eeee SUN CLUB
The Dongo Durango (ATO
Records)
eeee YAK
No ep (Third Man Records)
Thank fuck for Yak, a berserk bunch who balance noise with a don’t-give-a-shit mentality. Over the last twelve months, they’ve been known to fill venues with pulsing psych solos and ghoulish organ drones. But when it comes to putting the madness down to tape, they’ve a serious knack for getting to the point. It helps when Jack White’s involved, backing Oli Burslem and co. for a one-off single on his Third Man label. There’s clearly an added zest in camp Yak. (Jamie Milton) Listen: ‘No’
ee NOTHING BUT THIEVES Nothing But Thieves (rca)
If the barrage of singles to have come from Nothing But Thieves’ camp in the lead up to their debut album are anything to go by, they’re a band that who specialise in big-sounding rock songs. So, it’s with very little surprise that the Southend-on-Sea quintet have offered up a album’s worth of them. Granted, there are a few quirks; the dirty guitars of ‘Ban All The Music’, the airy falsetto of Conor Mason, the funkiness that shrouds ‘Hostage’. It’s an album that plays to the band’s strengths yet overall, just feels that little bit too safe. A bit like the edges have been sanded off, this an album that shows the band have laid some solid foundations, but could do with pushing the boundaries just a little more. (Sarah Jamieson) Listen: ‘Ban All The Music’
eeee LANTERNS ON THE LAKE Beings (Bella Union)
Even if Lanterns on the Lake hadn’t been making gradually more mature, sophisticated and quietly stirring indie rock records these past few years, the fact that they continue to fly under the radar would be a travesty for more than that. ‘Beings’’ slow, deliberate title track is probably the standout; when the strings flutter and guitars shimmer quite like this, there’s no real need for a crescendo. Lanterns on the Lake are making rock music that, in terms of how vital it feels in 2015, is criminally unsung. (Joe Goggins) Listen: ‘Faultlines’
Forceful and blustering, scorching and euphoric, Sun Club’s debut album is a tropical storm committed to tape. The Baltimore five-piece have condensed their whirlwind capabilities into a debut album – and it’s primed to leave listeners reeling. From the mick-take echoes of ‘Glob’, through the resounding nursery rhyme-esque refrains that close ‘Carnival Dough’, to the battle cry choruses of ‘Tropicoller Lease’, ‘The Dongo Durango’ is the sound of a band unhinged. Off the hook, running wild, and beckoning you to join them in the boundless freedom they’ve created. (Jess Goodman) Listen: ‘Tropicoller Lease’
ee ESCORT
Animal Nature
(Escort Records)
On Escort’s ‘Animal Nature’, there’s a surprise that comes at you in the form of an admirable disco cover of St Vincent’s ‘Actor Out Of Work’. Just like the original, the pace - like having an anvil glued to the accelerator pedal - is relentless and an instant highlight. Album closer ‘Dancer’ is another standout. But, at the tail end of 2015, disco fatigue is starting to set in. It’s easy to find yourself wishing ‘Animal Nature’ to be more adventurous, but, unfortunately, Escort seem content with dishing out solid - if a little unremarkable - classic disco tracks. By playing it too safe, ‘Animal Nature’ is just sort of fine and that won’t cut it. (Lucas Fothergill) Listen: ‘Dancer’ 75