2015 RETROSPECTIVE - PART 2

LONE WOLF - LODGE

Music and anxiety often go hand in hand, in my experience. There are records in my music library that foster anxiety that I should probably stay away from; there are others I can turn to for sensory or emotional respite from the shakes and the sweats. I had yet to come across a record that encapsulated both responses, until I first heard Lodge by Lone Wolf. 

Faced with the news that much-favoured recording space The Lodge in Bridlington was closing, Paul Marshall booked some studio time and made what would be his final release as Lone Wolf over the course of a few weekends. The result is Lodge, a record that doesn't shrink away from its subject matter. It is a wonderfully sparse record; ever-present piano is joined in turns by unassuming bass, drums and mute trumpets, all of which are complemented by the sound of a room that almost lives and breathes with the music. There is nowhere to hide here; the elephant in the room must be addressed. 

The sound, therefore, sets up the final part of the Lone Wolf journey, with Marshall going from storyteller to confessor over the course of three records. It couldn't be simpler; he has some things to get off his chest, and he'd like to tell you all about it if you'll listen. Gone are the more abstract lyrics and stories from The Devil and I and The Lovers, and in their place are devastating words that have the power to make the listener recoil. The darkness and self-flagellation of anxiety and depression are explored in their entirety on tracks such as 'Give Up', 'Taking Steps' and 'Get Rough' in a way that is difficult to hear, but at the same time absolutely essential. The elephant in the room is being addressed. 

Addressing these issues is difficult but it can pay dividends, and evidence of this is also present on Lodge. 'Art of Letting Go' is the blueprint; it's no guarantee of success, that's down to you, but it sympathises and lends a helping hand. There is something about the end of 'Token Water' that evokes the giddiness that occurs in the aftermath of an anxiety attack ... an oddly specific evocation that is probably no use to anyone reading this but hey, music belongs to its listeners right? 

Tangents aside, Lodge is a stunning record. It says important things quietly; those who choose to listen have their close attentions rewarded exponentially. Louder records may get more accolades but you shouldn't have to shout for your voice to be heard. 

Lone Wolf

2015 RETROSPECTIVE - PART 1

EAST INDIA YOUTH - CULTURE OF VOLUME

On this day last year I began my look back at 2014 music with TOTAL STRIFE FOREVER, East India Youth's Mercury-nominated debut record. I did not envisage that I'd be starting this year's retrospective with William Doyle's second effort CULTURE OF VOLUME, but I'm not complaining. Spoiler alert: it's a bloody good record. The ideas open out as opposed to the enveloping of TOTAL STRIFE FOREVER; everything sounds widescreen, the vocals are stronger, the production sounds just that little bit slicker. While in many ways this second record is an elaboration on the first, there is one thing that remains the same; both records demonstrate a formidable audacity that manifests itself in multiple ways.

After the unfurling of opener THE JUDDERING, END RESULT is a deftly textured track that creates the effect of walking through some cold, vast expanse that probably doesn't really exist except in the mind (incidentally, this is a record that travels very well). When I listen to HEARTS THAT NEVER, it sounds like a neuroscientist cut my brain open, targeted the exact areas of the thing responsible for my completely random and unintelligible sensory pressure-points and put them all in a song, all happening at the same time. I might be affronted at this blatant invasion of privacy if it didn't sound and feel so unbelievably fucking fantastic. CAROUSEL is simply stunning. To reiterate: it's a bloody good record.

What is most impressive about CULTURE OF VOLUME is its evocative quality. When I think of this record many things come to mind: anxiety attacks, coach rides, a wet December night in Leeds, karaoke (don't ask), walking through the streets of London at 11pm and discovering a beauty in the city that I had never seen before. I don't expect anyone to share in these evocations; they are personal to me, and really that's the point. We don't react to music in the same way, we are shaped by our brains and our experiences and we sift music through those filters. All we can hope for is to find music that is an open and easy conduit, that not only creates associations but refreshes and remakes them as we go along. Luckily for us, records like CULTURE OF VOLUME make the process wonderfully effortless. 

East India Youth

2014 RETROSPECTIVE - DAY 11

WILD BEASTS - PRESENT TENSE

Today's post must begin with a disclaimer; when I comes to Wild Beasts I find it damn near impossible to be impartial. I was so enamoured with Present Tense when it was released in Febraury that I wrote a love letter to it. For all our sakes I won't reproduce it here, but it goes to show the extremity of my affection; if I were pushed to pick an 'album of the year', it would be this one here. Having said that, I find myself somewhat reticent about waxing lyrical here, afraid of tarnishing your view of Present Tense, dear reader, with my muddy footprints.

I can speak about the facts; I could talk about how Present Tense was the band's first UK top ten record, how off the back of it they've played to 5000 people at Brixton Academy, and many more people in support of Arcade Fire and The National. When it comes to how utterly stunning the record is, however, and the ineffable grace with which it has aged as I have listened to and lived with it throughout the year, it is here where words begin to fail me (which is quite inconvenient considering words are my trade). In the end I must defer my words to others; as Jane Austen's Mr Knightley once said, "I cannot make speeches ... If I loved you less, I might be able to talk about it more". 

2014 RETROSPECTIVE - DAY 10

2:54 - THE OTHER I

Just a quick one today, partly because of life things but also partly because The Other I is one of those albums where the more you write about it, the more you ruin it. 2:54 have always itched some kind of primal scratch for me; from the first time I heard 'You're Early' from Colette and Hannah Thurlow's self-titled debut record, I was hooked. They continue the good work on The Other I, at once both unsettling and beguiling with strong guitar work and siren-esque vocals. Most of all, the work has a transcendental quality; when I listen I somehow feel like I'm wandering some barren, foreboding terrain and fighting to stay afloat in choppy waters, all at the same time. All of which is to say: it's just a bloody good album. 

2014 RETROSPECTIVE - DAY 9

SPRING OFFENSIVE - YOUNG ANIMAL HEARTS

Revisiting this album now, I cannot help but approach Young Animal Hearts with more than a twinge of sadness. In the last month Spring Offensive have gone on what I will optimistically describe as an indefinite hiatus; it still seems quite hard to stomach that a band with such talent are unable to continue sharing that talent with us. While Young Animal Hearts would've featured in this retrospective regardless of the recent context, there is an added poignancy that colours my perception of it.

There is ample evidence of excellent songcraft to be found here, from the undeniable 'Bodylifting' to the jaunty, direct 'Speak'. There is also a dignified maturity in the lyrical content, perhaps most succinctly communicated in tracks like 'Young Animal Hearts' and 'Cut The Root'. The qualities I've mentioned can be found in droves on this record, but the thing that will stay with me is the image nestled right in the middle of the album, at the end of 'The River': "as the water rose around my knees, I found myself smiling". This coda is built up and repeated, until all instrumentation cuts out and only the voice remains. This is my lasting image of Spring Offensive: beautiful, transient, haunting. 

2014 RETROSPECTIVE - DAY 8

BOMBAY BICYCLE CLUB - SO LONG, SEE YOU TOMORROW

I'm going to try my best to prevent it, but today's post is likely to descend into a complete gush-fest because today's album is more than gush-worthy. Sometimes we listen to music when we are sad, to justify our sadness; sometimes we listen to music when we are happy, to accentuate our happiness. Sometimes an album comes along and makes you feel what it wants you to feel, completely disregarding your natural emotional state, and So Long, See You Tomorrow is one of those albums. You just can't ignore this kind of happiness. 

I saw Bombay Bicycle Club on tour in March, a show which has become a live highlight of 2014 for me. One of the reasons that BBC are so good live, aside from the fact that they write a darn good tune, is that you can feel the joy of playing live roll off the band in waves, a tangible and infectious effect. It seems to me that with each album, the band get closer and closer to transmitting this joy on record as well as live, and with So Long, See You Tomorrow they might just have made it to the summit. Getting to know this record over the course of the year has been, quite simply, a pleasure. 

2014 RETROSPECTIVE - DAY 7

JESSIE WARE - TOUGH LOVE

The world is full of people who are either in love, out of love or, to crudely paraphrase Shakespeare's Romeo, "out of favour where I am in love". For those who fall into the latter two categories, never fear; in Tough Love, Jessie Ware has released an album so full of the stuff that there is more than enough to go round for all us lovesick pups. If debut record Devotion is concerned with the thrill of the chase, Tough Love is more of the opinion that there can be just as many thrills in the capture. 

Now I am a grumpy sod; every time I see a couple holding hands in the street I lurch for the nearest bin to hold my vomit. But when I listen to Jessie Ware, my cynicism melts away and is exposed for what it really is: a mere defence mechanism to cover up my singleton sadness. Having torn down this wall down, the tracks on Tough Love take pity on me and allow a peek at the sleeping monster that is love; a counterfeit version, but convincing all the same. In this weakened state, I cannot help but listen to songs like 'Say You Love Me' and 'Sweetest Song' and melt along with my cynicism. "Can you hear it?" Jessie asks on 'Sweetest Song'; yes Jessie, good god I can hear it!

My defence mechanisms kick back into gear, as they always do, but Tough Love will always give me a little glimpse of what I might be missing. 

2014 RETROSPECTIVE - DAY 6

METRONOMY - LOVE LETTERS

Firstly, a confession: I only began to listen to Metronomy 6 months ago. I am truly ashamed to have arrived so late to the Metronomy party but at least I made it, and for this I have Love Letters to thank. I stumbled upon the video for 'I'm Aquarius' by chance and got hooked in by the murky synths, and there are many more myriad electronics to be found across the record and of course, as I have since learned, throughout Metronomy's whole back catalogue. I'm listening to Love Letters now, trying to pin down exactly what it is that I like the most, and I'm finding it difficult. It could well be that there is a track called 'The Most Immaculate Haircut', or that on 'Never Wanted' Joe Mount manages to give a holiday packing list a heart-sinking gravitas, or even that 'Reservoir' makes me yearn for a non-existent long-lost lover. Hell, it might even just be that 'Boy Racers' is my unadulterated jam. After some thought these tracks rise to the top, but only after some coaxing; if I were to describe Love Letters in one word, it would be 'unassuming'. It's a record that waits for you to find it, and rewards your effort and endeavour in discovering it.

2014 RETROSPECTIVE - DAY 5

DAMIEN RICE - MY FAVOURITE FADED FANTASY

When I die, I want it marked down in my obituary that I survived the Great Damien Rice Drought of 2006-2014. There was such a long gap between Damien's second album 9 and the release of My Favourite Faded Fantasy last month that I almost forgot he existed ... and then I remembered and fell to my knees because Damien Rice makes me feel things like no other artist does. The first piece of music to ever make me cry was 'Accidental Babies'; just typing the words brings a lump to my throat. You may notice the weak attempts at hiding my affection with humour; to be quite honest, the effect Rice's work has on me makes me feel uncomfortable. He is, by far, the most arresting songwriter in my music library, and if you disagree I will fight you (see? I did it again. I can't handle this level of sincerity and yet the work demands it). 

You see, the reason that I find his music so compelling is that I believe every word he sings. With some music you don't believe a thing, and then other music is quite compelling and you believe it and just let it sit, and then there's Damien Rice. When his voice cracks on 'The Greatest Bastard', more than once, you better believe I'm slumped forward in my seat, reaching for tissues, utterly devastated. It's not a pretty image, but then the emotions on My Favourite Faded Fantasy are not pretty; no one could say they don't recognise them. All through 'The Greatest Bastard' Rice toys with my faith in his words as he constantly questions himself; almost whispering he says "I made you laugh, I made you cry, I made you open up your eyes ... didn't I?" By the end of the album, as with every Damien Rice album, I just want to give him a big hug. And I'm not a hugging person. 

It's good to have him back. 

2014 RETROSPECTIVE - DAY 4

TAKING BACK SUNDAY - HAPPINESS IS

It has been nearly 10 years since I first encountered Taking Back Sunday, watching them support Green Day at the Milton Keynes Bowl, and it's been about 8 years since I started seriously listening to their work. I found them at the perfect time; I had just discovered boys and, more importantly, their tendency to hurt you endlessly. Taking Back Sunday provided the pointed, bittersweet soundtrack to this awkward stretch of adolescence, and they have stayed with me to this day; a little bit like the Harry Potter books, I've grown up with TBS always around.

The Harry Potter comparison may seem a bit strange, but the final track of Happiness Is, 'Nothing At All', gave me the same kind of feeling as reading The Deathly Hallows. The realisation of the journey from adolescence to adulthood is a serious one for those that feel it, and 'Nothing At All' is the beautiful, lingering coda of an album which is undoubtedly Taking Back Sunday's most adult body of work yet. The reason that I still listen to Taking Back Sunday when other music from my younger years has fallen by the wayside is that as I have grown, so have they; in the same way that they have never sounded as adult as on Happiness Is, I have never felt so adult as at the time in which I first listened to it. When so many bands around them kept still, Taking Back Sunday never stopped running. I hope they don't stop any time soon. 

2014 RETROSPECTIVE - DAY 3

I've been thinking a lot about this blog recently. Why do I do it, who is it for, standard existential concerns. I am enjoying this extended schedule of posting, not least because it has made me think about form and style; I have tried to do something different with the end-of-year model and as a result, I'm also scrutinising the way I write on here. I am happy for the few readers that I have on this platform, but ultimately I write for myself and I have allowed a more personal edge to come through (while at the same time trying to unlearn many bad habits of music writing that I have accumulated over the years). Basically, this has become less of a polished Music Thing and more of just me rambling on about records that I like. And I'm OK with that. 

FOSTER THE PEOPLE - SUPERMODEL

Never in a million years did I think that a Foster The People record would make it onto any best-of list of mine, and yet I have to scold my former self for being so close-minded. Having had 'Pumped Up Kicks' forced down my throat by every media outlet possible in the summer of 2011, I had developed a kind of negative Pavlovian response to any mention of the trio. In fact, when I first heard Supermodel I didn't know who it was by; it was one of many records put on at work by my colleagues in the name of pure curiosity. About halfway through the record I checked out what was playing and, rather than turning it off, I turned it up and went back to work. 

Like with many good albums, Supermodel can be enjoyed on a number of levels. What caught my interest was the sheer amount of groove: see 'Are You What You Want To Be?', 'Best Friend'. What kept me coming back was Mark Foster's understated delivery on tracks like 'Goats In Trees' and 'Fire Escape'. Lyrically this record gets pretty introspective, and it imparts what I've found to be a rare gift, giving the illusion of singing, and indeed speaking, to me and only me. And then of course all on its own sits ' Pseudologia Fantastica', a behemoth nestled in the middle of Supermodel, charging and snarling for 5 and a half minutes straight with next to no relent. As a once staunch critic, consider my socks charmed off. 

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. 

Some Summer Listening

As the famous British Summer both drowns us and burns us to a crisp, here are some suitably atmospheric albums to soothe a sunburnt head.

Hundred Waters - The Moon Rang Like A Bell

Following on from their eponymous debut record, Hundred Waters are carrying on the good work with The Moon Rang Like A Bell. This is a restless record, constantly lulling you into a false sense of security in its quieter moments before expanding exponentially. 

Glass Animals - ZABA

Full of sleaze and sultry beats, this record does not beat around the bush in any way; Glass Animals are here, now, and they demand your attention. 'Pools' is irresistible, while tracks like 'Toes' have an underlying sinister nature, holding your ears to ransom. An audacious debut, perfect for unbearably hot summer afternoons. 

Woman's Hour - Conversations

The Kendal four-piece have already impressed many through the first half of 2014 and while some would falter under such pressure to perform, Woman's Hour show that they are assured enough to carry this weight. Conversations is very much part of the 'less is more' philosophy, but no emotion is lost or spared on this beautiful record. 

MARCH - APRIL: THE BEST BITS

We Are Scientists - TV En Français

It's been nearly 4 years since the release of previous effort Barbara but TV En Français makes it worth the wait (see what I did there?). Cheap WAS song puns aside, this record is everything we've come to know and love from Murray and Cain; sweeeeeeet hooks and not-so-sweet lyrics - "When I said that you were something else/I didn't mean it as a compliment".
Check out: Dumb Luck, Overreacting

Foster The People - Supermodel

Those people that endured the endless airplay of 'Pumped Up Kicks' throughout 2011 will be pleasantly surprised by Supermodel; there is a real myriad of styles here, deftly executed. Let's face it, the world doesn't need another one-hit wonder, and I'm happy to say that Foster The People have avoided this fate.
Check out: Pseudologia Fantastica, Best Friend

Spring Offensive - Young Animal Hearts

Oxford are very excited about their new export; Spring Offensive have been labelled by many as the next Foals. While this comparison is warranted to a point, Spring Offensive have more than enough about them to shrug off the shadow and make their own tracks. There's a subtlety and vulnerability to Young Animal Hearts that makes for an assured debut and hints at great things for the future. 

Check out: Bodylifting, Speak

THE YEAR SO FAR ...

We are hardly two months into 2014 and yet there is already an abundance of new music to be devoured; here is my pick of the year's new releases.

 East India Youth - Total Strife Forever

William Doyle's debut solo effort contains an impressive palette of sounds; it is an ambitious record that almost demands to be heard. 

Check out: 'Heaven, How Long', 'Hinterland'

James Vincent McMorrow - Post Tropical

From the first strains of 'Cavalier' it is clear that Post Tropical is an album that whispers rather than shouts. If you take the time to listen close, you will surely be rewarded.

Check out: 'Cavalier', 'Outside Digging'

Bombay Bicycle Club - So Long, See You Tomorrow

An album borne of travel, with home at its heart. The quartet know a good hook when they hear one, and So Long... is full of them.

Check out: 'Home By Now', 'Feel'

Arthur Beatrice - Working Out

A strong debut album underpinned by intriguing vocal contrasts and a sophisicated sound that usually takes several records to cultivate. 

Check out: 'Midland', 'Carter'

Wild Beasts - Present Tense

Building upon Smother's flirtations with electronica, this record weaves synth upon synth and vocal upon vocal in and out of your ears until you inevitably become entwined with it. 

Check out: 'Daughters', 'Palace' 

ALBUM: SKY LARKIN - MOTTO

"Keep it newsworthy" Sky Larkin's Katie Harkin urges us; a poignant message in the information-saturated 21st century, but it remains baffling how Sky Larkin themselves have not attracted such widespread attentions. 'Motto' is the band's third record after the solid debut 'The Golden Spike' and the sparkling 'Kaleide', and while the last few years have seen Harkin lending her talents to the Wild Beasts' live set up as well as some line-up changes, the molten core of the Sky Larkin world is unchanged. 

More than anything else, 'Motto' is an album of imperatives. From the lyrical content ("Keep it newsworthy", "Breathe it in, carve it out") to the relentless ever-present guitars, the record asks the listener to listen, to engage, to do. What is more, however much 'Motto' may ask of you it repays in buckets of heart and charm; the importance of this mutual relationship is keenly felt. Tracks like 'Italics' entice you in initially with killer hooks and in return you get the pleasure of listening to a band who have achieved a harmonious equilibrium; every instrument and voice shines without ever stepping on their neighbours' toes. This album in particular stands out in the Sky Larkin discography because it is, at times, more human and pained than what has come before. While 'Loom' and 'Treasury' collide wistful guitars with odes to loss, 'Overgrown' and album closer 'Que Linda (Wake To Applause)' are the most downbeat tracks on 'Motto', arguably even more poignant than Harkin's earlier pleas on 'Newsworthy'.  

There's only so many times you can knock on a door until you must surely be heard. Sky Larkin have been knocking for a while now, and the irresistible quality of 'Motto' will, hopefully, cause many to open the door, usher the band inside and offer them a cup of Yorkshire Tea. It's all they deserve, after all. 

9/10

Sky Larkin

ALBUM: ARCTIC MONKEYS - AM

It is clear to see from the promotional images for 'AM' how far Arctic Monkeys have come since releasing debut 'Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not' way back in 2006. Gone are the polo shirts and questionable jackets; instead, Sheffield's finest are suited and booted, dressed to the nines and looking serious. The band have embraced the big-time more and more with each new record, and 'AM' seems set to continue this trajectory. 

Indeed, there is something truly big about some of the tracks on this record. 'One For The Road' snakes along, burrowing into the ears and building more and more momentum but never quite overflowing into complete chaos. Although it has been available for consumption for some time, 'R U Mine' still packs the same punch it did on the very first listen. Many dedicate their careers to finding that one magic, earth-shattering riff; few succeed, and even fewer get it so right. Combine such a riff with a drawling, sneering Alex Turner and you've got a bona fide hit on your hands. 

As with previous Arctic Monkeys albums, however, these glowing praises must be tempered with a reluctant but necessary "but ...". In this case, there are some moments on 'AM' that, quite frankly, don't feel like they belong on an Arctic Monkeys record at all. 'Knee Socks' contains a rather strange moment where the band seem to be channelling their inner Justin Timberlake in an awkward acapella falsetto, while 'I Wanna Be Yours' has the cringe-worthy lines "I wanna be your vacuum cleaner/Breathing in your dust/I wanna be your Ford Cortina/I won't ever rust". After the gritty realism of Turner's early lyrics, to hear this cannot be anything but a little soul-destroying.

There is no question that Arctic Monkeys have evolved and adapted their sound, mostly for the better, and their ability to churn out the hits has been a sure and steady constant throughout their career to date. Even so, the experimental urge can lead to failures as well as successes, and no one is immune to this effect. It is an unavoidable circumstance and, in the end, one that Arctic Monkeys will not feel too strongly; their reputation solidified, they have much less to lose now than they once did. 

6/10

Pre-order 'AM' here

ALBUM: OUTFIT - PERFORMANCE

Liverpool quintet Outfit have been on our radar ever since their run of shows supporting the indefatigable Everything Everything on their February UK tour. Since then they have been tantalising fans by uploading album demos for a few hours at a time throughout the spring, and the finished article, in the form of debut record Performance, will be released next week.

If, like us, you’re feeling delirious from the improbable heatwave hitting the UK, this album will not do much to quell the delirium - if anything, it is more likely to enhance it. Performance is transformative in several respects: whether you’re after a bad-dream kind of ambience, some Eastern vibes or party atmospherics, this record will take you there.  Not only does Performance move up and out in this manner, but also forwards and backwards; while ‘Spraypaint’ evokes comparisons with Tears For Fears and company, album closer ‘Two Islands’ could not be more current, sure to be heard in hip high-street clothes stores the world over.

The title track, nestled in the middle of the album, is a refreshing moment of clarity in amongst the madness. A cautionary tale on the now all-encompassing nature of performance, this track has Andrew Hunt mournfully crooning “now everything echoes the same way”. It is clear that to Outfit, the idea of performance is not just a lyrical touchstone but something that permeates the record in numerous ways. “All the world’s a stage” Shakespeare once wrote, and the band have taken this old adage to heart, creating percussion out of DVD drives, snowy footfall and snooker balls among others.

This is a bold debut; Outfit have cultivated a sound borne of confidence and imagination, a combination which many bands don’t manage to achieve this quickly. Performance is a delightfully chameleon record that will, if there is any justice in the world, turn many heads. For those who embrace the adventure on this album, there are many rewards to be had.

8/10

Stream the album here

Outfit