2014 RETROSPECTIVE - DAY 2

WOMAN'S HOUR - CONVERSATIONS

One of the most striking moments of Conversations, the debut from Kendal quartet Woman's Hour, comes in the middle of 'Darkest Place'; Fiona Burgess' voice sounds almost too close as she sings of a lost love: "wherever I look you're always there/I close my eyes and it's even worse/you hang around on the clothes I wear/and I can't even tell you how much it hurts". There are no lyrical flourishes here, no metaphor or allegory. The simplicity and starkness of these lines are beyond devastating. 

This is not an isolated incident. Conversations constantly brings forth the lump in the throat, battled back day after day, and puts a soothing hand on your back as you let it all out. From start to finish, this is a hugely cathartic record; the listener is gifted a seemingly endless sonic expanse but, like when the mind becomes clear, only then do you realise that you are forced to confront the nothingness and all that comes with it. Nicholas Graves' sparse keys open up the space, while the guitar work of Will Burgess skirts around the vocals, sometimes approaching, sometimes hanging back. 

For me, this record shows that catharsis begets catharsis; it comes so close to speaking to the most primal pain in us that it inspires the listener to pick up the baton and continue the quest of wrestling that bittersweet feeling into a creative capsule. Conversations is perhaps the most unashamedly personal album I've heard this year and because of this I am continually enamoured by it. 

2014 RETROSPECTIVE - DAY 1

Today is the 1st of December, and music writers everywhere are putting the finishing touches to their end-of-year lists. This blog is no stranger to such behaviour, but this year I would like to do something different. For every day in December you will find a post dedicated to a note-worthy album of 2014; that's right, 31 days, 31 albums. No ranking, no scores, no even numbers, just a lot of gushing over good music. After all, it is the season of goodwill ... so without further ado, let's get started. 

EAST INDIA YOUTH - TOTAL STRIFE FOREVER

Pablo Picasso had been painting for over a decade before he embarked on his Blue Period; for the first time in his career, he found a way of expressing the austerity and sorrow surrounding him without the restrictions of realism and formal instruction. The artwork for Total Strife Forever suggests that the record is East India Youth's very own blue period, but the playfulness of the title helps to ward off any serious attempt at a comparison; Will Doyle is hardly The Old Guitarist. Perhaps the best example of the resistance to "total strife" is 'Heaven, How Long', the centrepiece of the album. Lyrically there is plenty of 'grey sky' thinking here but the music teeters on a knife-edge between hope and despair, before the crescendo hits and lands somewhere between the two, a truce between resignation and defiance. This is the overarching tone of Total Strife Forever: a series of sighs, the tone of which to be deciphered by the listener.

I remember the first time I heard Total Strife Forever; I used to work in a small record store, and upon entering the shop for my first shift of the new year my colleague held up the CD and asked, "Have you heard of this East India Youth bloke?". I had heard of him thanks to the Quietus, and between my colleague and I there was enough curiosity to put the record on. Unusually, we stayed silent as we listened. My expectations were defied again and again as I stacked shelves and served customers; I had no idea what exactly it was that I was listening to, and because of this I was immediately fond of it. This album was my first of 2014 and it has been a comforting, ever-present companion. 

ALBUM: PAUL SMITH & PETER BREWIS - FROZEN BY SIGHT

My job on this blog (for want of a better word - perhaps compulsion would be better) is to capture and bottle my subjective viewpoint and release it into the wild of the internet; sometimes I forget this and the blog sits dormant, gathering dust in a distant corner of The Internet. Today I have been moved to bring Bellow Baritone back from the brink of obscurity in order to examine Frozen By Sight, a collaboration between Maximo Park's Paul Smith and Peter Brewis of Field Music. 

Paul Smith has a rare talent; in his mouth the English language as I have known it for approximately 20 years give or take becomes new again. I tend to think of most singer/songwriters as musicians who happen to write poetry, but Smith feels very much like a poet who happened upon a guitar one day. His sense of narrative is intuitive and impeccable; this has been honed throughout his time with the Park, and it shines here in this transformation of travel writing, especially on 'Exiting Hyde Park Towers' and 'Trevone'. Much of his words remind me of the great observer William Carlos Williams and of one of his favourite images, that of the artist in the automobile, seeing and recording flashes of life before him. Smith doesn't only record, however; in the beautiful closer 'St. Peter's' he leaves us with a question: "When does a view become a view?" It's not a question I have an answer to. 

Musically, Frozen By Sight has the advantage of being seasonally appropriate; the strings are decidedly autumnal and the indomitable sense of place within time is deftly crafted. Like one kneels close to the electric heater after a day out in the cold, this record sits close to the skin and ears, unobtrusive but essential. Brewis and Smith have created a rare thing in making music that is at once both primary and incidental; The music gives way to Smith's vocals when appropriate, and equally Smith steps back enough to let the strings swoop in and out, in and out. This is a very pleasant record, disarming in its gentleness. 

TRAMLINES 2014

This weekend I went to Tramlines Festival in Sheffield, headlined by Katy B, Public Enemy, Sister Sledge and The Cribs. I can't write a whole lot about the headliners as I somehow made it through the whole weekend without going to the main stage at Devonshire Green, but this didn't stop me from seeing a wide range of acts across the city. 

BEST BEATS - Cholombian

Cholombian was my first act of Tramlines 2014; having listened to some tracks on Youtube I was ready to be impressed, and I was not disappointed. All through the set a near-perfect balance was struck between beats and soundscapes, intertwining and weaving in and out of each other, inviting in the most casual poser-come-barfly. 

LOCAL HEROES - Screaming Maldini

By the time I got to Sheffield Cathedral to see Screaming Maldini the place was packed - it was clear to see that these guys have a ton of hometown support. This was to be no ordinary show for the band; aside from the unusual setting, a string section and a choir were in attendance to bolster the Screaming Maldini sound. All this made for a very special performance that won't be forgotten easily by those who were there. 

SWEATIEST SET - Sky Larkin

Between songs Katie Harkin remarks "I can't remember a time when I wasn't sweaty ...", and she has a point. Sheffield was like a sauna for the entire weekend, but Sky Larkin were not in the mood to cool down. From the first strains of 'Still Windmills', Sky Larkin injected Queens Social Club with a burst of irresistible energy with no let-up whatsoever. Far from complaining however, the lively crowd welcomed it; there was a lot of sweaty love in the room. (Sky Larkin @ Queens also gets the award for Best-Smelling Photographer, which seems rather incongruous but there you go)

GOOSEBUMPS MOMENT - Jonah Matranga

Jonah Matranga played to a modest but attentive crowd on Saturday, a set tucked away in the Ballroom in City Hall. A musical journeyman, Matranga has played in many guises in a career spanning nearly 25 years; at various points he asked the audience what songs they wanted him to play, giving the set a very intimate feel. The highlight of the set was his acoustic cover of Deftones' 'Be Quiet and Drive', filled out in the middle with the story of how this version came to be on the B-side of the single release. As soon as he started playing the room went instantly silent; to hear such a quiet version of such a loud song, and to feel the poignancy of it, made for a beautiful moment. It was a pleasure to watch and hear. 

BEST DISCOVERY - Maybeshewill/Brontide

If you've been neglecting your post-rock tendencies lately, which I definitely have, then both these bands will provide the perfect antidote. Both Brontide and Maybeshewill were recommended to me by friends, and I was immensely impressed with the power and songcraft demonstrated by both bands. One of the best bits of a festival is stumbling upon unknown treasures, and once I have finished scolding myself for not having found them sooner I'll be getting to know both these bands a lot better. 

DREAMIEST SET - Woman's Hour

I was very excited to see Woman's Hour this weekend, especially after hearing their beautiful debut album Conversations. The band had to contend with some power issues that delayed their entrance, but once on stage they launched into a short-but-sweet set that included 'Her Ghost' and 'Our Love Has No Rhythm' among others. The Tramlines programme described Woman's Hour as "swoon-pop" and that description seems to be pretty spot-on; a tight rhythm section allows for gorgeous guitar parts to ghost in and out, and there's plenty of room for Fiona Burgess' vocals to rise up into the rafters of the cathedral. 

BEST VENUE - Sheffield Cathedral

This was a toughie; City Hall is a very close second, but the Cathedral clinches the Best Venue title due to the beautiful and unusual setting. On Sunday night, I found myself sitting cross-legged on the cathedral floor, surrounded by plastic cups and empty bottles of Bulmers, waiting for Denai Moore to come on and close out the festival. It was a surreal moment, but a beautiful one all the same. 

SPECIAL MENTION - East India Youth

I've seen Will Doyle aka East India Youth 4 times this year, in support, headline, and festival slots, and every time I see him it's always bloody brilliant. Even some sound issues in the middle of his Tramlines set at the Harley didn't stop him from winning over the whole room. 'Hinterland' is a massive track in itself, but it felt even more unstoppable on Friday night as the crowd moved not-quite in unison with the beat. 

NEW MUSIC: SBTRKT - NEW DORP. NEW YORK.

Bellow Baritone turns 2 today (!) and what better way to celebrate than with an avalanche of news from the SBTRKT camp. After 'Temporary View' was dropped a few weeks ago, SBTRKT aka Aaron Jerome unveiled 'New Dorp. New York.' with guest vocals from Vampire Weekend's Ezra Koenig, along with details for new LP Wonder Where We Land, set for release in September. This sparse, beat-driven track is benefited massively by Koenig's idiosyncratic vocals, and when it comes to collaboration the new record is going to be full of it. Sampha continues to work with Jerome to great effect as seen on 'Temporary View' and a plethora of artists have been confirmed to appear on  Wonder Where We Land, including Jessie Ware, Warpaint and A$AP Ferg. Excellent news! Check out the video above, and try not to get too excited.