reviews albums BASSEKOU KOUYATE **** Miri (Outhere) Malian ngoni music might not be everyone’s jam – for those not sure what a ngoni is, it’s kind of like a lute – but in the hands of virtuoso Bassekou Kouyate, it’s hard not to be swayed. This fifth album, from a true icon of West African contemporary music, builds the traditional, technical and experimental into a fascinating layer cake of choruses and intricate string work. There’s a new element to pinpoint with every repeated listen – see if you don’t get sucked in. BH
BILGE PUMP *** We Love You (Gringo) Given that their previous release, back in 2010, was an EP called The Fucking Cunts Still Treat Us Like Pricks, the title of Bilge Pump’s new album suggests that they’re now more interested in conciliation than in confrontation. Yet the Leeds mavericks’ elasticated, discordant post-punk remains as much an acquired taste as ever. Fantastically frazzled opener Wheel Of Yew rather oversells what follows, though The Passion Of The Kid profitably ditches the idiosyncrasies in favour of Shellac-style rhythmic precision. BW
THE CLAYPOOL LENNON DELIRIUM **** South Of Reality (ATO) Whilst I am familiar with Primus, I never checked out the previous collaboration between their frontman and the Lennon/Ono offspring. Expecting an unlistenable musical experiment, South Of Reality turn out to be a very pleasant psychedelic rock trip. Fuelled by Claypool’s unmistakable bass work, the duo share vocals and while the lyrical content is barking mad in parts, musically it’s a real treat. Imagine if The Byrds were part of the early 90s alternative scene and you’re in the right ballpark. CA
COSEY FANNI TUTTI **** TUTTI (Conspiracy International) Author, performance artist, porn star, founder member of infamous industrial pioneers Throbbing Gristle, “wrecker of civilisation”: Cosey Fanni Tutti has a long and colourful resumé. Despite claiming to loathe acceptance, she’s been embraced as a huge influence by scores of electronic musicians – and her second solo LP, consisting of tracks originally composed for an autobiographical film, demonstrates why. While many people her age are travelling to bingo with their free bus pass, she’s busy transporting listeners to the depths of a nuclear winter on Sophic Ripple. BW
BUZZ 42
DAN AMOR ****
NUBIYAN TWIST ****
SALIF KEITA ****
Afonydd A Drysau (Cae Gwyn)
Jungle Run (Strut)
Un Autre Blanc (Naïve/Believe)
Dan Amor’s sound has been likened to The Beatles, but that doesn’t do it justice. Tracks such as Blwyddyn are more Beautiful South, and there’s a glimpse of 90s Britpop in here too. Afonydd A Drysau is a relaxing yet toe-tapping affair and though I couldn’t understand a word I still got the message. Songs are original, Dan plays (almost) everything and, as a bonus, the first 50 copies of the CD come with freebies. LN
Of the heat of the Afro-jazz explosion happening up in Leeds, Nubiyan Twist are 12 of the most successful faces. With a full, clean sound and strong hiphop/neo-soul edges throughout, Jungle Run is of a similar cut as its peers; funky, virtuoso, progressive performances that beg for more rap collaborations or long improvisational sections. As it is, the album is an impressive collection of rich rhythm bars that can step on each other at times but are lovely really. JM
The Golden Voice Of Africa bows out of the biz with this solid swansong to Keita’s half a century in African music, instigated by being ostracised from his village as an albino. The baton is relayed to the new generation from the synth twisting around the kora of Were Were, autotune on Ngamale and the unintrusive rap of trap artist MHD on the jubilant afropop Itarafo. Keita’s voice soars on the sublime Syrie and the liquid Diawara Fa, featuring afrobeats star Yemi Alade. CS
PANDA BEAR ****
SOUNDWIRE ***
Buoys (Domino)
Soundwire (Mine Mine Mine)
Buoys is the sixth album from Panda Bear, aka Noah Lennox, aka him from Animal Collective. Instead of the chillwave sampledelia of his best known album, 2007’s Person Pitch, Buoys is much closer to the acoustic and melodic output of his main band. And, as with Animal Collective, the songs here straddle the line between earworm and irritating. Mainly manipulated vocals and heavily processed acoustic guitars floating over skittish percussion, for the most part it works, creating a short, sweet, summery album. SE
The debut album by south Wales psychedelic rockers Soundwire is more indie-synth than trippy 60s psychedelia, yet its repetitive riffs are almost hypnotic. There are some solid beats here, but most tracks are similar in tone (of the eight songs, We Rise and A Hiding To Nothing are the more musically dynamic) and fail to take off like I so wished they would – though when you’re swaying in a dark and hazy backroom, this is probably a good thing. LN
DRENGE **** Strange Creatures (Infectious) Derbyshire trio Drenge’s third studio release is equal parts anti-establishment poetry, gothic imagery and love-tinged ballads, occupying an unusual sonic space somewhere between Type O Negative and Royal Blood with a healthy splash of Muse thrown in for good measure. Beneath the thick grey smog of depression and reverb, the instrumentation feels colourful and sharp, dabbling with jazz and electronic influence to start to mould the distinctly British deadpan punk sound they’ve adopted into something a little more unique. AP
LADYTRON **** Ladytron (!K7) Little in the way of fresh output has been seen from Ladytron in the last eight years. The quartet’s reputation for sleek synth precision nevertheless remains intact on a self-titled sixth album that bleeds between the melancholic Paper Highways, Deadzone’s dystopic overtones and the bubbling electropop of Figurine. Polished production values lend a steely sheen that reaffirms the minimalist sound that has come to define the band’s work. Despite a creative pause, this formula remains as potent as ever. CHP
MERCURY REV **** Bobbie Gentry’s The Delta Sweete Revisited (Bella Union) Ramshackle psychedelic mavericks turned melancholy keepers of the Americana flame, Mercury Rev lend their Disneyfied grandiosity to a cover of Bobbie Gentry’s 1968 concept album. Featuring a different guest vocalist on each track, Norah Jones is the biggest name on show here, but the surprise stand out is Laetitia Sadler’s take on Mornin’ Glory. Reverent without being a mere facsimile, the album contains enough surprises to keep fans of both the band and Bobbie Gentry satisfied. PJ
MONO **** Nowhere Now Here (Pelagic) As the name implies, Mono’s 10th LP seems born to soundtrack the chaotic, nearapocalyptic times in which we find ourselves. The Japanese post-rock titans are most definitely not masters of understatement: on the contrary, everything they do is on an epic scale. New drummer Dahm Majuri Cipolla makes his presence felt early on, ensuring that After You Comes The Flood sounds like a thrash metal band making the sky fall in. After that, Breathe is more an imperative or reminder than a song title. BW
PUPPY **** The Goat (Spinefarm) One of the most talked about bands in the underground scene in recent years, the genre-defying Puppy from London are ready to unleash their debut album on the world. The Goat takes influences from all over the world of rock. You’ll find Iron Maiden style melodies following luscious Weezer-style pop-rock, as well as Deftones groove laden with doom overtones. Sounds bizarre, but the trio have brought it all together and created a debut album to remember. CA
RUSTIN MAN ****
SWERVEDRIVER *** Future Ruins (Rock Action) In the early 90s, when their Thames Valley contemporaries Ride and Slowdive were preoccupied gazing at their shoes, Swervedriver were looking out across the Atlantic for inspiration. Nearly 30 years later, the latter still bear the imprint of American influence but time has largely robbed them of their alt-rock bite. Mary Winter and Theeascending do at least break the mid-paced mould and up the volume, but the best tracks – Drone Lover and immersive closer Radio-Silent – actually slow things down, luxuriating in stoned, sun-kissed melody. BW
Drift Code (Domino)
SPELLLING ****
If he had neighbours they’d be wondering what Rustin Man’s Paul Webb has been building in his barn for 17 years. On this urbane yet bucolic LP he’s commandeered the mic from Beth Gibbons, with a fragile but defiant voice, like an octagenian Bowie. Our Tomorrows is as fleet-footed as Elbow; the meandering piano on Vanishing Heart rivals former band Talk Talk. Pattering drums, woodwind and guitar licks propel Judgement Train and zither and piano embue All Summer with a golden haze. CS
Mazy Fly (Sacred Bones)
RUSTY SHACKLE **** The Raven, The Thief & The Hangman (Get Folked) The South Wales quintet show what wizards they are at changing up traditional music. They researched old songs, words and stories and set them to original music and melodies. Combining bluegrass, Celtic, rock, roots and of course folk, they breathe new life into tunes telling us about thieving chimney sweeps, escaped convicts, ladies of the night and uprising Chartists. Good harmonizing, especially on Hanging Johnny. Rock, not jazz awaits at St. James Infirmary and Morricone signals the guitar-driven Time Of Death. RLR
Alternative r’n’b is a bit of a dicey concept, invoking similar suspicions of misplaced snobbery as alternative comedy (to name but one example). More so when it’s delivered by a New York label best known for far noisier fare. Chrystia Cabral, aka Oakland solo artist Spellling (geddit?), packs a whack of Sacred Bones-y nighttime creep into second album Mazy Fly, though. Gloopy cloudrappy beats mesh with lachrymose torchsong vibes and bursts of climactic rock distortion, and marks Spellling as a rad new talllent. NG
THEON CROSS *** Fyah (Gearbox) Theon Cross is a tuba-playing jazz musician, a niche containing frankly few iconic figures. He’s also a member of London group Sons Of Kemet, a pretty high-profile position as British jazzers go, and on his second album Fyah is joined by sax player Nubya Garcia and drummer Moses Boyd. The nature of Cross’ chosen instrument means he rarely presents as a bandleader per se, rather purring away with bassy depth, with echoes of mid-00s dubstep and soundsystem culture in general. NG