New Releases - 23rd May

New Releases - 23rd May

18 May, 2011
by: Music Team

And the results are in...Blue won.

Cass McCombs - Country Line
Domino Records

Cass McCombs - County Line by DominoRecordCo

‘County Line’ sees Comb in wistfully downtempo, chaise longue soul mode. He purposefully caresses a Rhodes electric piano, creating a warm, stoicism-in-the-face-of-anguish, Many Rivers to Cross-type vibe, while his soulful falsetto, periodically adorned with Bee Gees-style harmonisation, serves as a coquettish, eyebrow-raising come-hither to female fans. But it is a sorrowful piece as well as a sexual one. “What did I have to do, to make you want me?” he asks, somberly resigned to failure in love.

County Line. I don’t think he’s talking about the Dagenham-Essex border. 4/5
AM

Mogwai - San Pedro
Sub Pop

Mogwai - San Pedro by subpop

Well here's a generous free taster ahead of the forthcoming album 'Hardcore Will Never Die, But you Will'.Typically lo-fi and grungey, 'San Pedro' is classic Mogwai and fairly brilliant. From the outset they strike out as relentless as they mean to go on.

Unapolegetic distorted power chords growl over a driving 'real rock' drum beat, capturing and recreating their authoritative live sound. Mogwai, and San Pedro, are not for everybody. But they are for me. 4/5
JoJ

Weekend - End Times
SLUMBERLAND

Weekend - End Times by Slumberland Records

If The Drums were produced by Steve Albini, chances are it'd come very close to something like this. 'End Times' might well be blessed with a terrific pop melody, albeit of the hurriedly haunted variety, but it's got an impenetrability and incandescence to it (especially once the guitars veer riotously left into a fearsomely noisy dark alley, as they do on at least three separate occasions) that leave it staring at the sun and gazing at its shoes in equal measure. 3.5/5
IM

Bastille - Flaws/Icarus
Young and Lost Club

BΔSTILLE by BASTILLE

'Hi. I'm Lucy, and I like pop music.' Cue your encouraging round of applause if you please.

Let's stop being ashamed, summer is trying its darnedest to get here so it's alright to have something that's light and sparkly for your ears to feed on. It's true that 'pop' has been sullied since it's been hijacked by Eurovision and Bieber, but Bastille's 'Flaws/Icarus' falls on the right side of the genre with nifty hooks and harmonious choruses.

The words of a true addict. 3/5
LS

Kill Cassidy - Animals
Sugar Shack Records

Animals by killcassidy

'Animals', the upcoming second single from Kill Cassidy, undeniably has a very indie sound. It's catchy, so I'd imagine it'll do well in the indie charts. Even after I'd only heard it once I liked it, and it's the kind of song that will grow on you if you listen to it more.
It's quite angsty, but that's not always a bad thing, and luckily it's not here, though it would sound perfectly at home on the True Blood soundtrack (or maybe it's more Vampire Diaries). Definitely promising. 3/5
AD

Venetian Snares - Ever Apparent All Being Shoulder
Cargorecords

Venetian snares - Ever Apparent All Being Shoulder by cargorecords

Last night I dreamt I was in a room with random words scrawled on the walls being sexually assaulted by the monster from the BFG to the sound of a reggae record being played backwards. This morning, this landed on my desk. I think somebody is stealing my thoughts. 1/5
TA

Music Team