Stereophonics Keep Calm & Carry On (album) It’s difficult to ever say that Kelly Jones can do no wrong and it’s hard for me to say this being an avid follower of the band since year dot but with Keep Calm... there seems to be something lacking. The songs are good but very little stands out and it’s that wow factor the Phonics usually deliver that is the missing element. Of course you get variety of styles plus skilled musicianship but the edge has been softened. Maybe because it follows on from Decade In The Sun, the brilliant Greatest Hits package that the band delivered to us last year that was an unstoppable listen and permanent fixture in my car that this album seems like an anti-climax. Still it’s better than most albums around today, buying it wouldn’t be a disaster, and it still shows that the Stereophonics are Wales’ largest and best worldwide rock musical export and even these guys can have a bad day. DW AFI Crash Love (album) Long-standing members of the LA rock scene, AFI’s 8th studio effort is an allembracing big production affair. Opener Torch Song hits you with no-nonsense layered melodic rock, and Too Shy To Scream takes you into Green Day pop-Ppunk territory; bouncy beats, punky guitar and sing-along choruses galore. Single Medicate is a stormer, with a killer intro riff and a massive singalong chorus. This isn’t just a band churning out pop-punk by numbers however, listen out for the change of direction midway through Medicate. Whilst not really my cup of tea, the fact that AFI are still making fresh sounding music with no lack of enthusiasm is certainly worth applauding. For fans of Green Day, Kaiser Chiefs, 30 Seconds To Mars, Hoobastank. MARK New York Dolls Cause I Sez So (album) This has sonic survivors Sylvain Sylvain and David Johansen igniting akin to their 70s incarnation. Cause I Sez So is a jigsaw of gems that shows four decades of circling this Punishing World has made a dynamic duo stronger for the experience. The ’09 Dolls kick it with their seedy glam/punk, but they also adopt 60s pop (with a nod to the epic girl groups of the era), sleazy blues, saloon balladry and spaghetti western rock (that would fit a Tarantino film score). David and Sylvain have burnt every candle at both ends. and God bless them! ROB Fighting Fiction (four track ep) Fighting Fiction produce a “powerful collision of indie rock guitar riffs, reggae-tinged punk and socially aware lyrics” according to the cover of their CD. Hmm… They’ve covered a lot of bases here, but the truth is they remind me of the kind of political punk band you would’ve seen at TJ’s 25 years ago. While the mellowest track, You Mean the World To Me, with its declarations of love is strangely reminiscent of early Billy Bragg. STEPH
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Million Dead A Song To Ruin (album) This is fast, furious and noisy as hell. Metal fans will enjoy the screaming, the old school riffs and complex drumming, in the same territory as Gallows and Enter Shakiri. To quote one of the tracks here: “The Kids are going to love it.” LUCAS Meretto Street Talking (album) I did quite like this album, was thinking positive thoughts, then the bad language started. It totally spoiled it for me, as I’ve got young kids, so couldn’t give the album the time I would have liked to. Shame! SIWAN Kate Walsh Light & Dark (album) I’ve heard the name Kate Walsh for a while now but must confess to not having given her due airtime, until now that is. Walsh is obviously a talented vocalist and guitarist, quickly established in album opener As He Pleases. It features beautiful instrumentation and is accompanied by Walsh’s unmistakable voice, perfectly setting the tone for a soothing album. Trying sees Walsh venture into full band territory, more akin to Turin Brakes (who, upon reading the album insert actually play on the song — an instant winner in my book then). 1000 Bees stands out for me, a superbly crafted uplifting melodically rich pop sing-along tune. Light & Dark travels through a variety of emotions — from melancholic through to uplifting, contemplative to blissfully ignorant. This is mellow Sunday afternoon music at best, but that’s not meant to be a bad thing. For fans of Turin Brakes, Zero 7, Natalie Imbruglia. MARK Funeral For A Friend Your History Is Mine: 2002-2009 (album) When an artist releases of a best of package after only four albums, it throws up all sorts of questions including: can they supply enough songs to call it a best of? Well in the case of FFAF they can. This is probably one of the best packages you could spend your hard earned cash on this Christmas. Filled with everything from 10.45 Amsterdam Conversations to Kicking & Screaming from Memory & Humanity you get a true sense of FFAF progression. The high point is History, a line from which that the album title is taken and Into Oblivion (Reunion) when Funeral were at their strongest commercially. The only dampner is the four new song that are tacked on the end which, though good songs, haven’t stood the test of time and you feel they’re just added to make the true dedicated fans spend more money. Two new tracks would have been enough and the inclusion of Waterfront Danceclub would have finished this off perfectly for me. Saying that the additional album of rarities, demos and b-sides is a real treat for true fans, especially their version of U2s Sunday Bloody Sunday and the dance version of Into Oblivion that stands out like a sore thumb. Go buy this, you won’t regret it. DW
Eliza Doolittle (four track ep) The original Eliza Doolittle was the character from My Fair Lady who rose from rags to riches. Not sure if these four songs will elevate this Eliza Doolittle to superstardom, but it’s very well-produced and radio friendly. Think warm, husky vocals over modern, jazzy grooves. Stand-out track is Go Home — neat, cute and very catchy — and any song that ends with the words “Cha cha cha!” is ok by me! STEPH The Beastie Boys Paul’s Boutique, Check your Head & Ill Communication (albums) These are 09 re-runs of fine LPs with bonus remixes and rarities. These CDs are imperative listens, but please look out for an updated version of Ill Communication because this is the most accomplished of the B-Boys back catalogue albums. The lads cross a mass of musical genres and their travels offer us rock/punk/jazz/funk/hip hop and more! Guitar riffs crash in to subtle instrumentals, hard core leads in to old school and in amongst this endless creativity extra treats are also on board! ROB REM Live At The Olympia (album) REM have got a weird thing going: old but too famous to be cult heroes, yet old but too small to be U2 (their stop at Cardiff this year had to be moved from the Millennium Stadium to the CIA due to lack of ticket sales) — they’re kinda stuck in the middle, like lukewarm water. I suppose they must be making money by taking advantage of the obsessive side of their fan base, because this is the band’s second live album in two years, all from a band that previously hadn’t released any! Luckily for REM, the music tends to be pretty great, especially since this time they’re focusing on the earlier IRS years (yes, I’m one of those fans!), featuring great versions of Driver 8, Feeling Gravity’s Pull and Carnival Of Sorts (Box Cars) while even managing to make songs from Reckoning, an album I always thought was pretty mediocre, sound good. There’s also lots of fun stage banter from Stipe & Co too, which is particularly entertaining when he reads out some misheard lyrics found online of West Of The Fields. Oh, but if you couldn’t have guessed with this 39-song (as the cover proudly notes) extravaganza, it’s too long. Thirty minutes is raw rock and roll fury, 70 minutes is a nice overview, two and a half hours is total overkill. Unless, like me, you’re an obsessive fan of course. JAKE Doves Kingdom Of Rust (album) This album confirms that this talented trio are the masters of the soulful, indie anthem. Eleven haunting hymns glide with grace and these tunes are inspirational in terms of their ambition and application. The Hours and Cherry Ghost have recorded crafted tunes that deserve more reward, but Doves can claim the kudos of critical credits and successful sales! This winning formula looks set to continue for the funk boy three of guitar-rock! ROB