Review: Raw post-punk trio Abdomen trade in the heavier end of the genre unafraid to douse distortion and fuzz onto everything and create music so exciting it would be hard not to want to throw yourself into a circle put for, 'Damage Tool' is a breathtaking way to get things started and 'Numbers' makes Fontaines DC sound like Boyzone. They are capable of slowing down - 'Dazed' has been slowed into a hypnotic Spacemen 3-esque psych/shoegaze jam. The band are relative newcomers and not widely known... yet. But this is going to be one of those albums you'll be kicking yourself for not having a first pressing of. Abdomen is only going to get bigger and it will give the Tapetown studio in Aarhus, Denmark - where they recorded this - more bragging rights for being among the coolest alternative music spaces in Europe.
Review: With the latest release of 2024's triumphant Les Chants de l'Aurore, label Nuclear Blast have opted to reissue the 2019 predecessor project from French post-black metal/blackgaze pioneers Alcest. Spiritual Instinct initially marked only the second time the band's live bassist Indria Saray had performed on record following on from his in-studio inclusion on 2016's Kodama, while musically, the material is noted for continuing to restore some of the previously eschewed metallic malevolence absent from their previous efforts. This restoration reembraces cataclysmic blastbeats and despair-laden vocal shrieks yet reliably subdued, compressed and drowned under swathes of shoegaze haze and bombastic yet lilting crescendos. In short, no one makes black metal sound as pretty as the French.
Review: All Seeing Dolls make the best case for cross-pollination we've had in a while. Their sound is psychedelic tinged, garage-y leaning rock with plenty of breathy bits and opportunities to look at the sky in hope or despair, invoking the shoegaze 'thing'. In other moments, they sound like they've been hiding away in the back room of a 1960s acid party, while there are also times when vocals soar to such harmonious heights you could be forgiven for using made up terms like 'choral indie'. The sum of all those parts is a genuinely powerful and unique record that moves and insists, ebbs and flows throughout a real odyssey of a listen. But the ingredients also warrant a mention. The legendary Dot Allison is here, hence the beauty and subtle power of the vocals. The Brian Jonestown Massacre's Anton Newcombe is also present and correct, as are a piano, ukulele, guitar and auto-harp.
Review: Alvarius B's latest offering is a testament to the power of simplicity. The raw charm of his lo-fi, stripped-back arrangements allows his distinctive vocals to shine, lending a striking intimacy to every track. The album veers from covers of The Kinks to a hauntingly personal take on The Rolling Stones, but it's the original material that stands out. It's a rare thingiboth timeless and completely of its own time, drawing from folk, rock and an unshakeable sense of personal longing. It's unlikely anyone else could pull it off quite so well.
Review: Gothenburg trio Amateur Hour is Hugo Randulv, Julia Bjernelind and Dan Johansson, and Gar I Kras is their fourth album. It builds on the expansive Krokta Tankar Och Branda Vanor from back in 2022, and though still experimental and out there, it might also be their most accessible and polished work yet. Dreamy lo-fi pop meets gritty electronics and sound collage throughout as damaged linger above humming basslines and grimy guitars underpin detached vocals. It's a haunting but beautiful soundtrack for outsiders who like music from the fringe but that retains a sense of human warmth and soul.
Review: Apta dives deep, crafting a sonic odyssey that mirrors the ebb and flow of a psychedelic experience. Gone are the predictable structures of verse-chorus, replaced by a free-flowing exploration of texture and timbre. Modular synthesis intertwines with analogue warmth, guitars shimmer and distort and even vocals make a surprising appearance, adding an ethereal layer to the immersive soundscape. 'Shiver' and 'Awash' stand out with their post-rock leanings, showcasing Apta's ability to blend ambient textures with twirly melodies. But, the journey takes unexpected detours with moments of gritty percussion and analogue distortion mirroring the emotional turbulence of a psychedelic plunge. This is a sonic tapestry woven from diverse influences, touching on post-rock, pop ambient and kosmische, yet ultimately forging its own unique path. It's an album that demands your attention, revealing new details and hidden depths with each listen. Prepare to be surprised, intrigued and ultimately swept away by Apta's most ambitious and rewarding work to date.
Review: Ash Ra Tempel's 1973 album Starring Rosi, led by innovative guitarist Manuel Gottsching, showcases a more accessible sound compared to their earlier cosmic explorations. Rosi Muller, Gottsching's then-girlfriend, contributes spoken word passages, adding a unique texture to several tracks. The album opens with 'Laughter Loving', a cheerful, wah-wah guitar-driven track with hints of country-rock and droning synths. 'Day-Dream' features a stoned, two-chord acoustic sequence, paired with gentle lead guitar and dreamy vocals. Instrumental track 'Schizo' offers a detached, spacey atmosphere, while 'Cosmic Tango' delivers a funky groove, reminiscent of Gong's space-whisper style. The nearly nine-minute 'Interplay of Forces' starts in a psychedelic, space-rock vein before evolving into a guitar and drum-heavy jam. The album closes with 'Bring Me Up', a bluesy, funky track that spotlights Gottsching's masterful guitar work. The album's reissue on 180-gram coloured vinyl further highlights its timeless, genre-blending appeal.
Review: Ash Ra Tempel's fifth and - in most ways of judging it - final album was really also a swan song for the late, great Manuel Gottsching. Recoded at Studio Dierks, in the small, picturesque and windmill-happy German village of Stommeln by none other than Scorpions studio chief Dieter Dierks, there's a lot happening on Starring Rosi. And all of it really pretty damn good. It's funk, it's epic. It's moody, it's upbeat. It's steeped in an air of Krautrock and space rock, yet also wouldn't sound out of place providing the slap bass and guitar licks for a 1970s movie trailer. Simply put, it's Ash Ra Tempel, from the cosmic warmup and gradual build go 'Laughter Loving', through the folk-ish serenity of 'The Fairy Dance' and warbling, warped cacophonies on 'Schizo'.
Review: BC, NR are now onto their third album. The Ninja Tune-signees gained attention for not posing as if they're in a band, but looking like an ordinary group of students, or twentysomethings house-sharing. Their bold look, where they're smiling in the press pics, as opposed to donning a moody pout, has thankfully been backed up with some terrific music. Their debut, For The First Time, earned them favourable comparisons to post-rock trailblazers Slint and their second album Ants From Up There is the Gen-z equivalent of Arcade Fire's Funeral, thanks to its grandiose anthemics. Famously, singer and lyricist Isaac Wood left the band on the even of the release of their second album, which sparked outcry and paranoia from their ever-growing army of fans about what that might mean for their future. But the band have kept at it and the remaining six members have chosen to share frontperson duties, thus relieving the added pressure that comes with being a designated frontperson. This third album - and first post Isaac Wood - is proving to be a striking new chapter, with the lead single, 'Besties', an immediately likeable way of introducing it to the world. Georgia Ellery, also of Jockstrap, takes lead vocals here and offers an unforgettable off-kilter indie pop cut reminiscent of Aldous Harding. Zutons-y sax stabs scattered in make for a beautiful touch and leave us feeling that this is the album that's going to send BC, NR onto a stratospheric level, where they're spoken about in the same breath as Radiohead as one of Britain's finest bands.
Review: James Ford is one of the most important unsung heroes of contemporary pop and rock. As a studio producer, he's helped craft and hone incredible work from Fontaines DC, Arctic Monkeys, Depeche Mode, Blur and more. As an artist in his own right, he's perhaps more incredible. So, his impact on the latest and long-awaited new addition to Black Country New Road's catalogue should not be underestimated. Nor should the result of splitting the songwriting and vocal duties between members Tyler Hyde, Georgia Ellery and May Kershaw. "It's definitely very different" said one of the trio about how this compares to preceding long form outings. We'd say it's definitely very different to most music you'll hear this week. It's folk, soft rock, experimental garage something, and none of the above, with tracks that almost seem at odds with themselves, chopping and changing, evolving and progressing, until you hear them as a whole.
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