Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks - Real Emotional Trash

Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks - Real Emotional Trash
Release date: 03/03/2008
Label: Domino Records

Noodle, Noodle, Noodle. I don't know what it is with Mr. Malkmus, but, since he's been joined by the Jicks, he's become more and more obsessed with his noodling guitar sounds. I loved his self titled album, and I liked "Face the Truth", but, I am afraid it seems like he's on the dreaded downward spiral.

First track "Dragon Fly" is not the most inspiring of starts to an album. They malaise into a meandering noodle fest fit for a slow motion air guitar face off, with streams of verbal nonsense. In fact, the first few tracks are bursting with childish nonsensical lyrics like "a dragon fly wants a piece of pie" and "do a little Willie hopscotch, like me". Come on Steve, this is just pointless. I know his style is random, and at times it can be brilliant, but this is just ridiculous.

"...more noodles than Wagamama's..."

It does get better though, I am glad to say. Title track "Real Emotional Trash" is an upbeat rockabilly rumble of a track that has a great whirling sound that blasts out just as he screams "please me". Please me it does. Then into "Out of Reaches" which has more noodles than Wagamama's. But, there is some soup within the bowl - in the form of a great chorus line - which saves it.

As a whole, this isn't a bad album, it's just a little disappointing. I wasn't expecting it to sound like a new Pavement album, in fact that would be more disappointing, I was just hoping it would be on par with his earlier solo releases. He has set the standards high and he is still great at putting together songs with perfect pop structures. I just wish there was less noodle and more soup.

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Vampire Weekend - Vampire Weekend

Vampire Weekend - Vampire Weekend
Release date: 28/01/2008
Label: XL

Four well educated preppy boys make up the quartet that is Vampire Weekend, named after a movie made by lead singer Ezra at college. Now graduates Ezra Koenig (vocals, guitar), Rostam Batmanglij (keys & vox), Christopher Thomson (drums) and Chris Baio (bass) formed at Columbia University, where their fan base grew strong through campus gigs and then more widely by internet exposure on blogs and MySpace. It's here they proclaim to be “…specialists in the following styles: "Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa", "Upper West Side Soweto", "Campus", and "Oxford Comma Riddim." Some of these also happen to be the names of their songs.

"...a global patchwork sheet, eccentrically woven into something bohemian and refreshingly different."

United by a love of African music, their sound is primarily based around Afrobeat percussion - this reflects moments of Paul Simon’s “Graceland” and could be seen as jumping on the "tribal pop" band wagon of, the successful Brooklyn band, Yeasayer. To be fair to them though, they do demonstrate a wealth of other influences that will detach them from this pigeon hole. You will notice elements of Brit-pop, American Indie, Reggae and New Wave. There are even moments of Baroque, courtesy of Rostam’s keyboard. This may sound like a strange combination but it all comes together really well, like a global patchwork sheet, eccentrically woven into something bohemian and refreshingly different.

They definitely paid attention during class, with songs like, “Oxford Comma” Ezra comments on the use of grammar and descriptivism. Expressing why there should not be just the one way of doing anything. In their first single "Mansard Roof" they even drop a little bit of history into the equation with the line “The Argentines collapse in defeat / The admiralty surveys the remnants of the fleet”.

Their wealth of influences and clever lyrics will no doubt impress a lot of people but will inevitably leave many others baffled. Some may even write them off as being a novelty, a flash in the pan even. The “Kids Don’t Stand a Chance” if they want straight-up indie, but, only time will tell if that's what they truly want.

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Pete and the Pirates - Little Death

Pete and the Pirates - Little Death
Release date: 17/02/2008
Label: Stolen Recordings

Reading's five-piece “Pete & The Pirates” debut “Little Death” scrapes in at just over 35 minutes. In fact, most of these songs shoot past at more than 20 songs per hour, basically they are short and fast.

Tommy Sanders, of the brilliant Tap Tap, sings upbeat pop tunes about love and insecurity but more importantly about getting drunk, picking up women and waking up the next day with a steaming hangover and a head, or should that be bed, full of regret... I say bed as there are numerous references to the place of slumber, as if maybe it’s a protest against having to sleep when there is so much fun to be had.

"You might find yourself, embarrassingly, humming and toe tapping in the middle of Tesco’s"

Tom revisits Tap Tap’s “She Doesn't Belong To Me” that demonstrates how his new band have moved out of the bedroom and into the studio, the overall production is more polished. That said, all the warbles and slips are still there, retaining the charm of “Lanzafame”, which could have so easily have been lost.

“Little Death” is packed full of ecstatic grinding guitars, blistering bolts of thunder drumming, super fast hand-claps and heightened screams of drama. But, it's all so politely delivered. Each song is simple, yet captivating, and will rattle around in your head. You might find yourself, embarrassingly, humming and toe tapping in the middle of Tesco’s. At least you've been warned.

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Balmorhea - River Arms

Balmorhea - River Arms
Release date: 12/02/2008
Label: Western Vinyl

Texan duo of Rob Lowe and Michael Muller, otherwise known as Balmorhea, named after a small Texan town of Lowe's childhood upbringing. "River Arms" 14 sparse movements blend folk and classical styles to create beautiful daydream music that have got me through many miserable commutes to work.

Their songs evoke contradictory feelings of cold and warmth - melancholy and joy.

Personal highlights are the acoustic guitar playing on "Wind and Sea" and the delicate finger picking combined with a warm shimmering cello backdrop on "The Summer". Also, "Greyish Tapering Ash" slow train rattles along like a mysterious soundtrack to something that could be cinematic. Which then blends straight into the beautiful piano piece "Baleen Morning" filling you with hope and breathlessness. I only wish they would have dropped "Context" which is 4 plus minutes of distant voices and pointlessness. This is only a minor blip though, as a whole, "River Arms" is a fantastic album that should be enjoyed as much as possible.

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Breathe Owl Breathe - Ghost Glacier EP

Breathe Owl Breathe - Ghost Glacier EP
Release date: 11/02/2008
Label: Emusic

Comprised of Micah Middaugh (guitar, vocals), Andréa Moreano-Beals (cello, vocals) and Trevor Hobbs (percussion) — the Michigan trio Breathe Owl Breathe explore the many wonders of Mother Nature. Singing tales of a frozen sabertooth Tiger trapped inside a giant glacier, an orphaned turtle brought up by frogs, and all kinds of other creatures that once graced the earth that still inhabit their minds eye. Told from a viewpoint as feral and simple as their subjects.

"...a forest landscape that is as calm as a stream, with ripples of unpredictability, that's as real as nature itself."

Middaugh's deep, grizzly bear, vocals are uncannily similar to Bill Callahan's (Smog), they even seem to share the same mannerisms. Combined with Moreano-Beals, as pretty as a songbird, high notes you are placed within a forest landscape that is as calm as a stream, with ripples of unpredictability that's as real as nature itself.

This EP is exclusive to eMusic

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Boxcutter - Glyphic

Boxcutter - Glyphic
Release date: 29/10/07
Label: Planet Mu

Planet Mu's Barry Lynn's second album Glyphic sways through many different genres but is filed under Dubstep. Carrying on from the brilliant Oneiric this album demonstrates just what a creative mind the man has. He likes mixing things up whilst maintaining a constant flow. Sub basslines swoop and flow throughout wrapping everything together nicely, giving it that trademark dark undertone of the dubstep genre. That said, there are only a few tracks with Dub bass and 2 step beats, most of this album is based around the 'Breaks' akin to the likes of 'Four Tet' and 'Amon Tobin' with a blend of classic electronic IDM styling of Planet Mu's boss µ-Ziq.

All in all, you have one of the most essential electronica albums of 2007!

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