Rhythm & Booze An online music webzine created by music lovers for music lovers.

10 March, 2015

The Dreaming Spires-Searching For The Supertruth

Filed under: alternative,americana,country,indie,powerpop,Recorded Reviews — Tags: searching for the supertruth, the dreaming spires — willmunn @ 14:47

Searching For The Supertruth is the second album by Oxfordshire based The Dreaming Spires (Robin and Joe Bennett), following on from the critically acclaimed debut, Brothers In Brooklyn, an album that further enhances the duo’s cosmic sound to incorporate indie, roots, harmony enriched 60’s pop and beyond, to create something that’s both timeless and yet somehow new.

The album opens in style with the mesmeric, Still Believe In You, a shimmering slice of cosmic swirling indie, complimented by brothers rich Byrds like harmonies and a lifting psychedelic pop melody that instantly grabs for attention, bringing to mind the likes of Tame Impala, or perhaps a 60’s west coast version of the Flaming Lips. The opening track instantly segues into the gorgeous, strummed acoustic and rolling drums intro of All Kinds Of People, before developing into a glorious widescreen combination of Americana and shimmering indie.

Strange Glue sees The Dreaming Spires change direction to deliver a  hook-laden power-pop anthem, complete with an addictive vocal refrain and infectious fuzzy guitar riffs aplenty, creating a buzzing alternative pop anthem that could have been ripped from the annuals of Apples In Stereo (high praise indeed).

Further album highlights include the sun-kissed, pedal steel assisted, Americana groove of Easy Rider,  the aching country of We Used To Have Parties, featuring the beautiful vocal harmonies of Sarah Cracknell (St Etienne) and the majestic seven minute finale, So Pretty with it’s simplistic piano motif, sawing violin (courtesy of Jackie Oakes) and Robin’s gorgeous vocal drawl.

Searching For The Supertruth is one of those rare albums that you find yourself surrendering to, an album that deserves total immersion, sure there are obvious hooks on the likes of Strange Glue and the funky When The Magic Comes, but there’s also a rich tapestry of layers waiting to be discovered on the aforementioned So Pretty, All Kinds Of People, etc. The Dreaming Spires have crafted a majestic and inventive album that straddles genres and magnificently ignores trends, an album to sit back and saviour.

Rhythm & Booze Rating 9

www.dreamingspires.net 

6 March, 2015

Dalton-Dalton

Filed under: alternative,indie,lo-fi,pop,Recorded Reviews — Tags: dalton, debut album — willmunn @ 13:33

Dalton is the work of American singer-songwriter Nate Haar, a LA native who first picked up a guitar at the tender age of 13, since those tender formative years Nate has been busy honing and crafting his sound and writing cumulating in his self titled, bridging lo-fi indie scuzz and shimmering textures creating a unique and somewhat infectious sound that compels from the album’s first fragile notes.

The album opens with Bedford And Grand, starting on a sedate piano melody and Nate’s delicate croon, before sudden bursts of guitar shatter the fragile landscape whilst the subtle piano melody remains throughout underpinning the glorious fuzzy, bombastic riffs, revealing new textures, finishing on an irresistible vocal hook that has you clambering for more.

After such an impressive opening salvo, Breaker continues the impressive form, beginning with a handclap and a simplistic, repetitive guitar melody before Nate’s languid vocals join the mix to create a chilled out slice of indie pop. The collision of pretty pop melodies and clanging lo-fi guitars continues on the dazzling, near anthemic, What Should Never End, with its gradual rise and eventual hollered vocal refrain.

The album continues in the same rich and varied vein from the shimmering, understated New Time and the mesmeric closer, So Long, So Well to the brilliant rolling piano led, near gospel of For The Last via the fuzzy heroic indie rock of Control and the strummed and harmony enriched acoustic beauty of the aptly named Autumnal.

Dalton has created a sensational, stirring debut full of pretty, fragile melodies, contagious hooks and noisy, slacker guitar anthems, that should see fans of lo-fi indie lap up in their droves.

Rhythm & Booze Rating 9

www.daltontheband.com

5 March, 2015

Rachael Sage-Blue Roses

Filed under: alternative,folk,pop,Recorded Reviews — Tags: blue roses, new album, Rachael sage — willmunn @ 14:18

Rachael sage is a New York singer-songwriter/poet/actor/visual artist and record label owner who has been bubbling under the radar since her debut album, Morbid Romantic, despite performing with the likes of Marc Cohn, The Animals, Sarah McLachlan, Jamie Cullum and Judy Collins among others, whilst attracting the attention and plaudits from legendary producers Tony Viscounti and Phil Ramone among others and winning numerous awards and accolades along the way.

Blue Roses is Rachael’s tenth studio album to date again self released and produced (along with John Shyoski), the album is perhaps her most intriguing to date, mixing her bewitching vocals, intoxicating piano,stirring riffs and sweeping strings, as she dissects the human condition, longing and love over a delicious combination of pop and rock.

The album opens with English Tea, which instantly sets the mood with striking keyboards, rumbling drums, driving guitar, an infectious melody and a passionate, rousing vocal that compels the listener on.

From there Rachael unites hushed vocals, strings and a beautiful piano melody for the glorious, reflective, folky pop tones of the albums title track and the equally hook-laden Happiness (Maddies Song). War sees Rachael change direction slightly, as mournful cello collides with perky piano and part spoken word vocals, before spiraling towards to a huge, powerful chorus, creating a unique take on modern day off-kilter adult pop.

Used To Be My Girl is the shortest track on here, but also an obvious highlight, as Rachael plays with gender roles over a simplistic combination of acoustic guitar and brushed percussion, it’s a short, snappy and ultimately addictive track that sees Rachael at her quirky best, whilst in direct contrast, yet no less impressive is the mesmeric, expansive Skywriting, a five minute plus-track adding pedal steel to an already compelling mix of piano and Rachael’s intoxicating, breathy vocals.

Whilst no write-up of this album would be complete without mention of the stunning closing cover of Neil Young’s Helpless which has Rachael teaming up with the aforementioned folk legend Judy Collins, with the two complimenting voices producing a gloriously understated, unique and spellbinding rendition of the Young classic, that’s almost worth the admission alone.

Rachael is something of a rare breed, she straddling the great divide between rock pop and folk with an effortless beauty and elegance that few singer-songwriters seem to possess and in Blue Roses, Rachael has crafted a stunning, majestic album that enchants from start to finish.

Rhythm & Booze Rating 10

www.rachaelsage.com

2 March, 2015

Kill The Romantic-Fight Or Flight

Filed under: alternative,post hardcore,Recorded Reviews,rock — Tags: fight or flight, kill the romantic, New EP — willmunn @ 18:54

Worcestershire based, three-piece alternative rock behemoths Kill The Romantic follow up their debut album (reviewed elsewhere on this very site) with a brand new four track EP (once again produced by Dave Draper), that sees them retain their combination of hard hitting riffs and infectious riffs, whilst adding a new found urgency, to create a punchier more immediate sound.

Each of the tracks have those impressive time changes and sudden twists and turns that compelled on the band’s debut, Collapsed Under Our Creation, but now the structures are condensed and instant, with the band moving effortlessly through the gears from melodic to raucous in the blink of an eye.

Bipolaroid Picture kicks proceedings off with a barrage of drums and an orgy of riffs before twisting into a glorious, melodic post hardcore/alternative rock monster, complete with intricate guitar twists, crooned and bellowed vocals, thrilling stop-starts and an all important killer hook, compelling the listener from the off.

A Great Day To Die is a fantastic showcase of the band’s vision, uniting crunchy riffs and battered drums with an almost sedate, melodic middle section that sees frontman Dale Tomkins unveil a delicate croon before the song twists again before its conclusion. The contrast of light and shade is stunning with the heavier elements seemingly hitting even harder after the more melodic passage.

The two remaining tracks, the intriguingly named How Tall Can A Midget Stand and the title track, Fight Or Flight add harmonies and oft kilter hooks to an already potent sound giving the band an almost commercial sound (in the same way that Biffy Clyro are radio friendly these days!!) yet still retaining their own unique identity and vision.

Kill The Romantic’s debut album was impressive, but the new EP sees the band progress to another level entirely, this is essential for anyone with even a passing interest in textured alternative rock or melodic post hardcore.

Rhythm & Booze Rating 10

www.killtheromantic.com

19 February, 2015

Symmetry-The Cure

Filed under: alternative,pop,Recorded Reviews,rock — Tags: hey, new single, symmetry, the cure — willmunn @ 17:46

Symmetry are a Los Angeles based four-piece that first formed back in 2013, they released their debut album the same year and since then have been hard at work building up a fanbase across the globe with their relentless gigging supporting the likes of Room 94 in both the UK and Ireland last year.

The band are heading to our shores again with Room 94 on their Dirty Dancing tour and coinciding with their forthcoming track the foursome have a new single out in the shape of The Cure.

Symmetry blend a big bold combination of rock and alternative pop, add some fizz, a little bit of bounce and then shake until frothing. The Cure is a brash head rush of rock guitars and precious pop sensibilities that’ll appeal to teenagers the world over, its fun, highly infectious and there’s probably no cure for that nagging vocal hook (and mark my words you’ll be singing along whether you want to or not!!!)

If one “wave your hand’s in the air like you just don’t care” anthem wasn’t enough the band back it up with the equally addictive Hey, which again blurs and smudges the boundary between purist pop and fizzy rock with an irresistible chorus and a fistful of riffs that are simply impossible to ignore.

Whether Symmetry are rock with a pop element, or a pop band with rock tendencies is still open for debate but either way the two tracks on here are pretty damn catchy and surely that’s all that matters.

Rhythm & Booze Rating 7

www.symmetryband.com

 

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