Broken Anchor - Fresh Lemonade

Album review by kev@thesoundofconfusion.co.uk

When artists who have spent time ploughing their own musical furrow decide to team up with other musicians it can, when things go right, work wonders. Austin Hartley-Leonard may well have produced some superb stuff as a solo artist (sadly, we haven't heard his music) but surely this debut album as Broken Anchor, formed with partner in crime Mike Duffy, must be the best he's been involved with so far. As first albums go, 'Fresh Lemonade' is very difficult to find fault with; it's likely that the only people left cold by this collection of songs will be those who have no interest in indie/alt-rock anyway. It's a highly competent and occasionally towering album, although us claiming it's impressive for a debut may be slightly misleading given that the main songwriter is already an established artist.

This is a traditional sounding record, but one with many highlights and some variety. Opener 'Always' is well-written and anthemic US alt-rock with a big chorus, however this shouldn't get mixed up with bands like The Hold Steady and other Boss-inspired acts, Broken Anchor's sound is less blue-collar and more soaring but tasteful indie. They keep the big choruses coming on 'Canada', and already you're seeing the potential here; these songs are begging to be heard and given plenty of radio and other media coverage. It's guilt-free anthemic rock, something which can be a rarity, and they're no novices when it comes to some quality harmonies either. 'Stencil Heart' does have a more American sound with it's mentions of being up in Laurel Canyon "drinking like we had fins" but calling it Americana is off the mark, even when the pace drops on 'Dear Diary' it's done with a different sonic template of beats and washes of vocals and different atmospherics.

That's just the first four songs and that quartet encapsulate the album. What follows doesn't differ much in style. So should that mean we can discredit the rest a bit? Hell no. Then you'd be missing out on slow-building 'Matador' or the similarly-styled 'Head Is A Hole'. And that's without mentioning the hit-shaped 'My Marie', the beautiful melodies of 'Broken Anchor Blues', potential best track 'Leave The Light On' and the scratchy and soaring end track 'Never Leave me Alone' which is the sound of a stride being hit. 'Fresh Lemonade' is a filler-free collection of well-crafted songs that deserve to be heard, and in terms of consistency you can have few complaints. These songs are made to be enjoyed and will probably sound best listened to outside, either with a cool beer, or maybe a refreshing glass of fresh lemonade.







Broken Anchor's website

Pre-order the album





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The Slants - The Yellow Album

Album review by jay@thesoundofconfusion.co.uk

In my music library, The Slants slot in between French dance group The Shoes and noise-pop duo Sleigh Bells. And this is a pretty fitting place for The Slants to be. If you were to throw in a good dash of Billy Idol, The Killers and a hint of euro-pop sheen you'd be close to the spirit, if not the sound of the melting pot that is self-styled "SteamPunks" The Slants latest album, 'The Yellow Album'. It's a brief intro then The Slants jump-start the album with the flash mob that is 'Con Kids'. All punching synths, heavily inflected vocals and driving drums 'Con Kids' quickly lays out its manifesto. The song kicks you along, but the somewhat mono-tone production stifles a vibrant song. Where you want the drums to crash, beats to really break and vocals to be really full, the production flatness means that 'Con Kids' passes without making the impact it could. Faring better, second track 'Love Letters From Andromeda' is richer and fuller. In its spacey synths and warmer vocals, it recalls '90s one-hit-wonders Babylon Zoo. It's a step forward from 'Con Kids' and it's chorus stays with you long after it's finished.

'Adopted' starts strongly, but missteps on the verses. It has groove ridden guitars and drums, but where the song should leap out and give you a sky-scraping chorus it falters and sounds hollow. It has the potential to hit 30 Seconds To Mars' epic pomp but misses. Looser, and better for it, 'Misery' immediately shakes you awake; a pulsing, nu-goth, 21st century take of a new romantic song. As if Duran Duran has been fed a cocktail of ecstasy, Red Bull and William Gibson. Now it seems The Slants have hit their shimmering stride. 'Unconventional Ways' keeps the new romantic undercurrent, but sweeps up more contemporary sounds and the strongest vocals yet, close to Daryl Plumbo on his Head Automatica side-project. The song has a irresistible rhythm and would fill any dancefloor. A slight change of pace, and possibly the best track so far, 'Let The Right One In' follows; an introspective tale of "living in the dark", it rails back the synths and is more raw and organic with a human feel. 'Let The Right One In' still resides in a slightly altered future reality. But it is a strong plea for love to find a way out of the dark. Its organic bent reminds of a hyper-coloured Depeche Mode. 'Just One Kiss' similarly indulges in electronic goth, with vocals strongly reminiscent of Dave Gahan. In parts the song works well, but has a somewhat disjointed feel that doesn't quite knit the parts together.

With a warm surprise, 'Rescue From My Own Heart' opens with some strong female vocals, and these work so well you wonder why The Slants haven't employed them before. A sci-fi call and response duet, the female could easily carry the song, and as a consequence this is one of the album's strongest tracks. The next couplet of tracks bring little variation or strength to the album, and are quite disposable. They both sit in a now well worn groove and end up being forgettable. 'Sew Hearts' is the pacier of the two, but instead of having a Killers pomp and style, it also passes by without much to grab onto. Even a power metal solo does little to redeem it. Title-track and closer 'Yellow' is a more daring track, less formulaic than the three or four before it. It has a cohesion that enables it to take you on a quite epic ride to conclude the album. 'The Yellow Album' is it times challenging, and sometimes overreaches, but when it works it works well and rewards with a explosive and exciting shot of colour and sound.

Free download: 'Adopted'
(Click to stream, right click, save as to download)

The Slants' website

Buy the album





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Melinda Ortner - I Wanna Be OK

Album review by karla@thesoundofconfusion.co.uk

Born in California and having spent the last five years in LA honing a flourishing musical career, it's safe to say singer-songwriter Melinda Ortner has seen a lot of sunny days in her lifetime, but if you're expecting all happy-clappy sunshine, rainbows and butterflies from her 10-track debut album, 'I Wanna Be OK', you'll either be sorely disappointed or extremely happy to find this album is filled with an eclectic mixture of styles and sounds that in short, however full of sadness they may seem, are filled with the notion and prospect of hope.

Album opener 'Wait Another Day' begins with clunky percussion, a haunting string ensemble that's supported by Melinda Ortner's soulful and slightly angry vocals, contradicting the lyrics which possess an undercurrent of optimism, that towards the end of the track are echoed melodically in an Amy Lee/ Evanescence kind of style. This is followed by the title-track which continues along a different direction, mixing electronic with pop choruses that seem to serve as an autobiographical story of Ortner's career struggles and her determination to reach her dream, even if it is failed “I wanna be okay, if I lose this fight after all this time”.

Also look out for 'Caught In The Middle' which reminded me a lot of country-pop with Michelle Branch in the forefront of my mind; sassy pop meets alternative drum and bass beats from 'Jezabella'; and 'Sweet Little Lies' for a seductive, bouncy, upbeat, easy listening, trip-hop, jazzy/soul session. But, would the winning track please step forward? Yes, 'The Beauty In Me', it's you! This track is without a doubt the most unforgettable on the album, What you're looking at here is a poignant, powerful, ballad with a goth/rock twist, again very Evanescence-like. Melinda Ortner's not asking for or expecting perfection, she just wants to be OK, and if this debut album's anything to go by, she will be just fine.



Melinda Ortner's website

Buy the album





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Iguana Lovers - Colonias Espaciales

Single review by kev@thesoundofconfusion.co.uk

It never ceases to amaze me just how wide-ranging the shoegaze genre reaches. We've found great bands on all of the continents (well, we're waiting on Antarctica) and some unexpected countries. Argentina probably isn't the least likely place to find a band with a love of fuzz and space-drones, and by all accounts we're over 20 years late on discovering Iguana Lovers, a group who've gained the respect of many bands that are more well known to our ears such as Inspiral Carpets, Mick Jones, The Jesus & Mary Chain and more. They also have an enviable list of support slots for big names who've visited their home land.

'Colonias Espaciales' is the first track taken from their forthcoming new album, and it's sung in their native tongue so we assume this is the first choice language for all of their music, as it probably should be, but it means we can't tell you what it's about. This renders the voice to being another instrument to our ears, as is the case with much English sung shoegaze anyway, so it matters little. The song is clearly inspired by the first wave of shoegazers from the late '80s and early '90s and they've got the sound absolutely spot on. As well as a lively beat and the general fuzz, there's also some great screaching guitars and harmonica that recalls Spiritualized. We bet that these guys have an awesome record collection.



Iguana Lovers' website





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The Dodos - Confidence

Single review by kev@thesoundofconfusion.co.uk

For a while there (and it's probably ongoing to be honest) the mainstream music press hated online music blogs. One NME journalist wrote that it meant that anyone could consider themselves a taste-maker. They presumably meant that really it should be the privilege of English students who bag a freelance job for a well known mag. Rubbish. The internet has opened up the world of music to everyone. People with a passion for the songs they like, not a word-count, a deadline and a massive ego. The same magazine slated The Dodos first album as being "what happens when a 'blog band' enter the real world". In other words there were a lot of sour grapes because some music fans had beaten them to a band and written enthusiastically about them. As I recall it was given 5/10.

Well over half a decade has passed, The Dodos are going strong and NME has changed its tune, perhaps realising that the growth of blogs such as Pitchfork and Stereogum as major forces is a potential threat, as this form of music discovery overtook that magazine ages ago. Better to make them friends rather than enemies. I wonder what they'll make of The Dodos' new album? Just nonsense that people who don't know as much about music as them will like? Or might they like this one? Of course they, like the rest of us, have admitted that new single 'Confidence' is very good already, and you've no doubt heard it already, probably on a music blog. Well now it's on another one, and we like it too. But then what the heck do amateurs like us know...



The Dodos' website

Buy the single





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Rubylux - O2 Academy, Islington 25th May 2013

Review by karla@thesoundofconfusion.co.uk

On a very sunny evening in London on Saturday (25th May) I made my way to the O2 Academy in Islington to watch Rubylux open for Russian alt-rock/Britpop four-piece Mumiy Troll. Rubylux are four very humble, talented guys based in Brighton, consisting of Rob Humphreys (lead vocal and guitar), Clark Coslett-Hughes (bass guitar), Mike Hall (drums) and Adam Harris on keyboard. Performing to a close-knit crowd of both fluent, Russian-speaking gig-goers and clear fans who knew their lyrics, Rubylux treated a very well receiving crowd to six atmospheric pop/rock songs (whose set list was handed to me on a napkin by a lovely member of the band's backstage team) and general pleasant chit-chat that only served to show these guys were very happy to be there.

I didn't see Rubylux take to the stage but I walked in half way through their first song, 'I Don’t Want (Paradise)', a very catchy, feelgood, slightly soppy number that with Humprheys' smooth and silky vocals and lyrics such as “I don't want paradise, I just want you, I don't want anyone to do the things you do” could well work out as a saucy little R'n'B tune if not for for the rockier aspects of the drum arrangement and the bouncy bassline. Rock and roll track 'Order Me Double' followed, which ends on a short but sweet instrumental. Next up was 'The Black Sun Needs Sparks' which is a slower song with predominant drum beats, croony, wailing, vocals accompanying melancholy lyrics. That has quite an upbeat, quirky keyboard accompaniment thrown in towards the end of the song. This was a definite crowd-pleaser, despite the slower pace; this song is huge and people in the crowd were still doing the rock sign with their hands.

After a little break to throw picks into the crowd (or what I think was picks, I'm little and couldn't see properly!) they came at us with 'Inside', my favourite of the bunch, where Humprheys debuted his exquisite vocal range supported by emotional harmonies from the rest of the guys, with sleepy drumming from Hall were he genuinely plays like his kit is a part of him, rocket/space age keyboard sounds, Rubylux played through a smokey stage, and atmospheric gentle flashing lights to give an out of this world experience for everyone involved. This got a super-big cheer from the crowd too. The band then went straight into a cover of the Beatles classic 'Eleanor Rigby' which had a great electro feel and drum solo in particular which had the crowd dancing away.

Then, last but not least, the guys took a moment to gently remind the crowd of that that next song, 'The World Goes Quiet', was due for release at midnight. With shouts from the drummer: “Buy our single, we’ll love you forever!”, then more picks thrown into the crowd, “so you remember our name!”, Rubylux had half the room bopping their heads and the other half swaying and smiling into their pints. And quicker then we’d all have liked, the set was over, then Humphreys treated us all like his best mates in saying “We’ll be sticking around for a beer after, so come say hello.” And Hall whipped out his camera phone, asked for the lights to go up and shouted “Let me get a picture of you!” to a very excitable room of people all waving their arms about in the air! All in all, a very enjoyable evening, I’d recommend catching them in a town near you and it was an absolute pleasure to have been there. Cheers!



Rubylux's website

Catch them live:

04/06/13 London, Shepherd’s Bush Empire Supporting Rick Springfield
Time: 7:00pm. Admission: TBC. Age restrictions: All Ages.
08/06/13 Inverness, Rock Ness Festival,United Kingdom
Time: 8:30pm. Admission: £59. Age restrictions: All Ages.
28/07/13 Lake District, Kendall Calling, United Kingdom
Time: 8:30pm. Age restrictions: All Ages.
31/08/13 Cambridgeshire, Lodestar Festival, United Kingdom
Time: 8:30pm. Age restrictions: All Ages.
05/10/13 Braintree, Essex, High Barn,United Kingdom
Time: 8:30pm. Admission: 12.50. Age restrictions: All Ages.





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Artist To Check Out: Marika Hackman

Article by karla@thesoundofconfusion.co.uk

When I caught up with Marika Hackman for a quick chat at the Purcell Room in London all the way back in February, she had just completed a tour with Benjamin Francis Leftwich, was finishing up one with English record producer, engineer, mixer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist Ethan Johns, due for her first headline tour, and getting ready to shoot off to SXSW. It was also coincidentally the day her mini-album ‘That Iron Taste’ was released. In light of  the video release for her first track from the album, 'Bath Is Black' sitting in our inbox, we'd like to give you the chance to get to know her better, check out the video, and see if you can catch her live at any of her summer festival dates.


TSOC: For those who are yet to hear 'That Iron Taste' what can they expect from it?

MH: Um, it's sort of like… the songs are their own, stripped back, have got like a folky root. But umm it's kinda more experimental and over the top… we played around with it… we were kinda just playing in the studio coming up with different ideas and things. There's some electronicy sort of instruments on there. It's not your average sort of folk record definitely.


TSOC: 'That Iron Taste' was produced by Alt J’s Charlie Andrew and you worked with Johnny Flynn on some of the tracks. How much would you say their musical style has influenced the outcome of 'That Iron Taste'?

MH: Umm, I think you can hear the difference between the records, you can hear the ones I did with Johnny have got a more folky edge to them even though they are still a bit more abstracty. They've got that like more kind of earthy feel whereas Charlie, you can tell he's got that more kind of abstract brain, like he's much more open to playing around with things, so yeah you can tell the difference, but then the songs themselves keep it all kind of together. Well, I like to think that anyway!


TSOC: What’s your favourite song from 'That Iron Taste'?

MH: Umm, that's a tricky one! Umm, I think I really like 'Plans'. I love playing it and it’s so sort of sad. Umm, then I dunno, I kinda like go through phases of preferring different ones because obviously I hear them a lot and I heard them a lot in the process… I can get bored of them very easily… Like 'Cannibal' I'm kind of sick to death of hearing. Um so yeah maybe 'Plans' or 'Retina Television' the sort of more stripped back ones which are probably not the kind of obvious singles but the kind of more albumy tracks. I like those ones.


TSOC: Which of the four elements, (Earth, Wind, Fire and Water) can you most relate to?

MH: Oooh… well I should say… I'm an Aquarius which is an air sign but it deals with water so I could say either of those two. Fire, definitely not. Um… uh… [thinks] Probably… that's so tricky! Maybe like earth. Like, solid, kind of like country lass, you know, keep your feet on the ground. I think earth is a good thing to be. It keeps you in perspective and stuff like that. All the other ones are great but they kinda sweep you away whereas earth keeps you solid and grounded. I think that’s the most practical one [Laughs].


TSOC: What do you hope people take away from listening to your music? 

MH: That they've heard something different. Different, that's like still accessible, you know like, not overly experimental but they feel like they've heard something new. I would love for people to say that.


TSOC: As a self-taught multi-instrumentalist, what instruments can you play?

MH: Um, well there's the guitar, um, drums, bass, singing obviously, bit of piano, um, bit of autoharp. Like things, I've got a mandolin as well. I just kinda, I can't really play any of them to a very high level but I can play them enough to make records with them rather than sort of live.


TSOC: Do you play by ear?

MH: Yeah, I can read music and stuff but I was so slow at it, like I gave up learning the piano because I found it too stressful… It took me ages to read the notes so I was just like there's no point in doing this!


TSOC: Have you got a favourite lyric to any of your songs?

MH: Umm, I quite like on 'Cannibal' the opening one where it's like “Have you seen my nose? I cut it off last night. Let's just hope it grows, I'd hate to look a fright" [laughs] because it's kind of slightly witty, it's dark but it's joking at the same time… it's kind of like a grim nursery rhyme fairy tale but like, yeah it's kind of almost taking the mick out of itself.


TSOC: You were one of the faces of a Burberry eyewear ad campaign last year. How did that come about?

MH: Um, that was because I went to school with Cara Delevingne who's like suddenly exploded into being the model of the moment which is great um, but yeah she um, she just showed the guys at Burberry a video I had done… an acoustic video and they happened to be casting for that campaign so it was just that age old thing of people you know putting in a good word for you and it happened.


TSOC: Would you want to do any more modeling in the future?

MH: Um, it's a very strange world and I don’t think I really fit in. Um, I mean it was kind of a good eye opening experience… I did enjoy it but um, I think I'd like to focus on the music for now. Maybe it's um… It's quite lucrative for a living but not as a passion.


TSOC: You're hosting a “dead or alive” dinner party and can invite three famous musical faces. Who is sitting at the table?

MH: Oooh… well you've got to have Kurt Cobain on there, and Dusty Springfield. I'd love to chat to Dusty, she would just be awesome. Then… let's think who would the last one be, erm dead or alive *sighs* that’s a tricky one… [laughs] I think I'd probably just choose Johnny Flynn because he’s such a nice guy! [I then asked if it was just because Johnny is Marika’s friend] [more laughter] Yeah it would be nice to have someone there I knew! Or either Charlie. Charlie or Johnny. Someone with a friendly face there to chat to these two sort of legends!








Marika Hackman's website

Stream or buy the EP

Catch her live:

BUSHSTOCK 1ST JUNE
BLISSFIELDS 5TH JULY
LATTITUDE 21ST JULY
CAMBRIDGE FOLK FESTIVAL 25TH JULY
LOUNGE ON THE FARM 27TH JULY
GREEN MAN 18TH AUGUST
IN THE WOODS 31ST AUGUST
END OF THE ROAD 1ST SEPTEMBER
ROLLRIGHT FAYRE 7TH SEPTEMBER
SOUTHSEA FESTIVAL 14TH SEPTEMBER





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The Dying Arts - Authentic

Single review by kev@thesoundofconfusion.co.uk

Toronto band The Dying Arts were formed by a video director back in 2011 after he became bored with making music promos and realised he was spending more time actually making music himself. The switch seems to have paid off, plus the band he formed have their own in-house promo-maker which must save them a bit of cash. This is no sloppy outfit made by someone whose expertise lies elsewhere, The Dying Arts make a frenetic punky noise that's sharp but not crude; it can rock your socks off without just appealing to hardcore fans of the genre.

Take 'Authentic' (perhaps the title is a hint?), it's a two-minute thrash through some quality modern punk rock made with decent production, not polished but not lo-fi by design. Call it mid-fi if you like, whatever, it makes the song sound like a vicious, flailing monster of guitars that will also charm the pants off you. Perhaps The Dying Arts have managed to find their own niche in a genre that many thought had gone as far as it could be taken. 'Authentic' definitely ticks all the right boxes and you can check out a sampler for more tunes from their SoundCloud page.





The Dying Arts' website

Catch them live:

May 31 Velvet Underground, Toronto, Canada
Jun 15 NXNE @ Cherry Cola's, Toronto, Canada  
Jun 20 Annex WreckRoom, Toronto, Canada  
Jun 29 Shhhh, Barrie, Canada





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Pan - Baton

Single review by kev@thesoundofconfusion.co.uk

This one's a pleasant surprise. We weren't aware of Pan before now, even though they already have a debut album out and a new EP in the oven. New single 'Baton' will be on this EP and is an instrumental track that throws in a few surprises. Opening with some sharp drumming and pretty routine guitars, they even manage to make this sound like an indie classic-in-waiting, but there's more to come, and being an instrumental it's not in the melody and it's not in the chorus. Because there isn't one. No, the guitars gradually get a bit more cutting and the drums a bit more frantic.

Then in the middle of it all they sling in some crazy fret-work that probably wouldn't sound out of place on an '80s hard-rock track. Then they introduce some violin/fiddle that briefly makes the song sound like some kind of twisted, futuristic country track. And then it ends. Using the word "unconventional" would be hitting the nail bang on the head, and it makes us wonder what else these guys have in store on the new EP. More clues may be found upon listening to their first album, and handily you can find that streaming from their website below.



Pan's website

Buy the single

Catch them live:

June 6, 2013 The Cave- Chapel Hill, NC
June 7, 2013 The Fire- Philadelphia, PA
June 8, 2013 House Show- Brooklyn, NY
June 9, 2013 Arlene\'s Grocery- New York, NY
June 10, 2013 The Parkside- New York, NY
June 11, 2013 House show- Boston, MA
June 18, 2013 The Bridge- Columbia, MO
June 19, 2013 The Sound Pony- Tulsa, OK
June 21, 2013 Hole in the Wall- Austin, TX
June 22, 2013 502 Bar- San Antonio, TX
June 23, 2013 Super Happy Fun Land- Houston, TX
June 25, 2013 Alabama Music Box- Mobile, AL
June 27, 2013 Mockingbird- Tallahassee, FLA w/ Zulu Wave, Baet
June 28, 2013 Cock & Bull- Sarasota, FLA
June 29, 2013 South Street Naples- Naples, FLA
July 5, 2013 Peacock Room- Orlando, FLA
July 7, 2013 Burro Bar- Jacksonville, FLA w/ Zulu Wave, Phenumology
July 8, 2013 Tin Roof- Charleston, SC
July 10, 2013 Radio Room- Greenville, SC
July 11, 2013 The Honest Pint- Chattanooga, TN
July 13, 2013 Preservation Pub- Knoxville, TN
July 15, 2013 The Saloon, NC Music Factory- Charlotte, NC
July 27, 2013 Recess Fest- Charlotte, NC





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Say Lou Lou - Julian

Single review by kev@thesoundofconfusion.co.uk

I'll continue to get wound up about the amount of quality pop music that's being made and ignored by the mainstream charts until someone does something about it. I blame the Illuminati, they seem to be responsible for everything else. Them or the Masons anyway. Now that I'm probably on a couple of hit lists myself, lets take a look at the new single from Say Lou Lou, a song that by now (it was released at the start of the month) should be a hit and be on heavy radio rotation. Maybe it is somewhere, but why the main stations seem to deliberately ignoring decent pop in favour of its ugly cousin remains a mystery.

OK, so 'Julian' may not be the sexiest name in the world, but the song is tops. A classy and gently brooding piece of modern pop with just enough of an alternative slant to make it current, innovative and at the forefront of musical evolution (at least as far as potential chart music goes). Since the 1950s there's been a healthy balance of churned-out pap and cutting edge music making headway in the sales stakes, but since ringtones and downloads (and even YouTube views in some countries) have counted towards this we're reduced to a list of mush each week. Still, it's heartening to know there are still people out there flying the flag.





Say Lou Lou's website

Buy the single

Catch them live:

THU 13 JUN Hultsfredsfestivalen 2013, Hultsfred, Sweden





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We Aeronauts - Through The Door

Single review by kev@thesoundofconfusion.co.uk

Maybe one day We Aeronauts will reveal their obsession with valleys. Having already released the 'Charon Valley EP' (the Charon are Native Americans from the west coast) they've now just put out the 'Don Valley EP', which is of course the name of a stadium (and presumably an actual valley too) in Sheffield. It seems even stranger considering they're from Oxford and possibly don't have connections to either place. Still, that's what they've chosen to do, and they've come up with some good music along the way. Not least new single 'Through The Door' which is off the latest EP.

We should give them some kudos for filming the video to the track in a normal house. It doesn't sound impressive, but when you consider that there are seven in the band and many of the shots see them lining narrow staircases it becomes a bit of a feat to cram everything in smoothly. The actual song is likeable if reasonably conventional indie music with a good pop element, but it's not fey or lo-fi enough to be considered indiepop. We Aeronauts seem like they're after a better sound than that, and depending on your personal taste they've managed it. 'Through The Door' is a fine tune that deserves plenty of publicity.



We Aeronauts' website

Buy the EP





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Big Deal - Dream Machines

Single review by kev@thesoundofconfusion.co.uk

Back in March we were naive enough to think that London's Big Deal were being pessimistic by calling their second album 'June Gloom'. With that month, and the album's release, now just days away, a quick glance out of the window reveals that they may have had the foresight to correctly predict the national mood several months in advance. We hope they're wrong. The artwork for previous single 'In Your Car' was anything but gloomy, it was a colourful and psychedelic looking picture, much like the one for the album's second single 'Dream Machines'.

They don't sound like a miserable bunch either, and 'Dream Machines' is a kind of psychedelic indiepop that takes in ringing guitars, boy/girl vocals, reverberating drums and plenty of melody. It's that combination of dreampop, shoegaze and psychedelia again, only here they've lightened it with a more poppy aspect which adds to the summery feel and the general air of optimism and lightness that comes with the song. We're beginning to think that album title was a bluff, and we hope the weather gods are in agreement as this would sound amazing on a gorgeous day.



Big Deal's website

Stream the album in full

Buy the album

Catch them live: 

Jun 01 Stereolux, Nantes, France
Jun 11 Manchester Soup Kitchen, Manchester, United Kingdom
Jun 12 Think Tank @ Hoults Yard, Newcastle Upon Tyne, United Kingdom
Jun 14 Rainbow, Birmingham, United Kingdom
Jun 15 The Cavern, Exeter, United Kingdom
Jun 16 Louisiana,Bristol, United Kingdom





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Satellite Stories - Scandinavian Girls

Single review by kev@thesoundofconfusion.co.uk

When we first head Finnish band Satellite Stories back in October the comparisons we threw in were Friendly Fires, Two Door Cinema Club and Delphic, but mostly Two Door Cinema Club. Now having had the chance to hear a bit more of their lively and energetic indie/pop/dance we're pretty positive we managed to sum them up the first time around. Their album 'Phrases To Break The Ice' was released this month and features that first track, 'Sirens', as well as new single 'Scandinavian Girls', it's sounding like the kind of album that has more excitable energy than a pack of bounding puppies with a load of new squeaky toys.

You could pogo to this, you could dance to this; it's designed to make you move, even if some shy foot-tapping is all you can muster. The pace is frenetic, the guitars are shrill and ringing and the vocals talk of, well, Scandinavian Girls naturally. Basically this is a song and a band who are full of the vigour of youth; you're unlikely to find such boundless vitality as this at a Rolling Stones concert. They have the potential for commercial success too, although the UK may be a bit far away at the moment. If they can build a decent following at home then it's not out of the question though.





Satellite Stories' website

Buy the album

Catch them live:

01.06. Festival Havenwerk, Netherlands
07.06. Tavastia, Helsinki, Finland
15.06. Hultsfred Festival, Stockholm, Sweden
07.07. Ruisrock Festival, Turku, Finland
13.07. Ilosaarirock Festival, Finland
01.08. Rocken am Brocken Festival, Germany
02.08. Jenseits von Millionen Festival, Friedland, Germany
03.08. Arenal Sounds Festival, Borriana, Spain
14.09. Summertime Festival, Germany
15.09. Breda Burst Festival, Netherlands





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Mackaper - Höstvisa

Single review by kev@thesoundofconfusion.co.uk

Growing up in the 1980s, the only images we ever saw of Eastern Europe were grainy, industrial looking TV shots of plain concrete buildings and dated looking modes of transport. Since then a lot has happened; the USSR has been divided up into its separate states, the Berlin wall has gone and the "Iron Curtain" is no more, yet we still see little of that area in music videos, especially those showing performances and on-the-road experiences of bands touring these former states. UK and US "road-trip" videos, by contrast, are common. Swedish band Mackaper offer a welcome glimpse into the life of a band touring these once enigmatic countries.

The video for new single 'Höstvisa' from recent album 'Mot Ljusare Tider' was filmed during their "Baltic Waves" tour in November and shows wintry images of the sights and performances in Estonia, Latvia, Finland and also the more familiar vistas of Sweden and Denmark. It's an interesting watch, purely because it's a different approach to many promos vids. The song, as you may know by now, is an unusual, proggy instrumental chill-out piece involving lots of organ and not much indulgence. It's a mysterious sounding song that proves the perfect accompaniment to the footage on offer.





Mackaper's website

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When Saints Go Machine - Iodine

Single review by kev@thesoundofconfusion.co.uk

Yet more proof of how Denmark is attempting to conquer the entire world of alternative music; from the noise-rock of Iceage, the alt-country of Kjarten Bue, the indie/guitar-pop sounds of The Rumour Said Fire and the continuing brilliance of veterans The Raveonettes, barely a week goes by of late where we don't find great new music from the country's various scenes. When Saints Go Machine are hardly a new discovery, they've been acclaimed and successful since their debut album in 2009. This week they return with new LP 'Infinity Pool'.

As expected, single 'Iodine' is a top tune that doesn't play by the rules and will leave you struggling for a comparison. The mixture of a prominent beat, the blend of analogue and digital electronics with the strange, treated vocals don't quite fit anywhere. Such individuality is the mark of a good band; call it electro-soul, call it indie/alt-pop, can it what you like; it's a little bit of everything. Where this lot come into their own is that they embrace this approach to making new sounds while keeping them accessible, and this is why they're one of the biggest exports Copenhagen has right now.



When Saints Go Machine's website

Buy the album

Catch them live:

May 29 Concrete, London, United Kingdom
May 31 Immergut Festival, Neustrelitz, Germany
Jun 01 Modular Festival, Augsburg, Germany
Jun 02 Maifield Derby Festival, Mannheim, Germany
Jun 15 Northside Festival, Aarhus, Denmark
Jun 21 Gloria-Theater (c/o pop), Cologne, Germany
Jun 24 Glasslands Gallery, Brooklyn, NY
Jun 28 Kløften Festival, Haderslev, Denmark
Jul 04 Roskilde Festival (july 4 - july 7), Roskilde, Denmark
Jul 12 Phono Pop Festival, Russelsheim, Germany
Jul 26 Appletree Garden Festival, Diepholz, Germany
Jul 27 Juicy Beats Festival, Dortmund, Germany
Aug 01 Trailerpark Festival (august 1 - august 3), Copenhagen, Denmark
Aug 08 Smukfest, Skanderborg, Denmark
Aug 16 Dockville Festival (august 16 - august 18), Hamburg, Germany
Aug 22 Wonderfestiwall (august 22 - august 24), Ronne, Denmark
Oct 10 Pitstop, Kolding, Denmark
Oct 11 Voxhall, Aarhus, Denmark
Oct 12 Studenterhuset, Aalborg, Denmark
Oct 17 Posten, Odense C, Denmark
Oct 18 Vega, Copenhagen, Denmark
Oct 19 Forbrændingen, Albertslund, Denmark
Oct 25 Lido, Berlin, Germany
Oct 26 XoXo Club @ Täubchenthal, Leipzig, Germany
Oct 27 Kranhalle @ Feierwerk, Munich, Germany
Oct 28 Keller Club, Stuttgart, Germany
Nov 01 Gimle, Roskilde, Denmark





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Zan Strumfeld - Someone New EP

EP review by kev@thesoundofconfusion.co.uk

It is somewhat fitting that this Albany-based acoustic artist has the word "strum" in her surname, although much of her new EP is picked acoustic guitar as opposed to the more routine (and generally more boring) strummed style. Zan Strumfeld's 'Someone New' keeps things stripped-down; it doesn't try and bolster the songs with strings or layered vocals, it lets them stand on their own two feet. This surely shows that Strumfeld has a confidence in what she does, and she's right to. The closest we get to the regular strummed, folky acoustics are on 'Keep On Lovin' You' and 'Carry On' but both work well as all of the music on this EP is totally honest. There's nothing contrived at all about Zan Strumfeld.

The fingerpicking style suits best though, and highlights are 'The Moment of Clarity Before Bed' and the almost bluesy title-track. Where backing vocals are used, it's on the EP's most tender song 'I Don't Want To be Nice', and they're a welcome addition, taking nothing away from the appealing bare-bones style she's mastered here. The songs shouldn't overshadow her voice as this is also a fundamental part of what makes the EP work, the most obvious example being 'Ghosts Pt. III'. As we repeatedly point out; there's a world of acoustic music out there, and it's nice to find someone like Zan Strumfeld who doesn't appear to be following styles, preferring to create her own; it's an approach that's served her well.



Zan Strumfeld's website

Stream or buy the EP

Catch her live:

May 31 ArtCentric Gallery @ Troy Night Out, Troy, NY





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get-effect - Tours EP

EP review by kev@thesoundofconfusion.co.uk

When it comes to info on get-effect then things become a little scarce. All we know is it's a one-man electro-gaze artist from Glasgow, and he's dabbled in guitar instrumentals, ambient pieces, electronica and more. By the sounds of things it's someone who likes to take different sounds and mess around with them until they begin to form songs. Songs that are generally quite a challenge to categorise, and this is, of course, by design. We're happy with calling the title-track from this EP electro-gaze, but after that things get a little more varied and sometimes even more experimental.

Take 'Otago Dub'; it is kind of dub, but not really as we know it. It's almost like the robots have taken control of the humans and this is their take on what dub would sound like; it feels quite industrial and clangy. It's odd that he'd pick 'Tours' as the track to name this EP after when he's got a tune here called 'This Wasn't In The Brochure', a far more befitting title for these esoteric sounds. The song itself is a repetitive ambient number, but it's reasonably hypnotic and works well. The music made by get-effect is undoubtedly only suited to a niche market, but he nevertheless finishes with a tune called 'No-One Leaves Here Empty Handed' and I guess you could call it the most accessible barring the title-track. Even so, some will love this EP, and others probably won't give it a second look.




get-effect's website

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Adult Monkey - Massive EP

EP review by kev@thesoundofconfusion.co.uk

From what we gather, Adult Monkey are a group who originate from Turkey and are based in Istanbul. Their music has been described as "like listening to The Chemical Brothers on LSD, quite literally". And I thought we were bad for journalistic cliches! Having never listened to The Chemical Brothers on LSD it's impossible to verify that, but you can kind of see what they mean. Take opening track 'Millenium & Lazy' (sic), it's filled with the big beats that duo became famous for, but at times it almost feels in slow motion. It is a psychedelic piece of electronica with plenty of clout, which I guess it what such a description would mean.

It's not a style that they rigidly adhere to on this EP. 'Massive' contains samples of medical staff talking about the bad effects drugs have had on people, over a skittering and comparatively minimal electro track, although this develops more as it goes on and begins to feel like something from the mid 1990s. The subtle changes continue on 'Enjoy The Monkeys', the most conventional song here and the only one with proper vocals which come courtesy of Heather Zeigler who orders you to "dance" to a song that won't stay still long enough to give you much opportunity to do so until nearer the end. The squiggly and messed up electronica of 'Hello My Name Is Africa' sounds like someone attacking a computer game, or maybe listening to The Chemical Brothers on LSD. One of the two.



Adult Monkey's website

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Crystal Shipsss - EP

EP review by kev@thesoundofconfusion.co.uk

The story of Crystal Shipsss spans much of the globe. The idea was first hatched in Montreal by Danish musician Jacob Faurholt who returned home and began the band as a solo project. After recruiting a couple of other band members they located to Germany and have just released this new EP which explores the weird, wonderful and, well, weird. It's a strange kind of psychedelia they make, and it almost seems like the tracklisting for this EP is all messed up. It begins with 'Where The Wild Things Are' which sounds as though it's about to be an upbeat crusade into acid-fried fuzz, but it stops and starts and changes, never quite allowing itself to flow properly. Despite this its oddly appealing.

There are high levels of reverb and echo at play on the even fuzzier 'Crushing Like A Skull', a song which again seems made of spare parts; some of them beautiful, some of them puzzling. You're basically given the choice of getting annoyed or accepting it. It's better to accept it, that way you miss none of the glimpses of magic that are trapped within. The final trio of 'Listening To Devil Town', 'Dusty Vinyls' and 'Night Of The Creeps' are crude and very lo-fi, tinny shoegaze tracks that will be noise-pop bliss to some and a pain in the ears for others. The former of these is the highest pace we get from this EP, while 'Dusty Vinyls' and 'Night Of The Creeps' (maybe the best song here) are slower but consistent and have a certain charm. Scuzzy, unusual, yet strangely alluring.





Crystal Shipsss' website

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Armchair Committee - Imola EP

EP review by kev@thesoundofconfusion.co.uk

I read an interesting argument recently that was putting the case forward for trios making the biggest sounds when it comes to rock music. I'm sure we can all name some big power trios, and even four piece bands often consist of just three instrumentalists and a singer. So it's not that much of a shock to learn that Bristol alt-rock group Armchair Committee, a band who can certainly make a grand racket, are a three-piece. Their debut EP 'Imola' was released earlier this month to coincide with some gigs, so I guess those who've caught them live will know the real force of what they can do. As for the record, well it thunders and quakes when needed, and also holds back when appropriate too.

First single 'Boxcutter' has a classic, gritty sound: jagged riffs and rumbling bass backed by drums designed to piss off the neighbours. Then the middle section quietens everything down, offering a nice contrast. It is of course, a little calm before more storm; it's a great single choice and a perfect opener. 'Codine (A Plan Of Sorts)' is more of a slow-burner and gives some nice diversity. It's probably a straight match between these two songs for the EP's best track. They successfully tackle post-rock on the instrumental 'To Arms' which smashes straight into final track 'Imola', another one that shows they can do diversity. It's a good first outing and it hints that there may be better to come.





Armchair Committee's website

Stream the EP in full

Buy the EP

Catch them live:

WED 12 JUN The Stag and Hounds, Bristol, UK
WED 10 JUL The Dublin Castle, London, UK





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Five For Free #185

Wire - Love Bends

Reviews for 'Change Becomes Us', the latest album by post-punk legends Wire, received reviews that were a little on the lukewarm side. As it's impossible for us to hear every album that's ever been released we can't comment on the record overall, having only heard free track 'Love Bends'. Either this is an anomaly or everyone's got it wrong, because this is ace.



Stream the album in full from Wire's website

Buy the album

Catch them live:

July 9th: Museum of Contemporary Art, Detroit, USA
July 10th: Lee's Palace, Toronto, Canada
July 12th: The Sinclair, Cambridge, Mass, USA
July 13th: Union Transfer, Philadelphia, PA, USA
July 14th: Black Cat, Washington, DC, USA
July 16th: Bowery Ballroom, New York, NY, USA
July 17th: Beachland Ballroom, Cleveland, OH, USA
July 19th: Pitchfork Festival, Chicago, IL, USA





Daniel Badeie - Summer Wine

News that we've just had the coldest spring for 30 years hasn't stopped Swedish artist Daniel Badeie releasing this summer anthem from his debut album 'Influence'. 'Summer Wine' is actually full of the joys of spring and is a jaunty but classic sounding indie number with plenty of brass and harmonies to give it that extra joyous sound and brighten up anyone's day.



Daniel Badeie's website

Stream the album in full

Buy the album

Catch him live:

6 June 2013 at Bara Enkelt, Stockholm





YONDERBOI - Come On Progeny 

A new name to us, YONDERBOI is a Hungarian musician with a wide array of tastes. New single 'Come On Progeny' begins with a string section and female vocals from German singer Charlotte Brandi before introducing some big beats and a melody that, along with the backing, makes the song soar a little. It's another example of cross-genre goodness and can be found on his new album 'Passive Control'.



YONDERBOI's website

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Buy the album





SONS - Find Your Body

SONS are a quintet from Warrington who've made their first EP 'Accidents' available for free download. On the EP you'l find this rather good chunk of alt-rock that has a mildly post-punk feel to it and a general air of confidence and weightiness. Not that it's a particularly "heavy" track, more that it conveys a sense of power from a band who seem to know where they're going.



SONS' website

Stream or download the EP





Solwave - I Won't Wait

There are a fair few indie-dance bands in the California area at the moment, and some veer a little close to radio-ready blandness. Solwave have a similar sound to many others but, on the strength of 'I Won't Wait', better songs; they're more alternative than they are mainstream and they've retained some edge. This is perhaps in part down to working with The Strokes producer Gordon Raphael.


Solwave's website

Buy the single

Catch them live:

FRI - May 31, 2013 San Francisco, CA The Independent
SAT - Jul 20, 2013 Santa Cruz, CA Santa Cruz Music Festival





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The Goodnight Darlings - Propaganda

Single review by kev@thesoundofconfusion.co.uk

Pop music can be fab when it's done right. New York duo The Goodnight Darlings make pop music and it works, it's not disposable nonsense to be instantly forgotten about. Yeah they use terms like "post-punk" and "indie" to describe their music, but pop's been borrowing from other styles for years. Almost every pop star going (apart from the mega slushy teenyboppers) will have a song in their catalogue that they'd describe as being a bit punk, and is clearly influenced by less commercial music. The Goodnight Darlings are a bit different though; all of their songs seem to be slightly left-field and cutting, but pop nevertheless.

Maybe Sleigh Bells or Crystal Castles comparisons could be used, but this has a more mainstream appeal although that doesn't make it any less credible. 'Propaganda' is the second track we've featured from their debut EP 'Doll Drums' following freebie 'Red Hot' and this is the sharp edged punky pop that the chart stars think they're making, but aren't quite managing it. The Goodnight Darlings are a more authentic proposition altogether. Let's hope they can go on and enjoy some proper success, we think the charts are ready for them.



The Goodnight Darlings' website

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Hero & Leander - Kiss Me By The Water Cooler

Single review by kev@thesoundofconfusion.co.uk

Hero & Leander make indiepop that's always teetering on the brink of becoming that bit too cute and sickly, but it never does. With their new album 'Tumble' now available, the Essex mob have released this video for single 'Kiss Me By The Water Cooler', a song title that could have come from a Belle & Sebastian album and has the potential to cross that line... but of course, it never quite does. The video is exactly the same; it's all a bit silly and bordering on the dreaded "T"-word: twee. We'll give them the benefit of the doubt with that though, it's quite fun after all.

The opening few bars of the song are tiptoeing along that tightrope but with the gradual addition of more instruments and vocals it begins to turn into something with more substance, despite the lyrics which are endless references to kissing, as you'd expect. By the end though, the thing has built up into quite a melee of guitars, pianos and vocals. There's plenty of ammunition here for the punk in us all to have a pop at Hero & Leander, but we can't bring ourselves to do it. They're just too damn nice.





Hero & Leander's website

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Camp Stag - Walking With Broken Bones

Single review by kev@thesoundofconfusion.co.uk

The brand of alternative guitar music made by Stoke-on-Trent quartet Camp Stag is a reasonably traditional one. I wouldn't bat an eyelid if you'd told me this was a song from 1995, although I'd be surprised that I hadn't heard it before. Had 'Walking With Broken Bones' been released around that period it would probably have done reasonably well, almost certainly charted and picked up substantial radio play. This is purely and simply because it's a good tune and at that point in time some good guitar tunes were getting that kind of success.

Few do now, and that's a shame for Camp Stag, because as it is tracks like 'Walking With Broken Bones' will be the reserve of internet sites like this and maybe the odd spin on one of the alternative music stations. All the ingredients are here: a decent, snappy riff, a good melody, depth in sound provided by some neat percussion and the addition of some organ, plus a memorable chorus. The controllers at the likes of Radio 1 won't give it a second look unless things change drastically and soon. Still, it's their loss, Camp Stag will find a fanbase and we'll be behind them as long as they continue to come up with the goods.



Camp Stag's website

Buy the single

Catch them live:
Wed 29.05 LONDON Buffalo Bar
Thu 30.05 MANCHESTER Castle Hotel
Fri 26.07 Kendal Calling Festival, The Woodlands Stage





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Limb - Two Shades

Single review by bloopie@thesoundofconfusion.co.uk

Limb is a project by Melbourne-based duo Ben Murphy and Adam Farrington-Williams, with their new two-track release 'Two Shades' coming out after their debut EP release 'Star Crossed' last month. Like a Eurovision Song Contest pop track with a digital-age twist, 'The Frenzy' quickly sets off with dramatic vocals singing "do I remind you of a better time?". I can already imagine a certain demographic preparing to wave their national flags to the beat of another feel-good special. It develops predictably and is a little old-fashioned, with dainty synths accompanying '80s-styled "oooh-ooohs".

But then there's a surprising contrast with the second track on the release, 'Lose It All'. From a larger-than-life synth-pop production from a different decade, naturally upbeat and lighthearted and drenched in reverb, 'Lose It All' evolves into some kind of gloomy slow-paced electro-industrial track that likes to zigzag in and out of the realm of pop every now and then. It's much more interesting and promising. Limb advertise their music as experimental, electronic pop music that's cinematic and grand. It is that, even if a little unripe and rough around the edges for a start.



Limb's website

Stream or buy the single





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The Pale Faces - Another Such Strange Bird

Album review by kev@thesoundofconfusion.co.uk

Noisy garage? Primal post-punk? You might think that Leicester trio The Pale Faces care little for production or getting every aspect of their music note perfect. In reality it could easily be argued that this trio are incredibly careful to get the right sound, it's more a case that the sound they're after is a lo-fi, DIY one. The Pale Faces aren't aiming for Wembley arena, they're aiming for the hearts of music fans who like what they listen to to be real and have genuine passion and a genuine care for what the end product turns out like. With new album 'Another Such Strange Bird' they've not just hit the back of the net, they've drilled it right into the top corner.

If you're not au fait with this musical approach then this album may seem homemade (which it probably was) and maybe even a little amateurish (and that's a possibility too, I doubt any of the band have a CV that reads like Paul McCartney's), but what you might realise after a few spins is that the pop hidden in these songs gradually breaks free of what may be perceived as the restrains of the seemingly primitive approach to recording. If you're already a fan of punk, of indie ethics, of raw sounds and a harsher approach, them dive straight in, the water's lovely. The Pale Faces pick what they like from '60s garage and girl groups, Patti Smith, the first wave of post-punk, C86 and the modern lo-fi movement; then they give it a slap in the face.

Why piss about trying to be John Bonham when The Velvet Underground and The White Stripes both knew that smacking out a primitive beat works just as well? Why be note perfect on the guitar when the music of Joe Satriani and Steve Vai is so vacuous? Why push shiny acrobatic vocals to the fore when The X Factor winners are all so dull? At the top of the page here we have our little motto: "Music For The Other". That could have been made for The Pale Faces. Following the clatter of 'Girl From The Past' they smash straight into 'O Mummy O Daddy' which is dirty garage-rock doused in organ and set alight; the mic is at breaking point. Either that or the vocalist's throat; probably both. And now the album has lift-off.

'Eat You Alive' shows a more experimental approach. We're buggered if we know what instrument takes the lead, but the thudding beats and the haunting vocals are straight from the darkest depths that Siouxsie and the Banshees ever explored; blues guitar is introduced on the '60s trash of 'No Kisses Blues', it's something like Janis Joplin as reimagined by The Cramps. The Shangri-Las' grotesque sisters take over for the twisted girl-pop of 'Sweet & Sour Sixteen', a style which reappears on 'Soul Connection'. There's a mid-album interval on 'Island' where the din stops for a slow and atmospheric dreamscape. A slightly bleak one admittedly, but a brief time-out nonetheless. Then it's bass-heavy post-punk mixed with garage for 'A Thing Called Man' with its almost Neanderthal view of life. The final two tracks are the sludgy 'Dark Lips' with it's screamed ending, and lastly the noisy-heavy blast of 'Black Swan' which is them in a nutshell. Pale Faces maybe, but 'Another Such Strange Bird' is a colourful album.


The Pale Faces' website

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Nancy Elizabeth - Dancing

Album review by kev@thesoundofconfusion.co.uk

I think at this point in time, when an album is tagged in iTunes as "Traditional" and is by a respected modern folk artist such as Nancy Elizabeth, then you'll already have made up your mind whether to proceed or run for cover. The fact that Elizabeth's music is far from the commercial side of this never-ending revival is besides the point; there's simply so much of this music around that overkill happened around three or four years ago. Of course it's unlikely that there's a vast difference in the number of people dabbling in this genre now than at any other point in musical history, the prevalence comes from labels releasing the music more widely to capitalise on public demand. The question really is does 'Dancing' offer us anything we're not (through no fault of her own) already sick to the back teeth of?

Well, yes and no. Fans will no doubt be aware by now (this is her third album) that Nancy Elizabeth is highly talented. Not only as a songwriter; she has a fine voice and is an accomplished multi-instrumentalist. If authenticity matters to you, then we'll point out that the 'Dancing' was made for next to nothing in her small flat in Manchester. This isn't trust-fund folk. It's the real deal and it's an updated version of the genre, and one that isn't attention seeking in any way. Whichever way you look at it, this is a record that was made for the right reasons in a humble and, judging by the quality of the recording, reasonably masterful way. Because of the nature of these songs, often relying on atmosphere, unless you're already up to speed with Elizabeth's previous work, it's likely that 'Dancing' will take repeat listens, but give it this time and you will be rewarded.

What's impressive about this album is how understated some songs are. Take 'Death In A Sunny Room', a track clearly written as it should be; it's not looking for radio play or popular approval, it's written to convey its message and it does so with little more than a piano, probably the key instrument to these songs. This is immediately followed by 'Debt', a definite high-point and a song where Nancy Elizabeth comes into her own: it's unique. It's moments like this when she stamps her own mark on the songs that make this album a worthwhile purchase. Other examples include the beautifully sung 'Shimmering Song', the lively 'Raven City', dreamy opener 'The Last Battle' and the slightly kooky 'Heart'. None of the other songs are bad, in fact the standard is high throughout, but ultimately your enjoyment of 'Dancing' will come down to just how bored of acoustic music you've become since the floodgates opened.




Nancy Elizabeth's website

Stream or buy the album

Catch her live:

THU Jun 20 Leaf, Liverpool, UK
FRI Jun 21 Cube Cinema, Bristol, UK
SAT Jun 22 Porter's, Cardiff, UK
SUN Jun 23 Phoenix Centre, Exeter, UK
TUE Jun 25 Glad Cafe, Glasgow, UK
WED Jun 26 The Adelphi / New Adelphi, Hull, UK
THU Jun 27 The Dog, Coventry, UK
FRI Jun 28 The Victoria, Dalston, London, UK
SAT Jun 29 South Street Arts Centre, Reading, UK
SUN Jun 30 International Anthony Burgess Foundation, Manchester, UK
WED Jul 10 Howard Assembly Room, Leeds, UK
SUN Jul 21 Latitude Festival 2013
Late Junction at the Lavish Lounge, Southwold, UK





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