Somehow the album manages to encompass the emotional and affecting balladry of Lou Barlow, the often bonkers brilliance of Gaffney and the Jake Lowenstein tracks which veer between the two extremes.
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My Morning Jacket – Evil Urges
There are some fine tracks on this album. Overall it is, however, something of a curate’s egg.
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Hefner – The Fidelity Wars
The name Hefner was always somewhat ironic. For whilst, as John Peel observed, ‘it’s always about sex with Hefner’ Darren Hayman’s lyrics never evoked the Playboy boss after whom he took his groups moniker.
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Incendiary ‘do’ Roskilde Festival
We would like to take this opportunity to thank the Danish national television for their generous donations to our festival experience and would like them to know that in the future we will be only happy to assist again.
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AC Berkheimer – In a Series of Long Days
I also like the quiet tip-tap drumming; its metronomic and ever so slightly trippy, like the Floyd with Barrett, it’s job is to keep time and stop things getting too gushy or splurgy. That’s not to say it doesn’t splurge out; So Much For is classic 90-91 guitar pop, Lush style.
Tussle – Cream Cuts
The Witch and the Robot – On Safari
“Stylistically, this is a classic TWATR record; rumbling grooves, seemingly carved out of stone, agricultural psychedelia, a Luddite Moody Blues. Small town Iggy Pops trying to put on a musical.”
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Son Ambulence – Someone Else’s Déjà Vu
"Legend of Lizeth’s crashing a cappella refrain coming across like mid period Pink Floyd (if Syd’d kept it together and led the band) or the Pretty Things’ Well of Destiny stylings, magnified by 100. "
Populous with Short Stories – Drown in Basic
“There are 12 tracks that are less than two and a half minutes in length. Steve is very representative of the LP; a shimmering childbeat propels a glittering synth melody, and suddenly you get a feeling of dreamy summer afternoons walking silently through parks with the girl you secretly fancy.”
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SJ Esau – Small Vessel
“It’s a very theatrical record in a way, maybe it’s the use of soliloquies and vocal asides in various songs and for some reason when I listen to tracks like Ruddy Spark or Frustrating I’m reminded of Peter Hammill’s excellent Nadir’s Big Chance”
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