Arctic Monkeys: Humbug

Admitedly a lot of pop culture passes me by unseen. However, even I couldn’t help notice the fanfare accompanying the release of the first two Arctic Monkeys albums. I was therefore fairly surprised when perusing the Amazon web site for some new audio delights, that there was in fact a third Arctic Monkeys album available that I was previously unaware of.

The distinctive thick bass and modern crisp and edgy guitars of Humbug’s brace of predesors are certainly still in evidence on this third offering, but it seems as though Alex Turner has also retained some of the suave 60’s sophistication of last year’s “Last Shadow Puppets” album.

I always enjoy a few good euphemisms in my lyrics, so I was of course delighted with album opener “My Propeller” which is basically a simple ode to Alex’s cock. The album lyrics in general though reflect the change in lifestyle that the success of the first two albums has afforded the band. The sharp working class humour has thankfully not been lost but reflects the circles that the band now move in.

So I’m not sure if there was less hype or if I jussed missed it, but either way the content is well worthwhile.

Try and seek out a copy with the Japanese bonus track, a nice cover of Nice Cave’s Red Right Hand.

Recommended.

Paramore: Brand New Eyes

In previews reviews I’ve waxed lyrical about albums that I’ve bought blind, and then been delighted to discover a great new band. Well I took a punt on this album with that in mind, but sadly it didn’t pay off on this occasion.

Prefab Sprout: Let’s Change The World With Music

Perhaps it’s because I haven’t listened to any Prefab Sprout since the 80’s, but this album has a very strong 80’s essence. Apart from a couple of exceptions, Paddy McAloon doesn’t seem to have done an awful lot since the 80’s either, and this new album of dated material (mainly composed of “lost” stuff from 1993) has certainly not been remixed for a new 21st century audience.

Actually I was never really much of fan of Prefab Sprout in the 80’s to start with. If it wasn’t for the fact that they came from a nearby village to where I lived at the time in Durham, I probably wouldn’t have bothered. But this finally completed new set of songs has received much critical success so it would be rude not to give it a go.

The album is a concept covering the largest and most profound topics. The opening track starts off with the Big Bang and the topic of religion is frequently pondered throughout the album. “Ride” kicks off with a funky bass-line that could have accompanied an Art of Noise hit. But most of the album is a more sedate affair with tracks like “I Love Music”, which has a sort of 80’s, Jazzy, Broadway, Christmassy sort of thing going on, which I find quite agreeable.

Seasick Steve: Man From Another Time

More deft picking, sliding and stomping seems to be the only 3 ingredients needed to maintain his unique blues sound. As a big fan of last years , I Started Out With Nothing and Still Got Most Of It Left, I was delighted to hear a whole bunch more of the same.

Steve Wold sticks with his distinctive rough working class American blues that served him so well on last years breakthrough album and fascinated all those like me watching his rise to stardom courtesy of Mr Jools Holland.

The album kicks off with “Diddley Bo” played on, yes, you’ve guessed it, his one stringed Diddley Bow. A simple construction made from a wire a broom and a couple of cans with an output that defies its basic design.

“Big Green and Yeller” is a song that resonates well with me. As my dad worked for Cornwall Farmers and many of my school friends where farmers son’s, I frequently argued the superiority of a good John Deere over a Massey Ferguson, David Brown or Ford.

The Kittiwakes: Lofoten Calling

Lofoten Calling is a rich album of folklore and myth inspired by the Lofoten Islands above the Arctic Circle in Norway.

The Kittiwakes are a highly talented trio of musicians comprising of Kate Denny: vocals, violin, Jill Cumberbatch: violin, mandolin, octave mandola, guitar, vocals and Chris Harrison: piano, accordion, piano and vocals.

The title track however sees the Kittiwakes setting their instruments aside for a sublime and powerful harmonic performance. The mixture of solo vocals and beautiful and mesmerising harmonies paint a mystical picture of bleak haunting landscapes complete with soaring eagles and distant whale-song.

The album opens with Maelstrom, an accordion lead shanty based around local folklore and Edgar Allen Poe’s “A Decent Into the Maelstrom”. Denny’s captivating vocals create a power musical meme that is frequently stuck in my brain.

Perhaps my favourite track from the album is “Lynx”. It’s opening fiddling riff gives way to an elegant acoustic guitar and the tale of the Lynx searching for the path down to the salt salt sea. As the Lynx eventually finds the shore and places his paw in the sea the song fades with a beautiful piano outro. An interesting album footnote explains how the Norse name for the islands comes from their shape resembling a lynx footprint.

A wonderful, beautiful debut combing Nordic and British folk influences.