After a busy month for NSR we thought we'd take a look at the music released last month and highlight the work of artists that have gripped our attention this month:
Daughters – You Won’t Get What You Want
The new Daughters album, their first in eight years, is a jagged sculpture made from thick, heavy basslines combined with cyclic and sharp guitar work and a large dose of unsettling noise and dissonance. The opening track, ‘City Song’, sees disturbing and distorted noise-beats, which wouldn’t sound out of place on a Suicide record, mix with snares like gunshots. The intro gives way to a glitched out drum pattern while Alexis Marshall’s vocals grow increasingly frenzied. The track builds, with buzzing noise and whining feedback. After the degradation breakdown, about four minutes in, the track becomes an exercise in extreme abrasive noise, combining the groups grind-core roots with saw-like digital effects not unlike those used by Death Grips. The rest of the album covers a huge amount of ground, displaying a clear influence from no-wave pioneers like Swans, Sonic Youth and Glenn Branca. Madness and dissonance prevail for almost the whole record, with highlights including the second track ‘Long Road, No Turns’ and the penultimate ‘Ocean Song’. You Won’t Get What You Want sees Daughters truly expanding their sound, in both its sonic quality and its length (some of the songs, like ‘Satan in the Wait’, are nearly as long as the group’s entire first album). Even the more subdued cuts on this record, like the eerie ‘Less Sex’, with its subtle blues rock influence are powerful, creating a sustained experience of perpetually unsettling no-wave punk and noise rock.
(Rufus)
Boy Pablo - Soy Pablo
Boy Pablo’s latest album is very much what you would expect from indie pop; ‘jazzy’ guitar with sing-a-long hooks and an air of hopeless romanticism. With a title and feel similar to their last album, Roy Pablo, Boy Pablo haven’t changed much, instead deciding to refine their sound and try to perfect what they already have. This means that, while there are no especially weak tracks, many of them sound quite similar after the 45 second mark, never straying far from the synth-guitar-bass-drums instrumentation. All in all, this is a solid consistent album, and Boy Pablo fans needn’t be disappointed. The accessibility of Soy Pablo also makes this a great first album for indie newcomers.
For fans of The Magic Gang and Gus Dapperton. Standout tracks: Sick Feeling, Losing You
(Jonny)
Ray BLK- Empress
Returning with her characteristic R&B sound, Ray BLK’s ‘Empress’ is short but sweet, well-crafted to deliver a well-crafted musical journey that draws from a variety of influences. Beginning with the energetic opener ‘Run Run’, which infuses Caribbean influences with enigmatic production, Ray BLK proves that she can create an atmosphere. It also has light-hearted moments, like in ‘Girl Like Me’ and 'Empress', where her 90’s R&B influences come to the fore. The self-assured and celebratory tone in this song is the take-away for the project. Sometimes the production is too eclectic, like the competing baselines and fast moving drum beat of ‘got my own’, which distracts from Ray’s composure. However the force of Ray BLK personality shines through and holds together the project, drawing you in and leaving you wanting more.
(Joe)
Beach House - Teen Dream
My album of the month is Teen Dream by Beach House. After seeing them at Albert Hall this month, I was fully blown away by the simplicity and intensity of their live sound. This album is a must for anyone interested in dream pop or shoegaze and has a very warming and cosy feel, perfect for autumn! ‘Walk in the park’ is a real highlight and really reflects the album as a whole.
(Tilda)
YOB - Clearing the Path to Ascend
YOB played a great gig at Gorilla a few weeks ago, which is why I picked their 2014 album Clearing the Path to Ascend as my album of the month. The band was founded in Oregon in 1996 and plays a mix of doom, death and black metal. Typical for the genre, the individual songs are quite long: The album is over an hour long, yet only consists of four songs. Especially the final track "Marrow" stands out to me: it evolves around a melodic theme that is picked up at various points throughout the song. Their live performance of this song was really intense and, even though it was even longer than the studio version, it felt as if everyone in the audience was drawn into it. If you are in the mood for atmospheric, instrumental arrangements I'd definitely recommend giving it a listen.
(Fanny)
Pulp - Different Class
The 30th October 1995 saw the release of Pulp's iconic Britpop album "Different Class". Their fifth and most successful LP, it contained the radio hits "Common People" and "Disco 2000". As its name implies, the album saw frontman Jarvis Cocker turn his wry and ironic songwriting style to that perennial British issue: class. Despite the hit tracks being outrageously catchy and undeniably pop there is humour throughout, and the record is all together thought provoking. Aside from the two aforementioned songs, a particular gem of a tune is "Mile End"; featured only on the deluxe version of the album, it made a famous appearance in the cult classic film "Trainspotting".
(Noah)