The best new albums this week

This week’s essential purchases

ALBUM OF THE WEEK

Roy Of The Ravers – White Sunrise II.I (Le Roy Soleil)

In dance music, ‘hard drive retrospectives’ are a romanticised trope. You know the story: usually, a tried and true producer stumbles on an old hoard of music, and in a bout of nostalgia, musters the energy to remaster each track for a gritty, retro-sounding look back at what once was (and, by the miracle of digital music storage, still is).

Roy Of The Ravers’ two ‘White Sunrise’ albums fall squarely within this box. Made between 1997 and 2017 (but with the man behind the mask, Sam Buckley, not finding recognition for his humourously retroised alias until 2011), the first of these albums was assembled over six months, after a box of what was at first thought to be audio cables actually contained hard drives full of his own music.

Contrasting to the joking tones of ‘Emotinium’, ‘Who Are Ya??’ and ‘Melchester Acid’ – tracks which cemented Roy’s name – the first album nailed a mood of euphoria, twinning a sense of ecstasy and humour. Oddly, though, ‘White Sunrise II’ was thematically removed from the football association, and instead of a crude Roy Race cutout adorning the sleeve, its cover was a drab grey ‘sunrise’, represented vaguely by cascading white lines.

Now comes Roy’s follow-up, ‘White Sunrise II.I’, also known as the ‘Roy Soleil’. Its cover takes the form of a beautiful orange-tinged dawn, rather than a bleak Bermondsey sun-up. And instead of falling victim to the trap of over-releasing old music (with the quality potentially declining), the music on ‘Roy Soleil’ is admittedly more hard-hitting and immediate than the meandering, perhaps wishy-washy first album. Take ‘Feathers’, which fuses the lonesome acid of ‘The Weber Traum Boat’ and ambient breakbeat into a ballad, resulting in a rare vocal appearance from Roy himself; to the tune of what sounds like a music-box and a mellotron in unison, we hear a theme of unity, as Roy intones something to the effect of, “I am you and you are me and we are one as close as can be”. 

This album is better-paced than its predecessor, and only teasings of its beauty were found on the first album – ‘A Dim And Distant Past’ being one such predictive track. The reason for this is immediacy: the opener, ‘The Smell Of Orange Peel’, jumps straight into lo-fi hard house rather than triumphant ambient, and this bangerific backbone is continued on tracks like ‘EL-9400’, which – having been named after an extremely niche and pocket graphing calculator from the 90s – only lets any gushing, human emotion in after the 6 minute mark.

There are no direct allusions to the classic comic character Roy Of The Rovers, like the last album. It’s as though Roy is expressing a need to move beyond an established joke, one that’s been going for at least 10 years now. But even so – with every musical footie fusion in mind, from Fred Perry to Sleaford Mods to Fatboy Slim’s famous endorsement of Brighton FC – this album still hears the ghosts of acid house and rave still happily rubbing shoulders with casual culture. The plodding, balearic sampledelica and title of ‘Versace 101624’ should be indication enough, with its slow alternation between confident strut and sinister march resulting in a 13-minute tour of ambient house in multiple sections, and making it sound rather like a Stress Records A-side. Meanwhile, the designer fashion reference is clear: ‘Versace’ combined with the serial code for a very specific brand of MontBlanc wristwatch paints a picture of a very specific kind of hooligan. Roy is as geeky for endlessly churning out acid house, as he is for noting the specific make of each item of clothing he’s wearing, or the minutiae of whether Van Persie was a good signing for Man U. 

We’re glad he dug out the hard drive. Sonically, this album is a well-paced euphoric, bangerized acid number. But when provided its context, it becomes a lot more – especially when considering the acoustic dub closer ‘My Brother & His Mate’, it conjures images of sporting camaraderie, reminiscence, and a mutual love for the game.

JIJ

V/A – Italo Funk 2 (Soul Clap)

Eli Soul Clap once again dives deep into the sun-kissed world of refined Italian dance, re-surfacing with a glorious selection of original tracks curated in honour of dearly-departed Italo-house figurehead, Claudio Coccoluto. ‘Italo Funk 2’ arrives as a sequel to 2019’s roundly-loved inaugural incarnation of the project, and is every bit as nuanced and engaging as its predecessor. Some familiar faces from the grooves of Volume One are joined by a sprinkling of new faces, while beloved radio DJ Lele Sacchi once again provides insightful liner notes alongside ever-loving support. I was lucky enough to be included on the album, and it’s with sheer delight that I compose this as unbiased as humanly possible review.

The kaleidoscopic compilation opens with dazzling intent, thanks to the joyous melodies, propulsive bass and retro-leaning drums of ‘Venaria’, composed by enigmatic production duo, Stump Valley. Next, Milan-based Rollover DJs show up with the deliciously driving rhythms of ‘Buonasera’, with its purposeful bass propping up dream-inducing melodies and heavenly synth harmonies. The inclusion of Coccoluto’s ‘Go Goblin’ serves as a poignant reminder of the late, great maestro’s indelible affinity with cultured dancefloors, as its hyper-infectious bassline bursts from the speakers like a deviant house juggernaut.

Wildly talented three-piece Funk Rimini are next to flex, with the infectious slap-bass, energetic percussion and enlivening synth work of floor-filling jam, ‘King Of Style’. Lele Sacchi takes us into serious heads-down territory with his sample-heavy acid roller ‘Slow Down Rock’ tipping a cap to the Milan underground as the magnetic groove works its indefinable magic. I humbly assume my Rocco Universal moniker to provide a tripped-out meditation into my mind’s tendency to roam into astral realms with the psychedelic swirls of ‘Somewhere Else’, before treasured musical polyglot DJ Rocca joins forces with Capofortuna on the dubbed-out throb of ‘Potage’.

Here, rave stabs soar over jacking drums and wigged-out synth refrains, as the growling bass bubbles and broods with irresistible intent. Next, Brioski’s magnificent ‘Bionic Breaks’ provides an effervescent dalliance into funk-flecked electro futurism, as crisp mechanical rhythms cascade across nocturnal floors. Capofortuna then go it alone as they take us into unfettered dance abandon, thanks to the hard-hitting drums and hoover bass power of main room jam, ‘Dopo La Tempesta’. Finally, DJ Rocca ends things with a life-affirming flourish, as the blissful lead melody of ‘Don’t Be Worried’ elegantly glides over growling bass and snappy drum hits.

PC

They Might Be Giants – Book (Idlewild)

Few artists succeed in keeping the fire lighting like They Might Be Giants. Yes, several bands stay together, tour extensively and every once in a while lob out a slapdash of new material that no fans shows interest in, and possibly one to two songs at most receive the live treatment (during the promotional tour for said record, no less), but the two Johns have always been exceptions to the rule.

From the offset, the duo has enamoured with their genre defying brand of dynamic, witty and bizarre power-pop. While most would agree that the seminal ‘Lincoln’ and platinum selling ‘Flood’ are the essential high watermarks of their discography, there’s no denying the prolific nature with which they’ve managed to constantly produce new releases with a devil may care attitude. Each project is for them first and foremost, and anyone else who wants to come along for the ride.

On their 23rd full-length, ‘Book’, the pair look inward, examining their own inner reactions to the modern world with equal parts irreverence and despondency. ‘I Can’t Remember The Dream’ is arguably one of their most lyrically dour cuts to date, with the tongue-in-cheek frustration of forgetting how a dream went developing into a stark admittance of sadness and lack of fulfilment – “Most of my memories tend to be sad, so I wish I could remember the dream that I had.”

‘Moonbeam Rays’ provides a quirk-folk dual harmony detailing growing apart using the unfamiliar surroundings of differing towns and cities, presumably experienced while touring/travelling, to highlight issues that can’t be revolved over voice messages and missed calls.

As one of the few projects in the They Might Be Giants cannon to feature no tracks under two minutes, the material here takes just a tad longer to gestate, complimenting the slightly weightier, more emotive issues, told with the reliable eccentric narration the pair have become renowned for.

Twenty-three albums in, the two Johns wave their freak flag high, while battling both personal and collective anxieties with some of their most troubled ponderings to date, yet still wrapped up firmly in their signature brand of playfulness.

ZB

Flee Lord – Loyalty or Death: Lord Talk Vol.2 (GGBR Records & Tapes)

There are many remarkable things about Flee Lord. Tutelage under the late Prodigy of Mobb Deep helped him develop his own arsenal of poetic but fierce lyrics, delivery that mixture of precision perfect, knock-you-out-with-a-blow-to-the-nose muscle and lackadaisical, un-rushed confidence that evades so many MCs while defining the legacy of what they call the East Coast sound. Powers strong enough to ensure it wasn’t long before the Griselda crew started allying with him, that note alone should be enough to have newcomers chomping at the bit for a first taste of those bars, and the already-committed breaking into knowing smiles.

But this background check is only one half of what we’re talking about. Cast your mind back to 2019, and when you were doing anything else there’s almost a 100% chance Flee Lord was working ten times harder. Probably more. Apparently deciding to throw himself at the studio with the impassioned attitude of a recording obsessive, between March and November that year the rhyming and beat-peddling genius dropped no less than five full length albums. More than many artists manage in their entire careers.

Suffice to say, one play through of Loyalty… speaks volumes about his ability to maintain consistency, deliver innovative ideas, and satisfy both passing ears and hardcore hip hop heads. One of the aforementioned five LPs, it offers the sort of tracks that make you remember why you fell in love with boom bap in the first place. It’s rugged, dark enough to chill you in parts, and packing heat in the wit department. From sideswipes at American society, the music industry and sell outs, to stories straight from the street corners, this is as vital a rap album as anything released in the last ten years.

MH

Narrow Head – Satisfaction (Run For Cover)

Last year saw Texas based grunge-tinted emo act Narrow Head sign to Run For Cover to drop their seminal sophomore effort, ’12th House Rock’. It was a big deal for the small time outfit to join an ever expanding dynamic roster of acts including Turnover and Citizen, while the project felt right at home with its hazy, chugging melodies, and sarcy sincerity.

Run For Cover are also renowned for their reissuing of out of print earlier releases from new signees, and with that, ‘Satisfaction’ is finally seeing its first repress since its initial limited release back in 2016.

The debut, which clearly peaked their current label’s interest, served as a potent introduction to Jacob Duarte, and his meshing of 90’s grunge and alt rock tropes. Cuts like the brooding opener, ‘Necrosis’, and the thick sludgy menace of ‘Wallflower’, marked a welcome imbuing of aggression into the emo revival.

The more directly somber moments found on ‘Stay’, exude more delicacy by comparison.

Before even boasting their fully fledged current line-up, ‘Satisfaction’ served as a palpable first effort, and indicator of a bright, shimmery future awash in reverb, delay and angst. For those familiar with their latest work, this is an essential addition, or the more ideal introduction for newcomers. It’s an exceptional debut, and the world feels a little calmer knowing it’s readily available on wax again…for now.

ZB

Angel Du$t – YAK: A Collection of Truck Songs (Roadrunner)

Baltimore, Maryland has served as a prime hub for hardcore punk over the past few decades. One of the most prevalent acts in the scene, Trapped Under Ice, garnered worldwide recognition during their tenure, whilst revitalising the global zeitgeist.

In recent years, members of the group have gone on to form arguably some of the most boundary pushing acts the genre has boasted since its inception. Turnstile (who put out one of the best albums of 2021 already) have continuously strived to expand hardcore into a cacophonous, riff-heavy maelstrom of all forms of alternative rock and punk, whereas Angel Du$t happen to be a far more perplexing case.

Consisting of 3 Turnstile/2 TUI members (with some venn diagram mingling), this supergroup are infamous for using their hardcore street cred as a means of approaching the genre with outlier tendencies.

While their earlier material boasted strong pop motifs hidden beneath the veil of chunking riffs and rapid fire drumming, it was 2019’s ‘Pretty Buff’ that proved a total creative rebirth/abandonment of genre concerns. Embracing influences from the likes of Elvis Costello to The Lemonheads, the predominantly acoustic driven record was a bold declaration for a group so firmly rooted in the hardcore scene.

‘YAK: A Collection of Truck Songs’ doubles down on its disinterest of the familiar, with a highlight reel of fuzzed out, psychedelic pop-rock filled to the brim with micro-embellishments of everything from bongos to brass sections.

The understated practice-like performances make for an intimate atmosphere, as if listening in on a group bashing out songs for themselves with no concern for outside ears.

From the catchy sweetness of opener ‘Big Bite’, to the menacing desert-jangle of ‘No Vacancy’, there’s a constant sonic disruption between the chaotic pop composition and frontman Justice Tripp’s increasingly uncertain lyricism.

Pondering love, loss, the state of the world and the stresses of art as an outlet as well as occupation might seem like heavy duty topics, and they are, but Tripp tackles them with a sleight of hand sincerity, using Hot Wheels toy cars as a descriptor of childhood innocence while clinging to advice from his grandmother to be a better human.

It’s some of the most unique, and vulnerable musings from a hardcore frontman in quite some time, told with a understated smoky cadence. With punk royalty Tim Armstrong of Rancid appearing on the slow bop of ‘Dancing On the Radio’, and standout single ‘Love Is the Greatest’ going full orchestral noir in its somewhat sinister detailing of dreams based around the loss of loved ones, you’ll be hard pressed to find another release this year that so seamlessly fuses heavy emotive musings with adept understanding of pop and punk.

Moving far beyond “supergroup” status, Angel Du$t have very much transcended to their own plateau. 

ZB

Fuga Ronto ‘Greatest Treasure’ (Phantom Island)

Fuga Ronto return to Lexx’s masterful Phantom Island imprint, this time arriving with deeply engaging long-player, ‘The Greatest Treasure’. The Zurich-based pairing of Tobi Schweizer and Ron Shiller first appeared on the label with 2016 release, ‘Invisible Escape’, which featured the irresistible marimba-driven wonder of lead track, ‘L’Uomo Invisibile’. While they’ve certainly taken their sweet time recording a follow-up, fans of their work will likely be utterly charmed by the exquisite new material. Launching with a tongue-in-cheek, sample-based intro, the album rolls into the cod reggae-themed sunshine of unashamedly happy-making title-track, ‘The Greatest Treasure’, with its sing-along vocals, twinkling keys and earthy bass solos.

Instantly loveable track ‘Falling Star’ introduces a delectable layer of cosmically-flecked Italo-chug, with its trance-inducing vocals and contagious funk guitar licks. The enchanting marimbas of ‘Colombo De Domingo’ provide a soul-soothing sundown interlude, before the magical melodies and downtempo charm of ‘Mirror To Water’ take us all the way horizontal. ‘Wobble In The Pool’ continues the low-slung groove, with dubbed-out effects creating endless space into which the enchanting melody elegantly diffuses. Finally, ‘Mystery Of Zambio’ reclines even further, with sparse percussion embellishing the harmonic blend of mystical vocal chants, intoxicating pads, and weighted bass.

PC

Echobelly – Anarchy & Alchemy (Fauve Music)

The 1990s was both the best and worst of times for Echobelly. Launching onto the music scene in 1994 with a cunning and well-timed combination of Blondie and The Smiths — an ideal sound for the era to say the least — they enjoyed serious popular success in the last decade that actually made any real sense. But there were lows, too, enough to catalyse a decision to go on hiatus in the immediate post-millennial years.

The outfit would return with 2004’s Gravity Pulls, a record received with mixed feelings by critics, which then led to an even longer break from the business. It then took until 2017 for the band to return to the release schedule, with this, Anarchy & Alchemy. All of which might suggest flogging a dead horse, but the reality couldn’t be further from that non-truth. This LP is among their finest, delivering on entertainment and artistic levels, and then some. Never a dull moment, it’s also up their with Echobelly’s most poignant since they first arrived, perfectly balancing critiques of the modern world with hopeful summations of what is, or at least could be possible thanks to the hidden strength of the human spirit.

MH

This week’s reviewers: Jude Iago James, Patricio Cavaliere, Martin Hewitt, Zach Buggy.