BRIAN FALLON
throwing back to a world that’s too often overlooked. Steven Loftin
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THE SPOOK SCHOOL
SLEEPWALKERS The underlying rawness from Brian Fallon’s prior incarnations is perfectly served by this new exploration into more swinging territory. His second solo outing, ‘Sleepwalkers’ is simply infectious. ‘If Your Prayers Don’t Get To Heaven’ cuts straight the chase, delivering a flawlessly soulful number - finger snaps included. From here on in it’s a non-stop dancing and swaying journey that will peck at every feeling you have. Brian is a master at finding melodies that dig deep into your heart. There are still moments of familiarity, but the real joy here lies in the ones that feel out of place. Soul and meaning are what Brian thrives on, and in ‘Sleepwalkers’ he’s found a step forward while
COULD IT BE DIFFERENT
eeee “Fuck you, I’m still alive,” sing The Spook School on the appropriately titled ‘Still Alive’, and for all the placard-waving platitudes, it gets to the nub of what makes the Scots quartet so bloody great. Hearton-sleeve and earnest, there’s an unwavering force to the message that underpins every track on ‘Could It Be Different?’ Whether it’s riffing off The Smiths or discussing topics of abusive relationships, masculinity and identity, ‘Could It Be Different?’ is witty and eloquent, filled with hooks and a matter-offact lyricism that softens the heavy themes. Rob Mair
THE GO! TEAM
SEMICIRCLE
eeeee The Go! Team burst into our lives as a Day-Glo riot of fun, a staple of the festival circuit and a guaranteed good-time band, perfect for shaking a leg like the world ain’t watching. Press play on ‘Semicircle’, and it’s clear the party is still going even after 14 years. ‘All The Way Live’ is all tooting horns, sassy vocals and downright glee, perfectly fitting into the ‘school marching band gone rogue’ aesthetic that the band hinted at in the early days of recording. The subtler moments such as ‘Chain Link Fence’ and ‘If There’s One Thing You Should Know’ are equally rewarding. Time to party like it’s 2004? Jenessa Williams
DREAM WIFE DREAM WIFE
HEY DAVID BREWIS FROM FIELD MUSIC, RECOMMEND US SOME STUFF Last good record you heard: I’ve been listening to the new, as-yet-unreleased, Slug album quite a lot because I’ve been helping to mix it. It’s bonkers. Favourite ever book: It’s been a long time since I reread it, but Island by Aldous Huxley is the book which had the biggest individual impact on me. It’s beautifully written, but it’s also bulging with philosophy and science. TV show you couldn’t live without: I have two small kids, so the best TV shows for me are the ones that keep them entertained and don’t make me want to pull my own fingernails out. My marginal favourite, just ahead of Sarah and Duck, is Ben and Holly’s Little Kingdom. Best recent purchase: Ful medames with flatbread from Arabesque, an Egyptian restaurant in Sunderland. Totally delicious. Anything else you’d recommend? Room On The Broom may well be the greatest, most elegant book for young children ever written. P
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FIELD MUSIC OPEN HERE eeee
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t’s been 13 years since Field Music’s debut appeared: a neat, geometric set marrying precision-tooled harmonies and sparse post-punk, expertly assembled for the most part by two brothers, Peter and David Brewis. Four albums have followed since, among solo digressions, soundtracks and collaborations, each seeming to bring players into the fold. ‘Open Here’ is a smaller, shorter album than the grand, Princeapproved ‘Commontime’, in much the same way as ‘Plumb’ followed the sprawling ‘(Measure)’ in double-concentrated form. But it’s a wide open one, with the ambition and scope to tackle themes large and small. The gleeful funk of ‘No King No Princess’ assures David’s son and daughter that they can “play with what you want and ... dress up how you want”, while ‘Daylight Saving’ is a wistful wish to reclaim as a couple the hours spent as parents. And it’s musically open too, with a supporting cast taking in strings, piccolo, flugelhorn and flute, and, particularly, the harmonies of the
lenty of bands set out to start a ruckus. Armed with a six string and a desire to make a bit of a din, they’re generally doomed to being ‘much better live’, occasionally reaching legendary status in their own minds if they’re able to stand still long enough to muster a cohesive thought. That’s not Dream Wife, though. Dream Wife are different. From their first brilliantly discordant steps, they’ve always felt that cut above. Not once has their passion felt forced or showy. From day one, they’ve been an assured, deliberate assault - every move calculated in the moment, matching pinpoint accuracy with the sparks of immediacy. Their debut album isn’t a roll of the
FALL OUT BOY
MA N I Cornshed Sisters and Pete Fraser’s saxes - the grinding baritone driving the elastic ‘Share A Pillow’ or ‘Daylight Saving’’s reflective, sympathetic solo. It all culminates in the glorious finale, ‘Find A Way To Keep Me’, awash with cascading strings, flutes and trumpets. But it’s not all quite so busy. Single ‘Count It Up’ is one of the sparsest, and best, things here, beginning with a skeletal frame of synths and drums and nailing on a plea to add up all the things we should be grateful for: holidays, work, drinkable water… 13 years on, it’s as clear as ever that Field Music should be somewhere near the top of that list. Rob Mesure
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dice, but instead, a laser-guided WMD. ‘Let’s Make Out’ throws down a challenge, impossibly cool but never aloof. ‘Hey Heartbreaker’ - already a banger of legendary proportions - is shined up to hit new levels. Dream Wife aren’t just starting the party. They’re closing it down too. Stephen Ackroyd
RAE MORRIS
SOMEONE OUT THERE
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If there’s one thing that Fall Out Boy can’t be accused of, it’s standing still. Since reanimating themselves from beyond their ‘hiatus’ grave, they’ve returned a different band. Increasingly playing in more chart-friendly, mainstream waters, Pete Wentz and Co. have admittedly never been a cult affair. Still, ‘M A N I A’ pushes those tendencies further than ever before, from the oh-so-now Latin shuffle of ‘Hold Me Tight (Or Don’t)’ to the fist-pumping triumphalism of ‘Last Of The Real Ones’. The real trick is that Fall Out Boy haven’t moved, so much as their peers remain tied to a sound that never evolved. Rock’s future looks increasingly purple. Dan Harrison
Rae Morris’ debut album was a solid affair. Even that might undersell it somewhat, in all honesty. What it wasn’t - even by the biggest stretch of the imagination - was a marker for an artist about to deliver one of the most exciting, essential pop records of 2018. And yet here we are, kicking off a new year with an album both inventive and fresh, but familiar and assured too. From the spring breeze of ‘Atletico (The Only One)’ to the twinkle-toed, heavyweight punching bop of ‘Do It’, it’s an evolution that skips several steps. Rae Morris belongs in the big leagues now. Underestimate her at your peril. Dan Harrison DOWN WITH BORING
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