BeatRoute Magazine [AB] print e-edition - [May 2018]

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58 | MAY <strong>2018</strong> • BEATROUTE the forms of classic folk to punk rock, “Old Scratch” tags its choruses, while James Renton’s lyrics are close to the bone, like Townes Van Zandt in Chuck Taylors on lines like, “betray our names, betray our trust, then return us to the dust.” Renton’s voice, Ryan Mick’s guitar, and Kevin Klemp’s multi-instrumentation have always defined Fire Next Time’s sound, but on Knives, Garrett Krueger and Nick Kouremenos have solidified a driving and energetic rhythm section. If Cold Hands was a defining artistic moment for the band a few years ago, Knives shows an ass-kicking, non-stop punk rock Fire Next Time that hasn’t forgotten the key elements of the sound they built. • Mike Dunn Jon Hopkins Singularity Domino Jon Hopkins blurs the lines between nature and technology in his meditative, abstract fifth LP, Singularity. Dense, artificial beats and echoing soundscapes intertwine with moments of quiet, solitary piano to deliver an entirely refreshing record. Singularity is, funnily enough, split into two parts. The album opens with abstract single note soundscapes that give way to bouncing synthesizer arpeggios, combined with dance-like drum beats, that do all that they can to encourage the involuntary bobbing along of one’s head. Each track blurs into the next and culminates in “Everything Connected,” which marks Singularity’s halfway point and a distinctive shift in gear. The second half of the album opts for quieter, more naturalistic piano moments that draw the listener’s ear into a more intimate space. The shift in sound on the second half of the album perhaps reflects Hopkins’ own musings on the role of technology in the natural world, and vice versa. The philosophical implications of Hopkins’ own aesthetic choices on Singularity will probably always be up for debate. However, underneath those interpretations lies a beautiful, cohesive record that will delight fans of Hopkins’ blend of expansive electronic elements and intimate sensibilities. • Alex Harrison Iceage Beyondless Matador Records Having once been hailed by Iggy Pop as “the only current punk band I can think of that sounds really dangerous,” meant as a compliment of the highest order, Denmark’s Iceage have somehow managed to retain that knife’s edge feeling of danger and excitement that has defined their records and live shows while still crafting their most approachable record yet. Beyondless is the Copenhagen-based postpunk (post-post punk? Iceage continually defy the catchall genre categorization) band’s first release since 2014’s excellent Plowing Into the Field of Love, and their third with Matador and producer Nis Bysted. Wellpaced, with arrangements and production that at times seem worlds away from their hardcore-leaning debut New Brigade, Beyondless takes the best of Love’s Americana-tinged, punk-blues experimentation, setting it against a lush, gothic backdrop, complete with buoyant strings and horns throughout. Making for an enigmatic combination of Ian Curtis, a snarling Leonard Cohen, and Mick Jagger fronting the New York Dolls, Singer and frontman Elias Bender Rønnenfelt is at his dour, poetic best on Beyondless. While still covering the requisite darker themes and imagery found on previous releases, Rønnenfelt and co. have crafted what is essentially a hopeful, occasionally joyous sounding record. Experimenting heavily, without compromising what made them unique, and highly buzzed-about years ago, Beyondless is another step forward for Iceage that further cements their position as one of the most consistent, ambitious, and thought-provoking modern punk bands. • Willem Thomas Kississippi Sunset Blush SideOneDummy Frontwoman Zoe Reynolds of Philadelphia’s indie pop band Kississippi, makes her album debut since splitting with Colin James Kupson in 2016 with Sunset Blush. The record stars the bold-yet-gooey singles “Cut Yr Teeth” and “Easier to Love,” perfectly encapsulating Kississippi’s serene vibe with a hint of divergence. It’s the perfect amount of contrast between Reynold’s airy voice and the mixture of electronic-rock that’s so perfectly displayed in “Red Light” and “Adrift.” Through her soft but powerful voice, Kississippi croons on the end of relationships and the hurt and loss that comes with it on Sunset Blush in such an elegant way. The beautiful lyrics “I could be better / You could be worse / We both said forever / But who said it first” from “Who Said it First” prove how poetic her writing is. In some cases female voices can tend to sound very similar, especially in the alternative scene, but Reynolds has a fresh twist to her music as each songs glides with ease from one to another. Song by song you realize the similarities that keep Sunset Blush a cohesive work of art, as well as the differences in tempo, tone or beat that keep it interesting and new. • Mackenzie Mason Mark Kozelek Mark Kozelek Caledo Verde Records The ever-prolific Mark Kozelek returns with a beautiful self-titled album that maintains his signature quotidian lyricism, sparse instrumentation and reflective warmth. Mark Kozelek is sure to satisfy longtime fans, but may alienate newcomers to Kozelek’s particularly dense songwriting style, with tracks that stretch out beyond the 10-minute mark. From the first track, we are lulled into the hypnotic, reflective ramblings of Kozelek’s lyrics; his ability to craft what seem like his journal entries into a consistent lyricism is astonishing. Kozelek writes about everything from his relationships, to world events, to what he had for lunch. Part of the attraction with Kozelek’s lyrics is traversing not only the physical spaces that Kozelek writes about whilst on tour but also his mental timeline, drifting through his memories and finding moments loaded with profound lessons in everyday empathy. These reflections are all undercut with sparse, gorgeous guitar melodies, and bouncing backing vocals that are all tied together with some superb, delicate production. All of the above will be familiar to longtime listeners, but the extensive lengths of some tracks may alienate newcomers. However, if one sticks around, they’re sure to find some beautiful moments in Mark Kozelek. • Alex Harrison Parquet Courts Wide Awake! Rough Trade Records Parquet Courts have managed to top themselves with every release since their first studio album, Light Up Gold, and they continue to keep their compelling art rock/post punk sound fresh with every release. Their brand new album, Wide Awake! is certainly no exception. The band strays from their usual garage rock sound as they have teamed up with the prevalent producer Danger Mouse to create a masterpiece of funk/punk fusion that keeps the listener engaged through its 13 tracks. Following 2016’s ballad-heavy album Human Performance, Parquet Courts come through with a punchy and exhilarated record full of “joy, rage silliness and anger,” according to the band’s frontman A. Savage. The opening track “Total Football,” makes reference to football players choice to kneel during
the national anthem as a protest to police brutality and systemic racism. “Total Football,” along with tracks like “Violence,” “Almost Had to Start a Fight/In and Out of Patience,” and “NYC Observation” are fast paced, fun, defiant punk rock songs that will keep you coming back time and again. • Darren Wright Michael Rault It’s a New Day Tonight Wick Records Michael Rault is a Toronto based singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. His intricate glam/psych rock sound manages to stand out from the numerous throwback rock bands of the present day. Rault’s brand new album, It’s a New Day Tonight, carries a noticeably different sound than his 2015 album Living Daylight. It’s a New Day Tonight explores themes of night time, sleeping and dreaming, and those themes are clearly reflected in the dreamy guitar riffs and smooth vocals. In a time where music and pop culture is dominated by mostly forgettable ‘80s and ‘90s nostalgia, Rault stands out from his peers through intricate instrumentals, interesting songwriting and a mostly unique style. On the almost title track “New Day Tonight,” Rault opens with the lyrics “Start to feel alright just after midnight” which sets the tone for the rest of the album which is full of references to sleeping and dreaming. According to Rault, he was “Looking for an escape from a lot of frustrating and dissatisfying conditions in [his] day to day life.” Although It’s a New Day Tonight stays interesting through its intricacy, Rault’s influences are very clear and at times overpowering. Most songs on the album wouldn’t feel out of place on a Beatles or Bob Dylan record, which makes it hard not to want something more to give the album more of a distinct sound. • Darren Wright Jack Stauber HiLo Independent Musical fads have come and gone as long as the art form has existed, along with a plethora of new bands formed in the name of the fad. Punk, pop, and lofi are all hugely popular genres this decade, so what makes HiLo worth your time? It’s Jack Stauber’s playfulness with not only the oversaturated genres of the current times, but those of the ‘90s, ‘80s, ‘70s, etc. as well. Coming hot off of his last release, Pop Food, released in 2017, in which Stauber brewed an easy-listening reflection of bandcamp-pop artists as a whole, he decided to go further into looking at what is popular and how we treat pop-culture music in general. Album highlight, and longest track on the record “Leopard,” opens up like any other song of Stauber’s. A steady drum sample and DeMarco-core guitar anchor the intro, but quickly shift into a ‘60s swing number with a synth-pop twist, before suddenly transforming into a completely different electronic-rock song. Just picture tuning from station-to-station on your radio, listening to 30 seconds of each song before restlessly turning the dial once again. That’s what listening to this record is like, curious, open minded, but comforting in the idea that the musical art form is essentially open-ended, with the usual clashes of era-toera and genre-to-genre coming together in a smooth harmony. • Keeghan Rouleau The Voidz Virtue Cult/RCA Records The outfit formerly known as Julian Casablancas & the Voidz returns with a new record that feels more streamlined and cohesive than their last, without losing the experimental edge that makes them compelling. 2014’s Tyranny was a massive undertaking, blending punk with synthpop, industrial noise with Caribbean rhythms. While Tyranny felt messy at times, one could not shake the feeling that the band was on to something. That something is expanded in their latest effort, which trades the most alienating, noisy moments of Tyranny for infectious hooks and a clearer, listener-friendly sound. Opening track “Leave It In My Dreams” lies in the uncanny valley, sounding something akin to Casablancas’ main band The Strokes, yet distancing itself through off-kilter instrumentation and a warped vocal performance from Casablancas. The second track, “QYURRYUS,” sees the band diverting into Eurobeat while Casablancas’ vocals are run through autotune à la Kanye West’s 808’s and Heartbreak. “Pyramid of Bones” flirts with the sounds of nu-metal while the acoustic “Think Before You Drink” serves to handily cut the record in two. Like Tyranny before it, Virtue is densely political; the record’s 15 tracks see Casablancas croon about propaganda, government deception and historical wrongdoings. Virtue sees The Voidz’ everything-and-thekitchen-sink approach take a more concrete form, resulting in an album that feels more complete while allowing the band the leeway to experiment. • Gareth Jones BEATROUTE • MAY <strong>2018</strong> | 59
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