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 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. 

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. 

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'