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

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

17 October, 2014

The Rural Alberta Advantage-Mended With Gold

Filed under: alternative,folk,indie,lo-fi,Recorded Reviews — Tags: mended with gold, new album, the royal alberta advantage — willmunn @ 10:21

The Rural Alberta Advantage are something of a new name for us Brits, however the three-piece band have been making great waves over in their native Canada since their formation back in 2006, whilst the likes of Spin, The New York Times, Rolling Stone and Pitchfork have also picked up on the band.

To date the band have released two albums and an early EP, which has seen the group gain acknowledgement with two Juno Award nominations as well as receiving a a nod for the Polaris Music Prize.

Mended With Gold is the band’s third album and could be the one to see the band breakthrough on an international stage with the likes of Q, Uncut and The Line Of Best Fit queuing up to feature the band and their tales of loss, heartbreak and adventure.

Right from the album’s opening track, Our Love… it’s easy to see why the band are receiving such attention from the music media, right from the off Nils Edenloff’s weathered voice hits, over subtle percussion from Paul Banwatt, before big guitars kick in and multi-instrumentalist Amy Cole adds vocal harmonies to a hook-laden chorus. During the duration of the near three minute song guitars drop in and out of the mix leaving Nils vocals exposed over a subdued clatter of percussion before the vocal refrain and guitars crash back into focus, instantly captivating the listener and urging them onwards.

This City opens with a lonesome strummed guitar and Nils vocals showcasing a folky element to the band’s sound before the mix is joined by pattered percussion, drums and electric guitar to create a mix that sounds akin to the likes of lo-fi pop legends Neutral Milk Hotel or Olivia Tremor Control among others. On The Rocks sees piano pierce fuzzy riffs, whilst male/female vocal harmonies deliver a story of a relationship breakdown, before the band deliver a gorgeous wordless vocal hook that’s instantly sticks in the memory and could become one of those big holler along moments live.

Other highlights include the beautiful, autumnal folky lament To Be Scared, featuring delicate finger picked guitar, offbeat clicking percussion, a gorgeous lead vocal and seductive female vocal coos drawing the listener into a majestic dreamy spell, whilst All We’ve Ever Known is summoned in with a torrent of feedback before developing into a hard hitting indie anthem complete with marching drums and striking riffs, whilst the lead vocals are full of vim and vigor as the band flex their muscles. Whilst album closer, On The Run is a beautiful piano led ballad that drops out completely leaving just the stand alone fragile vocals of Nils and Amy intwined as one.

Mended With Gold is a stunning, magical album of indie folk ballads and lo-fi anthems, complete with soaring harmonies, infectious melodies, scattershot percussion and heart-wrenching vocals. Loss, longing and heartbreak has never sounded so appealing.

Rhythm & Booze Rating 9

www.theraa.com

26 July, 2012

Fantasy Rainbow-O, Weirdo/Para Parakeet

Filed under: indie,lo-fi,Recorded Reviews,rock — willmunn @ 16:19

Fantasy Rainbow are a one man/three man/four man (depending on the day and mood) Manchester based outfit led by Oliver Catt, originally conceived as a bedroom project last year, by the then 18 year old Oliver, who recorded four tracks with good friend Jonathan Coddington. The demo soon began to gather momentum in the north east music scene which would result in Fantasy Rainbow signing with Gateshead based D.I.Y label Tiny Lights Recordings. Over the following nine months Fantasy Rainbow released three full length releases in the shape of Teens EP, The Healthy Lung, Dirty Lung tape and No Hope, Not Ever EP. The releases found their way onto various radio shows receiving regular airplay on the likes of XFM and 6 Music resulting in the first named two releases selling out.

Which brings us near enough up-to, Fantasy Rainbow, a year on signed with (Rhythm & Booze favourites) Heist Or Hit Records and was invited over to Nashville to record his debut album, which should see the light of day in November of this year, before that Oliver releases his debut double-sided single for the label O, Weirdo/Para Parakeet (produced by former Answering Machine frontman, Martin Colclough.

Oliver’s first release for Heist Or Hit is simply incredible, he welds the slacker cool of J Mascis or Pavement and gives is a British indie rock overhaul to create a sound that’s both laid-back and utterly essential, on O, Weirdo a languid guitar groove combines effortlessly with gorgeous vocal harmonies, and an awkward, yet heart wrenching vocal croon to create a delightful slice of gorgeous lo-fi indie cool. Para Parakeet proves that Fantasy Rainbow are no mere one offs as Oliver adds layers of fuzz to an already intoxicating mix to create a laidback, almost stoned take on grunge that gloriously sounds like it’ll fall apart at any moment.

If the two traks on offer here are anything to go on, the full length album by Fantasy Rainbow is set to be a bonafide lo-fi, indie rock classic full of hidden hooks and blissed out grooves, whilst once again Heist Or Hit prove they have their collective fingers on the pulse with yet another essential release.

Rhythm & Booze Rating 10

www.fantasyrainbow.com

15 April, 2012

Broken Broadcast-Good Afternoon Mr Moon

Filed under: acoustic,americana,folk,lo-fi,Recorded Reviews — Tags: broken broadcast, good afternoon mr moon — willmunn @ 18:29

North-East Four-piece Broken Broadcast are a band on the up, with a number of local Teeside radio stations sitting up and taking notice of the band’s stunning combination of lo-fi indie and sparse Americana and with the release of their debut single the rest of the UK will soon be following suit.

Good Afternoon Mr Moon is a wonderful introduction to one of the most intriguing new bands around, the song is a wonderfully desolate take on stripped down folk that opens with a minamilistic beat and guitar combo before developing into a harmony and melodica enriched chorus, showcasing a lo-fi indie edge to their sound. The band also manage to weave a pop hook into their already compelling mix with the addition of added whistling as band unveil further layers as the track continues onwards, revealing infectious melodies along the way.

The brand prove that Good Afternoon Mr Moon is no mere one off, the single is backed with the simply breathtaking Our Joy, a gorgeous slice of stripped back melancholic piano and gentle, heart tugging, crooned vocals that leave you longing for more.

Broken Broadcast, with the release of their debut single, have achieved more than most bands manage in a life time and that’s a bewitching combination of lush melodies and minimal fuss, the band don’t bother with unnecessary clutter, this is just pure and simple bare bones  music at it’s best.

Rhythm & Booze Rating 9

www.thebrokenbroadcast.co.uk

14 March, 2012

Simian Ghost-Youth

Filed under: chill wave,electronic,indie,lo-fi,pop,Recorded Reviews — Tags: simian ghost, youth — willmunn @ 17:54

Not so long ago I got a little excited by the debut (UK release) EP, Lovelorn by Swedish three-piece Simian Ghost, well since then the mainstream press seem to have sat up and taken notice with everyone from The Guardian to The NME and Clash lavishing praise on the dreamy electro indie outfit and whilst the band have been lapping up the attention they’ve also found the time to write and record a brand new album.

Lovelorn was something of a living room electronica project, mainly helmed by front man Sebastian Arnstrom, this time round Youth is more of a collaborative affair with the rest of Simian Ghost adding their individuality to Sebastian’s original vision and whilst the electronics are still evident they’ve added more guitar to the mix, adding greater textures and layers to an already heady, infectious sound.

Youth see’s the band develop from the glorious chill-wave and electro sounds into something unique and inspiring, sure there are still all the elements of old but now the addition of dreamy vocal harmonies, shimmering electric guitar and heartfelt strummed acoustics have given the band a new and contagious dreamy pop edge that should help Simian Ghost appeal to an even larger spectrum of music fanatics.

The album opens with Curtain Call, a wonderful if brief opener, that begins with a clatter of drums and a jangly guitar before developing into a beautiful slice of dreamy, indie pop complete with sunny hazy vocals, lush harmonies and a wonderfully infectious melody that instantly hooks the listener and sets the mood for the remaining nine tracks on Youth. From there the band move onto the stunning near six minute title track, a song that welds together those former chill-wave influences to those new found twinkly guitars to create a simply stunning mantra that’s simply impossible to deny.

From the highlights come thick and fast from the shimmering, hook-laden fizzy pop Wolf Girl to the delirious delicate guitar picking and warm hum-along harmonies of Sparrow, to the lifting contagious poppy vocal refrain that compliments the driving riffs and drums of Automation to the albums stunning, swirling finale, No Dreams with it’s soaring vocals, chiming and intricate guitars.

Youth is quite simply a dazzling album that buzzes, sparkles and fizzes majestically, a a beautifully sophisticated, late night intimate record, for music lovers everywhere. If I got a little excited by Lovelorn, I’m practically frothing at the mouth over this one.

Rhythm & Booze Rating 10

www.simianghost.com

Older Posts »

Powered by WordPress