie tracking to give you the best experience on our website.

You can find out more about which cookies we track and personalise your preferences in settings.

Powered by  GDPR Cookie Compliance
Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible. Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful.

Strictly Necessary Cookies

Strictly Necessary Cookie should be enabled at all times so that we can save your preferences for cookie settings.

If you disable this cookie, we will not be able to save your preferences. This means that every time you visit this website you will need to enable or disable cookies again.