cd reviews: february 2007

ASTRELLA CELESTE - DREAM SINGLE  

"We are the way we are, does it have to be so hard?" A simple statement that says it all, with this soundtrack in your head, on any given day...no life doesn't have to be hard...really. In fact this disk will make you feel like life is a breeze. Beautiful lyrics, and a harmonious voice, aesthetic beauty that may well take her to front covers and chart hits. This recording effort is thoughtful and offers intricate music with a sexy undertone, though this is not particularly a commercial offering. Indeed the work may not appeal to say the Pussycat Dolls or Britney Spears glitz and glamour ilk of today, but this is a powerful statement of intent from the girl, something that will and has, put her on the map the world over. Opener and single 'Dream' is poppy and charming, there is a little Shania Twain style, rock and roll in this, enough to make anyone dance the night away without a care in the world whilst thinking "oooh the world is a   pretty place"....OK, maybe that is just me. On "Dream," Celeste uses a register that sooths rather than intrudes on your ears, soulful yet melodicically she caresses senses: "you may know what you want, but I know what you need." True, we do really need this stuff right now, pop music that involves real talent, and real passion, that is based on the quality, not the image. Accompanied by violins, a trumpet, some drums and guitar, the only act in recent memory that can re-create truly emotive work at this level are The Corrs. Astrella can truly be called new and exciting.   www.myspace.com/astrellaceleste. For fans of: The Corrs, Tori Amos, Sarah McLachlin.    

dom smith

Ray Lamontagne - Til The Sun Turns Black (14th Floor)

If you melted down Tom Waits, Johnny Cash, Van Morrison and Hank Williams, mixed 'em all together and sprinkled in a healthy dose of blues and soul, you might get something a bit like Ray Lamontagne. Or you might not. It hardly matters in the scheme of things, but what does matter is this guy is brilliant. It's about as far as manufactured pop as you could get, a breath of fresh air made by   a man who has masses of talent stacked up in his head and heart. I could reflect on the fact that he suffered a difficult childhood that features bursts of violence, and that pain comes through in the music, but not in a "pity me" way. What is great about Lamontagne is his voice, lyrics and songwriting. He just does it so well it makes you wanna put the guitar through the sawmill and start all over again.   By the way - did he base his look on GT Turbo ??? I'd like to know. Anyway. Till The Sun Turns Black is a dark, shadowy affair occasionally lit up by more hopeful, upbeat moments - like "Three More Days", the gloriously soulful song of a man returning to his lover. Elsewhere, there's something very moving about the way he sings the opening lines of "Empty"   : "She lifts her skirt up to her knees, walks through the garden rows with her bare feet laughing". Wow. All that desire, wonder and passion distilled into a few bars and a few lines. But hang on a moment - later in the song he's on about the different ways to kill a man.   I could go on. But this is one of the best albums I've heard in the last year. 'Nuff Said.    miles salter

Stewart King - The Red Tape E.P.

The Red Tape E.P. is the superb solo debut from former Sanchez songwriter and lead guitarist Stewart King. The accomplished arrangements and introspective lyrics on this offering are the key to it's charm. Stewart's lead guitar breaks have a rock-edged flamenco feel, his vocal style has a rough around the edges quality, focused on harmony, steeped in emotion, with a subtle timbre and a gentle lilt. You have to admire a man who has the courage to wear his heart on his sleeve and this man wears it very well indeed.   On "Common Ground" he speaks about his personal struggles: "They knock you down, pick yourself up, dust yourself down.   This common ground, it's where my faith is found." and coupled with some neat studio trickery, he creates a sumptuous sitar-sounding slide to provide the stunning backdrop to a downbeat vista. "Elements" is obsession, the pull of the 'other' woman, a touching account of losing control. "Last Day On Earth" is a philosophical examination of the human condition and the finale "Thick and Thin" is a mellow and beautiful love song. This internet only release is highly recommended, a little lo-fi masterpiece and is absolutely free. Visit www.stewartking.net and download a copy of "The Red Tape E.P." now.      evil twin

EVELYN - Screams From The Asylum

After 9 months of writing, rehearsing and gigging, the first full length Evelyn CD was unleashed on January 26th 2007. 10 tracks were recorded, mixed and mastered in less than five days by Lee Hutchinson at Cube Media, York, in an attempt to capture their stunning live sound; this is something you must hear. Unafraid to have 9 minute tracks, 3 minute guitar solos and an array of screaming and harmonic vocals, these lads have produced the sort of record that nobody does anymore. The CD as a whole moves in waves from the rabble-rousing opener 'Atheist's Nightmare' through the nine minutes of fast riffs, screams, war and outstanding solos from Tim Reid and Joe Graves in 'Call to Arms'. The band's melodic side begins to creep in through 'Seasons of Death' and fan favourite 'Someone I'm Not', only the murderous screams come suddenly crashing through with self-titled masterpiece 'Evelyn (Go to Hell)' and early number 'A Day Down in Heaven'.   By this point, it's surprising they have any energy left as they sneak in York City Council sponsored 'The Mirror' which you'll be hearing locally and hopefully nationally as part of the York Anti-Bullying campaign. But it doesn't stop here. With the theme of early material creeping back with 'Christine' and fast-paced 'Fool's Paradise', it shows these tracks will never loose their fire. All that remains is the delicate beauty of 'Blind' recalling the duelling lead guitars of the early Ash as a perfect finisher. This is not your usual three chords, one tempo, love-related noise barrage and shouting of your standard metal group but a CD of extraordinary contrasts. Catch them live, but hear this CD, 'cause it does exactly what it says on the tin. www.myspace.com/evelyn     mick white

ISOTOPIA - DEMO

The work here shows passion, it shows unlimited potential for the future, but there is a lot of work to be done. The vocals are raw, and this is a nice touch, however it seems like there is a desire to progress even now. Currently, they are an un-polished mix of the early angry grunge powerhouses Alice In Chains, with tortured vocals and heavy guitar coupled with the inconsistent and un focused Nu-Metal stylings of Papa Roach.

Simply put, these guys are different to what we currenty have on the Yorkshire scene, they are good musicians but they need a little more focus. They need to move away from the terrible clichés evident within lyrics like: "I'm not brave enough to kill myself" on opener: "The Cupid Conspiracy"    Having said that the band are terribly introspective which can be quite charming on second effort: "Feel Inside," "I feel like destroying something beautiful to compensate for the ugliness I feel inside."

Track three, "Shall We Dance" is the most promising effort on the disk, it smacks of the pride and defiance of early Metallica. Taking on some true metal aesthetics with   catchy epic riffs and rhythmic yet heavy drums that work well with the angry fast pace of the words. Note: This is one for the pit everyone.

Indeed, the fourth offering is where yours truly can start to eat his words a little bit. If you can imagine The Eagles style acoustics open and mix throughout with a hard edged punk beat that will leave your head bopping. Here they move away from the repetitive elements present within the first two tracks. The band really show here that they have the ability to create music that will appeal to an Eagles fan as much as a Metallica one.

Each instrument is in time and adds a heavy dose of raw power to the sound. I am looking forward to seeing what the band can bring to the table in the future, these guys are young and they are hungry. For Fans of: Papa Roach, Silverchair, Metallica. www.myspace.com/causeaheadache.    dom smith

THE KICKS - CD DEMO

From the apparently mundane Coventry, The Kicks are a nice slice of rock and balls for 07. All out, explosive and catchy Indie melody with a sensibility that may see them wind their way into the heart via the eardrums of the masses this coming year. That has happened already as the guys have a dedicated following and a nice staple of gigs. Hopefully they will see some extensive chart success if they catch eyes soon. Opener "Powder Monkey" is a fast paced and confident stand out tune. The Kicks come at you like a more focused and tight Artic Monkeys.

The first two tracks (the second being: "The Name Of The Game") on this well recorded and produced disk, offer charming winding guitars, some nice piano work and a vocal range that reminds of some good ol' rock n'roll a la: the Clash, The Kinks and for the more contemporary reader, Oasis. Though I am drawing many comparisons, it should be noted that these likely lads are unlike most bands coming off the Indie circuit nowadays. There is something more sophisticated about this band that gives them something more.

Although they display some obvious punk rock influences, they sound far more experienced, and more ready to take on the big guns than a lot of the bands out there at the moment. This could be due to there massive work ethic.    They have an immediacy about them, clever lyrics about drug trips and a passion for creating danceable choruses is perfectly displayed in the infectious, grunge-tinged "Cocaine Confidence." Final track, "No One Knows" could be a breakthrough hit for the band, it's a loveable tune, with guitar that makes your arms soar and an anthemic chorus to make your legs stomp and fists pound. It will take some bands two or three albums to break into the mainstream, with this nice demo, The Kicks could do very well right now. For fans of: The White Stripes, Oasis, Artic Monkeys. www.myspace.com/thekicksonline     dom smith