The best of November's posts
Gigs
Silence can be so loud. The gentle hush adopted by the 500 lucky attendees of tonight’s first Little Noise Session of 2009 render parts of the bands performances almost painful to endure. Not until you have sat in a silent church as a room full of people stare stage wards intently do you know the true fear of sneezing. One wrong move could so easily garner the attention of the people performing on stage that the organisers decision to put those allocated press passes just one row from the front seem like a cruel trick.
Doing their best to fill the Holy walls first are Manchester newbies Everything Everything. Already in possession of three of 2009’s finest singles the future is bright for the band and they show a level of performance which belies their tender years. Where on record things are frantic and full in tonight’s performance the four piece are forced to strip things back to being almost nude. Accentuated by a string quintet courtesy of the Royal College of Music Everything, Everything become easier to investigate as each lyrical eccentricity and twist in their maze of harmony is left open. As a result songs like ‘Suffragette, Suffragette’ and ‘Photoshop Handsome’ take on a new dimension and become more reminiscent of Field Music- a group who must loom at large in these four boys record collections. Of all the bands on show tonight it’s surprising that the most inexperienced are the ones who rise to the challenge the most.
Bombay Bicycle Club have had a stop, start year and could perhaps feel aggrieved that they have not scaled greater heights such is the quality of their debut album. This performance is something of a revelation tonight however as the band seem better suited to the acoustic troubadour style than they do trying to fit their square peg into the round hole of indie-rock. Lead singer Jack Steadman looks particularly at ease and has the jerky teenage introspection of a young Conor Oberst nailed down. It’s often remarked how young Bombay Bicycle Club are but it is tonight made obvious by the introduction of guitarist Jamie MacColl’s Dad Neil playing banjo for the band. A veteran folk performer Neil has made music with Kathryn Williams in the past and tonight he rather amusingly makes the band look like a man called Mumford out with his Sons. The addition of the banjo (Of all the instruments to make a comeback eh?) and vocalist Lucy Rose make songs such as ‘Evening/ Morning’ and a stunning rendition of ‘The Giantess’ feel that much more accomplished. The band inject a youthful blast of vigour into the gig too when they play ‘Always Like This’ which sees the cagey atmosphere rapidly erode as a clap along ensues as the band truly find their comfortable niche.
At the halfway point ‘Gavin and Stacey’ star Mat Horne takes to the stage. Tonight’s show and the subsequent week’s gigs are in aid of the charity Mencap and along with curator Jo Whiley, Horne is here to compere the show. Something of an official groupie for the band Horne warms the stage for The Maccabees who take to the stage to loud screams from posh looking girls with big hair and warm applause from everyone else. The Maccabees have had an amazing year and to see the band play in such a small venue shortly after they headlined the Brixton Academy on their recent UK tour marks this show out as an occasion as opposed to a gig. The band play through semi-acoustic versions of much of their stunning 'Wall Of Arms’ album including particularly sweet renditions of ‘Bag Of Bones’ and ‘Dinosaurs’. All of the bands on tonight’s bill boast singers with a fine set of pipes but none more so than those encased in the throat of Orlando from The Maccabees. His sweet and tender croon speaks of love and heartbreak beautifully and as he and his band of brothers blast through the triumphant ‘Can You Give It’ the only regret is that the band can’t stay on stage longer.
Jo Whiley tells the crowd that Editors were the very first band to sign up to play Little Noise this year which is something of a surprise given at times they look comically under prepared. The responsibility falls on the shoulders of singer Tom Smith who at various points forgets his lyrics, plays wrong introductions and misses his band mates cues to begin. It is far from a disaster however as the collective will of the audience spur the band on to an ultimately successful set. Now three albums into their career the group can pick and choose from across the board of their back catalogue however they kick things off by heavily leaning on new album ‘In This Light and On This Evening’. For an album that has garnered so much attention for it’s electronic machinations the songs melt nicely into the acoustic guitars and grand pianos the group use to play them tonight. ‘You Don’t Know Love’ and the silly of title, excellent of hook ‘Raw Meat= Blood Drool’ show the strength of Smith’s songwriting whilst a rare outing of ‘No Sound But The Wind’ is a treat for fans of the Twilight soundtrack. Older material is visited later on including a cavernous ‘Smokers Outside The Hospital Doors’ and first album cut ‘Distance’ which goes from being a so-so filler track to a stand out slice of beauty. It doesn’t all work however as the band ruin ‘Papillon’ by stripping it of its driving energy and replacing it with navel gazing mundanity. The set ends with a rally though as a frantic ‘Fingers In The Factory’ sends the crowd off into the night nicely.
Everything Everything- 8/10
Bombay Bicycle Club- 7/10
The Maccabees- 8/10
Editors- 7/10
DrownedinSound.com
The best albums/ downloads and Blog posts of the month of October are as follows.
Albums
Annie- 'Don't Stop' (Album Of The Month)
Karen O & The Kids- 'Where The Wild Things Are' (Review)
Cate Le Bon- 'Me Oh My' (Review)
Editors- 'In This Light and On This Evening' (Track by Track guide)
New Moon- OST (Track by Track guide)
Mumford & Sons- 'Sigh No More'
Johnny Foreigner- 'Grace and the Bigger Picture (Review)
Cymbals Eat Guitars- 'Why There Are Mountains'
Download
Annie- 'My Love Is Better'
Karen O & The Kids- 'All Is Love'
Cate Le Bon- 'Hollow Trees House Hounds'
Editors- 'Papillon'
Thom Yorke- 'Hearing Damage'
Mumford & Sons- 'Little Liar Man'
Johnny Foreigner- 'Choose Yr Side and Shut Up'
Cymbals Eat Guitars- '...And The Hazy Sea '
Spotify playlist to follow...
Blog Posts
Words with
The best links from the previous 30 days.
Introducing The Drums, The Antlers and The Morning Benders.
I met up with The Cribs (Inc. Johnny Marr)
Brand New discuss illegally downloading their own album.
Julian Casablancas debuted his solo material with '11th Dimension'
Editors have 'done a Horrors' on their third album. Track by track guide here.
For Gigwise
'In This Light and On This Evening'
The record starts with a hushed, almost spoken word vocal from Tom Smith who holds an imposing presence of the entirety of the album. Sharp stabs of music soon crash the relaxed atmosphere however, before a wiry synth line permeates throughout the rest of the song. Straight away you are aware that this is not just another Editors album, the past has been erased and this is the sound of Editors Mk:2. Despite sounding far removed from earlier material such a 'Munich' or 'Bullets' there is a definite lineage in the music they band were making and what they now sound like.
'Bricks and Mortar'
This is reminiscent of The Horrors 'Sea Within A Sea', and therefore Neu! A metronomic beat ticks away in the background whilst Tom Smith lays his typically vague lyrics over the top, this time saying things like “Give a dog a bone”. Everything in this track feels very clean and collected, it is no great surprise the arrangements are so great on this album - Editors all met at University studying Music Technology. A chamber choir join in on the middle eight of this second track and elevate things to heavenly.
'Papillon'
Fans will already know this track - the lead single from the album. Backed by a disco stomp this is the most direct and dance orientated track on the album and benefits greatly from a deliciously distorted bass line. The album edit of 'Papillon' is extended at the end and sees Tom Smith almost get lost in the intensity of the music before bringing it back around for one final blast of the chorus - an epic track and a definite album highlight.
'You Don't Know Love'
By this point it strikes you just how absent the guitars are on this album, so far there have been literally no traces of six strings in the slightest. This fourth track is a suitably itchy and tense insight into the bands psyche and sees vocals about the CIA, electioneering 'praying on fear'. The whole thing has a claustrophobic feel before a being smashed wide open by, you guessed it, a guitar solo.
'The Big Exit'
Guitars make another brief appearance here with jagged buzzsaw riffs ringing out over another processed drum beat. For the first time Tom Smith drops his deep baritone vocals and instead he shows off a sweet falsetto that makes him sound vulnerable and natural for the first time. Alongside 'Papillon' this is one of the best songs on the album and ends in a suitably grandiose fashion with a tidal wave of synths creating a cape of doom covering the whole song. Not for the first, or last, time the cavernous drums stand proud above everything else.
'The Boxer'
Presumably the title is an ode to The National, a band Editors have spoken of admiring in the past. This time the deep, booming vocals are back with a minimal electronic piano tapping lightly in the background. There is a great moment when Tom Smith audibly breathes in, somehow it conveys more feeling than any lyrics or melodies ever could. This song always feels like it is building to a crescendo but nothing spectacular ever comes. There still remains a feeling that things could and indeed should explode at any moment.
'Like Treasure'
“Love is testing,” sings Tom Smith and in all honesty so is this track. The same beat and same delivery as much that has preceded accompany a plodding melody and represents the point at which Editors really need to give the album a shot in the arm.
'Eat Raw Meat= Blood Drool'
For a song with such a ridiculous title there is little humour on display here, however, there is a rallying of the troops feel and a more disintegrated and distorted feel to this penultimate track. A theme of 'In This Light...' seems to be lies and liars and yet again this is covered here. Lines such as “Talent in your lies” ring out before a shout of “Get fucked!” cuts through the crowd and makes itself abundantly clear. Whilst this doesn't quite live up to it's ostentatious title it remains one of the best songs on display here and a possible future single.
'Walk The Fleet Road'
Coming to an end at a mere nine tracks is not necessarily an issue here. 'In This Morning...' feels complete and succinct in a well rounded fashion. This final song has echoes of Spiritualized in its scope and depth but is also most reminiscent of Editors older material. Sounding somewhere between a laboratory and a hospital ward this could be the sound of Ian Curtis' spirit exiting his body and floating heavenwards. Beautiful and tranquil it's a great ending to the record.
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