Frayden- Ghost Crash
7/10

Say the name Frayden around Auckland and you’ll probably get a bit of a mixed response; I saw them play live last year and wasn’t particularly impressed. However Ghost Crash has me wondering what’s wrong. Full of harmonious punk anthems, the band’s debut album is a semi-brutal assault that has far more enthusiasm than witnessed in their live show. Hayden Fritchley takes charge on drums and leads his band through a grimy set of punk numbers, wearing holes in their west-coast punk jeans proudly as they crunch their way through thirteen modestly ambitious songs. Built solidly around the band’s instrumental ability and recorded expertly by Bob Frisbee, the album relies heavily on stringing together the instrumental parts; vocals almost seem like an after thought. Single ‘Legion Of Ants’ is the exception, grinding together ’90s skater punk with Flipper’s doom rock, the song is almost too obviously different from the rest. However it leads into the highlight of the album, ‘EF Club’, an honestly defunct punk number that sticks more to the core foundations of the rest of songs. Tailing out towards the end of the album, ‘Drift’ has a sense of slime that’s dripped from earlier tracks ‘Monster’ and ‘How The Dead Live’, while ‘Burning First Love’ gets a little self-absorbed in causing chaos. Structured in a similar way to Jay Reatard’s recent Watch Me Fall, Frayden’s Ghost Crash sadly goes from a very strong beginning to a less inspiring conclusion.
Nick

Posted by Nick Fulton under Album, Reviews
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 The XX- XX
8/10

Minimalist guitar parts, earthly rhythmic beats and sterile vocals all create a unfamiliar mix of Tricky-style trip-hop, The Cure’s Gothic post-punk and The Chills’ indie fantasy pop. The Manchester group has burst the British indie bubble, refusing to be held hostage to the stadium chant and has served a well-timed fusion of musical genres that help reignite interest in British underground indie music. Clearly influenced by Bristol’s dark suicidal trip-hop, The XX centre their sound around the bedded sexual tones, but instead use perfectly timed guitar notes to elevate their music and pressure themselves to enter a new era, post-’90s Bristol and infused with elements of jazz and indie pop. At times dense and rooted with an inorganic drone (‘Fantasy’), The XX skip along a tight-rope, avoiding confrontation and building on a relationship that will kindly lend its ear during times of desperation. With moments of sadness (‘Heart Skipped A Beat’, ‘Infinity’) interspersed with moments of hope (‘Crystalised’, ‘Basic Space’), XX revels in the emotional environment of wasted youth and desperate times, offering a sympathetic voice to help make sense of change.
Nick

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Math The Band- Don’t Worry
8/10

Don’t Worry is hyperactive, intense electronic pop for speed freaks that threatens to send its listeners into intensive care for the sheer speed of its songs. Frequent chant-alongs, crescendos and spiralling madness are met with recurrent gong sounds at the end of each track, explained by the artists as their “signature”, likened to a painter’s scribe. Where many of their ilk fall into the trap of such over-exuberant delivery coming through with under-whelming ideas, MTB save their songs with writing developed over the years. Touching sincere moments (‘Introducing, The Magic Eye’) break it up and there’s a yin-yang balance in Kevin and Justine’s sharing of vocal duties. Espousing on life’s daily gripes (“What’s with food on airplanes? I don’t get it!”), passions and general mundaneness, they peak at the brilliantly anthemic, emboldening and passionate ‘Tour De Friends’ and carry on up the rainbow with each succeeding song. Hinting at even greater things to come in closer ‘It’s Gonna Be Awesome’, MTB has gotten successively more hi-fi – making the next release an exciting prospect.
Sarah

Posted by Sarah Gooding under Album, Reviews
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Dylan Storey- Out Of The Soup
8/10

Masterfully produced, worldly folk by Aucklander and Reb Fountain’s Bandit is self-released with input from luminaries including Fountain, Caitlin Smith, Clem White and Gareth Scott. The balladeer indulges his non-conformist views through abstract folk, psychedelic country and alternative blues rock. Dabbling in lyrical philosophy, songs like ‘Sartre’s Hell’ see the poet produce a mature outlook with his impeccably constructed songs. The players bring session-quality grandeur to the table, with bass and drums particularly flourishing and backing vocals adding a wispy prettiness to the strong and fearless songs. Dylan’s voice has a harsh and almost raspy quality that he pushes to the limits to pleasing effect.
Sarah

Posted by Sarah Gooding under Album, Reviews
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 PENS- Hey Friend What You Doing?
8/10

Charmingly ramshackle and wonderfully youthful, London trio PENS create sweet scuzz thrash punk with a psychedelic twist. Opener ‘Horsies’ will have your head spinning with its repetitive keyboard riff and elliptical vocals. Swathed in even more noise, ‘I Sing Just For You’ is a coyly sweet ode once you get used to the distortion, there are beautiful sounds growing underneath. This is a noise band with energy and enthusiasm to match clever song writing. Still with that ever-cool edge, songs like ‘1-2’ reek of after school boredom, knocking out super speedy rhythms with super gritty sounds produced from a dumpster drum kit, munted toy keyboard, guitar and £1 mic. The noise can almost feel like too much at times, but the songs are fast and endearing. Instant classic ‘High In The Cinema’ is the clincher, it’s track four and by now you know whether you love them or hate them. If you’re in the former camp you’ll revel in the apocalyptic bliss, the swerving rhythms, the high of the chorus and the comedown of the verse. The main vocal’s an almost reggae call-out – “we got no money yeah we gotta break in”. ‘Networking’ and ‘Freddie’ are sweet highlights and ‘Fuckufuckinfuck’ has one of the best titles ever to match a perfectly raucous, bored/distracted/tired lament. The positioning of frenetic ‘Hide The Kids’ followed by the disbanded emotion of ‘Sally Ain’t Nobody’ is genius. Turns out no apologies are needed for the production; the noise is like another instrument, constantly chugging along and adding to the adventure of discovering track by track just how wonderfully exciting and fun PENS are.
Sarah

Release date: September 15 on De Stijl Records | Pre-order CD/LP!

Posted by Sarah Gooding under Album, Reviews
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 The Dead Weather- Horehound
7/10

Arguably one of the most scrutinised releases of 2009, it seems anything Jack White is involved in these days is going to be hyped beyond the clouds. And quite rightfully it should, the man is responsible for cannibalising rock and roll in the 21st Century, inspiring a new generation of musicians the same way Kurt Cobain did in the ’90s. The Dead Weather is White’s third major project, after The White Stripes and The Raconteurs, and despite him sitting behind the drum kit his influence comes through very strongly. The Dead Weather is a deadpan rock and roll band; more complex than The White Stripes and more brutally rigid than The Raconteurs. But it’s not just Jack White’s band, he is joined by Alison Mosshart (The Kills), Jack Lawrence (The Greenhorns, The Raconteurs) and Dean Fertita (Queens Of The Stone Age), and all bring unique elements to the band. The majority of the songs were written collectively, with the exception of ‘New Pony’, which is a Bob Dylan song that originally appeared on 1978′s Street Legal. The quartet turn the song into a beefy rock and roll benefit, crunching, yelping and spinning a classic guitar solo. There are heavy elements to the album as well as lighter, condensed tracks and they all work well together, warping at times into each other, they can become a little to much, but it’s only a minor defect. However just when your head is starting to nod, they hit you with ’3 Birds’, a blissed-out psychedelic creation that highlights each of their instrumental capabilities and turns the screws a wee bit tighter. Sticking with White’s influential ways, final track ‘Will There Be Enough Water?’ is a slow blues number with White adding vocals and some sharp touches with his acoustic guitar. His obsession with paying homage to the old delta bluesmen again rounds off another album (remember ‘Your Southern Can Is Mine’ from De Stijl and ‘I’m Lonely (But I Ain’t That Lonely Yet) from Get Behind Me Satan).
Nick

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 Julian Plenti- Julian Plenti Is… Skyscraper
7/10

Julian Plenti Is… Skyscraper is the debut solo album from Interpol front-man Paul Banks. Known for his strict stage concentration and for being immaculately dressed, Banks is the first member of Interpol to go it alone. Many of the songs stay true to Interpol’s extremely tight structure, ‘Fun That We Have’ and ‘Games For Days’ could both slot comfortably on to any Interpol record, while other songs, ‘Madrid Song’ and ‘No Chance Of Survival’ have a distinct new flavour. Some of the songs could well have ended up on Interpol’s Turn On The Bright Lights and Antics; Plenti started writing material for this record in 1996, before forming Interpol. Putting all comparisons aside, this album distinguishes itself in many ways, from its use of orchestral horn and string arrangements down to Bank’s baritone voice, which on several songs drops to a low, sombre pitch, reminiscent of Antony Hegarty or William Fitzsimmons. The use of many uncharacteristic techniques help give Banks his own unique voice, displaying a mature, accomplished musician who’s obviously dedicated much of his life to music. His delicate acoustic noodling during ‘On The Esplanade’ displays another side to his guitar playing not yet experienced, proving that his skills on the wooden hammer extend beyond playing perfectly timed, highly structured chords. While the piano adopted on final track ‘H’, stands alone as his only venture away from his guitar, and adds a beautiful touch to the end of the album. The guests on the album also deserve a mention, Mike Stroud of Ratatat plays guitar on ‘Skyscraper’, Striker Manley of Stiff Jesus helps out on ‘Fun That We Have’ and ‘No Chance Of Survival’ and Banks’ Interpol band-mate Sam Fogarino plays drums on ‘Games For Days’.
Nick

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 Jay Reatard- Watch Me Fall
7/10

Jay Reatard’s Rocket To Russia; proving that punk music in its purest form is still alive in 2009. Much like The Ramones’ 1977 classic, Jay Reatard’s Watch Me Fall takes all the serious elements away from making music, exercising the right to turn the simplest of songs into punk rock classics. In a modern music climate obsessed with post-punk, seemingly focused on creating pristine, obscure and sometimes out-right obnoxious sounds, Jay Reatard has turned the clock back, punching out twelve songs in just over thirty minutes, all based around the principal of creating a catchy song using a simple riff and a simple melody. Opening track and lead single ‘It Ain’t Gonna Save Me’, is an immediate example, from the chorus down to the guitar melody, the song is instantly infectious. The following, ‘Before I was Caught’ and ‘Man Of Steal’, continues the assault, with Reatard’s drummer Billy Hayes bashing on a century-old sounding drum kit, and Reatard pouring some lower fret work on top of a bouncy guitar riff. ‘Can’t Do It Anymore’ is Reatard’s ‘Teenage Lobotomy’, fueled by adolescent angst and rebelling against evangelical, twenty-first century fascism, Reatard sings, “Is this real or is this future? Who am I and who are you? They control my feeble brain, telling me to go insane.” ‘Faking It’ is the catchiest and best song on the album. Its three chord guitar riff echoes the great punk rock classics like Bad Brains’ ‘Pay To Cum’ and The Damned’s ‘Anti-Pope’. ‘I’m Watching You’ could easily be harassed for falling off the punk rock wagon, but The Ramones got away with the Phil Spector-written ‘Baby, I Love You’, and putting a bit of pop into punk is just another way of breaking the rules. ‘Wounded’ continues with a slight pop/punk crossover, but falls back into line half-way through with the introduction of Reatard’s plugged-in acoustic guitar. ‘Rotten Mind’ could be mistaken as the title track, more complex lyrically than most of the other tracks, the highlight is listening to Reatard shout “I don’t wanna be, I don’t wanna be, be this way.” The album then slips into a dark well of semi poisonous, noxious weeds. Confused by the possibility of challenging its own simplicity, ‘Nothing Now’ slows the tempo as Reatard takes time out to unload some of his more personal demons. “You have your whole life to think things over,” he sings. ‘My Reality’ continues the self-confession, “I awoke from a dream last night and nothing was there.” It’s the first time we get to hear Jay Reatard’s singing voice, but unfortunately it’s also the weakest song on the album; turning confessional also turns it a bit emo. ‘Hang Them All’ again attempts to put the punk back into the album but gets off to a slow start, disrupting the album’s noisy, confrontational aggressive attitude. Along with ‘There Is No Sun’, it brings the album to a rather disappointing end, lacking the staunchness and raw energy of the first nine tracks. The Ramones strung 14 flawless tracks together, Jay Reatard managed 9; Watch Me Fall doesn’t quite match Rocket To Russia but it’s very honourable to hear an album that’s brutally honest in its intentions to make good old-school punk that’s full of teenage gloom, and sticking to the simple task of rocking a good melody and a good guitar riff.
Nick

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Richard Hell & The Voidoids- Destiny Street Repaired
7/10

Classic punk revived and re-illustrated for the modern age, Richard Hell has always been a prickly punk, exciting fans and inciting controversy. The pivotal and important ex-Television front man has reportedly been working on this project for decades. Destiny Street was his second and final album with The Voidoids, producing some stellar songs like ‘I Gotta Move’, ‘The Kid With The Replaceable Head’ and ‘Downtown at Dawn’. It also includes some lesser, slower numbers like ‘Going Going Gone’, but we’ll try to ignore that one. Hell found it necessary to re-jig this classic because, he says, “At the time of the original recording I was so debilitated by despair and drug-need that I was useless. The record ended up being a high-pitched sludge of guitar noise. It was a shame because the songs were clean, simple, and well-constructed, but those values were sabotaged by the inappropriate arrangements and production.” Hell, frustrated with commercial process, let the original go out of print for five years. Then two years ago he found the album’s original two track tapes and decided to remake the album as he thought it should be. With further recording done at John Kilgore Sounds And Recording in NYC, engineered by Patrick Ford and recorded in the last year, Destiny Street Repaired does these classic songs justice. While Destiny Street never had anything on The Voidoids’ debut Blank Generation, it still has some great tracks. Destiny Street Repaired however, is a little weird, like bringing back the dead, and many of the new additional guitar solos Hell enlisted from maestros Marc Ribot, Bill Frisell and Ivan Julian sound a little overblown and out of place. At times they serve to dish out a more classic blues pedigree for the original scummy punk vibe. It’s interesting, if not a little unsettling. Hell sounds a little off-kilter on some of the reworked vocals at times, but the man does turn 60 this October! And there are some nice new touches here and there; Sheelagh Bevan’s backing vocals on ‘Staring In Her Eyes’ and Patrick Ford’s in the opener, plus the re-working of the title track has surprisingly funky guitar – in a good way. It’s reassuring to see an artist of such importance finally happy with his work, and interesting to hear his reworking. Destiny Street Repaired is an intriguing listen and an insight into Hell’s modern thoughts on old opinions.
Sarah

Destiny Street Repaired is out on September 1. Pre-order the CD or vinyl at InSound.

Posted by Sarah Gooding under Album, Reviews
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 Rebel Peasant- The Walls Of The Well
9/10

As the fourth member of the Phoenix Foundation to release a solo album, Richie Singleton has waited, like a lot of good drummers, for the spotlight to shift away from his band mates. Singleton has stepped up to the plate with this release; a dark, moody journey into the psychedelic world blending dub, ambient pop, noise and tribal rhythms. With help from his Foundation brothers and members of Wellington’s musical elite (including The Black Seeds, Hikoikoi, Cassette, Fat Freddy’s Drop and Little Bushman), Rebel Peasant exposes a sparse array of ambient instrumental music that crosses the genres and casts a dreamy, ghost-like spell into the cold winter air. The Walls Of The Well sounds nothing like the music heard from any of the previously mentioned bands and that’s what makes it stand out. Singleton has been able to craft his own musical experience that’s totally foreign in its natural environment, but that at the same time fits in so perfectly. No singular song stands out from the album, instead they all weave themselves into a long chain. Few albums work well as both background music and as a smooth, direct-to the-ear listen, but The Walls Of The Well  fits into both situations; whether motionless or active, it’s spellbinding.
Nick

Posted by Nick Fulton under Album, Reviews
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