may 2007: cd reviews

SHACKLETON : 3 track demo

Wakefield’s Shackleton play spry indie with some intriguing twists. With American singer Lauren’s high, clear voice, Tommy’s almost cymbal-less drumming and Tim’s prominent bass they could almost be The Murderhouse’s happy cousins (though this may be due to them recording while seeking a guitarist - Tim also handles guitar). Best is the shuffling, rainswept “The Penitent,” which breaks into an almost proggy gallop before easing back into its moody swing. “Reverie” is upbeat pop driven by a lolloping bass riff and Lauren’s cheery vocals that clocks in at just the right length, while “Heavenly” is an ambitiously speedy, punkier number that doesn’t quite gel, probably due to the lack of permanent six-stringer (the backing vocals are a bit weak too, but this is a demo). For the longer-toothed reader, remember when a slew of racketty, energetic, slightly scuzzed-up female-fronted bands emerged in the wake of The Primitives? That’s what Shackleton remind me of, most definitely a good thing.
www.myspace.com/shackletontheband
tim procter

ArcanA : 3 track demo

ArcanA are made for bars. Mane-shaking, fist-in-the-air hard rock for beery Saturday nights in your best leather in the back of some scruffy dive. You don’t always want monster noise, you don’t always want ethereal loveliness; sometimes you want unashamed rawk - well, presuming you do, allow me to tip ArcanA. The band are tight, it sounds like they’ve got some experience under their no doubt studded belts (although the singer’s York-cum-LA accent takes a bit of getting used to), nothing’s particularly subtle or tricksy. All three tracks are, it has to be said, fairly similar, but “Believe”’s goodtime catchy chorus aces it. “Cold” isn’t far behind, but enough of the hard-hearted woman lyrics already. Minor criticism, such stuff is hard rock staple fare - along with Tidal Fury, ArcanA are rockin’ quality old-school style. Leave your 21st century irony at the door, grab a beer, just enjoy. tim procter

Waking The Witch : Boys From The Abattoir (Witch Records)

WTW are four acoustic singer-songwriter-guitarists, Rachel Goodwin, Patsy Matheson, Becky Mills and Jools Parker, and this engaging album manages to show off their individual talents while retaining a cohesive group feel. They’re essentially a modern folk group with tinges of rock, jazz and easy listening - fans of Kirsty Macoll and Eddi Reader will be right at home here - and the crisp, clear production and sympathetic backing musicians allow the songs to shine through. Perhaps appropriately, their voices are not too dissimilar, which means they can all chime in on harmonies and backing vocals without it sounding dissonant, and it’s the songwriting where the individuals shine. Particularly strong are Matheson’s mellow, warm “Rock and Roll” and bittersweet “Top of the Hill” with its soaring strings and aching ending, Parker’s uneasy “High Fire & High Water” and Mills’ delicious “Spring Song.” But lest you think all here is fey and subdued, Goodwin’s “Me Leaving Me” is an edgy, dark rock song with a nagging guitar figure that’s allowed to cycle hypnotically at the end, and Mills’ “Jenny Thornton & The Boys from the Abattoir” is a downbeat tale of failed ambition in a grim Northern town where the trains only pass through over the viaducts. As such it’s the only story-song on the album, which would have benefitted from a couple more of these dark little tales, as it takes the group into the more shadowy territory of cultish singers like Iris DeMent. Not everything works 100% - “Horse to Water” is creditably political but comes across as a bit clunky with its jazzy arrangement, and the jaunty “Yorkshire Boy” only just avoids being cheesy, but overall this an excellent album from an obviously talented group who know the value of restraint, sparsity, variety and, it seems, harmonious co-operation. Highly recommended. tim procter

DELTAWAVE : STRYCHNINE & SODA EP

On March 11th, the esteemed editor of this magazine invited magazine contributors to a gathering at The Black Swan. He gave us beer and sarnies, and after we had had a few, produced a pile of demo CD’s to review. I took a few, including this offering by Deltawave, a York four piece electro indie outfit.
Now I have spent most of my adult life avoiding dance and pop music. Not because I dislike the genre, but because most of what appears in the charts is utter bubblegum crap. However, I had seen this lot at Fibbers in February at The Talk’s third birthday, and I liked what I heard, so I was curious to find out what they would sound like with the addition of some studio production.
The four track EP is presented in a card picture sleeve with the track listing on the back. Two of the tracks are the title song, a radio edit, and an extended mix in true ‘80’s style. In fact it has a very ‘80’s feel to it. I would say there are heavy influences of Depeche Mode, The Human League, New Order, and a bit of funk and soul thrown in at the beginning of track three (Another Last Chance). Thankfully there is no sign of Stock, Aitken, and Waterman.
Deltawave make full use of backing beats, synths, a guitar connected to all sorts of electronic wizardry, and of course the vocal talents of Linda, Jessica, and Andrew. Having seen them live before hearing the EP dispenses with some of my scepticism of this genre of music because I know they can play and sing, and sound like the studio production. I like it. lou sandles

Kings of Leon : Because Of The Times

“Because Of The Times” is the third album by everyone’s favourite American musical family (face facts, Osmonds) and my, how the Followill clan’s output has changed. Gone are the perfectly structured stripped down riff romps that first made their name, and instead we have a rootsy, introspective, raw selection of songs. This is an ambitious album, featuring organic, spacey structures and distinctive, unusual rock sketches. The opener, “Knocked Up”, clocks in at over 7 minutes and allows itself to build and meander rather than leap up and down. “True Love Way” and first single, “On Call” also feature a slow burning spaciousness, while the excellent “Fans” uses the same chord sequence throughout to create a dreamy sing a-long. There are still a few moments when they let their impeccable hair down, with “Charmer” and “Black Thumbnail” both sounding deliciously raucous and garage-rock heavy, but they still sound spontaneous and more in keeping with the meandering nature of this album than their earlier work. One element thankfully still present in their sound is Caleb Followill’s magnificent voice, and he continues to yelp and howl like no one else. It really doesn’t matter that you could glean more recognisable English from an A Level French listening exam, he still sounds like the deep American south rock singer of our dreams (and the lyrics are in the album in-lay, clarity fans). For anyone who hangs out at TopShop Kings Of Leon have always been great, but this album is a welcome reminder that their music has much to offer everyone else as well. martin cordiner

INVITRO : WHAT YOU NEED

We can be cynical about a covers album - after all, why should there be covers of songs that are either perfect or near perfection? Leave it alone! Stick to your own material, that’s what I say. So when I bought Invitro’s album, I thought £7 was a bit much. But things got a bit tricky the next day when I played it loud on my hifi. I had to swallow my pride and admit that their Toto version of ‘Hold The Line’ blew me away. It’s that voice and those guitar riffs that do it. Powerful drumming, bass lines and background keys add to a greater interpretation of the original song. So this is one of those situations like Dylan’s ‘All Along The Watchtower’ - his is a masterpiece but Hendrix’s version is explosive.
This is an album almost entirely made of covers and I’m not gonna say that their ‘Living On A Prayer’ is better than Bon Jovi’s, or that their ‘Vertigo’ exceeds U2’s. But they’re decent versions. So is it worth £7? Erm… well, I’d pay £3-£4 for ‘Hold The Line’ as a single, but let’s talk about the two originals. Guitarist Mark Hopwood wrote ‘What You Need’, which is a brilliant piece, beginning with melodic rockin’ guitar riffs, then Jim Anderson sings the opening line ‘Take me down to the river’, and you know you’re in for a treat. There’s also ‘Higher and Higher’ written by Anderson that would do a fabulous live number (whenever they decide to play it). So the verdict is that the originals and the Toto cover are worth every penny of £7. Get this album by all means, but not without putting pressure on Invitro to value their writing ability and record an album entirely of originals. Leave the covers for those who can’t write songs. s. garção

Jess Morgan : Chips and Tongues EP

A little while ago, a friend of mine told me about a young singer and songwriter called Jess Morgan who he described as his favourite act on the York songwriter circuit. Which ain’t bad, considering that bag includes luminaries like Chris Helme, Hayley Hucthinson, Holly Taymar, Oliver J Brooke and more besides. When I finally saw Jess Morgan play I had to agree - she is the business. I adore the first track on this EP, “Chips and Tongues”, which has all the glorious energy and lyricism of Bruce Springsteen’s very early material. It speaks of the joy of being young and alive and has some fun lyrics to boot. The second track, “Lightbulbs”, is a plaintive ballad about the ups and downs of love and small acts of betrayal, and it’s the vocal that works beautifully on this. The other track that is magnificent on this CD is “Goodbyes” - which proves Jess has already got an idiosyncratic style and delivery. “You had spotlights in your eyes...I got seasick on your shoes” are lines that show an ear for lyrics that are  fresh and real. When she sings “I hate goodbyes” there is something very moving about it.
In short, here is a genuine talent who deserves to get some breaks. They are already starting to come: she was one of the final 30 acts selected in the O2 “Undiscovered” talent quest - no mean feat given the hundreds that entered. Catch her out and about: at Fibbers on May 9th,  (supporting Jess Sykes), on Matt Seymour’s BBC North Yorkshire “More Raw” show, and at a special gig at the Junction on Sunday 27th May as part of York Live. miles salter