Ben Brookes - The Motor Car & The Weather Balloon (2017)

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Written by Frank McClure, posted by blog admin

The outstanding debut from Portsmouth, UK born Ben Brookes, The Motor Car & The Weather Balloon, recalls a time in rock and pop music when young artists aspired to more than just pandering for commercial attention. If this album scores commercially, Brookes can feel satisfied that his music has succeeded on its own terms rather than regurgitating the music and poses of others. It certainly succeeds artistically and the ten songs comprising its running order never subject listeners to a single second of filler. Brookes’ considerable talents have drawn the attention of some truly gifted veteran musicians; Mark Healey of Badfinger fame produced the effort and further contributions from Badfinger guitarist Joey Molland, keyboardist Greg Inhofer, and drummer Michael Bland illustrate how seasoned performers with sterling credits in their past are attracted to Brookes’ obvious talents. It makes for a thrilling listen and the cross pollination of American and English influences helps shape the release into something truly special.

“I Wanna Go Home” begins the album on a confident, bright note with a lyric that hints at deeper discontent and a musical arrangement that pushes back against those darker shadows. Brookes’ vocals here, and elsewhere, sound fully engaged with each passage and he shows excellent instincts for when to push his voice and when to relax and let the music speak for itself. “Integration (Not Segregation)” is one of the few instances on the album where Brookes indulges himself with some outright social commentary, but it isn’t ripped verbatim from the headlines and has more staying power as a statement than most as a result of that choice. The song has a generous amount of electric guitar, but it is part of a general trend dominating the album’s first half where acoustic guitar holds a greater sway over the album’s sound. The track “Asleep in Galilee” riffs on traditional English pop rock themes while managing to invoke, as well, a bluesy edge that will resurface later in the album. This seemingly improbable mix of English pop rock with near Americana makes it one of the album’s more successful tracks and elicits a truly memorable vocal from Brookes.

“Before Sunlight” is a deeply affecting number thanks, once more, to the melodic gifts that Brookes shows off throughout the course of this release. It features, as well, one of the album’s better lyrics and it matches up rather nicely with the aforementioned melody. Brookes really demonstrates his vocal talents with this one and follows the melody with sure handed confidence that makes it a great listening experience. The rock punch of “Stories in the Rain” and “Somewhere Around Eight” never feel like they stretch the boundaries of belief; Brookes is just as compelling of a performer as on the album’s lighter numbers and has a convincing jagged edge he’s capable of bringing to bear on songs like this. The album finishes up with “Shackles”, a song depending on the interplay between acoustic and electric guitar for much of its musical spark, and the lyrical themes close things with introspective flair. It’s a powerful release from the first song to last.

Thomas Abban - A Sheik's Legacy (2017)

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Written by David Shouse, posted by blog admin

It’s not often a Jimi Hendrix, Jim Morrison, Kurt Cobain, etc. type comes along in rock n’ roll that often anymore.  Someone who takes an idea from the smallest seed of a thought, grows it into a living breathing musical organism and cultivates it into an idea so unique that no matter what musical project they decide to tackle next, it will ALWAYS sound exactly like that person.  In 2017 we can say that Thomas Abban is the rooted of such a creative force with his debut album, A Sheik’s Legacy.  This feels like an innovative concept album of yore and though only Abban himself could tell you if it is or isn’t, the songs achieve this connected and kinetic power; a feeling of unity throughout the album that projects a staggeringly satisfying experience for the listener. 

The haunting, brooding “Death Song” hits like a kick in the gut as a roaming, acoustic walk down a wooded path soon becomes a hobbling, granite stomp of manic guitar scrabbles, molten drums and Abban’s primal, feral vocal howls.  It’s the start of an album with split personalities.  An album that unleashes a ferocious edge while tempering its calamity into a gentle melodicism.  Quickly picked, safari hunt acoustics thrust “Symmetry & Black Tar” into an upbeat frenzy.  Abban’s guitar-work glides nimbly atop the surging drum n’ bass energy as the track gives away into heavier guitar riffs and tribal percussion mash ups that eventually crash land into the lava hot, knife-edge blues swipes of “Fear” and “Aladdin.”  This duo goes straight for the throat in terms of heft and downturned groove; it’s got enough sweat n’ swagger to turn the heads of Sabbath fans. 

A dusty, cowpoke vibe paints the image of a gunfight at high noon on “Time to Think’s” country soaked goodness.  These constant but necessary changes in style, tempo, texture and dynamics only enhances the sheer enjoyment of A Sheik’s Legacy,” further summoned up in the exotic instrumentation of “Horizons” which incorporates some flute and provides unique updates to the sounds of vintage outfits like Jethro Tull and Gravy Train.  Further down the line “Sinner” is modern folk that somehow feels like the good, old stuff with a pop-infused but hugely enjoyed chorus vocal from Abban (a combination Thomas returns to with even greater success later down the line with “Irene.”  The album continues to juxtapose numerous musical and thematic elements till the brain-scorching, 60s burnt guitars of the penultimate “Born of Fire” ends the album with a brimstone finish.  Besides the pyrotechnic American gothic, bluesy guitar grinds of the boundless Algiers, I can’t seem to think of anybody going this route with both acoustic and electric instruments recently.  That is to say that Thomas Abban and his debut A Sheik’s Legacy are filling a vast, aching void that’s been present in rock music for quite some time.  For fans of the “album” era, searing, original guitar work with chest-rattling rhythm playing, fascinating songwriting and vocals that scream with personality; Abban’s work simply can’t be beat. 

Cyborg Asylum - Never Finished, Only Abandoned (2017)

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Written by Mike Yoder, posted by blog admin

Industrial noisemakers Cyborg Asylum create a fine mash-up of light and heavy dynamics on their first long-player Never Finished, Only Abandoned.  This type of music literally ruled and commanded the airwaves when I was growing up in the 80s and its rule last until the late 90s.  Cool and creative groups (like King Loses Crown, Kroh, etc) have cropped up here and there over time but largely the style has become a forgotten art form post-2000. 

Along come David Varga and John Tumminia to prove that the genre still has plenty of bite left in its fangs.  Combining stomping digitized percussion, sampled sound bytes, buzzing electric guitars and crooning vocals, Cyborg Asylum creates a fresh take on the genre that sounds as timeless as many of the genres forefathers.  Instrumental lead-in “Blitz” screams and wails like the start of Ministry’s metal era with thudding beats; ominous backbeats and threatening samples (emergency distress sirens, gunfire, explosions, etc.).  These energetic salvos seep into the swirling noise synths, crumbling bass, dirty electric guitars and distorted vocals.  Instead of continuing with the attack element, John’s expressive melodic vocals conjure up huge melodies and the instrumentation restrains itself to a heavier take on the pretty new wave pioneered by New Order if mixed with Ministry’s first attempt a harder crossover, Twitch.   The end result is refreshing and unexpected. 

The record continues to bounce from strength to strength like this; from soft to loud, eerie to angry, experimental to traditional… and it works.  First single “My Metallic Dream” utilizes digital loops, delay and echo as guitar riffs slither in and out of danceable club trance and fuzz-blasted alternative rock.  Stellar vocal harmonies get stuck in your head quickly and magical vocal melodies avoid sugarcoated sweetness, opting for great singing that stays floaty and bewitching even when the music pounds with gusto during the chorus.  “War Machine” kicks off with an ambient wall of layered electronica before going full-bore into a rumbling industrial/metal war march that reaches an incendiary electric guitar finale.  The bleak, drippy synths and soaring vocals of “Weightless” makes for an excellent album centerpiece that slowly creeps and crawls to a caterwauling finale (Tumminia’s powerful vocal range is a delight throughout). 

“Angle of Incidence” shoots for a grand vibe sampling viola, violins and cello; sounding akin to a Disney track from Hell.  Dirty guitar riffs and freaky bass dirges provide the counterpoints to the delectable melodies and despite being an instrumental interlude; it’s one of the record’s most fascinating pieces.  The booming, bombastic duo of “Steampunk Highway” and “Fragments as Illusion” are two of the album’s most techno-inflected compositions with subtle synth melodies and strong vocal deliveries colliding with subsonic house beats and driving tempos.  They are capable of igniting a dancefloor and getting fists pumping at a rock n’ roll show.  “Ion” works the same musical blueprints minus vocals to great effect.  The Jekyll and Hyde, soft/loud attack of “Asymmetry” and “Pale Green Dot” mesmerizes with glorious melodies in its first half but unleashes the rock n’ roll thunder of electric guitar and ruthless backbeats in the second half; leaving closer “Paradigm Shift” to cap things off with a style that meshes Depeche Mode with Stabbing Westward. 

All in all, Cyborg Asylum is the perfect mingling of modern industrial aggro with the soothing new wave soul of Depeche Mode and New Order.  It’s a great combination and one that Cyborg Asylum pulls off without a hitch; these guys are well-worth your hard-earned listening time and dollar.     

Josh Birdsong - Where the Light Bends (2017)

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Written by Jason Snyder, posted by blog admin

Nashville’s Josh Birdsong certainly didn’t fall into trend based on location.  The psychedelic, graceful organically grown indie rock heard on his second EP, Where the Light Bends, flirts with everything from 70s German influences (think Ash Ra Tempel’s electronica era) to the layered modern trips of Animal Collective.  Opener “Complex Context” enforces these comparisons while establishing Birdsong’s own unique take on quirky, progressive indie rock.  A simplistic driving beat and buoyant bass lines push along a cascading waterfall of effects laden guitars, synth counterpoints and a distinct touch of English shoegaze.

   

Second cut “The Sound Beneath the Static” may not pack in the tempo changes or technical flash but from a compositional/texture standpoint its swirling keyboards, trembling vocalizations, soft percussiveness and delay/echo/loop guitar pedal flourishes concoct a rich, lush atmosphere of melancholy gravitas filled with hooks that stick to the brainstem.  “Cloud 8” mashes together multiple string, electronic and vocal tracks for a drippy, mind-altering brew that never outright becomes “rock n’ roll” but never gets boring either.  A solid foundation of bottom end held together by the bass guitar and electronic beats keep things low to the ground yet the constantly morphing guitar work, soulful vocals and heavenly keyboards lift the music higher up in the atmosphere.  Musically, this stuff would be perfect for an arthouse film and oftentimes the arrangements feel cinematic in scope. 

The droning, ethereal hum of “Too Much to Hold” unfolds even slower than the preceding tunes but rewards the patient listener with guitar chords that constantly build towards scenic majesty as Josh’s voice reaches numerous melodic crests.  Keyboards slowly fill in the space around the guitar; twinkling like stars falling across a serene night sky.  There’s a blues-based ambience threaded throughout the guitar work here that adds a slight groove to the cozy, comfortable melodies. 

“Arctic Desert” is one of the EP’s finest highlights.  Utilizing a finger tapping guitar style to accentuate each note the music packs in a lot of energy despite focusing on minimalism.  It works up a hypnotic trance that Pink Floyd fans could relate to.  The tripped-out keyboards show equal love to soundtrack style psychedelic bands like Goblin or Zombi as well as darkwave and ambient techno musicians.  Thanks to some juicy guitar twang and soaring vocals, Birdsong manages to craft a stylistic take that on these varying sonic ideas that are distinctly his own.  Closing things off, the title track conjures up catchy vocals and ever-flowing guitar tapestries that relish dream-pop influences. 

Where the Light Bends might not have a lot of variation in tempo or style within its set parameters but it shines as a front to back whole that keeps you holding on for the ride and firmly entrenched in its glowingly gorgeous songcraft.  It’s that feature that makes Josh Birdsong an extremely unique talent and a developing artist that you’re going to want to keep on an eye on after hearing Where the Light Bends. 

EZLA - Outcasts (2017)

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Written by Pamela Bellmore, posted by blog admin

EZLA’s first studio release, a five song EP entitled Outcasts, gives this young Nashville based singer/songwriter the kind of opening for a recording career that most artists can only dream of. She’s clearly an artist with virtually boundless potential, but she’s also a finished product in many respects who has entered the recording studio with a clear idea of what she wanted to accomplish. Outcasts stands as a monument to her success. She’s clearly aiming to craft much more than just your average electronic fueled pop outing and the dark tenor of much of her lyrical content is further underlined and skewed by the idiosyncratic nature of her voice. It has a slightly nasal quality that gives her an insolent air, but she also proves herself to possess an exceptionally flexible vocal instrument capable of conveying great sensitivity. It makes this EP more memorable than most and she never hesitates to push her vision on listeners with total confidence.

She’s definitely making an attempt, with some of these songs, at providing a twist on the traditional pop anthem. Nowhere is this more apparent than on the opening song and title track “Outcasts” where EZLA casts her lots with those cast away from the mainstream and puts it over with a passionate delivery that will surprise some listeners, thanks to her age, and definitely grab their attention. “Skeletons” has a similar shadowy spirit, but there’s a stronger sense of musicality here and a refrain that will burn itself into listener’s memories. The use of melody on Outcasts is an important part in its ability to get over with the audience and another key is the unpredictability of EZLA’s arrangement. She isn’t afraid to change things up and challenge listener’s preconceived notions in these first two songs and it makes for invigorating listening. “Satellites” demonstrates her ability to shift gears and still keep the music working along exactly the same lines, while tackling very different subject matter. Longing and desire are big keys to this song, but it is, at the end of the day, much more of a conventional love song than anything else she exposes us to on Outcasts and hits the same nerves despite showing off a more appealing lyrical face.  

“Hangman” takes the audience back into more unsettled territory than the previous track. It’s cut from the same cloth as the first two songs without ever sounding imitative and shares the same predeiliciton for a strong refrain we heard in the EP’s second number. The final track, “Psycho Killers”, makes it clear that the EP has been building to this moment and it proves to be an involving climax to the album while carrying us further into darker points of view than ever before. Outcasts takes a straight line to get from point A to point B and dazzles us along the way. It’s one of 2017’s most notable debuts.